Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: 13. The Season of Romance
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※This chapter includes homosexual elements. Please think of it as a common setting in many novels and pass over it lightly.
I nodded along with that thought. Nibbling at the cupcake in my hand bit by bit, I returned to the living room, where my friends were scattered in their seats, along with some familiar and unfamiliar faces. I approached them with a smile.
"Oh, Eunhee sister. You were already here?"
"Yeah. Where'd you go, Eunha? Oh, a cupcake."
"Teacher Junhwi gave it to me."
"Ah, just Eunha? Not fair."
"Here, have a little."
Minhee jumped up at the sight of the cupcake in my hand and rushed over to me. I smiled at her and tore off a piece, feeding it to her by hand. Then Inha came over too, opening her mouth wide as she looked up at me. Goodness, so cute. It felt like looking at a baby bird, so I popped a bite into Inha's mouth as well.
Leaning forward, I looked at Hyunho and Hansu, who were watching us from a bit farther back, and said,
"Want me to feed you guys too?"
But the moment I said that, Hansu's face flushed bright red.
"No thanks! I'm not a kid...!"
"Yeah! Feed me!"
"You've gotta protect your pride as a guy...!"
Hansu put Hyunho in a headlock with an angry look. Ow, that hurts, hurts! Hyunho smacked at Hansu's arms. Oh man, so cute. I grinned widely.
While that was going on, Eunhee sister snatched a piece from my hand and popped it into her mouth with an "Ah." She licked her lips with her tongue.
"Still as good as ever. Teacher Junhwi's cooking skills."
"'Teacher'?"
I looked up at Eunhee sister with a strange expression. Oh, right—before, she had called Teacher Min "senior" too. Huh? At my words, she gave me a puzzled look, then nodded as if realizing.
"Oh~ Yeah, both of them graduated from our school. And Teacher Min's generation was supposed to be famous or something~. Teacher Min, Teacher Junhwi, and I heard there was one more... but I can't remember well. By the time I enrolled, they'd both graduated ages ago. Still, since Je-hyeon, Seonghu, Cheonho, and I knew them a bit, Juyeon admired Teacher Min a lot too? We got to know through hanging out with Je-hyeon and Seonghu. And since they called them 'seniors,' I started doing it too."
"Ohhh...."
Eunhee sister smiled as she said that. Wow, I see.... To us, they're teachers, but to their seniors, they're "seniors".... I felt a strange sentiment.
'But another one?'
Teacher Min's words came to mind unbidden. The "brats," was it? It suddenly popped into my head. While I was lost in thought for a moment, Eunhee sister continued.
"After going back and forth like that, I found out Teacher Junhwi's a great cook. We even went over specifically to mooch off him."
Eunhee sister smirked mischievously, licking her lips. Heh, hehe.... Master is a good cook too, but I've only ever tried Teacher Junhwi's cooking once before, with this cupcake. And it's delicious. Now I'm curious....
"Sometimes I envy Teacher Min~. Getting to monopolize all that tasty food."
"Monopolize?"
I gave her a puzzled look. Yeah, Eunhee sister smiled down at me.
"They live together. They were super close since high school, right? Super close, neither had girlfriends, same career path and all. After graduation, they started living together for convenience, and now it's just... normal."
I see. First I'd heard of it. I tilted my head. Come to think of it, we've never been to Teacher Junhwi's or Teacher Min's house even once.
It's been three years since we got to know them.... They never even mentioned it.... I felt a little disappointed for some reason.
'Well, they're teachers, so it's hard to bring up personal stuff.'
Meanwhile, Eunhee sister had wandered off to chat happily with her best friend Juyeon senior. I pondered for a bit, then decided I'd ask someday as I headed back to my friends.
After chatting for a while like that, I looked around and realized a familiar face was missing. Hmm. I stopped snacking and asked the kids.
"But hey, I don't see Je-hyeon brother or Cheonho brother. Where'd they go?"
