Ch.152Season of Pure Love (6)

The teachers were initially suspicious.

While it might seem unfair to the person involved, their suspicion couldn’t be dismissed as completely unreasonable.

After all, this was unprecedented.

“Is this score really the result of your own abilities?”

“…I didn’t study hard just to be doubted.”

“I know. Doubting a student is something we should never do. But… even you must find these results surprising, right?”

“Well, I guess…”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way. Instead, consider it remarkable that even your teachers find your growth incredible. I believe that after this passes, our mutual trust will only grow stronger.”

Homeroom teacher Ms. Miso said this while handing the answer sheet to her student.

“…Do-young. Did you really solve the geography test on your own?”

“Yes, I really did solve it myself!”

Ban Do-young’s first answer sheet scoring over 90 points.

It was an unprecedented event in Bulsa High School’s history.

…

Geography was the subject I put the most effort into for this final exam.

Of course, core subjects like Korean, English, and Math are typically prioritized, but Ban Do-young’s academic record would be useless anyway when she returned to her original world.

So I decided it would be better to focus on Ms. Miso’s subject, as she would soon become part of Do-young’s family.

I gave it my all as a small but meaningful gift for Ms. Miso… no, my future sister-in-law.

“I asked the teachers who’ve been at Bulsa Middle School, and they said she’s never received such a score before.”

“Hey, An Sung-kyung sits right behind Do-young. Maybe she secretly peeked at her answer sheet when the proctor wasn’t looking?”

My efforts had been too successful.

As if there were some rule in this world that Ban Do-young shouldn’t be too good at studying,

all the teachers in the faculty room began doubting my test results.

“Come on, you don’t say this to the kid who gets 100 points in every subject, so why make such a fuss about me getting 96 points in just Geography?”

“You fool, be suspicious of things that deserve suspicion. Do Ha-min would never cheat.”

“And I would?”

There was actually someone who had achieved impossibly perfect scores like some self-insert character fantasy, yet no one questioned it.

But every teacher in that faculty room was absolutely certain that such a thing was impossible for anyone except Do Ha-min.

“You don’t know what Ha-min looks like when studying during evening self-study. Wow… his concentration is no joke. He doesn’t take his eyes off the problems for one or two hours straight.”

“Hmm… well, that’s true. It seems he’s putting what I taught him into practice during evening study.”

“Anyone watching would think he’s getting some special tutoring on how to maintain focus. If such tutoring exists, I’d like my youngest daughter to try it. She’s so easily distracted.”

“Tell her to visit the kendo school in front of our school. With a Zero Lime.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s a thing, hehe.”

“What are you smirking about?”

Despite being seated in the faculty room under suspicion for doing suspiciously well on the test,

I couldn’t help but smile seeing how much trust the teachers had in Do Ha-min.

Why hide it?

I was the one who helped build that concentration and stamina.

Praising Ha-min was essentially the same as praising me.

That made it impossible to resist this uncontrollable smirk.

“Anyway, congratulations, Ms. Yeo Mi-so. The top student this time is from your class. You’ve seemed happy lately with all the good things happening—I guess there was a reason?”

“Th-thank you, everyone…”

“That’s not the reason though.”

“Shh! Do-young! We shouldn’t talk about that yet!”

The matter concerning Sol-mi seemed to still be a secret from the other teachers.

Well, it was something they would inevitably find out soon enough.

“Aren’t you looking a bit too happy though? Maybe it’s just me, but have you gained a little weight recently?”

“N-no way…! It must be your imagination!”

“Teachers, that’s sexual harassment.”

“Sexual harassment? That’s what you do when you put your legs on Ha-min’s knees during class.”

“Tsk. I’m fine with it.”

“How is that fine? Why is it okay for you but not for teachers?”

“A-anyway, I said I’m fine with it!”

Yes, it will be fine. No, it has to be fine.

Because Ban Do-young is destined to take responsibility for all her teasing.

…

“So that’s what happened. To think I studied so hard only to be treated with such suspicion—I felt so wronged I almost cried right there.”

“D-don’t you usually say ‘almost cried’ instead of ‘almost shitted’?”

“Oh, is that right?”

Having somehow cleared up the misunderstanding and left the faculty room, I was now tattling to Do Ha-min, who had been waiting alone in the classroom, about what had happened.

“Did Choi Sa-hyang and Yu Hye-rang leave?”

“Y-yeah. Hye-rang had plans with her boyfriend, and Sa-hyang said she had something to do.”

“Those chicken cats at least have some tact.”

Although the homeroom meeting had long ended and all the students had left,

Do Ha-min alone had stayed behind, waiting for me to return from the faculty room.

Well, if anyone had a reason to wait, it would be him—he had something to receive from me now.

“Still, it’s good the misunderstanding was cleared up. How did you resolve it? Did you explain how you solved the problems?”

“Yeah, it was a bit risky. I thought I’d never be able to solve them again if asked, since all that information had already left my brain.”

Knowledge crammed in such a short time could only remain in my head for a very brief period.

I was genuinely worried about what would happen if I was accused of cheating.

“But strangely enough, I remembered.”

Memories I thought had evaporated resurfaced in my mind.

Ha-min’s voice emphasizing which topics would definitely appear on the test,

the key terms he underlined that had to be included in written answers.

If those moments had remained as mere information, I would have forgotten them.

But because they became memories, they came back even when I thought I’d forgotten.

“I guess studying with you makes even cramming enjoyable. It’s hard to forget.”

