Ch.176Episode 35. Date Before the New Year (3)

“This room is bigger than I expected?”

Bin Yoon said as she entered the karaoke room, looking around curiously. I set down the water I’d bought from the vending machine outside on the sofa and put a cover on the microphone.

“Have you never been to a karaoke place before?”

I asked after testing the microphone.

“I’ve been a few times. They weren’t particularly pleasant experiences though.”

“…Why?”

“Just because.”

She smiled awkwardly and brushed it off.

I wonder if there’s something I don’t know.

Suddenly, I’m curious about Bin Yoon’s school days.

Generally, the information revealed in the novel focused on how they became villains, so detailed background settings weren’t included.

There must be parts of Bin Yoon’s past that I don’t know about.

But I couldn’t thoughtlessly ask about something that might be a sensitive issue.

“…I don’t know what happened, but today will be a pleasant experience.”

I said, handing her the microphone. Whatever her past was like, making this moment enjoyable was all that mattered.

“You think so?”

“Yes. Because you’re with me. I’ll take responsibility for making it fun.”

Though I might end up enjoying it more myself.

I inserted 5,000 won into the karaoke machine and plopped down on the sofa. Bin Yoon also sat down modestly, slightly adjusting her coat.

She kept glancing at me nervously, perhaps because we were sitting closer than she expected.

“Hmm~ What song should I sing?”

I picked up the remote and hummed, then casually offered it to Bin Yoon.

“Do you want to go first?”

“No. You first, Instructor…”

“Really? Then I’ll go first, and you’re next?”

“What?”

I expected her to tell me to go first. I deliberately led her to it, giving the impression that she would go next.

“No backing out now?”

“Um… I, I can’t sing well… Can’t I just skip it?”

“No way. There’s only the two of us here. How am I supposed to sing all these songs by myself?”

This place offered four songs per 1,000 won, so we had a whopping twenty songs to sing.

“Y-you can do it. Instructor, you have amazing recovery power, so even if your voice gets strained, you’ll return to normal condition.”

I had anticipated she would refuse when she mentioned having bad memories of karaoke. That’s why I led her to answer.

“…How about I sing two songs, then you sing one? No more compromises beyond that?”

“B-but I don’t know many songs… And I can’t sing well.”

“Not knowing many means you know some. And whether you sing well or not, I’ll have to hear it to know. Just try.”

After dismissing all her excuses, I gave her a light smile. Just to help her feel a bit more comfortable.

I selected a song with the remote I was holding. A sweet ballad.

The intro played and the song began in earnest. I sang along to the beat, swaying my body.

“Anyone would see this as love~♬”

Even though it was a ballad, it wasn’t a sad one, so I sang it with a light feeling. There was no need to make the mood gloomy with a sad ballad when I was with Bin Yoon.

Bin Yoon, who had been quietly appreciating the song, clapped like a seal with a blank expression.

“Wow… isn’t this song quite high? You sing really well.”

“Oh. You know this song?”

“Huh? What?”

“Well, well. Seems like you enjoy listening to music. And you said you don’t know many songs.”

“No, that’s…”

She had walked right into that one.

I grinned at Bin Yoon. It was subtle pressure that she definitely had to sing next. She seemed to understand the meaning and avoided my gaze with an embarrassed face.

I then operated the remote to play the next song and sang it perfectly. I had to do two songs as promised.

“Yoonie.”

“Y-yes?”

“It’s your turn.”

She stared blankly at the remote I offered before carefully accepting it.

With her lips pursed, she looked at me and the remote alternately before reluctantly starting to operate it facing the screen.

The song was familiar from its title alone.

She stared at the monitor with a tense face, gripping the microphone tightly with both hands. Finding her appearance oddly cute, I placed my hand on her shoulder.

“Eek!”

She jerked away from my touch and pressed herself against the wall.

“W-w-what are you doing?!”

“…Why are you so surprised?”

I feel a bit wronged. I just patted her shoulder to help her relax.

“No, i-it’s because you suddenly touched me…!”

“I was trying to help you relax. You’re not being evaluated on your singing here. We’re here to have fun. Just sing comfortably. That’s best.”

“…”

She didn’t answer but returned to where she had been sitting.

Not too far, not too close to me. This distance was just right.

Soon the intro began playing.

Bin Yoon still seemed tense and stiff, but I could feel she was singing carefully and sincerely.

Even though her pitch was all over the place.

