Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Teased by Friends, A Playful Bet
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#131
"“...did you do it?”"
"...How the hell can these bastards be so damn infuriating with just a single word?"
Even now, closing my eyes brings back vivid memories of Seo-ah and the beach.
After that dreamlike weekend, the moment I step into school, these two assholes are already lounging in my seat like they own the place, welcoming me right back to reality.
Just like the despair arc of some tragic tale—these guys have a talent for instantly shitting all over my mood the second they see me.
Maybe it's because Seo-ah and I changed our profile pics to obvious couple ones.
These two might be the frontmen, but I could feel the kids around us perking up their ears, conversations grinding to a halt.
A quick glance over at Seo-ah's seat showed it swarmed by half the girls in class, their squeals echoing while she was completely buried from view.
"...So, did you do it or not, you traitor fuck, Lee Jun-woo?"
"Two rooms, right...!"
I flinched—
Good memory on them.
"...Yeah, two rooms. Seo-ah just popped into my room for a bit that night."
If I told the truth, I might actually die.
At least, that's what it felt like with the way these guys were glaring daggers, eyes blazing like they were about to breathe fire, so I brazened it out.
Thwack—
Park Jae-hwan suddenly lunged, grabbing my wrist.
"...What the hell?"
"Jun-woo, you bastard. Do we look like a couple of pushovers to you?"
"Writing your own damn fanfic, you crazy fuck...!"
"You definitely used what we gave you. Hey, boys, check him."
The class zombies shot up from their seats like they'd been waiting for this, shambling toward me.
—No, we're not even that close, you assholes.
Jealousy-blinded solo zombies.
Even the ones I barely knew were creeping closer one by one—it was so absurd I let out a hollow laugh.
"Hey, you crazy bastards...!"
"Grab him tight! His wallet's flying away!"
Park Jae-hwan, humming some stupid tune while eyeing my wallet, got a solid kick to the gut from my foot.
"Ow, you little shit!"
"Guhk—!"
I barely shook off the approaching zombies and bolted out of the classroom.
"Tell us before you go, you fucker────────!!!!"
"Fuck off────────!!!!"
Before morning homeroom started, the third-year hallway echoed with the pathetic screams of two high school boys.
#132
"Ahahahaha!"
On the way home after that brutal battle with the solo zombies, as I recounted the day's chaos, my girlfriend burst out laughing, tears streaming down her face.
"...It's not funny. Today was seriously rough."
"No wonder— that's why you were yelling and cursing with the boys all day?"
"...You heard that?"
"Yeah, loud and clear."
—Damn you, Park Jae-hwan, you bastard.
"Sorry..."
I'm not one to curse much usually, but with the guys, I mix in some swears—and Seo-ah knew that.
But that was before we dated.
Now that we were together, getting caught by my girlfriend yelling profanities was way more embarrassing than I thought; I couldn't even look up.
"No, it's fine. You were just messing around with your friends."
"Still..."
"Instead."
"Instead?"
Her expression hinted at a condition, so I looked up to meet her eyes—only to find her gazing at me with a playful smile.
"You'll hold off on that in front of me, right?"
The answer was obvious to both of us.
It went beyond mere trust—a certainty about each other.
Even knowing it, she wanted to hear it from my lips. That earnest look was annoying yet so lovable, tickling my heart.
"Have you ever seen me do it in 13 years?"
"Hehe, never~"
"You won't see it in the future either."
I added that even if she begged, I wouldn't—and my face heated up, so I turned away. But she snatched my arm like she wouldn't let me escape.
Like she was demanding I look at her right now, and soon a soft sensation pressed against my arm.
"Yeah, I know."
"...Good enough."
You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but that feeling still got to me. I barely managed to turn back, and seeing Seo-ah beaming up at me made me smile without thinking.
#133
"Didn't the girls ask you anything?"
We were smiling at each other when Jun-woo suddenly asked out of curiosity, leaving me momentarily stumped.
...Should I tell him?
If I spilled the raw details of that conversation, it'd shatter his illusions about girls...
I wanted to hog all of Jun-woo's attention, but I didn't want to cruelly destroy his fantasies like that either.
"Umm... Yeah, they did...?"
Dating Jun-woo was basically a done deal in everyone's eyes, so 90%—no, pretty much all—the questions revolved around that one night with him.
Even when I swore he hadn't, they didn't buy it. Instead, they believed me but bombarded me with questions.
