Chapter 67 – Blind Date (2)

At the entrance of the café, a gentle fragrance of flowers wafts through the air. Beautifully arranged flower beds adorn the storefront.

Heheung-

A soft, melodious hum.

Byul, dressed in a vibrant yellow dress, playfully stomped her feet as she glanced at the hem of her skirt, where her thighs were slightly exposed.

‘Won’t they think it’s too provocative?’

Though she was at a marriageable age, she was no spring chicken. But being pretty should make up for that, right?

As she tucked the key holder for her foreign car into her handbag, Byul caught sight of her fully adorned reflection in the glass wall.

‘Perfect.’

A lively twinkle in both her eyes. Her natural blonde hair, a shade that could never be achieved through dyeing.

Gone were the dark circles from playing games until dawn, and she had shed all signs of being a gaming recluse.

‘With this, could we proceed straight from our first meeting to the wedding hall?’

“Puchu.”

The other party is a younger man from the prestigious El Academy. A future full of promise, isn’t he the ideal husband for someone well-versed in the arts and sciences?
She had boarded a plane at the crack of dawn and even touched up her makeup in a nearby restroom, but she didn’t seem to care at all.

– Ugh!

At that moment, a car driving on the road came to a halt in front of the café.

With a *thud*, the door opened. The man who stepped out of the black sedan removed his mask and placed it on the driver’s seat.

“…Huh?”

The man swept his hair back once and glanced at Se-Young. He then flashed a genuinely happy and radiant smile.

“Hello.”

A refreshingly brilliant smile.
Se-Young, with her eyes wide open and mouth agape, pointed a finger at the man.

“…Is Se-Young your partner?”

As she said that, the passenger side door opened, and Se-Young exited her seat, brushing her slightly damp hair to the side.

– Gulp.

Her throat undulated.
Somehow, the sight of sweat trickling down her collarbone appeared tantalizing.

“Now, just wait a moment.”

With a sly smile aimed at Si-heon, Byul grabbed Se-young by the collar and dragged her into a nearby alley.

“You conniving wench, did you bring your boyfriend here to screw me over? I was so touched…”

A profound sense of betrayal.

“Lee Se-young, you little rat. You brought your partner here and left me… You meant to humiliate me! Hmph.”

“Get a grip! He asked me to introduce him to a girl, so I introduced you. What’s your problem?”

Annoyed, Se-young slapped Byul’s wrist, which was gripping her collar. She then pulled a hair from the vicinity with her wrist.

“Isn’t he your partner?”

Byul asked Se-young in a hopeful voice.

“Didn’t you have a fling with him?”

“Would I?”

She just had.

“Didn’t you have sex?”

“Why would I do it with him?”

“Then, can I take his virginity?”

Lee Se-young had already taken his virginity. In truth, even if Lee Se-young hadn’t, the World Tree of Healing would have claimed it.

“Is that so?”

Lee Se-Young, who had survived amidst deception and politics, hardened her face like an iron mask and repeatedly wiped the corners of her mouth with her wrist. Unable to resist the sticky male scent wafting from inside her throat, Se-Young rubbed her thighs.

Ah, how she longed to return to the car.

“Se-Young!”

Whether or not they knew Se-Young’s true feelings, Byul embraced her tightly and cried out. Se-Young responded with a weak smile and asked,

“Is it that good?”
“I love it so much! Woohoo!”

Se-Young’s smile remained on her face, a devilish grin.

* * * * *

The Byul I knew was… a person with a distinct personality, someone who seemed to follow their own path no matter what anyone said.

Though their untamed nature had caused me some trouble, they weren’t a bad person.

If I had to evaluate them, I would say they were a hardworking, lively woman.

– Slurp.

The aroma of peppermint tea filled my nostrils.

But.

‘Is this the person I used to know?’

I couldn’t help but doubt.

As I cautiously lifted my head from the teacup, I saw a star with hands and legs politely folded, eyes squinting upward.

“You must really like peppermint tea~”

– Bashful, bashful.

Head tilted at a 45-degree angle, conscious of others’ gazes.

