* * *
I questioned my hearing.
There’s no way Baek Gunho just suggested dating.
“What… What the… What are you talking about?”
Damn it, I should’ve responded coolly, but instead, I stuttered horribly.
That’s how stunned I was.
Baek Gunho stared at me with a completely serious face.
“You like me.”
“That’s bullshit…”
“I heard it all.”
“All of what?”
“What you said when you rejected Lee Jooeon.”
“…”
In an instant, my mind went blank.
When did that happen?
It’s been quite a while since then…
So, you’re telling me he’s known all along and kept quiet?
My face flushed with heat.
I couldn’t believe I had been exposed in such an absurd way.
I wanted to go back in time and stop Lee Jooyun from saying anything.
Come to think of it, Baek Gunho had stopped suggesting I date Lee Jooyun or trying to introduce me to anyone around that time.
My head was a mess.
As I struggled to organize my thoughts, the weight of Baek Gunho’s gaze on me felt unbearable.
Normally, I would have snapped, “Stop staring at me!”
But… right now, I couldn’t say anything.
The suffocating atmosphere left me speechless.
“Let’s date.”
I hadn’t even finished processing when Baek Gunho pushed again.
Wait, even if he had overheard, why did it suddenly leap to that conclusion?
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Now that I think about it, no one suits you better than me.”
Was this the serious conclusion he had reached after yesterday’s deep thinking?
That he was the best person to date me?
Was it really that he couldn’t stand Kwon Sahyeok making weird jokes toward me?
He had acted like setting me up with someone was one of his life’s goals.
But to think he’d go so far as to sacrifice himself to be my boyfriend.
“Are you out of your mind…?”
“It’s a logical conclusion.”
Of course.
It was exactly the kind of confident answer you’d expect from someone like him.
But still…
I couldn’t believe Baek Gunho actually liked me.
He wouldn’t have been trying to set me up with others if he did.
A guy who believes he’s the best wouldn’t introduce me to someone else.
If he liked me, he would’ve just confessed, like he’s bluntly suggesting we date now.
Even if Baek Gunho had been too shy to say anything before, once he overheard the confession, he would’ve told me directly if he really liked me.
That’s just how he is—he wouldn’t hesitate about something like that.
But instead, his choice had been to keep quiet and pretend he knew nothing.
A decision Baek Gunho wouldn’t make if he had feelings for me.
“You don’t even like me.”
“I do.”
“As someone to date, I mean.”
“…”
See, he can’t answer that.
I don’t know whether to be relieved he’s too honest to lie, or frustrated that he can’t even fake it.
“Just stop, okay? Just pretend you don’t know anything, like you’ve been doing.”
“I don’t want to.”
“What do you mean, ‘don’t want to’? Why are you asking me out if you don’t even like me?”
“If we date, we’ll start caring about each other, and eventually, we’ll grow to like each other.”
“Listen to this guy acting like he knows what he’s talking about when he’s never even been in a relationship.”
“I know more than you.”
What would you know? He’s never been in a relationship either, but his confidence was through the roof.
I was speechless.
“Forget it. I have no intention of dating you.”
“Why not? You like me.”
Baek Gunho suddenly stepped closer to me.
Startled, I took a step back, but his hand grabbed my shoulder.
For a moment, I found myself staring up at the towering figure of him looming over me, then his face came closer as if he were about to kiss me.
This crazy bastard.
I pushed him away with all my strength. He didn’t resist and backed off obediently.
“You’re blushing.”
“…Shit.”
“Why are you cursing at me?”
It was infuriating.
Even though my feelings for him were separate, I couldn’t shake the sense that I was losing.
Maybe I had already lost the moment I started liking him.
“Ha…”
“Why are you overthinking it?”
I let out a heavy sigh, but Baek Gunho seemed to think it was all so simple.
“Just date me.”
“‘Just date you,’ huh…”
“You think too much.”
It’s not that I’m overthinking it.
It’s that you’re not thinking at all.
Or maybe you are—after all, you’ve given it a whole half a day of thought since yesterday.
Ten years of friendship, and yet he thinks so lightly about changing our relationship.
I’d wrestled with my own feelings, even feeling guilty, for so long.
How was it so easy for him?
“Let’s try it out. Just think of it as an experiment.”
