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After lunch, Yu-ri Lee's condition improved noticeably. The expression of being helpless and annoyed by everything disappeared and became her usual slightly somber and cute expression, and the voice that had become extremely low returned to its original tone.
"I hope it's Saturday soon. I don't think I've ever waited this long for a weekend."
It was the last week of disciplinary action for cleaning up after school due to the time we skipped class. While cleaning the classroom with me, Yu-ri Lee hummed as if she was in a good mood and said so.
"Did you want to be with me that much?"
"Huh? Oh, no, I mean… Because it's the weekend! Yeah, just because it's the weekend! Isn't there anyone who doesn't like weekends?"
Yu-ri Lee was in a hurry and came up with a suitable reason. When she was heartbroken in the student council room, she listened to me and told me honestly about her feelings, but once she came to her senses, she seemed to be overcome with shame again.
"It's okay to be honest when it's just the two of us."
"Well, that's okay! Are you studying? No matter how much we study together, it's not only you who are there, but it's hard for me too if I come with a blank slate."
"Of course I'm doing it."
"… Is this true? It looks like you fell asleep in class again today."
"You don't know! Even though I may seem like a delinquent child who falls asleep all the time in your eyes, I am also studying diligently!"
"Where?"
"When I have time while working part-time."
The suspicion on Yu-ri Lee's expression became deeper.
"You often fall asleep in class even when the teacher is in front of you, but you study while working part-time?"
What I said was true. Of course there was a reason…
"Ooh, over 50 points! Well done, Senior! I'll give you a kiss of praise as a reward. Haup…♥"
When classes were over and part-time work time began, Sooyeon Choi started helping me study in earnest. I wonder if it's true that she had top-notch grades in middle school. Even though she gave up studying for two years, she was still good enough to teach me.
Every time I solved a workbook and exceeded a certain score, Soo-yeon Choi would use her tongue in the name of an award. It had been a while since her first kiss, and she was now a complete kissing addict, and she was getting quite involved with my tongue.
"Puha…♥"
When our lips parted, Sooyeon Choi let out a breath full of pleasure, and she urged me to study again to give her the next "reward." My back pain was worse than I expected, so I had to study with Choi Su-yeon at the counter, not moving, except when I was doing necessary work, such as putting new items on display or cleaning.
Of course, because I had strong motivation, I had enough desire to study. I've never studied like this before.
"Ah… This time it's 42 points. Hmm… Looking at the wrong types, I think I can roughly figure out what the problem is, but it's been a while since I stopped studying. Hehe. Oh, my! I almost forgot! I encourage you to take a closer look at the next question. Furthermore, I'll kiss you with the meaning of Chuuup…♥"
Soo-yeon Choi now makes up reasons and kisses me every time I solve a 20-question problem. After mixing my tongue with hers again and leaving her lips, I poked her cheek and teased her.
"If you pass the score cutoff line, you kiss it as a reward, and if you don't, you kiss it as encouragement. Actually, the problem is an excuse, and you just want to kiss me, right?"
At my words, Sooyeon Choi stuck out her tongue. "Hehe, I got caught! Since I did something so bad, I guess the only thing I can do is get a forced kiss as punishment?"
Even though we are working part-time and studying at the same time, what we do hasn't changed much.
Friday after school. Yu-ri Lee and I have finally finished the two-week penalty for cleaning up after school that we received for skipping school.
"Ah, it's over…"
After finishing the final cleaning, Yu-ri Lee sat down on a random seat and stretched out. It seems that she felt uneasy the whole time because it was probably the first discipline she had ever received in her life.
"You worked hard. Isn't this a fresh and good experience?"
"What's so refreshing about it? I'll never do something like this again. Why did I do that that day…"
"So, why did you do that? It would have been nice if you had run into my arms earlier and been healed."
"Well, what can I say? At that time, I was also mentally ill—"
"Does this mean that if you hadn't lost your temper, you would have been in my arms?"
"…"
"I'm kidding."
As Yu-ri Lee's expression turned grim, I picked up her words. Then I went behind her as she was lying on the chair and massaged her shoulders.
"Shall we give Yuri a massage for being freed from discipline for the first time in her life? As a reward?"
"Am I a kid? Why something like that…"
Yu-ri Lee responded harshly.
And after 1 minute.
"Ah… Ah, there… Just a little harder…"
She was melting, enjoying my shoulder massage to the fullest.
"Where is the person who just said 'something like that'?"
"It's noisy, it's nice now… Ah, there, there."
"There's a lot of stiffness in your shoulders, senior."
"Really? Then, just try harder and let me go."
"Of course."
