Blind Date (1)

-Ding, Ding~

The sound of the bell that signaled the end of class.

A girl, who was closing her sophisticated notebook, stood up and walked out of the classroom with long strides. The eyes of many students followed her every move.

-What does such an aristocrat think about in her life?

Admiration, respect, and sometimes, affectionate gazes. Although many aristocrats wished to get closer to her, the aura she emitted prevented anyone from approaching.

Sansuyu.

The eldest daughter of the Cornus family and a student of El Academy with exceptional skills. Her golden hair swayed gently as she moved gracefully.

A height of slightly over 160cm, her curved waist accentuated her prominent chest. Size F? Or even more, perhaps. Sansuyu, who didn't seem bothered by the heated gazes directed toward her, tilted her head slightly, puzzled by the looks she received.

"?"

Gazing at an aristocrat with desire was akin to a crime, so the students quickly averted their eyes. The jewelry, reminiscent of a bright red fruit, glittered in her hair like rubies.

…What was she about to do?

After exiting the classroom, Sansuyu, who had been standing absentmindedly by the door, seemed to remember something and clenched her fist with determination.

"Spicy Rose Tteokbokki."

Thinking of Shiheon, Sansuyu quickened her pace.

A student who had just exited the classroom overheard her muttering and looked back in surprise.

-Hey, what's "Spicy Rose Tteokbokki"?

-I guess she likes it.

Leaving behind the chattering students, Sansuyu, remembering where Shiheon's last class was, recognized a familiar figure and cheerfully called out.

"Shiheon!"

Her one and only friend.

The guy who introduced her to spicy flavors.

"Huh, what?"

Sansuyu, who had caught Shiheon, sweaty from his workout, off guard, stared at him with wide, curious eyes.

"Spicy Rose."

"You want me to buy you Tteokbokki?"

"Yes."

Nodding continuously, Sansuyu's expression made Shiheon chuckle.

"I can't buy it for you today. I have to go shopping for clothes for a blind date tomorrow."

"…Blind date? Why all of a sudden?"

"It's been so long since I dated; I can't even remember the last time."

"You've dated before?"

Sansuyu, with her eyes wide in surprise, made Shiheon look a bit sad.

"Sansuyu… do I look like someone who has never dated?"

"I was just curious… Is dating fun?"

"It depends."

Shiheon tilted his head, recalling his past romantic relationships. They were beautiful memories, but not necessarily all happy. Not exactly memories he cherished.

"Why a blind date and not me?"

"Friends and girlfriends are different."

Sansuyu frowned. The sadness of not being able to eat Tteokbokki made her pout.

Technically, it wasn't just a blind date, more like a challenge, but did he need to mention that?

"Spicy Rose Tteokbokki…"

Sansuyu's lament made Shiheon chuckle.

But what couldn't be done couldn't be done.

"Then, training?"

"Mmm, I think today will be a bit tough."

Sansuyu looked dejected, her lips jutting out. Seeing her like that, Shiheon seemed to ponder something and then raised a finger.

"Then train by yourself, okay? If you do well on the next test, I'll buy you Tteokbokki whenever you want."

Sansuyu's ears perked up at this.

"For life?"

"Yep."

"Spicy Rose?"

As Shiheon nodded, a hopeful gleam filled Sansuyu's eyes.

"I'll train."

"Are you talking about a blind date?"

"Yes."

"Damn it. Why the hell are you doing something like that instead of training?"

After laying out clothes from a clothing store that seemed suitable, Baekdo, who had been lounging on the bed sipping cola, started to grumble.

Why today, of all days, was it Baekdo? I expected a cheerful greeting from Hwangdo upon my return. Instead, I was met with this icy doppelgänger.

"Didn't I tell you? It's a quest."

"A quest?"

"If I can't sleep with three, I'll be screwed."

Lining up clothes in front of the mirror and bluntly spitting out the truth, Baekdo looked genuinely stunned.

"Seriously?"

"Why would I lie?"

Baekdo tightened her face and covered her chest with her pristine white hands. Responding to this, I raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"Hmph, do you not know about pre-marital purity? To think, someone like you…"

"Who cares about pre-marital purity nowadays? You're not some old fogey."

"…If you don't want me to break down on my wedding night, shut up."

There was a palpable tension, but I was not the type to back down.

"Why don't you date and get a boyfriend yourself?"

A rhetorical jibe. As I said it, Baekdo whistled, pondering.

"I only want to date the man I'll marry. In other words, if he's not marriage material, I don't want to date."

"Oh, so you're an old-fashioned romantic. Now, describe your ideal type."

"A man who's stubborn about his principles. I'd prefer it if our food tastes match… I don't care about looks. I wouldn't mind if he had other women, but he should be gentle to his woman… Well, I might reconsider him having other women. Wait, why am I discussing this with my student?"

Baekdo, who had been daydreaming about her ideal man while counting on her fingers, looked surprised and glared at me.

She was so romantic about men.

