Ch.204Side Story – I Became a Heroine with Only a Pure Love Ending (4)

“Ah, the weather’s so nice today. It’s not bad to eat at an outdoor table on a day like this. Don’t you think, Teacher Hamin?”

“Yeah, you’re right, Teacher Jeonggyeong.”

Lunchtime at work.

Hamin visited a sandwich restaurant with her workplace colleague and regular lunch buddy, Lee Jeonggyeong.

“Ooh, a date request? From that man you first met at church that day?”

“Ah, no… it’s not a date. He said he wanted to learn piano, so I taught him a little, and then suddenly he brought up going to see a movie.”

“That’s a date request! When and where did you agree to meet?”

“In front of the theater at 6 PM to see a movie that opens on Wednesday…”

“Aha, that’s the day you always leave work early for Wednesday service piano accompaniment, right?”

“I-I was going to refuse… but he just threw the invitation at me and left before I had a chance.”

“Come on, it’s just Wednesday service, not Sunday worship. What’s wrong with missing one day? Is there really no one else who can play piano at that church if you’re not there?”

The two shared their weekend stories while splitting a rye bread sandwich that had just arrived.

Somehow the topic shifted to the date that came Hamin’s way on Sunday, and about the man named Ban Doyoung who had asked her out.

She had only mentioned meeting an unusual person at church.

But from the moment she mentioned this person was a “man,” their conversation changed from sharing weekend stories to focusing solely on Hamin’s weekend.

“What does this man do for a living?”

“I… don’t really know. Just his name and… that he used to attend our church. It was our first meeting, so it would’ve been strange to ask too many details.”

“So you don’t know exactly what he does, and you said it was awkward talking to him, yet you accepted his date request?”

“I-I didn’t accept it! He just pushed it on me one-sidedly… I didn’t even have a chance to refuse…”

“Is he handsome?”

“*cough!*”

Moist rye bread crumbs mixed with Hamin’s saliva reversed course from her esophagus and fell below her chest.

Hamin seemed quite startled by Jeonggyeong’s question.

“What’s with that sudden…”

“That man. I asked if he’s handsome.”

“…”

Her chewing mouth stopped its movement.

That mouth that had never stopped even while eating such dry food.

“W-well…”

“So he is handsome.”

“He’s… not bad, I guess.”

“Oh ho! I see. No wonder our Hamin couldn’t speak up and just stood there helplessly.”

“I-it’s not because of his face! It’s just that he approached with such an innocent expression… ugh.”

Unable to hide her reddening face, Hamin hunched her shoulders and curled up.

She felt like rolling away somewhere like a pill bug.

“It absolutely… wasn’t because I was captivated by his face.”

“What’s wrong with that? You just met him—were you supposed to be captivated by his soul instead of his face? So, are you going on Wednesday? Or will you refuse?”

“…I’m planning to go. He set up the appointment without even asking for my phone number, so I have no way to contact him to refuse.”

“Wow. Making an appointment without getting your number so you have to show up. That guy’s a real pro. He’s completely figured out the psychology of women who can’t say no.”

Jeonggyeong nodded as if this man was no ordinary person.

“So… at the very least, I should go there so he doesn’t end up waiting in front of the theater. Especially since I’m the one who recommended the movie.”

“Mmm, I love this moist and sweet story. Anyway, be sure to tell me all about what happens after you meet this Ban Doyoung.”

“Sigh… I think we’ll just watch the movie and part ways… but okay. Let’s hurry and finish our sandwiches. We only have 30 minutes left for lunch.”

And so, promising to share details about her meeting with Doyoung later, Hamin wrapped up their conversation about him.

Half of their lunch break had already passed.

She didn’t want to spend the remaining half just talking about Doyoung.

“By the way, Teacher Hamin.”

“What is it?”

While taking another bite of her unfinished sandwich,

Jeonggyeong looked Hamin up and down and said to her:

“Surely… even though it’s a date, you’re not planning to go like this, are you?”

“…Why? Do I look strange?”

“Teacher Hamin, you don’t wear that gray polka dot dress you wear to work when you go play piano at church, do you?”

“Huh? Oh… actually I do. I like polka dot patterns. And I don’t really have many other clothes in my closet.”

-Thump!

Unable to stand it anymore, Jeonggyeong jumped up from her seat,

grabbed Hamin’s hand, and left the restaurant.

“W-what are you doing, Teacher Jeonggyeong!”

“We’re going clothes shopping, right now! This is no time to be eating sandwiches! Brush off those crumbs on your boobs!”

“W-why clothes all of a sudden at this timing?! I told you we only have 30 minutes left for lunch! The clinic reopens soon…!”

“We need to use those 30 minutes! Who knows? Those 30 minutes might change the next 30 years of your life!”

“What on earth…!”

They decided to take the remaining rye bread sandwich to go.

.

.

.

“Ugh… m-my legs are wobbling.”

“That’s why you should exercise regularly. You sit all day at work, so you need to take care of your health.”

Hamin emerged with shopping bags filling both hands.

The two couldn’t finish in their 30-minute lunch break, so they ended up

visiting all the nearby stores after work hours, picking out clothes and cosmetics.

