Juha, that bitch...
Why the hell hasn't she contacted me?
I couldn't help but shake my leg nervously.
This is the first time Juha hasn't reached out like this.
Now that she's not coming around, it's bothering me. Have I gotten too used to being her errand boy?
"Today's class will end early."
"Thank you!"
"Great work!"
Maybe it's because the festival is coming up, but everyone's having trouble focusing...
Even the professor wrapped up class early.
I've got a lot of free time this afternoon.
They said there's soccer practice tonight, but it's not confirmed... and even if there is, it'll probably just be a small passing drill.
"Hmm..."
Should I go to Juha's place?
I feel bad for not going last time I thought about it.
Maybe it's worth checking out this time?
'Sigh.'
If I don't go, who will?
Judging by the fact that the money's still being split, she's probably alive...
But I have no idea what she's up to.
She's not back into Hold'em, screaming "Kyaaah!" and acting crazy, is she?
If she lost money gambling, she'd be begging me for help... but since she hasn't, it's probably not that.
"I really don't know."
I've only ever seen her being unpredictable or violent...
I've never seen her in this kind of low-energy mood before, so it feels awkward.
Ah... actually, that's not entirely true.
Back in school, she'd get into these low-energy moods because of her period.
Back then, it wasn't just me—all the errand boys had to be extra careful...
'Suddenly reminded of that.'
Our errand boy alliance...
Not exactly friends, but not exactly strangers either... a weird kind of relationship.
We survived by sharing info about the bullies and their moods...
Fuck.
*Beep. Adult verified.*
On the bus to Juha's place...
I held my phone and leaned my head against the window.
The scenery outside flew by.
"Ha..."
The cross-dressing thing is going smoothly...
Of course, at first, I thought, "What the hell is this gay shit?"
The makeup the girls did didn't suit me at all, and I thought I looked like a complete lunatic in the mirror...
I remember the female seniors being flustered and fumbling around.
But after a few adjustments, they got the hang of it...
And it started to look somewhat decent.
I took off my glasses, put in contacts, and even had my eyebrows done...
At least the upper part of my face—around the eyes—looks pretty convincing. Even I was surprised.
But the lower part of my face is hopeless.
No matter how you look at it, it's a man's jaw.
It's not super angular, but you can't hide the masculine jawline.
The overall masculine lower face...
Facial bone structure is hard to hide with makeup.
They suggested using a mask to cover it... but who knows how that'll turn out.
They're preparing some secret weapons like lifting tape and stuff... but for now, that's how it is...
Honestly, it's kinda fascinating.
Makeup and hair really make a difference...
The makeup alone feels a bit off, but once they put on a long, straight wig, it felt like I became a different person.
Is this... me? Fuck... I was so shocked I almost had a brain freeze.
"Fuck..."
I'm a guy... a fucking guy...
I want to be handsome... manly... not pretty, you bastards...
The only consolation is that two or three other "elite" guys were also chosen...
They scoured the entire first and second year classes and mobilized anyone who looked somewhat decent.
A war to turn us into femboys...
And I'm at the forefront... sob...
*Beep. Arrived.*
While lost in thought, I realized I was already near Juha's place.
Trudging up the hill...
I'm starting to get familiar with this area since I've been here a few times.
The soup restaurant I went to with Juha came into view.
"Huh..."
As I walked around, I spotted a familiar figure.
A playground in the middle of the path to Juha's place.
A girl was sitting on a swing in the empty lot.
...It's Juha.
Wearing a three-stripe tracksuit and dolphin shorts that show off her thighs.
Her usual loose white t-shirt that reveals her upper chest.
The signature nonchalance with a cigarette dangling from her mouth...
It's definitely Juha.
'Total NEET vibes.'
What's she doing here at this time?
She seems to be in a pretty low mood...
I quietly approached and sat on the swing next to her.
"Ah, fuck! You scared me!"
"What... what are you doing?"
When I sat down, Juha narrowed her eyes.
Why... why are you looking at me like that?
"School?"
"Finished and came back."
Oh, really?
Juha gave a short answer and turned her head.
She... doesn't seem particularly happy to see me. This is a first.
She usually goes, "Oh, you loser. Hey, Joonhyung. You look like a loser today." But now...
She's oddly quiet. Something must've happened. I cautiously asked.
"...Did you lose at Hold'em?"
"Ah, fuck. Do I look like I'd do that? I told you I wouldn't."
"Right... right?"
Well... as long as it's not that.
She's just in a bad mood, I guess...
Maybe it's some sudden period symptoms or something...
"..."
"..."
Silence hung in the air.
Only the creaking of the swings echoed.
This reminded me of the old days.
Back when we'd hang out at empty construction sites, buildings, or playgrounds.
We didn't do much—just killed time on our phones and smoked cigarettes.
I wonder if their parents even waited for them... or if they even cared what they were doing outside...
Those were tough times.
I still don't get it. It'd be more fun to just stay home and play games...
Why did we just sit around doing nothing outside?
Anyway, those memories came back.
Now it's just the two of us. Back then, it was always crowded.
Time flies... even that stupid group disbanded.
"Ha, fuck. I'm out of cigarettes."
Juha tossed the empty cigarette pack.
