Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Sudden Shower - 2
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"…Did you hear?"
"Hmm~ What're you talking about? The part where someone yelled they wanted to have sex in the classroom? The bit where they ranked who was the prettiest? Or~"
"Just say you heard everything…."
I heard it all. Every damn bit.
Where the hell did those idiots who said it go, and why am I the one stuck hearing about it? My head throbbed from the sheer dizziness of the situation crashing down on me.
"I only came back because it started raining suddenly, to check if there were any umbrellas in the classroom. Who knew someone would be screaming about wanting to…."
"…Yeah, that. It's creepy to hear, so let's not repeat it."
Hearing the word "sex" keep coming out of this girl's mouth—the first time I'd ever talked to her—made me paranoid that someone might overhear.
Yi Yuri shot me a dissatisfied look after hearing me out.
"…Don't tell me you think girls shouldn't say stuff like that?"
"Guy or girl, it's awkward as hell from a stranger."
"What are you, some Joseon-era scholar?"
"A damn scholar."
I said it firmly, and Yi Yuri clicked her tongue before continuing.
"Someone was wailing about wanting to do that in the classroom, so I figured they'd be mortified if I walked in right then. It'd make things awkward tomorrow, so I waited outside a bit, timing it to slip back in. But I never expected those guys to embarrass me like that."
—Goddamn morons. That's why I told them not to pull that crap in the classroom.
Yi Yuri was obviously the wronged party—no need to even ask—but hearing it straight from her made it even more infuriating. I scratched my head, at a loss for words.
"So I was pondering how to chew those guys out~ when some dude bursts in and rips them a new one for me. Of course I'd be curious about who this knight in shining armor is, right?"
Yi Yuri spread her arms dramatically with a ta-da!
"Perfect timing too—no umbrella. I thought, 'This is my chance!'"
"…What chance? I just didn't want to hear it."
"That's why I'm curious~ Don't guys talk about that stuff all the time among yourselves?"
"Hey, that's fighting words. That's misogyny, straight-up misogyny."
"No it's not?"
"…Like 80% not."
For a split second, I wondered if this girl was future material for some girls-can-do-anything cult.
But nah, she wasn't entirely wrong, so I couldn't exactly argue back.
"Pfft, that's a suspiciously realistic number."
Yi Yuri cracked up like it was the funniest thing.
"Anyway, I'll make those guys apologize to you tomorrow."
"Nah. I'll pretend I didn't hear anything. I don't plan on hanging out with them anyway, so no need for apologies."
"…You sure?"
"Yeah. Having to face them again just to get one? I dunno… I just don't feel like it. Does that make sense?"
…She's pretty pissed, huh?
I thought she wasn't mad since she'd been smiling the whole time, but her words made it crystal clear.
Idiots. Yi Yuri seemed like the type who'd go far, so those two were probably blacklisted from dating any girls in class for at least a year.
"Got it. Can't be helped then."
"Yeah, can't be helped. But—"
Yi Yuri looked at me like I was some fascinating specimen.
"You never even say 'sorry' as a throwaway line, do you? Not saying you did anything wrong and didn't apologize—I'm serious."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
"You're right. I didn't do anything wrong."
I stood tall.
Sure, I'd yelled, but I'd tried to stop them first. The only embarrassment was being lumped in with those guys. No regrets there.
My only crime was being in the room.
"Yeah, I get that. But most people reflexively apologize to defuse the moment, y'know? That's what surprised me. I hate apologies without knowing why—ugh, makes my skin crawl!"
"Only one person gets that from me."
"Aha, your girlfriend, right?"
"Obviously."
Yi Yuri rolled her eyes like I was so predictable.
Unfair. I meant it. I was infamous for groveling to Yerim.
"Sigh… Now I get why they call you 'Girl-Crazy Bastard'."
"…I'm what?"
"You wouldn't know, but… you and your girlfriend are famous in class. Hers is 'Perfect First Love' or something? Everyone lost it over how pretty she is in that photo. You…."
Her finger jabbed right at me with conviction.
"You're the 'Girl-Crazy Bastard'. I wondered at first how you got that nickname, but now I totally get it. Yeah, you are."
Yi Yuri clarified it wasn't her who coined it—she'd just heard it around.
I was dumbfounded.
"…Who told you that? No, who the hell came up with it?"
"Beats me~?"
Whoever it was, I wanted to throttle them. My fist clenched.
Yoon Do-hyun's smirking face flashed in my mind, but nah, not him.
