<Character Status Window>
◈ Name: Joel Gomez
◈ Age: 18 (12th grade)
◈ Popularity: 80%
◈ Affection: 42♥
◈ Nicknames: Drug Dealer, Joe, Future Criminal, Big D, That 12th Grader
◈ Special Notes: Main character in the drama ‘Pizza Saver’
“I’d like to try dating him once, but he probably wouldn’t accept a freshman like me……? He’s a senior, handsome, and sexy……”
The affection is already at 42—there’s no way he likes me, right? ……Right. That Joel Gomez? Me? When he constantly berates me calling me stupid, me? Even a passing dog would laugh at the idea. He must just be the type who’s unexpectedly soft-hearted.
“Thanks.”
“……What?”
Joel, who had been shuffling back toward the trailer with his hands in his pants pockets, turned around and looked down at me. I was a bit embarrassed, but I clenched both fists tightly and said it again.
“I said thanks. For fixing my bike, and for saying you’d move it to the school parking lot. Also…… ah, for beating up David. Anyway, thank you.”
I’m grateful for what I’m grateful for, so I had to say it properly. Joel, whose eyes widened slightly, looked somewhat surprised.
“You know how to say that?”
“Of course I do. ‘Thank you.’ They’re easy words.”
NEW!
‘Joel Gomez’s’ affection has increased by 1!
Oh, affection went up again. He’s unexpectedly weak to words of thanks. That bastard Joel is human after all. It seemed like I didn’t need to be scared and intimidated like before. His affection toward me was a whopping 43. Excluding family members, among the people I’d checked, the affection toward me was pretty high. Quite unexpected, though.
“……Do you have any allergies?”
Joel, who had been scratching through his hair at the back of his head, asked, and I shook my head.
“I don’t think so?”
My original body wasn’t sensitive to caffeine, but this body was vulnerable to it. I hadn’t had any problems with anything I’d eaten so far, but who knows. Joel’s face crumpled, seemingly annoyed by that uncertain answer.
“‘I don’t think so?’ ‘I don’t thiiiink so?’ Are you so stupid you don’t even know your own body? Huh?”
“I don’t.”
Probably. Yeah. I won’t have any. I ate everything well.
“Why are you curious about that anyway?”
“……Just eat dinner before you go.”
Joel looked down slightly, seeming a bit awkward. Dinner—a guy who wouldn’t even give me a glass of water was suddenly offering to make me a meal. It was a surprising development. Was it thanks to the increased affection?
“You know how to cook?”
“Is there anything I can’t do?”
Joel snorted. Meanwhile, I thought of all sorts of things. Things Joel couldn’t do, that is.
Being kind, not throwing tantrums, not yelling, not calling me stupid, being affectionate.
There were tons of things he couldn’t do, but I didn’t bother telling him. What if he put super spicy hot sauce in my food or something? I’m Korean, but I’m weak to spicy food.
“What are you making?”
“Burrito.”
Burrito. I knew it was Mexican food, but I’d never eaten it before. His mother is Mexican, so I guess that’s why he’s good at Mexican cooking.
Joel, who took out vegetables, meat, and various other things from the refrigerator, skillfully cooked in that cramped kitchen. I was surprised by how fragrant and appetizing the smell was.
“Eat quickly and go. It’s dangerous here when it gets dark. Nobody would care if someone like you got shot. For the kids living here, robbing some bourgeois young master’s bag is nothing.”
“Are you worried about me?”
The words were rough, but the content was worry. I thought maybe I should just listen to Joel’s words after filtering them now.
“If you die, who do you think will be suspect number one? And it’d be such a stupid death that even the Darwin Awards wouldn’t recognize it.”
What are the Darwin Awards?
Before taking a bite of the warm burrito, I asked the system. The system quickly displayed the answer.
An award given to those who met absurdly stupid deaths, recognizing their contribution to human evolution by not spreading their idiotic genes to descendants. 🙂
“……I wasn’t planning to get married and have kids anyway! And whether I spread my genes or not!”
“Right, you gay bastard.”
“……”
I can’t filter that. The way he talks is too filthy and crude. I just chewed on the burrito. But my throat started itching. Why is my body so itchy? Why on earth…….
“……I’m asking one more time. Do you have any allergies?”
“No? I shouldn’t have any……?”
Red hives started rising on the back of my hand, and Joel’s expression gradually crumpled more.
“Don’t make me ask a third time, do you have allergies…… Fuck, you do have allergies! Do you want to die that badly? Huh!”
Joel shot up from his seat. For some reason, I was gasping for breath, thinking that the spot where my tongue piercing was inserted was really bothering me and hurting. Joel, who had rummaged through the cupboard, came back with something.
