Ch.13I’ll Buy You Tonkatsu Later (3)

# Zenkaino “Half of Half-Do”

“I love you, Dad! Give me some allowance!”

“I don’t have money, you little brat!”

“Tch.”

That’s it.

**

In the end, my plan to get allowance by acting cute with Dad failed.

The setting of being the world’s greatest beauty didn’t work easily on family who had lived with me since birth.

‘Remaining bank balance: 6,974 won… this is pretty serious.’

Looking at my account that had once been filled with severance pay and unemployment benefits,

now reduced to a teenager’s account that couldn’t even afford the happiness of 10,000 won, I couldn’t help but sigh.

What the hell, Ban Do-young. How much did you spend on that Starbucks tumbler?

To think my bank balance hit rock bottom just because I bought a complete 15-volume novel series.

And it’s only the beginning of the month.

Do-young’s allowance day is the first of every month.

At this rate, I’d barely make it to the next allowance day, let alone go to the movies.

‘I have no choice. I’ll have to use that method.’

The cost of living in the world of “Half of Half-Do” wasn’t much different from reality.

Even with student discounts or early bird specials, I couldn’t afford movie tickets for two people with less than 7,000 won.

But there was no need to worry.

No matter how much prices soar, the world isn’t that harsh.

Our society doesn’t make people give up cultural activities that modern humans deserve just because their pockets are empty.

If you don’t have money, you can pay with your body.

What a beautiful world.

“Um, why are we here instead of the movie theater…?”

“We’re doing something good. You brought your youth ID card since we took the subway, right?”

“B-but…”

Fortunately, Do-ha-min had brought his identification.

I’d already finished a simple health check with him in the morning.

‘Did you sleep well?’

‘Y-yes. I slept soundly.’

Though his face didn’t look like it, he said he’d slept well.

‘Hmm, did you eat breakfast properly?’

‘Yeah, I ate something before coming.’

He said he’d had breakfast too.

‘What’s wrong, do you have a cold? Are you taking any medicine?’

‘Huh? Ah, no. Nothing like that.’

He said he wasn’t taking any medication either.

He was truly the optimal blood that the blood donation center wanted.

Do-ha-min, the Red Cross’s talent.

“Hello there! Oh my, you’re both students, aren’t you? Is this your first time donating blood?”

As soon as we opened the door to the blood donation center,

staff members in blue uniforms greeted Do-ha-min and me warmly.

It was indeed admirable that young students had voluntarily come to do a good deed.

“Ah, yes. We didn’t make an appointment, but I should fill out the electronic questionnaire here, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Please go in one at a time.”

“Um, I’ve never donated blood before—”

“Why are you so nervous? It’s no big deal. It just stings once when they insert the needle and once when they take it out. I’ll buy you tonkatsu afterward, okay?”

“No, suddenly saying that—”

“Just go fill out the questionnaire. There shouldn’t be any issues, so hurry up and finish.”

*Slide*

I sat Do-ha-min down in the computer chair and pulled down the partition.

Knowing I was waiting outside the partition, he seemed to give up and I heard the clicking of the mouse.

“Oh my, are you two a couple?”

“Eh?”

While waiting for Do-ha-min to finish his questionnaire, a staff member approached and asked me.

The corners of her mouth were twitching slightly, as if she was trying hard to suppress a delighted smile after seeing Do-ha-min and me.

“Who is?”

“Who else? The two of you. You came to the blood donation center wearing couple outfits.”

“…Ah.”

Though unintentional, by sheer coincidence, Do-ha-min and I had come out wearing matching colors.

When a man and woman walk around in matching colors, anyone would suspect they’re a couple.

“Hehe, white tops and blue jeans are something anyone can wear, right?”

Today’s outfit was a white top with blue jeans. A plain but neat combination.

It’s a fashion that can’t be pulled off without a certain level of confidence in one’s appearance, but I covered that with Do-young’s face.

As the setting’s most beautiful woman in “Half of Half-Do,” I could manage, but

I never expected Do-ha-min to wear such an outfit for our first private meeting.

In Do-young’s case, just standing in such attire had enough destructive power to warn surrounding men not to get handcuffed, but for Do-ha-min, it was the opposite.

It looked like nothing more than a uniform for a middle school choir performance.

‘Well… to be honest, I also chose this because it was something I could wear.’

Do-young’s closet was full of clothes with brighter colors and more elegant designs than what I was wearing now.

It was the closet of a high school girl in her emotional prime.

Naturally different from the closet of a hunched-over man approaching 30.

‘Hmm, this one has the whole back exposed. What’s a kid with wet ink behind her ears doing wearing something so provocative? She’d get censored with a mosaic just walking around.’

‘All these skirts are so short… it’s a miracle she remained a virgin wearing clothes like these. Good thing this wasn’t an adult-rated webtoon.’

‘Wow… look at these heels. This girl. She’d be over 180cm wearing these.’

Clothes that were excessively feminine were naturally pushed out of consideration.

Revealing clothes, clothes unsuitable for students, clothes that clearly had other purposes—all would naturally be viewed with suspicion.

