I broke the silence and blurted out.
“……Why, why did you do that?”
Banye looked at me disapprovingly, then replied as if he had no choice.
“You just make me angry.”
Banye said it as if it was nothing, but the conversation I saw wasn’t like that at all. Above all, if that photo was as I expected…….
“Did you go to Kwon Dajeong’s house?”
“No.”
“Really no?”
“Why are you grilling me about this?”
Banye turned his body as if annoyed.
I grabbed Banye who was about to leave the room just like that. Banye quietly looked down at his caught arm instead of my face.
“Did you go because of me?”
I asked, but I was more than half certain. If it wasn’t because of me, there was absolutely no reason for Banye to go to Sisi’s house.
Even if he really didn’t go, the fact that he bothered to remember that house address was because of me. It wasn’t my misunderstanding…….
At that moment, Banye’s hand came at my face. When his large palm completely covered my eyes, my vision went dark.
“……Wh-what?”
“Don’t look at me strangely.”
With those final words, Banye removed his hand. Our gazes slowly met. He said I was looking at him strangely but…… looking now, Banye’s eyes also seemed somehow different from usual.
Seeing those eyes looking at me strangely, my heart pounded oddly.
“Wh…… what about me.”
“You’re expecting something.”
My face flushed as if my feelings had been completely caught.
I let go of the hand that had been holding Banye, saying “uh, uh.” Only then did Banye close the laptop that was the cause of this.
Then he said curtly.
“Stop peeking.”
“Stop? This is the first time……!”
“So you admit you did peek.”
“No, I didn’t look on purpose. A message came from Jorangi-nim so……”
At my excuse, Banye slightly raised an eyebrow.
“You also saw the message from Jorangi?”
“No! A notification came so I clicked it…… I was going to close it right away, but I saw Sisi’s name so I clicked……”
My voice got smaller and smaller. Even if it was a coincidence at first, I did click it because I couldn’t resist my curiosity.
Looking at me like that, Banye clicked his tongue reproachfully.
“Don’t peek from next time.”
“Y-yeah. Sorry……”
Wait, but why did I become the one making excuses? I was definitely the one asking questions…….
After naturally ending the conversation by blaming me, Banye left the room just like that. Only I was left behind, tearing at my hair wondering if I should have said that.
“Ah, shit…… This isn’t right.”
However, even after that, whenever I tried to bring up this topic, Banye would change the subject like a ghost. So I inevitably couldn’t bring up that topic anymore.
I felt frustrated but…… on the other hand, I hesitated because I was also afraid that if I dug in more persistently, Banye would get annoyed.
So in the end, I couldn’t properly hear why Banye acted that way until the end.
* * *
‘Does Banye like me even a little?’
However, after that day, I couldn’t help but fantasize about the possibility between Banye and me.
When Sisi misunderstood our relationship, he didn’t particularly deny it either…… all of Banye’s actions seemed like more than just being angry at Sisi…….
‘Banye really crossed the line……!’
What kind of friend goes this far for someone else’s business! And it’s about romance too!
I had thought until now that Banye and I weren’t even friends. But isn’t it unfair that he’s been taking care of me from behind like this?
‘But Banye keeps saying not to expect anything, does that mean he knows my feelings? So…… he tolerates me liking him, but nothing more than that? Don’t cross the line……’
Seeing him say things like don’t look at me strangely, or what are you expecting so much, I’m not sure again. If Banye also likes me, could he say such things to someone he likes?
I groaned in agony while secretly stealing glances at Banye, just burning inside.
I wanted to just act crazy and confess. But I was worried that if things went wrong, Banye might leave the house. I don’t want to not see Banye again. So, if possible, I hope Banye would accept my feelings…….
But after that day, Banye still seemed cold and indifferent as usual, and I seemed to be the only one burning up.
Even when I tried to talk to Banye warmly as if testing him, he acted even more coldly than before. So I was gradually losing confidence.
“You’re not concentrating?”