"Huh? Oh, I saw them heading upstairs."
"Why? Oh, wait—Master... Teacher Min's gone too...."
At my words, Eunhee sister, who had been talking to her friend nearby, turned to me with a sigh, looking exasperated.
"Sigh. Obviously. They're playing games."
"...Games?"
"Yeah, games."
I nodded as if it made sense. But I'd never known those two liked games. Well, Master has a few, and they're pretty fun.
At Eunhee sister's words, Minhee looked at her with sparkling eyes.
"Games? I love games! What kind?"
"Who knows. Teacher Min's place has more than one or two."
"Huh?"
My friends turned to me with puzzled looks. I shrugged.
"As you know, Teacher Min's magic is 'game magic.' Actually, it's specialized in game creation."
"...Oh."
"I see."
Yeah. Her magic is games. She can unfold fields in reality to turn surroundings into game worlds and dominate space, but her power is mainly focused on creating real 'games' in the digital world. Online games, simulations, VR games, you name it.
"So Teacher Min is a teacher at Daeyeon and a game developer at the same time. She's got a super famous name."
"Wow! That's awesome!"
In fact, she's put out dozens of games and rakes in huge money—one of the top tycoons in the world. If you just count assets, she has way more than Auntie Seona.
In other words.... Master's games are super, insanely fun. I play free games or sims sometimes, so I've tried a few of hers. I prefer ones with stories, though. Heck, I even wrote a scenario for an elementary school short story that won gold—reluctantly—and now it's a dating sim game...(omitted hereafter).
Lost in wistful regret thinking of the scenario I ended up completing, Minhee shouted with an excited face.
"That's it! Your master's games are super fun, right!!"
"Uh, yeah."
The other kids' eyes sparkled at my awkward reply.
"Ah, Je-hyeon hyung! Tell him! I like games too! I wanna play!"
"Um... me too."
"Me too!"
Yeah, kids alright. Boys and girls alike, the age to get hooked on games. Inha alone seemed uninterested, though. I like story games too, but sometimes Inha seems more mature than me. I made a complicated face, and Inha poked me, asking,
"So, the game you wrote the scenario for?"
"Uh-huh...? Oh, that was a sim game. Branching endings based on choices."
"Sim? Whatever, I wanna try it."
Ah, so Inha was interested after all?
And just like that, Inha's eyes sparkled too. But as the kids showed signs of rushing upstairs right away, Eunhee sister blocked the stairs and scolded them.
"Hey now. Even if we're here to play, you can't just ditch the other guests for games. That's rude. I'll go call Je-hyeon, Cheonho, and the instructor now, so you sit tight here. More kids are coming soon anyway. Got it?"
"Aw~."
"Boo."
"Fiiine~."
And sure enough, soon after, Je-hyeon brother and Cheonho brother came down, ears grabbed by Eunhee sister.
'As expected~.'
I covered my mouth and giggled.
A bit later, familiar seniors, strangers, and my friends' other masters arrived one by one. Honestly, this was my first time meeting Minhee and Inha's teachers, aside from others. Oh, I've seen Hansu's teacher in passing.
"Oh, Teacher Baekhan! Hi!"
"Hello, Teacher."
Minhee and Inha, sitting at the table, bowed to their respective teachers. Hansu followed suit with his.
I curiously sized up Minhee and Inha's teachers, whom I was meeting for the first time today. Up close, each had a distinctive vibe. Minhee's teacher was a man with slightly curly grayish hair tied back in one, wearing thick glasses. Clearly foreign. Inha's teacher had pitch-black hair slightly covering his eyes, giving off a somewhat gloomy aura.
"Yeah, hi."
"......"
The glasses teacher paused his languid expression and smiled faintly at Minhee, lightly patting her head. Inha's teacher, true to the rumors of resembling Inha's personality, just nodded slightly at her. Hansu's teacher accepted his greeting with a stiff expression.
