Ch.154Season of Pure Love (8)

When I first met Do Ha-min during the entrance ceremony.

That was when he was nearly a 100% pure loser.

The smallest and most frail physique among the male students, with a skinny body.

Messy hair. Freckled cheeks.

Greasy glasses.

Looking back now, he was truly pathetic.

He didn’t seem to have a single strength to show for himself.

It would have been better if he at least had a straightforward personality.

As they say, a healthy mind dwells in a healthy body, and Do Ha-min was exactly the fragile and weak little boy that I perceived him to be.

Always running away, yielding to others,

Unable to put himself first with that indecisive personality.

Always taking losses but never able to speak up about it,

The perfect prey belonging to the lowest tier in the social hierarchy of school.

Nothing more, nothing less than a loser…

“Until he was just nervously stuttering with that [Mari★Wana] book in his bag, that’s all I thought of him.”

If my assessment of Do Ha-min had stopped there, I probably would have tried my hardest to find a way back to my original world quickly, without any thought of enjoying this world.

Why did I say he was close to being a 100% pure loser, not actually 100%?

He might have been 99% loser,

But in that remaining 1%, I saw potential.

“Really… he’s a protagonist through and through.”

In the moments when that 1% shined,

Do Ha-min became someone with strong convictions who knew how to stand up for himself.

He became someone who could tell Jung-gyu that it was wrong to gossip about a girl he didn’t even know,

Someone who could demand an apology from Ahn Sung-kyung for spreading false rumors about Ban Do-young.

Even if he got beaten down and ignored 99 times in life,

That one time, that single time, he would inevitably win.

That was why, beyond the eyes of a heroine,

I couldn’t help but like Do Ha-min.

“…Well, now he’s grown up a bit.”

During that first semester.

The way other kids looked at Do Ha-min changed.

By mid-July, approaching summer break, Do Ha-min’s growth plates reopened,

And he could aim for a height of 180cm, surpassing even Ban Do-young.

His skinny body was trained through regular habits and kendo.

His curly hair, freckles, and the glasses he always wore when studying…

As other aspects improved, what once seemed like complexes naturally transformed into charm.

The talk about Do Ha-min’s unattractive appearance that had been circulating until recently disappeared from the classroom.

Along with comments that he looked worse sitting next to Ban Do-young.

To exaggerate a bit, now he was 99% protagonist.

With perhaps only 1% loser remaining.

If I hadn’t kept him by Ban Do-young’s side since the entrance ceremony,

This would have been the time when other girls started eyeing him.

Especially since it was summer.

Lighter clothing and hot, humid weather.

The vigorous bodies of students.

It’s the season of pure love that ignites passion even where there was none.

Indeed, securing the seat next to him at the beginning of the semester was an exceptionally brilliant choice.

Well done, Sister Ban Do-young.

“It’s good that you’ve created a situation where other girls can’t make a move even now that he’s 99% protagonist…”

However, there remained one major obstacle to advancing the relationship between Do Ha-min and Ban Do-young.

That last 1% of loser quality that could be called Do Ha-min’s identity.

Running away, yielding to others,

That indecisive personality that couldn’t put his own desires first.

That last remaining 1% was holding back the progress of their current relationship.

The result of becoming the top student in school, achieved entirely through his own efforts by working several times harder than others.

And the reward obtained through that result—a wish that could command Ban Do-young at will.

A privilege that the 99% protagonist would have boldly used.

But the remaining 1% loser put the brakes on such desires.

‘I don’t have any wish.’

‘If I can repay what I received then, that’s enough.’

‘I’m already happy now.’

It was a quintessentially Do Ha-min reason.

More precisely, a quintessentially loser Do Ha-min reason.

I’m already holding onto luck that should never have happened in the first place.

Someone like me shouldn’t ask for or demand anything more.

That would be too greedy.

With such thoughts at the most crucial moment,

A very thin and faint line was drawn between Do Ha-min and Ban Do-young.

It was a line that could be crossed very easily,

A line that no one would blame him for crossing,

Yet the 1% loser Do Ha-min ultimately couldn’t cross it.

I had been thinking complacently.

That Ban Do-young, the most beautiful girl in this world,

Could easily conquer Do Ha-min, whether he was the protagonist or the loser.

But that thought was spectacularly wrong,

And Ban Do-young had to surrender her panties of defeat and humiliation to that 1% loser Do Ha-min.

