The Price of Curiosity

Thinking back on it now, the moment I was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first invited to lunch after becoming the infirmary teacher, I should have shot that invitation down as rudely as possible.

"This place's soft tofu stew is seriously the best, I'm tellin' ya."

"Right. Didn't you say this place was great when you came by last time, Ujin?"

"Well, once you've tasted the stew here, you can't eat it anywhere else—it just tastes watered down."

"...Ah, right."

If I had just acted like a typical "MZ generation" brat and let those old guys label me as "kids these days...", I wouldn't be in this position right now: being dragged to a tofu restaurant with my arm forced into a headlock I never asked for. I wouldn't have to sit here, sandwiched between nicotine-stained middle-aged men, forcing a smile.

"Ujin, you said you don't smoke, right?"

"...Yes."

"Good grief, you're lighting up another one before we've even finished eating? You're gonna ruin your lungs."

"I'm not on active duty anymore, so it's fine. If anything happens, we've got Teacher Ujin here."

I didn't like how they were acting all chummy and throwing their weight around as if we were actually close, despite having barely exchanged a few words. But... since I’d already started off on the wrong foot, I just kept wearing that hollow, insincere smile. Besides, if I keep a good impression, maybe something good will come of it later. I have no idea what kind of scraps might fall my way, but still.

While I was busy swallowing my sighs and trading banter with a few teachers who were laughing boisterously—in that typical, heroic, middle-aged man way—a thought suddenly flickered through my mind as I set the table.

"......"

Lee Jiyoon. What is she doing during lunch? Maybe eating with friends...? No, that wouldn't happen.

"Hmm..."

...Should I send her a quick text before I see her face-to-face?

"Did you go to the infirmary?"

"Y-yeah."

"That bruise on your arm looked so painful earlier, I'm so glad you went..."

"I-it didn't hurt that much... It was just a mistake..."

"Anyway, anyway."

"...Sigh."

"Hehehe. Su-a's gym clothes smell so good..."

"......"

Half of it was the clumsy pronunciation from when I first started learning Korean. The other half was the fluent, native-level speech I’d picked up while rolling around in Korea. I mixed the two together, clinging to Su-a’s back and rubbing my cheek against her. Well, I didn't exactly intend to mix them, but teasing cute Su-a, who couldn't hide the aura of *'we had sex'* at all, just made me talk like this.

You know how it is sometimes, right? Like when you tease your friends and your tongue gets all tied up? It’s like that. Haaa... Why is Su-a so cute? I mean, we’re only friends because we’re hiding our identities, but she’s actually two years younger than me, so maybe that’s why? ...When I was 20, I wasn't this cute. When I was 20, I was just depressed because I failed to get legally molested and trained in my school uniform. Maybe she was just born with an innate cuteness?

"...We just sparred, so I should smell like sweat, why do I smell good... And I haven't even showered yet because I was at the infirmary..."

"No, no. You really do smell good. Oh, should I call over that boy who’s secretly peeking at us and have him take a sniff?"

"D-don't..."

"Puhuhu. Just kidding, just kidding~ I’d never give my Su-a to a boy. Mmm-hmm. That’s right."

I might give her to someone who only thinks of women as fleshlights, but I’d never give her to a boy who casts such pathetic, "I want to touch her boobs..." gazes. Unless, of course, he was lacking in other areas but had a massive, massive cock... but yeah, he didn't look like that. And he didn't have a body full of erotic muscles, either. ...To put it more bluntly, should I call them "sex muscles"? Puhah. wwww

"Hey, Yozora... your chest keeps touching my back..."

"Chest? Why? Is it not allowed? We're both girls."

"That... ...People are watching."

"Hmm...? Let them watch. It’s not like it’s anything weird. ...Ah, of course, even between girls, if we started fondling each other, that would be a bit strange."

"No... Haaa..."

"Alright, that’s enough of that. Let’s go eat~ My stomach is making *peko-peko* noises..."

I flashed a bright smile at the boy who hurriedly looked away in the distance, then hugged Su-a, who was still in her gym clothes, and walked out of the classroom together. It was lunchtime, but you never know. We might accidentally run into Seo Woojin around a hallway corner. And if you were to pick the best outfit to be pinned against a wall and fucked senseless, it would be these lewd gym clothes that expose the thighs, with the zipper pulled down just below the chest because it’s too stifling to zip it all the way up... ...Actually, the fact that it’s not zipped up just to turn men on—and not just one person, but two of us—would be the most arousing, right?

But too bad. Meeting Seo Woojin on the way to the cafeteria, failed... I just got annoyed because I had my fill of horny gazes from random men along the way... You guys only know how to look with those disgusting eyes; you don't have the guts to grab a wrist and drag someone to a dark place ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to rape them. *Sigh*... If I could at least charge an admission fee, that’d be one thing, but I just did everyone else a favor for nothing.

