A Date with Areum in Hongdae
I held the phone away from my ear.
- Kkang-cheol! Kkang-cheol! Why aren't you answering!
"Whoa...."
I thought my eardrum was going to burst. Had this girl swallowed a steam engine for breakfast or something?
"You can whisper and I'll still hear you, Areum."
- Guess what! Guess what... buaaaaaah!
"Okay, cut the fake crying and just say it. No more ad-libs."
- Are you a C? You T-bastard!
"You haven't even given me anything to empathize with and you're already complaining. So, what's up?"
- I'm bored!
Yeah, I figured.
I let out a sigh and sat down in front of my computer.
"Fine, I'll hang out with you. Log into the game. I've got a smurf account, let's duo."
I was a Master tier in League of Champions (LC for short), and Areum was Diamond. We often duo queued together.
But it turned out a game wasn't what Areum wanted.
- Not a game! I want to go out and have fun!
"What's gotten into the shut-in? Let's just play. I just got back from working out; I'm beat...."
- Outside! I want! To go!
"Ow, my eardrums are gonna fall off."
I didn't know why she was throwing such a fit today. I was way too mentally exhausted to go outside. All I wanted was to shake off this gross feeling by playing some games.
"Don't you have other friends? I'm seriously tired."
- My other friends... they all got boyfriends, so they won't hang out with me. Those traitorous bitches! All that crap about 'friends from middle and high school are your friends for life' is total bullshit!
She must have already contacted them.
"Then just hang out with your college friends. Let's call Seo-jin and Mi-hyeon nuna."
- Already tried. They both said they're hanging out with their boyfriends....
"Huh? They both got boyfriends? Since when?"
Lee Seo-jin and Park Mi-hyeon were female friends I'd gotten close with during the freshman meetups. Lately we hadn't been hanging out as much since we joined different clubs, but they were people I could proudly call my friends.
But this was the first I'd heard about them dating. I felt a little hurt.
- Anyway! So hang out with me!
So that's why she was throwing such a tantrum—she'd been turned down by all the friends she contacted first. Or rather, it wasn't just rejection; maybe it was because everyone was in a relationship except her.
- The reason I don't have a boyfriend is all your fault! So you have to take responsibility!
"...How exactly is that my fault?"
- Because if I get a boyfriend, I can't fuck you. It's your fault for being good at sex.
"Ah. What a perfectly reasonable argument...."
When I answered, dumbfounded but slightly flattered, Areum came right back at me with a cutesy voice.
- Kkang-cheol, with your big dick, tall height, good sex, and great drawing skills. Hang out with me, pwease.
Hmm. If she's putting it like that, I guess I have no choice.
A guy with a big dick who's good at sex has to take responsibility, right?
"Come out. My treat today."
- Kyaa! Kkang-cheol oppa is the best!
I felt better after hearing the compliment.
God, I'm such an easy man....
*
Noisy chatter.
A bustling crowd.
There was an insane number of people, probably because it was the weekend. I felt my energy draining just from standing still. Men and women in all sorts of unique outfits wandered the streets.
I was standing at Exit 2 of Hongdae Entrance Station.
'Never thought I'd see the day I'd come to Hongdae....'
One of the hottest spots in Seoul.
A street packed mainly with people in their late teens to mid-twenties.
Up until last year, I never imagined I'd ever have a reason to come to a place like this. To some, it might be no big deal, but for a shut-in like me, it was the kind of place that made me feel small for no good reason.
I was standing there awkwardly for a moment, waiting.
"Kkang-cheol!"
Gold-brown hair, nearly blonde.
A bright yellow cardigan on top, a long white skirt below—an outfit that suited the word 'lovely' perfectly.
Areum, who had just come out of the subway, spotted me and waved.
'She's like a chick.'
I thought as I waved back.
'Did I look too shabby?'
I'm still around ninety kilograms, so I haven't bought any proper clothes. I just threw on my usual baggy pants and a sweatshirt.
But seeing Areum all excited and dressed up made me compare my outfit to hers. I started worrying that she might be embarrassed to be seen with me.
"Wow, she's fucking pretty."
"So cute."
It also didn't help that I could hear comments like that around me.
Today, Areum was twice as pretty and cute as usual.
"Should I go talk to her?"
"Knock it off, you crazy bastard. She's clearly in middle or high school."
"I guess so."
Middle or high school... well, she did look young. She always looked young, but today she looked like a chick, so she seemed even younger.
Just then, Areum came up close and linked arms with me.
"Kkang-cheol, what should we do?"
I looked down at Areum, a little stunned.
'Was I worried for nothing?'
Areum didn't seem to care at all what I was wearing.
She was just excited and talking like this.
"Ah! I just remembered! Let's go there!"
"Where?"
"Boksaetong!"
"Boksae... ah, the bookstore?"
"Yeah! The light novel bookstore!"
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Yeah, no matter how you dress her up, Areum's still Areum.
"You otaku bastard...."
"You don't wanna?"
"I fucking love it. Great idea."
Before we ate, we headed off to browse light novels first.
*
We bought a ton of light novels.
I always ordered online, so actually coming to a bookstore and buying books in person was a pretty fun experience.
'Browsing in person is nice.'
It wasn't just books, either—the bookstore had all sorts of figures and posters on display, so there was a lot to look at.
We went to grab lunch with our hands full of books.
"Maybe we should've bought the books last. They're heavy."
