Interlude: Lee Raon
To be completely honest, I don't remember how that mortifying fiasco at Saizeriya finally wrapped up. No, scratch that—I refuse to remember it, even on pain of death. All I recall is burying my burning face in my hands and practically fleeing back to my aunt's house to escape Suzuki and the others, who had dropped to one knee and were pleading, "Would you please go out with me with marriage in mind?!"
"...! ...!!"
Aaaaargh!
Inside my guest room at the far end of the second floor of Shun's house, I was rolling around on the plush futon, screaming silently. I buried my face deep into the pillow, flailing my limbs, before kicking the blanket into the air. Kick! Kick! Kick! I must have done it dozens of times.
Idiot, idiot, idiot! Why did I say something so embarrassing at the end?!
What on earth was I thinking? I should have just laughed it off with a casual, "Oh, I just got lucky~" like I usually do. Why did I have to channel some hot-blooded shonen manga protagonist and drop a cringe-inducing, chuunibyou line like, "Because I'm sure anyone can do it if they put in the effort"?
It wouldn't even be this frustrating if I'd delivered it with some mature poise. But no, I said it with a face so red it felt ready to explode, in a barely audible, mosquito-like squeak. The embarrassment was doubled! Ugh! All I wanted was to pull off a cool, "Look at me, I'm pure, elegant, and amazing at math—absolutely stunning!" vibe! How did it turn into this disaster?!
"Ugh... someone erase my memory. Actually, just kill me now..."
A wave of secondhand embarrassment so intense it made my skin crawl washed over me. After thrashing around for what felt like ages, I finally collapsed spread-eagled on the futon, panting for breath. *Inhale, exhale.* As I clutched the sheets and gradually steadied my ragged breathing, my sanity slowly began to return.
At the same time, the voice of the culprit who had shattered my mental state echoed in my ears.
"You really love math, don't you, Raon-yang?"
As that gentle voice tickled my ears, my legs—which had been kicking the air—came to a sudden halt. The flush on my cheeks, previously fueled by pure mortification, shifted into a different kind of warmth that softly spread across my face.
Buried in the pillow, a silly, helpless grin spread across my face. I twitched my tingling lips, trying my best to press them into a firm line, but it was impossible to suppress the smile bubbling up inside me like cotton candy.
"...Hehe."
To be honest, it was the first time anyone had ever said something like that to me. It was also true that a corner of my chest felt strangely warm and ticklish.
Of course, just because I heard those words after coming to Japan didn't mean I was going to divide the world into some shallow, childish dichotomy like, "Japanese people are nice, and Koreans are bad, which is why I was bullied!"
People are the same wherever you go. There are plenty of kind people in Korea, just as there are bound to be plenty of gloomy, malicious jerks in Japan. Today's events were simply an extension of that. It was just a simple matter of Ueda Shun being an exceptionally pure, kind-hearted guy. And naturally, birds of a feather flock together, which explained his friends.
...What an idiot. What am I supposed to do if an alpha male is also good-natured?
Or was that precisely why he was an alpha male? I grumbled internally, pouting my lips. Ever since I realized this world was inside a romcom manga, I had one vague goal: throw the original heroine position to the dogs, and absolutely, under no circumstances, get "conquered" by the male lead, Shun.
Yet, mocking my resolve, images of Shun from today kept flashing through my mind. The firm forearms and solid build I'd caught glimpses of while we were cleaning. His handsome face, hovering somewhere between boyish charm and masculine maturity, looking down at me. And despite all that, the innocent awkwardness he showed whenever he interacted with me, not knowing what to do with himself.
Maybe... my heart fluttered just a tiny bit...
"Huh?"
Wait. What did I just think...?
The moment my train of thought reached that point, I felt all the blood in my body rush straight to my face. Whoosh!
I-I've lost my mind! What on earth did I just think?!
I hastily covered my face with both hands. The temperature of my cheeks pressing against my palms was abnormally hot. I felt like steam was practically billowing from my head.
But really, was this my fault? He was handsome. He was kind and considerate. He had a great physique, and at decisive moments, he knew how to make a serious move. Wouldn't it be more abnormal for my heart not to beat in this situation?
N-No! Get a grip! Don't let your hormones control you, Lee Raon!
According to a research paper from Rutgers University in the US, the emotion of love is nothing more than a temporary chemical phenomenon created by hypothalamic hormones like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. From a scientific standpoint, it was only natural for the autonomic nervous system of a seventeen-year-old high school girl to go haywire after taking a point-blank hit from the physical beauty and pheromones of an overwhelming alpha specimen.
