Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Side Story - Baek Do-hyun & Han Cheong-ah
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They say that artists draw inspiration from passionate love. I'd seen some famous author on TV ranting that love is the source of all art and the ultimate model.
I had no way to verify if that was true.
I had a soulmate in Han Seo-ah, but our relationship was friendship, not a flirtation or romance. I hadn't met the kind of enchanting woman who could stir my calm heart, so there was nothing to be done about it.
Really, I swear on my mom.
Anyway, my life, spanning over twenty years, had always been far removed from that sweet word called "dating."
"Do-hyun, why is your face so stiff? Why have you been avoiding my eyes since earlier?"
This was our first real date with Han Cheong-ah, and it was impossible not to be tense.
"It's nothing... I'm just looking around because it's novel to see all these people staring at us...?"
"Your speech is starting to sound like a total loner."
It had been about a month since Han Cheong-ah and I became a couple.
We were strolling through the commercial district of Academy City.
After the death of Zero One, the leader of the society, the world had quickly stabilized.
The troublesome undead no longer rose, and while the remaining monsters were carrying out Zero One's will by causing headaches, they weren't as threatening as before.
Changes had come to Arc in Academy City as well. Once the chaotic atmosphere settled, the students and adults who had evacuated began trickling back.
Commerce revived, and the streets filled with students once more.
Han Cheong-ah and I were just two of them wandering around.
"......"
I had confessed to Han Cheong-ah.
She gladly accepted my feelings, and we officially became a couple, but we still hadn't gone on a proper date.
The reason was simple: we were too busy. As you could tell from the monsters rampaging after losing their leaders, the fight wasn't over yet.
We had AOD members to meet with and missions to handle around the world, so Han Cheong-ah and I hadn't found the time.
We hadn't even had a chance to tell anyone we were dating.
Lee Gyeo-ul, who occasionally eyed us with a sly look, seemed to have figured it out, but anyway.
Today's date with Han Cheong-ah was our first since becoming a couple.
"I was nervous too."
Han Cheong-ah suddenly said that.
"I was so excited for a proper date with you that I barely slept."
"Don't lie."
"It's true. Look at my eyes. If you look closely, don't you see the dark circles? Of course, makeup hides them pretty well, but they were really there."
A warm sensation came from her small, delicate fingers. Han Cheong-ah gently hooked her pinky around mine.
"Is this your first time?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Surprising. Mine too."
"You're so good at this though?"
"Unlike you, I've seen a lot. Besides, you can always tell if I'm lying or telling the truth, right?"
Han Cheong-ah's expression was far more lively than usual. She had the face of a playful yet shy girl.
Before I knew it, her signature cold and fierce look had vanished.
"You're cute, Do-hyun."
"Me?"
"Yes. That's an expression I rarely see on you."
I touched my cheek. It was burning hot.
It felt like my masculinity was being challenged. I'd sworn to myself yesterday that a man should take the lead.
Yet here I was, being led around by a girl younger than me. It was just embarrassing.
"Haaa."
"Why are you sighing?"
"Just... feeling a bit pathetic..."
"It's okay, Do-hyun. I like cute guys."
I had a strong premonition that I wouldn't be able to look straight into Han Cheong-ah's eyes for the rest of the date.
Damn it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Do-hyun! Look over here. They've got a huge plushie on display."
"Got it."
"Do-hyun! Come here."
"Coming."
"Do-hyun!"
"Okay."
The date's flow was completely under Han Cheong-ah's control. All the date courses I'd researched online yesterday were useless.
How could I say no when she was dragging me along with such an excited face?
Han Cheong-ah grabbed my wrist and led me through the bustling streets of Academy City. I felt like an owner walking a large dog.
I'll save my planned courses for later, I thought, surrendering to her rhythm.
We headed to an arcade. It had everything from rare classic games to the latest machines.
The most memorable was the claw machine. Apparently, psykers had caused so much trouble with it that posters reading "No psychic powers allowed—Violators will be reported to the Federal Guidance Bureau." were plastered all over the walls.
Han Cheong-ah stood in front of the claw machine, mouth agape. Pressing her hands against the glass and staring intently at the plushies, she looked like a little kid.
I cleared my throat and spoke.
"Ahem. Want me to win one for you?"
