Ep. 32
The sea trip significantly deepened my relationship with Heena. On the way back, I didn’t head straight home; instead, I dropped Heena off and we even had a date near her place before saying goodbye. It was enjoyable, but the fatigue definitely piled up.
As a result, I arrived home completely exhausted, only to find my parents, older brother, and Yoonjung noona [older sister or close female friend] all gathered and waiting for me.
I assumed they wanted to hear about my trip, but their curiosity wasn’t about the trivial details.
“Did you do it? Did you do it??” Yoonjung noona repeated beside me, acting so flippant.
Seriously, what did they think I did?
I wanted to ignore her, but everyone’s eyes were sparkling with genuine curiosity.
“I didn’t.”
“Aww~ Don’t leave us out~ Huh? I know you’re embarrassed to talk about it, but noona is just so curious..!!”
“What’s the point of me saying anything when you don’t even believe me even if I tell the truth…”
It wasn’t just noona; my parents and brother were also curious about that part, and the topic heated up for a while.
However, the moment they realized that I wasn’t saying I didn’t do it because I was embarrassed, but because I genuinely didn’t…
“Wow… how…”
Noona was in shock, and the cold eyes of my family behind her pierced me.
I was genuinely wronged. I’m still a student, maintaining restraint and having a healthy relationship, but they’re acting like this? Does that make sense?
How can they look at their son, their brother, like he’s some kind of idiot?
I came home exhausted, but instead of a warm welcome, I was met with people who hurt me with their gazes, as if wondering what kind of weirdo I was.
I felt like crying, so I washed up quickly and went back to my room. I lay in bed, chatting with Heena to heal my heart.
[Heena: I just finished showering~ Did you get home okay? You must be tired, so rest well :> I love you!]
I felt my heart warming at her slightly more intimate message and kind words.
I just wish I could live with Heena, really.
If we can go to the same university… I wonder if something like living together would be possible?
I continued to fantasize about the distant future. Maybe someday, it could become a reality, not just a fantasy.
—
A few days have passed since returning from the trip.
During that time, I enjoyed my vacation to the fullest, resting at home and consistently meeting up with Heena to spend time together.
Just hanging out was great, of course, but after the trip, I became a little more motivated to study for various reasons.
So, I brought up the idea of mixing in some studying during our dates, but I got the answer that we should start around the halfway point of the vacation.
Thanks to that, my days have been spent either playing games with friends through voice calls or meeting up with Heena to hang out.
And today was the day I actually met up with my friends in person, not just through voice calls.
─Have fun~ Even though I’ll be lonely guarding the house, Yeonhoo can have fun and come back!
“…….”
That call, where she had been outwardly expressing her possessiveness since the trip, held me back.
My girlfriend’s possessiveness was pleasing, but on the other hand, it was a little… a little something.
“Hey, Heena. You also met your friend yesterday…”
─Ah~ I did, didn’t I? But I met them after my date with Yeonhoo! Don’t worry about it~.
“……..”
I’m getting dizzy.
I thought this was much better than her reacting anxiously to my every move, but I didn’t know how to respond to this. My fingertips trembled with pressure.
But I had nothing to say. I couldn’t tell her not to go out.
I had no choice.
“Heena.”
─Whyyy?
“I love you.”
─…Pfft
I emptied my head and just threw it out there, and Heena made a sound like air escaping. The reaction wasn’t bad.
Okay, this worked..
─So, Yeonhoo is abandoning his beloved girlfriend to go out and play?
Wow.
“So it turns out that way again!”
I was amazed. At the same time, I had nothing more to say, and I felt suffocated.
Just as I was about to faint from dizziness, I heard Heena’s laughter from beyond the phone.
─Just kidding~ Have fun today!
“Phew… I think 90% of that was genuine… Okay.”
─Huh? Only 90..?
“………You said it was a joke…?”
─Hehe, okay. I’ll stop now~ Text me later!
“Okay, I’ll send you messages whenever I have time.”
─Promise?
“Promise.”
The call ended there.
I broke out in a cold sweat at that conversation, which seemed about 99% genuine. I felt a little damp on my back, so much so that I changed my clothes again.
—
It had been almost ten days since I last met my friends in person.
I had been playing games with them constantly, except for when I was meeting Heena.
Those guys, whom I hadn’t seen in so long, sat around me in a corner of the PC cafe [internet cafe], as if surrounding me, and stared at me with eyes that seemed ready to devour me.
When we were just hearing each other’s voices at home while playing games, there wasn’t much to say. They did shower me with curses for posting pictures in the group chat and disappearing for a while.
I thought they were just going to let the trip story slide since we were just chatting and joking around as usual while focusing on the game, but it seemed like they had been eagerly anticipating the day we would meet in person.
However, it wasn’t the kind of atmosphere where they were going to beat me to death like they did in the classroom before; they just had faces that seemed starved for something.
Wondering what was going on, I stayed still, and the big guy Kim Soohwang opened his mouth.
“…Hey.”
“What.”
“You… on the trip…”
“On the trip?”
