02 Mean Boys
After the party day when Dave’s sudden kiss happened, I tried to stay quite calm. First, I tried to organize the current situation by opening the status window.
<Status Window>
【Quest】
Secure Season 2 broadcasting rights for ‘Pizza Saver’!
【Rotten Pineapple】
Current [43]%
◈ High-Teen: 100%
◈ Romance: 5%
◈ Queer: 5%
‘Queer’ was really added under Rotten Pineapple. Unlike ‘Musical,’ it seemed to be permanently fixed. It was an incomprehensible standard.
Anyway, after Romance and Queer indices each rose by 5%, the Rotten Pineapple index increased by 2%. That meant 5% of those indices converted to 1% of the Rotten Pineapple index. But even if I filled Romance and Queer to 100% each, they’d only convert to 20% each, so the Rotten Pineapple index was a maximum of 80%. When there was only the Romance index, it was 60%.
[Pizza Saver]
Keywords: High-Teen, Romance, Queer
Protagonists: Natalia Newton, David Evans, Harper Cruz, Joel Gomez, July Baek
《Reviews》
– Was about to turn it off because it seemed predictable, but was quite surprised by the kiss scene
– The kiss scene was pretty cute
– Curious about how it will develop
In the Wakipedia window where the previous plot and reviews had disappeared, my name was added to ‘Protagonists’ and replaced with new reviews. It seemed to be the reaction so far.
I didn’t know right after kissing Dave, but even then reactions from Viewer A and B appeared. And the Rotten Pineapple index increased by 1%. Just from this, I couldn’t figure out the degree of Rotten Pineapple index increase according to viewer reactions.
To summarize everything… It seemed that the Rotten Pineapple index that couldn’t be filled by keywords was supplemented by viewer reactions. Probably this applies even when there’s only the ‘Romance’ keyword.
When there’s only ‘Romance,’ it would be easier to fill with viewer reactions. Since the ‘Queer’ keyword was added, the viewer base clearly narrowed. You could tell just from the viewer reaction of turning off the TV and throwing the remote.
Instead, a minority of enthusiasts rallied. I couldn’t yet judge whether adding the ‘Queer’ keyword was a gain or a loss.
But that’s just looking at the numbers… In my case, it was a loss!
‘July, kissing you is quite enjoyable. Let’s do it often next time too. Let’s go on dates together too. Thanks to you, I learned my sexual identity. Thank you.’
Dave, who had been tickling my ear, said this. I couldn’t say things like ‘In this case, it’s sexual orientation, not sexual identity, David Evans.’
So now I’m… dating Dave? Then, what about Natalia? What on earth should I do!
From the Sunday when the party happened until the next Sunday, I spent a confusing week. I worked hard to avoid Dave. Even when he contacted me, I ignored everything. But I had no choice but to find Dave again.
<The Start of Heart-Fluttering Romance!>
You’ve raised the Romance Index for the first time! It’s your turn to work a bit harder for full-fledged development!
Please raise the Romance Index by 10%!
Romance Index 10% increase [0/10] [167:59:59]
Now somewhat accustomed, it was a status window that appeared before me as I rode my bike to school without struggling like before. Just as I wondered what the numbers next to [0/10] were, the very last number changed to 58, 57, 56. Ah, it’s a time limit.
“You, bastaaaaaards!”
I finally couldn’t hold back and shouted toward the sky. Of course, there was no answer coming back.
* * *
“Huff, huff, hah…”
I thought I wouldn’t be out of breath anymore, but because of the time limit, I pedaled like crazy and my whole body heated up and my lungs felt like they’d burst.
For a high school senior preparing for college entrance exams, I was in fairly good physical condition, but this body seemed to have poor durability, as if it was always cooped up at home. Thanks to me exercising and riding a bike, it was only this much muscle that had built up. Just like identical twins, I looked exactly the same as my original self in appearance, and both my height and frame were good.
My legs were trembling. As if it was a speed too difficult for a regular bicycle to handle, the bicycle seemed to be screaming too—squeak, squeak. Roughly calculating, the time limit was one week. One week, one week, I somehow raised even 5% and it’s only one week…
“Stingy bastard…”
:<
“Dog-like bastard.”
Cursing is bad! X0
“This goddamn, fucking dog shit…”
“You’re not talking about me, are you?”
While glaring at the system floating in the air and locking my bicycle, I stiffened my body with a flinch. Is my face okay right now? I’m sweating and heated up, so I must look really ugly… But what can I do? After trying my best to smile as pleasantly as possible, I turned around.
