Ch.215215. Try a Side of Confusion with Your Confusion.

The clothes Blanc gave me.

No, it’s embarrassing to even call them clothes—just scraps of fabric.

I’m wearing an apron, which is normally worn over clothes to protect them.

But instead, it’s protecting my bare skin, not clothes.

Of course, it doesn’t protect my backside at all.

For now, there’s only the kitchen behind me…

Ah.

When cooking in the U-shaped kitchen.

Hmm…

From the island counter opposite the refrigerator…

I’m somewhat covered from that angle.

But the spot where I usually stand on the footstool while cooking… faces the living room.

Why on earth doesn’t this damn apron cover the back? Really.

Well… food splatters from the front when cooking, so the back doesn’t matter.

Still, they could have made wings to cover the sides at least.

…Well.

Blanc wouldn’t have given me this for its actual purpose as an apron.

This short apron looks like it was taken from a maid costume…

Seriously.

Where do these ideas to dress me like this even come from?

I sigh deeply and look at Blanc.

She’s sitting on the sofa in the position with the best view of the kitchen.

Despite having a large sofa that faces away from the kitchen, she deliberately chose to sit facing me.

Not looking out the window, but staring right at me.

Sigh…

“Blanc.”

“What is it, Vine? The clothes are pretty. Don’t they show you off perfectly?”

“…Are you insane?”

“Could you turn around for me?”

“No way.”

“Don’t be shy.”

“My back is completely… sigh.”

“Didn’t you say you’d make salad for breakfast?”

“I bought some ingredients. The vegetables are fresh, but… somehow I don’t feel like going anywhere near the refrigerator.”

“Oh my… the vegetables are only in the refrigerator, you know?”

“Cheese and eggs… sigh. I need to boil the eggs too.”

“That’s simple, isn’t it? Hurry up and make it.”

Blanc is now holding what appears to be a professional camera, seemingly ready to take photos.

Yes, what people call a “cannon” camera, pointing it right at me.

“What’s with the camera…?”

“Hmm… a camera? I want to capture pretty Vine’s appearance?”

“Are you crazy right now?”

“Yes. Crazy about you, Vine.”

Blanc’s answer made my head spin for a moment.

…Right.

Right, let’s think positively.

Let’s just think positively about this.

There’s nothing wrong with it.

I’ve already shown everything there is to show, what should and shouldn’t be shown, all my embarrassment and loveliness.

Yes.

If only there wasn’t a camera.

“The camera, please…”

“Hurry up. I’m hungry.”

“Sigh…”

Wasn’t today supposed to be a day off?

Why am I listening to Blanc anyway?

Ah… because Blanc is my lover.

Right.

Let’s pretend there’s nothing wrong.

This is just my private apartment with no one else around.

Who would say anything about me walking around like this in my own place?

Who… would say anything?

Just as I was about to turn around.

I hear a voice from behind me.

“Ah… I’m tired. Oh, Yoonseul. You’re up? Huh? What’s with the camera?”

“Want to look to the side?”

“Side…?”

Startled, I could only stare at Hyewon without saying a word.

Hyewon’s eyes were, naturally, filled with confusion.

And I… whatever I was holding…

Ah.

I was about to pick something up.

I completely lost my composure.

Before this awkward silence could stretch on, Hyewon spoke first.

“Um… well. Vine. That’s quite… how should I put it. Extreme?”

“…”

“Um… Vine?”

“Right now…”

“Right now?”

“Look away right now! I said look away!!!!”

“O-okay!”

Unable to bear the embarrassment, I ended up shouting at Hyewon.

As Hyewon hurriedly turned around so I was out of her sight, I tried to find something to cover myself.

Looking around for a handkerchief or tablecloth, but finding nothing.

In this embarrassing situation, Blanc kept pressing the shutter button.

She looked so infuriatingly smug.

For the first time since becoming lovers, I was filled with the desire to knock her down and run away.

“W-well… I, I didn’t see anything… I didn’t know you’d be wearing such clothes… um, it was cute, but, well, embarrassing, yes. It must be embarrassing. Even I think that would be embarrassing. Such, yes. With your back all visible, no. I already saw everything…”

“What are you saying, Hyewon! You! Did you see? My back?”

“Well… yes. It looked soft…”

“Aaaahhhh?!?!? You saw? You saw… Ah. Ahhh…”

“Um… Vine…? Is, is it okay to turn around…?”

“How much did you…”

“…Everything?”

“Ha…”

Yes.

My sanity has definitely left me.

My mind isn’t just jumbled—it’s completely empty.

Ha.

Haha…

“Hyewon…”

“Y-yes…?”

“…You can look now.”

“R-really…?”

“…Yes. Of course, your image of me has probably plummeted to the depths of hell, but oh well. I’m already a villain anyway, the villain who did that to Citrus. Buried deep in that mud pit, that swamp… ugh… to think my final appearance would be like this…”

“Yoonseul…? Vine is malfunctioning… eek?!”

Yes.

In my despair, I collapsed forward.

Well, it was more like my legs gave out and I sank down.

Hunched over, I kept rambling…

“W-wait! Vine, this is too violent. Ugh…”

“Where, where, where?”

Click, click-click-click!

Blanc had somehow made her way to the kitchen and was taking pictures.

