Chapter 203

“E…E, E, A, A, no. No, no, this is o…oh….”

What should I say? It feels like my brain is broken. My thoughts aren’t working properly. I’ve gotten used to women’s clothes. Wearing them in front of Hwa-won doesn’t matter much. But this wasn’t right. This outfit wasn’t it.

This insane pink monster minefield outfit wasn’t it.

“Ah, that… looks good on you.”

Look at even Hwa-won, who is usually so confident, mumbling and not knowing what to say. It meant that my appearance was in a state that made normal conversation difficult. Yet, for some reason, I felt bad and, at the same time, good. I couldn’t even guess the reason.

“Ah, ah, no, this, this is a p-punishment, a punishment! The kids came over to play, and we were…!”

“Board game? Ah, the one I bought before?”

“Yup! Yup! That one.”

Still, in the end, since I managed to say something, it seemed the misunderstanding was cleared up. Hwa-won muttered as if that was the case, and I felt relieved by that voice.

“…But are you really going to wear that?”

“If I refuse the punishment alone! If I say I won’t wear it, that would be cowardly….”

“Okay, okay. If the kids are here, should I just go?”

“No, no, why did you come? The kids don’t particularly dislike you, just come in. Oh, the guy you wanted to meet, Ji Kang-hyeon, is also here. Eun-a and Mira are here too. Uh, we were together playing board games. Yeah.”

When Hwa-won said he would leave, I felt a strange sense of anxiety and stopped him. My face was slightly hot from embarrassment. Maybe that’s why my words didn’t come out properly, but I was relieved that I chose my words carefully enough not to sound too weird.

“Well then, let’s do that. I have things to say.”

Fortunately, Hwa-won decided to obediently follow my words. He probably wasn’t actually interested in someone like Ji Kang-hyeon. Hwa-won was someone who could meet other celebrities if he wanted to.

“I’m here.”

But something felt off. There was no one inside. I couldn’t see any shoes belonging to the kids.

“Aren’t the kids here?”

“Um, they were here just a moment ago. What’s up?”

While I was panicking, suddenly there was a knock on the door that I had just closed. And then, I heard Eun-a’s voice. Eun-a called out to me with a sweet voice.

“Open the door, Seol-a~.”

Crazy girl, Hwa-won is here.

“Seol-a?”

“No, she’s been a bit crazy lately, haha. It seems like the professor hasn’t educated her children properly.”

I’m sorry, Professor Seo. But honestly, you have messed up with your children.

Anyway, when I opened the door, there were Eun-a, Mira, and a disguised Ji Kang-hyeon. Where the hell did they go?

“Where have you all been? Why aren’t you at home?”

“Of course, Seol was… no, going out to see Seol-guk oppa, right?”

“…What nonsense is that?”

It was a relief that Eun-a ignored the punishment while looking at Hwa-won. But… they went out to see me? So they had been watching me go to the convenience store, buy drinks while feeling embarrassed, and talk with Hwa-won?!

“To check if the punishment is being carried out properly, it was an unavoidable action.”

“It was super cute.”

“I tried to stop them.”

It was the lines of Eun-a, Mira, and Ji Kang-hyeon in order. I felt like I had been lightly hit on the back of my head. So they had seen all of that….

I closed the door again.

“Hey?! Oppa? Why are you closing the door!”

“You guys are banned from entering for a month.”

“No, hyung! I tried to stop them!”

“In the end, we watched together, damn it.”

Outside the door, I heard their voices apologizing and begging, but I didn’t care. Do they think I’m their older brother?! They definitely needed to be put in their place. They should come to their senses now. The stuff of the kids inside? I don’t know, why should I care?

After I taught them a lesson and went back, Hwa-won looked like he was trying to suppress a laugh. They heard everything….

“You all are having fun.”

“Fun? They’re just making fun of me.”

“Still, it seems you don’t hate it that much?”

“…I do hate it.”

“If you really hated it, you would have told them never to come again.”

“Hmph.”

Still, seeing Hwa-won enjoying himself was somewhat nice. Should I say he looked happy? I don’t like being a clown, but maybe sometimes it’s not so bad.

But suddenly a voice was heard again. It was Eun-a’s voice.

“Oppa! Negotiation! Negotiation! If you don’t come, it will be a big deal!”

“Wait a moment, I’ll be right back.”

Sighing, I spoke to Hwa-won and went back to the front door. There were continuous knocks coming from outside the door.

“I refuse to negotiate. Just go home quickly.”

“My bag and Mira’s bag are out there?!”

“I don’t care.”

“Ugh, can you really say that after hearing this?”