“Give me your leg.”
“What?”
My tongue was swollen so I couldn’t speak properly. My throat was gradually narrowing, making it hard to breathe.
“Too lazy to explain at length……”
Joel, who had knelt down in front of me, unhesitatingly jabbed something into the outer part of my thigh.
“Ugh!”
“Don’t be a baby. I’m about to lose my fucking mind right now.”
“Wh, at…… is this?”
“EpiPen. ……Seriously, why did it have to be this stupid bastard……”
EpiPen? EpiPen……. Ah, I’ve heard of it. It’s an emergency allergy treatment. I had allergies? What kind of allergy exactly? I never experienced this once while living in Korea—is it an allergy only this body has? In my foggy head, I heard Joel’s curses starting with F flying around.
“Fuck, what the actual…… Fuck……”
Still, contrary to those rough curses, Joel was pressing down firmly with his palm on the inside of my thigh where he’d given me the shot. That body heat was quite warm. Then the system window crackled and appeared in the air.
SYSTEM
Loading…….
Oh no! You have a cilantro allergy! 🙁 OOPS!
“……Son of a bitch……”
You could’ve told me earlier…… You left out important information like allergies, and what? Oh no? OOPS?
“What, son of a bitch? This is a rare shameless bastard. To the person who just saved your life, what?”
“No, not you…… ugh, I’m dying……”
“Fuck! You almost died, you idiot!”
Now my body wasn’t itchy and breathing wasn’t difficult anymore. As I slumped against the wall, Joel snatched away my burrito that I’d only taken one bite of. It was delicious, what a shame. To think that was a life-threatening taste. I almost went to the afterlife after eating cilantro for the first time in my life.
“Get up.”
“I’m tired……”
“We need to go to the hospital, so get up!”
“……Yes.”
Joel’s tone as he spoke through gritted teeth was quite menacing, so I immediately got up from my seat. I staggered for a moment, and Joel grabbed my forearm and pulled me toward him. I dazedly followed along to the passenger seat of Joel’s car and sat down.
“Fuck, fuck……”
“……You’re good at cooking. I only had one bite but it was delicious.”
Joel, who was cursing continuously while driving, looked quite fierce. The atmosphere was awkward, and I also felt sorry. I smiled awkwardly and spoke. Joel’s eyes, which glanced at me once, were sharp.
“Shut up. I’m barely holding back the headache I’ve got right now.”
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t know. I’d never eaten cilantro before. Korean food hardly ever has cilantro in it……”
“I said shut up!”
Wham! Joel’s hand slammed down on the steering wheel, and I was startled enough to tremble. What kind of fist is that strong! The car shook so much I thought there was an earthquake.
“Why do I have to…… What sin did I commit…… Shit……”
Joel, who had stopped the car for a moment, roughly swept up his bangs and let out deep sighs. He looked quite distressed. Was it because he almost killed me? Was he afraid he’d get charged with murder? ……Thinking about it that way, I feel really sorry. I asked the system if there were any other allergies.
Only a cilantro allergy! But you just happened to consume cilantro! Oh my! Mexican cuisine uses a lot of cilantro. 🙂
Oh my? Oh my? Unlucky bastard. If you were going to tell me, you should’ve told me earlier. If it weren’t for the EpiPen and Joel, I really would’ve died.
“……I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional.”
I’ve said it many times, but I valued my life. If I’d known I had a cilantro allergy, I wouldn’t have eaten it.
“No matter how stupid you are, you wouldn’t intentionally commit suicide, would you? Huh!”
Joel, twisting his lips, began to speak relatively calmly. However, as if he got angry while talking, his voice soon rang out loudly. At this rate, while we’re at the hospital, I might need to stop by the ENT department for eardrum treatment too.
“……And thank you. Really. Thanks to you, I survived.”
Joel, who had started driving again, had his eyebrows firmly scrunched up and wouldn’t relax his expression at all. Seeing no sign of his momentum softening, I watched his mood and muttered in a small voice. Joel, who glanced at me once, sighed again.
“Why did it have to be this kind of thing. No, wait, is this even right……”
I didn’t know what he meant, but I could tell he was in quite an irritated state. He shut his mouth tightly, and I also pressed my lips together.
Thanks to the EpiPen, the symptoms had subsided, but I couldn’t say I was completely fine. Besides, if I said I didn’t need to go to the hospital, Joel would probably get angry again. Still, I couldn’t bear this awkward and stiff atmosphere. It was because of me. If only I’d known I had a cilantro allergy, this wouldn’t have happened.
“……Why did you have an EpiPen at home? Do you have allergies too? No, if you didn’t have that, it really would’ve been a disaster……”
