Ch.224Side Story – I Became a Heroine After the Pure Love Ending (15)

As the time approached 10 o’clock, we left the karaoke room.

Perhaps it was because my body had evolved specifically for thorough enjoyment.

Unlike Doha-min, whose voice was slightly hoarse from the high notes,

I was still completely fine—both my voice and body—even after belting out 13 consecutive songs filled with high notes.

Of course, there were moments when I struggled a bit,

but after sitting briefly on Doha-min’s lap, I somehow returned to my normal state.

Just as Dohami-chan said, being with him really did feel like recharging something.

“Phew… I finally got to satisfy all my pent-up karaoke cravings.”

“Ahem. That was close. It was almost 10 o’clock.”

“I know. It was nice to have songs I wanted to sing pop into my head without hesitation. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to sing everything I wanted before getting caught by the ‘Doha-min Barrier’ and kicked out.”

“Could you please stop calling the under-18 curfew policy the ‘Doha-min Barrier’…?”

“But the conditions for rejection are exactly the same as yours! You have to be over 18, and even then, if you’re a high school student, you can’t until graduation. If that’s not a Doha-min Barrier, what is it?”

“Ugh… when you put it that way, I can’t argue.”

Two years ago, Doha-min had set two main conditions for our promise.

When we both became full adults.

And when we were no longer high school students.

Originally, the condition was just becoming adults,

but later he added the high school graduation requirement,

probably worried I might pounce on him the moment January 1st arrived.

As expected of someone who ranked first in school for three years straight,

he made sure to set one strict contractual condition.

The blessing of a general audience rating is only good when you don’t have feelings for the protagonist,

but when you reach the point where you can’t live without the guy, it becomes nothing but a burden.

If you ever find yourself dating a protagonist blessed with a general audience rating,

I recommend waiting until high school graduation is completely over.

“Still, thank you. For keeping the promises I made, even while grumbling. For going along with such a foolish decision. O-of course, there were times when we both came close!”

“If we were both that close, we could have just gone for it.”

“…If we had, I would have only ended up making things difficult for you, Doyoung.”

Doha-min had a faint smile on his lips,

but I didn’t think he was genuinely smiling with joy.

Rather, it seemed like he was forcibly covering up the guilt lodged in his heart with a smile.

That smile looked like it was hiding even greater anger and sadness.

“I already made things difficult for my mom when she was a high school student. I can’t put you through the same hardship that my mom went through. I like you, Doyoung, but I still think this is the right thing to do.”

“…”

I joke about the general audience rating blessing preventing an early relationship between Doha-min and Ban Doyoung,

but that’s just my perspective as someone who was possessed from another world.

Doha-min’s fear that an early relationship between a man and woman leads to an unfavorable outcome

was firmly rooted in his actual past trauma.

For Doha-min, an early relationship with Ban Doyoung went beyond societal norms or others’ gazes;

it was the worst choice that would inevitably make the other person unhappy once that line was crossed.

That’s how he must see it.

“Besides, the college entrance exam just ended. I might be the person who loves you most in the world, but I’m not yet the person who can make you and mom the happiest! I need to work harder to become that person.”

“Sigh… how did I end up falling for such a dork?”

“Even so, isn’t that sigh a bit too deep?”

Well, what can I do?

I’ve reached the point where I can’t do without this guy.

I’ll let it slide because I love him.

“I understand everything, but let me correct just one thing you said.”

“Correct…?”

“Doha-min, you already became that person long ago. The person who can make Ban Doyoung the happiest in the world.”

“…”

*Thump*

I flicked Doha-min’s forehead as he stood there speechless.

I had to stretch my arm quite a bit to reach his forehead, given how much taller he’d grown.

“It’s good that you’re trying hard. But don’t beat yourself up about being inadequate. If you do, it means your mom and I who raised you are inadequate too.”

“Th-that’s not what I meant…”

“Then what? Are you trying to say I’m some loose woman who’s completely blinded by love for a self-deprecating idiot?”

“I never said that!”

“Who’s calling me a female in heat who can’t wait to give her virginity to Doha-min!”

“I definitely never said anything like that!”

Well, it’s not completely wrong though.

“Sigh… Doyoung, your way of boosting self-esteem is too aggressive.”

“Hehe, this way you won’t look all depressed like a loser when we go take photo booth pictures. I prefer an angry Doha-min to a crying one.”

“…You don’t mean that in a weird way, right?”

