Chapter 77
Chapter 77
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: The Outsider Checking the Situation
Han Si-a's shocking hug and whisper had plunged me into a state of mental and physical weakness for about three minutes.
Once I'd regained some semblance of sanity,
I pushed down the desires that still hadn't fully subsided and sank into thought.
...
Was that just now... a confession?
It had to be a confession, right?
There's no doubt it was a confession.
It was just a little different in method from the typical confessions I knew up until now.
Putting together everything Han Si-a had said,
it boiled down to:
'I'll reject all other guys and listen to everything you say, so stay with me forever.'
That's practically a proposal, isn't it?
Even though my insides are those of a 35-year-old man,
that doesn't mean I'm only interested in women twenty years my senior.
It's just that, looking back on my life before regression,
I figured there was no way any girl would feel attracted to me unless I struck it rich with Bitcoin.
In other words, I'm basically the kind of person who's like an automatic door.
There just haven't been people coming close enough to trigger it to open—no real opportunities— but that doesn't mean I hate women or anything.
For real. Otherwise, how desperate was I? Scheming to hook up with some gold-digging woman eyeing my future wealth was one of my life plans.
Sure, dating a high school girl pricks at my conscience a bit, but if she's into it, there's no reason for me to back out.
So, does that mean today marks day one of me and Han Si-a as a couple?
....Or not?
I've never had a girl confess to me, so I'm not really sure,
but a confession should be a bit more... what? Like...
No. I really have no idea.
Honestly, all the confession scenes I know come from movies, dramas, or novels anyway.
In some stories, they shyly confess their feelings to their crush in a secluded spot.
In others, they roughly pin their target against a wall and force a relationship in a domineering atmosphere.
In some, they rally their friends for a grand event and confess spectacularly,
and in others, the two suddenly realize their feelings at the same time and smash their lips together without a word.
And in yet others, a confession is just a formality after they've half-dated already, hammering in the final nail by mutual agreement.
Looking at it that way, what Han Si-a did earlier might fit the second pattern.
But fiction is just a product of imagination, after all.
I didn't feel like judging my precious few friends' feelings based on some time-killing stories.
And honestly, there was no need to.
Because Han Si-a and I... we have some similarities somewhere...
We're both the type who prefer simple answers over beating around the bush, reading between the lines, or jumping to assumptions.
So instead of spinning wild imaginings, misunderstandings, and worries on my own,
I decided to just ask her straight up, clearly and refreshingly.
Are we dating or not?
Or does she want something else from me in a different form?
Han Si-a probably doesn't want me acting all vague either.
Just then, I spotted Han Si-a walking along the poolside, wrapped in a large towel.
Is she worried about other people's stares?
It was a shame her beautiful bikini figure was hidden,
but knowing no other guys could ogle her body anymore actually put my mind at ease.
Plus, considering I'd just calmed my surging desires,
her covering up like this meant I wouldn't end up in an awkward pose again, making it the perfect setup for a talk.
"Si-a. I've got something I want to ask about what just happened. Got a minute?"
"Huh? Oh... you mean what just happened?"
Han Si-a's expression clouded a bit.
She averted her gaze slightly, looking almost guilty.
But even with her eyes turned away, she put on a brazen front, as if refusing to give me a chance to speak, unleashing a torrent of words.
"What? Now that you've sobered up and thought it over, you're regretting it? Too late. You nodded your head, and that's irreversible. You don't even have any goals besides buying that Bitcoin stuff and getting rich, right? So just stay with me. Or what, are you trying to back out now? After stabbing and grinding away at an unmarried woman's lower belly until you've ruined her for anyone else? Give it up. If you're regretting it, blame your crotch for falling so easily for my temptation!"
"No!!! Stop!! Calm down and hear me out first!! It's not that— I just want you to explain exactly what you're asking for!!"
And what the hell do you mean by grinding? I was trying to pull my hips back, but you grabbed me!!
Only after calming the red-faced, rambling Han Si-a did I finally hear her true intentions.
.
.
.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "If I said let's date, you'd say yes... Thank you, Yi-an. I'm so happy you said that. But... I'm sorry. That's not what I meant when I said those things—I wasn't asking you to date me right now."