I marveled at how well the kids got along with their teachers. They were building relationships I knew nothing about.
Smiling at the thought, I suddenly locked eyes with Minhee's teacher. He muttered,
"You've grown a lot...."
"......?"
I looked up at him puzzled. But he said nothing more and brushed past me, settling at one end of the large mat in the living room center. He propped one hand on the floor and stretched out at a very relaxed angle. I tilted my head curiously.
"What was that about....?"
And almost last to enter were Seonghu brother and his best friend Yo-un senior. The moment Seonghu brother arrived, Eunhee sister—who'd been waiting impatiently—immediately stuck to his side, leaning against him and lightly smacking his chest.
"Seonghu, you're super late, aren't you?"
"Sorry."
Seonghu brother smiled at her. So tenderly, so sweetly. My eyes widened at the sight. My body shivered for a moment just from their gaze. Someone else felt the same; Minhee's teacher, watching them lazily from his seat, drawled,
"Ey, you two. Don't make my skin crawl right next to me. Do it after we leave."
"Ah, what's it to you! It's our business!"
In other words, cringey. It was so sugary-sweet it made me cringe insanely for a second.
But it passed quickly, and I sat quietly admiring Eunhee sister and Seonghu brother. Thinking about it, this might be the first time seeing them together since they became a couple. I hardly saw Seonghu brother after he went to college. Just greetings once or twice a year.... At that point, forgetting wouldn't be weird, but he always greeted me whenever we met.
Watching them like I was sightseeing, I suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia swallow me. I gazed at them wistfully. Seonghu brother smiling tenderly, Eunhee sister smiling shyly. Them holding hands, approaching in that sweet atmosphere... it felt so familiar. My eyes grew distant. Ah....
'I love you, so much.'
'Yeah. Not out here.'
'Ah, my girlfriend's the best.'
'Stop! Embarrassing.'
My eyes heated up. I pressed my lips tight. Amid the noisy atmosphere, only around me seemed to quiet down. Then, a pale hand extended before me. I looked up.
"What're you doing? Time to go."
It was Je-hyeon brother. ...Oh. Now I noticed the others standing, watching me. I smiled faintly, took his hand, and stood. Inha pouted.
"...I was gonna offer my hand."
"Alright, kiddos. Stick right by me and follow."
"Hmph!"
"Hansu, no falling behind just to rebel, okay?"
"Got it, got it."
Hansu snorted but nodded, cradling his head with interlocked fingers. We put on coats and stepped into the chilly outdoors. Still holding Je-hyeon brother's hand, I shivered, and Inha grabbed my other from the opposite side. Yo-un senior saw and whistled.
"Whoo~. Je-hyeon, you're quite the picture. The guy who seemed like he'd never mix with kids, especially girls."
"Well, we're pretty close now."
Je-hyeon brother shrugged and took Minhee's hand this time. We walked side by side like that. To the spot behind Master's house, where a large gem floated.
Actually, Master's house has a 'portal' installed. A gem floating between magic circles, emitting light. The classic portal look from games. Fitting for someone who loves games.
We headed to the streets via the portal. Passing through, pitch-black path spread for a moment. A few steps, and the darkness receded, revealing a city twinkling with lights. Bustling downtown overflowing with tools and magic. Come to think of it.... This might be my first time walking a night downtown in this world. I'd been imitating a dutiful kid. Plus, school and our homes are pretty far from here. Especially since I was stuck speaking Hindi.
"Wow!"
Christmas Eve, so the streets were lit up brightly. Stores wrapped in colorful bulbs, fluffy magic lights like snowflakes falling. Almost festival-like. With food stalls everywhere.... No wonder the kids' eyes were spinning.
"That looks yummy!"
"Inha, Eunha! Isn't that pretty?"
"Hey, you guys! Don't stray from Je-hyeon!"
"Aw, then come with us, Eunhee sister!"
