The Secret of the Already Exposed Promise
Ju-hyeon senior was nowhere to be seen after that, and no word of him reached me either. Of course there was no need for me to go asking after his whereabouts, and with what Professor Yu Eun-yeong had said, I was gradually forgetting about someone I would never meet again.
And whether fortunate or unfortunate, my sister’s aegyo mode quickly wore off.
When I met her after wrapping things up with Ju-hyeon senior, the way she blushed looking at my neck made it clear she’d heard something about it.
Well, I only realized later myself that a bandage couldn’t hide it at all.
“Hyung, that neck… never mind.”
“Can I say… congratulations?”
“Don’t go around advertising it. Tsk.”
Since three of my classmates had gotten the wrong idea…
“You and Wa-sol… my feelings are complicated…”
Even Su-yeon hyung was like that, so that says it all.
Anyway, after showing off to those around us—in a different sense—that we were quite close, our daily life returned to calm.
And so time passed.
Before long, a month had passed since we started dating.
There had been various things, but right now we were still living happily day to day.
“I’m miserable…”
“All of a sudden?”
Apparently today wasn’t a happy day for my girlfriend. Well, the timing was what it was.
“Why do universities even have midterms?”
With midterms approaching, we were studying at a cafe.
As Professor Yu Eun-yeong had said, my girlfriend wasn’t particularly interested in academics. Even though her student year was higher than mine, I was the one explaining the classes we took together.
We met every day under the pretext of studying together, but we’d never managed to study for more than an hour straight. How on earth did she get into this school…
“Ah, Gachi, you were just thinking something really rude, weren’t you?”
“How did you know?”
“You’re not even trying to hide it anymore!?”
Maybe because we’d gotten comfortable with each other. Our relationship had become even more natural than at the start.
The most noticeable change among them:
“You’ve gotten that close with Wa-sol.”
I no longer called Wa-sol “noona.”
“…Hehe.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“No, I’m just happy you’re calling me by my name.”
“Only now?”
I’d been calling her by name for about a week. Nothing special had happened. It just… somehow…
We’d been at the cafe together then too, just like now. If I think back a little…
‘Gachi, you’re going to watch my stream all the way to the end today, right?’
‘Ah… well…’
‘Is it Eve’s stream again~?’
‘…Sorry. Instead, I’ll watch next Thursday’s stream all the way through.’
‘That’s the day of my collab with Eve!’
Ah, not that memory. Let’s recall what came after.
‘Tch, when will I ever become Gachi’s favorite.’
‘…My favorite is Wa-sol.’
‘What?’
‘I mean. Even if my favorite VTuber is Eve… my real-life favorite is the person named Wa-sol.’
‘No, not like that. Call me like you just did.’
‘…Wa-sol?’
‘…’
Back then, Wa-sol had shown a ninety-eight-point smile and been so happy that it was too pretty, so I naturally started mixing “noona” and her name… and before I knew it, calling her by name had completely taken over.
Really, it’s nothing special of a story.
“Ah, by the way, after the exams, do you feel like meeting one of my acquaintances?”
“One of Wa-sol’s acquaintances?”
“Yeah, a younger sister I know. I want to introduce you at least once. Oh, she’s younger than you. Twenty.”
A younger sister she knows…
Certainly, as I continue dating Wa-sol, the day will come when I meet her acquaintances. Meeting a few of them in advance might be good.
But twenty… I knew she was young, but she’s really young.
“Sounds fine. I’ve never met any of Wa-sol’s acquaintances besides Yun-a senior, so I’m a little excited too.”
“…Are you teasing me for not having many friends?”
“Don’t worry. I don’t have many friends either.”
“Two loners meeting each other, huh…”
Right… but why are we hitting each other with bones like this?
“Something like this happened. In a situation like this, how should I treat that younger sister?”
“…Why are you asking me that?”
I happened to run into Yun-a senior in the lounge and consulted her about the conversation I’d had with Wa-sol. Of course Yun-a senior looked dumbfounded, but this was a consultation only she could handle.
“She’s your girlfriend. Figure it out yourself.”
“That’s true too. But because she’s a younger sister Wa-sol knows.”
“What’s the problem with that?”
“Ah, you don’t get it?”
For reference, the person who showed Wa-sol the Utopia recruitment notice was Yun-a senior, so she also knows that Wa-sol is a VTuber.
So I thought she’d catch on by now.
“If Wa-sol says someone she’s close with besides Yun-a senior, it can only be Utopia.”
“…Ah.”
“She’s probably trying to have me meet Eve… and I don’t know how to act.”
That’s right. In this past month living with Wa-sol, I’ve learned something.
Wa-sol.
Doesn’t have many friends.
So when she says “acquaintance,” I can immediately guess who it is. She seemed to be trying to hide it, though.
“That Eve girl is your favorite VTuber, right? I heard about it from Wa-sol.”
“Yes, so I don’t know how to treat her.”
“…Normally if you see a celebrity you like in person, you’d be super happy, no?”
Is that so.
Well, if Eve were doing a concert or something, maybe.
But in this kind of private relationship, I honestly never had the desire to see her in person. Not that I didn’t want to see her—I just never thought about it that way.
“Stars are supposed to shine from afar, right? So I wanted to stick to my position as a fan. Even after dating Wa-sol, I never asked about private Utopia matters.”
