The Pocket Fortress
"You're going to touch me? You said we're holding hands today?"
"Yes."
Victory declaration right from the start.
Seonha doesn't stick to me 24/7.
She could drag me off to some interrogation room like Namyeongdong if she wanted, but she lets me roam free enough.
Is she giving me a taste of freedom on purpose, hoping I'll get complacent in it? Does she want me to wander the neighborhood by day and come trotting back home on my own when the sun sets, like a good dog?
...
But the freedom's too limited for that.
It feels like a leash around my neck—not too tight, but just long enough.
I can roam pretty freely.
But try to stray beyond the path she's set, and it yanks tight.
So... that meal with my pretty homeroom teacher at the tonkatsu shop? That was way outside the leash's range.
Coincidental meeting or not.
School cafeteria.
"You wanna see me lose my mind?!"
Kim Hyun-jik slammed down his spoon mid-scoop of tonkatsu seaweed soup. He was furious again today.
"Flounder protest just ends and now it's tonkatsu terror?! I like tonkatsu too! Love it! But this is too much! Tonnkatsu seaweed soup! Tonkatsu veggie side! Tonkatsu with tonkatsu! Tonkatsu yogurt! Tonkatsu kimchi—is that makgeolli or what?!"
"Tonkatsu makgeolli's tomorrow."
"Gaaahhh!!!"
How the hell did the secret leak?
I'd sworn Han Hyunjoo to secrecy about yesterday's meeting—no word to Seonha.
So how did Seonha sniff out the tonkatsu shop thing?
Of course, she doesn't rub it in my face outright.
But...
She's been giving me these glaring hints all day...
Every conversation's tonkatsu-themed.
During third-period English...
For some reason, the textbook passage had been swapped out for a tonkatsu-themed one...
And now lunch was blatant tonkatsu terrorism. "Now even the water cooler's dispensing udon broth?!"
Poor Hyun-jik, chucking his water cup.
"Yeonwoo. Why're you eating so carefully?"
Park Sung-ho asked from beside me.
Because the girl who declared hand-holding this morning has me guarding my hands.
He leaned in close and whispered.
"Oh yeah. Yeonwoo, I saw you leaving the tonkatsu shop with the Korean teacher yesterday?"
"You fucking snitch, that was you?"
"...Bitch. What'd I snitch? What's so great about a student and teacher grabbing dinner alone getting around? Kinda hurts my feelings? Am I Kim Hyun-jik or something...? That oblivious...?"
"...Yeah, you're not that type. Sorry..."
"I just tipped off Seonha a little. She's your girl, right?"
"Oblivious fucking snitch."
No wonder Seonha's attacks felt extra spicy today.
You got me beaten to hell all morning.
Know how many erasers dropped at my feet today? "Yeonwoo. Ever heard how important trust is in a relationship? Don't lie to Seonha."
Sung-ho wagged a finger dramatically. Seonha blushed and beamed.
"Oh my, husband and wife?! Park Sung-ho-ssi...! Sorry for thinking you were just an ugly perv with nothing but porn in his skull... You have some redeeming qualities after all. Hehe..."
"...Thanks for the praise. But I was way happier before hearing it..."
Why don't I get sensible allies?
Well, I'm not sensible myself.
Birds of a feather.
But... why's the main villain the only one overtuned?
Frustrated, I chugged the yogurt bottle...
Seonha's final mercy? Mine's strawberry, not tonkatsu-flavored.
'...Mercy...?'
As if.
"Park Sung-ho. Want strawberry yogurt?"
"Oh. Thanks."
Gulp gulp.
Downs it nicely... That's a sleeping yogurt, dude.
Out of the cafeteria, hands in pockets.
Not pulling them out today.
That Seonha.
If she declared hand-holding, she's gonna try for real.
"Haaah... Huh, you!?"
Ban Gyuri. Hauling a huge box stuffed with papers. Why do I keep running into her here?
Crunch crunch.
I ignore her and walk past. Saw it on YouTube: don't make eye contact with wild beasts. A high school girl packing a hammer qualifies.
"H-Hey...!"
"Huh?"
"H-Help me a bit..."
"...?"
"Carry this with me. It's heavy."
?
"With what."
"Uh, help with this box. It's heavy."
...
What is this, dramatic reconciliation arc?
She's offering to wipe the slate clean on our beef.
Grab that handle quick, and boom—first-day rain image updated.
