Episode 4: Sniff Sniff
Behind the school, in an old storage room.
A place cluttered with old sports equipment and what could only be called trash.
“Kihoon, did you see the photo that was uploaded to the Bamboo Forest today?”
“What photo?”
Choi Kihoon leaned against a corner of the storage room, a cigarette in his mouth as he checked his phone.
“That girl you marked your territory on during the entrance ceremony? She’s got a boyfriend.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I asked her friend about her.”
“Really? I saw the photo, though. Take a look at this.”
Choi Kihoon smirked bitterly, snuffing out his cigarette on the ground.
“What’s this guy’s name?”
“Kim Dohyun.”
“He looks like a pampered brat, and his name’s annoying too.”
“You gonna let it slide?”
“For now? They might just be friends.”
Kihoon lit another cigarette, the ember glowing faintly.
*
Unable to endure the boring class, I ended up dozing off.
Before I knew it, lunchtime had arrived.
I wasn’t hungry, thanks to the hearty breakfast I had in the morning.
I bought a simple bread and milk and returned to the classroom.
As I was opening the packaging, a noisy voice from the seat next to me caught my attention.
“Hey, Kim Dohyun! What’s your League rank?”
The guys swarmed around me, chatting about games.
I could feel the distance between me and the class shrinking.
With bread in my mouth, I answered lazily.
“Master.”
“Seriously? I’m in Bronze. Can you carry me?”
“Sure.”
“Wait, really?”
“Don’t know.”
I brushed it off and took another bite of my bread.
Then it was the girls’ turn.
“Kim Dohyun, do you use Instagram?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie. Really, you don’t?”
“Nope.”
“Anything else?”
I gulped down my milk and shook my head with a tired expression.
“Too much hassle.”
The girls started whispering among themselves.
“He’s totally like an old man.”
“But isn’t that oddly attractive?”
“That’s just because you’re into good looks.”
Wanting to avoid their cringy conversation, I slumped over my desk.
‘Youthful atmosphere? My ass.’
This kind of thing just doesn’t suit me.
It’s the kind of feeling that comes with awkwardness and embarrassment.
“Hey, Kim Dohyun. Wanna play soccer?”
Still slumped over, I waved my hand dismissively, signaling a no.
Fifth period was P.E.
The boys were already outside on the field kicking a ball during lunch break, while the girls sat under the shaded stands, chattering away.
I watched the scene through the classroom window.
A jasmine scent floated gently on the breeze.
My gaze wandered to the desk next to me, where a neatly folded blouse lay.
“Hmm…”
Before I knew it, my hand reached for the blouse, folded so tidily.
I was alone in the classroom.
It was just a small curiosity.
“Does she use good perfume?”
I picked up the edge of the blouse slightly.
A subtle fragrance wafted from it.
I hadn’t realized until now that I might have a fetish like this.
“What are you doing?”
A voice that wasn’t supposed to be there startled me, making me whip around.
In my panic, I hit my big toe against the desk frame.
At the back door stood Seo Yuna, staring at me in shock.
‘This kind of event wasn’t in the game….’
The saying “Curiosity killed the cat” perfectly described my current situation.
My heart sank.
‘Even in the tiger’s den, you’ll survive if you keep your wits about you.’
I racked my brain for a plausible excuse.
“There was some dust on it.”
“Don’t lie.”
Yuna snatched the blouse from my hand, practically yanking it away, and waved it in front of me.
“I saw everything as soon as I walked in. You sniffing it like some pervert?”
Wow. Seriously?
Of all times, why now?
This was a bit unfair.
At this point, denying it would only make me seem more suspicious.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you flustered?”
Why even ask? Obviously, I am, you idiot.
A quote from a French emperor suddenly came to mind:
‘Shameless audacity is sometimes the most powerful weapon.’
“Yeah, I sniffed it. So what?”
“What?”
Yuna’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“The smell was nice, so I smelled it.”
I replied casually, glancing at her reaction.
Her expression turned from disbelief to indignation as her mouth opened and closed.
“You perverted freak!”
Didn’t work, huh?
As expected, it was nonsense.
Still, Yuna continued glaring at me, her face bright red.
The situation had already spiraled out of control.
There was no turning back now.
“I told the truth.”
“What are you going to do if I spread this around?”
Her voice grew louder, filled with irritation.
I crumpled the empty bread wrapper in my hand and tossed it into the trash can, unfazed.
“That’s up to you.”
“What?”
Her mouth gaped open at my indifferent response.
I glanced at the clock and then out the window.
It was almost time for the next class to start.
This was the perfect chance to escape.
“Sorry, but class is about to start.”
“Hey, you crazy jerk! Where are you going?!”
Her desperate yelling echoed behind me, but I walked out of the classroom without looking back.
The likability I had carefully built up shattered in an instant.
“Well, it’s not like there’s no way to fix it later.”