Because we'd bought the books first, we were stuck carrying them around. I'm not used to going out, so I messed up the order. It didn't seem like Areum had thought of it either.
Still, I couldn't really get behind the "they're heavy" complaint.
For a pretty obvious reason.
"Um, excuse me? I'm the one carrying all your books, too?"
"Hehe. I'll pay for lunch instead. Thanks."
How many books could that tiny little body possibly carry, anyway? In the end, I got stuck with everything. Well, she did say she'd pay for the meal I was supposed to buy, so I'll let it slide.
After that, we roamed around Hongdae and had a blast. Just a few years ago, Hongdae was considered a mecca for fashionistas and social butterflies, but these days it's just as much of a mecca for otakus.
We went to Ani House, a four-story building decked out in otaku goods, and bought some merch. Then we hit up a figure specialty shop and browsed high-quality figurines.
"This is insane. Kkang-cheol, look at this. You can take the skirt off this figure."
"Ahem."
I pretended not to be interested while subtly checking it out with her.
"They even sculpted the panties. Gasp, look at the detail. It even has the camel toe... mmp?"
"Areum, please, lower your voice...."
When a girl like you says stuff like that, people might think you're quirky and cute. But it's a whole different story for me.
Anyway, after wandering around and buying this and that like crazy, both my hands were full of bags.
"Is it really heavy?"
"It's heavy, sure, but the problem is I don't have enough hands."
"Sorry. I made you carry too much. I'll help carry some."
"Hmm. Then take these and these."
I picked out the lightest things for her. No matter how I looked at it, there was no way she could carry anything heavy.
But the moment she took the bags, Areum dashed off somewhere.
"Let's eat that!"
"...She's got good stamina, too. Hey, you should carry more bags."
It felt like I was babysitting an elementary school niece. How could she still have that much energy after all that walking?
The place Areum pointed at was a Turkish ice cream stand.
"Hehe. You're tired, right? Eating something cold will perk you up. My treat."
"You just want some yourself, don't you?"
"Sir, two Turkish ice creams please! Vanilla flavor and... Kkang-cheol, you eat chocolate."
"No, I'll have straw...."
"Eat the chocolate flavor."
"...Okay."
She must have wanted chocolate herself. She was buying, so I'd shut my mouth and eat it.
"Here you go, vanilla flavor~."
The shop owner looked like a local Turkish person.
He quickly made the ice cream and held it out to Areum.
"Thank y... huh?"
The moment Areum grabbed the cone, the scoop of ice cream popped right out. The owner smirked mischievously.
"Huhu, the ice cream, it is here~."
"What the, give me my ice cream back!"
"Sowwy. Here, take it."
"Thank y... ugh, dammit!"
A battle of wits over the ice cream began between Areum and the owner.
"My ice cream!"
Well, was it really a battle if she was just getting completely toyed with?
"Puhahahahaha!"
Seeing her jump around like that was so funny that a laugh burst out of me. The people around me were giggling too.
"Ahaha. Look at that. She's so cute."
"Seriously. Wow, so adorbs."
"What did you say? Say that again, honey."
"Huh? Oh, no, I was just, you know, agreeing with...."
I could hear the sound of some guy getting totally chewed out, but that's someone else's problem, so I ignored it.
In the end, after jumping around for a long time, Areum was exhausted and panting, and the owner took pity on her and handed over the ice cream.
"Oh, so sorry. Instead, here is service."
"Tch...."
Having gotten an extra scoop of ice cream on the house, Areum came back without another word. Then she pointed a finger at me and said.
"You were laughing, weren't you? It's your turn. Go get yours."
"...Ahem. I'm carrying all the bags."
"I can just watch them for you!"
"Tsk."
I smacked my lips sheepishly and went to get my ice cream from the owner. So I was going to end up getting messed with too, huh.
No, not a chance.
'Believe it or not, I'm a Master tier in LC.'
Don't underestimate my kinetic vision and reflexes.
I'll snatch it in one go.
I clenched and unclenched my fist, steeling my resolve, and stared at the owner. The owner's eyes lit up as he met my gaze.
The owner smiled provocatively and said.
"Huhu, it was chocolate flavor, yes?"
"Yes."
I was just about to prepare myself mentally and go all-in on a do-or-die match, when.
"Here you go~."
The owner meekly placed the ice cream right in my hand.
"...Huh?"
When I stupidly asked back, an explosion of laughter came from behind me.
"Kyahahahahahaha! You were all ready for it and he just gave it to you! Kkang-cheol was all super serious and he just gave it to you! Hiyyahahaha!"
Areum's laughter, completely unhinged, echoed down the street. Snickers rippled through the crowd around us.
...No, but why am I the one who just gets it handed to him?
Lick.
The ice cream was still tasty, damn it all.
*
Pi Ah-reum was laughing her head off, teasing him, while Kang Cheol-jin hung his head in embarrassment.
Among the people watching the two of them was An Seo-ra.
"Cheol-jin and Areum?"
An Seo-ra had come out to see some old high school friends for the first time in a while.
When she spotted Kang Cheol-jin and Pi Ah-reum, she was confused.
"Why are those two...."
The way they were laughing and chatting with each other seemed incredibly friendly and affectionate. No matter how she looked at it, they were on a date.
That's why she was confused.
'Cheol-jin was definitely dating Hana, wasn't he...?'
An Seo-ra had been certain of it.
Because, not long ago, she had witnessed Kang Cheol-jin and Ju Hana having sex in the clubroom.