“Move that away!”
I opened my eyes wide, flustered at the book pushed right up to my face, then quickly squeezed them shut tight enough to wrinkle my eyes.
Sat-chan! Gomen nasai! I didn’t mean to see your body!
But that Joel Gomez son of a bitch grabbed my collar and shook me rattle rattle rattle while shouting.
“Why, instead of that David bastard, are you trying to do this kind of thing with that pathetic bastard? Huh?”
“What? Aaah!”
I opened my eyes again, shocked at such excessive bullshit, then screamed in surprise at Sat-chan’s naked body that still hadn’t been removed.
“Please, just! Move it away!”
Thwack! When I roughly pushed it away, the book was finally removed. But I felt sorry seeing it rolling around on the dusty floor. I quickly picked it up and patted off the dust from the book’s surface.
“……Don’t treat books carelessly.”
I quickly inserted the book into a bookshelf as far from Joel as possible and said in a lowered voice. I’d momentarily forgotten this was a bookstore. But that Joel bastard, despite being an employee, despite this being a bookstore, was seething while greatly expanding his ribcage. That rough breathing was noisy.
“What are you doing here with that bastard right now?”
“What would I be doing at a used bookstore? I came to find used books.”
“Why did you come with that bastard…….”
“Shh! You work here! But why are you so loud? Are you trying to get fired? Huh?”
I quickly covered Joel’s mouth as he was about to burst out with a rough voice along with rough curses. Joel, who also didn’t seem to want to lose his job, glared sharply at me but didn’t remove my hand. While quietly looking down at me and breathing roughly, he let out a sigh with a whoosh. Ugh! Hot, damp breath touched my palm.
“I’m looking for a book. You’re an employee, right? Do you know by any chance? It’s called ‘One-Eyed Jack,’ I’m looking for issue 1 first edition……. Right, how would you know? Never mind.”
I asked just in case, but only received Joel’s sharp gaze so I just stopped talking. I was about to remove my hand from that mouth too, but Joel grabbed my wrist firmly.
“……Why are you looking for that book?”
“Because Bryan is looking for it.”
“That bastard…… what does him looking for that book have to do with you?”
Joel said while clenching his jaw tightly as if barely holding back anger. I don’t know why he’s getting angry. If I said that bastard is a future shooting terrorist who will kill you, and I’m looking for the book to stop that……. No one would understand. They shouldn’t understand either. I rolled my eyes and chose the most plausible words.
“Uh…… we’re friends, so?”
“Friends my ass. Who goes on a ‘date’ all the way here with a ‘friend’? Huh!”
But I guess I took too long choosing my words. Meanwhile, hiss, hiss, Joel’s breathing became rough again, and Joel grabbed my collar with both hands and shook me rattle rattle rattle.
“Why is this a date!”
I’ll let it slide with Dave since we even kissed, but why are you pairing me with that Bryan bastard! It was unfair! That’s not my type!
Even though I frowned heavily, perhaps not catching my meaning, the furrow in Joel’s brow showed no signs of smoothing out. Joel twisted his chin slightly, then spat out words as if chewing them.
“You’re…… so fucking crazy about faces that I thought you hooked up with that David bastard because of it, but that wasn’t it. Your taste is liking crazy bastards.”
“……What!”
The nodding, muttering head was so annoying. He was acting like he just realized it! Why would I! like crazy bastards! And the craziest bastard I know is you!
“Hah…….”
It was absurd, and I couldn’t even catch my breath, only gasping with breaths that didn’t form words. Joel, who let out a deep sigh, let go of my collar and swept up his fallen hair. Then, contrary to his attitude moments ago, he very carefully held both my shoulders.
“I’m seriously saying this because I’m worried about your future……. Your taste is fucking trash.”
This was the first time I’d seen Joel Gomez so serious and calm. It was a genuinely worried attitude. That’s why I got more angry. It’s not my taste!
Joel, interpreting my heavily frowning expression meaning what bullshit are you talking about, let out deep sighs again, whoosh, whoosh. Then he gripped my shoulders with a bit more force than before, leaned toward me, and spoke very calmly.
“That transfer student bastard is at best…… just a loser whose only claim to fame will be becoming a shooting terrorist and getting his name in the news and newspapers. I’m giving you advice because I pity your life, so get a grip. Don’t chase after the ass of a guy who’s lost his mind just because that’s your taste.”
“…….”
I opened my eyes wide without realizing it. ……How does that Joel bastard know that Bryan will at best become a shooting terrorist? Is he just saying that? That calm statement without a single curse word mixed in, unlike usual, was confusing.
“How…… do you know that?”
I barely pulled out the words letter by letter from my throat that seemed blocked. Joel, who had been quietly looking down at me, rolled up one corner of his mouth. Then he let out a small sneer, pfft, that was very familiar to me.
“What do you think is ultimately the only way for a pathetic incel bastard like that to become somewhat famous?”
“…….”
Is he just saying that? Is it a coincidence? Nevertheless, my heart, beating thud, thud, thud rapidly and fluttering, wouldn’t calm down at all.
“I said you were stupid, stupid, but I didn’t know your taste would be this stupid too……. Cultivate some taste in men, stupid.”
“……Ah.”
I finally came to my senses at Joel’s finger flicking lightly against my forehead. While rubbing my forehead, I grumbled.
