episode_0044

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“Come to think of it, I heard you’ve been gaming with Jiyoon every night lately?”

A few days later.

During the now-routine lunchbox time with Lee Hayoon, she spoke up while chewing on a piece of broccoli, chopsticks in hand.

“Yeah.”

“You said you didn’t like games. That’s surprising.”

Didn’t like them.

To this day, I still didn’t understand why anyone would play a game that involved clicking on a character’s head.

But since Lee Jiyoon liked it… Well, what could I do?

If it meant finding more ways to connect with her, I could endure that minor annoyance.

Besides, lately, watching that bastard CZ lose his mind had become oddly entertaining, so it wasn’t so bad.

It was painfully obvious how he kept butting into our conversations under the guise of “briefing.”

Was he really that desperate for Jiyoon’s attention just because of his voice?

If that’s all it took, wouldn’t it be better to go after a real girl instead of an in-game one?

Anyway, thanks to him, I’d been ranking first at least once a day. Maybe I should send him a gift.

The voice of Lee Jiyoon, your favorite person.

Or something like that.

And my voice, which overlaps with hers.

…Would he hate that?

Hmm. I don’t know.

You can filter it out yourself and use it to jerk off all day for all I care.

“I only played occasionally at first, but Jiyoon kept inviting me every day.”

“Sigh… She really needs to cut back on gaming… Oh, right. You two dropped formalities?”

“She said since we’d be seeing each other at the academy soon anyway, we might as well start using casual speech.”

“Yesterday, when I passed by the bathroom, I heard her say ‘Woojin-ah.’ At first, I thought I misheard.”

She’s not the type to do that.

Hayoon muttered while nibbling on cherry tomatoes like a squirrel.

I wasn’t particularly flustered since I hadn’t planned on hiding it anyway.

Same-age friends dropping formalities wasn’t suspicious behavior.

The only thought that crossed my mind was that Jiyoon hadn’t told her sister about such a minor thing.

“She still seems awkward about it, though. She keeps slipping back into honorifics.”

“Still, it’s kind of fascinating. I’ve never heard Jiyoon call a guy by his first name before.”

So if Jiyoon hadn’t even mentioned minor things to her sister,

would she ever share important things with her?

Lost in pleasant thoughts, I took a sip from my water bottle.

“Here, say ‘ah~’”

The crispy scent of a croquette near my lips snapped me back to reality.

“I can eat it myself.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is?”

“Education.”

“Education?”

“Yeah.”

“……”

“Hurry up. Ah~”

Hayoon grinned and pressed the croquette insistently against my lips.

I could’ve asked what kind of “education” this was, but I already knew she’d dodge the question.

The reason was obvious.

Since I kept taking the lead in bed,

she wanted to assert her noona dominance at least once.

She could’ve just given in and let herself crumble comfortably.

“Good. You’re eating well.”

After staring at Hayoon for a moment, I silently lowered my head and chewed the crispy croquette. She gently patted my head.

The height difference made it look a little silly.

Rather than stretching her arm out like that…

It’d be more natural like this.

“…Hey, stop that…!”

“You’re doing it too, Noona. Why can’t I?”

Resting my hand lightly on top of her head felt much more natural.

Gulp. As I swallowed the croquette and chuckled, Hayoon frowned.

“I’m your noona! You’re just… you…”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m the teacher, and you’re the student—did you mix that up?”

“Ugh…”

“Are you embarrassed because your dongsaeng is patting your head?”

“Wouldn’t you be embarrassed?!”

“Hmm. I’ve never dated someone younger, so I wouldn’t know.”

“…Guess you’ve only been with noonas, huh? You pervert…”

“That’s not it… Anyway, you like it when I do this during sex, so why the fuss?”

“Wh-what the…?”

“You don’t?”

“……”

“Do you or not?”

Teasing her, I watched as Hayoon’s jade-green eyes—identical to Jiyoon’s—quivered.

I briefly considered dragging out this fun for another 20 minutes.

“No! I don’t! Absolutely not…!”

“Oof…”

The chopsticks in her hand jabbed repeatedly into my chest.

Not just once or twice—poke poke poke poke poke. Relentlessly.

…It hurt more than I expected.

“I’ve been trying to accommodate you, you know?! I’m not into that stuff, but I figured you liked it…!”

“Ah. Okay.”

“Yesterday, when you pinned my hands against the wall and pounded me from behind until my legs gave out—or the day before, on the new infirmary bed, when you made me arch my back in that embarrassing position—or when you ordered me to move my hips myself, and I buried my face in the pillow, swallowing you to the root—or when you kept rudely dropping honorifics while calling my name—I didn’t get mad at any of that because I wanted it, but because I thought you liked it…!”

