Ch.57Doyoung’s Favorite Random Game (4)

They say the thirsty one digs the well,

And the needy one makes the first move.

In the relationship between Ban Doyoung and Do Hamin,

Who should be desperately digging the well here?

Obviously it’s that baseball bat Do Hamin, why would I confess first with this face?

Unfortunately though,

While our people encourage the thirsty one to dig the well,

We’re also the same people who say don’t even look at a tree you can’t climb.

For Do Hamin, who fell into an unfamiliar school with no connections,

Ban Doyoung—who had always been the most beautiful and popular girl in the area since childhood—

Was a tree he couldn’t climb.

So he had no choice but to lower his head and resign himself, thinking the grapes on that tree must be sour.

In the end, I was the one who had to step up to move their relationship forward.

I was always the one who claimed the seat next to him first,

Always the one who created opportunities for us to meet.

Introducing myself,

Asking about things I was curious about,

Making plans for empty weekends,

Offering to teach kendo after school—all of it.

In the end, I practically dragged Do Hamin along

Into the flow that I initiated first.

Am I sorry?

No, why should I be?

When he tries to say just one thing, he mumbles and trembles,

And if I tease him to make him speak up, his face turns bright red and he starts yelling—if I left the flow to that socially awkward kid, when would we ever get to the dating conclusion?

He probably would have graduated high school

Without even properly introducing himself in all three years.

Oh, but Ban Doyoung, this girl.

She will graduate high school in the end, right?

Her academic reputation is so bad that I’m getting a bit worried.

Anyway.

Around the time I was getting used to digging the well first…

“What’s this, model student? You’re not doing night study? Why do you have your bag on?”

“I decided to take a break. Until midterms.”

“You’re skipping night study? You? But why…?”

“So I can study with you.”

“…”

This was a first since I became Ban Doyoung.

Hamin taking the initiative to suggest plans with me.

“…”

“What, what’s wrong…? Why are you just standing there silently?”

After hearing Hamin’s proposal, I unbuttoned the top button of my shirt,

And lowered my gaze into the gap.

“What, what are you doing?”

“I can’t remember which bra I wore today. If it’s an auntie-style flesh-colored one, you’ll be disappointed.”

“Who, who would!”

I could see beige lace hidden beneath my skin.

Oh no, today it was an auntie bra.

“Want to tell me a color you prefer? I’ll change after kendo lessons.”

“I said I wanted to study for the exam!”

Ah, right. Health and physical education isn’t included in the midterms.

I’ll have to look forward to the final exams.

…

“Doyoung, aren’t you going home?”

“You guys go ahead. Our model student who ditched night study says he has something to tell me.”

“So ‘model student’ and ‘ditching night study’ can coexist in the same sentence, huh.”

“Hmm… so Saehyang and I will go first?”

“Get home safe, watch out for cars, be careful on the road, watch out for people, and those electric scooters on the sidewalk!”

I sent Saehyang and Hyerang ahead,

And stayed behind in the classroom with Hamin.

After homeroom, students left one by one.

Even those who signed up for night self-study had to move to a different classroom,

So eventually, only Hamin and I remained in the classroom.

Having a conversation like this, just the two of us in this classroom,

Was something that almost never happened unless we arrived very early in the morning.

“Yesterday was Ms. Miso’s turn to supervise night study. So after it ended, I talked to her. I told her I wanted to help you study during the exam period. Fortunately, she gave her permission.”

This is the same study-obsessed model student who firmly rejected even when the world’s most beautiful girl Ban Doyoung asked him on a date,

Saying he couldn’t skip night study.

And now, that same guy was

Refusing to stay at school, saying he wanted to help me.

“…So where will we study? Do you have a place in mind?”

“Ah, I did contact the dojo master on my way home yesterday. I asked if we could borrow the dojo office or some small space to study, but the master said… we should just use my room so we could concentrate.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of this. That bad semiconductor dad… why didn’t he tell me…”

“Well, you were late today… You said you just ate breakfast and ran straight here.”

“Oh.”

Dad and I had an argument about night study yesterday and spent the day in a cold war.

I had planned to wake up early and act like a good daughter to smooth things over,

But unfortunately, this lazy body of Ban Doyoung’s overslept and ruined the plan.

No wonder Dad didn’t say anything and just fed me breakfast before sending me off,

Despite my mistake of waking up late.

He must have heard that I was planning to study for the exam with Hamin,

So he let it slide without any nagging.

