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I Fell in Love With My Tomboy Friend’s Avatar

11

Chapter 11

“I heard Jihoon and that one friend of Jeongwon’s got into a huge fight.”

 

“They say it was a really bad physical fight.”

 

“Why did they fight?”

 

Someone squeezed into the conversation and whispered.

 

“Hey, it was because of Jeongwon Yoo. I heard it directly.”

 

“Really?”

 

Everyone’s ears perked up.

 

“That guy, Jeongwon’s old school mate, Eunho Ju, was seriously trash-talking Jeongwon. So Jihoon just turned around and hit him. He’s such a romantic.”

 

“Seriously? I knew Jihoon liked Jeongwon.”

 

The gossipers didn’t seem to realize that Jeongwon herself was nearby. Her face was pinched into a complicated expression.

 

He’s been spreading rumors behind my back?

 

Jeongwon had thought she’d grown a tiny bit—really just an ant’s toenail’s worth—closer to Eunho. She was even starting to think a little bit better of Eunho.

 

But hearing this rumor, she almost smashed the ceramic cup she was holding. She regretted coming to the café near campus.

 

She had been wondering why her classmates were looking at her with pity but not saying anything. But now she wished she hadn’t heard. To think Eunho Ju started these rumors…

 

How horrible was he being for Jihoon to start throwing punches? He’s from the Taekwondo department, he shouldn’t be out there starting bar fights.

 

For Jihoon—not just a member of the Taekwondo department, but the department president—to physically attack Eunho, it must have been serious. She shouldn’t be surprised by Eunho’s behavior, not when he felt so comfortable mocking others and running his mouth.

 

Maybe he’d disparaged the Taekwondo department because Jeongwon, also a member, had never responded to his cruelty with force. She wondered how badly Eunho got beaten. She tried imagining it but felt neither satisfaction nor relief.

 

It was frustrating.

 

Why didn’t Jihoon tell me about it? Was he worried I’d be concerned?

 

Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen much of Jihoon lately. Jeongwon sighed deeply and quietly brought her fist to the table.

 

I was just thinking you’d become a decent person… But Eunho Ju, you’re exactly the same.

 

Disappointment rose from her toes. Even with age, even becoming an adult, Eunho’s true nature hadn’t changed. She supposed that the fight was merely karma for someone who took pleasure in tormenting others.

 

It was so typical of Eunho. Spouting garbage and expecting not to face any repercussions. At the same time, Jihoon began edging his way into her thoughts.

 

…I thought he was just someone who couldn’t resist women, but maybe he’s surprisingly decent.

 

Jeongwon thought somebody couldn’t be that bad if they’d throw punches to defend the honor of an underclassman they weren’t even close with, who they’d only recently started talking to. Though she didn’t want to befriend someone with such violent tendencies, she still had to appreciate the gesture.

 

How much must Jihoon have liked Jeongwon to sully his position as department president?

 

Does he like me that much?

 

Were all his greetings and compliments sincere? She almost felt sorry for finding him annoying all this time. But that didn’t mean she would trust him. At the same time, she thought of Eunho. What was Eunho thinking, helping her while simultaneously spreading rumors so awful that he got beaten up?

 

With her head full of questions, Jeongwon left the café feeling frustrated.

 

“Hey, Eunho Ju!” Jeongwon shouted, spotting him just outside the café. She caught Eunho as he tried to speed walk away.

 

“What exactly did you say to Jihoon?” she demanded. “Do you know about the rumors going around?”

 

“None of your business,” he grumbled.

 

“They’re rumors about me, Eunho, what do you mean it’s none of my business?” She glared at him. “What have you been saying?”

 

Eunho gave a hollow laugh and looked her up and down. “…I said I couldn’t stand seeing you act like you’re pretty, what are you going to do about it?”

 

“What?” Jeongwon felt as though she’d been hit.

 

Eunho exhaled in disbelief. “I said it because I was angry at you for walking around, not knowing your place, you—you—”

 

“What? What?!” she snarled. “Say it!”

