Chapter 20: Don't Tease Me

༺ Don’t Tease Me ༻Wednesday morning.

At one point, I developed a habit of waking up earlier than usual on this day due to the advertisement strategy class.

“Hey, Taemin.”

As I was looking around the classroom to see where my group members were seated, I heard Junseok’s voice from the other side.

“Hi.”

“Oppa, hello!”

Both Minji and Junseok were there, but it seemed like Doah hadn’t arrived yet.

“You must be tired from working so hard.”

“I know, right? Why don’t we let Taemin oppa skip out on the project just this once?””

“You know what? We should do that.”

Both of them showered me with so much affection to the point that it almost embarrassed me.

“No need, I actually had some fun. It’s whatever.”

“But, Oppa, you’re literally the carry of this project! No one would object if you were to skip out once!”

“…To that extent?”

“I mean, you did almost all of the initial business analysis. You also went to the Experience Center. You’ve done all the troublesome work!”

On second thought, that was indeed the case.

Each of them had different circumstances at the time, so they couldn’t all participate, but judging by the results, I was unleashing firepower that surpassed even the academic overachievers.

Sigh… This was so out of character for me…

Luka-tan, you’d better treat me well from now on.

“But, Taemin oppa.”

“Hm?”

“You actually enjoyed it, didn’t you?”

A mischievous expression plastered on Minji’s face.

“Eh? What?”

I tilted my head, unable to understand what she meant.

“So, do you have feelings for Doah, Oppa?”

Feelings for Doah, huh…?

I completely understood what she was trying to imply here, but it was hard for me to give her a straight ‘yes’ as an answer.

My feeling for her wasn’t the typical one between a man and a woman, rather, it was a more complex and delicate feeling that had a rich history behind it.

And even if I had to give in and admit to having romantic feelings for Doah, I had no intention whatsoever of sharing my true feelings with a social butterfly like Minji.

“No, that’s not the case.”

Also, I hated such conversations, so I shook my head in annoyance.

“But your actions said otherwise~ Like, there was a slight hint of it when you said you’d research in Doah’s place, you know~”

“I noticed that too. It was too obvious.”

Even Junseok joined in, what a headache…

Still, was I being that obvious?

I’ve never liked a 3D person before, so I didn’t know how to gauge my own actions.

Come to think of it, I’ve never really gone up to someone and started a conversation or even called out to them.

Am I really like that?

As if my deepest secret had been exposed, my face flushed in embarrassment.

I made up my mind to immediately run away to the toilet if they were to press me any further… But it seemed like it wasn’t necessary.

“Ah? Doah’s here.”

At Minji’s words, I turned my gaze towards the source of all my embarrassment.

Doah, dressed in a black blouse and a beige skirt.

As soon as our eyes met, Luka-tan immediately turned her head away.

…And here I thought we had become somewhat closer.

Like, we even planned to meet on the weekend to play games together!

Seeing her blatantly avoiding me like that actually hurt me a little…

Those guys were teasing me as if I had a crush on you, you know?!

“Aw~ Doah~ Sorry I couldn’t make it this weekend~”

Minji hugged Doah, who sat down next to her.

“It’s fine. It isn’t like you could skip your tutoring session..”

Without minding Minji, who was clinging to her, Doah gave out a calm response before taking out a tablet from her bag.

“How was your date with Taemin oppa? Was it nice~?”

It looked like she was just teasing her with that remark…

“N… no?”

But Doah gave her a flustered response, which prompted me to do a facepalm.

Seriously, if you were to act like that, we’d just become easy targets for them!

When she was streaming, she could keep her wits together, but it seemed like she couldn’t do the same in real life.

Then again, it wasn’t like I could blame her for not understanding what I was going through. She didn’t know the conversation that had taken place before she arrived.

“I will take attendance now.”

Huh? I didn’t even realize that the Professor had arrived.

Being distracted by Minji and Junseok’s relentless teasing made me unaware of what was happening around me. Well, at least I was free from their torment now.

“Shall we look at this group?” Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Midway through the class. Time for the professor to check on each group’s project. Junseok opened our presentation.