This was the first time in Hamin’s 27 years of life that she had left stores carrying so many shopping bags.

It was also the first time she had spent so much money on things for herself, not gifts for family or others.

“Still, we managed to finish everything in one day.”

“Thank you so much for today, Teacher Jeonggyeong. For staying with me even after work hours.”

“Try everything on again when you get home, just in case. Your chest might sag and make things loose after all that walking.”

“I-I’ll be fine. Even in high school when I walked a lot for my commute, my chest only got bigger and never sagged at all.”

“Somehow that comment really irritates me… Anyway. It was really hard to find those designs in your size, so wear them well without letting them get worn out or damaged.”

“Ah… yes. But… isn’t this outfit a bit too much?”

Hamin looked at the clothes packaged in her shopping bags with an anxious expression.

Low exposure, not revealing her figure, comfortable to move in, polka dot pattern.

None of Hamin’s usual criteria for choosing clothes were met in the designs packed in the shopping bags.

“Um… I’ve never worn clothes like these before.”

“It’s fine. I specially selected clothes optimized for virgin-killing that would suit you well. Though I’m not sure if that man is a virgin or not?”

“I-I don’t know either… about that…!”

“Hehe, well, I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow!”

“G-get home safely!”

With Jeonggyeong’s help, Hamin headed back to her studio apartment.

‘Oh, right. I should tell Brother Seongryeong that I can’t play the accompaniment for Wednesday service.’

On her way home, Hamin remembered she needed to adjust her schedule for the appointment.

If the meeting with Doyoung was confirmed, Hamin would inevitably have to miss Wednesday service.

Though it was a bit late in the evening, she had to call today or it would be a day-before notice of absence to the church. So Hamin took the liberty of calling An Seongryeong, the youth leader of the praise team.

[Hello? Sister Hamin. What brings you to call at this hour?]

Seongryeong’s voice came through the phone.

Though it was a bit late for official business, Seongryeong answered the call with quite a gentle voice.

“Ah… Brother Seongryeong. First, I’m really sorry for calling so late. Actually, about this Wednesday’s service piano accompaniment… if possible, could I ask you to cover for me?”

[Yes, that’s fine.]

“R-really…? Thank you.”

Hamin seemed slightly surprised by Seongryeong’s ready agreement to her request.

[This is rare. Sister Hamin asking me for a favor. And so urgently too. Did something happen?]

“W-well… I suddenly have an appointment.”

One can’t lie to someone who readily agrees to help.

Though it might seem like she was shirking her duties, Hamin honestly revealed her reason for absence to Seongryeong, prepared to face criticism.

[So this Ban Doyoung who came that day… asked you to teach him piano? Saying he didn’t have the environment to learn such things? And then it led to going to see a movie?]

“Yes… yes, that’s right.”

-Tsk

Was there a momentary audio glitch?

Seongryeong’s voice coming through the phone seemed to cut out for a second.

It oddly sounded like someone clicking their tongue.

[…I understand. Since it’s your request, Sister Hamin, I’ll handle the accompaniment this Wednesday.]

“Th-thank you. Thank you, Brother.”

[But… this might sound presumptuous, but please don’t get too close to that Ban Doyoung person.]

“…Pardon?”

[I just don’t feel like he’s approaching you with pure intentions.]

“What do you mean…”

Hamin felt that Seongryeong’s voice tone, which had been nothing but gentle until he took her call, had lowered slightly.

She was particularly sensitive to sounds, after all.

[That friend Doyoung and I were high school classmates. We used to attend worship together and all that… but since he went to college, he basically cut ties with the church. So we haven’t had any reason to meet.]

“…I see.”

[But now this guy comes back to church and tells Sister Hamin, who doesn’t know him, ‘I don’t know much about piano, please teach me’… Knowing Ban Doyoung, I can see right through this obvious lie.]

“Why… why is that a lie?”

-Sigh

A sigh came through the phone.

[Ban Doyoung’s father is the most famous pianist in our country.]

“…What?”

[Since you play piano, you must know the name Ban Junseok. That’s Ban Doyoung’s father.]

Doyoung’s family background revealed by Seongryeong.

It was completely different from Doyoung’s story about growing up in an environment unrelated to music.

“But… he clearly said he grew up in a household where he couldn’t take interest in music…”

-Hiss

Hamin held her head, complaining of a headache from the discrepancy between what Doyoung had told her and the facts.

Looking back, despite claiming he had never properly learned piano,

she recalled witnessing him produce accurate posture and key-striking sounds as if he knew how to play.

Since that’s not something one can do with just brief practice, even Doyoung himself had seemed surprised.

“So he actually knows how to play piano but deliberately lied about not being able to…? Why?”

[Who knows. Maybe he was trying to catch a woman’s interest that way, to have someone to hang out with while he’s here…]

“…”

[So be careful. He might act friendly now, but if a woman he likes better comes along, he could forget all about his promises to you and immediately start working on her instead… Hello? Sister Hamin? Are you listening?]

Hamin stood silently in place for a moment while on the phone.