*
Yuna sat in the shade of the stands, arms crossed, looking down at the field.
She still held the blouse in her hands.
For some reason, it didn’t feel right to just leave it on the desk.
‘That perverted jerk. I went to grab my sunscreen, and he’s doing that kind of thing.’
The scene from earlier wouldn’t leave her mind.
Dohyun sniffing her uniform like that.
It was so absurd it almost made her laugh.
But instead of laughing, Yuna found herself absentmindedly stroking the fabric of her uniform.
‘…Did it really smell that good?’
The more she thought about it, the stranger she felt.
It had been a ridiculous situation, yet a subtle sense of superiority crept in.
‘Still, wasn’t his reaction kind of honest?’
From the field came the loud shouts of the boys.
“Hey! Pass it! Pass!”
The boys were drenched in sweat, playing soccer.
‘They’re such idiots. It’s hot enough to die just sitting still.’
Out of the corner of her eye, Yuna noticed Dohyun hesitantly hovering near the stands.
‘Tsk. Acting all confident to the end, but he’s clearly nervous.’
The sight made Yuna smirk.
‘If he’d just apologize honestly, I might let it slide. I mean, I owe him one anyway.’
She fiddled with the edge of her uniform again.
*
In “Love Is War!”, there are various events.
From main events that greatly influence the flow of the game to side events that raise the heroines’ affection levels.
There are all kinds.
The one I’m aiming for is a side event that occurs during the first P.E. class.
In the game, you have two choices:
1. Ignore it.
2. Block the ball.
If you choose the first option, Seo Yuna instinctively ducks and avoids the ball.
The situation passes without issue.
But if you choose the second option, it’s a different story.
The protagonist clumsily blocks the ball with their face, ends up with a nosebleed, and gets just a slight affection boost as a reward.
As a bonus, the protagonist’s face is left with marks for several days, making story progression more difficult.
“Those marks made it so much harder to move the story forward.”
It was an event that didn’t need to be pursued, but Yuna’s affection level might have dropped after what just happened.
Judging by the fact that the girls’ group was still quiet, she probably hadn’t spread the incident around yet.
The side event was about to occur.
There was no way I was letting myself get hit in the face.
I hovered near Yuna, timing my move.
The boys were enthusiastically kicking the ball around.
Then, one of the boys accidentally kicked the ball hard, sending it flying toward the stands at high speed.
“Hey! Watch out!”
A frantic shout followed.
The ball hurtled straight toward Yuna’s direction.
“Kyaa!”
Screams erupted from Yuna and the other girls.
I quickly sprinted forward, reaching out toward the incoming soccer ball.
Thwack!
The ball hit my palm harder than I expected.
I screamed internally.
A sharp pain radiated through my hand, making my face contort, but I forced a smile.
The girls’ excited voices followed immediately.
“Kyaa! Are you some prince on a white horse?!”
“Wow, that was insane!”
“I swear, I’ve seen this scene in a drama before.”
Yuna stared at me with wide, surprised eyes.
I shrugged as if I was fine, but in reality, it hurt a lot.
A man lives and dies by his pride—especially in front of girls, where the effect is magnified several times over.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Yuna approached me with a concerned expression.
“It’s nothing.”
I said that, but every time I flexed my hand, a sharp pain shot through it.
‘Wow… this hurts like hell. This is definitely at least a fracture or ligament damage.’
With a stiff expression, I went to find the P.E. teacher.
“I injured my hand. I think I need to go to the nurse’s office.”
The teacher had seen what happened and gave me permission without much fuss.
“Agh—! It really hurts, ma’am!”
The school nurse waved her hand dismissively.
“This is nothing. Just apply some ointment. It’s just a sprain—don’t exaggerate.”
Awkward.
After getting treated, I returned to the field and sat on an empty spot in the stands.
Someone tapped my shoulder from behind and spoke.
“Hey, you looked totally stupid.”
I had sacrificed my hand to save her.
Or rather, was I forced into saving her?
I didn’t reply and instead examined my hand.
“Well, uh… thanks…”
Yuna fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, her words trailing off awkwardly.
Then, after biting her lip slightly, she carefully continued.
“You know, if you hadn’t blocked that ball earlier, I might have gotten hit. So… thanks.”
“No need to thank me.”
I meant it. She would’ve dodged the ball on her own anyway, so there was no reason for gratitude.
Trying to break the awkward mood, Yuna suddenly burst into laughter and whispered softly.
“I’ll keep it a secret that you sniffed my uniform in the classroom.”
“Do whatever you want.”
“Is that how you normally talk?”
“What about the way I talk?”
Suddenly, Yuna grabbed the hem of her sweat-soaked shirt between her fingers.
She curled her lips into a slight smirk and then said something utterly insane.
“Wanna sniff this?”
…What the hell did I just hear?
Seeing the shocked look on my face, Yuna burst out laughing and took a step back.
“Kidding.”
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