“For our project, following the Professor’s advice last week, we visited a VR Experience Center and explored its connection with the Metaverse—”

Wow, look at him, explaining it better than I could. And it was me who actually went there.

Being good at presentations was indeed an enviable skill.

Junseok, building on the content I had organized, spoke smoothly as if he had visited the place himself.

“Very interesting.”

Seemingly interested in the presentation, the Professor nodded his head while stroking his chin.

Was this the first compliment I had heard in weeks?

In response to the rare and gentle feedback, akin to rain after a long drought, all the group members seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“How about we apply these technologies you’ve experienced to properly shape the business’s image? That would be good, wouldn’t it?”

“Pardon?”

Confused, Junseok politely asked for a further explanation, prompting the Professor to kindly repeat his suggestion.

“What I meant to say is, it would be great if your group were to create a video using VR technology. This way, your project will result in something truly significant and meaningful.”

For our group, VR was merely a topic, not a filming technique.

Even Junseok, a yes-man when it came to grades, didn’t immediately shout ‘Got it!’ at his words.

“Let’s first try to find a way to do it, and this week we can focus on exploring that.”

“If it’s too challenging due to practical circumstances or technical issues, then you should consider a backup plan.”

“I’ve spoken a lot. Let’s call it a day.”

As the Professor finished speaking his mind and stood up from his chair, we all bowed our heads in unison.

“Thank you.”

It turns out that the warnings about taking classes with a bad reputation in the school community were quite justified.

“…We’re screwed.”

Junseok’s single remark neatly summed up the current situation.

“What should we do?”

Minji also seemed at a loss for words, somewhat laughing as if she had lost her mind.

“Ah… Seriously…”

Junseok’s face, as he brushed his hair back, was filled with frustration.

“It’s one problem after another…”

“Can’t we just film it in that VR world we researched? The ones those Vtubers often used?”

Given the nature of our group project, both Junseok and Minji had unwittingly become familiar with the Metaverse.

“Maybe, but… Sigh… Can we even do it with just a computer and a headset?”

If this was a personal project, I’d just go to class next week and say, ‘The equipment necessary for the filming is too expensive,’ and be done with it.

But, it seemed like everyone was at least trying to consider the Professor’s words. They were actually thinking of giving it a try.

“One of my friends is a hardcore otaku, you know? I should ask if they have the device.”

At the mention of ‘hardcore otaku,’ I, the epitome of one, shuddered.

Hey! Not every hardcore otaku has that!

Did you know how much that cost!?

While the prices of the devices varied greatly, the VR headsets were generally expensive. It wasn’t something anyone would buy on a whim.

I once thought about buying one, but I realized that I’d have to live on instant ramen for a good while if I were to buy it, and that was enough to stop me despite my keen interest.

Of course, I wasn’t the only one who reacted to Junseok’s comment.

“Achoo!”

An excessively cute sneeze sound came from Doah.

Actually, if we needed a VR device to film with, we didn’t need to look for assistance from far away.

The pro in that field was right next to us.

She was even recognized by a major corporation.

“Um…”

Doah’s eyes darted left and right, as if she was taking in her surroundings.

“I think I can get it.”

“Really?”

Junseok, who had been slumping like a wilting plant, straightened up with energy.

“Do you know someone who has it, Doah?”

When asked with such hopeful anticipation, Doah nodded her head up and down, clearly feeling a little overwhelmed.

“I think my cousin has it, I’ll try asking…”

What a blatant lie. Yes, officer, I had nothing to do with this.

Honestly, even if Doah kept her mouth shut here, no one would blame her.

I was the only one who knew she was a VTuber, and her identity could be exposed if she wasn’t careful.

Junseok and Minji should have seen the articles about the newly formed virtual idol group.

Though, I didn’t think they’d actually go around to visit their streams. But, it wasn’t anything certain yet.

Was this what they call a white lie?

“Ah. Really? Then please ask your cousin if we could borrow it. Offer a rental fee if necessary.”

“Sure, I’ll discuss it with my cousin and let you know in the group chat.”

When I thought that the conversation was over…

“…But how much would the rental fee be…?”

…You’re not thinking of collecting money here, are you, Luka-tan?

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