My Plain Girlfriend Is Unexpectedly Targeted (2)
The bright morning sunlight rendered the peaceful morning rest utterly pointless as it vanished beneath a sharp cry.
"Hey!!! Jung Haru!"
It was Dasom's voice, coming from the bedroom.
She usually spoke in a quiet tone, but today her volume was unusually high.
I lowered the phone I'd been scrolling through while lying on the sofa. There stood Dasom, one hand planted on her hip, glaring at me.
In her other hand she held a pair of pure white sneakers—the ones I'd secretly left near the desk in the apartment.
Frowning, Dasom lifted the shoes and demanded, "What the hell is this woman's shoe?"
I deliberately looked away and played dumb. "I don't know..."
"This is ridiculous."
"Who else would sneak something like this into your place? Did a ghost wife drop by or something?"
It was pointless to keep pretending. I scratched my head and confessed honestly.
"Well... your birthday's coming up soon, so I figured I'd get it while I was at it."
The word birthday made Dasom's expression soften just a little.
But then she examined the famous brand logo on the shoes and her eyes sharpened again.
"It looks expensive at a glance. How much? Tell me the truth."
"It's not that much."
"How much?"
Her interrogating tone left me no choice. "About... five hundred thousand won?"
For a college student, it was a pretty big expense. Sure enough, a deep sigh escaped Dasom's lips.
"Haa..."
She pressed her forehead as if she had a headache, then shoved the shoes firmly against my chest.
"Take these and go get a refund right now."
"No."
I refused to accept the shoes and shook my head firmly.
There's absolutely no way I'm getting a refund.
Dasom usually stayed cooped up at home on days without classes. She didn't even own a single decent pair of outdoor sneakers.
Every time we went on a date or stepped outside, it always bothered me to watch her drag around those cheap shoes with their completely worn-down heels.
If nothing else, she needed one sturdy, pretty pair—especially since she didn't have any proper shoes at all.
"Hurry up and take them. You don't even have money these days—why buy five-hundred-thousand-won sneakers? I'm seriously getting angry."
"Get angry, then. I'm still not refunding them. I already threw away the receipt."
"Hey!"
We stood in the middle of the living room, locked in a tense standoff.
Dasom tried to force the shoes into my arms while I twisted my body this way and that, stubbornly refusing.
Neither of us showed any sign of backing down. We simply glared at each other in prolonged silence.
"Ugh, seriously... It kills me to waste money like this..."
Dasom finally drooped her shoulders in surrender. As if she couldn't win, she muttered in a tiny voice while still holding the shoes.
"...Thank you. I'll wear them well."
It was a reluctant thank-you, but the faint blush on her cheeks revealed her true feelings.
Once the mood softened a little, Dasom glanced up at me and asked, "You spent all this money on me... Is there something you want in return?"
Instead of answering, I quietly looked her over.
Her usual defenseless outfit, the messy hair tied back in a hurry, and the slight tension in her shoulders.
My gaze traveled slowly up and down her body. Dasom grew shy and avoided my eyes.
"Pervert..."
Her face burned tomato-red as she stared at the floor and snapped at me.
"I... I have a major class today, so I need to leave early. That means not right now."
It was a rejection, yet the nuance left a strange opening. I took one step closer.
"Then after you get back from school?"
Dasom's pupils trembled. She bit her lip lightly and murmured, "...Do whatever you want."
With that, she walked out of the room.
A short while later, after finishing her preparations to leave, Dasom called for me.
Maybe because they were new, Dasom sat on the living room sofa and carefully slipped her feet into the pure white sneakers I'd given her.
This was the only moment she could wear shoes inside the house.
Her hands tying the laces moved with extreme care, as if afraid they might get dirty.
The pure white sneakers fit her feet perfectly, as though they'd been made for her.
"I'm heading out."
Having put on the shoes, Dasom stood up and adjusted the bag on her shoulder.
She grabbed the doorknob, then glanced back at me.
She seemed hesitant, still bothered by our earlier conversation.
"I'll come home early, so don't go anywhere—just stay here..."
Leaving only those words, Dasom opened the front door and stepped outside.
Beyond the closed door, the crisp tap-tap-tap of the new sneakers against the floor gradually faded away.
I stood motionless at the entrance, staring down at the old shoes she used to wear.
The heels were worn down so badly that the soles were clearly visible, but the inside condition was even worse.
