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I Fell in Love With My Tomboy Friend’s Avatar

15

Chapter 15

“Tell me now! Why did you do it?”

 

“That hurts! You’re hurting me! Aren’t martial artists supposed to have some discipline?!”

 

Jeongwon only twisted his arm harder. Eunho was rapidly losing the will to resist. There was no doubt in his mind that she was the top student in her department. Even as Eunho cried out, Jeongwon showed no signs of loosening her grip.

 

“I’ll let go if you tell me! Why did you punch Jihun, Eunho? And in middle school too, you beat up that guy who was making fun of me, right? Maybe…”

 

Eunho’s struggling stilled. He looked up at Jeongwon with difficulty, wary of her next words.

 

“Did you come because you were worried about me? What exactly do you think I am to you? Spit it out!”

 

“W—why are you asking me that?”

 

“You know why! Keep resisting if you want to lose your arm.”

 

“You lunatic, stop it!”

 

Eunho quickly realized that he had to talk if he didn’t want his arm snapped in half. Even though Jeongwon didn’t seem to be using much force, Eunho’s arm was still far weaker.

 

“You—You—You’re fucking full of yourself, shit. Why would I worry about you? You? Jeongwon Yoo?”

 

“What?” Surprise relaxed her fingers.

 

“I’d be more worried about a passing dog. I’d be more worried that the dog might eat something dangerous on a walk!”

 

“Maybe I should have gagged you…”

 

Eunho pulled his arm free, taking advantage of her loosened grip. and shook it hard to coax some of the blood back in. He could do nothing to shift Jeongwon’s body off of him, however.

 

“I’ve always really fucking hated self-righteous, entitled picks,” he shouted at her. “When I see them, my teeth grind and my head pounds. My throat gets scratchy and itchy, my eyes swell up and stuff like that.”

 

Jeongwon blinked at him. “Isn’t that an allergy?”

 

“Yeah, I have an allergy to pretentiousness, fuck! When I see guys so full of themselves they won’t take their hands out of their pockets, acting all high and mighty, my fists can’t stay still.”

 

***

 

Jeongwon quietly looked down at the back of Eunho’s head as he ranted.

 

“Doesn’t the allergy not apply to yourself?” she said finally.

 

“What?”

 

“You’re the most pretentious one, Eunho…”

 

“When you say you have a water allergy, do you think your body explodes? Why don’t you react to the 70% water in your body too?”

 

That’s your thought process?”

 

“Anyway, I hate guys like that, that’s why I did it. Okay?”

 

What kind of psycho takes it upon himself to punish everyone who acts pretentious with his fists, like he’s some wild west sheriff? As Jeongwon looked at him suspiciously, she suddenly remembered—Eunho was just born a crazy bastard, even without external factors.

 

“Yeah, you always have been batshit…”

 

“You’re talking like you’ve figured out all the world’s truths.”

 

“Hmm, then… The other night…”

 

“Even if it wasn’t you, if it was some other girl in that situation, I would have fucking rushed over and beat Jihoon up for that too. I pity Earth for having pieces of shit like him wasting oxygen.”

 

“So—So that’s it…”

 

As Jeongwon slid off his back, Eunho pushed her away and stood up.

 

“Fuck, really… You should return your uniform, fuck…”

 

“So—So that’s all it was… Um, I didn’t know, um…”

 

Jeongwon felt like she would die of embarrassment. It was just like Eunho said, she had been too self-important. That guy from middle school too, he was talked about a lot among girls for being too egotistical. Jihoon had his own distasteful rumors, and he probably acted even more like a dick in male-only settings.

 

On top of that, Jeongwon found herself agreeing with the statement that Eunho would have done the same even if it was “another girl.” He has simply thought of her, not as Jeongwon, but as a girl who needed help. After all, even if the person being discussed was an enemy, you still wouldn’t let comments like Jihoon’s slide.

 

As Jeongwon awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck, Eunho raised his middle finger.

 

“If you do this again, I’ll really press charges next time.”

 

“Oh, okay… Sorry…”

 

Jeongwon thought of Eunho’s past as she watched his retreating back, heaving with heavy breaths.

 

“…Has he always been that kind of person?”

 

If someone asked her whether Eunho was a good person, the answer would definitely be no. He was closer to being a devil, trash, a villain.