 

Eunho opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. His face just went red and his arms swung uncomfortably at his sides. He looked away from her, brows furrowing, and took a deep breath. “Just go, go! Don’t even know your place…”

 

“I don’t know my place? Am I not even allowed to walk down the street?!” she yelled. Yet her anger was dwindling and a chill began to rise within her.

 

Why is he getting mad? I’m the one who should be angry right now. I’m the one who was wronged.

 

Her blood began to boil again, thinking about the friendly facade he’d put on, all the while spreading rumors about her to an upperclassman she barely knew. Jihoon wasn’t even her classmate, but her department’s president. How lowly did he consider her, if he felt comfortable to behave that way? Was he trying to steal her friends? Was the verbal torment not enough? Was he trying to isolate her again?

 

“You think I’m funny?” Jeongwon asked, her voice trembling.

 

“Aren’t you?”

 

“The correct answer is ‘No!’ Jeongwon struck Eunho’s shoulder with her fist.

 

Eunho let out a genuine scream. “You fucker, the whole Taekwondo department is trying to kill people! You’re all insane!”

 

“I’m never asking you anything again.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m never going to ask you for anything ever again,” Jeongwon snapped, a flush blooming across her cheeks. “You’re a shit person who treats people like garbage whenever you feel like it.”

 

Jeongwon stormed away, grinding her teeth.

 

***

 

“Shit… How did Jeongwon know to hit there…”

 

Though Jihoon had said people from the Taekwondo department shouldn’t go around punching people, he’d cleverly chosen spots that wouldn’t show. Of course, Eunho had thrown the first punch, and it was partly his fault, so he couldn’t complain.

 

Even so, Eunho thought, “This really fucking hurts, that crazy bastard…”

 

The Taekwondo department wasn’t given a healthy dose of respect for nothing. Taekwondo was truly an impressive martial art. Eunho couldn’t fight at all and wasn’t even close to being in shape, so he’d gotten his ass handed to him.

 

“This is so fucking embarrassing.”

 

Getting his ass kicked was humiliating, but what was driving him even crazier was the fact that Jeongwon was the reason he got worked up in the first place. Then, on top of that, word of the fight had spread across campus.

 

“I… got into a fight because of Jeongwon Yoo.”

 

Eunho tried to hit his pillow as he screamed, but his injured arm failed him.

 

“But then why is Jeongwon acting like that?”

 

Jeongwon had gotten upset, said she’d never ask him anything again, cursed him and left. He thought she was just throwing another tantrum, but Jeongwon’s attitude changed more and more as days passed.

 

“We run into each other but she doesn’t say hi, doesn’t talk to me, doesn’t contact me…”

 

Beyond not asking about coordinating outfits, Jeongwon was working very hard to ignore Eunho, like she didn’t even see him. Even the polite wave they used to exchange in their shared elective class disappeared. She even pretended not to notice when their eyes met. After a few days, she stopped looking at him altogether. It wasn’t just going back to how things were before—she treated him like a complete stranger.

 

“Why is she so pissed off?”

 

He felt strangely hurt. But of course, it definitely wasn’t because he had feelings toward Jeongwon. It felt like losing a devoted follower. Because of her inability to dress herself, he’d started to take quite an interest in fashion, and now his outlet for that new interest was gone.

 

No, hurt wasn’t the right word either. He just felt empty for a moment. And angry. Even considering their relationship, it wasn’t polite to suddenly cut him off when he’d been trying to help her.

 

“Fine by me! Have a good life, Jeongwon Yoo. Helping you was annoying anyway. I should’ve been getting paid!”

 

Sure, Jeongwon had consistently bought him coffee and meals, but how annoying had it been coordinating outfits all this time? He just felt a momentary void because an irritating presence was gone, and he was a bit angry about being cut off after everything he’d done.

