Ch.72I Don’t Even Like a Quarter of Someone Like You (9)

“Son, come here and sit down.”

Perhaps nine out of ten.

No, more like ninety-nine out of a hundred.

Generally speaking, when parents suddenly ask their children to sit at the table for a talk without any warning, children tend to get nervous.

Especially when the parent’s voice sounds particularly solemn.

Just as no one is perfect,

even the most diligent child might give in to temptation and stray momentarily,

or unknowingly do something wrong in their parents’ eyes.

No matter how much the parent-child relationship has softened compared to the past,

in the relationship between child and adult, and furthermore, between the subordinate and the superior,

children have always had to respond to their parents’ talks with a tense posture.

“Um, Mom…? It’s not what you think…”

“Just sit down first. Let’s talk together. I didn’t see my son’s face yesterday, so I need to see more of it today.”

“Ugh…”

And here,

Cherry Boy Do Hamin, trembling nervously at his mother’s summons.

Hamin finally gave in to his mother’s request and reluctantly pulled out a chair at the table to sit down.

“Why are you hanging your head like you’ve done something wrong? Straighten your back and look at me.”

“…Yes.”

Hamin squeezed his eyes shut once,

then slowly opened them to meet his mother’s gaze.

It was the first time his mother’s familiar gaze felt so uncomfortable.

Until just recently, Hamin had been one of those ninety-nine out of a hundred sons who could sit confidently during such parental talks.

Not to brag, but reflecting on himself,

he could say he was a model student who had never deceived his parents for his own benefit.

Although it was unfortunate that he failed to get into his first-choice high school due to an unlucky mistake,

while he may have disappointed them with his performance, he had never lied about it.

Yes, that was true until he lied to his mom about skipping night study,

spent that time teaching a female classmate at her home, even stayed overnight,

and if that wasn’t enough, until a lime-scented condom fell out of his pocket.

“Do Hamin.”

“Eep… Yes.”

Hamin’s mother rested her elbows on the table,

folded her hands to cover her mouth, and spoke to Hamin.

“Tell me more about this girlfriend you’re dating! Is it the girl you went to the movies with last time? My goodness, then it’s been almost a month already! As expected of my son, going straight for a girlfriend in a high school where you had no friends!”

“She-she’s not my girlfriend. It’s not the kind of relationship you’re thinking of!”

“I notice you’re not denying that she’s the one you went to the movies with, so that part is true?”

“Ah, that…!”

Hamin had fallen right into his mother’s leading question.

“Oh, then is she also the one you got new glasses for after breaking yours?”

“Ah… yes. Actually, they were already broken when they got hit by a soccer ball… She didn’t break them.”

“Hmm, I think I understand. I know what happened.”

Despite not having explained the full story,

Hamin’s mother nodded as if she understood what had happened.

Hamin tilted his head with a slightly puzzled expression.

He had glossed over the broken glasses story, saying Doyoung had accidentally dropped them and compensated for them, to avoid worrying his mother.

It was Hamin’s own white lie to prevent his mother from misunderstanding Doyoung,

to avoid causing worry about an unfortunate incident at school,

and to keep Doyoung from being seen as a bad person.

Ah, come to think of it, he had already been lying to his mother since then.

The “model student” label that Doyoung had mockingly emphasized had essentially disappeared at that point.

“Um… What exactly do you think you understand…?”

“That girl. She deliberately broke your glasses after finding out they were damaged, right?”

“Hick.”

“No, I don’t mean it in a bad way. Quite the opposite. I mean she broke them on purpose to get you new glasses.”

When his mother hit the nail on the head, Hamin’s Adam’s apple bobbed with a hiccup.

Even the sound coming from his mouth seemed to be resembling Doyoung somehow.

“H-how did you know that?”

“It’s obvious. When a girl sees a boy she likes walking around with broken glasses held together with tape, something like maternal instinct wells up inside her. ‘I want to break those glasses just to give him new ones as a gift’… That’s what a decent girl would think.”

“De-decent girl…”

“What’s with that look? Are you saying your mother isn’t a decent woman?”

“N-no… Mom is the best.”

Hamin nodded in affirmation while deliberately turning his head away.

There was a familiar feeling, as if he’d had a similar conversation with another woman somewhere else.

“That girl seems better than I expected. That’s my son for you. You have an eye for women.”

“Isn’t it unusual for a mother to say that when her son comes home with a broken nose and broken glasses?”

In a world where it’s all too common for parents to barge into the teacher’s office and rudely respond “By car” when asked how they got there after hearing their child was hurt at school,

Hamin’s mother didn’t worry about her son’s school life even when he came home with minor injuries.

“Most parents would worry. I worry too. I hope you don’t come home with worse injuries. But you know, before you entered high school, you always had a gloomy expression, but lately you’ve been smiling a lot.”

“Huh…? Have I been smiling that much?”

“Of course! Compared to when you threw away all your comics and novels saying ‘I’m sorry for failing to get into Seongcheon Science High School!’, you’re now in full bloom with smiles.”