 

Yet a person like him said he would have rushed over and thrown punches even if it had been another girl in that situation.

 

“…Hmm…””

 

Despite getting the answers she sought, Jeongwon still felt uneasy.

 

***

 

“Wow, shit. Who does she think she is, a physical therapist? Sitting there giving amateur physical therapy.”

 

A disconcerting creaking sound kept coming from Eunho’s arm. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem like it should be coming from a human body. Trying to cradle his nearly-broken arm, Eunho could feel his expression being pulled into something complicated.

 

“Does she, well, h—have such little self control? Is it because Taekwondo department students do, like, sparring and stuff?”

 

Eunho’s face suddenly flushed as he rubbed the arm Jeongwon had twisted. He couldn’t stop thinking about it.

 

How Jeongwon had mounted his back, thrown her arms around him, and yanked his arm behind his back, or how Jeongwon’s body had felt against his, or how Jeongwon’s chest had pressed against his forearm… The temperature of her body.

 

His mind kept ruminating on things like the soap scent that wafted whenever she moved, despite probably not wearing perfume, and the white wrist that had thrust the gaming mouse in front of his face.

 

When Jeongwon mounted his back and kept moving, it was kind of…

 

“Ah, fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

 

Without consciously deciding to, Eunho slapped his own cheek, hard. It hurt more than the arm that Jeongwon had nearly splintered. Eunho suddenly stopped and sat down in the middle of the street.

 

What, am I getting b—butterflies or something? No way, my heart was pounding because it was painful. When something really fucking hurts, your heart pounds like crazy. That’s what this is.

 

Eunho slowly took deep breaths as he returned home. Even as he entered the house, took off his shoes at the entrance, washed his hands in the bathroom, and sat comfortably in his desk chair, he kept thinking about Jeongwon.

 

This is… This is…

 

He was working hard to forget the warmth of Jeongwon’s body, her powerful muscles, her beautiful face, and the feeling of her weight on his back.

 

Eunho muttered, “This is trauma, PTSD, fear that’s been imprinted.”

 

He recalled seeing Jihoon startle and run away the moment he saw Jeongwon. That was the state Eunho was in now. It was a state where the mere sight of Jeongwon could trigger the pain from her attack to come back, make his heart pound, sweat flow, face turn red, and cause him to constantly recall the sensations of her body.

 

“Games, let’s play games. Forget about it.”

 

His heart wouldn’t stop, clearly indicating just how frightening it had been. While massaging his chest, Eunho opened the packaging of the gaming mouse Jeongwon had given him.

 

“Damn, this girl. After acting all high and mighty about games, did she lose her senses? Why’d she give me such a fancy mouse?”

 

Although what Jeongwon had given him was a fairly expensive mouse, it had a grip that didn’t suit Eunho well.

 

“Damn it, shit. This is so uncomfortable. What games am I supposed to play with this? Only good for playing Minesweeper.”

 

Eunho gripped the gaming mouse and manipulated it this way and that.

 

“This’ll wreck my wrist. Guess I’ll be able to file a claim if I use it.”

 

He unceremoniously threw his existing mouse to the back of the desk, and started gaming with Jeongwon’s mouse.

 

***

 

“Let’s go, go, we did it!”

 

“We did it!”

 

Eunho covered his ears at the splitting sound of the toast and thought, I really fucking want to go home.

 

“Eunho, keep that thought to yourself.”

 

“Did I say that out loud?”

 

“You’ve lost it, man.”

 

Eunho really, really wanted to go home. The drinking party he had been dragged to was none other than the school magazine editorial department and academic society’s final party. A celebration for successfully publishing the school magazine, which had generated more buzz than usual.

 

“Why is Jeongwon even here?”

 

“Without Jeongwon, the magazine would’ve been scrapped this time too.”

 

It wasn’t only the party. Jeongwon, the awesome upperclassman from the Taekwondo department who had been the biggest contributor, was also invited to the gathering. Drinking at another table with several Taekwondo department students, Jeongwon glanced at Eunho’s direction and raised her hand in a light greeting.

 

“She’s got some nerve.”

 

“Yeah, she’s holding her liquor.”

 

“Seokjun, did you even hear what I said?”

 

Eunho had planned to just fulfill his duty as an academic society officer by having a few drinks and then going home. A member of the editorial department sat down across from Eunho and Seokjun.