Me and that guy? We'd both end up critically wounded just brushing past each other.
"…Whatever. It's not wrong, I guess."
At least no foxes would swarm Yerim like she worried.
Bet she'd love hearing this.
"So, what class is this famous girlfriend in? Oh, you're heading separately, so different grade?"
"She's in America."
"Gasp…."
Here we go again.
Explaining that it was literal America, not the euphemism for "dumped," took a minute with her long face.
Yi Yuri stubbornly insisted that if she was going to America anyway, no one would find out, so just share an umbrella this once. When I declared I'd go alone if she pulled this again, she finally grumbled and went to buy one.
"That was fun! See you tomorrow!"
We parted ways.
And that night…
"…That's what happened."
"……."
"That's what happened…."
I spilled everything to Yerim via video call the next morning. She greeted me with her usual dazzling smile after waking up.
At first, she was lying in bed when she picked up. But as I talked, she sat up straighter and straighter until she ended up kneeling on the mattress.
"Hng…."
…Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.
Nah. Nothing wrong with what I did—hiding it would've made it seem like I did. Honesty was the way.
Look, her eyes were back to their usual soft pink when she looked at me. Proof.
Yerim listened quietly until I finished, then spoke.
"You did great, Oppa. I wish you'd phrased it nicer to your friends, but… I get it. I'd be pissed too if I overheard that behind my back…."
Exactly.
I didn't tell her this, but with a little sister and girlfriend…
Even if they weren't talking about those two specifically, knowing that kind of talk could happen about them when I wasn't around—I couldn't just stand there.
So that's why.
When she said I did well, the regret from snapping instantly melted away, like a warm hug for my soul.
But…
She didn't mention Yi Yuri at all, which scared me. The warmth faded fast.
"…Oppa?"
She tilted her head when I went quiet.
I debated, then just came clean.
Sometimes hiding is virtuous, but not for this.
"Uh… I figured you'd say something about Yi Yuri."
"What would I even say…? You didn't approach her first, didn't share the umbrella, just lent it while she got hers…."
…You remember that well, huh?
"Haha. Right?"
"…I'm actually jealous."
"…Haha. Right…?"
Called it.
Good thing I asked straight-up instead of letting it slide.
"But…."
Yerim shyly pulled the blanket up to her nose as she spoke.
Now the screen only showed her droopy eyebrows and those pink eyes.
"If I showed it, you'd be stressed… So I just trust you. I know you wouldn't hurt me…."
Her eyes sought agreement, so I nodded like, you know it.
Her eyebrows perked up like a flower drinking in water.
"Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"My possessiveness… jealousy… it's bad. Worse than you think."
"I know."
I wondered just how bad if she was admitting it like this, but I'd always known she had some. And honestly, same here.
"You might not believe me, but I can hide it completely if I try…."
"No way, liar."
"See? You don't believe me…."
But your eyes give it away, not to mention your face shows everything.
She didn't see it that way, though—pouting and smacking the blanket like I doubted her.
"But if I did that, you'd be scared. So I show just a little…."
"That was a little?"
"What do you mean…?"
She glared like explain yourself, so I looked away.
"Ahem, for something like that…."
"…I'd never do anything you'd hate in the first place."
True, I started to say, when a brilliant idea hit.
"You did."
Her eyes went wide. What?
"Me? What did I…?"
"You went."
"…?"
"Study abroad."
"………."
"Yerim, the one thing you never do at a funeral is resurrect someone. The one thing couples never do is study abroad."
"………The second one's not real, right?"
"So? Is it?"
"…………."
I teased with a mischievous grin, Well? Well? She clamped her mouth shut, then slowly pulled the blanket from her nose all the way over her head.
"Whoa, now you won't even show your face? Yerim?"
I whined, "I'm sad, so sad~," and the blanket wriggled back down to her neck.
"So. Did you or didn't you?"
Chances to bully Yerim unilaterally don't come often, so I was about to go all-in when…
"…Ah, Oppa, whyyy…."
…Foul play.
Her strawberry-red face, those huge sparkling pink eyes peeking through.
The whiny, drawn-out aegyo begging forgiveness.
The way she couldn't meet my gaze from shyness but sneaked peeks at my reaction.
Every bit of her clutching the blanket—it went beyond adorable straight to cheating.
Show me this, and I'd lose every time.
"Don't be maaaad…."
I couldn't say it'd make me mad at something else.
No.
Truth was, I'd been mad for a while now.