#57. Apology
#57. Apology
Western Architectural History. Eastern Architectural History. Modern Architecture. And so on—architecture history classes were indeed fun lectures if you just didn't have to take the exams.
Monday rolled around.
Having already made up my mind to Tal-geon, I rested my chin on my hand and listened to the Professor's lecture like it was some folktale my mom used to tell me as a kid.
"Netherlands is a region plagued by floods."
"That's why architects from the Netherlands are hugely influenced by that background."
"And because of the inevitable land reclamation projects that happen there, these people are very familiar with the process of 'social consensus.'"
"What that means is..."
Ooh...
It really felt intriguing yet totally fucking useless.
Next to me, Hwi-min was diligently jotting down notes with a PDF open on his tablet.
I twirled my ballpoint pen around and turned my head to look at Na-eun sitting up front.
Maybe I should tell Hwi-min that I'm dating Na-eun...
Suddenly revealing to my friends around me that I'm in a relationship felt kinda weird.
At 26, being embarrassed about it being my first relationship, but also wanting to brag.
I was curious what Hwi-min's reaction would be if I said my girlfriend is Na-eun.
If our department kids found out about our relationship, they'd think I'm a thief, right?
Today's Na-eun look: a light jacket with somewhat loose white pants.
A casual vibe that screamed autumn.
Even from afar, my girlfriend looked pretty.
Na-eun-ah. You really shine more when you're wearing clothes...
The image of her with her pants hidden away popped into my head out of nowhere, making me chuckle.
But anyway, among all these students, no one knows Na-eun is a total perv.
Yeah...
If I hadn't been the Spray Paint guy, I probably never would've found out she was the HNE Author or that she's a sleazy total perv bitch.
Maybe I should buy Hwi-min a meal for finding the Spray Paint so quickly.
As I indulged in pointless delusions typical of a writer, class time whooshed by.
"Hey. Minho-ya. Heading straight home?"
Hwi-min asked as he packed up his stuff.
"Unless something comes up, yeah?"
"Lunch?"
"Dunno."
...I do wanna eat with Na-eun, though.
"Okay. I'm out first then. See you in Design Class."
"Yeah. Go ahead."
Why the fuck does that jerk have to bring up Design Class on his way out? So annoying.
As I packed my bag to leave, a familiar voice came from beside me.
"Oppa."
It was Na-eun.
"Oh. Na-eun-ah."
I hadn't really thought about it before, but we're... a Campus Couple...?
It was semester 2 of year 4—way too late to get excited about being a CC—but the fact still made my heart thump thump.
Fuck. Until now, the only CC I'd known was dodging arrows you couldn't avoid in games.
Suddenly, a tsunami of emotion started crashing in.
Is this what it means that just seeing your girlfriend's face makes you happy?
"Let's go."
"Where to this time?"
"Lunch."
Class ends, lunch with girlfriend.
Kya! Lee Min-ho! This is the successful life! Yeah! So what if she's a bit nuts!
It's trivial. Trivial.
I thought it was trivial...
"Oppa."
Na-eun, who was munching her kimchi fried rice like a baby bird, called my name.
"Yeah."
"Wanna see the roughs I worked on over the weekend?"
Ooh...
Usually takes 3 days to a week.
Did she grind hard over the weekend?
Still, since it was a pretty explicit request, I glanced around first.
"Already?"
"I prepped two concepts?"
...Huh?
Why two concepts?
I remembered sending super clear specs.
"Show me."
She held out her phone screen toward me.
The first drawing matched my request perfectly.
Short-haired girl with legs spread wide, hands together like a dog.
Kya...
As expected from a pro. HNE Author-nim.
Having worked together multiple times, I even thought maybe I should send Na-eun fewer explanations from now on.
She knew exactly what 'hot' meant.
"How is it?"
Na-eun looked at me with a confident expression.
"Whoa. You drew it fucking perfectly. Again. Top-notch. Top-notch. Let's go with this."
No need to see the second one.
"Hng~"
Na-eun's lips curled up, pleased.
"But maybe you'll like the next one more. Just take a look first."
Hmm... Probably not, but...
I stabbed a piece of pork cutlet with my fork and shoved it in my mouth, then slid the screen over.
Cough cough.
What the fuck. This.
I nearly sprayed the pork cutlet all over the table.
The composition, the character—totally unrelated to what I requested.
But it felt so damn familiar.
