episode_0389

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The most fundamental rule of any deal.

Give what’s useless, take what’s useful.

I thought I’d made a reasonable request for something moderately useful in line with that principle.

Seo Woo-jin’s secret? Honestly, it’s practically useless to me anyway.

Frankly, the only thing worth taking from him was precisely that kind of information.

Sure, he might use adult toys in public or get physically involved with his girlfriend’s younger sister.

Those bizarre sexual preferences are unavoidable, but let’s just ignore that part for now.

Haven’t Seo Woo-jin and Ha-yun been the picture of a “flawless” couple these past few weeks?

If I hadn’t run into them by chance downtown or stalked them yesterday, I’d have never known their secret—no, the secret of all three of them—for the rest of my life.

I’d have just thought, “Oh, he’s close with her sister too,” and left it at that.

Who would’ve imagined they were all having s…x together?

So, all things considered, this deal wasn’t bad.

Seo Woo-jin will now restrain himself from doing such things in public,

and I can use this opportunity to elevate my relationship with Baek Ji-ho, who’s been acting more like a childhood friend than a lover.

And after that…

“…….”

Back when I prepared alcohol as a birthday gift,

I could naturally make up for the “big mistake” I blurted out back then.

With a brief nod, I left the infirmary and headed to the shower room with a deep sigh.

What do guys even like…?

…I’ll ask her to text me about it later.

Leaving behind that utterly clumsy request.

389

It’s a little bewildering.

Given how Seol Da-bin had been eyeing me with suspicion the whole time, I didn’t think she’d remain completely oblivious…

But I didn’t expect her to bring it up directly like this.

“I thought for sure I’d get slapped a few times.”

A purely sexual partner driven by lust is a huge problem, but is an inappropriate relationship with a girlfriend’s sister somehow safe?

For a moment, I tilted my head at Seol Da-bin’s strange standards.

Leaving the now-cold coffee untouched after our talk, I reached for the blinds on the window behind me.

Though it wasn’t quite midsummer yet, the stinging sensation on my skin was unbearably unpleasant.

For now, I should focus on how to make the most of this golden opportunity.

I’d been searching for any excuse to run into Seol Da-bin, and now that she’s approached me first, it couldn’t be better.

No need to rack my brain for reasons to engage with a girl who already has a boyfriend.

That leaves me with no choice but to get as close to her as possible this time.

Twirling the pen on the desk absentmindedly, I tossed it aside and leaned back in my chair.

My gaze naturally drifted to the edge of the ceiling—where the stark white wall sharply met its corner.

“Hmm…”

So, she asked me to teach her how to act like a lover.

She added that she had somewhere to be, so I should text her about it later.

I sipped from the paper cup, mulling over Seol Da-bin’s words.

At first glance, it sounded incredibly odd.

Just before I died, dozens of paparazzi photos of Seol Da-bin and that so-called childhood friend of hers were circulating wildly online.

Because of that, her so-called “fans” in online communities were mostly self-righteous morons who’d say things like, “I’m not like you guys. I’m not obsessed with a taken hero. I don’t have any romantic feelings for her.”

But now, out of nowhere, she’s asking about “acting like lovers”?

If they’ve known each other since before puberty, isn’t their relationship practically a common-law marriage by now?

Honestly, shouldn’t they be getting tired of “couple-like behavior” by this point?

And sex? They’ve probably done it whenever, wherever.

“There’s no way it’s just platonic.”

Just thinking about Seol Da-bin’s face or body, there’s no way that Baek Ji-ho guy hasn’t gotten hard for her unless he’s gay.

If my childhood friend had been Seol Da-bin, I’d have fucked her so much I’d scrape every last drop of cum from my balls. That guy must’ve felt the same.

That’s partly why, years ago, when I was digging into Seol Da-bin’s past, I dropped it after thinking, “No matter how pretty she is, a virgin would still be better.”

The more I think about it, the less sense it makes.

Why did Seol Da-bin even ask me that in the first place?

She said she didn’t fight with her boyfriend, yet she’s asking me—not Baek Ji-ho—about what guys fantasize about.

None of it adds up.

Or… maybe she did fight with her boyfriend?

If I assume that, some pieces start to fit…

Anyway. If Seol Da-bin is acting like this because she’s fighting with her boyfriend and trying to make up…

“….”

What should I do?

No, you can’t get full on the first bite.

What should I focus on now to make sure Seol Da-bin feels comfortable around me in the future?

Lost in thought, I crumpled the empty paper cup and tossed it onto the desk.

Making a good impression is out of the question.

Given how Seo Da-bin sighed repeatedly earlier, she probably already sees me as nothing more than a sex-crazed bastard who’d even screw her girlfriend’s sister.

