To Become a Good Boyfriend (1)
Jihyeok let out a small groan.
His efforts to search the internet for any useful information had all gone to waste. Out of the mountain of results, almost none of them were actually helpful. In the end, he greeted the next day with zero progress.
“Son~ Hurry up and come eat breakfast~”
“…Okay. I’ll be right out.”
When it was time for breakfast, Jihyeok got out of bed and checked his phone.
He ignored the group chat messages and opened the ones from Yuna, the girl he had started dating yesterday.
The messages proved that everything Yuna had said wasn’t a lie. She had even mentioned the exact worries he’d had last night, reassuring him that this was enough and that he shouldn’t feel too burdened.
“She says she’d be satisfied with just hearing ‘I like you’ or ‘I love you’…”
Jihyeok could tell she was being considerate of him, but since this was his first time being someone’s boyfriend—just like it was for her—he had no idea when or how he was supposed to express his feelings.
“…In times like this, I guess I should ask an expert.”
Jihyeok left his room and headed for the kitchen.
“Jihyeok oppa! Good morning!”
“Yeah. Did you sleep well, Jina?”
“Yep! I slept super duper well!”
“That’s good.”
Jihyeok gently ruffled his little sister’s hair before sitting down at the table.
“I heard you won a trophy. Don’t you have anywhere to display it?”
“I’ll make some space somehow.”
“Sigh… Never mind. I’ll tell Yunseo about it, so just make another one.”
“Huh? Isn’t she busy?”
“If her future brother-in-law needs something, there’s no way she’d refuse. Just thank her when you see her later.”
“…Okay. Got it.”
Yoon Jiwook—Jihyeok’s older brother and a twenty-three-year-old office worker who was already engaged to his girlfriend. Like Jihyeok, he had a quick mind and had landed a job at a major corporation in no time, living a life others could only envy. Jihyeok was proud of him.
Jiwook’s fiancée, Jeong Yunseo, had met him in college when she was twenty. She had waited for him through his military service, and he had proposed because of how much he loved her. They were a match made in heaven, so deeply in love that they didn’t know what to do with themselves. Just like Jihyeok and Yuna, they were a same-age couple.
“She said she’d provide the materials? You can make a display shelf on your own, right?”
“Yeah. The blueprint’s already in my head, so no need to worry.”
“If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t believe them. But if it’s you, I’m convinced right away.”
“Really?”
After lightly finishing the breakfast their parents had prepared, Jihyeok and Jiwook headed to the bathroom together. As they brushed their teeth, Jihyeok asked his brother a question.
“Hyung.”
“What?”
“Can a girlfriend really be satisfied with just hearing ‘I like you’ or ‘I love you’?”
“…? What’s this all of a sudden? Did you get a girlfriend?”
Jihyeok had no intention of hiding it from his brother, so he answered honestly.
“We started dating yesterday.”
“For real? Who confessed first?”
“She did.”
“Whoa~ As expected of Yoon Jiwook’s little brother! Looks like you’re popular with the girls too, huh?”
“…I barely talk at school.”
Jihyeok was the type who stayed so quiet that, if not for his incredible memory, he might as well have been invisible.
“Unlike guys, girls usually observe someone multiple times and spend time with them before deciding, ‘Ah, this person is really good,’ and then build a relationship from there.”
“Oh. So it’s the same as when someone gets rejected after confessing and hears, ‘I only want to stay friends with you’?”
“Pretty much.”
He spat out the toothpaste foam and continued.
“Alright, think about it. What if your girlfriend suddenly kissed you? How would that make you feel?”
“Hmm… I’d probably feel happy, thinking she really likes me this much.”
“Right? But it’s different for girls. Physical skinship is important, but before that, you need to emotionally convey that you love her this much.”
“…How?”
“Exactly like the question you just asked me.”
“…You really think that’s enough?”
“This is advice from a guy who’s about to get married. Trust me and try it. At the very least, you won’t fail.”
“…Hmm.”
Jihyeok still wasn’t sure if it would actually work, but since a real couple was telling him this, he decided to believe it.
“Got it. Thanks for the advice.”
“No need to thank me. Just show your face to Mom and Dad later. Not right this second, though.”
“Okay.”
“Hurry up and get ready.”
“Okey.”
It was definitely more useful advice than anything he had found on the internet yesterday. Jihyeok inwardly marveled at the wisdom of a soon-to-be-married veteran.
After rinsing his mouth and changing into his school uniform, he found Jina and Jiwook already waiting by the front door.
“All three of us are here.”
“Today Jihyeok oppa is last!”
“Haha. I was a bit late today.”
Once all three siblings had gathered, Jiwook spoke to their parents.
“We’re heading out. I’m eating dinner with Yunseo tonight, so I’ll be back late.”
“Alright. Be careful~”
“We’re off!”
“See you later.”
“Take care, all of you.”
With their family’s goodbyes ringing behind them, the three siblings left the house.
It was just as warm as yesterday. The gentle breeze wrapped around their bodies, and the pleasant wind naturally brought smiles to their faces.
“On a day like this, we should be going on a date… haa.”
“We’re meeting in the afternoon anyway.”
