Eat The World Tree

Chapter 204: Let's Pick Stars (4)

“Are you sure it was okay to leave in the middle?”

I turned the car’s steering wheel as I took a corner.

The car moved to a remote place.

-Thud, thud.

The car jolted over the unpaved road.

The destination was not Byeol’s house.

I just quietly pedaled towards the place she suddenly wanted to go to.

-Vroooom!

The engine roared. Being an expensive car, it sounded different.

The weather changed and location become increasingly secluded.

The surroundings were filled with mountains and farmlands.

“If I stay there, I won’t have much time with you.”

Byeol, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke in an unusually serious voice.

She then started fiddling with the car’s audio system.

“There was a place I wanted to go with you.”

“Oh. Should I be touched?”

“Hehe.”

At my playful response, Byeol chuckled.

Before long, the foothills of a mountain came into view.

“Let’s get off here.”

A natural landscape with no parking lot.

Sparse grass grew, and there’s an entrance barely wide enough for people.

I stopped the car in a suitable spot and got out.

As soon as I opened the door, a mixed smell of oil and grass hit me.

“Ugh! Aren’t you curious about where we are?”

Byeol, who got out of the car, stretched so much that her armpits were visible, then walked towards me.

She was dressed much lighter after taking off her cardigan.

Thankfully, there were no people around.

Byeol took the lead and grabbed my hand, pulling me along.

“Hurry up. Let’s go.”

A pure cuteness hidden within innocence.

After the reunion, Byeol’s face looked unusually relieved.

-Thud, thud.

Led by her, I am half-forced to climb the mountain.

Where in the world was this?

Was she planning to lock me up in a cabin to monopolize me suddenly?

As I climbed with such a joking thought, a rounded hill began to appear in the distance.

“You asked why I came here.”

Byeol, who walked lightly, intertwined her arm with mine.

Our arms locked together, and Byeol rested her face on my shoulder.

Time passed, and the sky turned to sunset.

Was her hair sky-colored, or was the sky her hair-colored?

I matched my steps with Byeol’s brisk ones.

“Do you understand now?”

Two graves and tombstones.

When Byeol stopped there, I immediately realized the identity of the grave.

“We came to see my mom.”

This wasn’t originally the plan.

Byeol, who muttered that to herself, squatted down and looked at the tombstone.

I couldn’t see her parents’ names from my side.

“Shiheon.”

“Yes.”

At her serious voice, I dropped the formal tone.

Like Lee Seyeong, Byeol always wanted me to speak casually in such atmospheres.

“I thought about it seriously.”

“What is it?”

“I got a boyfriend, and I became the vice president, so now I feel somewhat proud?”

That’s true. I hoped to shed the foolish facade today.

As a boyfriend… The way Byeol and I met wasn’t exactly fateful but rather messy.

I decided not to say anything that would ruin the mood.

“Oh, but… it’s not fair to say we started dating because you forced yourself on me when you were drunk.”

After all that consideration, she broke the mood herself.

“…Tsk.”

“Hehe. Still… I’m sure I like you, so I brought you here.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I usually only come on holidays, but I just suddenly wanted to come. Though I don’t know why.”

Byeol patted the grass on the grave.

“My mom would be thrilled to know her daughter has a boyfriend. She always told me to date someone. Today, her dream came true.”

“Today?”

“Yes, today. Come to think of it, we rushed into this without properly saying we’re dating.”

Byeol straightened her bent legs and looked up at me.

A considerable height difference.

I tilted my head slightly.

Byeol smiled within my shadow.

“Since I introduced you to my parents. No backing out later, okay?”

A cute confession.

Unfortunately, there’s no flower language for starfruit.

But if it had one, wouldn’t it be related to cuteness?

“I’ll be busy for a while and won’t be able to meet you.”

“Ugh. What a mood killer. I didn’t ask you to turn into a pumpkin carriage. Can’t you just say ‘Yes! Got it.’?”

“I won’t abandon you… unless you abandon me.”

My life was miserable.

Even in jest, if a day came when someone cut off our relationship.

It would likely be up to the women, not me.

It’s because of the traumatic experience I got from Dowon.

“Let’s see if you get another girl after saying this.”

“…Oh, I can’t guarantee that.”

