episode_0331

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Back then, I was the one who approached Lee Ji-yun with flimsy excuses like that.

For a brief moment, I dug up the faded memories, now dulled by time.

Following Seol Da-bin, who moved with familiar steps—perhaps because she’d been here often—I matched her pace.

The street was narrow due to the dense crowd, but we managed.

In a bustling district like this, concepts like “keep to the right” don’t apply.

Even on ordinary streets, people walk however they please, so expecting anyone to care about such trivialities in a place this chaotic was pointless.

Thus, footsteps jumbled together toward their respective destinations, leaving behind traces of their fleeting scents.

Disliking the smell, I lightly covered the tip of my nose and spoke.

“I appreciate the kindness, but you don’t have to go this far for me.”

“I do. I just love meddling, so just follow along, okay?”

If we were being needlessly technical, Seol Da-bin couldn’t possibly know Lee Ha-yoon better than Lee Ji-yun.

But that wasn’t the point right now.

What I’d just said was merely a refusal to keep the conversation going with Seol Da-bin.

A cool evening breeze blew in from somewhere, the humidity low.

Neither too cold nor too hot—perfect weather for a long, thoughtless stroll.

If things kept up like this, maybe something good would happen today.

Lost in that thought as I followed her, Seol Da-bin, walking ahead, suddenly spun around to face me.

“Or what, you don’t wanna hear it? Stuff Ha-yoon likes?”

If that hostile expression were completely overtaken by twisted pleasure, how would it change?

Would she even be capable of an uncharacteristically submissive look?

Would she even surrender to pleasure in the first place?

My imagination ran wild.

Unbeknownst to her.

“It’s not that. I just thought it might bother you.”

“It doesn’t, so just follow quietly. I’m guiding you because you’re anxious. Guide.”

“…How generous of you.”

“Damn right. You should be grateful. Figuring this stuff out alone would’ve been a pain.”

Just how much did Seol Da-bin think I knew about Ha-yoon?

The way she treated me like we’d barely been dating a week was amusing, but I played along.

Whether she’d mistaken herself for Cupid or some kind of guardian, Seol Da-bin’s smugness was annoying, but—

Her delusional enthusiasm was kind of cute in its own way.

A small repayment.

“You know what food Ha-yoon likes?”

“Tteokbokki, I heard last time.”

“What kind of tteokbokki?”

“Just, you know, the spicy kind.”

“Hmm… You’ve got the gist, but you’re missing details. Follow me. I’ll show you Ha-yoon’s favorite spot around here.”

“…”

“I’ll point out a few other places to remember, then we’ll head back right after, so memorize them. Or jot them down somewhere.”

And so, we arrived at a shabby hole-in-the-wall tteokbokki place.

At Seol Da-bin’s insistence, I noted the shop’s name on my phone and showed it to her. After a nod of approval, we moved to the next location.

This was the kalguksu place Ha-yoon had raved about as seriously delicious.

This was the curry spot where Ha-yoon had vowed to only eat curry from now on.

This was the aquarium Ha-yoon had once said, “I kinda wanna check it out…”

This was the store where Ha-yoon had fought with the owner over minimum wage while working part-time.

Whether they’d shared many memories or not, every place we stopped at came with a detailed explanation.

Sometimes, the details were so vivid it made me wonder—how could she remember that?

Had she known Lee Ha-yoon even before the Academy?

Or maybe she just had a decent memory.

Glancing at Seol Da-bin’s back, I followed her to the subway station as soon as the explanations ended and finally spoke up.

Of course.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t contain my burning curiosity.

It just seemed like a good segue into casual conversation.

“Before we part ways, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“How do you know so much about Ha-yoon’s sister?”

A short question.

Seol Da-bin tilted her head slightly in response.

The evening breeze made her red hair sway lightly.

Bathed in the sunset’s glow, it looked brighter than usual.

“Hmm…? She’s my friend, so of course I know?”

“That’s not what I meant. Like, have you known her for long? Or is there another reason?”

“A year. Since first year.”

“A year… So you just have a good memory, then.”

“Dunno. Never really thought about it… But if you hang out and talk every day, isn’t it weirder not to remember?”

I couldn’t relate.

At most, I figured meticulous people might be like that.

But since arguing wasn’t the point—

And my only real goal was to exchange a few more words with Seol Da-bin—I nodded obediently.

“Is that how it is?”

“You must’ve had friends in middle or high school, right? Elementary school friends don’t count since people transfer all the time.”

“Not sure. I never got close to anyone.”

“Ew, seriously? Not even one? And yet you managed to get a… partner?”

