Don't Pretend to Be Close (3)
After all the classes were over, I stopped by my place to change into some comfortable clothes and sent a message to Han Su-a. It wasn't anything grand—just a casual conversation, asking if she was free to meet up. Yet, despite how simple it was, she replied in less than thirty seconds, as if she had been waiting for my message the whole time.
The message was concise, perhaps a bit monotonous, but she had awkwardly added a cute lion character emoticon—one I could clearly tell she’d learned from someone else. ...It must be Yozora's handiwork. She’s the type to spam emoticons, and she’s the only one Han Su-a would call a friend. Looking at how she usually behaves, she’s the type you’d want to flick on the forehead, but I had to admit, she did a good job here.
I walked down the building stairs with a light laugh and headed straight toward Han Su-a's place. It wasn't a short distance, but I treated it like a light stroll, and before I knew it, I had arrived in her neighborhood. You could call it the aura of an expensive area. The types of cars driving by, the caliber of people I saw—everything felt like it had jumped up a level. I briefly wondered if it was okay to judge someone's level by their money, but I quickly brushed the thought aside. Philosophical musings are for people with better brains than mine.
Just in case, I checked my white sweatshirt and turned the corner, only to see a familiar shade of blonde a few steps ahead. ...Wait.
"What is this? Why are you out here waiting? Your legs must be tired."
"I, I wasn't waiting. I just..."
Han Su-a standing before me didn't look like she’d gone out of her way to dress up; it looked like she had rushed out the moment I called. If this was the case, then the person with the lowest 'level' in this area was...
A random thought crossed my mind, and I lowered my gaze. She was wearing a plain black t-shirt that was loose-fitting but pulled tight under her breasts, casting a shadow. She had on dolphin shorts that looked similar to the ones Lee Hayoon favored. There wasn't a single accessory—no watch, no ring, no earrings. Finally, I saw white socks and comfortable-looking sneakers. To be honest, it wasn't an outfit for meeting a romantic interest; it was the kind of attire you’d wear to run to the convenience store in front of your house. It was a good thing she was at least wearing sneakers; if she’d been in slippers, I might have really wondered.
But this outfit—I felt like I’d seen it somewhere before. Was this the combination she was wearing when we were together last time? As I traced my memory, I soon identified the source of the déjà vu. It was a paparazzi shot of Han Su-a. It was exactly the same outfit I’d seen in photos of her floating around internet communities. The only difference was that in those photos, her expression was always blank, making her look quite fierce. But now...
"You should have just waited inside and come out when I messaged you."
"...That, well..."
"..."
"...I just... wanted to see you sooner."
Because the tips of her ears were flushed red, even with that same blank expression, she didn't look fierce—she looked shy. The guys who would eventually become her fans, drawn in by her looks, would never get to see this expression or hear this tone of voice. Feeling a subtle sense of conquest, I gave her a soft smile and guided her toward the inside of the officetel so she wouldn't draw any unwanted attention.
"So, was it worth seeing me sooner?"
"..."
Even though I’d said something that would make anyone cringe, Han Su-a just nodded her head without a word. Meanwhile, the way she was fidgeting with the hem of her t-shirt was amusing. Based on her looks alone, you’d expect her to be the type to get angry and tell you not to say embarrassing things in public, rather than reacting like this.
Anyway, what should I do now? Taming her to my liking right away was one option, but I wanted to deepen our bond a little more first...
...Ah.
I took out my phone to check the time, then gently pulled the hand of Han Su-a, who was still looking down and hesitating.
"You said you had plenty of time today, right?"
"Ye, yes..."
"Then let's go watch a movie later. But before that..."
It was late April. If I were a kid, it would have been the height of spring, but now the weather felt like early summer. I walked out from under the cotton-candy-like clouds with Han Su-a, who was subtly holding onto my hand, and spoke.
"Shall we go pick out some clothes that suit each other? I don't really know much about fashion."
"I don't really... Oh, wait, come to think of it, my card..."
"It's fine. I'll treat you today. You can just buy me dinner next time, right?"
"...Ye, yes..."
Yozora reaching out to me was a frequent occurrence. To be precise, I should add the qualifier "only when she needs something." If I had to summarize the messages I usually got from Yozora, they went like this:
1. I'm at a bar, and my card is out of money.
2. I'm at a bar, and I don't think I can walk home. *Ugh.*
3. Shiro-chan, Shiro-chan, listen to this. A good man is someone who...
4. What are you doing? You have nothing to do, right? Say you don't. I'm going to drink in a bit...
Anyway. The message I just got from Yozora was definitely one of these. Since it was almost time for dinner, there was a high chance it was number 4. She’d been quiet lately, as if she’d found someone else to drink with, but it seemed she’d turned her gaze back to me after getting entangled at the Academy. How annoying. Really.
"I'll be back after making a quick call."
"A call? Is it your older boyfriend?"
"...Boyfriend, my foot. You know I don't have one. It's just a friend."
"I know, I know. I just wanted to hear it confirmed by you again, Senior."
"You're crazy... *Sigh*..."
"Oh, you were about to curse, weren't you? Senior? Is your mask finally cracking?"
"Shut up because you're noisy. I'll be back after I finish this call. ...Ah, and try to get some rest..."
"*Pfft*..."