“More beautiful than moonlight~♪ You are~♪ That kind of person~♬”

Regardless of her singing ability, as the song reached its highlight, Bin Yoon’s voice layered over the increasingly sweet melody felt playful and somehow vivacious.

Anyone listening would think she was singing however she wanted, but the feeling itself was good. I should say it suited her well.

“H-how was it?”

She asked tentatively after finishing.

“You did well.”

“What? No…”

She must know she didn’t sing well.

But Bin Yoon wasn’t aspiring to be a singer, and whether she sang well or not wasn’t important.

What mattered was giving her the opportunity to sing. Changing her perception that karaoke was a place for ridicule came first.

That way, she could enjoy herself the next time we came.

“Want to do another one?”

When I casually offered the remote, she pushed it away with both hands.

“You need to do two songs first, Instructor.”

“Really? So if I do two songs first, you’ll do another one?”

“…Yes. Well. I guess so.”

And so we took turns singing, and during a short break while drinking water, I casually made a suggestion.

“Want to sing together?”

“T-together?”

“I know some famous couple songs.”

“C-couple? You and I aren’t exactly a couple, Instructor.”

“Duets are all about creating that couple feeling.”

“…Is that so?”

I smoothly countered Bin Yoon’s subtle attempt to draw a line. She seemed puzzled but appeared to accept it as she nodded.

“Okay. I’ll take that as permission. Let’s give it a try.”

When it comes to duets, this song was absolutely essential.

“The male and female parts are divided into blue and pink, so it should be easy to follow.”

She seemed to know this song as she kept perfect time and sang well. Surprisingly, she hit the notes accurately too.

While watching her face as she sang meticulously, never taking her eyes off the monitor, I noticed her hand on the sofa. I gently placed my hand over hers as she leaned on it for support.

“Ah!”

She stopped singing and looked at me with wide, startled eyes. But fortunately, the male part came back, so I started singing.

“Even if I’m still lacking~♪ Even if I have nothing~♫”

“W-wait, Instructor, your hand…!”

“Hmm? What about it?”

“What? No… you’re holding it…”

“If you don’t like it, you can pull away.”

I wasn’t gripping her hand tightly, just resting mine on top of hers. She could pull away anytime.

“Look, the next duet part is coming up?”

“Ah!”

I chuckled as she hurriedly grabbed the microphone. Honestly, I would have been a bit disappointed if she had pulled away.

“For you~♪ Only for you~♫”

While singing, I glanced at Bin Yoon. She seemed distracted, looking between the monitor and our hands. When our eyes met, she quickly turned her head away.

Only to return to the monitor because she didn’t know the lyrics.

And so we held hands until the end of the song.

After finishing, I looked at Bin Yoon. She was looking at me with a strange expression.

“Um, Instructor…”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to keep holding my hand?”

After having been carried by me multiple times and even kissed, she’s being sensitive about just holding hands.

“Yes. Again, if you don’t like it, you can pull away.”

“…W-well, it’s not like I’m particularly conscious of it.”

Look at her rationalizing.

I already know. If she really disliked my physical contact, she would have pulled away long before I asked.

The fact that she didn’t is because she has personal feelings. She’s probably aware of it. I am too.

Right now, this level of innocence felt good. Going too far at once would create resistance. I decided to take it step by step.

“Good. That’s a relief then.”

Afterwards, we sang together a few more times and concluded our arcade date.

* * *

“Time passed more quickly than I expected.”

It was already past five o’clock.

“Doesn’t that mean you had fun?”

“I won’t deny it. The arcade was definitely fun. It was like a drug!”

“Did you have to compare it to drugs of all things?”

We walked down the street, breathing in the outside air. Coming from a warm place to a cold one made our bodies naturally shrink.

“Where should we go next?”

Bin Yoon asked, exhaling visible breath.

“It’s a bit early, but shall we have dinner?”

“Where?”

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

“I should be asking you that. I’m the one treating!”

“…Then how about sushi at a Japanese restaurant?”

I hadn’t planned the date course perfectly, but I had limited the menu options somewhat. Just in case the menu I chose didn’t appeal to Bin Yoon.

“Do you like sushi, Instructor?”

“Yes, I do. Do you dislike it?”

“I like it. But do you know a good place?”

“Yes. I looked one up in advance.”

“Great! Then I’ll have ramen there too.”

“Go for it.”

We headed to the restaurant as soon as we decided on the menu. Of course, we chatted non-stop on the way there.