Chapter 4 : The Expression She Never Shows Me (1)

Sewon found a note in her locker.

There hadn’t been anything like this just yesterday.

A pretty pastel-toned envelope gave off a pleasant scent.

She opened the scented paper, infused with a gentle apricot fragrance.

A single sentence was written in neat, curly handwriting:

Please come to the school courtyard during lunch.

A message asking her to come to the courtyard during lunch.

It was something that could’ve been sent in a simple text, yet someone had clearly put in a lot of effort.

Just what do they want from me?

Sewon tilted her head slightly in curiosity, folded the letter in half, and slipped it into her pocket.

“We women have to keep proving to men that we’re not bad people. Got it?”

It was fourth period.

The social studies teacher—well-known for being a boomer—was giving one of her long sermons.

She was going on about how today’s generation lacked gender sensitivity.

The female students booed and jeered openly, but she didn’t seem to care.

Her persistent gaze was fixed squarely on the only male student in Class 2-2 at Solbit Girls’ High School.

Huh.

Is she trying to score points with her student?

As a model student, Sewon just scratched her cheek with an awkward smile.

Ding dong dang dong.

The bell rang, bringing an end to the mostly pointless class.

Honestly, Sewon wanted to dig into her homemade lunch right away, but the note didn’t mention a specific time.

Still, she blended in with the crowd rushing out.

Seriously.

They should’ve been clearer about the time.

‘Ahaha. But, well, it still makes me feel kind of nice.’

As she strolled toward the courtyard, her mood lifted.

She soaked in the late summer pansies.

Though she was a girl, Sewon really liked flowers.

Not that she ever brought it up—most of her friends probably didn’t even know.

“Um, excuse me!”

A hesitant boy’s voice called out.

Sewon, who’d been standing with her hands behind her back, gazing at the pansies, straightened up.

And turned around.

A boy shorter than her stood there.

Just over 160cm tall, with bangs so thick they nearly covered his eyes.

Judging by his tie color, he was a first-year junior.

Sewon recognized him.

Solbit Girls’ High typically had only one or two boys per class.

At that age, where everyone’s curious about the opposite sex, gossip always included the boys’ names.

Though, that wasn’t why she knew him.

Sewon had helped out this junior from her club a few times.

His name was probably… Ye Seungbin…?

Even for a guy, Seungbin was noticeably timid.

“Of course, I do think it’s much better than those arrogant little emperors who act like breeding males just because they’re men.”

At least he was better than those arrogant little emperors who thought they were kings just because they were male.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

If it was about the club, he could’ve said it in the clubroom.

Did he have something private to consult about?

The boy, whose face was now as red as a beet, suddenly bowed his head.

And then, Sewon heard the loudest voice she’d ever heard from someone before.

“I like you, senpai.”

So this was what they called a love letter confession.

A cliché straight out of some old-school romance comedy.

The students walking through the courtyard stopped in their tracks and began murmuring among themselves.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a guy confess.”

“Do you think she’ll accept him?”

“Of course, she will. Duh. I wish I had a boyfriend too.”

Though it was enough to make anyone feel pressured, surrounded by spectators judging the situation for fun, Sewon remained calm.

“Hmm~ So when you say you like me, do you mean you want to go out with me…?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The boy—Ye Seungbin—nodded like a chihuahua wagging its tail.

“In that case… sorry. I don’t really know much about dating or anything like that. If I gave you the wrong idea, I apologize.”

Sewon scratched her cheek with her index finger and gave a sheepish smile.

***

It was after school.

Before lunchtime had even properly ended, news of Sewon rejecting her underclassman had already spread throughout the school.

“Why’d you turn him down? I heard a bunch of girls think he’s cute.”

Her best friend Eunbyul scolded her, hands on her hips.

With her sparkling blonde hair and petite frame that looked like she hadn’t grown since middle school—honestly, Sewon thought Eunbyul was way cuter.

But she answered honestly.

“Sorry. I just… don’t see him as a guy.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You into girls or something? Are you a lesbian?”

Eunbyul looked a bit freaked out as she questioned her.

Some say men are obsolete, and heterosexuality is the wrong path.

There’s even a rumor that Solbit Girls’ High has a secret society straight out of a yuri manga called the [Lily Knights].

Lesbianism was quietly yet widely accepted at their school.

