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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Three days passed.
During that time, I finished all my overdue illustration commissions and video editing work. For the record, I wasn’t accepting any more extra commissions. I had some savings put aside, so I planned to only take on work when I had the time.
This caused a slight problem.
Yoo Si: How could you do that! Steel, you traitor! You’re making big bucks now. You’ve gotten lazy!
Me: Sorry, Yoo Si. School’s gotten busy.
Yoo Si: ??? School? You’re going back to school?
Yoo Si knew roughly about my situation. Back when I was still a shut-in, I confided in her about everything.
At that time, I desperately needed someone, anyone, to vent to. And Yoo Si, maturely, listened to my sudden outpouring of woes.
Because of this, I felt indebted to Yoo Si. She was the only person besides my family who offered me a breath of fresh air when I was struggling.
Me: I started university. I couldn’t stay home forever.
Yoo Si: …I think going to school is a good choice. It’s a shame I can’t commission you anymore, though. I’ll be rooting for you.
With just that one sentence about starting university, Yoo Si’s attitude changed. A smile graced her lips.
Me: But I promise I’ll contact you first whenever I have free time. You’re my top priority, Yoo Si.
Yoo Si: Don’t forget your promise. No other artist draws as arousingly as you, Steel.
Me: Don’t worry. You’ll always be my number one client, Yoo Si.
A big spender and a regular client. Even setting those reasons aside, I had to repay the kindness she’d shown me. No matter what, Yoo Si’s commissions would always come first.
After finishing my conversation with Yoo Si, I picked up the bag I had packed earlier.
“Ugh, I don’t want to go.”
Today was the day of the MT (membership training/orientation trip).
Arriving at the departure point…
“Author-nim─!”
“Oof?!”
I felt a small impact from behind.
It was Pi A-reum, who had arrived earlier, headbutting me.
“…What are you doing so early in the morning?”
“Hee hee. Just showing my gratitude to our Author-nim.”
She was thanking me for giving her the virtual character for free. Ever since that day, she’d been headbutting me like this every time she saw me.
“If you’re grateful, use your words. Stop body-slamming me every time we meet.”
Ignoring my reprimand, A-reum excitedly shoved her phone in my face.
“Look! I have over twenty viewers now!”
“I know. I’m one of them.”
I found out A-reum was streaming three days ago.
That cheesily named “PibadaTV” (Blood Sea TV).
It was fascinating that someone I knew was streaming, so I always tuned in. I also needed to check if the virtual character I made was working properly.
But A-reum was only just realizing that I’d been watching her broadcasts.
“Huh? You’ve been watching my streams? I didn’t see your nickname.”
“Well, I made a new account.”
“What! Tell me your nickname!”
My original nickname was ‘Steel,’ but after finding out A-reum was the streamer, I created a new one.
The reason for creating a new account?
It’s more fun to tease her as a regular viewer!
“Nope. A little privacy, please.”
“So mean! Tell me, tell me!”
“Whoa! Don’t cling to me!”
A-reum jumped and clung to my back. Her arms wrapped around my neck, making it hard to breathe. Cough, cough.
“I won’t let go until you tell me!”
“I said I’m not telling you! Let me enjoy the stream!”
“You’re just going to troll, aren’t you? I know it!”
How did she know? Her intuition is sharp.
As A-reum and I were bickering, we attracted attention. Ugh, I hate being the center of attention.
Sure enough, some of my classmates around us started asking:
“Are A-reum and Cheol-jin dating?”
“Are you two the Design Department’s first couple?”
Everyone was a vigorous 20-year-old. Even those who entered university after retaking the entrance exam were only a year or two older. Naturally, they were very interested in relationships.
Some of the male classmates were subtly giving me jealous looks. A-reum was undeniably beautiful. It was only natural that she’d attract male attention. I’d even heard a rumor that one of them had already confessed and been rejected.
I looked around with a troubled expression. What should I say? I should obviously deny it, but I was worried A-reum might feel bad.
