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I Fell in Love With My Tomboy Friend’s Avatar

10

Chapter 10

“That camisole dress looked good on you last time, too.”

 

“Is this guy totally insane?”

 

Jeongwon found the lace camisole dress buried deep in her closet, pulled it out, and placed it on her bed, glaring down at it.

 

“When he made fun of me, he said it looked awful… Now he says it looked good?”

 

Jeongwon hadn’t forgotten how Eunho’s merciless jabs had made her cry out of pure embarrassment. Yet now he was acting as if he’d completely forgotten, saying that dress had actually suited her.

 

“Was it a lie? Which part was the lie?”

 

Jeongwon couldn’t tell if he was lying now about the dress looking good, or if he’d been lying back then, when he told her it didn’t suit her.

 

She was about to punch the wall in frustration when she hesitated, lifting a fabric poster that concealed a dent in the wall.

 

“Another hole, and I’m done for.”

 

She’d already put one hole in the wall over Eunho’s taunting and had covered it with the poster. If she did it again, she’d definitely get kicked out. Instead, Jeongwon clenched her fists and pounded the bed.

 

“Is he just messing with me…?”

 

Maybe these clothes didn’t even suit her. Maybe Eunho had been setting her up with odd outfits, and her classmates were just humoring her.

 

But then again, her popularity had been on the rise. Even though she didn’t care for it, girls kept flocking to her. Given the results, Eunho’s taste didn’t seem to be completely wrong.

 

“…Maybe the lace detail didn’t stand out as much.”

 

Maybe the lace camisole dress was an exception, the only one that suited her.

 

She hadn’t even worn it by itself—it had been layered over wide-legged denim to make it more her style.

 

“Ugh… Is that really it?”

 

Jeongwon couldn’t understand Eunho’s intentions. If he was going to tease her, then he should tease her, or if he was bored with it, he could just leave her alone.

 

“…Should I just wear it?”

 

Sighing, Jeongwon grabbed the dress for her afternoon lecture.

 

Every step she took felt awkward and strange, as if she were wearing something that didn’t fit. Just as she crossed the school gate, someone called her name from behind.

 

“Jeongwon.”

 

It was the same senior who’d complimented her outfits before. Jeongwon greeted him briefly and turned to head inside.

 

“That outfit really looks amazing on you, Jeongwon. You look beautiful.”

 

“…Ah, thank you.”

 

Could he be serious? She didn’t know if she could trust his words.

 

The senior continued to admire her clothes and her looks, inching closer with every word. Rumor had it that his attitude was different with guys and girls, which made it hard to believe his flattery was genuine.

 

But then again, he was super supportive even when I dressed more masculinely.

 

And no, she reminded herself, he wasn’t gay. She was clearly a woman. All these tangled thoughts swirled in her head, making her feel exhausted.

 

“Ugh…”

 

“Why are you sighing?”

 

“Just… don’t feel like going to class.”

 

“Dressed so nicely?”

 

She groaned. “…Thank you.”

 

With this guy, it was impossible to get an objective opinion. She was pretty sure he’d say she looked good even if she wore a burlap sack.

 

She forced a stiff smile at his overly friendly grin and quickly made her way into the building.

 

“Eunho, Eunho Ju!”

 

Spotting Eunho inside, Jeongwon rushed over and grabbed him.

 

“This is the outfit you said looked good, right?”

 

Eunho seemed momentarily speechless when he saw her.

 

“Well? Isn’t it? Tell me, does it look good?”

 

Eunho’s eyes darted up to the senior behind her, and a whisper of irritation crossed his face.

 

“It doesn’t suit you,” he replied dismissively and turned to leave. But Jeongwon grabbed the hem of his shirt, tugging him back.

 

It wasn’t a cute tug; it was as if she were trying to tear his shirt off. She turned him halfway around and yanked him backward.

 

“Hey, damn it! Are you trying to strip me in public?”

 

“You idiot, you said it looked good! I wore it because you said so, and now you’re saying it doesn’t? What the hell is your problem?” Jeongwon was hurt. She felt like she was constantly falling for Eunho’s tricks. She’d been taking him at his word all this time. “So all the stuff you said before was lies too, huh? You just said whatever, claiming something looked good or didn’t, just to mess with me, didn’t you?”

 

Eunho, startled, grabbed Jeongwon’s hands and tried to pry them off, shaking his head quickly.

 

“N—no! You think my time is cheap or something? Why would I waste my limited time just to mess with you?”

 

“You did, though!”

 

“Okay, maybe, but—hey, just let go already!”

 

Seeing Jeongwon’s face darkening, Eunho hastily shouted, “Th—the top and bottom don’t match!”

