Chapter 82: Let Me Off With This.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 82: Let Me Off With This.
He handed me the ice cream, and I took it, but I was still a bit bewildered.
I had him sit in my computer chair and asked him.
“What am I supposed to do if you just show up at this hour without calling?”
“But if it’s not at a time like this, we don’t really have a chance to see each other, do we?” Oppa replied as he took out a chocolate ice cream and unwrapped it.
“You should’ve called. I thought you were some weirdo and got scared.”
“Oh, really? I thought you’d know it was me for sure.”
“How was I supposed to know that?”
“Well…”
Oppa grinned sheepishly.
“Because I’ve come over a few times after your streams. I thought you’d know. Sorry.”
I thought my day had been a complete mess.
But just having him here made me feel so much better.
“…Next time, at least send a text before you come.”
I didn’t want to nag him anymore, especially since he’d even brought snacks.
“Okay.”
After I finished the delicious ice cream and was about to throw away the wrapper, Oppa started pulling something else out of the bag.
“…You didn’t just bring ice cream?”
“Nope.”
With a rustle, he pulled out all sorts of jellies and snacks.
Every single one of them was the kind of treat you’d call a sugar bomb.
“What is all this?”
“You just seemed down during your stream today.”
The thing I said. He remembered.
“I thought you might feel better if you ate these, so I bought them…”
As I just blinked at him, he must have felt awkward because he scratched his head.
“…Was I wrong?”
This soft, ticklish feeling.
Instead of answering with words, I stepped forward and buried my face in my boyfriend’s t-shirt.
A nice smell, maybe shampoo or fabric softener.
“…Doah?”
“You’re being nice to me because I nagged you, right?”
“Huh?”
It has to be. How can someone suddenly become this sweet?
You’re doing this because I scolded you, aren’t you, Han Taemin.
Despite that, the pleasant feeling wouldn’t go away, so I wrapped my arms around his waist.
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
“…No?”
Oppa’s hand rested on my head.
“I really didn’t come because I felt like I had to.”
What’s with him today?
Is he really trying to bombard my heart so I can’t sleep at all?
“I told you, I came because I missed you.”
He bent down to meet my eyes.
His eyes, dark like the night sky, were filled with affection.
“I watched your entire stream from start to finish, but I still wanted to see you more.”
Oppa’s hand stretched my cheek.
“I couldn’t help myself, so I came.”
He played with my cheek, stretching it out like dough as if I were some kind of toy.
Normally, I would have told him to stop and pulled away.
But I’ll let it slide today.
I felt like I could forgive him for anything he did today.
“Uh, when are you leaving?”
“Hm? Leaving where?”
“To go home.”
It was almost 3 AM.
“I was about to leave now.”
His answer was so matter-of-fact that I had to agree, but I still felt a pang of disappointment.
Not wanting to let go of this sweet feeling, I grabbed his wrist.
“Hm?”
Oppa looked down at my hand, as if asking what I meant.
I didn’t know what he would think of me, but right now, I wanted to be true to my feelings.
“Just a little…”
I wasn’t asking for much.
“Can’t you stay just a little longer?”
Earlier, I was pretending to be pitiful and begging the Pink Army to negotiate with me.
The scene felt strangely similar, and it gave me a peculiar feeling.
“You have school and studying to do tomorrow.”
“Sleeping thirty minutes earlier won’t make a huge difference…” I mumbled in a small voice, averting my eyes when it seemed like he was about to reject my offer.
“Doah.”
After he said my name, I felt a sensation I’d never experienced before in my life.
-Peck-
Oppa pulled his lips away from my forehead and turned his head away, looking embarrassed.
“…Can you let me off with this for today?”
Ah…
Augh…
Ughghghghgh…
My ears were burning.
My heart felt like it was beating incredibly fast.
If this were a manga, wouldn’t there be a small explosion above my head?
“G-Go… Gooo…”
Neither of us could look the other in the eye.
Oppa backed away as if escaping, then hastily slipped on his shoes.
“I’ll… I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Okayyy!”
Ah, my voice cracked.
I was so embarrassed I wanted to dive under my covers, and I just wished he would leave quickly.
He gave a short wave, opened the door, and left. Left alone, I buried my face in my pillow.
“Aughhhhhhhhhh!”
Letting out a strange sound like a dolphin, I punched my pillow over and over.
I raised a hand and touched the spot on my forehead where his lips had been.
Oppa.
I didn’t even ask him to.
On my forehead.
And his reaction afterward…
His face flashed in my mind again, and I had to calm my breathing.