Moreover, the fact that we were about to have a pride-staked showdown with Sisi’s guild soon became an obstacle to getting closer to Banye. Whenever I tried to do something(?), Banye would gently push me away saying “We need to practice.”
Today too, I tried to start various conversations with Banye but failed, and was pushed away to sit in front of the laptop.
At this point, feeling somewhat angry, I put up [READY] and while waiting for a PvP opponent, I suddenly asked Banye.
“……But, if we beat Sisi this time, what reward will you give me?”
“If we win?”
“Yeah.”
Banye was staring at the screen, then glanced at me briefly. Then he muttered lukewarmly.
“Grant you a wish?”
“……!”
As my eyes sparkled, Banye’s expression changed as if it became a bit bothersome.
However, I started to get excited.
I-if he lays the groundwork like this, then I…….
“Will you really grant me any wish?”
Please say yes……!
I desperately prayed in my heart. Banye looked at me like that and smirked, then said.
“Your wish is obvious, hyung.”
“Wh-what do you think it is……!”
Banye didn’t answer. However, he soon nodded slightly.
“I’ll grant it. As long as it’s not absurd.”
I asked, worried about the condition attached at the end.
“Wh-what’s absurd?”
“Like wishing for three wishes with one wish.”
“Ah! I won’t wish for that! I’ll only wish for one thing!”
My wish is just one thing. For you to become my boyfriend…… hehe.
I hid my sinister intentions and smiled brightly. Banye looked me over, but didn’t say anything special. Was that permission?
“Okay. Then, let’s concentrate now?”
“Nice!”
I struck a fighting pose and played the game very hard that day.
Perhaps because I was in good condition, I won 7 out of 10 matches that day. Each time I won, Banye sent me a mocking smile as he watched me get excited.
But Banye, you won’t be able to just smile next week either! I struggled to hide my sinister smile while looking at cute Banye who didn’t know what was coming.
* * *
Finally the weekend came. The day of the guild war with Sisi’s guild.
[Guild][Haeyam] Those participating in the guild war come to the Discord channel-yam
[Guild][Haeyam] If you didn’t receive the guild Discord channel invite, whisper me-yam ㅇㅂㅇ
1 PM was the guild war time, and from 11:30 AM, all members participating in the guild war were gathered in the guild Discord channel.
There were 10 members participating in the guild war, a 10v10 team match.
On our side, Aang, Banyecredit, Nanneomukeoeyeowo, Anaki, Haeyam, Suckeot3, Bokgak, Neda, Yeongmyeong, and Slash, these 10 people would participate.
On their side, Sisi, apostrophe, Kim Sewu, Barim, Mujimakji, Yuae, Gomgul, Chaoreum, Gomguma, and Bisu, these 10 people came out.
But I was puzzled that the expected Miin-nim didn’t come out. Even if Miin-nim said he wouldn’t come out, with his skills, Sisi or other guild members would have coaxed him somehow to come out.
“It’s not that Miin-nim changed his nickname either…… Chaoreum is a nickname I’m seeing for the first time, but Miin-nim isn’t Chaoreum.”
I spoke into the microphone to the guild members about what I knew.
Because I had hammered in to be careful of Miin-nim and apostrophe, but when it came down to it, only apostrophe showed up so I felt a bit awkward.
Banye heard my words from beside me and answered.
“Chaoreum doesn’t seem to be better than Miin. He’s not on the ranking either, so it seems Miin just had circumstances and didn’t come out. Maybe the timing didn’t work.”
“Then that’s a relief……”
[Haeyam] That’s a relief-yam =ㅅ=
Anyway, the fact that their power wasn’t at its best was good news for us. The guild members also seemed to be secretly relieved that Miin-nim didn’t come out.
So we reviewed the strategy we had worked out one last time, then exchanged and coordinated a few opinions.
After fiddling with the microphone and various programs, Banye asked the guild members for understanding.
“I’ll turn on the live broadcast from 12:30.”
“Okay!”
“How much will you pay us as appearance fees?”
Anaki asked giggling. Banye went silent and looked at the clock.
It was already 12:25 PM.
My heart started racing wildly.