“Did you…”
He hesitated there for a moment, and the guys around him were urging him on with their eyes. It was like he was taking on the role of a leader.
Eventually, the words that came out of his mouth were…
“…Did you do it?”
“Are you crazy?!”
Are these guys also just wanting to hear about that?!
“Seriously, all of you! Is there nothing else you’re curious about besides that!!”
“Of course!! That’s the most important thing, you son of a bitch!!!”
“Seeing him get angry like that, he must have done it!!”
“Wow, seriously? I really want to tear Han Yeonhoo, that son of a bitch, to pieces.”
I shouted in disbelief, and curses flew in from all directions in retaliation.
Ha, I wouldn’t feel so wronged if I had actually done it.
“I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it, you sons of bitches!”
“Liar. Look at him lying.”
“Looking at the pictures you sent, there’s no way you didn’t do it, you bastard.”
“Swimsuit… ha… While we were at home watching Japanese women, this bastard was actually…”
Idiots writhing in envy over something I didn’t even do.
Do I really have to convince these crazy guys?
I was running my hands over my face in despair when Jung Yoonseong, who had been silently watching the ridiculous situation, spoke in a trembling voice.
“W-wait a minute… Han Yeon didn’t actually do it, did he…? If this guy had done it, there’s no way he’d be like this… Even if he didn’t brag in detail out of consideration for his girlfriend, he’d be wearing a smug grin right now…”
Still, he recognized that because he’s been my friend for five years.
But what came back after hearing Yoonseong’s words wasn’t relief, but shock. Just like Yoonjung noona’s reaction.
“You went together… and you didn’t do it?”
“Your parents officially allowed you to go, right?”
“And from what I hear, your girlfriend seems really proactive…”
“But you didn’t do it?”
They looked at me with disbelieving eyes. I didn’t like it at all. It was like seeing my family from ten days ago.
“Yeonhoo, you…”
After a moment of silence, Soohwang, who had first brought up the topic, spoke in a very subdued voice.
“Are you perhaps impotent…?”
“I’m going to kill you today, you son of a bitch!!”
I snapped at those words that insulted me and genuinely lunged at him. There are times when a man has to fight even if he knows he shouldn’t!
However, that guy easily suppressed both of my arms with the strength that came from his ignorant physique and chuckled.
“We believed in you…!”
“That’s right~ Wow, I feel so relieved, I’m really in the mood for a game.”
“I can definitely get an Ippan [slang for winning a game easily] today.”
“Hey, what are you doing! Let’s play a game!”
“Y-you… s-sons of bitches…”
The desire to kill surged from within. The ten bastards, who were so heated that they were about to reach enlightenment, came up to me one by one and patted me on the back.
After saying things like ‘are you impotent’ to a virile man, they returned to their seats with smiles like Buddhas.
I barely suppressed the urge to beat up everything, including the game.
Sigh, okay. Let’s calm down. I would have been the most curious about that too, and if I had heard that they went all the way there and didn’t do anything, I might have reacted similarly.
I didn’t even tell them that we used only one room, but the story of going to the sea with my girlfriend and spending the night together without doing anything… hmm.
Thinking about it again, it did sound strange even to me.
“……..”
Was I really too impotent..?
Honestly, Heena was much more proactive than these guys imagined, and I didn’t take what she offered… no, that’s not it.
I held back because I wanted to continue the relationship more seriously, as much as Heena’s parents and my parents believed in us.
I don’t know if it was the right thing to do, but it was the best I could think of.
And I did have a deep kiss.
I shook off the random thoughts and turned my gaze to the monitor, but Soohwang, who was sitting next to me, kept talking to me.
“But how was Sokcho?”
“It was good. The timing was perfect when we went. There were just the right amount of people.”
“Your girlfriend does everything for you, right? Did she buy you everything this time too?”
“Um… actually, my mom booked the accommodation for us. So, Heena’s father gave us his card to buy food. We mostly used that.”
“Your parents did everything for you. You didn’t spend much money, did you?”
“I didn’t spend anything except for transportation.”
Now that I think about it, I should go and thank them. Should I go after Heena’s brother is discharged from the military? It’s a bit 부담스럽긴 [burdensome/awkward], but.
I answered appropriately and moved the mouse, but this guy’s mouth wouldn’t stop.
“How does it feel to go on a trip with your girlfriend?”
The content of the question was quite pitiful. I only talk about detailed stories related to Heena with Yoonseong, so he might be curious.
With the thought of gradually cutting him off and focusing on the game, I spoke with a mix of sincerity and joking.
“It’s always new and thrilling.”
“Should I break your finger joints first?”
“I’m serious. You don’t know because you’ve never experienced it?”
“That was a very brave statement, Han Yeonhoo.”
“Crazy, my fingers!!! Sorry, ah!! I’m sorry!!”
I barely managed to push away the guy who was trying to break my fingers with all his might. My fingers were very sore, and it seemed like he had come at me with 100% sincerity to my half-joking words.
Ugh, these singles are so narrow-minded.