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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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I held the phone far away from my ear.
Kang Cheol! Kang Cheooooool! Kang Cheol! Kang Cheol! Why aren’t you answeringgggg!
“Ugh…”
My ears feel like they’re going to fall off.
Did she swallow a train whistle for breakfast or something?
“I can hear you just fine even if you speak quietly, A-reum.”
So, I was… I was… hwaaahhhhng!
“Hey, stop with the fake crying and just talk. Don’t add those sound effects.”
Are you a C? You T-son of a bitch!
“Hey, you haven’t even given me anything to sympathize with yet. So, what’s up?”
I’m bored!
Yep, I knew it.
Sighing, I sat down in front of my computer.
“I’ll play with you. Get in the game. I have a smurf account, so let’s duo.”
I’m a Master tier player in League of Champions (hereafter LoC). And A-reum is Diamond tier. We often played duo together.
But it seemed like a game wasn’t what A-reum wanted.
Not a game! I want to go out and play!
“A homebody like you, what’s the occasion? Let’s just play a game. I’m tired from working out…”
I! Want! To go! Ouutttttt!
“Agh, my eardrums are going to burst.”
I don’t know why she’s being so whiny today. I’m too mentally exhausted to go outside. All I want is to shake off this nagging feeling by playing some games.
“Don’t you have other friends? I’m really tired.”
My other friends… They all have boyfriends and won’t hang out with me. Those traitors! It’s all a damn lie that your middle and high school friends are your friends for life!
It seemed she had already tried contacting them.
“Then just hang out with your college friends. Let’s try contacting Seo-jin and Mi-hyun Noona.”
I already tried. They’re both hanging out with their boyfriends too…
“Huh? They both got boyfriends? Since when?”
Lee Seo-jin and Park Mi-hyun were female friends I had gotten close to at the freshman orientation. We hadn’t been hanging out as much lately since our clubs split, but they were people I could confidently call my platonic female friends.
But this was the first I’d heard about them dating. I felt a little left out.
Anyway! That’s why you have to play with meeeee!
So that’s why she was being so whiny. It seems she got shot down by all the friends she contacted first. No, maybe it wasn’t just that she got rejected, but that everyone except her was in a relationship.
It’s all your fault I don’t have a boyfriend! So you have to take responsibility!
“…How is that my fault?”
Because if I get a boyfriend, I can’t have sex with you. It’s your fault for being so good at sex.
“Aha. What a perfectly reasonable argument…”
I replied in a tone of disbelief, yet with a hint of excitement.
Then, A-reum said in a cute, wheedling voice:
Kang Cheol, you who’s got a big dick, is tall, is great at sex, and is good at drawing. Please play with me~
Hmm. If she’s going to put it like that, I guess I have no choice.
I, the one with the big dick who’s great at sex, have to take responsibility.
“Come on out. It’s my treat today.”
Kyaa! Kang Cheol Oppa is the best!
The praise put me in a good mood.
Man, I’m such an easy guy…
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Chatter, chatter.
Crowds, crowds.
Maybe because it was the weekend, the place was packed with people. I felt like my energy was being drained just by standing still. Men and women in all sorts of unique and individual outfits strolled along the streets.
I was standing at Hongik University Station, Exit 2.
‘To think the day would come when I’d be in Hongdae…’
One of Seoul’s hottest places.
A street where people in their late teens to early-to-mid-twenties gathered.
Until last year, I thought I would never have a reason to come to a place like this in my entire life. To some, it might be no big deal, but to me, a former shut-in, it was a place that made me feel needlessly intimidated.
As I was waiting for a moment in an awkward posture.
“Kang Cheol!”
Golden-brown hair that was almost blond.
A bright yellow cardigan on top and a white long skirt on the bottom. It was an outfit that perfectly matched the expression “lovely.”
A-reum, who had just come out of the subway, spotted me and waved.
‘She looks like a little chick.’
I thought to myself as I waved back.
‘Did I dress too carelessly?’
Since I was still in the 90 kg range, I hadn’t bought any new clothes. So I just wore what I usually did: baggy wide-leg pants and a sweatshirt.
But seeing A-reum, who had gotten all dressed up, excited to go out, made my own outfit look plain in comparison. It made me worry that A-reum might be embarrassed to be seen with me.
“Wow, she’s so pretty.”
“Freaking adorable.”
It was also because I heard comments like these from people nearby.
Today, A-reum was twice as pretty and cute as usual.
“Should I go talk to her?”
“Forget it, you psycho. You can tell she’s in middle or high school.”
“True.”
Middle or high schooler… Well, she does look young. She has a baby face normally, but today she looked even younger, like a little chick.
Just then, A-reum came closer and linked her arm with mine.
“Kang Cheol, what should we do?”
I just stared down at A-reum blankly.
‘Was I worried for nothing?’
It seemed A-reum didn’t care one bit about what I was wearing.
She was just excited as she said, “Ah! I just thought of something! Let’s go there!”
“Where?”
“Boksaetong!”
“Boksae… ah, the bookstore?”
“Yep! The light novel bookstore!”
I let out a dry laugh.
Right, no matter how much she dresses up, A-reum is still A-reum.
“You damn otaku…”
“You don’t like it?”
“I love it. Good idea.”
Before getting something to eat, we went to check out the light novels.
We bought a ton of light novels.
I always order them online, so coming to a bookstore in person to buy books was a pretty fun experience.
‘It’s nice seeing them in person.’
It wasn’t just a bookstore with books; they also had various figures and posters on display, which made browsing enjoyable.
With our hands full of books, we went to get lunch.
“Maybe we should’ve bought the books last. They’re heavy.”