So, for now, my goal should be to be “the least trashy among trash.”

That’s still doable.

Even if you’re a troublemaker who causes daily chaos, if people see you secretly sweeping the classroom one day, they’ll think, “Huh, maybe he’s not so bad.”

Conversely, if a kind, well-behaved honor student pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a syringe, everyone would freak out, right?

So, maybe the best move is to send Seol Da-bin a long, heartfelt text detailing everything she asked for.

Guys like this, guys like that…

“…….”

Just thinking about it is exhausting.

Honestly, it’s a little irritating.

But if it’s for the sake of getting closer to her step by step, I can manage.

…Still, it’s going to take longer than I thought.

Tsk—I clicked my tongue and slowly tapped the yellow icon tucked in the corner of my laptop.

While having lunch with Baek Ji-ho, I got a text.

A very long one, at that.

“Check, please.”

“….”

The sender was Seo Woo-jin.

The content was exactly what I’d expected the moment I saw his name.

I’m not sure where to start explaining, so I’ll just write whatever comes to mind.

Ah, first of all, guys generally…

And especially…

Blah blah…

“Let’s go. The pork here was good. I’ll remember this place.”

“….”

“…? What? Didn’t you like it?”

“No, it was fine. Just… I got a text earlier.”

“From who?”

“…A friend.”

“Someone I know?”

“…Yeah. You’ve probably seen them before.”

“Hmm~”

To be honest…

I already knew everything in that text.

I mean… how should I put it?

It was all stuff like, “Obviously guys would like this, right?”—generic assumptions.

The paragraphs were neatly spaced, and there were even annotations in parentheses. It was clear he’d put effort into it, but it wasn’t much help.

…I thought there’d be something a little different, but I guess people’s thoughts don’t vary that much.

Well, it’s not like there’s much room for variation.

When two people like each other, these things come naturally.

Everything Ha-yun did for Seo Woo-jin,

and everything Seo Woo-jin did for Ha-yun, were all expressions of affection.

So why does it feel so hard for me?

No matter how much I think about it…

Out of all the guys I know, no one is as comfortable to be around as Baek Ji-ho.

“….”

…It’s not about feeling excited.

Is the comfort the problem?

“I’m going to the restroom for a sec.”

“Will you take long?”

“I’ll be right back. …And stop asking stuff like that. It’s gross…”

“Between us, that’s not really…”

“Just don’t. I’ve never asked you either.”

It’s not excitement—it’s comfort.

It’s not a racing heart when we’re together—it’s familiarity.

Mulling over the thought that suddenly crossed my mind, I grabbed my phone and headed to the restaurant’s restroom.

I’ll think more about this later.

Right now, the urgent matter is replying to Seo Woo-jin.

Honestly, his text wasn’t helpful, but I can’t exactly say, “This is completely useless. Can you rewrite it from scratch?”

Besides, even if I asked again, I doubt he’d come up with anything special. It’s better to treat this as cross-verification of what I already guessed.

Scratching the back of my neck in frustration at the disappointing response, I stepped into a stall and tapped away at my phone.

I sent a message three times as long as a simple “This helped,” filled with empty pleasantries.

Then I stared quietly at the screen.

Displayed on it was Seo Woo-jin’s text.

And his profile.

A default profile, untouched by any personal settings.

The unusually polite tone of his messages could be chalked up to him owing me, but…

Most good-looking or fit guys flaunt themselves in their profiles. Does he just not care?

Or, since he’s in a relationship, why not put up a photo with Ha-yun? Why leave it blank?

…Is it because he’s worried Ji-yoon, whom he’s secretly meeting, would feel bad?

“…Ah.”

A few stray thoughts floated quietly before fading away.

Not long after, his reply came.

Now that I think about it, he might’ve been late for lunch because he was writing that.

A belated pang of guilt hit me.

[Seo Woo-jin] – I’m glad it helped. – Honestly, I was worried it might be too basic… – Let me know if you need anything else.

“Let me know if you need anything else…” …Hah.

…Well, there is one thing I’d like to ask.

[Seol Da-bin] – Hey.

[Seo Woo-jin] – Yes?

A brief hesitation.

As I debated whether I should really ask this, I flushed the toilet for appearances and continued typing.

[Seol Da-bin] – Did you have lunch yet?

[Seo Woo-jin] – Ah, not yet. I was about to. – Probably just two triangle kimbaps or something.

[Seol Da-bin] – That’s not good for you. – My boyfriend just recommended this place. Let me ask if they do takeout. I’ll get the money from you later. – What do you like? They have pork here and…

…I wanted to ask if it’s normal not to feel excited around your boyfriend.

But even I could tell how weird that question would sound.