 

Jeongwon froze, still clutching Eunho’s shirt as if it were a failed exam she was about to tear apart.

 

“Wait… Isn’t this the same as last time?”

 

She looked down at her jeans, confused. She was wearing the same wide-leg jeans as before—what was different? Eunho, flustered, cleared his throat and tried to keep his cool.

 

“See, you were wearing light denim last time, and now it’s dark denim. Even with a white top, you can’t just wear anything. White tops look best with light denim, don’t you think?”

 

“Oh… Well… Yeah, I guess I did wear lighter jeans last time.”

 

Eunho let out a relieved sigh as Jeongwon looked down thoughtfully at her jeans, contemplating. Jeongwon released him and pulled out her phone, scanning a shopping app for lighter-wash jeans.

 

“Why… Why do you keep wearing what I tell you to?”

 

When he asked, Jeongwon widened her eyes a bit, but she answered casually, “Because I’m no good at picking clothes. I don’t have an eye for quality, so they wear out fast, or get ruined right after I throw them in the wash…”

 

“Maybe that’s because you’re doing laundry half-heartedly.”

 

“I thought that was normal—just sorting out whichever clothes survived.”

 

“Quit treating it like a survival game and do laundry properly.”

 

As Jeongwon began looking up proper laundry techniques,

 

Eunho kept glancing toward the good-looking senior who’d been hovering nearby.

 

“Hey, though…”

 

“Don’t wear light denim?”

 

“No, not that. …What did that senior say to you?”

 

Without hesitation, Jeongwon replied blandly, “No idea.”

 

“What?”

 

“I don’t know. I just said hi. Anyway, would faded black jeans be a bad match, too?”

 

“Just pick for yourself! You’re sending my whole day downhill!”

 

Eunho, clearly frustrated, stormed off toward the lecture hall, leaving Jeongwon standing alone, watching him with a puzzled expression.

 

“There he goes, acting crazy again.”

 

***

 

Lighter denim is better. What the heck am I doing?

 

Eunho sighed, resting his face on the cold tabletop. He had genuinely tried to pick out clothes that looked good on Jeongwon, though his intentions weren’t entirely innocent.

 

He’d deliberately chosen mostly tomboyish clothes to keep her from getting too full of herself and attracting a new wave of “victims.”

 

If Jeongwon ever found out the clothes she’d picked really did suit her and that he’d lied about what didn’t suit her, she’d probably start crying all over again.

 

Pathetic. Do you cry like that when you lose points in a match? Is that the spirit of a true athlete?

 

He wanted to say that to her, but every time he thought about Jeongwon’s teary face, he felt a twinge of guilt.

 

Should I just pick what really suits her?

 

But wouldn’t it be easier to just mess with her like he used to? He worried now that even if he picked some truly ridiculous outfit, Jeongwon would trust his word and wear it without a second thought.

 

Then again, the girls around her would say something.

 

Her classmates weren’t stupid. They’d only praised her lace camisole dress, her recent shirts, and the slacks because they genuinely suited her.

 

If she showed up in something ridiculous, they’d probably step in and tell her it wasn’t right.

 

So I’m stuck being her personal stylist forever?‘

 

That prospect was irritating. Plus, he didn’t like the idea of good-looking guys, like the senior who’d been following her earlier, hitting on her.

 

Not that it’s my problem or anything.‘

 

Eunho pressed his ice-cold Americano against his cheek to cool down. He’d even gone outside on this hot summer weekend, just to clear his head.

 

Who cared if Jeongwon ended up dating someone? It didn’t affect him, and he actually felt a little sorry for anyone she might ensnare with her antics. But something was still nagging at him.

 

“She is seriously not good at flirting…”

 

In real life, Jeongwon was so awkward. She seemed to attract “victims” only in games.

 

If he didn’t know any better, Eunho might have thought he was worried Jeongwon might end up meeting the wrong people, getting emotionally hurt, or even financially taken advantage of, and end up spiraling into despair.

 

“To be that clueless with a face like that? That’s a talent.”

 

Jeongwon was the type who’d been so completely focused on sports that, even though she was always surrounded by guys, she hadn’t dated anyone—true naive.

 

On top of that, she was totally oblivious and annoyingly easygoing, so despite her looks, only a few guys had actually tried to approach her seriously.

 

“Ugh… Why am I even worried about this?”

 

Eunho fretted that, by dressing Jeongwon too well, people might start noticing her appeal, and then, if Jeongwon ended up with someone who caused her trouble, it’d be partially on Eunho for setting her up.