“Haha… I must have had a terrible expression back then… As if I wasn’t ugly enough already.”

“Hey, who said you’re ugly! Bring them here, I’ll pulverize them! How dare they say that about my handsome son!”

“…”

The person I watched movies with,

got glasses with,

studied for exams with,

and kissed said that.

In the middle of his mother praising Doyoung,

he shouldn’t say something like this.

Hamin quietly swallowed the words he was about to say.

“Anyway, even if you’ve gotten some small medals on your body, I’m relieved that you’re enjoying school in your own way.”

“…”

“You are enjoying school and your friends… right?”

“Yes, I’m enjoying it.”

While other things might be difficult to talk about,

he could definitely answer the question about whether he was enjoying school life.

Only after his mother’s question made him ask himself did he realize.

His school life, which he had thought would be a lonely battle for three years, had become much more enjoyable than he had initially expected.

What’s a year?

Even his self from just a few months ago wouldn’t have thought he would have so many experiences in such a short time,

and not just getting caught up in events, but making his own decisions within them.

“Yes! If Hamin is enjoying school life, that’s okay with me! Keep fighting, my son!”

“Thanks, Mom. Really.”

“Of course, it would be even better if you actively pursued your youth romance too! So, so? What’s the name of the girl you’re… ah, what did you call it? The one you’re flirting with? Tell me! Do you have any photos?”

“…I refuse. Absolutely not.”

“Refuse…? You said the same thing before, so her surname must be Ban!”

“Hick.”

“What’s her favorite food? How did you become close? Son~!”

“I-I don’t know! I don’t know anything!”

-Thud!

Hamin gave up on facing his mother any longer and closed his bedroom door as if escaping.

If he continued the conversation, not only Doyoung’s name but also the fact that her favorite drink was Zero Lime and that they became close because of [Mari★juana],

And the fact that the only photo he had of Doyoung was one from elementary school that she had sent him—all of this would be revealed to his mother.

Each revelation could only lead to strange misunderstandings,

and he wondered how such a bizarre relationship had been mistaken for a romantic one.

“Haah…”

After locking his door to prevent his mother from coming in,

Hamin sighed and flopped down on his bed.

-Buzz

Just then, Hamin’s phone vibrated.

It was a signal that someone had sent a message.

[Doyoung]

[Sorry]

“…Ban Doyoung.”

As expected, it was a message from Doyoung.

He had more or less anticipated it.

At this timing, the only person who would contact him was Doyoung.

[Doyoung]

[Sorry]

[Really sorry]

[I really thought it was a band-aid box]

[Are you mad?]

.

.

.

[U mad?]

“…”

Was it really a mistake?

Or was it an April Fool’s prank disguised as a mistake that was still ongoing?

It was difficult to gauge her intentions at the moment.

After all, he wasn’t talking to her face-to-face or hearing her voice.

[Doyoung]

[As]

[an apology]

[Want me to send you a swimsuit photo…?]

[Me]

[Again with that…]

“…”

Hamin turned his head to look at the condom box he had placed on his desk.

If it really wasn’t an attempt to tease him, but a mistake.

If Doyoung was genuinely expressing her desire to apologize to him.

Maybe now he could control Doyoung’s actions.

[Me]

[Yeah]

[Send it]

[Doyoung]

[Gasp]

[For real?]

Doyoung was surprised by Hamin’s unexpected response.

So far, everything was going according to Hamin’s plan.

But Hamin’s attack was just beginning.

[Me]

[But not a swimsuit photo]

[Take a picture of yourself exactly as you are now and send it]

[Doyoung]

[??]

[R]

[Right now?]

[Me]

[If you’re sincerely apologizing and not playing an April Fool’s joke]

[Don’t play any other pranks and just take a picture of yourself as you are now and send it]

[Then I’ll believe it wasn’t a prank]

[Doyoung]

[Umm…]

[Me]

[If you weren’t trying to make fun of me]

[You can just take one photo without thinking of other pranks]

[Not your childhood photo or swimsuit photo]

Yes, if the time ever came to show Doyoung’s photo to his mother,

he certainly couldn’t show an elementary school photo.

If he showed a current photo with her face, his mother would surely understand.

That she’s just an ordinary friend, someone way out of his league,

and the condom was just her mistake.

Nothing happened between them.

Though painful to admit,

the difference in appearance between Doyoung and Hamin was enough to make that excuse believable.

[Me]

[If you don’t send it within 10 seconds, I’ll tell the master and the lady about what happened early this morning]

With that thought, Hamin demanded Doyoung send a photo of her face right now.

It was to prevent her from having time to come up with another prank.

[Doyoung]

[…]

[You asked for it]

-Buzz

[Photo sent]

Less than 10 seconds later, Hamin’s phone vibrated again.

A message saying a photo had been sent, from Doyoung.

“Good, surely she couldn’t have done anything weird in that time… Whoa!”

Startled by Doyoung’s photo that appeared on the screen, Hamin dropped his phone on the bed.

[Doyoung]

[How did you know I was taking a bath]

[You pervert]

[You deserve the death penalty♥]