‘It’s true we’re not dating, but….’
Even so, we’d slept together multiple times. Wouldn’t she be offended if I flatly denied it? I hadn’t even defined our relationship myself.
But it seemed my worries were unfounded.
“No way? Steel’s just my best friend.”
A-reum denied it outright. Her tone was so firm that the guys who’d asked felt awkward.
“O-Oh, really? You’re always together, so I misunderstood.”
“We became close at the freshman orientation. You know we met up before then, right?”
“Ah, so Cheol-jin was there too.”
I heard voices around us saying, “Ah, I should have gone,” expressing their regret. It was a reaction I’d heard many times. Since everyone who attended that gathering was attractive, a lot of people felt regretful after learning about it.
But they were mistaken about one thing. Even if they had come to the freshman gathering, A-reum wouldn’t have clung to them like this. For example, her attitude towards me was different from her attitude towards Sung-joo hyung and Sung-hyun. Of course, she was more affectionate with them than with others.
“Alright, everyone, please get on the bus.”
Naturally, the group members sat together on the bus.
The person sitting next to me was Sung-hyun. I had originally planned to sit with A-reum, but I gave up because it would have attracted too much attention.
Pi A-reum: Too bad. I was going to play with your dick on the bus.
Me: A-reum, please…….
Pi A-reum: Honestly, you’re turned on, right? Admit it.
I had to admit it. If A-reum were actually next to me, I might have been groping her too.
Still, couldn’t she tone down her language a bit? Even just half the pretense she showed to others would be nice.
Surprisingly, A-reum’s image was completely different to everyone except me. The side she showed me was the embodiment of lust, a bit crudely put, like a bitch in heat. But to other friends, she was an innocent and cute younger sister.
Was she taking out all the pent-up frustration from pretending on me? That seemed plausible.
“Cheol-jin, want some snacks?”
Sung-hyun offered me some snacks. I wondered what he had packed in his bag.
I hesitated for a moment before shaking my hand.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m on a diet right now.”
“A diet? Now that you mention it, you have lost weight.”
Surprisingly, my current weight was 97kg. I had finally reached double digits. Compared to when I weighed 130kg, it was like I had shed the weight of an elementary school student.
“I want to try to get down to 80kg.”
“I see. But is it really worth skipping the snacks? You’ll be drinking and eating meat today anyway. It won’t make much of a difference.”
“…You’re right.”
“It’s okay to indulge sometimes. You can just work out harder after the MT. One day of eating won’t instantly turn into fat. You’ll lose it quickly with interval training.”
Coming from a muscle head, his words were incredibly persuasive. I ended up accepting the snacks. Ah, it had been so long since I’d had snacks.
Just then, someone tapped the back of my seat. I turned around to see Sung-joo hyung holding out a can.
“Steel, want some?”
“Ah, thanks, hyung.”
I opened the can and took a sip.
“Huh? Hyung, isn’t this beer?”
“Ehahaha. Tasty, right? It’s a low-alcohol fruit beer.”
“Wait, why are we drinking beer on the bus?”
“What’s the big deal? We’re not the ones driving.”
Kim Sung-joo shrugged nonchalantly.
He had a point. Since we weren’t driving, it didn’t matter.
Still, beer on the bus… It felt strangely naughty. Like sneaking alcohol on a school trip. Even though I was an adult now and there was no problem with it, it still felt that way.
‘Is it because my mental age is young?’
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I silently drank my beer.
But it seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Yoo Bam sunbae, who was sitting next to me, was looking at us with sparkling eyes.
“I-Is that alcohol? Beer?”
“Ah, yes. Fruit beer, though.”
“Ooh, Cheol-jin is a very bad person. A bad guy.”
Perhaps it was because she was raised sheltered, like her appearance suggested, but her reaction to mere alcohol was quite extreme. And despite calling me a bad person, her face looked incredibly intrigued.
“…Should I offer you some too, Yoo Bam sunbae?”