“W-well, it’s still less, less lewd than yesterday, so it’s okay…”

Wait.

What did she say…?

Yesterday…?

She didn’t just arrive this morning…?

Yesterday…?

Yesterday, then at night…

At night, what did I…

Living room, ah.

“…Where’s the nearest window or rooftop? Yes, where’s the rooftop? Where’s a nice hard ground I can jump onto?”

“W-w-wait! What are you talking about?!”

Ah.

“Yesterday… what scene did you see that makes you say that?”

“Um… you sleeping peacefully?”

“Where?”

“In the living room…?”

“Sigh…”

“I-I’m the one who carried you to your room…?”

“…What?”

“What are you misunderstanding…?”

“O-of course I thought you’d hate me now, so I figured my life—no, my monstrous life—is no longer needed, so I was going to leave…”

“What are you talking about… I’m the one who has a crush on you… I’m the one hoping you’ll accept me.”

“What…?”

“I’m the one who should be begging and pleading…”

“Huh…?”

“Actually… I wasn’t going to say anything, but I thought it might be better to tell the truth than to lie…?”

Hyewon looks at me with an embarrassed face.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything… seeing this reaction…”

“…So. Right now.”

“…Rather, I should be the one begging to see you like this… I mean, every woman in this house likes you, so how could anyone resist seeing you like this…”

“Wait. You can’t resist?”

“…I’m dying to take pictures. Even this embarrassed scene right now. The way you’re hunched over… like. Ugh. Never mind. If I say more, Vine might hate me…”

“There’s no way I could hate you… it’s just the gap between this and my image until now.”

After I said that, Hyewon.

“You don’t dislike me? Then I don’t dislike you either.”

“…Ugh.”

“Yoonseul, so how many pictures did you take?”

Hyewon looks over at the one still holding the camera.

Ellie and Yuri had quietly come downstairs and were watching this scene.

Blanc just gave a thumbs up.

“…I wanted to confess in a nice atmosphere too.”

“…You still can.”

“It feels like I’ve already rushed ahead this much, so…”

“…Do you dislike me like this?”

“No.”

She answers this question very firmly.

While blushing…

“…No. Sigh. Yes, it’s all Blanc’s fault, Blanc’s. I’m so thankful Seohyun and Arin aren’t here. Those two are still.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. It’s still a bit much, isn’t it… Well, now that things have come to this, it feels awkward to go back upstairs to change.”

Because on the way up, they’d definitely watch or take pictures from below.

With no final line of defense, really…

Yes.

Unless everyone goes up first, I absolutely shouldn’t go upstairs.

“Please sit down. Is there anything you don’t eat in salad?”

“…Vegetables.”

“…?”

“Is there meat in it?”

“Chicken, I guess…?”

“That’s enough. Yes.”

“…You should eat vegetables too. You’re not Arin.”

“They taste bad.”

“I’ll contact Citrus.”

“…Hey. Even dressed like that, threatening me…”

I stare at her intently.

“…Ugh. Fine. I’ll eat it, okay?”

“After I’m dressed like this to serve you.”

“I get it…”

Hyewon slumps over to the sofa and starts examining Blanc’s camera.

…Sigh.

I’ve stopped thinking about anything now.

Let’s just make the salad.

Let’s eat breakfast quickly… and go to the Association.

That would be better.

I prepare the vegetables simply, boil the chicken breast.

Some cheese too.

For the dressing… this one.

And tortillas.

Whoever wants to eat them will.

So I was about to pour the dressing when.

“I want peach-flavored dressing. The transparent, sticky, slippery one.”

“W-what…? Ellie…?”

“Why? That’s fine for you too, right Yoonseul?”

“Hmm… is it from the same manufacturer?”

“…I’ll take grape flavor then?”

Oh my.

I understand what they mean now.

“Are you two in your right minds? Ellie. You too.”

“…Not allowed?”

“Of course not.”

“Aw… don’t be like that.”

“I’m using balsamic vinegar. No objections accepted.”

“Ah… then I want kiwi dressing… or the white one! What’s it called… yogurt!”

“…Yogurt. Understood.”

I serve the completed salad.

When I call them over, they all come rushing in.

Bustling around.

Of course, their gazes are directed at me rather than the salad.

“Well… shall we eat? I’ll just go upstairs for a moment…”

“Eat like that.”

“…What?”

“Hurry. We don’t have time.”

“We have plenty of time, don’t we? Seeing how you’re acting. I’m going to change.”

“Sit down.”

“…Sigh.”

Stubborn.

Pervert.

Voyeur.

Just to be safe, I tightened the strings a bit more.

Making it fit closer to my body, so it wouldn’t be visible from the side.

“…Pfft?!”

“…?”

For some reason, Ellie sitting next to me.

“The strings… snrk… kup… never mind. Eat, eat.”

“The strings…? Are they showing?”

“No, they’re not.”

Really.

When will these perverts return to normal?

If I ever have time later.

Maybe I should ask an adult about this.

I ate breakfast while scolding Hyewon for trying to pick out only the meat from the salad.

After some time passed, thankfully the embarrassment subsided a bit.

Like wearing a swimsuit, you know.

Ellie seems to be coughing occasionally, as if she’s choking.

I’m a bit worried about her.

Maybe the food doesn’t suit her taste.