episode_0398

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There’s no need to keep putting off something as trivial as a counseling session.

If I have some free time tomorrow, I can just drop by the infirmary then.

Didn’t they say it was the kind of counseling that specifically targeted “someone like me, who’s been in a long-term relationship”?

At first, I had no idea what they meant, but after giving it some thought, it wasn’t that hard to guess.

I’ve given this kind of advice to friends before, haven’t I?

Like what kind of gift would be good for a significant other.

Or how to make up after a fight with someone you’re dating.

So this time, it’s probably something similar.

If my guess is right, it’s the kind of session that can be wrapped up in five minutes.

I could use lunch break for it—it’s not like it’ll take that long anyway.

I can just casually swing by the infirmary when I have a spare moment.

If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll even get a cool ice cream like last time.

So, lying comfortably in bed before drifting off to sleep, I immediately started typing out a message.

You asked for counseling, so if I have time tomorrow, I’ll stop by the infirmary— Just in case they forgot, it felt like a preemptive declaration.

But I didn’t end up hitting send.

Because it occurred to me—wouldn’t sending a message like this right now just be a bother?

Even though Baek Jiho was passed out drunk and left in the care of his aunt, Hayun was still wide awake, wasn’t she?

“Ugh…”

11:40 PM.

A little too early to be asleep,

but the perfect time for some intimate activities.

Hell, just yesterday, they were up until 3 AM.

Since tomorrow’s Monday, they might restrain themselves a little, but it probably wouldn’t be much different from yesterday.

Right now, they’re probably tangled up with a drunk Hayun, tongues deep in each other’s mouths—

“…What kind of late-night movie is this?”

—or more likely, busy having sex.

If I send a message now, there’s a 100% chance I’d be interrupting.

Huuuh… I let out a bored sigh and closed the SNS app.

398

The academy had already returned to its usual atmosphere after the festival.

None of that excited, noisy energy from before.

Students who fell behind their peers worked hard day and night.

A few of the top-ranked students lazed around leisurely.

A completely ordinary atmosphere.

Lucky enough to be toeing the line of the upper ranks, I was on the more relaxed side.

For example—

I could sit here with Hayun on my lap, chatting with friends like this.

As usual, about five of us had gathered today, including me.

“So, what did you guys do yesterday?”

“What do you mean? We went on a double date.”

“No, I’m not asking about that…”

I get it.

They’re just curious about what we did for fun on a Sunday.

But I didn’t feel like explaining.

It wasn’t some pure-hearted double date, and nothing particularly memorable happened.

Plus, for some reason, I felt a little more embarrassed than usual today…

Anyway.

Honestly, I’d rather just sit here with Hayun, enjoying the AC breeze until class starts.

Or have Doraemon pull out a “Machine That Explains Everything That Happened So Far!” from his pocket.

Just as I was about to give short answers like “We ate.” “Went to the arcade.” “Played board games.”, Hayun, sitting on my lap, cheerfully jumped in to elaborate.

“Hey, Dabin…”

“Hm? What?”

Briefly pulling her waist closer so her thighs wouldn’t leave marks on me.

As I idly chewed on the nearly empty picnic straw, another friend next to me spoke up.

Despite claiming to have no interest in real-life men (only 2D ones), this weird girl always perked up at the slightest mention of trivial romance gossip.

Not that she’s a bad person—I don’t dislike her, but…

If she’s like this, why not just go on a blind date with another otaku?

Her face and figure are pretty decent, too.

And that gloomy, crow-like, slightly offbeat vibe? There are definitely guys into that.

Once, I heard some guys call her a “gloomy big-boobed girl” or something. I told them they were insane, but…

Keeping my personal thoughts to myself, I glanced at her.

“Um… did you… fight or something?”

I never expected such a random question to pop up.

“Hey, why’d you ask them that out of nowhere…?”

“W-Well… I heard couples fight a lot on double dates…”

“…….”

Social skills…? No, she seems genuinely concerned…

Exchanging a brief, confused glance with Hayun, who blinked in surprise, I fired back with my own question.

“Why would you think we fought?”

“Uh… you just seemed like you didn’t want to talk about yesterday.”

“…Ah. I’m just tired. If we’d fought, we wouldn’t be sitting like this right now. We wouldn’t have gone to the convenience store together earlier, wouldn’t have talked at all.”

Yeah, well.

Looking at my attitude alone, I guess it’s understandable to misunderstand.

But still, blurting that out to someone’s face? Not cool, right?

Is this some kind of manga cliché or something?

With that thought, I finished the picnic drink resting on Hayun’s shoulder and crumpled it onto the desk.