I tore my eyes from the phone screen and looked at Na-eun's face smiling at me with crinkled eyes.
"Which one's better?"
The unexpected Erotic Illustration sent a twitch straight to my dick.
"...Why'd you draw this."
In the second image, the woman was on her knees, tongue out.
A classic Erotic Illustration pose.
In her hand, a dog collar.
Just like the one Lee Jin-seong gave Han Na-eun in the latest chapter...
But the pose and prop weren't the issue.
Her appearance.
Her appearance was way too...
Like the girl right in front of me.
My girlfriend. Han Na-eun.
That was the problem.
"So. Which one do you like more?"
Na-eun asked in a coquettish voice.
"Well..."
Obviously the second one.
The first illustration of Han Na-eun in the novel wasn't what I'd envisioned from the start anyway.
I'm not really into thick, busty types, and short hair gives me the chills.
It was all forced settings to hide that I'm an Erotic Novelist from Na-eun.
Whereas the second illustration...
Gulp.
Looking at the screen again, I felt saliva pooling in my mouth.
If my connection with Na-eun had ended that first day at the motel, there's a high chance the illustration I'd request would've been just like that one...
Down to the little mole peeking between her cleavage.
A drawing that perfectly documented Na-eun's body.
What the hell was Na-eun thinking when she drew this.
"The first one."
My dick screamed for the second, but reason yelled first.
"...Really?"
"Of course picking the first one, which matches the request, is normal, right?"
"Oh... So you prefer the big-tits bitch from your novel over your girlfriend?"
...Is that how it is?
Then it feels like I'm the one in the wrong.
No. Wait, Na-eun-ah. You just straight-up admitted you drew yourself.
"Oppa. You've been enjoying 'Na-eun' all this time, but in the end, you pick another girl?"
"Hey... Hey! Voice down."
I raised my index finger in a 'please be quiet' gesture.
No way. This place is full of our school kids—if they overhear, they'll think I'm an Eat and Dump guy. Huh?
"How can you do this to someone? 'I ate it, so we're done.' Is that it?"
She pretended to sob, but Na-eun's lips were turned up.
"Ah, please... just..."
"I told you I like it..."
That's because I told you to do it! You idiot!
Who knew I'd face the devil's edit in real life.
The two girls at the next table started glaring at me like I was a bug.
...Oh my god.
I smacked my forehead and stood up.
"Check, please."
I handed over my card, and the owner uncle inside the counter gave me a super pissed look.
...Did he overhear us?
I snatched my card back and said to Na-eun with a cold expression.
"Get up."
"No way. If we finish eating here, we're done."
Man who fucks and dumps women: Lee Min-ho.
Woman who gives her pure heart to him: Han Na-eun.
I grabbed her wrist, dragging her out as she tried to frame our relationship like some community forum drama.
"Ah... It hurts!"
I heard Na-eun's voice sounding like it really hurt, but I was too pissed to be nice to her.
A somewhat secluded bench on campus.
I sat Na-eun down there.
"Hey. Han Na-eun."
"...What."
"With all these people around, how am I supposed to look if you talk like that."
Na-eun kicked at the ground with her sneakers.
Looks like she had no intention of apologizing yet.
"...Oppa started it."
"Started what."
Na-eun's small lips twitched, signaling she was holding back.
"Oppa said first that he likes the big-tits bitch Han Na-eun from the novel more than me..."
She told me in a crawling voice, head slightly bowed.
But the reason for her evil prank was...
Sigh...
Is that something to get upset about? Do girls normally feel bummed in situations like this?
If I'd dated before, I could judge if this makes sense...
No. But no matter how I look at it, I felt like Na-eun was the one in the wrong.
"...Apologize."
"For what."
"Apologize and I'll apologize too, so apologize."
Honestly, I had no idea what I'd done wrong, but for the sake of fixing our relationship, I threw out an insincere apology.
"Hey... uh... I'm sorry."
Na-eun stared at my face blankly.
"That's it?"
"Yeah."
"Doesn't feel sincere."
...I'm gonna lose my mind.
"Then what do you want."
"You're a newbie who's never dated, so kind me will teach you how to apologize properly. Got it?"
Jeez... And she was a Mosol too...
"Say it."
Let's hear this.
"'Na-eun-ah. You look way more fuckable and hotter than the dumb sow bitch from the novel.' That's how you apologize from now on. Proper. With. Sincerity. Got it?'"
...Is this for real?
I genuinely had no clue.