Chapter 11: Doki Doki literary club

“Does it feel awkward?”

“Not really…”

I’d been to PC bangs several times, both in my past and present life.

So I wasn’t fazed by the sight of middle schoolers chattering excitedly or a man in his forties smoking and playing Go-Stop.

But coming here with this body, and with a boy, no less… that was unexpected.

It wasn’t common for people of the opposite s*x who weren’t dating to come to a place like this.

Perhaps because of the curious glances we received as soon as we entered, I became acutely aware of Choi Hyeong-gon.

I glanced at him as he placed his bag on the seat next to me, and his lips curved into a gentle smile.

“I knew it. Actually, I asked you here because I noticed you seemed interested when the guys were talking about League of Legends. Let’s play a game together.”

“Ah…”

He saw that? I thought I’d been subtle.

I lowered my head slightly, worried he might think I was strange.

“I don’t think it’s weird. Girls can play games too. You can join the boys’ conversations if you want. They might be awkward at first, but they’ll be happy just to have you talk to them.

But I wouldn’t recommend it. Boys from rich families are no different from other boys.”

“Are you a scholarship student too?”

His comment about boys from rich families felt out of place, so I asked.

He nodded, a slightly awkward smile on his face.

My eyes widened at this new information.

From what I’d seen at the meeting, I thought he was just a frivolous, easygoing guy.

But he was surprisingly diligent.

“To be honest, my family isn’t well off. My younger sister’s medical bills are a heavy burden.”

“Medical bills? Is your sister very sick?”

“She’s much better now. But she’s still in the hospital.”

He was still smiling as he settled into the plush leather chair, but was I mistaken in thinking I saw a hint of sadness in his expression?

Come to think of it… the Choi Hyeong-gon in the game had a similar background.

His younger sister was hospitalized with an incurable disease, and her medical bills were exorbitant.

His parents, ordinary salary workers, couldn’t afford it, so he had to work multiple part-time jobs while still a student.

In the game, he was always pressed for time.

He had to focus on his studies to maintain his scholarship, and he worked part-time jobs on weekends without rest.

Even during vacations, his schedule was packed with work.

He had no time for leisure. Just work, work, and more work… an endless cycle of labor.

Yet, he never resented the world or his sister.

He loved his kind younger sister more than anyone and always dreamed of a better tomorrow, believing that happiness would eventually come.

Of course, that was just the story in the game.

It couldn’t be completely applied to reality.

But if some things changed, wouldn’t some things stay the same? Even though the setting had changed from a small computer monitor to the grand stage of reality,

Choi Hyeong-gon seemed to be the same positive and kind boy as in the game.

Someone anyone could like, regardless of gender.

This wasn’t a conclusion I drew from my game knowledge, but from observing him.

Thinking back, he always accepted unpleasant tasks with a smile, even when he was burdened with them as vice president. And to me, at least, his smile seemed genuine.

“Did I say something wrong? Sorry. I made things awkward.”

“Not at all. No need to apologize.”

“Anyway, we can’t just sit here and chat after coming all this way. Let’s turn on the computers. I’ll pay since I was the one who suggested coming here.”

Our conversation, which had threatened to become lengthy, came to an end.

We played three games in a row and finally turned off the computers after securing three victories.

Time had flown by, and it was already past 7:30 PM.

“You’re surprisingly good. I thought you were just a bookworm.”

“Heh! Don’t underestimate a Diamond tier player, you Iron scrub.”

“Oof!”

Unlike that morning, when I’d felt like a wet rag, I stretched refreshingly, my head held high, even uttering a boastful line in the heat of victory.

I was happy that we won thanks to my performance, but I was even happier that I felt like my old self again, when I was a boy.

A wide smile spread across my face.

“Whew… anyway, I had fun. Thanks.”

“I’m glad. Wait here, I’ll go pay.”

Choi Hyeong-gon returned shortly, holding two canned coffees.

He must have stopped by the vending machine.

“Here, have this. You must be thirsty.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Was it okay to keep receiving things from him? I’d treat him next time.

I opened the can with a pop.

I savored the first sip, sweet yet subtly bitter, then we left the PC bang together.

“Do you want me to walk you home?”

“It’s not that late.”

As our paths diverged, Choi Hyeong-gon offered to walk me home.

I looked up at him. Being a boy, he was a head taller than me.

He was also quite broad-shouldered, and I felt like I could fit snugly in his arms.

Some people said men and women couldn’t be friends. Would that apply to us?

At first, I avoided Choi Hyeong-gon, thinking he was strange, but now that I thought about it, that was foolish of me.

Spending time with him, I could clearly see his good qualities.

He was a bit mischievous, but his presence made others smile.

And he’d helped me out in subtle ways.

The reason I avoided him initially was quite ridiculous in hindsight.

I was afraid he might fall for me? Even with my game knowledge, that was arrogant of me.

I was just an ordinary girl, and he was a popular boy everyone liked.

Even if this world was based on a shoujo game, things like that didn’t happen often in reality.

It was more likely that I would fall for him. He wouldn’t fall for me.

Yes, I’ll admit it. I was foolish.

And now that I understood what kind of person Choi Hyeong-gon was, I wanted to take a step further and become friends with him.

“See you later. Let’s play games together again sometime.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

We said our goodbyes.

Neither of us uttered cheesy lines like, “We’re friends now, right?” There was no need for that.

Friendship wasn’t a big deal. A friend was someone you could laugh with.

Gender didn’t matter.

As long as we could both laugh together, that was enough.

I turned and walked away, into the crowded street.

I would enjoy today and look forward to an even more exciting tomorrow.

Amidst the bright neon signs and the bustling crowd, a sudden thought crossed my mind as I walked home alone.

—Click

Even at that hour, watchful eyes followed her relentlessly, their gleam unwavering even in the deep shadows of the city corner.

The eyes simply observed her, as always.

It was just another day’s work.