“Why would I lie about this? There’s nothing to gain.”

“Were you bullied or something? Wait, is it rude to ask that outright…?”

Her tone remained flat throughout, but—

After a quick glance at me, Seol Da-bin pulled a hand out of her hoodie pocket, as if realizing she’d misspoken, and covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

For a girl, she was tall, so I expected her hands and feet to be large too—but surprisingly, her hands were small enough to seem cute.

Not that one hand could hide her sharp features, though.

“Maybe I was. Maybe I wasn’t.”

“‘Maybe’? Either you were or you weren’t.”

“Weren’t you the one worried about being rude five seconds ago?”

“You seem fine, so I figured it was okay. Did I hurt your feelings? I’ll apologize if so.”

“Planning to?”

“Of course. Though personally, I think ‘bully’ fits a creep like you perfectly, so I’d rather not… …But you are Ha-yoon’s boyfriend.”

“…”

“You want me to apologize for calling you a bully?”

Earlier, she’d at least feigned remorse, but now she wore a faint smirk as she asked.

This was the first time I’d seen even a hint of amusement from her. Staring back briefly before she found it weird, I brushed it off.

I had a rough idea of how she acted around friends, but unfortunately, the distance between us remained.

About two steps.

Far enough to avoid misunderstandings.

At this distance, the most I could do was meet her gaze without flinching.

“Maybe it was because I talked about heroes too much. Even the kids who were curious ended up running away.”

“Hero talk? How much could you have possibly said?”

“Pretty sure that’s all I talked about, honestly.”

“Wow. A hero otaku, huh. Huh~… Wouldn’t have guessed.”

“Hero otaku?”

“You know, like memorizing birthdays, sighting times and locations, that kinda thing?”

“……”

“Or just which heroes exist in which countries and their rankings?”

If I told her the full extent, that look would surely twist into disgust.

So I just nodded vaguely and followed Seol Da-bin down the shaded tree-lined path.

“Kinda weird. People in the same industry usually don’t go that far.”

“Well, I’m basically a civilian.”

“Then switch with me. Let me live as a normie like you for once.”

“Now that I think about it, you’re an Evolver, right? Same as Ha-yoon’s sister.”

“I’m, uh, leg-specialized, so it’s a bit different…”

Maybe because legs came up.

Seol Da-bin, who’d stuffed her hands back into her pockets at some point, playfully swung a leg at a nearby tree.

Not a full-on stance, just a rough demonstration.

Naturally, both our eyes went to her thigh.

Though she wore a hoodie over her top—perhaps because the early summer evening was chilly—her bottoms were ordinary summer wear, leaving her thighs, calves, and ankles completely exposed.

“……”

In other words,

Despite just being a pair of legs, they were disgustingly attractive.

The plush, soft-looking thighs with just the right amount of flesh.

The slender calves without a single blemish.

The ankles that stood out even in sneakers.

The peach-shaped bones.

All of it.

“……”

“……”

But perhaps the silence lasted too long.

Or maybe she felt embarrassed about doing that in public.

Without a word, Seol Da-bin abruptly ended the demonstration, adjusted her collar, and started walking again.

“I’m going this way.”

“…I’m, uh, the opposite… …Yeah.”

By the time we reached the subway station, and she finally spat out a “Get home safe,”

The whole time.

Dating apps.

Maybe I should’ve just installed one.

They have location tracking, so I’d know exactly when that bastard Seo Woo-jin goes somewhere shady.

Of course, if he switches phones, it’s useless—but at least it’d keep him on edge for a while…

I shouldn’ve been stricter instead of letting him off just because his phone was clean…

“…Ugh…”

…Earlier.

Why was I so embarrassed?

People stare at my legs all the time.

It’s nothing new.

It’s not like I felt ashamed just because I did something weird in public.

At the Academy, boys sneak glances.

On the street, it’s the same.

Even on the subway back home, some old man stared blatantly, completely oblivious.

My boyfriend’s no different.

Stuff like this has been happening since high school.

And yet.

Why was today so… embarrassing?

“Da-bin, you there?”

“Huh? Yeah, why?”

“I knocked earlier, but you didn’t answer.”

“…Went out to meet a friend for a bit…”

“Ah. A friend. My parents said they really enjoyed the galbi-jjim and wanted me to thank yours. Pass it on for me.”

“Got it… Yeah. Okay.”

…I don’t know.

This is annoying.

I shouldn’t have told him about Ha-yoon’s favorites.

Sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong…

Ugh…

I really need to stop meddling…

For real.

Actually…

“……”

…No,

Should I at least tell him not to stare at girls’ legs like that?

Would that be better?