The 'Kim Taeyang - Lee Yuyeong' Route (5)
Let's start from the results. I got completely played by Lee Yuyeong. This crazy otaku had already conquered even the arcade games, cackling with glee the whole time. In gaming terms, she body-slammed me. That glint in her eyes from just moments ago? I'll never forget it for the rest of my life. The madness in them...
Lee Yuyeong goes beyond simple yandere—she's scary in a whole other way. Well, whatever. I admit defeat.
"So. What's your wish?"
She'd clearly drawn the line herself: something she could do inside the amusement park. No way she'd ask me to join the soccer team or confess and go full yandere on me.
"Hmm..."
Lee Yuyeong grinned at me, then tapped her finger against her lips like she was thinking hard. She glanced back at me and grinned again. How long was she planning to drag this out? My heart was pounding for no reason. Well, as long as I kept things from escalating to flag territory, it'd be fine.
"Oh, there you guys are?"
That's when I spotted familiar faces at the arcade entrance. Min Iri noona and Hayan noona must've finished the roller coaster and wandered in by chance.
"If you're done, you could've called."
"Couldn't just butt into your fun. We were doing darts... Whoa! What the hell, this skill!"
Min Iri noona glanced at the dartboard and her eyes went wide. Yeah, it was that impressive.
"Is it that amazing?"
"This... this is pro-level stuff?"
Min Iri noona explained to Hayan noona, who didn't know much about darts, and then Lee Yuyeong smiled as she chimed in.
"Hehe, we made a bet."
"A bet?"
"Yeah, me and Taeyang bet, and the loser has to grant the winner any wish."
"Strictly speaking, it's not any wish."
"Aw, looks like you guys were having a blast."
I insisted there were limits, but Lee Yuyeong just brushed it off.
"Taeyang, I figured out my wish."
"What is it..."
Soon enough, she was grinning ear to ear as she said it.
"Let me have as much skinship with you as the noonas do."
"......What?"
So, like what the noonas... er, sisters do to me? I racked my brain, recalling all the skinship from today. Most of it was Min Iri noona's doing—pinching my cheeks, ruffling my hair, picking me up, hugging my side, embracing me because she was scared...
"Isn't this the kind of stuff friends do too?"
"...I'm dating Min Iri noona, so no."
"What?"
"Pfft... cough cough... hack!"
"Iri, you okay?"
Min Iri noona had the perfect timing to choke on her water.
"But noona said you two aren't anything."
I shot Min Iri noona a quick glance. Her face flushed bright red in an instant, and she stammered in panic.
"Y-You and d-d-dating? What the hell are you talking about!"
"Oops, actually, it's not dating— we're getting married."
"Taeyang, you little shit!!!!"
Min Iri noona realized I was messing with her and lunged at me.
"Noona."
"Huh..."
But she had to stop short. She glanced sideways. Lee Yuyeong was giving her a look that demanded an explanation.
"We're not dating! Taeyang's just spouting bullshit!!"
"Taeyang. Is it true?"
"Yeah, it was a joke, but still—no skinship."
I decided to just be straight with her. The risk level for skinship was way too high. Hell, I didn't even get why she was asking for it in the first place, but if any weird vibes started flowing, her affection might spike.
"Why? How come?"
"You're my classmate."
"You don't like it 'cause I'm not a noona??"
That's the conclusion she jumped to.
"Oh, I knew Taeyang had siscon symptoms..."
"Noona, shut up!"
Hayan noona threw in some useless commentary. Good thing Lee Yuyeong seemed not to hear it.
"Ugh... but it's a promise... a bet..."
Should I just buy her off and call it even? As I tried to suggest alternatives, Min Iri noona jumped in to defend Lee Yuyeong.
"Taeyang. It's a bet, so maybe something not too uncomfortable?"
"But..."
"Yeah! We won't cross any lines—just a little head pat!"
Why are you trying to touch my body? It was making me even more resistant, but I figured I'd just get it over with.
"Fine, head pat only."
"Yay!"
Getting my head patted by a female classmate with all the noonas watching was embarrassing as hell. But ending this potentially dangerous bet like this was a relief.
"Good boy~ Such a good boy~"
"You don't need the commentary."
Lee Yuyeong beamed as she stroked my hair. Too awkward to meet her eyes, I looked away.
"............"
"Min Iri noona. Something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, no. Nothing."
"But your face looks dark?"
Min Iri noona forced a smile right away. She'd been off since lunchtime—poor condition, like she couldn't move freely. Did this crazy otaku do something to her?
While Lee Yuyeong patted my head, Min Iri noona's expression hardened. She soon turned away and said to Hayan noona,
"Hayan, wanna go do that one over there?"