That wasn't her saying we should date...?
Then what was it?
Damn. Of course. There's no way a pretty, well-off, rich, and smart girl like Han Si-a would suddenly fall for me.
I couldn't hide my bewilderment at her answer.
But Han Si-a pulled the large towel up over her flushed face,
speaking in a voice trembling intensely from nerves.
"B-but don't get the wrong idea! I wouldn't have done that if I didn't... like you."
"..."
Seeing the girl who could present without flinching in front of dozens of adults shaking like this,
it sure seemed like it was a confession after all.
Just not one asking to date.
.
.
.
What came out of her mouth next was a story about her wealthy family situation—something quite distant from my common-sense worldview.
Han Si-a was the only daughter set to inherit her father's fortune and her stepmother's power base.
Depending on who she married later, enormous wealth and influence would shift hands,
making her love life and marriage a constant hot topic among the upper crust.
Her parents' interference in her relationships was inevitable as a result.
Not only was there nonstop vetting to ensure guys weren't after her power or money,
but thorough background checks and evaluations of their families too.
And once she revealed she was dating someone, her curfew got strict, and they'd check her call and message logs.
To someone from an ordinary family like me, it was hard to comprehend,
but in elite circles, it wasn't uncommon for rivals to sabotage heirs by luring them down bad paths to weaken their house,
so this level of oversight was just the inevitable fate of a rich daughter.
In short, as long as she was under her parents' influence, dating was worse than not dating at all.
She might gain some freedom if she dated someone her parents vetted and introduced,
but a nobody like me with no money or background had no shot at that.
"So, when you told me earlier to stay by your side after graduation..."
"When I start my company as an adult and break free from my parents, if you're by my side as a trusted aide proving your abilities... no one will be able to interfere with our relationship."
Han Si-a had told me before.
Forget Bitcoin—study hard and make something of yourself.
Join her when she founded her company.
...
Only then did it hit me.
For her, unable to have a normal romance with an ordinary guy like me,
those words were no different from a love confession.
"You're a guy too, Yi-an, and you'd want a normal relationship... But I can't until I'm free from my family issues."
So she's asking me to wait until she builds her own power.
...
At first glance, it sounds utterly unreasonable.
It's no different from telling me to stay in her pond until graduation and let her manage me.
But would any other girl take an interest in me besides Han Si-a?
Even if I refused her, there'd be no other women gunning for me anyway.
As long as I accepted my post-grad path leading straight to her company, I lost nothing—not even a speck.
And by then, Bitcoin would have skyrocketed, making me richer than Si-a's parents combined, so I'd barely need to work anyway.
"Got it, Si-a. I'll gladly wait for something like that."
With that, I accepted her proposal without dragging the talk out further.
...
But...
"What are you talking about? That was settled the moment you nodded while poking at my lower belly earlier. This has nothing to do with your will anymore."
"...Unreasonable."
Afterward, Han Si-a tossed me some profoundly meaningful words before vanishing toward the showers, still wrapped in her towel.
-Yi-an. Listen well. What I want from you is just two things.
-First. Until I become an adult, start my company, and escape my parents' influence, maintain a smooth friendship with me.
-Second. Until graduation, don't become lovers with any other girl.
-But as long as it's not a lover, I won't directly interfere no matter what you do.
-Listen again. This is important.
-As long as it's not a lover, I won't interfere no matter what you do.
-If you keep those two things, just like I said earlier, I'll do anything I can for you.
-...Even things more intense than what I did before, if that's what you want.
The first one... is a given. I don't have enough friends to ditch a perfectly good one for no reason.
The second... maybe she's worried our relationship with Yoo So-mi would get awkward because of the promise she forced on me?
And her listening to whatever I say...
I had a good idea what she had in mind when she said that, but I'd never ask Han Si-a for something like that.
In the end, my daily life hasn't changed at all.
Just knowing Han Si-a likes me... makes the world seem a little more beautiful.
After she disappeared toward the showers,
I finally got up and headed toward the parasol where Yoo So-mi was waiting.