Ch.112112. Misunderstandings Are Repaid with the Body

Large supermarket, bakery corner on the second floor.

We came to a mini terrace where we could sit and rest, forming a triangle. A triangular arrangement with Hwa Nabi on my left and the blonde I’d seen at the coffee shop on my right.

In this strange standoff situation, customers inside the mart occasionally glance at us as they pass by.

“…So, what’s going on here?”

As they say, a thirsty person digs a well—the one who opened the conversation was Hwa Nabi with her arms crossed. Without even giving a glance to the blonde sitting on her left, she shot me a fiery look.

I don’t know for sure, but she looks extremely upset? If I say the wrong thing, I might not even have bones left to pick up. Feeling nervous, I gulped and spoke slowly.

“Um, first of all… I want to tell you this before you misunderstand, Nabi.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“When I asked for this person’s number, it was really because of my friend’s request… and separately from that.”

“Separately, what?”

“…This person is a man.”

My gaze fell on the blonde. Following my eyes, Hwa Nabi also looked at the blonde.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

After about three seconds, Hwa Nabi furrowed her brow.

“What? What do you mean… no matter how I look at it, that’s clearly a woman?”

Hwa Nabi said, scanning the blonde’s outfit up and down.

A backward snapback, blonde hair reaching the neck. An oversized hoodie on a slender frame. Decisively, the small Adam’s apple and husky voice tone… it wasn’t strange to mistake him for a woman.

Even I was absolutely convinced he was a woman until I saw his student ID, so that says it all.

“No, well… I thought so too, but turns out that’s not the case.”

“Wait a minute. Let’s say this person is a man like you claim, Siwoo. But how do you know that?”

“Huh? I know because I saw it.”

“…What exactly did you see?!”

Bang! Hwa Nabi suddenly stood up, slamming the table. Startled by the sudden change, I flinched backward, while the blonde watching us burst into laughter.

Hwa Nabi staring at me with wide eyes. Me, withstanding her gaze. Finding our standoff amusing, the blonde, who had been quietly observing, threw in a comment.

“What are you two doing?”

“What are we doing? This is all because of someone….”

“Are you saying it’s because of me?”

When asked like that, I had nothing to say. The truth is, I’m the one who caused this situation, right? If I hadn’t gone to the coffee shop to get a number, none of this would have happened.

As I shut my mouth, Hwa Nabi took a deep breath, blowing out air.

“Siwoo? I’m telling you this just in case.”

“Oh, yeah. What is it?”

“If, just if. Really if… if you’ve developed feelings for someone else.”

“…If I have?”

With Hwa Nabi’s meaningful voice, I unconsciously repeated her words.

Hwa Nabi stared at me with wide eyes for a moment… then spoke in a chilling tone.

“…I’ll kill the person you’re cheating with, kill you, and then kill myself too. Do you think I can’t do it?”

“……”

It wasn’t much different from what I heard in the laundry room yesterday… but her eyes weren’t smiling at all, making it clear she was serious.

I have absolutely no intention or thought of doing such a thing, but if I ever look away even for a moment, it would be a disaster.

“So… you?”

Hwa Nabi’s intimidating gaze turned sideways. Her voice was cold enough to make anyone’s knees weak, and the startled blonde straightened up.

“…Y-yes? Me?”

“Yes, you. …Are you really a man?”

Hwa Nabi muttered in disbelief, her gaze moving up and down.

Well, judging by appearances, it is hard to believe he’s a man… so her doubt is understandable. The blonde gulped and nodded.

“Yes, I am a man… really.”

“I don’t believe it. Do you have proof?”

“I-I have my ID… should I show you?”

I saw his student ID, but Hwa Nabi wants to see his identification card.

It’s not like we’re at a bar checking if someone’s old enough to drink. I wondered if this was appropriate, but it seemed like the only way to convince the angry Hwa Nabi. I silently watched as the blonde took out his ID from his wallet.

Eventually, the blonde handed over his ID with trembling hands, and Hwa Nabi received it, narrowing her eyes to examine it carefully.

“Name… Kwon Bi. Age… same as us?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Address is nearby, and the photo… seems to be you.”

“Yes, yes. That’s me.”

“…Hmm.”

Being questioned and verified like this made it feel like an interrogation at a police station.

While I was having such idle thoughts, Hwa Nabi’s busy eyes suddenly widened.

“The last digit of your resident registration number is… 3. Oh? It really is 3?”

“I told you he’s a man…”

Now that the verification was done, I returned the ID—it didn’t seem right for non-police to keep looking at someone else’s identification.

Hwa Nabi looked back and forth between me and the blonde with bewildered eyes, then slightly bowed her head.