"Huh? Sure."
"There there~ Good kid~"
"Yuyeong, can you please save that speech for when we're alone?"
I endured the cringe and waited for the head pats to end. No, seriously—how long are you gonna keep going?!
As I stared off blankly, I felt eyes on me and turned. Maybe it was my imagination; I just saw the backs of the two noonas playing arcade games. Looked like Min Iri noona had glanced this way.
"Lee Yuyeong."
"Yeah?"
"What did you do to Min Iri noona?"
"What did I do? Just..."
"Just?"
I raised an eyebrow at her, and she fidgeted before mumbling,
"She asked for help..."
"Huh?"
"To help me get closer to you, Taeyang."
Just for that, Min Iri noona was avoiding me and looking down? And she wanted me to hold back on skinship with her while we hung out today?
"Hmm... okay, that makes sense."
Min Iri noona wanted to mess around like usual but had to hold back, so she was antsy? Man, it wasn't like I was a kid whose toy got taken.
"Do we really need to go that far for us to be friends?"
"Well... it lets me stick around you more."
I let out a deep sigh. Truth be told, I'd been mulling it over. Was I heading in the right direction? Should I just leave Lee Yuyeong as is?
After thinking—and looking at the results of past incidents—it was always backfiring. Pushing her away only made her cling harder and obsess more. Hell, I was starting to regret not just staying normal friends from the start; maybe the obsession wouldn't have kicked in.
Time to draw a clear line. Make firm requests, keep things where she complies, and stay friends that way. She'd follow along.
"Yuyeong."
"Yeah?"
"I've been thinking."
The moment I started, her hand stopped. She was all ears.
"Truth is, I don't like super clingy people."
"Huh?"
"That's... why I avoided you. You kinda scared me a bit."
"Scared?"
"The day we first met Gahee noona. You followed us without a word. The study group, inviting me to soccer—it all felt overwhelming."
"Really?"
"Even today, you pushed too hard to get close. Min Iri noona's face went all sour."
"......"
She had no comeback. I hoped she'd reflect on her actions a little, so I forced a smile and said,
"Can't we just be chill friends? The kind who can chat without needing skinship."
"Friends?"
"Yeah, and as long as you don't scheme behind my back or show up unannounced, I won't dodge you."
I waited for her response. I hoped she'd get it: no obsession, just friends.
I looked at her, and after zoning out for a sec, she spoke.
"Okay. Got it. I'll try not to be a burden to you, Taeyang."
She smiled brightly. Thank god—no creepy glint or yandere eyes. Just the normal Lee Yuyeong from when we first met.
"So, I can go talk to Min Iri noona now, right?"
"Yeah?... Uh, yeah."
"You against it?"
"Haha, no way. Not my place as a friend to interfere."
Relieved, I started heading toward the noonas.
"Oh, wait, Taeyang."
"What?"
"Being friends... does that mean you're open to soccer now?"
She asked cautiously. I almost facepalmed but held back, forcing a smile her way.
"No."
"Still hate soccer?"
"Not hate—just no interest."
"Then! Now that we're proper friends again, come watch a soccer practice!"
"Yuyeong. I'm not into that."
"What's the big deal! Like you said, keep it chill!! Watch a game casually, and your heart'll race again for sure!!"
"Not interested. And it's not some trauma."
I backed away, but she pressed forward. This was the same girl who'd just nodded along?
Soon, her eyes started clouding over. Why did her reactions always swing between sparkling and hazy?
"I'm saying I've just lost interest in soccer, so give up! Or else our 'being friends' deal is off too!"
"Taeyang~ Think it over~ I gotta get you in the youth league~!"
"Why are you dreaming so big about me! Plan your own damn life!"
"Taeyang, come on."
She grabbed my hand and closed in. Shit. Lee Yuyeong had suddenly hit Yandere Stage 1.
"I said no."
"Just soccer once, one time? Pleeease? Pleeease?"
I retreated from her, but someone grabbed my arm. Not the hand Lee Yuyeong was holding. A third party had jumped in.
"Noona?"
Min Iri noona yanked my hand free.
"Yuyeong, Taeyang hates it."
"But Taeyang..."
"Yuyeong! Are you bullying Taeyang or trying to be his friend?"
Min Iri noona stepped up and got mad for me.
"You know how heartbreaking it is for an athlete to quit, and you're still pushing?"
She apparently thought I'd quit the soccer team for some reason. The mood was turning tense fast.
"That's why we gotta fix it!"
"He said he hates it! What if he gets hurt more?!"
"K-Kids... why fight? Calm down first..."
Hayan noona tried to mediate in a fluster, but it was useless. Min Iri noona and Lee Yuyeong glared at each other with eyes burning fierce.