"I guess I'll just eat the sprout bibimbap."

"Mmm... Mmm... T-then I'll have the same..."

Come to think of it, I don't remember ever seeing Seo Woojin at lunchtime. Does he have something to do during lunch? Or is he being dragged off to some smelly home-style restaurant by those burly teachers? I finished ordering while letting my imagination run wild, then took Su-a and started looking for the most secluded, empty spot I could find.

"......"

By the time we’d checked almost every corner of the spacious student cafeteria, I saw a familiar head of white hair in a corner so dim it felt gloomy. Lee Jiyoon, was it? The girl who sat behind me, whom I’d never exchanged a word with because there was never an opportunity. The girl who always had earphones in and was sleeping face-down, so my only impression of her was, "She's really the top student?" The girl who, even if it was a mistake, had left a small bruise on my cute Su-a’s wrist during sparring earlier. ...I don't know if I saw it right, but today, she was smiling to herself, barely visible.

She was sitting in that corner, eating ramen while fiddling with her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠phone.

"Hmm..."

The sound of my breath escaping, a faint "Hmph." I grabbed my freshly served, piping hot sprout bibimbap and started walking straight toward the table Lee Jiyoon had claimed for herself. Was it to take revenge for the bruise on Su-a’s arm? That wasn't exactly the reason. It was just... curiosity? No. A competitive spirit? Yeah. "Competitive spirit" is a little more accurate than "curiosity."

Jiyoon always goes around alone, and I haven't even seen her talk to anyone, let alone be with someone. She has the kind of face that makes you wonder if she’s aloof or just prickly, so it suits her well... but anyway, if I just coax and egg her on properly, maybe she’ll end up like Su-a... Mmm-hmm.

"Hi!"

"...?"

After finishing my mental strategy meeting, I greeted her as brightly as possible. Jiyoon looked up at me, hurriedly turning off her phone screen. As I made eye contact and took a seat opposite her, Su-a, who had arrived a bit late, hesitantly took a seat next to me. It wasn't so much that it was awkward because of the small accident earlier, but more like they were just uncomfortable because they’d never talked to each other before. Well, I didn't approach her hoping Su-a would assist me anyway.

Before Jiyoon, who was clearly flustered, could finish her meal and run away, I spoke with a beaming smile.

"I saw you earlier, you were incredibly strong!"

"...Oh."

"Honestly, I just thought you were a kid who slept in the back row every day."

"......"

Uh-oh. Was I too honest? Even though I’d greeted her with the biggest smile I could muster, Jiyoon just kept glancing at me while stirring her ramen with her chopsticks. It had only been about 10 seconds since I’d spoken, and she was already radiating an aura that said, "I'm not interested ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in you."

Hmm. When I got close to Su-a, I didn't do anything special, just talked to her normally and we became friends quickly... Does she hate making friends? I went out of my way to talk to her first, so why is her reaction like this? ...My pride is hurt a little. Hmph.

"Hey, so, I was wondering, maybe next time in practical class..."

"Sorry, but I'm going to head out first."

I’d even swallowed my pride and spoken kindly to her, yet Lee Jiyoon stood up with her ramen barely half-eaten. Watching her back, I let out a quiet sigh so Jiyoon wouldn't hear. To put it nicely, she looked like a shy stray cat, which was kind of cute. To put it badly, she just seemed like a brat. ...Still, since she’s pretty and a brat, Seo Woojin might like her in his own way. Well, it’ll probably take at least half a year to get close to her, though... Anyway.

I was really flustered because a girl I wasn't even close to suddenly started acting like she knew me, but I think I handled it well enough. It’s a bit of a waste to throw away almost all the ramen I was eating... but whatever. There’s no way the food would go down with those two in front of me. If I got caught with my phone screen, I’d be the only one losing out.

"Phew..."

After rinsing my mouth with water from the fountain, I checked how many people were around and leaned against the hallway wall to turn on my phone screen.

"Pfft..."

A text message that just said "Are you crazy?" without a subject or anything else. Even so, I giggled like an idiot looking at that short, blunt sentence. I mean, it’s funny, right? It’s not just that he’s acting all twisted toward me when he usually only uses such kind words, but also that it took him so long to send that one line after I’d already talked to his girlfriend about my proposal. It feels like I’m slowly corrupting the pure Seo Woojin with my own hands, step by step. ...It’s a little fun, honestly.

Leaning against the hallway wall, I tapped the screen and sent a reply, pretending I didn't know anything, and hummed a soft tune. ...In the midst of all this, should I be glad? Within seconds of sending the text, my phone vibrated.

Rather than the usual ease I saw in him, it was filled with frustration and disbelief.

To that Seo Woojin, instead of the blunt texts I usually sent, I tapped out a sentence full of playfulness. Because,

Just like how elementary school boys bully the girl they like.

Even after hearing the expected answer, I tapped the screen while humming a light tune.