Baek Gunho was persistent.
It was obvious he’d keep bringing up the topic relentlessly until I agreed.
But I wasn’t about to cave in to that kind of stubbornness.
I’d usually let things slide, but not something as absurd as this.
I grabbed Baek Gunho’s hand and dragged him into my room.
I let go and pointed to the bed with my chin.
“Fine, then. Lie down.”
“What? Lie down?”
“Let’s do it.”
Baek Gunho’s face stiffened.
He looked at me as if he couldn’t believe what I’d just said.
“Isn’t this moving a little too fast?”
I expected him to back out now.
It was obvious.
At most, he’d want to hold hands or maybe kiss.
Probably just wanted a childish kind of relationship.
He wouldn’t go as far as to sacrifice himself just to fulfill his mission of getting me a boyfriend.
I was sure he’d back down, so I smirked.
“You said you wanted to try, right? This is part of it too. My feelings for you include this. You think saying ‘let’s date’ is that easy? You’re obviously going to back out later.”
“…”
“See? You can’t do it, can you?”
“…”
“Then leave.”
I ordered him out. I thought he’d give up after this, but…
Instead of heading toward the door, Baek Gunho walked over to the bed and sat down.
I silently freaked out.
Was he really going through with this?
“I can do it.”
“…”
This time, I was the one at a loss for words.
Seriously, how committed was he to this whole ‘get me a boyfriend’ mission that he was willing to go this far?
‘No, no way.’
Sitting on the bed is easy enough.
He’ll realize soon that this isn’t for him and leave.
It might hurt a little if he backs out halfway, but…
“What’s wrong? Scared now that it’s actually happening?”
Baek Gunho taunted me from the bed.
Gritting my teeth, I approached him and pushed him down onto the bed.
Baek Gunho fell back, his body sprawled across the mattress.
I’d seen him lying down plenty of times before, but given our conversation and the situation, it now felt strangely lewd.
I swallowed hard and climbed on top of him. Looking up at me, Baek Gunho spoke.
“But…”
“What, you can’t do it? Want me to move?”
“No, it’s not that. I just… am I supposed to be the one getting, you know, done?”
“Of course.”
I answered without hesitation.
In all the times I’d thought about Baek Gunho in that way, I’d never once imagined myself being on the receiving end.
If he didn’t like it, he could leave. I wouldn’t mind… well, maybe a little.
But still, I’d be fine with it.
Baek Gunho looked like he had more to say.
“What do you mean ‘of course’?”
“To get it done, you have to, you know, get it up. Do you really think you can do that with me?”
“And if I do, can I be the one to do you?”
I laughed.
As if. He couldn’t even manage that.
“I don’t mind standing, but if Baek Gunho stood me up without realizing it was me while his eyes were closed, that would be a problem.
“Don’t move. Stay still.”
I threatened him and briefly looked down at Baek Gunho.
He looked up at me, lips wet, and it was far more provocative than I had imagined.
I hesitated internally before reaching out my hand.
It was my first time, but I didn’t want to show any signs of inexperience.
However, as I began, I was at a loss for what to do.
Whatever.
I’ll just go with the flow.
Baek Gunho’s a first-timer too. How much more could he know than me?
He probably knows less.
He’s not even the type to be interested in romance or sex.
I leaned down and kissed Baek Gunho’s ear.
I licked it lightly, then bit, but it didn’t seem to be a sensitive spot—he barely reacted.
Well, not reacting isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It’s not like I’m expecting to go through with this until the end anyway.
That thought gave me a bit of courage.
I decided to take off his jacket first.
Without a word, Baek Gunho helped make it easier for me to remove it.
It would’ve been nice if I could also get his shirt off easily, but of course, he had to be wearing one with buttons today.
I began to undo the buttons.
But embarrassingly, my hands became clumsy, fumbling repeatedly.
Baek Gunho stared at my hands and asked with concern,
“Are you okay?”
“…”
“Should I take it off?”
I kept my mouth shut and didn’t respond, focusing instead on trying to undress him faster.
Shut up, I’m in the middle of trying to get the person I’ve had a crush on for over ten years into bed.
Of course, I’m nervous.
…That’s what I would’ve said honestly, but I just thought it instead to save face.
* * *
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