The star stared deeply into my face, smiling with pure innocence. The frills of the chick-like dress fluttered along the swaying body.

‘This is just…’

Burdensome and difficult.

I had intended to approach them as a friend, but the atmosphere had turned into a full-fledged blind date. Now that Se-Young is absent, it’s a situation I must resolve on my own. Honestly, if someone like me had ever been in a relationship, how many could I have experienced?

Even if it’s a blind date, it’s been just a few group ones. Even then, I was carried by a well-spoken peer.

“Are you using formal speech all of a sudden?”

Let’s return to the atmosphere I desire.
Byul covertly hinted at wanting to speak informally, poking her cheek with her finger and murmuring in a cute manner.

“There’s not much of an age difference… Ah, or was I being too presumptuous?”

Byul cautiously inquired, seemingly concerned about my opinion. She twirled her bright yellow hair with her finger, laughing bitterly, “Is it still weird?”

Observing her like this, it became clear that the approach I took to this blind date and the one she took were different.

How could one not notice that she was trying so hard to appeal to me, flashing a coy smile? This woman was wholeheartedly committed to this blind date, both body and soul. I couldn’t know what kind of life she had led, but it seemed she must have endured some harsh, cold days.

I gazed at her, as if looking through her very core. Byul’s eyes trembled intensely beneath my heavy stare. It was because of her genuine commitment that there was something to see.

I could see it—the hesitation hidden within her during that active encounter.

After much contemplation, I came to a conclusion.

“Doesn’t seem like this person has much experience either?”

A pair of novices on a blind date.
Thinking that way, I actually felt more at ease.

I let out a bitter smile and gazed at the stars.

“Do you remember when we first met? When I was—raped?”
“Oh, uh, yes, that’s right.”

Startled by the mention of rape, Star’s eyes revealed a flicker of guilt.

“…Sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Let’s just forget about that.”

I shrugged nonchalantly.

“Should we talk about our ideal types?”
“…Ideal types?”

For a moment, Star’s previously downcast eyes sparkled with interest. A snort escaped, and a smile spread across her face.

Star pointed at me with her finger.

“Me, you!”

A declaration full of confidence.

“What do you mean by ideal type…?”

There needs to be some give-and-take in the conversation; otherwise, what will I have to say on my part? However, Byul seemed to have no intention of changing his opinion, continuing to point at me with his index finger.

“I’m your ideal type.”
“What do you like about me?”
“Everything.”

It leaves me with nothing to say again.

…

“Um… big sister.”
“Ah, big sister? Hehe.”
“Be honest. You’ve never been with a man before, have you?”

With a flushed face, Byul looked up at Hae-nul and mumbled, holding his two index fingers together.

“Ah, no? I used to hang out with a lot of guys back in my academy days…”
“It shows.”
“…You’re such a mean person.”

Yet, it’s cute how truthful he is.

Now, it wasn’t a matter of figuring out what to do next, but rather, wanting to take care of him, even if just a little. That way, later on, he could meet a good man…

“Phew.”

As I gazed at the star who shrank at my sigh, I softly initiated the conversation.

“If you ask about an ideal type, you might say you like someone with a good personality… There are many answers, right?”
“…Yes.”
“When discussing personality, it’s natural to ask what kind of personality one prefers. That’s how the conversation flows.”
“Exactly.”
“But what would someone on a blind date think if you just pointed at the person in front of you and said you like them?”

Byul appeared to be deep in thought and then muttered sullenly, as if coming to a realization.

“Would I look like a scolded old lady…?”
“Step away from that notion. You’re more than pretty enough. You’re not that old either, right?”
“Pretty?!”

That was all she seemed to hear.

When I tapped on Byul’s forehead while she was grinning ear to ear, she leaned back in apparent delight.

“And treat them more casually, like a friend.”
“Do I really need to do that?”

“It’s so awkward hearing you talk like this now. You used to be so eloquent when we first met. Why have you become like this?”
“Is it?… Fine. I’ll do as Si-heon says.”

Byul continued with a tone that had improved ever so slightly, but was still somewhat awkward.

