WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ My Platinum-Blonde Childhood Friend Is Too Pretty ◈

Chapter 89: 34. Boyfriend Out, Girlfriend Home Alone

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My platinum-blonde girlfriend, her whole body under that long padded coat covered head to toe in traces of me, gave a small wave.

Even from a distance, the pout was still plain on her face, and her forlorn little gesture made it feel exactly like leaving a puppy behind.

Seeing that, I wanted to forget the freshman orientation camp and just stay home, but if I actually did that, Elli would get mad.

So I walked away slowly, backing up step by step, waving until she disappeared completely from view, then turned around.

I felt hollow and a little reluctant, but something warm and soft stirred in my chest.

Whether I was heading to the freshman orientation camp or anywhere else, the fact that Elli would always be waiting for me at home, our home, whenever I came back, made me happy.

-bzzt, bzzt, bzzt...

[ Elli: you don't have to text that often so don't worry about it ]

[ Elli: just send one every hour when you're drinking ]

[ Elli: and when you arrive and when you're heading back ]

[ Elli: also when you go to sleep and when you wake up in the morning ]

[ Elli: that's all ]

[ Elli: if you're free you can keep sending them though ]

The moment she was out of sight, messages came in like a storm, and I smiled without meaning to.

Instead of texting back, I called her right away.

-rring... beep

"Why? Did you forget something?"

"No, I just wanted to hear your voice one more time before I caught the train."

"You left like two minutes ago... hmph."

"I'll keep sending texts whenever I have a free moment. Photos too."

"Do whatever you want."

"Sure. I will. I love you. I'll be back soon."

"...I love you. Go have fun."

-click

I hung up and stared blankly at my phone for a moment.

My heart felt warm. Energy rushed through me.

Hearing Elli say "I love you" in that pretty voice of hers, my whole body, which had been running a bit ragged these past three days, filled back up with life.

Thanks to that, I took one bright, eager step toward the university life I'd been quietly looking forward to.

There was a little anxiety too, about facing everything new as an adult and a college student for the first time.

-bzzzzt...

"Lee So-yeon?"

-beep!

"Hello?"

"Do-yoon! Where are you right now? If you haven't left yet, do you want to come with us?"

"Oh, I just headed out too. I'll come to you, then."

"Really? Okay! We'll come right out! ......Yeah. Do-yoon's coming this way. Are you all ready... hey! Why are you messing with your hair again, that's so..."

-click

"Moving close by has its perks after all. Would've been awkward going alone."

Having friends going to the same university made things a lot easier.

Even so.

"...I miss Elli."

Whatever the case, what I actually wanted was just to stay home with Elli.

* * *

I arrived at the university with Lee So-yeon and Joo Hye-ryeong. I'd been there once for orientation, but it still felt unfamiliar.

The moment we arrived, upperclassmen ushered us into the auditorium, where we sat through explanations about the freshman orientation camp before boarding a bus with our fellow first-years from the same department.

Things were a little chaotic, and there was still that awkward feeling of not quite knowing each other yet, but everyone, myself included, was chattering away excitedly with the people around them.

Since the freshman orientation camp is more than ninety-five percent about socializing and having fun, it was impossible not to feel excited.

"Hi, everyone! I graduated from Jinhwa Girls' High School..."

As the bus rolled down the road, an upperclassman led things as each first-year went up one by one to take the mic and give a quick self-introduction.

There was something entertaining about watching people walk up looking awkward and give their fresh, fumbling greetings.

It would be a while before my turn came, so I sat back and watched while chatting with Kim Sung-jun, a classmate in the seat next to me.

"You said you went to Hanju High, right? Where is that?"

"Gamja-guk."

"Gamja... Oh, Gangwon Province?"

"Yep. Wow, Seoul rent is brutal. If I'd missed out on the dorms I think I would've wanted to die. Where do you live?"

"My family's place is super close. Including walking time, about thirty minutes by bus or train."

"Your parents' house? That must be nice."

"That's there, but right now I've moved out and I'm renting my own place. That's about the same distance too."

"What? Your house is that close and your parents still let you get your own place? Seriously, be grateful. Oh, you're not in the group chat either, are you? Want me to add you?"

"That'd be great. Wait, there's a group chat?"

"Of course there is. You have to verify to get in, but... actually, never mind. I think they're going to gather everyone who's missing later and add them all at once, so just wait for that. Besides, no one's really talking much yet, everyone's still awkward."

"Fair enough, it's still early."

Sung-jun had a neat dandy cut and wore thick-framed glasses. His voice had a natural brightness to it, so getting comfortable with him wasn't hard at all.

The two of us talked nonstop about our hometowns, high schools, and what games we usually played.

Then Sung-jun brought up the apartment again.

"You said your place was close, right?"

"Yeah."

"Can I come over sometime to drink? It's kind of a pain to do that in the dorms."

"Drinks? Sure, we can pick a day and come over, but you can't sleep over."

"Why not?"