Because we bought the books first, we were stuck carrying them around. I wasn’t used to going out, so I planned the order of events wrong. It seems A-reum hadn’t thought of it either.
Though, I couldn’t understand her complaint about them being heavy.
And for good reason.
“Excuse me, but I’m the one carrying all of your books, too?”
“Hehe. I’ll buy lunch instead, then. I’m counting on you.”
How many books could she possibly carry with that tiny body of hers? In the end, I was stuck with all the luggage. Well, since she offered to buy the lunch I was supposed to pay for, I’ll let it slide.
After that, we roamed around Hongdae, having a blast. A few years ago, Hongdae was widely perceived as a sacred ground for so-called inssa (insiders/popular people) like fashionistas, but recently, it has become just as much a holy land for otakus.
We went to Ani-House, a four-story building entirely dedicated to otaku culture, and bought some merch.
We also went to a specialty figure store and admired the high-quality figures.
“This is insane. Kang Cheol, look at this. You can take the skirt off this figure.”
“Ahem.”
Pretending to be uninterested, I casually glanced over to look with her.
“This one even has panties. Whoa, look at the details. It even has a camel t—Mmph?”
“A-reum, please, lower your voice…”
When a girl like you does that, people might see it as quirky and cute, but it’s a little different for me.
Anyway, after wandering around and buying all sorts of things, our hands were completely full of bags.
“Is it very heavy?”
“It’s not just that it’s heavy, I’ve run out of hands.”
“Sorry. I made you carry too much. I’ll help carry some.”
“Hmm. Then you can take this and this.”
I picked out the lightest items for her. No matter how I thought about it, there was no way she could handle the heavy stuff.
But as soon as she took the bags, A-reum ran off somewhere.
“Let’s go get that!”
“…You’ve got a lot of energy. Hey, you should carry more of this stuff.”
I feel like I’m babysitting my elementary school-aged nephew. To think she still has that much energy after walking around so much.
The place A-reum was pointing at was a stall selling Turkish ice cream.
“Hehe. You’re tired, right? Something cold will give you energy. My treat.”
“Isn’t it just that you want some?”
“Sir, two Turkish ice creams, please! One vanilla and… Kang Cheol, you have the chocolate.”
“Hey, I wanted strawber—”
“You’re having chocolate.”
“…Okay.”
I guess she’s the one who wants chocolate. Since she’s buying, I’ll just obediently accept it.
“Here is your vanilla ice cream-a.”
The shop owner appeared to be a Turkish man who had come from his home country.
He quickly made the ice cream and held it out to A-reum.
“Thank you… huh?”
The moment A-reum grabbed the cone, the ice cream part slipped right out.
The owner said with a mischievous smile, “Ho ho, ice cream-a, over here-a.”
“What the, give me back my ice cream!”
“Sorr-y. Here, here.”
“Thank you… ugh!”
The battle for the ice cream between A-reum and the owner began.
“My ice!”
No, wait, is she just getting completely owned?
“Puhahahaha!”
Watching her hop around here and there was so funny that laughter just burst out of me. The people around me were also cackling.
“Haha. Look over there. She’s so cute.”
“I know, right? Wow, freaking cute.”
“What did you say? Say that again, honey.”
“Huh? N-no, I was just agreeing with…”
I heard someone getting thoroughly chewed out, but it wasn’t my business, so I ignored it.
In the end, after hopping around for a while, A-reum was exhausted and panting. She received the ice cream from the owner as if out of pity.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Here-a, service for you.”
“Hmph…”
Having received an extra scoop of ice cream as service, A-reum came back, at a loss for words. Then she pointed a finger at me and said, “You laughed at all of that, didn’t you? It’s your turn. Go get yours.”
“Ahem. I have all these bags.”
“I can watch them!”
“Tch.”
I smacked my lips awkwardly and went to get my ice cream from the owner. So, am I going to be made a fool of, too?
No, that can’t happen.
‘For your information, I’m a Master tier LoC player.’
Don’t you dare underestimate my dynamic visual acuity and reflexes.
I’ll snatch it in a single try.
I clenched and unclenched my fists, steeling my resolve, and stared at the owner. The owner’s eyes lit up as he met my gaze.
The owner smiled provocatively and said, “Ho ho, it was chocolate flavor, yes?”
“Yes.”
I steeled myself, preparing to engage in a do-or-die battle.
“Here you go-a.”
The owner meekly placed the ice cream in my hand.
“…Huh?”
As I asked back dumbly, a burst of laughter erupted from behind me.
“Kyahahahaha! I was so looking forward to it, and he just gave it to you! Kang Cheol was so serious, and he just gave it to you! Hiyahahaha!”
A-reum’s teasing laughter, having burst its dam, echoed through the street. Then, chuckles began to break out from the people around us as well.
…Hey, why did he just give it to me?
Lick.
The ice cream is delicious, though, goddammit.
Pi A-reum, cackling and teasing, and Kang Cheol-jin, his head hung in embarrassment.
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Among the people watching the two of them was Ahn Seora.
“Cheol-jin and A-reum?”
Ahn Seora, who had come out to meet her high school friends for the first time in a while.
She spotted Kang Cheol-jin and Pi A-reum and was thrown into confusion.
“Why are those two…”
The way they were laughing and chatting with each other looked incredibly close and affectionate. No matter how you looked at it, they seemed to be on a date.
And that’s why she was confused.
‘I was sure Cheol-jin was dating Hana…?’
Ahn Seora had been certain of it.
Because, not long ago, she had witnessed Kang Cheol-jin and Ju Hana having sex in the club room.
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It was her?!?!