So I made a new plan.

To create a wish that neither the 99% protagonist Do Ha-min nor the remaining 1% loser Do Ha-min could refuse.

‘Damn it… that’s not it!’

I still remember it now.

The moment I first imitated the transformation pose of [Mari★Wana] in front of Do Ha-min.

Do Ha-min’s face as he fumed and got angry

Watching me awkwardly copy the transformation pose of Marina-chan, the protagonist.

“That was the first time. When he confidently raised his voice to Ban Do-young.”

It was an incident where the boy who rarely expressed his own opinions except for significant reasons raised his voice to Ban Do-young for the first time.

He might be able to overlook minor things,

But he couldn’t tolerate an insult to [Mari★Wana].

“Just you wait. Let’s see if you can still say that when you see Ban Do-young like this.”

That’s why I chose this outfit.

The transformation cosplay dress of Marina-chan, the protagonist of [Mari★Wana].

There couldn’t be a better outfit to destroy the brakes of the last remaining 1% loser Do Ha-min.

“Pure Change…!”

I took a deep breath and struck Marina-chan’s transformation pose in front of the mirror.

Unlike when I was ignorant about [Mari★Wana], now I knew as much about it as Do Ha-min did.

I could now naturally recreate the transformation pose of the protagonist Marina-chan,

And with high synchronization.

-Click

The image captured on my phone placed in front of the mirror didn’t look bad.

It’s natural since the original is the most beautiful girl in this world.

With Marina-chan’s wig and her distinctive cat ears on my head, Ban Do-young’s appearance had almost disappeared.

This could easily rival the real-life stage actress playing Marina-chan whom we met at the amusement park during the school trip. My chest had already surpassed hers long ago.

“Hmm, perfect. This is it. Now I just need to show this to Do Ha-min…”

-Buzz…

[Do Ha-min]

[Call]

Speak of the devil.

Just as I was about to send him the picture I’d just taken, he called.

I couldn’t answer the phone with Marina-chan’s cat paw gloves on.

After taking off the gloves, I lay on my bed and pressed the answer button.

[He-hello?]

“Yes, speaking.”

[Do-young? Phew… thank goodness. I thought you weren’t answering after running off like that.]

A sigh of relief came through the receiver.

I could picture Do Ha-min’s relieved face at the quick connection.

Rather than wondering what had upset Ban Do-young or what had humiliated her,

He was more concerned about whether Ban Do-young was safe and if anything serious had happened.

That was just like Do Ha-min, who had completed his 99% protagonist transformation.

“Oh my, you have the nerve to say that after stripping Ban Do-young’s panties, you pervert!”

[D-don’t say things that could be misunderstood! I didn’t do anything!]

“They came off because you didn’t do anything!”

[I have no idea what you mean.]

While I appreciated his concern for Ban Do-young, I kept my distance for now.

After all, I was currently determined to avenge the humiliation I suffered from Do Ha-min.

[Anyway, you made it home safely, right? That’s why I called. I was worried you might be wandering around somewhere in that state…]

“Hmph, I got home fine, so don’t worry. Or should I send you the shed skin I just took off? Though I already gave you the most important piece.”

[N-no, that’s fine. I’m glad you got home safely. Have a good weekend. See you next week.]

“Wait a moment.”

I stopped Do Ha-min as he was about to hang up after just checking on me.

“Are you going anywhere tomorrow, Saturday?”

[Huh? No…? I don’t have any plans.]

“Then come to my house.”

[I-I don’t mind… but are you okay with that, Do-young? Meeting again the very next day after parting like that?]

“Stop talking and just come when I tell you to. I’ve thought of a wish that will surprise you.”

[Oh, okay.]

A brief silence followed Do Ha-min’s acceptance.

He hadn’t forgotten to hang up.

It felt like he was hesitating to say something.

“Why are you quiet? Are you curious about what wish I’ve prepared?”

[Y-yeah… I’m weak when it comes to scary things or surprises… I’d prefer if it wasn’t something like that.]

“Ugh, are you going to pull that 1% loser move here too? That’s why you should have made your wish properly in the first place!”

[No, I did make a wish, but you reset everything…]

“Sigh… I can’t help it. I’ll give you a little hint then.”

I turned on the speaker function of my phone and whispered softly to Do Ha-min on the other side of the screen.

“A cat. There’s one at my house. Come and see.”