“Shit!”

Byeol cursed in English, raised her arms, and charged at me.

As she pounced on me like a beast, she snuggled in close.

Byeol, wrapped in my arms, held my waist tightly and took a deep breath.

“Sniff… Haah. Shiheon-ah, did you know?”

“What?”

“My dad, he’s quite the daughter’s fool… If you don’t take proper responsibility, he might come down from heaven in a rage.”

“Oh… I’ll keep that in mind.”

I could feel the corners of her mouth curling up in my embrace.

“…Shiheon.”

Byeol’s request in front of the grave soon followed.

To listen to her, I lowered my head.

“Aaah! Damn jungle bastard!”

Byeol’s wailing as she pounded on the keyboard.

I stared blankly at the minimap on the monitor.

Her character was being humiliated by the jungle and top, who were persistently targeting her.

“Gang, gang, gang….”

“I’ll be there soon.”

“Not soon, right now! Or I’ll die! Gang, gang, gang, gang, gang.”

We each ordered ramen and lemonade and played League of Legends in the PC bang.

-Dating or whatever. Make me happy.

-You introduced me to your parents, so now you have to live with me forever.

We had talked about our future cozily.

Was it just a fleeting dream?

“If you eat the toad, I’ll die….”

“…I’ll avenge you. Feel free to die.”

-An ally has been slain.

“Aaagh!”

Byeol screamed, clutching her head as if she had a headache.

Worried that we might be disturbing others, I looked around, but it seemed like such noise was common in this PC bang.

-Byeol (Darius): Byeol’s Boyfriend (Ziggs) - [Alive]

-Byeol (Darius): Byeol’s Boyfriend (Ziggs) - [Alive]

-Byeol (Darius): Enemy disappeared.

-Byeol (Darius): GG.

-Byeol’s Boyfriend (Ziggs): TY.

…Girls’ game?

It’s very different from what I hoped.

-Hey. Oppa, take the grab for me~

-Don’t worry, even if I get grabbed, I’ll kill them all~

Maybe it’s too much to expect, but wasn’t it reasonable to hope for a harmonious game?

Wasn’t that what games between couples were usually like?

I mean, not generalizing, but at least that’s my romantic notion.

But this was how Byeol was.

-Tank it.

-…Okay, okay.

-Got him!

I thought today was a melodrama, but it turned out to be a sitcom.

When she named my nickname like this, I thought it was going to be a fun game date.

But in reality, it was ten consecutive hardcore games.

-Victory!

“…Ugh.”

I slumped back into the PC bang chair and yawned.

Maybe I was exhausted from playing a game that required concentration for a long time.

But more than that, keeping up with Byeol’s energy was tougher.

“Hehe, that was fun.”

Byeol, who took off her headset, smiled brightly at me.

Her face glistened as if honey was smeared on it. There was no hint of regret in her eyes as she looked at me.

Did she manage her skin with games?

“Shiheon-ah~”

Byeol slid her chair next to mine and stuck to me.

Envious glanced came our way from around us.

‘…This person is scary.’

A smile dripping with sweetness. But thinking of earlier makes me fear her.

Where did the top monster who screamed and played like a pro gamer in the game go?

Where was the gamer Byeol?

Why was she pretending to be cute now?

“Are you tired?”

“…Yes. A little.”

“Then, though it’s a bit early, let’s go home.”

Byeol hung her headset on the side and dragged my tired body out.

“Hehe, I’ve prepared a lot to stay up all night with Shiheon.”

Since it was prepaid, we just greeted the staff briefly and left the PC bang.

“Today was so~ much fun. Right, Shiheon?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“Hehe.”

Byeol lovingly hugged my tired body like spinach and led me to her house.

Since we had gone to a PC bang near her house, we arrived at her place quickly.

Just needed a little rest.

-Beep, beep, beep. Click!

The door lock opened, and Byeol’s scent filled the room.

What came into view was…

“…Oh, right. I didn’t clean.”

Underwear, presumably taken off this morning, lay conspicuously on the floor with the inside showing.

I picked it up, and Byeol pulled my arm.

“Hey… Hey! Don’t touch that.”

“Should we clean up first?”

Yellow.

Everything was yellow to the point of being blinding, even the curtains.