But no—it wasn’t that she liked girls.

It’s just that… she didn’t really understand boys.

She didn’t know how close she was supposed to get to them.

Didn’t know how to act around them.

Didn’t know what she was supposed to find attractive about them.

Today’s confession from Ye Seungbin only made Sewon more confused.

She had just treated him normally—as a junior—but he misunderstood.

While other girls her age would’ve welcomed a boy’s confession with open arms, Sewon felt more baffled than anything.

And in moments like this, there was always one thing she wished for.

That she had a dad.

If she had a father, maybe things like today wouldn’t have happened.

After all, there’s no man more familiar and easy to be around than your own dad.

“…Byeol, you have a dad, so you’re used to guys, right?”

Sewon tried to change the subject.

Unlike her, her best friend Eunbyul (Byeol )actually had a father.

A rare case.

She also had four moms and five half-siblings—a huge, bustling family.

“Ugh. Why bring that guy up? I wanna throw him into a dumpster.”

Eunbyul gave a sharp evaluation of her own father.

From the way her eyes narrowed like daggers, it was clear she truly hated the man.

Others would probably envy her for having a father, but she was peculiar too.

“—Sorry if that upset you.”

“It’s fine. I’ve got to go pick up the little ones from preschool.”

She parted ways with Byeol in front of the daycare at the corner of the alley.

After walking along the sidewalk for a while, Sewon finally arrived at the officetel complex.

From the glossy marble, chandelier, and gold-plated goddess statues, the lobby was already extravagant.

It was a luxury residence with what some might call “nouveau riche” taste.

Feeling unnecessarily overwhelmed, she went straight to the elevator as usual.

“I’m home~!”

Sewon opened the door with a cheerful voice.

But there was no answer.

Only a 100,000 won bill lying on the dining table.

Letting out a sigh, Sewon picked up the two bills.

It was money her mom had left for meals.

Her mom was so busy with work that they often missed each other.

Sewon was grateful to her, but in moments like this, she couldn’t help feeling a bit lonely.

‘It’s been a while since I cooked something for myself…’

She had been saving up the “meal money” in a drawer, planning to return it to her mom later.

Just as she was about to put this money in the drawer and head to her room.

Bzzz.

Sewon’s phone buzzed.

[Congratulations! Sewon, you’ve been selected for the trial version of Borrowing Dad, <Papa-Katsu Assistant>.]

[The assistant will cover all costs for the trial.]

*

[Some features of the Trial Rental Papa are limited.]

At first, she thought it was just another spam message, but something about it felt different.

“Papa-katsu?”

She knew about tonkatsu and gyukatsu.

But papa-katsu?

That was a first.

Her mind went to the awful image of frying a dad like a cutlet.

Ding.

Without her touching anything, the site opened up.

Papa-katsu is not about frying dads.

“Borrowing Dad” is a service that provides young women with a rental father, known as Rental Papa.

Ugh.

Even more suspicious now.

Can you even loan out a father like a book or a water purifier?

As if sensing her doubts, an AI chatbot began to rattle off explanations.

Rental Papa – Basic Rules.

Follow the rules and enjoy your rental!

You can “borrow” a father for a basic 4-hour meeting.

Trial Rental Papas exclude any inappropriate content.

Additional options can be added, with more unlocking as usage continues.

Okay, so she understood the system.

It seemed to be a site that arranges meetings with men who act like a father.

Normally, Sewon wouldn’t have even looked twice.

But the confession incident had shaken her up.

“Hmm. Could this help me understand how to keep proper distance with guys?”

She had embarrassed a junior who mustered the courage to give her a love letter.

She didn’t want something like that happening again.

Maybe she could learn something from this Rental Papa.

The closest kind of man.

To grow comfortable with the idea of a father.

It said the trial was free.

And the site was confidently stating that nothing inappropriate would happen.

So… it should be safe. R-right?

[Would you like to try the Rental Papa trial service?]

After a long moment of hesitation, Sewon gently tapped the Y button.

<Rental Papa> Application Form.

① Describe the kind of dad you want.

(e.g., gentle dad, strict dad, Darth Vader dad, etc.)

② Please specify the time and place you’d like to meet.

(e.g., 0 Month 0 Day, 0 PM at the Sundae Soup Restaurant)

③ Trial Version Unlockable Option (1 in total)