Then came the small, barely audible recorded voices.

[M, Mira unnie, I can’t do this…]

[Eun-a unnie, please shut your mouth.]

[Please save me!… Meow. If I lose again, who knows what will happen! … Meow!]

Crazy girl.

“Hey, you crazy girl. I’m going to call the police!”

“Recording someone’s voice without their consent is illegal.”

“Ji Kang-hyeon, is this for real?”

“Uh, for now? It could be submitted as evidence in court.”

“Damn it.”

No, how could she even think to record that? Is she the spawn of Satan? Of course, Professor Seo is a devil-like human, but even he wasn’t this bad. He treated his own people well, even if his personality was garbage.

“…Do whatever you want.”

It was almost as if I was in a desperate situation, but I was stubborn. Damn, who cares? If it’s posted online, that’s probably grounds for a lawsuit. So, go ahead. I’m going to sue for real.

“Really?! Can I send it to Hwa-won oppa then?!”

“Wait a minute, I’m opening it now.”

No, this crazy girl. How does she even think like that? I thought she would threaten me with posting it online, but this lunatic girl knew me too well. I hurriedly opened the door, and I saw Eun-a feeling victorious. Just seeing her expression was humiliating. I ground my teeth. Someday, I’ll definitely get my revenge.

Mira, on the side, muttered about whether this was really too much, while Ji Kang-hyeon looked fed up. Yeah, you two are still normal. But if you’re with Seo Eun-a, someday you’ll be completely infected too. Mira shown some signs already.

Seo Eun-a, this girl was definitely going to end up captured. For a sex crime.

“…Damn it.”

“Hey, that’s a bad word.”

“I hate you too, Mira. Be quiet.”

“Still, right now, since Hwa-won oppa is here, you held back on the punishment, right? I told Mira about it too.”

That’ll be so helpful. It was you guys who caused this in the first place!

In the end, I led the kids to the living room. Hwa-won, who was sitting on the sofa and looking at us, greeted us.

“Hello. I’m Gang Hwa-won. These guys are my college mates.”

“Ah, hello.”

“Hello….”

“Greetings, brother. Are you interested in celebrities?”

Ji Kang-hyeon was the only one who said something ridiculous, unlike the other kids who were a bit red but greeted normally. I tried to hit the back of Ji Kang-hyeon’s head, but since I couldn’t reach, I ended up just smacking him on the waist.

“Cut the nonsense and pack your bags; you guys should leave soon.”

“No, he can be an actor or a model; he can do anything, you know?”

Why would I not know after seeing his face for years?

“I know. Now just go out.”

“Isn’t it a bit early? Let’s play a few more rounds?”

“Are you saying that after getting caught while tailing to see if I sent you out for punishment?”

“To be precise, I wasn’t caught while tailing. I got caught after that.”

“If you can’t even say that, you’re annoying.”

Unlike the defiant Eun-a, Mira and Ji Kang-hyeon quietly packed their things. Mira kept glancing at me and Hwa-won, and thinking about it, it was Mira’s second time meeting Hwa-won this time. Is she bothered by Hwa-won’s good looks? Mira seems to be really concerned about looks.

“Okay, you all take care.”

Once all three of them finished getting ready, they left my house. I sighed and had no choice but to see them off. They might be annoying kids, but what can I do? Eun-a and Mira aren’t exactly healthy kids either. I have to help them….

But why does Ji Kang-hyeon look like the epitome of health but keeps coming on to me?

While pondering that, Mira, who was last, suddenly turned back and approached me, lowering her head to whisper. What is it?

“Um, I have a question….”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Are you two dating?”

“W-w-w-what do you mean? No, we’re not dating.”

What is she…!

“Uh, just friends.”

“Oh, I see.”

“…Why do you ask?”

Suddenly, anxiety flooded over me. Is it possible that Mira has a crush on Hwa-won? That can’t happen…. Hwa-won has a fiancée, and even though he’s stopped night outings for now, I didn’t know what would happen if a pretty girl like Mira approached him. Plus, he’s a huge flirt, and while he has a good personality, he’s not really the type to respect women. He doesn’t match someone like Mira at all.

Out of selfishness, I was just worried about Mira.

Well, maybe.

“…Have you fallen for him?”

“Eh? No, not at all. I was just… curious.”

“Why?”

“Your face keeps getting red.”

…The conversation ended there, and soon Mira left. I’m sorry, but that’s just because I’m embarrassed. It’s only natural. I’m in this ridiculous situation. But why couldn’t I refute that? Why couldn’t I come up with that response?

I don’t know.

But I don’t need to know.