Since it was a room decorated with a specific matching color scheme, it looked nice.

I extended my hand and started tidying up with magic.

There’s a charm in cleaning by hand, but for wizards, this was convenient.

“Wow. Is this an academy cadet?”

“What does a vice president do?”

“…Watch my boyfriend?”

Well, it’s not a difficult task.

I sorted out the piled-up dishes and did the laundry, and soon the room was clean.

Byeol seemed so satisfied that she gave a thumbs up after looking around the room.

“So cool… should you just become a full-time househusband?”

Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea once everything was over.

By then, I would have earned enough.

I could just enjoy a leisurely life at home, living off the money that comes in every month.

“Not a bad idea.”

“Hehe, I’m looking forward to it when we get married. Oh, wait a minute?”

Byeol, with a smile on her face, went into her room and brought out a big box.

“Something we’re going to do together today!”

The box was filled with various console games.

Games to play all night with her.

Just looking at it made me dizzy, recalling the previous scene.

“There are snacks too! Oh right… I downloaded all the anime we’re going to watch. There aren’t many comic books, but they’re all in that bookshelf over there!”

Snacks like shrimp crackers, corn chips, and enough cola to drink.

It was a perfect setting that made me believe she had raided the convenience store.

The life of a gamer accumulated over many years was evident in every corner of Byeol’s house.

“Oh. Everything is good, but can we rest for a bit?”

“Are you tired…?”

At my words, Byeol suddenly became as gloomy as a child who had their toy taken away.

A face like a character from the cartoon movie “Puss in Boots.”

I couldn’t help but give in, raising both my hands and feet.

“…Let’s go.”

“Yay.”

As soon as she entered the room, Byeol threw herself onto the bed.

She took out a game console from the box, plugged it into the huge screen, and started the game.

A driving game made in Japan.

A game where various characters like the super plumber and Link competed in karts.

-Crunch!

Byeol, tearing open a snack bag as if she was used to it, patted the spot next to her.

The bed was big enough for four or five adults to lie on comfortably.

“What if crumbs fall on the bed?”

“Hmm? I’ll just change the sheets.”

She said, chewing on shrimp crackers with her mouth full and holding the controller with both hands.

Well, as a vice president, she could handle that much.

When I stripped away my prejudice, Byeol’s room was nothing short of a paradise for gamers.

There were figures here and there. Many comic books too.

If boys came to this room, they’d probably go crazy.

“Let’s race first.”

At Byeol’s request, I reluctantly lay on the bed and picked up the controller.

‘…If we keep playing games like this, I’ll be drained.’

I instinctively craved a break.

One-on-one kart racing.

The controls were simple, so I got the hang of it quickly.

-3, 2, 1, GO!

Byeol, lying on her stomach with her body leaning on a pillow, controlled the controller.

The turtle character she controlled pushed my plumber character from the start and passed by.

“Since it’s your first time, I’ll go easy on you.”

She played confidently, even eating snacks with one hand.

-Bang!

I was playing half-heartedly, so maybe my focus was slipping.

My character couldn’t keep up with Byeol’s speed and ended up falling off the dirt road.

‘If I lose a few more rounds, will we stop playing?’

That wouldn’t happen.

It was more fitting to make a bet that if I won, we’d take a break, considering Byeol’s personality as a hardcore gamer.

“Noona.”

“Yeah?”

“The winner gets a wish granted?”

“…But I’m going to win?”

Byeol said, her mouth full of snacks.

“I don’t care.”

“You’re so confident.”

It seemed like she was calling me a pushover.

Byeol smiled with her eyes and started driving the kart again, and I asked her once more.

“Then, let’s make a bet?”

-Gulp.

“Okay.”

Byeol’s voice was full of excitement as she swallowed the snacks.

As soon as the bet was made, I moved my foot.

If I couldn’t win with skill, I’d use other means.

I slipped my foot between Byeol’s thighs and poked the inside.

“Hic!”

Startled, Byeol couldn’t take the corner properly and wasted a lot of time falling helplessly.

“….”

Byeol, with her cheeks puffed out, looked at me.

-Are you challenging me?

That’s what her eyes seemed to say.

-Enough already, let me rest.

I stepped up my teasing mischief, driving her nuts.