“…”

“…Ah, I’m embarrassed now! Forget what I just said!”

“W-why so suddenly?”

Thankfully it was almost evening.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what excuse to make for Ban Do-young’s reddening face.

“Anyway, congratulations. I heard in the faculty room that you really are first in the school. Well, it would be stranger if getting all perfect scores didn’t make you first.”

“It’s all thanks to you. Because you became able to solve advanced problems, I had to create even more difficult ones, which helped me study too.”

“Then it’s time to tell me the wish you’ve been keeping secret.”

“Huh…? Oh, right. I was so focused on getting first place that I almost forgot about the wish.”

“This guy, pretending again. Haven’t you been desperately waiting for this REWARD time? Isn’t that why you waited until we were alone in the classroom?”

“N-no… I…”

“Come on, don’t you know a promise must be kept? Get up!”

I jumped up from my desk, raising my voice,

deliberately using awkward English to forcibly elevate the mood that had settled in the room.

If I didn’t create this somewhat forced excitement from my side,

I felt I might be overwhelmed by the strange atmosphere created by this quiet classroom bathed in the evening glow.

“Now, virgin Ban Do-young! I shall grant the wish of the school’s top student, Do Ha-min!”

With my arms and legs spread wide in an X-pose, I waited for Ha-min’s request.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and tell me what you want from me!”

“…Do I really have to say something?”

“Of course! The promise was to grant Ha-min’s wish if he became first in school, right?”

Ha-min lowered his gaze thoughtfully, then seemed to make up his mind and carefully opened his mouth.

“Then just stand there like that for one minute. With your eyes closed.”

“Okay! Stand with eyes closed for one minute… Huh?”

Ha-min’s wish was more serious than I expected.

“I’ll start now.”

As Ha-min stepped forward, his shadow began to cover Ban Do-young’s legs.

“W-wait…! I think I know what you want? But this is still our school, our classroom… someone might see us, so if you want to do what you’re thinking, shouldn’t we go somewhere more private? Like… the cherry blossom path at dawn!”

“It’s fine. The exams are over, and there’s no evening study session today. The only bags left in the classroom are ours.”

“B-but still…! Teachers! Teachers might be patrolling! Or security staff… might think we’re suspicious people…”

“Ban Do-young.”

“Y-yes…?”

“Close your eyes.”

“…Okay.”

Ha-min’s shoulders enveloped Ban Do-young from above.

I could hear his heartbeat up close.

With my eyes closed, that heartbeat sounded louder than the wall clock in the classroom.

“…”

“…”

I stood frozen in place as Ha-min had instructed, unable to say anything.

It wasn’t exactly that I was diligently following his instructions.

I was just so shocked by the fact that Ha-min had embraced me of his own accord that my body had stiffened.

Probably, even if Ha-min were to cradle my head and move to the next step, I wouldn’t be able to move.

Well, if this was the wish he had been holding back all this time, I would have to accept it.

A heartbeat slightly faster than the ticking of the clock’s second hand.

Embraced in Ha-min’s arms, I decided to just listen to the sound of his heart beating.

“…Hmm, it’s been a minute. You can open your eyes now.”

“…”

And not long after, perhaps after that sound had beaten about 100 times,

the ticking of the clock began to sound louder again.

Without taking any further steps,

Ha-min simply removed his heart from Ban Do-young’s vicinity.

“Well, let’s go now. We have kendo class today.”

Ha-min smiled brightly as if nothing had happened and slung his bag over his shoulder.

“Aren’t you coming? It’s getting late.”

“Wait a minute.”

I stopped Ha-min as he was about to open the classroom door.

“Was that it? The great Ban Do-young closed her eyes and stood still without resistance for a whole minute, and all you did was hug me?”

“Um… is that not okay? I was just trying to return the same wish you gave me during midterms…”

“You absolute nerd!”

-WHACK!

I put my weight into my leg and kicked Ha-min’s shin.

“Oof!”

The kick, loaded with my pent-up frustration, made Ha-min’s knee buckle and sent his head crashing to the classroom floor.

“W-why are you hitting me all of a sudden…!”

“You crazy bastard! What kind of wish is that?! You should have at least asked me to take off my underwear or something! Are you messing with me?”

“B-but you said last time that a hug was your wish too…!”

“And you believed that?! That was obviously a white lie! You idiot!”

“I-I just wanted to return the comfort you gave me back then…! And I don’t really have any particular wish right now!”

Despite having the opportunity to command the heroine as he pleased,

Ha-min had kicked that chance away with his own foot.

It was fortunate this was a pure romance genre—if this had been a webcomic with dangerous tags like NTR,

this would have been the perfect moment for him to lose the heroine to Geum Tae-yang for failing to recognize her feelings.

I had hoped that a little of his former nerdy side would remain,

but I hadn’t wanted it to emerge at a timing like this.

“Just you wait! I’m going to prepare a wish that you really want! Let’s see if you can still say such things then!”

“D-do you really have to go that far?”

“If I say so, then yes! Hold onto this until then!”

To remember today’s defeat,

I threw off a piece of clothing that symbolized Ban Do-young.

An apricot-colored butterfly born from beneath Ban Do-young’s skirt fluttered in the breeze before gently landing in Do Ha-min’s hands.

“W-wait, what did you just throw… HIEEEK! H-how could you take that off here!”

“What! You said no one was watching!”

Just you wait.

I’ll bring you a wish that will leave you speechless.

Before I use those flesh-colored panties you just caught as a side dish.