“Huh? A weird way? Was there something in what I just said that could be taken weirdly?”

“Ah, no. Never mind. I think I misunderstood. Sorry.”

Doha-min hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and suddenly apologizing.

His cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and regret for the misunderstanding.

“Oh, were you waiting for me to say something like this?”

Stretching up on my tiptoes, I whispered softly into Doha-min’s ear.

“I like Doha-min who’s angry down below better than just angry Doha-min… something like that?”

“Eek, see! It wasn’t a misunderstanding after all!”

“Kehehehe! Go wait outside! I’ll go to the bathroom real quick! If you really can’t control what’s down there, you can come in with me!”

“I’m not coming in!”

I left my bag with Doha-min and went into the bathroom in the building next to the karaoke place.

“They say if a dog stays in a Confucian school for three years, it learns poetry. Hehe.”

Three years of dating Ban Doyoung, and Doha-min becomes indecent too.

I couldn’t help but grin seeing how Doha-min had completely absorbed my Ban Doyoung way of thinking.

**

“Phew…”

On the bustling street outside the karaoke building,

Hamin lowered his head with a shallow sigh as he held Doyoung’s bag.

“I fell for it again.”

It was almost three years since he’d met Doyoung.

Yet Hamin was still helpless against Doyoung’s flow.

He thought he could now see the patterns and the questioner’s intentions.

But knowing the answer and knowing how to respond correctly remained a constant challenge.

If he caught her intention, she would smile seductively and ask if he was thinking the same thing.

If he missed it, she would whisper words that made his face burn without any hesitation.

Whether he got the right answer or not,

Hamin was usually the one whose emotions were stirred.

Very occasionally, he succeeded in counterattacking with actions or words beyond Doyoung’s expectations,

but those were as rare as finding beans during a drought.

Considering their overall record and success rate,

Doyoung was overwhelmingly dominant in their score difference.

Unless he could score perfect marks on the college entrance exam,

Hamin couldn’t see a future where he could completely win in a one-on-one match against Doyoung.

“I still have a long way to go.”

It was always a moment of realizing his own inadequacy, but he didn’t feel bad about it.

The journey of facing Doyoung, getting to know her, and learning from her was always enjoyable, even if difficult.

That’s why he didn’t hesitate to make a commitment to try harder next time.

Of course, as Doyoung had advised earlier, he should avoid doubting himself even if there were failures along the way.

“It’s gotten colder. Well, it is winter now.”

Seeing his breath become more visibly white, Hamin indirectly felt that the temperature had dropped since they entered the karaoke room.

Being naturally warm-bodied, he could handle this level of cold as merely refreshing,

but as always, his main concern was Doyoung, who would be coming out soon.

Unlike Hamin, she was sensitive to cold.

He decided he would give her his coat until they reached the photo booth.

With that in mind, Hamin began unbuttoning his coat before Doyoung arrived.

“First, I should put her bag down. Doyoung will be down soon…”

“Oh? It’s my son!”

“…Huh?”

Hamin, with his hand on his coat button, turned his head at the familiar voice that suddenly came from behind him.

“Mom…?”

And as he turned his head to look:

“H-Hamin…? Why are you here…?”

“…Chairman?”

Chairman Cheon Sangmin of the Cheon Foundation was standing there, carrying a happily intoxicated Hami on his back.

“Heehee, it’s our Hamin!”

“W-why are you carrying my mom, Chairman? She said she was going to meet an old friend…”

“W-well, you see…”

“Oppa, this is our Hamin! Isn’t he super cute?”

“Hami, wait… now is not the time for…”

“Phew! Doha-min! Did you wait long? I lost some weight, so if I sit on your lap this time, I’ll be lighter than before…”

And before the initial confusion could subside, Doyoung came down the karaoke stairs.

“What’s this? Chairman parasite brother! Why are you showing up in front of our baby again?”

“Doyoung, wait… now is not the time for…”

“…Oh? It’s Doyoung!”

“D-Dohami-chan?”

“Oppa, this is our future daughter-in-law! Isn’t she super pretty?”

“Like I said, Hami, now is not the time for…”

Doyoung and Hamin’s expressions quickly hardened as they saw Sangmin carrying Hami so naturally down the street.

“The two of you, please wait. Let me explain what’s happening…”

“Child predator!”

“Wait, how did the conversation turn into that?”

It was a night of deepening misunderstandings.