Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Group Blind Date
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I'm shaking...
Today's the blind date...!
Why is time flying by like this?
Still, I prepped hard during the two days off.
I trimmed just the messy parts of my hair and planned to cover the rest with a straightener.
Personally, I think this beats getting a perm anyway...
I have a phobia of salons, so messing around at home feels way more comfortable...
After two days of straightener boot camp, it kinda looks decent... or maybe not.
It just feels like a loser trying too hard and ending up awkward... Sigh...
I swapped my glasses too.
The contacts I used for cross-dressing seemed fine...
But contacts felt off somehow, so I just got new glasses.
From horn-rims to round ones!
Honestly, no big difference...
Kinda better than before... or maybe not.
I slouch anyway, and I prefer my old look.
But Yu In-ha said I look way better now, like a real person for once, so this must be an improvement...
No one to ask, though.
I'd need a girl to ask...
Randomly hitting up Yi Ju-ha or Ju Ye-jin would be ridiculous.
"Hnnng..."
I'm so fucking nervous...
Nervous enough to lose my mind...
It's not excitement—I'm terrified of screwing up and killing the vibe... Scary... Freaking out...
"Ughhh..."
M... Miss Ji-hyeon pops into my head.
I wanna bury my face in her soft chest!
That'd calm me down...
Hell, even rubbing my head on Yi Ju-ha's tits would do!
I'm so tense my pits are gonna sweat bullets...
"30 minutes... 30 minutes..."
Sitting in an empty classroom, my legs bouncing like crazy.
10 minutes from now... I just gotta go out there...
"Ooooh...!"
I can't go! I can't go!
Cold sweat's making me dizzy...
If I bail, she'll beat me to death, right?
Heh... Hek... Hyperventilating...
'Bzzz.'
Phone from Kim Myeong-jun.
Ha... Hah... Call came...
No escaping now... Can't run...
"H-Hey... M-Myeong-jun."
'Where you at? We're at the school gate.'
"G-Going... Heading there now."
'Okay. Waiting.'
My legs were trembling like jelly...
I stood up, forcing deep breaths.
Drinking with three dudes would've been more fun...
Please, let the girls all flake from being annoyed... Please...!
Fuck.
Time is cruel. Merciless.
Appointment time hit anyway.
The two friends I met first... Kim Myeong-jun. Park Do-hyun.
Kim Myeong-jun's his usual handsome self.
Park Do-hyun's a new face today, but straight-up hot. Delinquent vibe hot.
The type girls go nuts for...
He was funny in the group chat too—bets all the attention goes to him.
That sly grin's pure snake...
"Thanks for inviting me, bro."
"Uh... Y-yeah, no prob..."
"Same major but first time seeing you. Let's get to know each other."
"Y-yeah..."
Shaking hands, I already felt crushed by his vibe...
My one goal today: Don't create any PTSD moments... No blanket-kicking incidents! That's enough!
"What's that on your neck?"
Moss ointment!!!
I flinched and covered my neck.
That bitch Yu In-ha! Her bite marks from back then still haven't faded.
Tried hiding it max, but no dice... Can't wear a turtleneck in this weather.
"Th-that cat bit me. I have a cat... Yeah."
"Cats bite too?"
"Y-yeah. Mine does."
Barely covered...
No way anyone thinks it's a girl bite.
Not just one or two—dozens, so it'd look weird anyway.
"Let's go, let's go."
"O-okay."
Walking side by side with my two friends.
Feeling kinda timid...
Walking with two studs makes me shrink.
But their shoulders give me solid backup vibes...
If we hung like this normally, I'd walk taller.
Just being with them makes me feel popular!
"This the place?"
"Y-yeah."
Room bar Yu In-ha booked.
Looks stupid expensive...
Lots of other room spots, but she picked a fancy one.
Not huge, not cramped. Side space big, but table area's snug... Super shady atmosphere.
'Pippi's~ favorite~ random game!'
...
Loud noise from another room.
Friday night, lots of groups probably.
We chuckled awkwardly and headed in.
Text: Yu In-ha arriving soon...
Throat dry, chugged water. P... Please don't turn into a nightmare.
"Hey~."
"H-hi."
"Hello."
"H-hello..."
Didn't take long for Yu In-ha and two girls to barge in.
Yu In-ha greeted bubbly; rest of us awkward as hell.