"You can do that?"
"Of course."
Han Cheong-ah's eyes sparkled. I knew Lee Gyeo-ul's mansion was full of plushies, so I asked why she wanted one so badly.
"Ever since I thought about getting a boyfriend someday, winning a plushie was the first thing I wanted to do."
"Why?"
"That's just how a girl's heart works. It's that feeling of getting a gift from the person you love most in the world..."
Hearing that made it impossible not to get serious.
I narrowed my eyes slightly and glared at the plushies with my red eyes.
I cleared my mind and focused on the scene before me.
I'll win them all and give them to Han Cheong-ah.
"Do-hyun... the plushies aren't monsters or Zero One."
I was glaring so fiercely, like I wanted to devour them, that Han Cheong-ah patted my head to calm me down.
Which only made my determination burn hotter.
I inserted a coin into the machine.
Sorry, arcade owner, but this claw machine was like an all-you-can-eat buffet to me.
A vampire's precision was unmatched, and with my pureblood senses allowing me to perceive the world in exquisite detail, claw machines were child's play.
Time to take a loss today, boss.
The crane's claw began scooping up plushies one by one, flinging them out of the machine.
Thirty minutes later, the machine had vomited up every last plushie inside.
I released the joystick and wiped the sweat from my forehead. My vision swam a little.
This should satisfy her.
"Huuu..."
I turned around. There was Han Cheong-ah, buried under a mountain of plushies.
"Do-hyun, I'm really grateful you won them for me, but... there are too many..."
"......"
"What do we do? Should we call a delivery service...?"
My enthusiasm had overridden my brain; I hadn't gauged reality properly.
Humans only have two hands, but I'd won dozens of plushies.
Not a very Divergent-like mistake.
"Can't we just put them back in the machine somehow...?"
"Think that'll work?"
We pondered there for a while before deciding to donate the plushies for free to people playing games in the arcade.
"I'll give these to my kids at home. Thanks so much, kid. Never thought I'd get gifts like this from strangers at an arcade. Life sure is unpredictable. Heh heh."
From a dad who looked like a father of young kids.
"Whoa~ Can I really take these for free? I'm gonna brag to my friends at school tomorrow! Thanks!"
And a high school girl about our age. We gave plushies to many others and received thanks in return.
"Now I get how volunteers feel."
"Yeah."
Han Cheong-ah, smiling kindly, must have felt the same satisfaction I did.
Even though it was spontaneous, doing good for others filled my chest with pride.
Han Cheong-ah handed out plushies to everyone and clutched the last one left: a bat plushie.
It was cute in an plushie way, but there were way cuter ones like bunnies or squirrels.
"Why the bat plushie of all things?"
"Because you're a vampire, Do-hyun. Vampires mean bats, and bats mean vampires."
Her reason for picking the bat was ridiculously straightforward.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ As we left the arcade with Han Cheong-ah, the sun was setting. The sky was dyed crimson, proving night was near.
The initial tension had melted away before I knew it. It felt as peaceful as when we first met Han Cheong-ah—though more precisely, my heart was fluttering even more than back then.
I slowly ran my fingers through her pink hair, tinged with sunset hues. I just wanted to feel its texture. It looked so soft.
Han Cheong-ah tilted her head slightly.
"Is there something in my hair?"
"No, nothing like that."
Observation is key for an artist.
To capture the details in a painting, you need to know your model deeply.
But I wasn't looking at Han Cheong-ah through an artist's eyes.
I just wanted to know everything about her as her boyfriend.
Like the faint rhythm of her breath when our shoulders touched like this.
Or what she'd do if I stared at her intently for no reason.
"......"
Han Cheong-ah satisfied my curiosity.
Warmth touched my lips. It was smooth and soft. With her eyes closed, she gently wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.
I could clearly feel her breathing and heartbeat speeding up more than before.
My face must have been flushed like hers.
Kissing Han Cheong-ah was sweet and addictive.
Threatening enough to briefly shatter a cool-headed vampire's reason.
We repeated the same motion in each other's arms until the sun fully set.
"I love you..."
Han Cheong-ah whispered lovingly with a dazed expression.
"I love you too..."
The sun had completely gone down, and it was time for good students to head home.
But Han Cheong-ah and I suddenly felt like being bad students today.