Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: The Outsider Who Drank the Coffee Bought by a Friend
***
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Following Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi's opinion that we should buy swimsuits for UCC filming over the weekend, I rode with them in the car and arrived at the department store.
In the car on the way to the department store, I had to sweat bullets because they kept trying to snuggle up to me.
Fortunately, once we got out of the car, they didn't do anything embarrassing like hugging my arm or leaning on my side.
...
Man, the inside of that car was really tough...
Han Si-a, leaning against my right side, kept giving off this nice fragrance, her black hair swaying gently,
and my left arm, which Yoo So-mi was holding onto, was constantly bombarded with that soft, plump sensation.
With both my arms trapped by the two of them on either side, I couldn't use them at all,
so to hide my embarrassing physical reaction, I had no choice but to maintain this weird pose—ass tucked back as far as possible, legs crossed.
If Yoo So-mi hadn't released my left arm on the way down to the underground parking lot... I probably would've needed some extra time to get out of the car, right?
Still, neither Han Si-a nor Yoo So-mi said anything about it, so luckily, it seems like they didn't notice...
For some reason, I feel like I'm developing a weird fetish for the back seat of a car, so I'd appreciate it if we could hold off on stuff like this from now on.
But the two female students walking side by side in front of me, oblivious to my ordeal,
were chatting away brightly, as if something good had happened.
"So-mi, before we head to the swimsuit store, how about we stop by a cafe first?"
"Sounds good! Eating something sweet before wandering around would be nice!"
"This department store is pretty big, so sitting in a cafe and looking up the swimsuit store's location in advance sounds like a good idea."
I looked at Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi happily chatting and decided to just let what happened in the car slide.
I figured bringing up the car incident in this atmosphere would feel out of place.
And so, we took the elevator and headed to one of the cafes inside the department store.
.
.
.
And I despaired.
"Wha... what...? An Americano for 5,000 won...? No way! It's just one Americano, more expensive than a bowl of bean sprout soup...!!"
And it made sense—before I regressed, the cheap cafe chain Americanos I bought were in the 2,000-won range.
So, even if this was a high-end cafe in a department store, it was hard to accept that it cost about twice as much as coffee prices in the late 2020s.
Plus, the bigger problem—beyond my aversion to the high coffee prices—was that I simply didn't have much money on hand.
I'd already converted all my part-time wages and prize money into Bitcoin, so the only cash I had was pocket money from my parents...
If I drank expensive coffee like this and bought new swimsuits on top of it, I'd soon run out of bus fare and be stuck at home.
"Jeong Yi-an. Are you stressing over the coffee price by any chance?"
At that moment, Han Si-a, who had finished ordering her drink first and was waiting for me, stared straight at me and asked.
Ugh... Honestly, I hate showing a girl that I'm agonizing over something this trivial...
"I'll have a tall iced Americano, please!"
So, I ordered an Americano without thinking about the consequences.
I can walk instead of taking the bus for a day or so. To avoid heatstroke on a hot summer day, I should find where my parasol is.
"One moment. Please charge that to this card."
But then, Han Si-a intercepted and paid for my coffee.
...
Of course, since she saved me some money, gratitude towards her comes first.
But... honestly, my feelings are all mixed up about this.
Still, showing a downcast attitude would be rude, so I forced a smile and decided to thank her properly.
But after paying for my coffee, Han Si-a looked at me with an expression like she was expecting something.
"Don't worry too much about me paying for the coffee. You weren't planning on spending money on such expensive coffee anyway, right? Jeong Yi-an, you got half-dragged here, so it's only natural that I cover this."
"Uh... thanks. Honestly, the price was way higher than I expected, so I was a bit troubled. In the end, you feel awkward just sitting in a cafe without ordering one item per person, so I couldn't exactly order nothing by myself..."
With her saying that, the frustration building up inside me eased a little.
Still, I can't just accept this and call it even.
Someday, if she asks me for a favor, I'll do it—or if not, once I strike it big with Bitcoin later, I'll pay her back with plenty of interest.
But Han Si-a was still looking at me like she was expecting something more.
Does she want something from me, maybe?
If so, a chance to repay her favor for the coffee might come sooner than I thought.
And sure enough, she slyly made one request...
"But if you're grateful that I bought you the coffee... could you do me one small favor?"
"Huh? A favor?"
"Yeah. A favor."
"...What is it? Since you just bought me coffee, if it's not too hard, I'll do my best to help."
I was so grateful that Han Si-a paid for my coffee that I agreed before even hearing what it was.
But upon hearing my answer, she immediately broke into a bright smile and revealed the favor.
"While we're in the cafe, speak politely to me and call me 'Miss'."
At that moment, I realized.
That incredibly bright, joyful smile she was wearing only appeared when she was tormenting me.
.
.