Eunhee sister, trying to corral the running kids, got dragged by Minhee instead. Seonghu brother followed, leading them. Minhee, running with the kids, glanced back at me standing still, still holding Je-hyeon brother's hand.
"Eunha not going?"
"I'll stay here. Don't make me wait—hurry back!"
Inha paused and looked at me. Felt like a baby bird leaving mom for the first time, so I smiled and waved her on. Inha hesitated, then joined the friends, Eunhee sister, and Seonghu brother into the street lights. We watched from a dimmer alley. The other teachers and seniors had already gone into shops, out of sight.
"......"
As the kids moved away, silence settled around us. I glanced at the noisy lit city. Fountains, shops, coffee shops, cafes—couples everywhere. The most eye-catching pair was definitely Eunhee sister and Seonghu brother. Watching them pick items amid the kids, I thought: They look like family. If they married and had kids, it'd feel like this.
The thought made me glance up at Je-hyeon brother unthinkingly. His eyes, holding the streetlights, were calmly still. Ah, I know that look. My chest tightened, and I looked down. 'Eyes in love'.... Unconsciously, I clutched the ring inside my collar through the fabric. I felt its shape through the cloth. My heart ached with loneliness.
Then, the silent Je-hyeon brother suddenly spoke.
"You're something else."
I looked up at him, puzzled.
"What?"
"You. You're not crushing on Seonghu senior, are you?"
Huh? I shook my head slowly, eyes wide at the bewildering words. Je-hyeon brother patted my head.
"Then you're even more something else. Sometimes... just sometimes, you look like you're in love."
"......"
I shut my mouth. Looked at the sky, down, then up at Je-hyeon brother again. Smiling faintly.
"That obvious?"
"Yeah. First time realizing a kid's still a girl."
"Whoa, lolicon."
"Hey now?"
I backed away playfully, and he ruffled my hair playfully in return. Around then, the friends returned. Eunhee sister and Seonghu brother looked at us surprised.
"You two are getting close?"
"Eh."
"Je-hyeon, you... unexpected."
Je-hyeon brother shrugged again. But Inha and Hansu frowned in sync, reached for me at the same time, pulled me into hugs, and separated me from him.
"Eunha's ours, okay?"
"Don't touch her casually?"
Dumbfounded, I just blinked wide-eyed. Pfft—Je-hyeon brother burst out laughing first. Eunhee sister and Seonghu brother stifled laughs too. Same for me.
Oh my god.... Why are they so cute?! Too cute, I'm dying!!
Unable to hold back, I hugged Inha and Hansu tight. Hansu yelped in panic.
"Wah, what! Hey, let go!!"
Didn't need to see—his face was beet red. I squeezed my eyes shut.
I could hear their heartbeats. Even without that guy I love, I was so happy.
I stared at the bubbling stew with a strange expression. Gamjatang joint as a group.... But I like gamjatang, so not bad. No, good. Gotta stuff myself this time. Contrary to looks, I love eating. Just sometimes too lazy, but once I start favorites, I eat a ton.
With so many people, we split into tables. Ours had Teacher Min and Teacher Junhwi opposite, with Eunhee sister, Seonghu brother, Cheonho brother. We four sat in a row facing them. Oh, Je-hyeon brother sat next to me, FYI.
Odd seating. Reminded me of first year. Wow, I'll be fourth year soon. The thought slipped in.
More intriguingly.... I eyed Teacher Junhwi and Teacher Min puzzled. They, who had been glancing at me nervously, averted eyes and composed themselves. No idea why, but they were rattled by me. I could see the emotional shift clearly in their eyes.
I made a complicated face.
'Why the sudden weirdness? What'd I do?'
That was my feeling. No, they were normal earlier—why glance like that now, like they're minding me? Sometimes downcast, like they have worries. Super distracting.
But asking outright here felt off, so I just watched the gamjatang bubble. Eunhee sister stirred the boiling pot beside me and grinned.