 

“Hello.”

 

“Hey.”

 

With that brief exchange, the atmosphere around them noticeably changed. Eunho tried to ignore it and continue drinking, but the editorial department member spoke to him again.

 

“Are you a lightweight?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Really? You were drinking so quickly…”

 

“Life sort of sucks,” Eunho responded flatly.

 

Seokjun poked his side in surprise and whispered, “Eunho, do you know Hayan Kim? What’s going on?”

 

“What’s it to you? I answered her because she talked to me.”

 

Eunho looked up and surveyed his surroundings. All the guys around were looking this way. At Hayan Kim from the school magazine, sitting across from Eunho.

 

“Let’s have a toast!” Hayan smiled and held out her beer glass. Eunho looked at Hayan’s face before carelessly raising his glass to meet hers.

 

Hayan Kim, had skin like snow, large eyes, and delicately arranged features—an appearance that anyone would find cute. Eunho thought that the Lord must have really put in effort to fit all those features onto such a tiny face.

 

On top of that, she was a born goddess of academics who inspired protective instincts with her fragile appearance and slim build. The denim dress she wore today made her already-white face look even paler. Hayan took a swig of beer with her skinny arms and grinned.

 

“It tastes especially good today.”

 

Instantly, he male society members hovering around them started offering her drinks.

 

“Hayan, we should drink till we drop today.”

 

“Hayan, want me to mix soju with your beer?”

 

“Hayan, you ordered the fruit salad punch? You really must not have good taste.”

 

These damn guys. As soon as Hayan started showing she could hold her liquor, the guys started swarming and teasing her. Hayan, with her gentle personality, was smiling and taking it all on the chin.

 

“Ah, why? The fruit salad punch is good. Seungjun, you’re not a fan?”

 

“No, it’s fucking delicious.”

 

Get these horndogs away, fuck.

 

Eunho raised his hand to order fried dried squid, disregarding Haya and her male entourage. It didn’t matter either way to him.

 

“Hayan, do you wanna play a drinking game?”

 

“Mmm, I’m not very good at them.”

 

“You learn while drinking, Are you a chicken?”

 

Hayan picked up her glass dejectedly.

 

“Geez, when you put it that way, I can’t not drink.”

 

Leaving Eunho and Seokjun behind, Hayan and several guys started playing random drinking games. Whether they did or not, Eunho just stared at his phone while chewing on the fried dried squid.

 

“Timing game, one!”

 

“Two!”

 

“Ah!”

 

This is a perfect time for me to slip out, Eunho thought. Then Seokjun started poking his side again.

 

“Hey, Seokjun. Fuck, my side’s going to cave in. Thanks for giving me an ant waist.”

 

“Why aren’t you helping? She’s right in front of you.”

 

“What? Do I need to hold her beer glass too? Does it look too heavy for her twiggy little arms?”

 

“No, you idiot.”

 

Seokjun pointed between Hayan and the guys. Eunho could see the guys exchanging glances.

 

“They’re trying to get Hayan drunk.”

 

“Really?”

 

“You’re not interested in anyone except Jeongwon, huh?”

 

“…What?”

 

Startled at the thought that Jeongwon might have heard, Eunho looked around. She was busy picking out peaches from the fruit punch.

 

Thankfully, she’s just a pig.

 

“If it’s not Jeongwon, you don’t care whether they’re female or…”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Eunho’s emotions were colliding in a way he didn’t fully understand. He remembered saying it himself. That even if it wasn’t Jeongwon; if another girl was in a difficult situation, he would have rushed right over to help.

 

“Ah, Hayan. You’re getting drunk from just drinking that? Such a baby.”

 

Ugh, fuck. There were even guys putting on an act. This was a perfect environment for Eunho to meddle. If he didn’t act now, if he didn’t keep his word, he would become “someone who only cares about Jeongwon.”

 

He’d become a prince on a white horse who had rushed to rescue Jeongwon, but disregarded Hayan Kim in her time of need.

 

“Ah, fuck…”

 

What would Jeongwon think if she saw this? If she saw Eunho ignoring a girl sitting right in front of him, struggling among men who were deliberately trying to get her drunk.

 

Fuck, fuck, fuck…

 

Eunho snatched Hayan’s glass and downed it in one shot.

 

“Stop drinking.”

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