She didn't want to date unless he was marriage material? I remember when I went through that naive phase. Should I warn her? Based on my experience, one-sided relationships were not worth it.

'Oh well, she'll figure it out.'

But she was Baekdo. She wouldn't get played like I did, right?

After selecting the clothes I planned to wear, I began to lay out the food I had bought on my way home, then spoke to Baekdo, who was still sulking.

"Eat up."

"I won't."

"So I'll eat alone?"

I started cooking the meal kit I bought on the way.

Spring onions, canned beans, ham, and various other ingredients. Soon enough, a savory budae-jjigae (army stew) was ready.

My mouth watered at the sight.

As I began setting up the dining table, Baekdo, enticed by the aroma, leaned in.

"…What is that?"

"Budae-jjigae?"

"Why didn't you say so from the start? Why did you wait until now?"

"I didn't know you liked it. It's one of my favorite dishes."

I sighed, somewhat amused at her sudden interest. She really had a discerning palate. Reluctantly, I set up a serving for two. Soon enough, Baekdo, who had already taken her seat, delightfully grabbed a piece of ham and tasted it.

A radiant smile appears on her face.

"So much ham!"

"Isn't it a rule to add lots of ham?"

"You have a good taste in food. There should always be meat in a meal. Didn't we also eat cheese-flavored chicken skewers last time? I still can't fathom why someone like you loves soft water peaches so much."

"Why bring up water peaches now? As long as what I'm eating tastes good, it's fine."

"That makes sense."

Baekdo seemed convinced.

Having a similar taste in food, our meal was filled with cheerful exchanges of various stories.

Once the meal was almost over, Baekdo, who was getting up from her seat, tied her pristine white hair back and tapped the table.

"I'll clean up."

"What's gotten into you? Now doing chores too?"

"I'm not the type to just sit on my laurels."

"I like that part of your character. Except for the fact you like water peaches."

"Why bring that up again? If it's good, it's good."

"That's true."

-Snicker.

Gazing at each other and laughing, we cleaned up and then went to bed. Now, there was just one thing left for me. The long-awaited blind date.

Blind date day.

I received a message from Seyeong early in the morning. Meeting her below the dormitory, she tapped on a car I hadn't seen before and handed me a chic-looking key holder.

"You know how to drive, right? She's the kind of girl who doesn't care about money, but I thought I'd get you something decent so you don't feel inferior."

"You really are thorough."

Seyeong gave a bitter smile, approached me, looked over my outfit, and pressed her cheek to mine.

"Kid, don't screw this up."

"I don't know if I can. I'm quite shy."

"Just get her drunk and make a move. She'll love the fact that you've broken through her barriers, right?"

She would love it?

Having someone like Seyeong in the world twice… Huh. Maybe that was not such a bad thing.

Anyway, I looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly hugged Seyeong.

"Thank you."

"You're so cheesy."

Seyeong scrunched up her face but didn't resist. I buried my face in her embrace.

She gave a playful suck on my collarbone, marking it.

"Like it?"

"…I hate it."

Her reaction seemed a bit exaggerated. Gently releasing her from the hug, Seyeong's face turned as red as a ripe apple.

"Got some time before the date. Want to go for a drive? I'll drive you."

Silence, which I took as a yes.

Sitting in the car beside Seyeong, I began to drive. I had been used to driving for quite a while, so I smoothly exited the parking lot and hit the road.

"It's fun driving in your luxurious car."

Seyeong, who sat beside me with her legs crossed, looked at me intently.

As we drove, Korean signboards disappeared, and Japanese signs lined the streets. Among them were unique shops you'd only see in comics or newspapers.

"There's even a maid café here?"

"You like those?"

"Honestly, who doesn't?"

"True."

After driving for a while, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

"By the way, who is my blind date? Shouldn't we have introduced ourselves through text by now?"

"Oh, that."

Seyeong casually twirled a strand of her hair as she spoke.

"She wanted the first words to be in person. A romantic notion."

"What the heck?"

"Don't worry too much, she's pretty. Oh, her chest might be smaller than mine? I am kind of big."

Interrupting the blind date discussion, Seyeong bragged about her assets.

Cutting her off, I finally asked what had been on my mind.

"So, what's her name?"

"You might have seen her before? Byeol."

Byeol. The unique girl with stars in her eyes. Was it really her?

"Yep, it's the one you're thinking of."

"Oh."

I hadn't expected that… but since we had met before, hopefully, the conversation would flow smoothly. Considering Byeol's beauty, Seyeong's recommendation now made sense.

Driving, I recalled Byeol's face and couldn't help but smile. Did I make it too obvious?

"Hey."

Seyeong frowned.

"The thought of you two together… It annoys me. Come here."

"Now? Out of the blue?"

"I need to mark you so she knows."

She approached and unzipped my pants. In shock, I gripped the steering wheel and urgently replied,

"Hey, I'm driving…"

"Shut up."

In the midst of this odd situation, on our way to a blind date, Seyeong's head bobbed up and down, visible from the car's window.