I sighed at Yoo Siwoo's antics, grabbed my phone from the desk, and headed out to the hallway. It was better than continuing to chat and playing along with Yozora's word games. It was easier for me to cut to the chase and lead the conversation to a conclusion myself. I checked my surroundings just in case, but the Academy was quiet since school was out. I didn't have the slightest intention of carelessly talking about villain-related business, but... I figured I could afford to let my guard down a little.
I approached the window frame across from the Student Council room, dialed Yozora's number, and waited for the connection tone.
- ...Yop!
"What do you mean 'yop'? Why did you call?"
Yozora’s voice was as annoyingly cheerful as ever. At least she didn't sound like she was slurring or making strange noises, so it didn't seem like she was already wasted. In that case, I could at least have a human-to-human conversation. Just as I was about to ask, "Why did you send that text?", she continued.
- I just had a totally great idea!
"...A totally great idea?"
- Yeah. You know that favor I asked of you before? Remember?
"...You asked me to find you a good man. That was it."
- Oh. You actually remember? I hadn't heard anything, so I thought you ignored me. What would you have done if I protested by not attending class again?
I swallowed the words I wanted to say and let out a deep sigh instead, choosing my words carefully. I wondered if Yoo Siwoo might be eavesdropping from behind the Student Council door. "So. What's this 'totally great idea'?"
- Resignation!
"Resignation?"
- I’ve only looked through the first-year students at the Academy so far, but there isn't a single guy who’s a pervert to the bone.
"Per..."
- Of course, Seo Woojin falls a bit short of my standards too... but well, his dick is huge!
"..."
- I was looking to buy a dildo of a similar size, you know? They all say 'big dick', 'king size'...
That damn dick. What’s so good about it being big that she’s like that? It hurts even when I just put a finger in, so how much more would it hurt... I imagined the ridiculous sight of Seo Woojin’s pants bulging at the crotch, and I lowered my voice to continue the conversation.
"...Is that what you mean by resignation? Not finding a man better than him, but going back to him... something like that?"
- For now? Of course, while I’m rolling around like this, a human piece of trash with a huge dick might suddenly break into my house and say... 'Hey, you fucking masochistic bitch, shut up and show me your pussy'...
"That's enough. I get it, so stop there."
- Aww. The part after this is the fun part...
"*Sigh*... Anyway, why did you call? Are you telling me to stop looking for what you asked for?"
- That too! And also...
As Yozora dragged out her words, I heard the sound of a water glass being tilted over the receiver. Then, a satisfied *Puh-ha!* sound of her exhaling. She couldn't break the habit and was drinking again. Just as I was thinking that, Yozora’s next words came through.
- My cute Shiro... no, Seoyeon, there’s something you need to help me with.
"..."
Help? With what? She could just go to Seo Woojin and ask to have sex, so why drag me into this... *Don't tell me...* because she's too shy to ask directly, she wants me, a Gumiho, to seduce Seo Woojin somehow. For example, by seducing and taming him with my body so he can't refuse her request. If that's the request, I absolutely...
- Since you're the Student Council President, you can see a lot of things, right?
"..."
- Seoyeon-ah?
"...Oh, uh-huh."
So it wasn't that kind of request.
- There’s one thing I want to know.
"...What is it?"
- There’s a girl in my class named Lee Jiyoon. Do you know her?
"Lee Jiyoon?"
- Yeah, yeah. You know her, right? Every year, the students who stand out are secretly put on a special management list. Among the first years, there’s Han Su-a, who got a perfect score on the practical exam, and Lee Jiyoon. And Yozora, who faked her documents to look like a normal freshman at first, but then got put on the management list because the teachers' evaluations kept getting better. And even you.
I debated whether I should tell her this, but I swallowed it to keep the conversation as short as possible. Besides, being on the special management list just meant getting recommendation letters for famous hero agencies... that was about it. I wished they would be careful with their behavior since they were drawing attention, but they weren't the type to listen.
"I know the name. ...Do you just need me to tell you what kind of person she is?"
- Where she lives and her family relationships. And I heard she has an older sister in her second year, so information about her sister too... Ah, and do you happen to know her hobbies?
"There’s a section for that on the entrance application, just as a formality... Do you want me to tell you that at least?"
- Yeah.
"...I have a copy at home, so I'll contact you in two hours. Anything else you need?"
- Let's see? Information on Lee Jiyoon and her sister is enough.
Information on Lee Jiyoon and her sister... Information on Lee Jiyoon and her sister... It wasn't even worth writing down, so I repeated it to myself to commit it to memory. Then, a question arose. She said she was resigning herself to trying to get back together with Seo Woojin, so why did she need that girl's information? The first thing that came to mind was the role of a sacrifice. I wondered if she was planning to throw Lee Jiyoon and her sister at Seo Woojin as... sex partners. If my memory from when I skimmed through the files before was correct, they were certainly on the pretty side. I didn't know the face of the sister whose name I didn't even know, though.
...Well. It’s none of my business. Still, since Seo Woojin has a decent body and a reasonably handsome face, they probably wouldn't hate it too much...
"..."
Was it because of the strange thing that happened during the day? I was having useless thoughts. I shook my head shortly and ended the call, saying, "I'll contact you in a bit."
...I just hoped that this wouldn't cause anything strange to happen to me because of this. I thought that with a slight, really slight, sense of foreboding.