Now that I looked, there were over 10 cigarette butts on the ground.
Did she smoke all of them in one spot? She's gonna get cancer and die...
"Should I get some?"
I answered without thinking.
Huh... even I was surprised by my own response.
But it's normal to buy stuff for friends, right? Yeah! Fuck.
Juha chuckled at my quick reply.
Oh... she laughed. Her eyes turned into crescents.
"What are you gonna buy, huh? How long are you gonna be my errand boy?"
...Good point.
But the one who made me her errand boy is saying that...
Still, she seemed to be in a better mood.
"..."
Juha leaned her head on the swing and stared at me.
Why... why?
Creak... creak. Only the eerie sound of the swing filled the air.
Why are you staring at me like that? I really can't figure her out.
When male bullies stare, it's like, "Wow, this guy looks like a total asshole, lol."
But when female bullies stare, there's no reason.
They do it to all the errand boys. I can never tell why.
'Ugh...'
Feeling awkward, I looked straight ahead when my phone rang.
Who... who is it? Yoo In-ha?
I glanced and saw a bunch of Kakao messages too. What... what's going on?
"He... hello?"
'Hello, my ass! Why aren't you picking up?!'
"I picked up now?"
'I called earlier, and you didn't answer, you bastard!'
Did she call earlier? I had my phone on silent, so I didn't notice...
"Why... why?"
'Fuck, there's a huge bug! A fucking huge one came out!'
...You called because of a bug? Just catch it...
"How big is it?"
'As big as my wrist! Fuck, as big as my fist! Seriously, as big as my fist!'
...After being quiet, the first thing you call about is a bug the size of a fist...
You should catch that shit yourself, damn it!
She's never had bugs in her place before. She's in full panic mode.
'Co... come quick. You have to come fast. You have to catch it while it's still here.'
"I'm... I'm outside. I have plans, so I can't come."
'Don't bullshit me, what plans do you have, ah!!!!!'
Whoa... a lion's roar without breathing...
I glanced at Juha.
It's a bit awkward to say I came to Juha's place...
Even if I did, she'd probably go, "Go catch the bug and come back!!!" and make a scene...
"Can't... can't you call someone else?"
'Fuck, they're all girls! They can't catch it!!! They can't!!! Come here!!! Ah!!!'
Ah, fuck, my eardrums!
Juha raised an eyebrow, curious.
If Juha were in a better mood, I might've gone... but suddenly saying, "I'm going to catch a bug for Yoo In-ha!" feels...
Ah, fuck it, I don't know!
"I really have plans, so I can't! I'll... I'll catch it later!"
'Hello? Joonhyung? Hey, fuck! Don't hang up! Don't hang up, you bitch! I'll kill—'
*Click.*
I hung up and stared ahead.
This is... the first time I've hung up on Yoo In-ha. I broke out in a cold sweat.
"What's up?"
"Ah... um... Yoo In-ha called saying there's a bug at her place... and she wants me to catch it..."
"Yoo In-ha?"
Juha picked up her phone.
Huh, she called me too, she muttered.
...She called Juha too? She must've called everyone and then finally called me. What, am I the last resort or something?
"Wow, it's huge. Seriously as big as a fist."
"...Really?"
She must've sent a photo on KakaoTalk.
Looking at Juha's phone, it really did look huge. Fuck, it's as big as a fist.
"Instead of taking more photos, she's busy calling everyone."
Yeah...
But it does look hard to catch. I'd probably freak out if I saw it too...
Juha put her phone away and smirked.
She stretched and let out a sigh. She seemed to be in a much better mood than before.
Yoo In-ha's freak-out seemed to have cheered her up.
"Wow. But you hung up on In-ha. You've grown up, Joonhyung."
"It's not like I can just run over there now..."
I came all the way to Juha's place, so leaving would be weird...
And coming back after that would be even weirder...
What's she gonna do about the bug?
"..."
Juha stared at me again.
Her expression had softened a bit. I glanced at her and then looked away.
Her gaze kept drifting downward, so I decided not to look...
"Hey."
"What?"
"Look."
"At what?"
"Look this way, you idiot."
I thought she meant her chest...
I glanced over and saw Juha smirking. Just the corner of her mouth...
She tapped her thigh a few times.
Her thigh pressed against the swing...
"Sit."
"...Sit down?"
"Ah— sit down and see."
I froze at the unfamiliar command.
Has... has this ever happened before?
I nervously stood in front of Juha's swing.
She grinned and wiggled her thigh.
...Is this... okay? My male pride is...
*Sigh...*
Male pride... easily discarded!
I sat down in the narrow space between the swings, and Juha's face was right in front of mine. I awkwardly turned my head.
Besides her face, there were two watermelons...
*Creak... creak...*
Juha kept moving the swing without saying a word.
A strange mix of discomfort and comfort lingered.
The feeling of her thigh... amazing... it feels like being treated like a pet, which is annoying but also kinda nice...
I moved back and forth slowly with **Juha**'s movements. It felt weird. Her blank expression made me even more nervous.
A slightly heated silence hung in the air.
I could feel the warmth of her skin through her clothes.
It's such a simple action, but it feels so surreal...
...Why does it feel like our roles have reversed...?