“Okay.”

“I’d rather be treated like a mature noona than some dongsaeng who’s just…”

“Noona.”

“……?”

“Lunch break’s almost over. Should I lock the door?”

“……”

“Ah, I’ll clean up the lunchbox. Just go lock the door. So no one interrupts.”

“……”

“…You don’t want to?”

“……”

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—Click

44

A few hours before the creaking, noisy sounds echoed through the infirmary.

Cafe opening time.

“Haven’t sales been increasing lately? Just a little?”

“…Ah. Now that you mention it, maybe.”

Pausing her inventory organizing, Lee Jiyoon listened to the cafe owner’s happy dilemma.

“Why? We didn’t change the interior, and the part-timers are the same… It’s not like customers are coming to see my face…”

“Hmm…”

It was true—lately, the cafe had been busier than usual.

Not based on hard data, just a gut feeling.

More customers dining in, more takeout orders piling up since a few days ago.

Even regulars who usually only came in the morning had started stopping by during lunch.

Why?

Was it YouTube? A drama?

Had coffee suddenly become trendy?

Or were people so overworked that they needed caffeine just to function?

“Sales are up, especially during opening and mid-shift. Maybe it’s because you’re pretty, Jiyoon.”

“No way. It’s because you’re pretty, Boss.”

Flustered, Jiyoon reflexively spat out a polite workplace response before tightening her mask.

Because I’m pretty?

No way.

She’d started working here during her winter break in senior year—almost two months now. If sales were rising now because of her, that made no sense.

While counting the remaining milk cartons,

the boss’s fingertip suddenly poked Jiyoon’s cheek.

“You shouldn’t say things like that so casually. Especially pretty girls—you gotta be careful.”

“Huh?”

“When unattractive people joke like that, it just kills their self-esteem. They’ll think, ‘Is this bitch mocking me?’”

“…N-no, that’s not what I meant… You are really pretty…”

“Stop. I’m not.”

“…Okay.”

“Anyway, even if that were true, I’m only here during opening hours.”

“Still. You’re here until lunch.”

“No one’s coming to see a 30-something ahjumma’s face. So it’s probably… Oh, maybe it’s because you’ve been more expressive lately.”

“My expressions?”

Jiyoon tilted her head.

“Yeah. You always used to take orders with this constipated look. Not that it wasn’t cute.”

“……”

“What? You didn’t know? That you’re always expressionless?”

“…No, I’ve known that for a while…”

“But lately, you’ve been smiling sometimes. Didn’t you notice?”

“…No.”

Had she smiled?

She didn’t remember.

She’d just been acting normal…

…….

Uh, well.

She wasn’t sure, but

maybe, just maybe,

when she thought about gaming with Woojin later,

she’d…

grinned a little?

“Hmm…”

“……?”

The boss suddenly smirked slyly.

“Did you get a boyfriend?”

“No.”

Jiyoon immediately denied it, her expression stiffening.

If anything, he was more of a male friend.

To be precise, her sister’s boyfriend.

Whether as a male friend or her sister’s boyfriend,

she couldn’t afford to slip up and omit a few key words.

…That’d make it something really bad.

“Then why the sudden change in expression?”

“……”

“In my experience, it’s always a guy.”

“……”

The boss’s offhand remark struck a nerve.

Jiyoon stayed quiet because she had a pretty good idea what—or who—was behind it.

“Did you win the lottery?”

“Th-that’s impossible.”

Jiyoon shot the boss a half-hearted glare before heading off to prep for opening.

So… They were low on milk and green tea.

Had to take out the cardboard trash.

Check expiration dates…

And…

Also…

“……”

Had she really been smiling?

While thinking about Seo Woojin?

About her sister’s boyfriend?

Had she been grinning to herself at work?

Seriously?

“……”

…Well, so what if she had?

What’s the big deal?

He is my sister’s boyfriend,

but he’s also my friend.

And my precious student.

It’s natural to smile when thinking about gaming with a friend.

Or when seeing Woojin improve little by little.

What’s weird about smiling at a friend getting better at games?

Isn’t that normal?

It’s only weird if you frame it as ‘my sister’s boyfriend.’

I smiled because I was happy about gaming with my sister’s boyfriend.

No.

I smiled because I was happy about gaming with my friend.

That’s all.

Don’t twist it into something strange. This is the right way.

Why’d the boss suddenly bring up boyfriends anyway…

He’s just a new friend…

Having concluded her internal debate, Jiyoon leaned against the wall, panting.

Ugh… Getting worked up over nothing must’ve made her head…

“……Haah…”

She should ask Woojin later.

If he’s free tonight.

…Ah.

And her sister…

…….

Forget it.

Overthinking it would just make it worse.