Ultimately, what I was trying to say was that this was a perfectly natural law of mother nature—no different from Pavlov's dog salivating at the sound of a bell. I must not mistake a temporary biological reflex manufactured by my brain for genuine, personal affection.
*Gavel bangs!*
Therefore, Raon is not at fault!
Exactly. Why would this be my fault? It's just the hormones!
"..."
But... *cough.* It's not like I'm interested in girls anyway. And is there really a reason I have to go out of my way to build an iron wall and avoid getting conquered...?
...Is there?
Bzzzz! Bzzzz!
"Eek?!"
The smartphone rolling around on the bed let out a loud vibration. Lost in my own delusions, I flinched like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and checked the screen.
"Ahem! *Cough!*"
I quickly cleared my throat to steady my voice. Running my fingers through my messy black hime-cut hair to smooth it down, I sat up straight on the futon and took a deep breath. *Whew, okay. My poker face is perfect.*
"Yes, Mom."
On the screen, my mom's bright, warm face—she was probably in Osaka by now—appeared.
"My sweet daughter~! It's so good to see your face. How was your first day of school?"
"It was fine. Everyone was really nice."
"That's a relief. You found your aunt's house okay, right? Is Himari-eonni treating you well?"
"Yes, she's taking great care of me. I did eat dinner out, though..."
"But you haven't even washed up yet and you're lying on the futon? My daughter doesn't usually do that~ You must be exhausted."
"Ah, yes. I was unpacking and dozed off for a bit. I'm about to go wash up now."
I kept the conversation going, mixing in a few harmless lies. I intentionally acted more energetic and cheerful to ease the worries of a mother who had sent her daughter off to a foreign country all by herself. I was busy chattering away about the mundane details of my first day when Mom, who had been quietly watching and listening to me, suddenly wore a strangely sly smile.
"I'm so glad. Truly."
"Huh? About what?"
"To be honest, I was really worried. Back in Korea, my Raon always seemed so listless, like you were avoiding hanging out with people."
"Ah..."
"But now I can rest easy. Looking at you on the screen right now..."
Mom looked deeply moved, but then her expression shifted into the classic, meddlesome grin of a teasing middle-aged woman as she delivered the final blow.
"You finally look like a pretty girl your age. You have the exact face of someone who's fallen for a boy."
"...W-What?!"
My grip instantly failed, and I almost dropped my phone. Fumbling in the air, I barely managed to snatch it back, my heart hammering against my ribs as if it were about to burst.
"T-T-That is absolutely! Absolutely not true! What kind of weird stuff are you saying, seriously?!"
My tongue tripped over itself in panic, and my voice even cracked embarrassingly at the end. At my vehement denial, Mom covered her mouth on the screen and let out a delighted chuckle.
"Oh my, is that so? Well, if my daughter says no, then I guess that's that~"
"I'm telling you, it's really not! I literally transferred today! It's only been a single day! Who on earth could I fall for in just one day?!"
"Hehe. Still, I'm relieved. Knowing how high our princess's standards are, an ordinary boy wouldn't even stand a chance. He must be incredibly handsome, huh? Seeing how flustered my daughter is."
"I said, it's not like tha-a-at...!"
I wailed, half-crying, but my excuses held absolutely zero weight against the smug, knowing smirk on Mom's face.
"Alright, alright. My daughter is embarrassed. I won't bother you anymore, so I'll hang up now~ Tomorrow is the weekend, so get some rest."
"...H-Honey, what did you just say? Our princess is doing what? A boy?!"
"Oh, hush, you! Raon, I'm hanging up~! Love you~!"
Click.
The call ended with the sound of my dad screaming in horror from their hotel room in Osaka and my mom's mischievous laughter fading away.
"Phew, *pant, pant*..."
Tossing my smartphone aside, I clutched my head with both hands. Conquered? What was I thinking? No reason to avoid getting conquered? I felt an overwhelming wave of shame at my past self, who had just been trying to rationalize everything as being a "slave to hormones" and "the laws of mother nature." To think it was so obvious that even my mom noticed...
I-I am not an easy girl...!
Blinking back the tears welling up in my eyes, I stood up on the futon, my fists trembling. I am absolutely not some shallow girl who falls for looks! I am Lee Raon, the legendary first-love collector who broke the hearts of every boy throughout elementary, middle, and high school! So never again! I will never get swept up in his pace and do something as brainless as blushing like I did today!
I made my decision.
"Just you wait, Ueda Shun... I will absolutely, positively never be conquered by you...!"
In the empty room, with my cheeks still burning hot, I threw that incredibly futile declaration into the void.
"...F-First, let's take a bath."
Naturally, the moment the words left my mouth, a wave of reality hit me, making me feel even more embarrassed.