What the mood was like that night, how I felt beforehand, what positions we planned, did he use a condom, why didn't it happen... It was like a barrage of 19+ novel-level queries, spinning my head dizzy.
Especially when, amid their sparkling-eyed curiosity, I admitted I hadn't planned to do it but just dozed off— the cold stares they gave me then...
"Hic..."
"What's wrong? You okay?"
"N-No..."
Recalling those looks made my heart ache.
I never want to go through that again...
"Just... same as us. Whether we were officially dating now, if we did... that on our first night."
"All kids are the same."
I sanitized the girls' chat for Jun-woo, and he nodded like, "Figures."
—Guys, I protected you...!
"So, you told them that too?"
"Huh? What?"
"That you showered and fell asleep."
Ugh... meanie...
His tone dripped with teasing intent as he grinned mischievously at me.
It pissed me off, but it was a losing battle, so I hung my head in defeat.
"I did..."
"What'd they say?"
"They didn't believe me at first..."
"Can't blame 'em~ I wouldn't have back then either~"
Ughhh...
You comforted me so sweetly then...!
I couldn't retort, just trembled in frustration as he grinned like he was having the time of his life.
Even drawing out his words with that sing-song tone—my anger boiled over, but I held back once more.
—It's... my fault anyway...!
"B-Back then... y-you f-forgave m-my... mista-ke, Jun-woo-ya..."
For real, after so——long.
I felt it—my feelings for Jun-woo weren't 100% pure love anymore; 99% love, 1% rage seeping in. My trembling tongue barely formed the words.
"My Seo-ah, you're not mad at me right now, are you?"
"Wh-What are you t-talking ab-bout..."
"Your voice is shaking~?"
With his lips curled up, humming as he pretended to scrutinize me, I forced my quivering lips into a smile.
"I'm smiling right now, Jun-woo-ya. Ahaha..."
"Right~?"
Finally satisfied, his face lit up as he turned away—or so I thought, sighing in relief that the torment was over.
"There's no way my nervous wreck Seo-ah, who fell asleep from tension, would get mad at me~"
I froze—
Did I... hear that wrong?
W-Wreck?
Me?
Are you talking about me, Jun-woo?
I'm... a wreck?
Me, who anticipated that night for weeks, prepared everything, lay in bed waiting only for you?
The mirror in my heart, already shaking from overflowing injustice, finally shattered with a crash.
"Jun-woo-ya."
"Yeah~?"
Grinning like he'd landed a solid hit, I grabbed his uniform tie.
"Wahk...!"
Startled by my sudden move, as his lips parted in surprise, I sealed them with mine.
"Mmph...?"
He was shocked at first, but realizing I wasn't pulling away anytime soon,
One hand slid to the back of my neck, the other to my waist, steadying us.
"Pha..."
After our tongues explored briefly, we parted slowly. A thin strand of saliva connected our glistening lips, which I snapped with my tongue.
We were still clumsy, but clearly more comfortable with each other than before.
"Wanna make a bet, Jun-woo-ya?"
"...What's this bet all of a sudden?"
Am I wearing the same expression?
His cheeks flushed red from the kiss, breath a bit ragged with excitement as he looked at me.
"Until January next year... who breaks first and crosses the line. Loser grants the winner's demand, no questions asked. How's that?"
"...This because I called you a wreck just now?"
"Nuh-uh, it's not because I was looking forward to that night for weeks, prepared for our first time, waited in bed for you, fell asleep, and you tease me about it—making me feel all wronged and pissed. Nope. Just curious who the real wreck is."
"Seo-ah, you could be a rapper..."
He looked troubled, sensing something off from my nonstop rant, but I wouldn't budge on this.
I'm wronged, so wronged...!
"No, the reward's pointless anyway..."
"Reward? Why...?"
"I'd do anything you ask regardless, so why bother..."
—...Foul play.
His shy head-scratching and sincere words nearly melted that 1% rage, but I clung to my resolve.
"Nuh-uh, not this. Even you couldn't agree to it, Jun-woo-ya."
"...That big? What is it?"
"Hehe... secret♡"
Sensing something from my beaming smile,
Jun-woo stared at me with anxious, fearful, trembling eyes, but I couldn't reveal it.
Yeah, being called a wreck pissed me off, but this was the perfect chance to demand something I'd been mulling over for a while.
"So... it starts today?"
Look forward to it, Jun-woo-ya...♡