Beyond whether they suited Do-young or not,

I didn’t have the confidence to handle the discomfort I’d feel the moment I put them on.

They were clothes that boldly declared a woman’s determination to target men.

Compared to those, even a school uniform would be better.

Everyone wears the same thing, and it’s designed with a sense of control.

In the end, after much avoidance, I chose a white blouse similar to a school uniform shirt,

and blue jeans because I didn’t want to wear a skirt.

I naturally avoided all types of dress shoes and chose the sneakers that fit my feet, which I’d worn to school.

‘Well, it should be fine. I don’t need to wear anything fancy for someone like Do-ha-min…’

While I needed to get used to Do-young’s body until I returned to my original world,

I questioned whether I needed to get used to Do-young’s taste as well—this was a small rebellion born from that doubt.

“Um… I’m done. It says I’m eligible to donate…”

“Right, I knew you would be.”

“Thank you for your hard work. Since it’s the morning shift and there aren’t many people, you can go straight to the examination room.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Do-ha-min entered the examination room with his number displayed.

As the staff member said, it was quiet with few people, so it seemed he would move straight to the blood collection room after a simple ID check, diagnosis, blood test, and blood pressure measurement.

After confirming that Do-ha-min had entered the examination room, the staff member started talking to me again.

She seemed to want to relieve the fatigue of weekend work with a conversation with fresh young people.

I could only feel sorry, being a hunched-over old man inside.

“Hmm, I thought you two were definitely a ‘couple’ in the early stages of dating. A blood donation center date? You’re both so sweet and cute! Isn’t that the case?”

“Hehe, even among kids, there are various relationships, miss.”

A couple.

Though I’d always kept the concept in mind theoretically,

hearing it from the mouth of a complete third party rather than a friend or parent gave me a truly peculiar feeling.

Of course, ending up with Do-ha-min was the most likely outcome for returning to my original world,

and I was currently working toward that goal.

But my attitude toward the situation was a bit different.

Rather than me getting together with Do-ha-min, a more accurate description would be connecting Do-ha-min and Ban Do-young within “Half of Half-Do,”

like clearing a quest in a game.

Just because you play as a female character in a game,

you don’t identify yourself as a woman, right?

Though it was called possession, it felt closer to an experience or cultivation,

like raising a character in an online fantasy game.

All my actions in the world of “Half of Half-Do” were based on the goal of returning to my original world,

and the sense of enjoying playing as the character Ban Do-young.

Of course, I did go on about “my virginity, my virginity.”

But that’s like calling something in your equipment window “my item,”

not “my daughter’s item.”

“Oh? So you students aren’t a couple? When you came in, you were holding hands and smiling brightly. You looked just like a couple in the early stages of dating… that’s what I thought.”

“Hmm, indeed. Then let me check the affection level.”

*Clank!*

I shouted toward Do-ha-min, who was in the middle of having his blood pressure measured in the examination room.

“Hey! The nurse says we look like a couple, what do you think?”

“W-what…?!”

*Squeeze*

[Systolic Blood Pressure: 163]

“Hmm, my current affection level is about 160.”

“Student! You shouldn’t talk to someone while they’re checking their blood pressure!”

I was scolded by the doctor in the examination room and kicked out.

In the end, Do-ha-min’s blood pressure had to be measured again.

“After measuring again, your blood pressure is perfectly normal. We’re short on AB blood type, so thank you for participating, student. They’ll probably call you soon, so please drink some water and wait outside.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Do-ha-min came out of the examination room, pressing a cotton ball over the needle prick on his index finger.

From what I heard, there seemed to be no problem with him donating blood.

“Do-ha-min! Please come to the blood collection room!”

As soon as he heard his name being called to announce it was his turn to donate,

his face turned pale.

He was clearly quite nervous.

It’s not something to mock or look down on.

Firsts are scary for everyone.

*Grab*

I took hold of Do-ha-min’s hand, which had slight beads of sweat on it.

The hand that had been burning hot even on a winter morning now lacked any vigor.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s really nothing once you do it.”

“Ah, alright… I’ll give it a try.”

“Very good. Excellent.”

Those facing their first time need encouragement and support.

Knowing this, I gladly gave Do-ha-min a thumbs up.

“Phew, even though it’s my first time, thinking that we’re doing it together makes it less scary.”

“Huh? I’m not donating blood.”

“…What?”

“I can’t because I haven’t had my birthday yet.”

Blood donation requires being at least 16 years old.

Usually, high school freshmen who have passed their birthdays can donate.

Do-ha-min’s birthday is January 1st.

By the time he entered high school, he was already well past his birthday and proudly eligible to donate blood.

“T-then what about the movie tickets?”

I pointed my index finger at the notice posted next to the blood collection room.

[We are currently experiencing a shortage of whole blood donations.]

[Limited to whole blood donors, we are offering up to two gifts.]

“Do-ha-min, please come this way~”

“Uh, umm…! Excuse me…!”

“Good luck! I’ll buy you delicious tonkatsu afterward, okay? I found a place that sells it for 6,500 won each!”

The last thing I saw were tears welling up in Do-ha-min’s eyes.

Oh well, I did promise to buy him tonkatsu.