Oh, hell yeah, I'll help. Gyuri's got a generous side. Counterexample to that crap about bust size matching heart size.
"No."
"...What...!?"
Think I'd fall for it?
Seonha.
You're pulling out all the stops to get my hand out of this pocket.
"N-No? You won't help?"
"Nope."
"...You... you really..."
"Do it yourself. How you gonna survive if you can't handle that?"
I don't see how helping with a box leads to hand-holding Seonha.
But that Seonha.
'You hiding somewhere right now?'
Dangerous heavy lifting... Can't drop and bolt. Gyuri'd get hurt. Seonha'd use that to force my hand into hers.
Or the second my hand's out, she pops from a manhole.
Sleep gas trap in the box maybe? Is that even real Gyuri? Her asking for help first? Sus. Robot? Adapter on her neck?
No delusion's zero percent likely.
"...H-Hey?! You really just leaving?!?!"
"Yeah."
"Me carry this alone? I'm a girl...!"
"Can tell."
I sneered at her turning red-purple.
Seonha.
Watching?
Hands staying in pockets today.
Han Hyunjoo was grunting at the vending machine.
"What's up?"
"...Y-Yeonwoo... What do I do...? Got scammed."
"What scam's got you like that? One of those jeonse housing scams going around...?"
"K-Kinda... The vending machine ate my thousand won..."
No. Not even close.
"C-Could you do it like last time...? I tried, but..."
She weakly thwacked the side with her already-red palm.
No way a soft tap dislodges a jammed coin...
"As you see... not working..."
"Sigh... Poor you, Seonha."
"Huh...?"
"N-Nothing. Step aside a sec?"
She moved. I kept hands pocketed.
Thwack!
Kicked the side with my foot. Coin dropped in.
"Good now."
Hyunjoo's face fell a bit.
"Why the long face...?"
"...S-Sorry... The sudden kick... startled me..."
...Went too hard, apparently.
Light on, coin eaten. Her finger hovers over peach soda—then brakes.
"Hm, uh... Black coffee's sold out again today!"
"Huh? Coffee's not—light's on..."
"G-Guess childish soda it is!"
Beep. Clunk!
Peach drink out, light off. Fine, I'll play along.
...
Hyunjoo not retrieving her drink.
"Y-Yeonwoo..."
"Yeah?"
"Could you... get it for me...?"
She tugs her skirt down, glances back. Boys chattering downstairs.
'...Aha...'
Scared of skirt flash. Opportunity.
Grab it smooth—charm the lady as attentive junior.
"No. Wait for those guys to pass and get it yourself."
"......Huh......?"
Think I'd bite?
Seonha.
Didn't expect full sitcom mode.
'Happens once, twice—whatever.'
She's probably crammed in the vending machine right now.
Waiting for my hand to reach in.
Dig deeper? Even if I snag it, can opens and sprays on me or her—then she "helps" wipe, hands touch naturally.
Right?
"Y-Yeonwoo...!"
I sneered past her reaching hand.
Seonha.
Watching?
Hands staying in pockets today.
Back in class, a muffin on my desk. Sub-VP Jina passed 'em out as commemoration.
"Thanks, Jina~ Gonna enjoy it~"
Jina nodded awkwardly at the thanks.
'...Now Jina too...?'
Jina's the model student straight out of a drawing.
Prim glasses girl.
Yeah, Seonha.
Even corrupting pure ones like her now.
...
'But tossing someone else's gift is rude.'
Plus, Seonha paranoia killed my lunch—stomach's rumbling.
'...'
Traded with a classmate I barely know.
Still sus—fed a bit to Hyun-jik first.
Muffin fine.
"Yeonwoo... You wanna feed it to a guy?"
"Can't use my hands right now."
Till I finished.
'...'
Suspect everything.
Stay tense.
Bag in hand, at the trash can.
...Trash can...? Why's it so big? ...
"Seonha, you in there?"
...
"I know. Distract with muffin, no poison found, I relax, toss bag—your hand shoots out from inside and grabs mine?"
...
Seonha.
Hearing from in there?
Hands staying in pockets today.
...Fifth period's new-semester physical exam. Seonha's assisting.
"Yeonwoo-ssi, gonna give me your hand now? Need to check your pulse."
Seonha grinned slyly next to the nurse. So all today's stuff...
...
Hands staying in pockets today...
"Next? People behind—hand out quick."
"Yes."
Grabbed.