“Um… I’m sorry. I just assumed you were a woman…”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I get that misunderstanding quite often.”

After this formal exchange, an extremely awkward atmosphere lingered around the table.

The blonde, having received his ID back, didn’t know where to look, while Hwa Nabi was just staring intently at me.

“So, Nabi. The misunderstanding is cleared up, right?”

Unable to bear it any longer, I stepped in to direct the conversation. There was no point in continuing this awkwardness—better to wrap things up and send everyone on their way.

“Huh? Oh… yes.”

“And you, nothing more to say, right?”

To be fair, this person also bears some responsibility for the situation. After all, he could have just walked by, but instead chose to say hello and set off this bomb.

…Though I can’t really talk, since I was the one who asked for his number, even if it was for a friend.

“Ah, yes.”

“Then we’re done here. We’re all busy, so let’s go our separate ways, shall we?”

*

Even though I hastily ended the conversation like that, Hwa Nabi and I were still sitting on the terrace. This was because Hwa Nabi had grabbed me as I was about to get up, saying with a serious face, “I have something to ask you.”

“Hey, Siwoo.”

“Yeah?”

The way she was mumbling and watching my reaction suggested this wasn’t just casual conversation. What’s this about?

I thought all misunderstandings were cleared up… or maybe not. While I was making various guesses internally, Hwa Nabi lightly placed her hand on the back of mine.

“Siwoo, perhaps… that’s not it, right?”

“That? What do you mean?”

Struggling to complete her thought, Hwa Nabi hesitated for a while before carefully asking.

“Um… perhaps, do you actually have a sexual identity that I don’t know about…?”

“…Sexual identity?”

“Well, you know. Like when a man likes both women and men… that kind of thing?”

“…”

I couldn’t understand what thought process led to such a conclusion. While it was beyond my comprehension, I could see how such a misunderstanding might arise.

If your boyfriend asks for another man’s number at a coffee shop… the shock would be immense.

“Nabi, listen carefully.”

But that’s one thing, and this is another. To clear up her misunderstanding, I grabbed her hand firmly.

People passing by started staring at us as we held hands in public, but this wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Looking at Hwa Nabi, who was pressing her lips tightly together, I slowly opened my mouth.

“You’re the only one I like. I don’t care about anyone else.”

Words almost like a confession. It wasn’t something I would normally say in such a public place, but it seemed like the only way to reassure Hwa Nabi.

My face felt a bit hot after muttering such embarrassing words. Hwa Nabi stared at me for a moment… then smiled slightly.

“That’s all I needed to hear.”

I’m glad she understood. Secretly relieved, I was about to get up from my seat.

I would have done so if Hwa Nabi hadn’t grabbed my wrist.

“…But, Siwoo?”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“I’ve been thinking. Regardless of whether that person is a man, and regardless of your reason for asking for the number being your friend’s request… the fact remains that you asked for someone else’s number besides mine, right?”

“Is that how it works?”

I reflexively denied it, but looking at the situation objectively, she was right.

As Hwa Nabi said, the fact that I asked for someone else’s number while having a girlfriend remained unchanged… indeed.

On this matter, I had no defense, even if I had ten mouths to speak with.

“I think we need to talk about this, don’t you?”

I didn’t expect her to approach it this way. But ultimately, I was 100% in the wrong. Sitting back down, I faced Hwa Nabi and apologized.

“Ah… I’m really sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“Good, I appreciate the quick apology. But… are you only going to apologize with words?”

“…What would you like me to do?”

“When you say it like that, it sounds like I’m asking for something in return.”

“No, that’s not it… I did wrong by you. I’m saying I’ll apologize in whatever way you want.”

“Right? That’s fair, isn’t it?”

After I nodded in agreement, Hwa Nabi thought for a moment and then spoke.

“Since you’re asking so earnestly, I can’t refuse. So I’ll make a proposal for you. If you agree to this, I’ll forget about today’s incident. Is that okay?”

“Sure. What’s the proposal?”

“On a day of my choosing. For just one day, you’ll do absolutely everything I say. …How about it?”

Not a one-time wish, but an unlimited wish ticket valid for 24 hours?

…It makes me a bit nervous not knowing what she’ll ask for, but I already comply with most of what Hwa Nabi says anyway, so it shouldn’t be much different. Taking it lightly, I nodded.

“Just tell me the date in advance. Unexpected schedules might come up, though of course your words take priority…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m not that unreasonable. Surely you understand that much?”

“Hmm, really? Alright. Let’s do that.”

“…Heh, okay.”

…I shouldn’t have agreed.