"Alright, let's eat."
She ladled out bowls for us. The meal was rowdy for a bit. Not just gamjatang—also seafood steam, meat steam. I picked meat cleanly. Adults already onto drinks. Ah.... Gonna be a long sit. Teacher Junhwi and Teacher Min joined, clinking glasses. Oh boy.
"Look at this! Triple ice cream!"
Unlike me still finishing gamjatang noodles, Minhee was obsessed with the free ice cream dispenser way over there. Self-serve cones—trickier than expected. Minhee stacked a massive three-tier. Classic Minhee. Great balance.
Booze made the meal drag nicely. Full, I stepped out for air. Might as well hit the bathroom—asked staff where. Bundled in coat, outside, then familiar voices from the alley.
"What're you doing?"
"Just... a bit shaken. She's a kid, so it'll be fine? She didn't notice?"
"Yeah... but not outside."
"But still...."
The alley was on the way to the bathroom. Recognizing Teacher Junhwi and Teacher Min, I peered curiously, intending to pass. But I froze at the scene. Teacher Min grinned childishly, hugging Teacher Junhwi tight. Teacher Min smiling close to his face... insanely tender, faces inching closer... oh god!
Panicking at stumbling on their huge secret, I backed away. Then... eye contact with Teacher Junhwi.
"Uh, Eun...ha?"
"What?!"
Teacher Min whipped around startled. Our eyes met in panic. Uh, flustered, I looked at them, then bowed in the silence.
"...Sorry for interrupting."
I turned.
"H-Hey!"
Their panicked calls followed. No, I'm sparing you the awkwardness—why stop me? Flustered, I yelled back.
"You're having an important talk—continue! It's not bad for adults to act spoiled!"
"Hey, wait! Eunha!"
"Hey!"
But they panicked more, calling me. Half-leaning on the wall, they lunged toward me together and nearly collided, pressing even closer. Wow, total pouncing pose.... No, I didn't see. Didn't hear.
Then.
"Hey, Eunha! What're you doing there?"
Hansu? I turned. Hansu walking from the restaurant toward me. They froze reflexively at his voice. Geez, B-rank A-rank mages bad at surprises? I was flustered too. Hurriedly to them:
"Separate first."
"Ah...!"
Leaving them scrambling, I stepped forward. Turned to block alley view from Hansu, approaching him.
"Why'd you come out?"
"Well, you left so...."
"Just you?"
I glanced behind Hansu. He looked puzzled.
"Why?"
"Thought Inha'd follow if you did...."
"She's gaming with seniors. So you?"
"Bathroom."
"Oh...."
Hansu blushed, spun around.
"Th-Then go!"
"Yeah."
He bolted back inside. Aw, so shy. Age-appropriate.
I smiled fondly, turned back—and faced the two who'd emerged. I dropped my smile, lips sealed.
========== Author's Note ==========
Lately, there've been quite a few novels with homosexual elements, so please treat this the same and pass lightly.
+++
Thanks for comments: Beautiful Reason-nim, kdun-nim, Ru Mia-nim, Naperusha-nim, gksmf6040-nim, Silunes-nim, Fire Blood Death Dark Lord-nim, Sangmodolgi-nim, lLalalaL-nim, Yullap-nim, Hye-reu-nim, MaleG-nim, sjskxoa-nim, Jaja Today Only Special Sale-nim, Min Taehyun-nim, Clea Luzhu-nim, HateSummer-nim, Teichia-nim, blueluna-nim, Ha Yuha s-nim, Heaven Gun-nim, White Moon Black Wolf-nim, bluebird-nim, Ellyuen Crino Lusa Te-nim, Elsky-nim, Kai Enelia-nim, Cheyen-nim, NoRea Kitty-nim, Inia486-nim!!
+Um...... Don't expect much romance in this novel...... Romance is just added as needed........ So....... Male lead appears, you'll curse a ton. I guarantee it.