Chapter 17 - Chapter 15: Episode 14 - Opportunity
My life has become a constant surveillance state, with my girlfriend clinging to me like glue and monitoring my every move.
To make matters worse, every weekend she completely ignores my needs, forcing herself on me in one-sided sessions that feel less like sex and more like an assault.
It's obvious that if we actually get married, things will only get worse.
Back in high school, Yu-rin was a shy, timid girl who would get flustered just being around me.
I was the one who changed her. Ever since our daycare days, I've been 'educating' her to have the personality of a woman from my previous life, rather than the typical 'alpha woman' persona dominant in this world.
But look at her now.
Ever since we first slept together on the day of the entrance ceremony, that timid personality has practically vanished.
Losing her virginity gave her a massive boost in confidence. She's done a complete 180; now she gropes me whenever she wants and shows me off like a trophy in front of everyone.
I used to think marrying her as soon as we became adults would be fine—if she were still the girl she was in high school. But my mind has changed.
My top priority now is to revert her to her original high school personality before we walk down the aisle.
The sudden talk of marriage was tied to military enlistment.
Sometime between next year and the year after, Yu-rin is likely to receive her draft notice.
In fact, she's planning to enlist as soon as this second semester ends.
Military service.
It's the inevitable call of the Ministry of National Defense that every woman in this version of Korea must answer.
Of course, alternative service exists, but in a world where Gates are constantly opening, it's much harder to get into than one might think.
Specifically, cushy public service jobs at government offices or public facilities are completely off the table.
Even among the responsible staff at City Hall, if a Gate opens, maybe one in ten will actually stay to evacuate residents. The rest will bolt for the safe zone without a second thought.
When survival instincts kick in, people prioritize their own lives regardless of the disciplinary action they might face later.
Because so few people could be trusted to fulfill their duties when their lives were on the line, the old public service system was eventually abolished.
So, is active duty the only option?
Not necessarily.
Awakened individuals can fulfill their service as Duty Hunters for two years. If they participate directly in Gate raids, their service period is reduced based on the Gate's rank.
As a bonus, the Hunters get to keep all the byproducts harvested from the Gate.
Their only obligation is to do their absolute best to stop monsters from attacking civilians and to destroy the Gate core.
Still, Duty Hunters have to live in military-style barracks, so their freedom is just as restricted as any regular soldier's.
The problem is that even though both Yu-rin's mother and my mother are Hunters, neither of us have Awakened.
They say the trigger for Awakening is different for everyone,
but in most cases, it's sparked by life-threatening situations, intense desires, or desperate wishes.
Extreme, life-or-death scenarios are usually the catalyst.
Of course, experiencing such a situation doesn't guarantee Awakening, and those kinds of events aren't exactly common in daily life.
Since Yu-rin hasn't Awakened, she'll eventually have to enlist for active duty.
There isn't much time left.
If she wants to time her discharge so she can return to school without a gap,
she'll have to enlist in six to eight months at the latest.
The only way for her to stop worrying about me cheating while she's locked away in a military base—
She'll probably shove a marriage certificate in my face before she ships out.
Marriage was her ultimate insurance policy.
I had no way to refuse.
She's a childhood friend I've known for fifteen years; part of me can't just let her go. And Yu-rin, feeling the pressure of the draft, isn't going to let this slide.
Before that happens, I have to drag Minji into this and force a confrontation.
I feel terrible for Minji, but I have to do this if I want to survive.
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.
.
With time running out, I didn't have the luxury of planning things carefully.
I even considered just closing my eyes and confessing everything if I got desperate enough.
Since I'm going to end up back with Yu-rin anyway, there's no way I'd actually sleep with Minji or anything like that.
I just need to make Yu-rin feel a sense of crisis—give her a reason to actually look at me again.
Once her heart is shaken, I can pour out my true feelings and we can go back to the way we were in high school.
With my thoughts organized, I messaged Minji privately again today, acting intimate and keeping the conversation flowing.
We seem close enough now. Should I make a move?
Lee Seon-ah> Yu-rin says she's too busy to hang out tomorrow, too. Want to go see a movie at 10 PM tomorrow night?
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Ever since they parted ways at the cafe, Minji had a feeling Seon-ah was interested in her.
He'd invited her out several times already.
The first time, he'd approached her saying he needed advice on a gift for Yu-rin.
The second time, he'd come to her department's club room, claiming he wanted to check it out, but then spent the entire day talking only to her.
At this point, it couldn't be a misunderstanding.
Seon-ah was definitely interested in her.
Since he already had a girlfriend, it was hard to believe his interest was romantic, but his behavior was far too excessive for someone just looking to be friends.
It was starting to feel uncomfortable to keep turning him down.
Whether it was because Yu-rin wasn't spending much time with him lately or something else, his daily private messages saying he was bored had become a routine.
Just as she was thinking that, another text arrived.
Lee Seon-ah > Yu-rin says she's too busy to hang out tomorrow, too. Want to go see a movie at 10 PM tomorrow night?
Going to a movie alone with Yu-rin's boyfriend—even if they were close friends, it felt like crossing a line.
Refusing this time was the right thing to do.
Choi Min-ji > I don't think I can make it.
As she was typing her refusal, another message popped up.
Lee Seon-ah > Minji, I really have something I need to tell you tomorrow. It's about my relationship with Yu-rin, and it's a problem that concerns you, too. You're the only person I can ask. Please, help me just this once...
What on earth could be going on for him to sound so desperate?
Choi Min-ji > Is it something you can't talk about over text?