“I just want to be with her all the time.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
Jiwook glanced around, then seemed to spot someone. He leaned in close to Jihyeok’s ear and whispered.
“When you meet your girlfriend in the morning, compliment her right away. Anything works. Got it?”
“…Huh? Okay.”
“What is it? What are you guys talking about?”
Having finished his business, Jiwook took Jina’s hand and said,
“I was thinking about what to eat for dinner tonight. Jina, do you remember Yunseo noona?”
“Yeah! That cute noona!”
“That’s right. I was discussing with Jihyeok what we should eat with her.”
“Really? I like skewers!”
“Skewers, huh… Perfect! I’ll talk it over with Yunseo noona for tonight’s menu! Thanks for the recommendation!”
“You’re welcome!”
Since their school was a little farther away, Jiwook and Jina headed off first. That left Jihyeok walking alone toward school.
Why past tense? Because—
“Good morning, boyfriend.”
“…Yeah. Good morning.”
His girlfriend, Han Yuna, had come up behind him and wrapped her arms lightly around him.
Even though he saw her in her school uniform every day, it really was true that clothes looked different depending on who wore them. Yuna looked even cuter in the age-appropriate outfit.
Hyung said to compliment her the moment we meet, right?
Following Jiwook’s advice, Jihyeok looked at Yuna and said,
“You look really cute today.”
“…Eh?”
Yuna’s cheeks flushed bright red at the sudden compliment. She covered her face with her hands and whispered,
“I-If you compliment me out of nowhere… it’s embarrassing.”
“Uh… sorry?”
Hearing the automatic apology, Yuna lowered her hands, took Jihyeok’s left hand in hers, and said,
“You don’t have to apologize. …It’s because I’m too happy. …Thank you for the compliment, Jihyeok. …You look especially handsome today too.”
Her words made him feel, deep in his bones, exactly how his earlier compliment had affected her. Jihyeok tried to hide his reddening ears, but—
“Jihyeok. Your ears are all red.”
“…You’re the one who made them like this.”
“I did that?”
“Yeah.”
It was the first time he had ever held a girl’s hand outside of family, and that fact only made his ears burn even redder.
“At this rate, your ears are gonna explode, boyfriend. They’re so red~”
“…We’re gonna be late. Let’s go.”
Trying to ignore the embarrassment he felt, Jihyeok held Yuna’s hand and started walking toward school.
“Hehe. Okay~”
As they walked, he realized that a single compliment could make his girlfriend this happy. Jiwook’s advice hadn’t been empty after all. In fact, Jihyeok now felt a little silly for having worried so much about how to make Yuna happier.
When they arrived at school, their classmates spotted the two of them holding hands and immediately swarmed over like they had discovered the biggest news of the year.
“What? You two came to school together? And why are you holding hands? Don’t tell me you’re actually dating?”
“Wait, what?! We have a couple in our class now?”
“Whoaaaa! A couple appeared!”
Before they could even reach their seats, Jihyeok and Yuna were surrounded by their classmates. Jihyeok, who had no immunity to this many people crowding around him, started to feel a little dizzy.
Yuna noticed his state and gently pulled him along by the hand while addressing the crowd.
“I’ll explain once we sit down. My boyfriend looks overwhelmed, so ask me instead.”
“She said boyfriend!! Kyaaaa!!”
Thanks to Yuna, they barely escaped the first wave of chaos—only for the second wave to arrive immediately.
“…Yoon Jihyeok. It would be in your best interest to explain in detail…”
“Explain step by step how you managed to win over Han Yuna, the girl known as the school princess…”
“If you don’t, I shall bestow upon you the iron hammer of retribution.”
While the girls were excitedly chattering about romance, the boys around Jihyeok looked like they were blinded by jealousy. One wrong word and it seemed they would drag him off for a blanket beating.
“All of that is useless. Just answer this. Who confessed first?”
“…Well, that’s…”
If he honestly said, “Yeah, Han Yuna confessed to me first because she likes me,” it felt like the boys’ fists would start flying. As Jihyeok struggled to come up with an excuse, someone came to his rescue.
“Hey! Isn’t it obvious why none of you have girlfriends when you act like this?!”
It was their class president, Lee Yujeong. Her brutal dose of reality knocked the boys flat.
“…It’s not a crime to not have a girlfriend.”
“She doesn’t have a boyfriend either…”
“Jihyeok has one, but we don’t… What could the difference be…”
“The answer… is a girlfriend…”
“…Tragically, that is the correct answer…”
The boys crouched on the floor and began wailing dramatically.
“Jihyeok, can you give me your hand for a second?”
“Huh?”
While Jihyeok was watching the boys’ over-the-top crying act, Yuna made a request. Without thinking, he offered his left hand. Yuna immediately took it—interlacing their fingers.
“…Eh?”
“They said they wouldn’t believe it unless they saw us holding hands, so I went for the full finger-lock. How’s that?”
“…To be completely honest, my heart is pounding like crazy.”
“Of course it is~ Your girlfriend is the one holding your hand, after all~”
Jihyeok was extremely grateful that Yuna’s seat was right next to his.
The morning commotion that seemed like it would never end finally died down the instant their homeroom teacher appeared.
“Alright! Morning assembly begins!”
This was the first day of school life since they had become a couple.