The insole was so blackened it was impossible to guess its original color, stained in the exact shape of her feet.
The area where her heels touched was especially bad—sweat and dust had clumped and hardened there over a long time.
She wore these every single day until they reached this state, so the smell must be awful...
They didn't ventilate properly. The sweat trapped inside all day mixed with the musty odor, creating a heavy, sour stench.
She had even worn them on that rainy day a few days ago, so a damp, sour smell like a half-dried mop had probably soaked deep into the insole.
Maybe that pungent scent was still slowly rising into the air even now.
The sudden urge to sniff and check made me snap back to my senses.
"Crazy bastard... What the hell are you thinking..."
I quickly looked away and walked toward the living room so the old shoes were no longer in sight.
*****
Thanks to the new sneakers, walking down the school hallway toward the lecture room felt lighter than usual.
She had grumbled all morning, but actually wearing the new shoes her boyfriend had bought—perfectly sized for her feet—kept making the corners of her mouth twitch upward.
Today somehow felt like it would be a good day.
But...
"Now, this assignment will be a four-person group project. The topic is an analysis of bacterial survival mechanisms and microbiological safety during the freezing process."
The four syllables that came from the professor's mouth were the ones I hated and dreaded most in my entire university life.
I never ate with anyone from the department and always slipped out quietly after class, so I suddenly felt completely isolated in the lecture hall.
In the end, unable to join any group, I was shuffled around and forcibly placed into whatever spot was left.
I approached the desk where the group members sat with an awkward smile, but the atmosphere was icy.
"Um... We just finished dividing up the roles a moment ago. Since Dasom-ssi joined the group last, it looks like you'll be taking the remaining role—the presentation."
I'm screwed...
If group projects were what I hated most, then inside those group projects, the absolute worst part was the presentation.
"Um... I'm sorry, but could we switch roles? I'm really terrible at speaking in front of people. I'll handle the research, the PowerPoint—anything. I'll stay up all night if I have to. Please..."
"Ah... It's a bit difficult to change things now..."
Someone trailed off, clearly refusing.
They all just glanced at one another. No one volunteered to take the presentation.
Just as despair turned my mind blank at the realization that I would have to present—
"Haa... Then I'll handle the presentation."
The person who seemed to be the group leader broke the heavy silence.
"Thank you so much!!! I'll work really hard!"
"In exchange, I was originally supposed to do the data research. It's not that I don't trust you, Dasom-ssi, but this class grade is pretty important to me. Would it be okay if we worked on the research together?"
"Yes, yes! Let's do it together!"
I nodded vigorously without the slightest hesitation.
At the time, I assumed "working together on the research" meant through non-face-to-face methods.
"Alright, that's all for today's class. Prepare well for your group projects and I'll see you next week."
Class ended. Students packed their bags and streamed out of the lecture room.
I organized my books to head home and stood up.
With every step, the fresh grip of the sneakers against the floor traveled pleasantly through my toes.
I want to see him soon...
The thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
He usually just lazed around the house and had plenty of unreliable sides, but the moment we were together he felt like the most comfortable, reassuring person in the world.
Beep-beep-beep-beep... Beep!
I entered the door-lock code and flung the front door open.
Haru, who had been sitting on the living-room sofa watching television, turned his head at the sound and stood up.
"Oh, Dasom. You came back really ear—"
Before he could finish his greeting, I strode straight over and threw myself into his broad chest.
My arms wrapped tightly around his waist as I buried my face against him.
The familiar, comforting scent washed over me, and only then did the day's tension finally melt away.
"?!"
I could feel his entire body stiffening like a wooden log from my sudden action.
His hands, hovering awkwardly in the air, fluttered uncertainly over my back.
"Hey, hey... Why... why are you acting like this?"
Having hugged him first, the embarrassment hit me instantly. Heat rushed all the way to my ears.
"The new shoes still feel weird! You were just standing there like an idiot, so I grabbed you, okay?!"
My lame excuse made Haru let out a dumbfounded chuckle.
I covered my flushed cheeks, desperately trying to calm my wildly pounding heart.
Creak... Creak...
"Does it... hurt?"
"No. It's fine."
"Want to kiss?"
"No, it's embarrassing..."
"I'll keep my eyes closed, so just once."
"Haa..."
Chuuup... Chuurup...