“Hoo…”
He definitely left so I could sleep for tomorrow.
But how am I supposed to sleep after he does something like that?
And in the end, I couldn’t get to sleep until 5 AM.
I was supposed to meet Doah at 11:30.
This class, which starts at the awkward time of 12:00, is finally over today.
An announcement had been posted that the professor couldn’t make the final lecture due to personal reasons, so after today’s class, all we had to do was submit our final assignment online, and the course would be over.
She should be here by now…
Just as I was thinking about calling her and stuck my hand in my pocket…
“I’m sorry!”
The glass door swung open, and a puff of white breath escaped my girlfriend’s lips.
“What happened? Did you oversleep?”
“No… I’m sure I set five alarms before bed yesterday…”
Doah must have felt genuinely wronged, because she spent the entire walk to the school building explaining how unfair it was.
It’s not like it would’ve mattered if she was a little late.
I don’t know why she’s so worked up about it.
I told her it was fine several times, but she said I didn’t sound sincere and started her explanation all over again.
“Aish, I get it, really.”
“…You really mean it?”
“Yeah. I totally get it.”
Only then did Doah take my hand and quiet down, and I found her incredibly cute.
When we arrived at the classroom, the professor was already there, and so the last class of the semester began.
Like most classes that replaced the final exam with an assignment, the professor spent the last thirty minutes or so explaining the final project and holding a Q&A session.
“If you have any other questions, or if there’s anything you didn’t fully understand, I’ll leave my email address here. Please contact me, and I will get back to you.”
No one raised their hand, so the final class came to an end. Doah and I packed our bags and headed out.
“What should we do for lunch?”
“…Wanna get something from the cafeteria?”
“Hmm…”
To be honest, I’ve been eating there so often lately that I’m getting a little sick of it.
“Let’s check the menu and decide.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
We walked for a good five minutes to get there, but…
“…Let’s eat off-campus.”
Ugh. Why is this all they have?
“Why? You don’t like pho?”
“I hate cilantro.”
“I’m sure they’d leave it out if you asked.”
“Still, I don’t like it.”
When I firmly refused, Doah just shrugged and followed me outside.
“But since we’re eating out, I’ll pay.”
“I’m the one who suggested it, why are you paying?”
“Because I’m grateful you brought me snacks yesterday.”
Doah grinned.
It’s not like they cost that much.
“I’m gonna order something really expensive, you know.”
I was joking, but Doah nodded as if it didn’t matter.
“Go ahead. Aren’t you underestimating me a little?”
“How so?”
My girlfriend stood on her tiptoes slightly and pulled my ear toward her mouth.
“I’m an idol, you know.”
I chuckled at her whisper.
She went back to her normal stance.
“Look at you. Acting all high and mighty when you haven’t even gotten your first paycheck.”
I gave her a light flick on the head.
Doah clutched her head with both hands, pretending it hurt.
“I still have money saved up from streaming on my own, you know.”
“You think I don’t know you burned all that money on your avatar?”
Doah flinched as if to say, ‘How did you know?’ then quickly turned her head away.
“That’s a ban for speaking facts.”
“Excuse me. You think this is your channel?”
Bantering back and forth like that, we arrived at a pizza place not too far from the front gate.
We decided on a potato pizza and were drinking our Cokes while waiting for the food to arrive.
“Oh. Oppa, remember how I told you I might be getting a studio?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
I was consciously trying to avoid talking about Luka unless Doah brought it up first.
I could, but I might get too excited and go overboard.
Honestly, I still didn’t trust myself to keep it under control.
“I think I’ll be moving in around next week. Can you help me then?”
“Oh, yeah. Of course.”
You’re setting up for your streams. How could I not help with that?
“I think it’s about an eight-minute walk from where we live.”
“The location’s already been decided?”
“Hold on.”
Doah took out her phone, moved her small thumb around, and then showed me the screen.
“Ta-da! It’s here!”
“Whoa. Hey, this looks bigger than my place.”
I wasn’t joking; it really did look bigger and more comfortable than my studio apartment.
“Well… I guess they chose it with full-body tracking in mind.”
“I see.”
Big companies are amazing. Of course.
“They said my manager will probably come that day, too.”
“Really? Have you ever met them in person?”
“Nope, me neither. There hasn’t been any reason to meet.”
True, I couldn’t think of many situations where a VTuber would need to meet someone in person.
“Anyway, let me know when you have a date. I’ll keep my schedule free.”
A new meeting is just another name for the start of new worries.