“What are your hobbies?”
“Hobbies… I used to dabble in various things. Played a lot of games, watched broadcasts.”
“Games!?”

Startled.

Byul suddenly sprang up from her seat in the café.

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
“I have a dream.”

Byul’s eyes sparkled brightly.

“Going to a PC room with a guy!”

* * * * *

A PC room for the first blind date…

Feeling that the atmosphere would be ruined if they went there, they decided to rent a multi-room with a computer for a while.

“Is this enough food?”
“Of course!”

Byul beamed at my question and powered on the computer. The sight of her sitting down and logging into the game was the most natural and exhilarating I had ever seen her.

‘She really is a gaming enthusiast.’

Well, I like it because it would be a shame to be second best. There was a time when I played games all day long. I placed the chicken, beer, and soju bottle on the table and casually joined the game.

“But the chicken will get cold. When are we going to eat it?”
“While playing!”
“Ah…”

As I took out the food, I subtly teased her.

“How about we play a few one-on-one matches as a warm-up? The loser faces a penalty.”

I did come here at Byul’s request, but my goal was to complete a quest. It was broad daylight, but I needed to drink at least a little.

“One-on-one? Nah… Let’s just play together.”

Byul subtly revealed her reluctance. I chuckled and murmured a magical word.

“Scared?”
“…What?”

A flash of flame flickered in the star’s yellow eyes.

“Our Siheon really knows how to get under a gamer’s skin, huh?”

The star removed her hand from the keyboard.

“State the penalty.”
“Talent show. If you can’t do it, you’ll have to drink the penalty concoction.”
“Deal.”

Byul took a large beer glass and alcohol out of a plastic bag and filled the glass with soju. A single drop of beer was added, completing the deadly penalty drink.

“Isn’t that a bit too strong for the first round?”
“Nervous?”

When I asked, a bit frightened, Byul smirked and donned a headset from an unknown source.

“Just watch.
I was once a diamond-ranked player. You think I can’t win a single gunfight?”

I took a deep breath and placed my hands on the keyboard and mouse.

[Game start]

The game began shortly after. It was an FPS set in a futuristic world where characters wielded supernatural abilities, causing various effects to burst across the screen.

-Bang.

I fired a test shot.

The sensation of firing was reminiscent of the game called Underwatch in my previous world. I knew nothing about graphics or character abilities, but even so, my skills were on par with those of my former life.

– Shhhhrrrrrr.

A star-shaped character, soaring alongside a character dressed as a soldier, unleashed a barrage from its machine gun. The movements perfectly embodied the character’s unique traits. As I took a few hits, I scrutinized the map and my opponent with narrowed eyes.

I can see the angle.

– Bang.

“Wha?!”

As the character vanished, the body of the star, fully immersed in its role, jolted abruptly.

‘It must be because of the potential of 20.’

I had sensed it before, but it felt like I received a bonus for every action, not only in the game. If the word “omnipotent” were personified, would it not be me? With such a conceited thought, I gazed at the star.

“…What?”

The star trembled in terror.

“I-I’m still the champion of the tournament…”

“Am I the gold medal now?”

He seemed quite confident in his skills. Byul, who had been trembling her fingers, promptly stiffened her face upon seeing the alcohol beside her.

“Ugh… Siheon?”
“Yes.”
“I’m really bad at drinking… Can’t you pour a bit less?”

It seemed she hadn’t anticipated her own weakness.
Feeling annoyed, my intention to go easy on her vanished completely.

“No. Either drink or do a talent show.”
“What kind of talent should I show?”

I spoke while looking at the center of the multi-room.

“How about dancing over there?”
“…Fine, let’s have another round later.”

Byul, realizing she wouldn’t be able to engage in the game in perfect condition if she drank, rose from her seat with determination.

Before long, in the center of the multi-room, Byul’s singing voice echoed, her face flushed red.

“Byul, Byul is dancing…”

I didn’t know how the blind date had ended up like this…

The voice of Byul, overwhelmed by embarrassment, reached its peak.

Unexpectedly, the song was quite exhilarating.