 

With that bizarre guilt bouncing around in his mind, Eunho buried his head in his hands on the table, causing the ice in his Americano to clink.

 

Maybe I really should style her properly at least once.

 

If he picked out outfits with weird intentions and ended up feeling guilty, he’d just lose sleep anyway. It was better to help her for real, just once.

 

“Are you seriously telling me to wear this?”

 

The reason Eunho had come out on this hot summer weekend was none other than Jeongwon. Closing his eyes and picking what he thought would genuinely suit Jeongwon, Eunho handed her a crisp, white linen blouse and denim skirt.

 

“You’re kidding, right? You’re doing this just to mess with me…”

 

“It’s scorching out there—do I need to say it twice? If you’re not gonna try it, I’m going home. If you think I’m wasting my precious time—”

 

“Fine, fine… I’ll put it on, okay?”

 

Jeongwon dashed off to the changing room. Eunho waited, sucking down the last of his iced Americano, feeling unexpectedly nervous.

 

“How is it?”

 

When Jeongwon finally stepped out, Eunho felt like the world was spinning. Maybe it was from finishing that nearly empty drink so fast.

 

“Well?”

 

Eunho found it hard to form words, just staring at Jeongwon in stunned silence. Jeongwon looked at him strangely, probably wondering what was going on.

 

“Does it look good or not?”

 

Still speechless, Eunho just gazed at her, ice clinking in his cup.

 

I’m actually amazing at this stylist thing…

 

***

 

“Eunho Ju, hey. This is Taekwondo Department Rep, Jihoon Kim.”

 

So he’s the department rep? Just did that to meet girls, huh? Quite the dedication.

 

Eunho thought, looking at the “handsome senior” who’d been hitting on Jeongwon lately. Jihoon had been glued to Jeongwon’s side every time they walked around campus.

 

“So, you’re friends with Jeongwon? Are you close?” Jihoon Kim asked.

 

“We’re not close.”

 

“I see you together all the time these days.”

 

“She borrowed money from me and still hasn’t paid it back,” Eunho flung back.

 

“Oh, is that so?”

 

It seemed Jihoon Kim, Taekwondo Department Rep, had ended up at a drinking gathering with the student council and the school paper editors. Since Eunho was in the student council, he had to attend.

 

“Eunho, you really aren’t close with Jeongwon?”

 

“Don’t even put our names in the same sentence. We’re not close.”

 

Jihoon snorted. “Your expression’s priceless.”

 

“Your face is funnier.”

 

“Ah, Eunho Ju, I really like you.”

 

Eunho really couldn’t stand Jihoon Kim.

 

Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but Jihoon seemed to be warming up to Eunho.

 

“You know, Eunho, Jeongwon can be kind of… stiff, right?”

 

“Yeah, sure. ‘Stiff’ doesn’t even cover it; she’s like a total block of wood.”

 

“Exactly. I was trying to get to know her better, but it’s not easy.”

 

“Why would you want to get to know someone like her?”

 

In the casual atmosphere, another Taekwondo student nearby laughed and gave Jihoon a pat on the shoulder.

 

“Hey, man, you’re really trying to make a move on Jeongwon? I mean, these days, she’s been looking seriously good.”

 

“Huh? Doesn’t she have a boyfriend or something? Figured that’s why she’s dressing like that.”

 

Eunho gripped his glass a little tighter, staying silent as he listened. When Jeongwon’s name came up, Jihoon chuckled slightly and responded.

 

“Nah, she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Right?”

 

Jihoon raised an eyebrow, looking to Eunho for confirmation. With a bored tone, Eunho gave a half-hearted answer.

 

“Yeah, yeah. She doesn’t. Would she?”

 

“Why not? That face is damn attractive.” Jihoon smirked, pulling up one corner of his mouth. “Girls who play sports can be pretty naive in some ways. Judging by the way Jeongwon acts, it’s the same.”

 

Without noticing Eunho’s reaction, Jihoon continued in a lowered voice.

 

“She seems like she’s probably never even dated anyone, right?”

 

Jihoon seemed to be probing for confirmation. Eunho clenched his drink but gave a flat response.

 

“I wouldn’t know.”

 

“Really? Well, judging by the way she acts, that’s the impression I get.” Jihoon glanced around, then muttered quietly, “So, she’s a total newbie, huh? If you handle it right… You could get what you want without dating her.”

 

Eunho knew it shouldn’t matter to him if Jeongwon ended up with Jihoon or anyone else. Like he always said, he and Jeongwon weren’t friends; if anything, they barely tolerated each other.

 

But his mouth didn’t seem to be aware of that fact.

 

“You filthy bastard—did you seriously just say that?”

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