“I really don’t like him.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The book is just…… since he’s a transfer student who came in 12th grade, I felt sorry for him so I was talking to try to get close, and I ended up helping him somehow. I really don’t like him. I also…… have eyes.”
I know what that bastard will do in the future. Well, of course I’ll stop it though.
“You still need to cultivate them. You’re the bastard who rubbed lips with that David bastard saying you liked it.”
“…….”
That all had reasons too. You ignorant bastard. My insides felt frustrated. But on the surface, it wasn’t wrong. Outwardly, Dave played with me, and I fell for it and naively had my first kiss stolen, an innocent gay.
“Be careful. I’m serious. If you keep going like that…… you’ll really die. This world doesn’t care even if someone like you drops dead.”
“…….”
For some reason, those were words with weight. They really sounded sincere.
“But, that book really…… I have to find it.”
I was embarrassed and awkward for no reason, so while still rubbing my now-fine forehead, I changed the subject. Joel, who had been looking down at me crookedly with his arms crossed, suddenly opened his mouth.
“What are you going to do if you find it?”
“I have to give it to Bryan. I promised to find it…….”
“And?”
“And what else?”
“If you just find that for him, won’t you hang out with that transfer student bastard anymore?”
“……There’s no particular need to hang out.”
Just give him that book, raise favorability, and then it’s over. What else would there be? I nodded slowly. Joel rubbed his chin and lowered his eyes, thinking about something for a moment, then suddenly said.
“I’ll give it to you.”
“What?”
“I said I’ll give it to you, that thing.”
“……Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know how much that sold for at auction? And first of all, why do you have it?”
It was a bewildering statement. It was a book worth over 1.1 billion won in Korean currency. That meant it was that hard to obtain and expensive. But how could he give it away so easily, and how did he obtain it?
My wide-open pupils trembled. Joel, for some reason, faintly pulled up both corners of his mouth, then tapped my forehead.
“There’s something called employee privilege, you stupid. It means I can buy something that looks good before putting it out for customers.”
“You, bought it?”
“Yeah.”
He really has it! My mouth naturally fell open. Joel’s triumphant appearance looked so cool.
“But that…… sold for 960,000 dollars at auction.”
But at the same time, I felt guilty. He must be saying this because he doesn’t know the exact value. He must think it’s just an old comic book. After hesitating, I honestly confessed the price it sold for at a past auction. But Joel didn’t open his eyes wide or open his mouth. He just kept his lips pressed together and raised one eyebrow.
“So what.”
“If you sell it…… your situation could get a bit better.”
At least you wouldn’t be living in a trailer. Did he catch on to my inner thoughts? Joel twisted the corners of his mouth.
“Do you think I live there because of that kind of money?”
“…….”
“When I say I’ll give it, accept it gladly. Before I change my mind.”
“……Give it to me.”
After quickly grabbing the edge of Joel’s sleeve as he was about to turn around, I mumbled. I don’t know if he heard properly. I looked up. At the same time, for some reason my eyelids were getting hot and it was painful, so with my eyes slightly narrowed, I said again.
“If you can give it, give it. I really need it.”
“…….”
I don’t know what expression Joel is making. My vision was blurred and I couldn’t see well. But I could properly hear the soft voice entering my ears.
“Okay.”
Joel grabbed my hand, then very carefully pulled out his sleeve. My hand that became empty felt lonely for some reason, so while clenching and unclenching my hand, I asked.
“……But why are you giving that to me?”
Even if living in a trailer isn’t necessarily because of money, if you have that kind of money, it would be easy to leave this neighborhood. Didn’t you say so before? That you absolutely can’t leave this neighborhood, this school. It was an amount that could start a new life somewhere else.
“You said you need it.”
Joel’s answer was too fresh and without hesitation. It was clear that Joel, not me, was the stupid one. Simply giving something like that for the reason that I need it? It was strange. Really strange but……. Thud, thud, thud. My heart beat fast.
Suddenly, I recalled the heartbeat I felt from his chest when I first encountered Joel. I thought it was strange because it was beating abnormally fast. But now I felt a bit like that too.
“So……. Get a grip. David, or that kind of bastard…… don’t just like anyone indiscriminately who has a dick.”
Flick, Joel flicked his index finger against my cheek. It stung a bit but didn’t hurt much. Right when I was about to nod, a ding! sound rang out. It was the system.
<Follow the Thump-Thump Rapidly Beating Heart!>
Try raising the Romance Index by 5%!
Romance Index 5% increase [0/5]
“…….”
It was a very simple quest. No, the quest itself wasn’t easy, but its content was very simple. I blankly stared at the letters floating in the air. Raise the Romance Index?
“What are you looking at?”
Finding it strange that I was staring at a place with nothing, Joel also turned his head and asked. Even if you look, you won’t be able to see it.
Perhaps it was an appropriate quest. I hadn’t paid any attention to the Rotten Pineapple Index until now. But how to raise the Romance Index, how…….
“……Go on a date.”
“……What?”
Suddenly what Joel said earlier about dating Bryan and whatnot, getting angry, came to mind. Because of that, words I’d never thought of at all popped out of my mouth. Joel also seemed bewildered as he opened his mouth wide and slightly frowned.
“Go on a date, date with me……. I don’t know, anyway go on a date. Then I, I…… uh……. Ah, I won’t hang out with Bryan. As, as you know! I’m a gay bastard crazy about men!”