When his daughter showed the will to study with a model student for the first time in her life,

What’s one unlucky oversleeping gacha pull?

“I’m surprised. It’s not even a mock exam but midterms that affect your own grades. And you’re volunteering to help with that. Isn’t it tight enough just focusing on your own studies?”

“…Yeah. It’s tight.”

“So what made our model student decide to help?”

“…You asked for help first. Like you genuinely didn’t want to do night study, not as a joke.”

“…”

“So… I wanted to help.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah… that’s it.”

“What if your first semester grades get ruined?”

“I’d, I’d feel bad… but if your scores improve and you get recognition from the teachers and the dojo master… I think I’d just be happy about that.”

“…”

Ladies and gentlemen, I hate night study.

I did during my school days as a man,

And I still do now that I’ve possessed Ban Doyoung.

But what was the main reason I hated it?

Was it because of my forced experiences during school days?

Yes, that’s part of it.

But I think the reason why the current Ban Doyoung reacts so extremely to the words “night study”

Might have been something like jealousy.

It was the first thing that showed me

That Hamin’s scale of values, which I thought would always tilt toward Ban Doyoung,

Had something that weighed heavier than Ban Doyoung.

I already disliked night study.

But what I disliked even more was learning that in Hamin’s mind,

The value of Ban Doyoung weighed less than “studying.”

It was the moment I naturally realized that the journey ahead wouldn’t be easy.

And night study, which made me realize this fact, became even more hateful.

“Anyway, I’m also planning to go straight home without night study until the exam. If… if you don’t like studying at home, we could go to a cafe or library.”

“No, I prefer my room.”

“Re, really…? Is it okay for me to enter your room?”

“What about you? Would you be okay with a cafe or library? In this neighborhood, people might recognize me or show interest in any cafe we go to. Are you confident you can deal with all that?”

“Ugh…”

Hamin hung his head, at a loss for words.

He might try his best, but he’d probably prefer to avoid such awkward situations.

I felt the same way.

Places like cafes, where people visit for various reasons, meant I could easily run into someone who knew the old Ban Doyoung.

I was confident I could handle it naturally,

But there was no need to deliberately choose a place where troublesome situations might arise.

“Then what about the library…”

“That won’t work either. We’d get kicked out right away if we made any loud noise.”

“We, we just need to not play around and make noise.”

“Hmm, I wonder if I can do that…? If I had that kind of patience, I would have studied hard on my own without your help.”

“…Alright. I get it, but please don’t play any weird pranks when we’re studying for the exam. It makes me not want to help anymore.”

“Yes, Mr. Model Student.”

“That too… please stop.”

“Huh…?”

I tapped the straps of Hamin’s bag on both shoulders, signaling that I understood.

But despite my acknowledgment, Hamin kept his head down, seemingly dissatisfied with something.

“Stop what? Touching you without warning like just now?”

“…Calling me a model student.”

“…”

Hamin seemed to have been bothered by the “model student” title,

Taking issue with an unexpected part of our interaction.

“When the teacher asked if I got permission from my parents to quit night study until the exam, I lied and said yes. My mom doesn’t even know I quit…”

“…”

“So… I’m not a model student. I don’t deserve to be called that. So please don’t call me that. It just makes me feel guilty toward my mom every time…”

“Ooh, ‘momguilt.'”

“Huh…? Momguilt?”

“It means feeling guilty toward your mom.”

“…”

Hamin frowned.

His face clearly showed that he thought I was abbreviating the strangest things.

“Anyway… I’d appreciate it if you’d stop calling me a model student.”

“Okay, then I’ll call you by your name from now on.”

“Yeah… huh?”

“So I’m counting on you until the exam, Hamin.”

“…”

“How does it feel to get back the name you’ve been wanting?”

“Uh, uhhh…”

Hamin’s face gradually turned as red as the sunset light streaming through the window.

“What’s wrong? I called you by your name. Is it weird? Ha-min?”

“Yeah… wait. I’m not used to…”

Hamin backed away from me, his face flushed.

“Heheh, Hamin, where are you running off to? We need to go to my room and study!”

“Okay, I get it, just don’t come closer! You can call me model student again!”

“How can a delinquent who skipped night study be a model student? You’re Do Hamin until the day you die!”

Do Hamin stopped being a model student.

No, the model student finally became Do Hamin, the protagonist of “Half of Half-Do.”