"Ah… It's refreshing. Should I have asked for it sooner?"
"Hasn't your attitude changed so much in just one minute?"
"It's wrong for you to be too good at massaging."
I massaged Yu-ri Lee's shoulders for a while and then crossed my arms in front of her collarbones, giving her a back hug. If I lowered my hand just a little, it would touch her chest, but Yu-ri Lee did not express any resistance or refusal. The hurdles of her heart, which had been infinitely high, were slowly and steadily falling down.
"What?"
Instead of rejecting me, she just responded by turning her head back and looking at me.
"Hey, do you want to hang out and have dinner together to celebrate liberation?"
"Where?"
"Well, I haven't decided on a menu. I just want to walk to a place that looks good. We could go to the arcade or coin karaoke before dinner."
"Arcade…?"
Yu-ri Lee's eyes changed slightly. She has not yet completely forgotten the fun that all the gadgets in the arcade bring her.
"Uh. If I exercise my body a bit while playing DDR or air hockey, I feel like I'll get hungry quickly, isn't that good? I work part-time until Thursday, so I don't have time today or after school. How about it, do you want to go?"
"… I want to go."
Yu-ri Lee, who answered while avoiding my gaze, could never have looked so cute.
Just like we did on our last date, we spent a fun afternoon working out in the arcade, sweating, and singing in the coin karaoke room. Yu-ri Lee's date with me made her feel so good that she couldn't stop smiling throughout the game, and she was showing more of her emotions than usual.
"Ah, maybe I screamed too much. My throat hurts."
"Do you want a cola? Should I get one from the vending machine?"
"It's okay. You don't have any money. How much do you have left for living expenses?"
"… ₩30,000?"
"You really can't survive. How are we going to eat dinner anyway?"
"There's only one week left until the paycheck, so if I spend ₩20,000 today and survive with the remaining ₩10,000…"
"Have ₩10,000 of happiness? I'll just buy dinner. Instead, when you get your paycheck, you buy it once."
"Thank you so much, Yu-ri Lee."
Yu-ri Lee looked at me with a subtle expression that I couldn't tell if she was pitiful or just worried, and then she went to the vending machine and took out two cans of cola. Then she handed me a can and asked a question.
"Who would have imagined that Han Seong-jin of all people would act like a beggar like this and go around getting food?"
"The more I listen to you, the more miserable I become, so please stop."
"But have you been like that since long ago? How did you all play and eat before that?"
"It's not a very nice thing to hear."
Yu-ri Lee paused for a moment while drinking cola at my words. And after taking a sip, he looked at me.
"Still, I want to hear about you."
"If you hear it, you'll be disillusioned, right?"
"I was already doing that."
I forgot what to say for a moment. What exactly does it feel like to be disillusioned and like someone at the same time?
"I definitely regret asking."
"No. So, please tell me."
"Ha… Until last year, the kids in my gang… We collected payments periodically from first to third grade. Even if I don't tell you how we got that money, you know roughly, right? And after fighting with the guys from other academies, we got their money back. I also did it… something like that."
"…"
Yu-ri Lee opened her mouth with an expression of bewilderment.
"That's why I said it wouldn't be good to hear it."
"The more I listen, the more I wonder how someone like this exists… But I still wanted to know. What your past was like, which I don't know exactly. How you lived. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed."
Yu-ri Lee took another sip of cola.
"But when I look at you right in front of me, you look like someone who wouldn't do something like that."
"It's really not like that now. I hope you believe that."
"… I'll believe it. Furthermore, I'll consider the fact that I'm in trouble because I don't have money right now as proof of that."
"Thank you."
"Instead."
Yu-ri Lee said as she put her fist against my chest.
"Let me be confident in my faith."
"For example?"
"Promise me that you will pass the failing cutoff line for this test. And study properly when you come to my house tomorrow. Show me with your actions so that I can be sure that you have really changed."
"I'll try really hard, but the failing cutoff line is… Honestly, it's a bit scary."
"Isn't there a reason why you have to make a strange bet with Eun-ji and study hard anyway? It's just one more thing added to it. And the cutoff point is only 60 points on average. If you just work a little harder, you can do it."
"No, that's about smart kids like you. A loser like me—"
"Do it."
"Yes."
After receiving my answer, Yu-ri Lee thought about something for a moment and started twisting her hair with her fingers. And she quietly avoided his gaze.
"Instead, if you pass the test failure cutoff line… I will repay you."
It was an appealing offer.
"Repay? What is it? I suddenly want to study hard."
"What, then you mean you didn't intend to work hard in the first place?! Oh, anyway, you can't tell me now! After you pass… I'll let you know then."
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