Brief awkwardness... F-feels suffocating.
"What'd you order?"
"Nothing yet."
Yu In-ha snatched the menu right away.
Right... Gotta pick food first...
Sipped water, snuck peeks at the girls.
Hmm... Different from pics?
Way more dolled up than photos. Blind date effect, probably.
Thought they'd be below Yu In-ha, but nah.
They just dress casual normally...
"This... and this."
Yu In-ha seemed tense too.
Looked like she came ready to devour.
But the two glammed up hard, threw her off...
I can picture her "What the hell?" face.
"Tang set and fry set, right? Tang first."
"Thanks."
Post-order silence crashed in.
Ugh... Hmm. Yu In-ha's grinning awkwardly. She'll handle it, right? She's good at this...
"Self-intros first."
"Uh, yeah. I'm Park Do-hyun. This is Kim Myeong-jun. That's Yi Jun-hyeong."
..Why you spilling for everyone!
Glad for the save, though.
Girls introduced: Yu In-ha, Jeong Eun-sol, Park Da-kyung.
Timid one's Jeong Eun-sol. Thicc-thigh legend's Park Da-kyung... Got it.
"You all same major?"
"Y-yeah. You?"
"Yeah, us too."
Light chat kicks off...
I watched Yu In-ha and Park Do-hyun tense. Th-they got this.
"How'd exams go?"
Girls' faces darkened at Park Do-hyun's question.
They bombed... He scrambled to recover.
"Uh... Cheers first."
"Y-yeah, drink up."
Yu In-ha poured shots fast.
Full glasses... S-soju hits me quick... Fuck it.
Everyone clinked and slammed. Empty stomach + soju = heat rush. Blech. Fuck...
"Ugh..."
Tiny girl in front groaned soft, eyes darting.
Snack-hunting eyes...
Spotted puffed macaroni, grabbed a handful sneaky.
Me too...
"Tang set first."
Thank god, fish cake soup incoming...
Once set, Yu In-ha's eyes lit up fiercer.
Full "let's charge" mode... W-wait, isn't this a blind date?
'Bzzz.'
Quick vibe—tons of KakaoTalks from Yu In-ha.
Orders?
Next to her is Park Da-kyung... Timid one's out, so target her to eliminate.
Do your thing...
Sneak-replied and refocused.
Drinking games... Can I survive...?
"Da-kyungie~ loves~ random game!"
That damn apartment! Apartment! Headache! My head hurts!
Sweet vibes gone—straight-up kill mode drinking game...
Target was Park Da-kyung, but innocent Jeong Eun-sol and Park Do-hyun dropping fast.
Park Do-hyun looks pro but sucks!
"Uh... burp... buuuurp..."
Jeong Eun-sol's face-plant imminent...
Target Park Da-kyung dodging slick. Why so good...!
"I wanna pee."
"Oh, us girls bathroom break."
Park Da-kyung's cue—Yu In-ha jumped on it.
Went earlier, now again.
This time feels like real talk.
"Eh... Heh..."
Wasted Jeong Eun-sol dragged along.
She needs sending home...
Me surviving's a miracle. Thank god for Yu In-ha's crash course yesterday...
No prep? She'd have "Learn while drinking, bitch" and wrecked us.
"Uh... Wh-what now."
Park Do-hyun barely steady.
What now? You need to go home, man.
"Wh-who you guys into? I'm Yu In-ha."
Oof... Knew it. Staring at her all night.
Eyes shifted to Kim Myeong-jun.
He pondered, then:
"No real preference. Cool if I pass."
"J-Jun-hyeong, you?"
"Uh... Me neither..."
Chat-wise, Eun-sol seems chill...
But their eyes on Kim Myeong-jun... I've been blue-balled forever.
Not here to hook up anyway—just no disasters = win...!
"Uh... Shuffle seats then?
Sh-show, show your stuff."
..Now!?
Pitiful grasping at sanity...
Sneak-glanced, quick reply.
Th-this okay?
This ain't a blind date—it's a rigged op.
..Bail!?
Straight-up ditch? No way...
Means "going for ice cream" or something, right?
Waited a bit—three back from bathroom.
Park Do-hyun fidgeted, eyeing angles. Better not spill...
Sudden tap on my arm.
"Jun-hyeong."
Eh?
"Wanna step out?"
Girl beamed.
"For ice cream."
...Me?