 

That was all. His chest felt tight and stuffy. Had he ever felt this wronged? Eunho wanted to snap at Jeongwon, but also never wanted to see her again.
He wanted an apology from Jeongwon, and to explain himself, and yet, he also didn’t want either of those things.

 

He couldn’t understand himself. He thought it would be better to just erase Jeongwon, this whole topic, from his mind. Eunho didn’t particularly enjoy exploring his inner workings. He was afraid of discovering things he didn’t want to know.

 

“What does it matter? I’m busy playing a new game anyway.”

 

Eventually, Eunho forgot about Gun Tales and started a cute RPG game with chibi characters. To tackle the RPG game’s dungeon, he searched party communities and started playing with complete strangers. A player named OpenWideForHeals appeared in the voice chat.

 

“Hello.”

 

For someone with such an aggressive nickname, she had a gentle voice. Eunho had to turn off his mic so he could laugh deviously.

 

“Her voice is prettier than Ruby’s.”

 

Surely wandering in search of a new goddess like this would make him forget about Jeongwon and everything else.

 

“Hey healer, you’re a really good teammate. Can we play together again? When do you usually come online?”

 

***

 

“Hey, Eunho. I heard Jeongwon and that Taekwondo department president are drinking together today.”

 

“So what?” he answered irritably, without even lifting his head.

 

Eunho was in the middle of an open chat trying to schedule the next dungeon with the healer he met in his new RPG game.

 

“Well, isn’t that president guy kind of weird? I heard from that editorial department guy who drank with you and him last time… He told me you guys had a really creepy conversation.”

 

Seokjun, Eunho’s department classmate, jabbed Eunho’s shoulder with his elbow.

 

Eunho brushed off the arm and answered half-heartedly, “If you heard something like that, you should’ve corrected it, damn. Don’t you care about your friend’s reputation?”

 

“I tried to tell him that wasn’t true, but you know how college rumors are. What can you do when people prefer the twisted version?”

 

“So you’re saying they like the version where I’m the villain?”

 

Seokjun shrugged and answered. “It would make sense to me too. You did spend a lot of time bullying Jeongwon.”

 

“What a shitty world,” Eunho sighed.

 

Seokjun laughed awkwardly. “But aren’t you going to try and stop it? Shouldn’t you tell Jeongwon the truth?”

 

“Why should I?”

 

“They’re drinking together, just the two of them? You said that guy was a creep.”

 

Jeongwon’s face swam to the forefront of Eunho’s mind. Jihoon was definitely a creepy, potentially dangerous person. But how would Jeongwon react if he told her not to drink with Jihoon?

 

“Forget it. It’s pointless for me to say anything. Seokjun, just stop talking to me about Jeongwon.”

 

“You talked about her more, asshole.”

 

“Then let’s both stop talking about it. Let’s forget everything, okay?”

 

“What’s wrong with you guys?” Seokjun asked, ignoring him. “You seemed friendly until now.”

 

Eunho glared at him. “We’re really not friends. Really. Really, really, really fucking not friends.”

 

“Okay, I get it,” Seokjun said, hands raised in surrender.

 

“I’m not going to worry about her anymore so would you please stop bringing her up?”

 

Eunho left Seokjun in the department room and went home. As usual, he turned on his computer with a haphazard toe and logged into his new RPG game Tales Story, then checked his friends list.

 

“Oh, the healer’s here.”

 

He cleared his throat and put on his headset. He just needed to have a sweet dungeon date with the healer, then he could relax, but Eunho kept bouncing his leg.

 

“Damn, am I getting anxiety?”

 

Eunho was chewing on his lips when the voice chat connection sound made him clear his throat again.

 

“Hey healer, where do you want to go today? Exp dungeon?”

 

Even while discussing where to go on his date with the healer, Eunho’s leg wouldn’t hold still. While one finger rapidly alternated between light and heavy attacks, he chewed on another finger.

 

“Yes? Oh, sorry. Yeah, cast some buffs.”

 

Eunho watched their battle against the boss monster progress smoothly, yet he couldn’t shake that gnawing feeling in his gut.

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