“C-Can I?”
“Well, it’s not mine, but… Sung-joo hyung, do you have any more beer left? Yoo Bam sunbae wants some too.”
“Yeah, I have one can left. So, want some?”
“U-ummm.”
Yoo Bam sunbae stared at the beer can in Sung-joo hyung’s hand with an incredibly serious expression. I wondered why she was agonizing so much over a single can of beer.
After closing her eyes tightly and opening them again, Yoo Bam sunbae accepted the beer. She took a sip and then…
“Ah. Delicious. It tastes like cherry!”
“Sunbae, is this your first time drinking?”
“Nope. I’ve had a few drinks since I came to Korea. But this is my first time outside of a store. This is a very bad thing.”
Her first time drinking since coming to Korea? That was quite unexpected. I thought foreigners were much more open when it came to drinking and having fun, but Yoo Bam sunbae’s family seemed quite strict.
Our drinking and chatting was short-lived.
Silence soon fell over the bus.
I thought a university MT would be boisterous and lively, but that wasn’t the case. Everyone seemed tired from waking up early and closed their eyes, trying to get some rest.
I was also tired, so I soon fell asleep. Hoping that the MT would pass by peacefully without any incidents.
·
We arrived at the MT location.
Getting off the bus and looking around, I saw quite a few people besides us. Judging by their age, they seemed to be on an MT like us, too.
“Oh, look over there. That’s our university’s Fashion Design and Sports Management departments. They came to the same place.”
Sung-joo hyung pointed them out.
How could he tell without them carrying signs?
“How do you know?”
“There are a few people wearing department jackets. And there’s someone in the Fashion Design department I dated in high school…”
Sung-joo hyung added, smacking his lips with an awkward expression.
“Thankfully, she’s not visible. Steel, want to go hunting (for girls) at the Fashion Design department tonight? It’s a female-dominated department, so there are a lot of pretty girls there.”
My eyes widened. What was up with him all of a sudden?
“Hyung, I thought you weren’t interested in girls?”
The Kim Sung-joo I knew was a social butterfly who could lead the atmosphere and make everyone feel comfortable. And perhaps because he was two years older, he also seemed quite mature.
That’s why his current behavior, eager to check out girls, was so unexpected.
But Sung-joo hyung asked back as if he didn’t understand what I meant.
“Are there men who don’t like women? I’m not gay.”
“No, I just didn’t think you were the type to suggest hunting for girls. You didn’t seem interested in the girls in our department either.”
Sung-joo hyung chuckled and explained.
“That’s because they’re in the same department. I don’t usually mess with girls who are close by. It gets troublesome later.”
Sung-joo hyung said, sighing deeply as if he had achieved enlightenment.
“Ah, but I’m rooting for you and A-reum.”
“No, I’m not dating A-reum.”
“Really? I was sure you two were dating. Well, that’s even better. Let’s gather the guys later and go hunting at the Fashion Design department.”
Sung-joo hyung put his arm around my shoulder and whispered. It seemed he’d already made up his mind about going hunting for girls.
“Ah, no. Wouldn’t it be better to take other guys? Some handsome ones.”
“What’s wrong with you? You’re handsome enough.”
“Come on, don’t tease me. I just barely got under 100kg.”
“Whoa, are you serious? You don’t know what you’re talking about. There are a lot of girls who like your cuddly style. The bear type.”
“R-Really?”
Come to think of it, A-reum had also called me a polar bear. Maybe I was more attractive than I thought?
‘I did hear I was handsome when I was younger.’
But I had gained so much weight that my former appearance was no longer visible. I had changed so drastically that I didn’t even think about the past.
“Okay. So it’s settled then? We’re going hunting tonight?”
“Y-Yes? Hyung, wait a minute. Ah…”
Kim Sung-joo patted my back and then hurried off to join the rest of the Design Department, leaving me speechless. He definitely did that on purpose, knowing I couldn’t refuse…
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