“Of course not, Dave. I just had something unpleasant this morning. While riding my bike, no! Someone kept honking their horn! I almost fell from being startled! Hahaha! Haha…”
I acted exaggeratedly excited, but it had the opposite effect. Instead, he slightly frowned.
“July, I contacted you.”
“Ah, did you? My phone’s been acting up lately…!”
“I saw you avoiding me last time when we almost ran into each other too.”
“…What do you mean I avoided you! What reason would I have to avoid you!”
“There is, a reason.”
Dave, who spoke firmly, leaned toward me and whispered.
“We kissed. Really deeply. We mixed tongues and everything… while rubbing our bodies. Your trembling figure was so cute… It must be a shame, July. You won’t be able to see yourself because you’re you.”
Dave giggled. The breath pouring from him tickled my ear, making goosebumps rise. I retorted sulkily.
“…We didn’t rub bodies.”
“We did. Don’t you remember trembling and rubbing my crotch with your thigh? I was quite surprised when you did that too. To think you’d go that far there…!”
“Stop!”
A kid who’s only sixteen has nothing he can’t say! I hurriedly covered Dave’s mouth. My voice must have been too loud. Everyone in the parking lot looked this way. Joel was among them. Chewing on a long red jelly while wearing a leather jacket, he looked toward me and Dave and grimaced.
“July, don’t tell me… you’re dumping me after having me?”
Dave hung his head and lowered his eyebrows.
“How can you say it like that…!”
Right. He’s sixteen… I kept forgetting that in Korean age, he’d be about eighteen. I just kept thinking of the number sixteen, so he seemed too young.
I felt guilty. As a hyung three years older (two years to be precise), I couldn’t do this. Even though it’s unfair that I wasn’t the one who kissed first, I have to take responsibility… Of course, I also have to clear the quest.
“So, what do you want to do?”
“I want to do that with you again.”
“…Not with other people? So you’re sure you’re… that thing starting with ‘G’?”
There were people around. I put my hand by my mouth and raised my heels to whisper to Dave. Dave giggled.
“July, are you seducing me right now?”
“Please, just…!”
This young kid keeps, hey! Even if hyung tries to see you cutely, I can’t! Frustrated, I pounded my chest—thud, thud. Dave tilted his head.
“Why are you thinking so hard? I want to do ‘that’ more with you, and it wasn’t bad for you either. So can’t we just do it together?”
“…Are you asking me to date?”
“Usually you don’t say such things out loud, do you?”
Dave had a puzzled look. Is that so…? Come to think of it, I think I heard that in America they don’t say “let’s date.” It’s definitely a different culture from Korea where they keep track of the 1st day, 100th day, and all that.
“Wait, let me think about it…”
What should I do? What…! If Dave is really, literally ‘gay,’ then romance with Natalia is out of the question. It would be an unhappy path for both Dave and Natalia. If I put them together, the development might become even more messed up. …Come to think of it, seeing that the ‘Queer’ keyword was added, maybe it doesn’t matter if this drama becomes different from the original content.
No, that might be better! Since the end is catastrophe if it flows according to the original plot, wasn’t I trying to change the development? The Romance Index rose by 5% just from kissing me. Looking at that, maybe Dave and Natalia don’t necessarily have to date.
But then… am I dating Dave? Me? Me?
“Me?”
“What?”
“Huh? Uh… I was thinking…”
While pointing at myself with my index finger and keeping my mouth open, I awkwardly brushed my thighs with both hands. Dave tapped his empty wrist with his index finger.
“Done thinking? I don’t have time to wait any longer.”
“I think I’m about done… Wai, just wait, Dave! Where are you going!”
“I said there’s no time.”
I ended up getting my wrist grabbed by Dave. Striding ahead and pulling me along, he scattered a pleasant smile and greeted here and there.
“Good morning.”
“Oh, Dave. Good morning. But… what are you doing?”
“Ah, I have business with July. July, you should greet them too.”
“Go, good morning…!”
I waved my hand even though I didn’t know who it was.
NEW!
Popularity increased by 5!
Just by walking down the hallway with Dave, my popularity rose. I don’t know what it’s useful for, but I was a bit happy about the fact that it rose. But it wasn’t a situation to be happy about.
“Why are you smiling? Are you looking forward to it?”
The place Dave brought me to was the cleaning supply closet.