But she still seemed to have more to say.

Instead of saying “I see,” she just nodded hesitantly.

“Not between you two… but…”

“Huh? Not me and Dabin?”

“…”

“…I heard usually, people end up fighting with their own boyfriends… Of course, I’ve only seen it in manga…”

“Boyfriends…? Why? What’s there to fight about?”

“…”

“Like… comparing them to the other guy… that kind of thing…”

“Ehh~ That didn’t happen! Besides, there wasn’t even anything to compare? If I had to say something, Dabin’s boyfriend was just better at board games than Woojin, I guess?”

“…”

We definitely didn’t fight.

Sure, I was frustrated seeing Baek Jiho running late in the morning—but that was it.

Frustrated seeing him useless at the arcade—but that was it.

Frustrated seeing him completely oblivious when I tried to do something couple-like—but that was it.

Frustrated seeing him pass out drunk when I was trying to work through some trauma—but that was it.

We didn’t fight.

So my answer was already set.

“Stop reading weird R-18 manga. You pervert. And don’t bring that stuff to the academy.”

“…Uuuh… ……But it’s basically a cliché…”

“Stop reading it.”

“…Okay…”

The best excuse for visiting the infirmary is, without a doubt, pretending to be slightly injured and slipping in for a quick visit.

So this time, like before, I reused the “concept” of getting hurt while sparring with some overly enthusiastic friends.

Saying I got hurt during training would be embarrassing for a second-year.

And since my opponent would actually believe they managed to take me down, they’d feel good about themselves—so this works out best, right?

So, biding my time, I waited until none of my friends were getting hurt before feigning a clumsy “Oww…” and staring at my pinky finger.

Honestly, I mostly use my legs in fights—the only time I use my hands is to grab someone’s collar to pin them down…

But judging by how easily they let me go to the infirmary, my acting must’ve been decent.

Maybe I should’ve been an actor.

“I hope there aren’t any underclassmen there…”

Earlier, I saw a first-year class using another training area, so there’s no avoiding them—but I just hope I don’t run into anyone in the infirmary.

Please let me finish this quickly. Praying to a god I don’t even believe in, I opened the infirmary door—only to find someone already there.

Seo Woojin, looking at me over the patient’s shoulder, and—

A pretty, short-haired girl in gym clothes glancing back at me.

Coincidentally, a familiar face.

Her overall impression was different from Hayun’s, but her light green eyes were the same.

“Ah, Jiyoon. Hi?”

“…Hello, sunbaenim.”

“…….”

Weird.

When we met downtown last time, didn’t she greet me warmly?

This time, for some reason, she felt strangely cold…

Trying to recall that memory—now almost a month old and fading—I hesitated briefly.

Jiyoon, who had been sitting in front of Seo Woojin, bowed her head to him before slipping out of the infirmary.

Maybe because she has a nice figure. The curve of her hips under her gym jacket and her pale thighs stood out.

…Anyway.

This Jiyoon felt a little different from the one I knew…

“Did you tell Jiyoon? That I noticed?”

“Huh? …Ah. No, that’s not it. She’s just like that.”

“She’s just like that…?”

“Last time, when we briefly exchanged greetings, she was in lolita mode around you, remember?”

“……Wait, hold on. Don’t tell me…”

“You get the idea, right?”

“…She’s a total freak too, huh. Just like you.”

Having threesomes with her unnie and unnie’s boyfriend?

Yeah, definitely not normal.

Anyway, that’s not why I’m here.

Sitting down on the chair Jiyoon had just vacated, I quickly got to the point.

“Alright. I’ll listen, so go ahead.”

“You came for counseling, right?”

“You really think I got hurt? You saw me last time.”

“Hmm… Then…”

The topic was obvious.

What’s a good gift for a significant other?

How do you make up after a fight with someone you’re dating?

Since I’ve given this kind of advice to friends before, I already had a rough list of answers in my head.

Five minutes. To wrap this up quickly, I rested my chin on Seo Woojin’s desk and waited.

“Since you’ve been with your boyfriend for a long time. So, um, this is embarrassing to ask, but…”

“Yeah.”

“Lately, I’ve been… uh…”

“…….”

But I was completely wrong.

Five minutes? Not even close.

And for good reason.

“…I think I’ve been having too much sex lately. Weekdays. Weekends.”

“…Huh?”

“So, how do I… reduce the frequency? I mean, I’m still not fully satisfied, but if I ask for more, I think unnie and Jiyoon will get exhausted…”

“…….”

…What kind of answer am I supposed to give to that?

What kind of response is appropriate in this situation?

I’ve never had to think about this before.