21. Jung Ye-won (2)

“So, you want to make rice cakes for Chuseok, but you don’t have the strength to do it alone?”

“T-that’s what I’m saying…!”

“No, Chuseok is almost three months away, and you’re making them now?”

“Ugh… I’m making them in advance to, to age them! Just bring yourself, and I’ll take care of everything, so stop grilling me…!”

We decided to call that rotting, not aging.

I almost lost it at that ridiculous excuse, but thinking about it, I can understand why she’s doing this.

She probably wanted to drag me in somehow, even with such a lame excuse.

I’ve been neglecting Ye-won Jeong for almost two months now… Honestly, it’s amazing she’s endured this long without me.

I deliberately overwrote her with masturbation-related hypnosis during the break to prevent this, but considering I gave her strong suggestions like ‘You’ll think of me every time you masturbate’ or ‘You can’t reach climax by masturbating alone,’ maybe it didn’t cancel out properly.

“So, are you coming or not…? Answer me quickly, I came early in the morning just to see you, Ji-hoo-ssi.”

She seems to be trying to appear calm even now, but I can hear her excitement from her panting breath.

Her eyes are primly wide, and her lips are exhaling a flushed breath.

Her cheeks, subtly flushed and rosy, were so cute I wanted to poke them.

…She’d probably get mad if I touched her now.

“Okay, just don’t stare so much. When should I go?”

Ye-won Jeong’s face, which had been staring intently at me, brightened at my answer.

Her first impression was definitely not like this, but when did she become such a simple character…?

“Today… is today okay? I’m free anytime, so I can adjust to Ji-hoo-ssi’s schedule. Of course, I’d like you to come as early as possible… Heu-heung, but I can’t rush you!”

She’s telling me to come today, right now.

“I do have something scheduled after school, but since it seems like Ye-won-ssi likes me so much, I’ll see if I can adjust it. Is that okay?”

“I-I don’t like you or anything…! My house is just lonely, and there’s no one else to call… You’re the only person I know, Ji-hoo-ssi… Anyway…!\ Then I’ll come to your classroom after class, okay?”

“Uh… I don’t think you need to come pick me up. I have a… somewhat complicated situation. Just tell me your address, and I’ll go straight there. It’s not that far since you live in the residential area anyway.”

If Ha-yul witnesses me creating a cozy atmosphere with Ye-won Jeong… something terrible might happen.

She’s already been puffing up her cheeks during lectures lately because I haven’t been playing with her enough, so the moment she sees me playing with another girl, that day might be my death anniversary.

If the situation weren’t so serious, I would have taken care of Ha-yul first, even if it meant postponing Ye-won Jeong, but right now, Ye-won seems more urgent.

If I leave her like this any longer, it feels like a major accident will happen, just like when I first had sex with Ha-yul…

The sixth sense that has instinctively developed as I’ve mingled with women is ringing alarm bells in my head, so I’m sorry to Ha-yul, but this time, I have no choice.

“Heu-heung… I see. You look like you’d like that kind of thing, but I guess it’s not your taste. If you want, heu-heum… I can even hold your arm.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not that I don’t want to walk with Ye-won-ssi. It’s just related to the schedule I mentioned earlier… I’ll take care of it quickly and go, so you can go home first.”

“Nee, you’re so good with words. Then I’ll send you my address by text, so see you later… You’re definitely coming today, promise?”

“Okay, just stop looking up at me so much. It’s overwhelming.”

Her sparkling black eyes blink diligently.

Ye-won Jeong, who had been sending me ardent glances, finally got a satisfactory answer and lowered her head with a pleased expression.

After seeing Ye-won off like that, people started entering the lecture hall one by one.

The conversation unintentionally dragged on, so the walk was already out of the question, and I only had enough time to get a short breath of fresh air.

“I really don’t have a moment to rest since this morning…”

I can already hear Ha-yul’s voice nagging, ‘Another girl?’

Seol-ah sunbae is the type who doesn’t care who I meet as long as she’s satisfied, but Ha-yul is a bit different.

You could say she has a bit of a tendency to depend on me…? Last time, she even confessed that she didn’t want to see me in another woman’s arms with her own eyes.