Lee Seon-ah > Yeah... I think I need to see you in person to explain.
Just this once.
Choi Min-ji > Alright then. Let's meet tomorrow night and talk.
This was the first time Seon-ah had ever shown such a vulnerable side.
There was no harm in hearing him out before making a judgment.
She just hoped that whatever was happening to him wasn't too serious.
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The night of the meeting arrived.
After my persistent advances, Minji finally agreed to see a movie with me.
It had been worth the effort—the constant texting and tracking her down whenever our lecture schedules didn't overlap.
Minji's guard was much higher than I'd expected.
Even though I was making my interest obvious—aiming for that sweet spot that was more than a crush but less than a relationship—she barely reacted.
If I missed this opportunity, she probably wouldn't agree to meet me again for a long time.
I felt like this was my last shot.
I have to give it everything I've got.
I had dinner with Yu-rin at 7 PM before we went our separate ways.
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Lately, she's been eating with me and then rushing off, claiming she has something important to do.
Is something wrong?
I was worried, but it was also a rare chance to be out from under her watchful eye.
Since I was meeting Minji in front of the theater, I had some time to kill and moved slowly.
I'm usually very careful when I'm out alone.
Even so, things like this still happen.
Once, I walked past a couple and the man caught his girlfriend staring at me, which immediately turned the atmosphere ugly.
And then there are the strange women who constantly approach me.
"I don't usually do this, but I really like your look. Can I have your number?"
"Are you here alone? Want to watch the movie together?"
I turned them all down, telling them I already had a girlfriend.
One persistent woman wouldn't take no for an answer, clearly operating on the logic that just because there's a goalie doesn't mean you can't score.
It's true that a lot of uncomfortable things happen when Yu-rin isn't around.
I spotted Minji up ahead.
"Minji! Have you been waiting long?"
As I spoke, I suddenly pulled her into a hug, then glanced over my shoulder at the woman who had been tailing me.
Seeing my 'girlfriend' right there, she finally turned around and hurried away.
I guess even she was afraid of getting caught hitting on someone else's man.
Minji seemed startled by the sudden hug, but she didn't pull away.
"What's this all of a sudden?"
"That woman walking away over there was hitting on me. I told her I was taken, but she kept following me and demanding my number. I didn't have any other choice."
"O-oh. I see."
I gave her a slightly apologetic look.
"I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable."
"No, why would I mind?"
I didn't miss the slight flush on her face as she said that.
Even if she keeps turning me down, she definitely sees me as more than a friend.
"You're early, though?"
"I just got here myself."
There were still thirty minutes until our meeting time, and she said she 'just got here.'
She'd waited early just in case I arrived first. She really was too kind for her own good.
"Well, we have plenty of time before the movie starts. Want to grab some coffee?"
"Sure."
I needed to make my move before the movie started.
That was the only thing on my mind.
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I arrived at the theater a full hour before our scheduled meeting.
I'd only intended to be thirty minutes early.
But I'd been in such a daze since yesterday that I was terrified of being late, so I ended up leaving way too early.
Minji had spent the last day overanalyzing Seon-ah and Yu-rin's relationship.
Lately, Yu-rin had been ditching Seon-ah every evening.
And Seon-ah had been making advances so obvious that anyone could see them, claiming he was 'bored.'
Then, he'd suddenly begged for her help, saying he was going through a hard time.
These were the objective facts Minji had to work with.
When she put them together, a story began to form in her head.
Conclusion: Yu-rin was cheating.
Seon-ah had found out and was trying to get revenge by cheating back.
And the target was her. Since she hadn't taken the bait, he'd pivoted to asking for 'help' as Yu-rin's friend to discuss their relationship problems.
It was just a hypothesis, so she couldn't say it out loud unless he brought it up first.
If I blurt out a guess and I'm wrong, it'll be incredibly embarrassing.
Still, she felt she had to be prepared to help him if that was the case.
After a while, Seon-ah finally spotted her and called out.
"Minji! Have you been waiting long?"
As he spoke, Seon-ah suddenly reached out and pulled her into a hug.
Did Yu-rin really cheat? Is he really doing this to get back at her?
Using her to get revenge?
It was only natural to feel a flash of anger.
She tried to push him away.
But then she felt it—his body was trembling slightly against hers.
She assumed he was so heartbroken and furious over Yu-rin's betrayal that his sorrow was vibrating through him.
Thinking that, she couldn't bring herself to push him away.
As they held each other for a moment,
she became acutely aware of his scent.
She felt the soft, warm press of his body against her skin.
"What's this all of a sudden?"
She wanted to hear the truth from his own lips.
Even though they were close, they weren't 'hug without hesitation' close. In fact, given his relationship status, they shouldn't have been hugging at all.
"That woman walking away over there was hitting on me. I told her I was taken, but she kept following me and demanding my number. I didn't have any other choice."
"O-oh. I see."
So she'd completely misunderstood.
I'm losing it... I've been watching too many dramas.
Seon-ah looked at her with a slightly apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable."
"No, why would I mind?"
She realized she'd let a bit too much of her true feelings slip into her answer and felt a jolt of panic.
"You're early, though?"
But Seon-ah just moved the conversation along as if it were nothing.
He really was a naturally considerate person.
"I just got here myself."
"Well, we have plenty of time before the movie starts. Want to grab some coffee?"
"Sure."
As they walked to the coffee shop, Seon-ah kept glancing at her, as if he had something on the tip of his tongue.
She pretended not to notice, afraid she'd start jumping to conclusions again.
If it was really important, he'd tell her before the night was over.