Ch.130The Resemblance Is Uncanny (2)

Morning of the fourth and final day of the school trip,

The day to leave the lodging and return home.

“Ban Doyoung, are you all better now? That’s such a relief.”

“Sorry, sorry for worrying everyone. I’ve completely recovered just in time for the last day.”

“That must be disappointing. Having to go home suddenly without getting to enjoy the school trip because you were lying down sick.”

“Exactly. Listen up, everyone, don’t overdo it. Health comes first, absolutely first.”

As Ban Doyoung, who had fully recovered after resting for a day and was back on the bus after two days, was surrounded by concerned greetings from classmates who had all been worried about her.

As someone who had possessed the body of this world’s main heroine,

I responded to each greeting with a bright smile, not skipping a single one, as I made my way to my seat.

“Somehow… after not seeing her for just one day, Ban Doyoung looks even prettier.”

“I was thinking the same thing. They say you don’t know the true value of something precious until it’s gone.”

“Finally, the gloomy Class 1-1 bus is getting its energy back.”

“Hey, boys. What exactly do you mean by that?”

“Let’s just keep things pleasant! Right, guys?”

“O-of course!”

The mere presence of main heroine Ban Doyoung brought life back to the entire class.

Even the natural feelings of regret and lingering attachment that would come on the last day of the trip couldn’t function properly on this bus where Ban Doyoung was present.

“Is this seat free?”

“…Yeah. It’s your seat, Ban Doyoung.”

I naturally sat down next to Do Hamin.

Perhaps thanks to yesterday when we were alone and I had freely expressed my affection,

Do Hamin didn’t seem to mind me sitting next to him.

Or maybe he had been waiting for me to sit beside him.

“Phew, everyone’s so kind. I just caught a cold and was bedridden for a bit, but everyone’s genuinely concerned.”

“…It’s because it’s you, Ban Doyoung.”

“Oh come on, why do you have to say it so definitively? You’re embarrassing me.”

Honest and accurate self-reflection,

Yet even as he spoke those bitter, self-deprecating words, Do Hamin hung his head solemnly.

“Don’t worry. When you get sick, I’ll worry about you plenty. So feel free to get sick without concern.”

“…Huh? Are you telling me to get sick or not to get sick?”

“That’s a weird way to comfort someone, Doyoung.”

“That girl must not be fully recovered from her cold yet.”

Ban Doyoung, playing her usual pranks,

Do Hamin, falling for the joke and becoming flustered,

And Sahyang and Hyerang, watching the situation and throwing in their comments.

“Ah, I love this familiar WWE-like dynamic.”

“Is that something you should be saying in front of people who were worried about you just yesterday?”

“Using the body ache excuse ended yesterday. From today, I won’t let things slide so easily.”

“Don’t worry, the cold is completely gone now. I’m the perfectly revived, perfect Ban Doyoung!”

“At least make up some excuse, will you?”

This flow that now felt familiar made me realize I was still in <Ban-ui-Bando>.

And also that I still had things to do as Ban Doyoung.

“Time flies, doesn’t it? To think that the once-in-a-lifetime high school trip is already over.”

“Yeah, it does. It feels like a lot happened, but looking back, it went by so quickly. There were some good things, but… there were also things I wish hadn’t happened, if possible.”

“What, like you cross-dressing as Dohami-chan? Or me almost drowning?”

“Y-you need to compare comparable things! Obviously the latter! If it meant keeping you safe from danger, I wouldn’t mind… cross-dressing e-every day!”

“Seeing you hesitate at the ‘every day’ part, it seems you would find that burdensome.”

He was someone who couldn’t lie well, so it was easy to see his true feelings.

Although he hesitated a bit before answering, his statement that he wouldn’t mind seemed genuine.

Ah, no.

Perhaps he thought that if it was Ban Doyoung, she might really make him cross-dress every day.

He might have thought that for a moment.

If so, I’m a little pleased.

“…Why, why are you staring at me like that?”

“Nothing. I’m just happy thinking that you’re gradually reaching Ban Doyoung-like thinking.”

-Click

I fastened my seatbelt, pushed the seat back slightly, and said:

“I didn’t dislike this school trip as much as I thought I would.”

“That’s… unexpected. I thought you’d say if the end is bad, then everything is bad.”

You haven’t reached that level of Ban Doyoung-like thinking yet.

It’s okay, I was planning to teach you from now on anyway.

“True. Thanks to some loser who gave his gift to the wrong person, the ending was pretty terrible.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“What’s the point of apologizing now? But at least now I can see what I need to do. So I don’t feel as bad as I thought I would. Maybe this is why those self-absorbed self-help book writers say to travel when you’ve lost your purpose.”

“…Though I doubt they mean school trips.”

Whether it’s a school trip, a backpacking journey, or a soul-searching adventure.