.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Miss Han Si-a. Here's the cafe's signature menu you requested, the honey caramel affogato."
"Hmm... 80 points. When you address me, it's 'Miss Si-a', not 'Miss Han Si-a'. And when handing over the coffee, don't be so waiter-like—do it with more elegance, like a personal butler, please."
What am I even doing right now?
I thought she just wanted to tease me by making me use polite speech at first, but before I knew it, I was receiving personal butler training from Han Si-a.
...
Still, I'm the one who got free coffee, and I agreed to it, so showing no enthusiasm wouldn't be good.
So, I recalled the image of a butler from some neighboring country's creation I'd seen somewhere and gave it another shot,
using moderately dignified yet gentle movements and a slightly low-toned voice.
"Miss Si-a. I've prepared the cafe's signature menu you desired, the honey caramel affogato."
".....!!!"
But Han Si-a's face, watching me, turned bright red in an instant.
She tried to play it cool and hide her emotional turmoil for a moment,
but soon buried her face in her hands and bowed her head.
....
Was that too otaku-ish just now?
It seems like my appearance was embarrassingly hard for her to look at straight on.
But isn't it a bit much for the person who ordered it to react like that...? I'm barely holding back the cringe myself right now.
Seeing her trembling with her head down, though, made me want to mess with her a little.
Because from the looks of it, Han Si-a was taking more damage than I was.
So...
This is the butler act you wanted, Han Si-a. Tough it out!!!
"Miss Si-a. You should eat it before the ice cream melts, or it won't taste as good. Or is there something wrong with your body somewhere?"
"Miss Si-a. If there's anything uncomfortable, don't hold back—please tell me. For your sake, I'd burn my very body to ash...!"
For some reason, watching Han Si-a's reactions was getting fun.
So I decided to keep going until she begged me to stop.
As seriously as possible. Like I was truly her personal butler! Soul-infused acting...!
...
But my prank couldn't continue any further.
Because Han Si-a, who had been trembling with her head down, suddenly lunged at me with gleaming eyes, like a completely different person.
She gently pushed me onto the cafe sofa, straddling me and pinning both my shoulders with her hands. It happened in a flash.
I froze with my eyes wide open at Han Si-a's sudden action, and she gritted her teeth like she was holding something back, speaking in a warning tone.
"Jeong Yi-an, you. Are you gonna keep teasing my tail like that? Even I have limits to how much I can hold back. I said elegant, not slutty like that...!"
"Okay! That's enough!!! Si-a, let's go to the bathroom for a sec? Yi-an, wait here just a moment~"
And at that moment, Yoo So-mi, who had been watching everything from the side, intervened.
Yoo So-mi grabbed Han Si-a under both armpits, lifted her straight up, and dragged her away in a tight hug.
...
What the heck.
*** - Han Si-a's Perspective
I didn't do anything wrong.
I just had pure intentions to help my friend—Jeong Yi-an, who would become my closest confidant in the future—with some job experience training.
But that guy acted like a butler straight out of a manga,
setting my rich girl heart ablaze!!
Tempting me so much that I couldn't help but pounce on him!!!
And what was with that look in his eyes on the sofa?!!!
With such firm muscles, yet flipping over like a puppy showing submission, trembling like he was scared—how could I not think that was a sign begging me to jump him right there?
Ugh...!! Even now, I want to go back to him...
"Hehe~♫ Si-a's eyes still haven't cleared up~ Can I hold you a bit longer?"
With So-mi's words, that soft, cushy sensation assaulted my face again.
Hmm... As expected, burying my face in So-mi's chest gives off a sweet fragrance.
This place has an incredibly nostalgic sense of security I've never felt even lying in my own bed.
After clinging to So-mi for a while longer, the fiercely burning flames of desire gradually died down, and my wildly racing heartbeat returned to normal.
...
Ah.
What did I just...
"I'm okay now, So-mi. This much should be enough to play it off."
Pathetic as it is, if So-mi hadn't been here this time, my relationship with Jeong Yi-an might have been ruined.
I'm deeply disappointed and regretful in myself.
But when I'm like this, clinging to So-mi, even those negative thoughts fade away quickly.
"It's humiliating... Looks like I have a butler fetish after all. I need to drill it into him never to imitate a butler again."
"Hmm... I still don't get your tastes, Si-a. But if you like it, I don't think you need to avoid it entirely?"
"Still, it's forbidden until I can control myself. Honestly, if you weren't here, So-mi, I don't know what I would've done..."
Having regained my senses thanks to So-mi's quick handling, I pulled my face away from her chest to head back to the cafe.
Then So-mi smiled at me and said,
"You could stay like this a bit longer. Already leaving?"
And hearing that, I hesitated for a moment...
before replying in a crawling voice.
"....Then, just 3 more minutes."