“Hmm… is that so. In a way, that’s a proper measure. Good job.”
I’ve felt this before, but Yun-a senior’s evaluation of me as Wa-sol’s boyfriend is quite generous. I don’t know which part she liked, but I must have fit her standards.
“But Wa-sol is Utopia too. Does that mean Wa-sol doesn’t shine?”
Doesn’t shine, huh. That’s a bit different…
“Wa-sol is more of a flower than a star. Not something I want to see from afar, but up close. So rather than shining… I just think she’s pretty.”
Wondering if that was a bit cheesy, I glanced at Yun-a senior.
“Oh. You’re a romantic.”
Fortunately, she didn’t look disgusted.
“But you really are calling Wa-sol by her name. Did you start it first?”
“I called her that once by chance, and she was so happy that it just naturally became like this.”
“Nice. Keep approaching her naturally like that from now on.”
Again. Yun-a senior, who praises my actions, really must like me, giving a thumbs-up and nodding.
Sometimes I wonder if this person is Wa-sol’s bodyguard. Well, from what I heard about freshman year, she basically was a bodyguard.
“Well, I’ll head out first. I can’t stand the scary gaze of the friend behind you anymore.”
“Huh? What do you meeeeean!!?”
Suddenly my cheek was pulled with strong force.
Because of that, the words I was saying leaked out and turned into something weird. I turned my head to check who the culprit was.
“…Uuu.”
There was Wa-sol with her lips pouted out. Wa-sol glared slightly at Yun-a senior, then took her hand off my cheek, sat next to me, and hugged me.
At that sight, Yun-a senior instead beamed with a big smile, gave another thumbs-up, and left the lounge.
Why is that senior in such a good mood?
“What were you talking about alone with Yun-a?”
“Just nothing much?”
Since I didn’t want to get caught that I’d figured out about Eve, I vaguely brushed it off.
“…Uuu.”
Apparently Wa-sol didn’t like that.
“From now on, don’t meet Yun-a alone.”
“I just ran into her by chance and talked for a bit.”
“Even so… Yun-a is no good.”
“…Why?”
“Because Yun-a likes you a lot…”
Ah, that’s probably… liking me as Wa-sol’s boyfriend.
So I was about to say there’s no need to be jealous.
“…Uuu.”
But Wa-sol with her lips pouted out was so cute.
Before I knew it, my body moved first.
Peck.
“Huh?”
“You kept sticking your lips out, so I thought you were asking for a kiss.”
“…Tch. Do it more.”
I chuckled.
Hearing that, I smiled and approached Wa-sol, and she closed her eyes waiting for me.
We shared a deeper kiss in the empty lounge.
Only then did Wa-sol’s lips return to normal.
“It’s really nothing. Don’t worry.”
“…Okay.”
Now that the misunderstanding seemed cleared, Wa-sol smiled softly at me.
I stroked her hair with my hand, feeling the soft texture. Even though it was short, it was only short for a girl. Hair long enough to cover her ears was silky smooth compared to a guy’s.
“Gachi’s been liking to touch my hair lately.”
“Yeah, it’s somehow soft. And… when I brush the side hair like this, you’re even prettier.”
“Hmm~ Then you should grow yours out once too. I want to see Gachi brushing his side hair.”
“That… wouldn’t suit me, so pass.”
From the start, Wa-sol likes my neat appearance, so I don’t think she’d like me with longer hair more than now.
So growing my hair out, I’ll leave to the me of the next life.
And if I fall in love with Wa-sol in the next life too, then leave it to the one after that…
“Ah, right. About meeting that younger sister I mentioned last time. Would this Saturday be okay? Th… that kid starts work late this Saturday so she’ll have a lot of free time.”
Eve’s stream starts late this Saturday, huh.
Okay, noted.
“Yeah, fine.”
“Really~? What if it overlaps with Eve’s stream?”
She’s doing this on purpose…
She really thinks I haven’t caught on. Then I should play along.
“Hmm… then should we watch Eve’s stream together? Does that younger sister like Eve’s streams too?”
“Hehe, yeah. She’ll like it a lot.”
Wa-sol laughing playfully.
How much does she want to tease me.
“Then we’ll get along well. That’s good. Does that younger sister know that Wa-sol is Kiri?”
“Hmm… that.”
Ah, is this a part that hasn’t been set yet.
She’s pondering a bit.
“Yeah, she knows.”
“Who’s that younger sister’s favorite?”
“Obviously me.”
Seeing Wa-sol rest her chin on the backs of both hands and declare proudly.
A bit of playfulness kicked in.
“Ah, so she’s a Hara? Then should I say I’ve converted to being a Hara now too? That might make things more comfortable for each other.”
“Huh? No. You don’t have to go that far. That kid really doesn’t care about that sort of thing.”
“But it’s the first meeting, so reducing any awkward parts even a little…”
“No! Really, you don’t have to. She’d actually hate that, you know?”
I know. Eve is quite jealous, so she holds onto Adami cheating for quite a long time.
But Wa-sol’s goal is clearly to make me a Hara, so why is she panicking like that.
“Got it. Then I’ll meet her as my usual self without any of that.”
“Yeah, that’s better. That kid was super curious too, about what kind of person Gachi is.”
“That… tell her I feel the same.”
At this point, I want to know too. What kind of person is Eve, who likes Wa-sol not as Kiri.
That point is definitely exciting.