What does it matter?

If I gained something from it,

Then that’s enough.

“I’m glad it remains a not-so-bad trip. I didn’t want it to be a good memory just for me.”

“Well, considering you’re the guy who gave his girlfriend’s gift to another girl just one day after confessing, I’m sure you had a wonderful time surrounded by girls throughout the trip.”

“I-it was a mistake! That was…! If you hate it that much, you don’t have to accept me!”

“No, I don’t want that, don’t back out.”

Do Hamin continued to explain that it was an unintentional mistake.

Of course, thanks to that purely nerdy mistake made without any ill intent,

I was able to see what I needed to do in this world.

“Remember this. Do Hamin, your gifts should only go to girls whose names start with ‘Ban’ and end with ‘young.’ I’ll make an exception for gifts to your mother. If it weren’t for that nerdy behavior, I might still be wondering what I should do today.”

“…O-okay. I get it, so can we please stop talking about this now?”

“Fine, just make sure you behave from now on.”

While I don’t particularly like the artificial sweet scent of this bracelet that reminds me of mango-flavored cola,

Being able to control Do Hamin at will by using it like a control device wasn’t so bad.

“Sigh… But what do you mean you can see what you need to do now?”

“Hehe, curious, aren’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t really planning to ask, but you had this look on your face like ‘why aren’t you asking’—”

“I can’t help it! If you insist on knowing, I have no choice but to tell you!”

Right, as if you wouldn’t be curious, Do Hamin.

When the main heroine of this world has gained new insight and set a goal,

The protagonist can’t help but listen to that goal.

“Listen carefully.”

-Swiftly

Based on my behavior as butler Yeol Doyoung,

I cupped Do Hamin’s chin with my right hand and slightly raised my thumb to his eye.

“…Doyoung?”

-Gently

I wiped away Do Hamin’s non-existent tears and whispered in his ear.

“I’m going to kill you.”

“…!”

To kill all of Do Hamin the loser,

And turn you into a man who can make even the ‘real’ Ban Doyoung submit as a female.

That was what I needed to do from now on.

**

“…I’m home.”

Hamin, returning to his beloved home after the 4-day school trip,

With a one-way commute of 2 hours from school, Hamin was only able to step through his front door long after the other students had dispersed and returned to their homes to put down their tired bodies and travel bags.

“Welcome home! I missed you, my son!”

“M-mom… I understand, but can the hugging wait until after I take off my shoes…!”

Hamin’s mother, happily greeting her son who had returned home.

Although Hamin, in the midst of adolescence, found his mother’s affection slightly burdensome,

Since they were each other’s only family, he couldn’t bring himself to coldly push away that warmth.

“Did you enjoy the school trip? Did you have fun with your friends?”

“Y-yeah… I think I’ll remember it for 10 years. No, even 20 years. I thought it would be short, but so many things happened…”

“Oh my, this is the first time I’ve seen my son react this way to a school trip!”

“Hehe… I-is that so.”

Elementary school, middle school.

This was Hamin’s third school trip in his life.

However, in none of his previous trips had he experienced things so memorable,

Or things he wanted to remember for so long.

“You must be tired from coming all the way home with your luggage right after the trip ended. Go wash up and rest a bit. I’ll do the laundry.”

“I-it’s okay. I was planning to get back to my studies that have piled up after showering. I can sort out my clothes myself.”

“Oh come on, I want to do it. I haven’t seen my son’s face for three days, so I need to replenish my son’s essence while doing the laundry!”

“When you put it that way, it makes me even more reluctant to give you my laundry…”

Before Hamin could finish speaking,

The handle of his travel bag had somehow already moved to his mother’s hand.

“Wh-when did you…”

“Come on, leave it to mom and rest comfortably, okay? It seems like there’s quite a lot to wash, judging by how heavy it is.”

“…Then I’ll leave it to you. Thanks as always, mom.”

Unable to overcome his mother’s persistence, Hamin left the bag with her and went into the bathroom.

“I’ll help you after I shower.”

“It’s fine, the washing machine does the actual washing. All I have to do is sort the clothes by color… Huh?”

While Hamin was showering,

“Son…?”

“Yes, mom.”

“Can you come out for a moment?”

After unlocking the travel bag, his mother suddenly called for Hamin who was washing up.

“Just a moment.”

Hamin came out of the bathroom upon hearing his mother’s voice.

“What is it?”

“Well… there are clothes in the bag that aren’t yours… I was wondering what these are.”

“Other clothes? What do you mean… Oh.”

In his mother’s hands were the white dress and pink cardigan that Hamin had worn when he became the official Miss Bulsago goddess at the Miss Bulsago Contest.

“Hehehe… Whose are these women’s clothes?”

“…”

Hamin couldn’t say a word.