“Ji-hoo-ya, hello!”

Speak of the devil.

Ha-yul, who had just entered the lecture hall, found me and waved hello.

“Hello. Did you get home okay yesterday?”

“Yeah, Seol-ah unni escorted me to my door. But it was really boring without you… Do you think you’ll have some time this week? Why is the principal so eager to eat you up…?”

“Haha, sorry for being busy. But I think this week will be a bit more relaxed than last week. Now that the basic training is over, I think I can skip a day or so around Wednesday.”

“Really…? You’re not going to say that again and then change it a few hours before, are you? If you do that again, I’m really going to sulk. I won’t talk to you for a week…!”

Sorry… Ye-won comes first this time…

Maybe because there’s still a tiny bit of conscience left, one side of my chest throbbed.

Maybe I’m just following the fundamental laws of the harem…?

The first heroine is bound to become a trophy, the pink-haired heroine is never the main girl… Various rumors floating around in the world flashed through my mind and disappeared.

Um, I can’t make Ha-yul like that.

I firmly resolved to make time this week.

“Of course, you, Ha-yul, are the most important. I really won’t change my mind this time. Here, promise.”

“Phee… Okay. Then tell me when you’re free, I’ll be waiting at home. Ah, and Seol-ah unni is also worried about you looking tired these days. It’s good to work hard, but take care of your body and take it easy… Okay?”

“Oh, are you worried about my health now? Just last week, you said your body was itching and dragged me to bed and forcibly… eu-eup!”

“T-that’s because you kept saying you were busy, so I couldn’t stand it! And why are you bringing that up when everyone’s here…!”

At the joke I threw out, Ha-yul’s face turned as red as her hair as she covered my mouth with her palm.

Actually, even though I say it jokingly, I feel grateful to both of them every time.

The day before yesterday, they even made some kind of healthy juice that’s good for the body and fed it to me with such sincerity.

Of course, it tasted terrible… Anyway, I’m feeling grateful enough just from that heart.

“Ah, the professor is coming in. Let’s have lunch together after class, okay?”

“Yeah, we can call Seol-ah sunbae and eat together.”

Ha-yul purred like a cat, seemingly satisfied, and returned to her seat.

Soon after, Siana, standing at the podium, took out the attendance book and began calling out the students’ names in order.

“Lee Yu-seong.”

“Yep!”

“Jeong Min-gyu.”

“Here.”

“Pira Hyun.”

Isn’t she here yet?

I turned my head to check, and Pira Hyun’s seat was empty.

“Has Pira Hyun-yang not arrived yet? If anyone knows her contact information, please contact her.”

“Aren’t you the closest to her, Ji-hoo?”

“Um… I don’t know her phone number either.”

Come to think of it, I’ve always talked to her face-to-face, and I’ve never exchanged texts or anything like that.

I’ve always seen her sitting quietly in her seat, so it felt strange that she didn’t come to school without any warning.

She must have been attacked by a monster, there must be a problem at home because of the sinkhole…

The noise of people buzzing grew louder and louder, overlapping with the rumors about the recent misfortunes, since no one had properly talked to Pira Hyun for over a semester.

“Then I’ll proceed with the lecture for now. She may have been absent due to personal reasons, so please don’t make hasty speculations, everyone. I know that the atmosphere outside is chaotic due to the recent sinkhole incident… but we are Awakened, so we must respond calmly in any situation. If you believe rumors as they are, you may even lose your own judgment.”

Only after Siana gave a warning did the commotion subside to some extent.

Siana calmly started the lecture, and the students, as if they had consumed a suitable gossip topic, gradually focused on the lecture as well.

It was the same as usual, except for the one change of Pira Hyun’s absence.

But for some reason, I was bothered by that fact.

Could it be that Pira Hyun will disappear forever like she did in the original work? Suddenly, I had that worry.

Of course, it’s funny that I’m worried about her when I don’t even have her contact information.

“She should have at least given me her phone number before leaving…”

Pira Hyun’s desk, which was empty without any paper or writing utensils, kept catching my eye.

My chest throbbed again.