"My girlfriend would definitely say no to that."

"......Your girlfriend? Are you living with her? Like, together?"

"Yeah."

"I mean... what... I... you've got the face for it, I guess, but still... wow... living with your girlfriend... that's insane... now that I look, you've got couple rings on too..."

Sung-jun stumbled over his words, his face a mix of shock and envy.

Having a girlfriend wasn't that surprising in itself, but living with her in a rented place was genuinely a bit of a jaw-dropper.

Even just among my high school friends, some of them had partners, but I was the only one who'd moved in with one.

"Did your parents say it was okay? Or is it a secret?"

"They gave us the green light. They even helped find the place."

"That's wild. How long have you been together?"

"Dating-wise, three years? But we've known each other since kindergarten."

"No way... Can I see a photo?"

"Sure, why not... you've got my number saved, right? If you've added me on the app, my profile picture and story are full of photos of us. I only uploaded the good ones, so check those."

"Yeah? Let me take a quick look then..."

At my words, Sung-jun immediately pulled out his phone and pulled up my profile, and then.

"...Hey."

"What?"

"Your girlfriend... is she from overseas?"

He was staring with wide eyes, his expression bordering on pure shock.

With so many photos of the two of us together looking happy, there'd be no reason to doubt it was real.

He was probably hit first by Elli's blue eyes and platinum hair, then hit a second time by how beautiful she was.

"She's mixed, but she grew up here from when she was little. A hundred percent Korean."

"Then she's one of us. Anyway, how does this even make sense... you're really living with her?"

"That photo you're looking at was taken on the sofa in our place."

"Hey, can I still come over for drinks? Can I come say hi?"

"That's fine. But I'll have to get permission from Elli... my girlfriend, so don't just show up out of nowhere."

"Obviously I wouldn't do that... hah... the more I look the more insane this is. Your girlfriend is seriously so pretty."

"Thanks."

I smiled at Sung-jun's compliment. Any time, without fail, hearing someone praise Elli made me happier than being praised myself.

So while Sung-jun was losing his mind over the photos of Elli on my profile and story, and I was grinning to myself.

"What is it, is that Do-yoon's girlfriend? Show me too."

"She's in my profile picture. In exchange, let's trade numbers."

"Deal. Here, scan it."

Apparently they'd been listening, and I ended up trading numbers with an upperclassman in the seat behind us who'd said hello when we sat down.

Just like Sung-jun, the moment we exchanged numbers, the upperclassman opened the app to check my profile picture, and.

"...Seriously? This is real? Not AI?"

"It is."

"......"

"What? Is Do-yoon's girlfriend pretty?"

"...Take a look."

"How pretty could she be......... holy crap?"

The upperclassman sitting next to the first one gasped and started reacting with shock and admiration.

And then, one after another.

"What are you guys looking at? Whose photo is that?"

"That first-year you said was way too good-looking earlier. Apparently he has a girlfriend."

"Oh, him? He has a girlfriend? Show me!"

"Here."

"Let me see... huh?"

"Wild, right?"

"......Incredible."

That upperclassman then showed the photo to a female upperclassman sitting even further back, in the very last row of the bus.

Another gasp of surprise rang out, and beside her, yet another upperclassman was already asking to see it.

Honestly, I hadn't wanted to become some kind of spectacle like this.

But Elli had given me strict orders to make it very clear to everyone that I had a girlfriend.

Lee So-yeon and Joo Hye-ryeong had also advised me that getting the word out loud and clear would mean fewer people getting hurt down the line.

So in preparation for exactly this kind of moment, I had carefully re-curated the photos on my profile a few days before.

Specifically, I'd filled it up with photos of the two of us pressed close together showing off how affectionate we were, the kind Elli didn't usually let me show other people.

"Wait, whose photos are these?"

"That guy sitting over there. Apparently those are him and his girlfriend."

The profile photo of me and Elli had already made a full loop to the back, and even the female classmates on the other side were looking at it.

Exactly as planned.

"Hey, so what university does your girlfriend go to... she's the same age, right? Or wait, is she older?"

"Same age. She didn't go to university."

"So what does she do?"

"She does shopping mall modeling sometimes... other than that, housework? We mostly just hang out at home together."

"...At home? Just the two of you?"

"Yeah."

"......"

"......"

"......"

"What?"

Both Sung-jun, who'd been talking with me, and the upperclassmen who'd been quietly listening from behind went silent.

I tilted my head, not sure why everyone had suddenly gone quiet.

"Next! That tall, good-looking first-year over there!"

"Oh, yes!"

"Ha, he knew right away they meant him when they said tall and good-looking!"

"Ha ha..."

At the upperclassman's call, I walked slowly up the aisle to the front.

The eyes of classmates and upperclassmen throughout the bus turned toward me.

I looked out at my fellow first-years watching me with curious eyes, at the upperclassmen and female classmates in the back rows murmuring among themselves.

"Hi everyone, I'm Lee Do-yoon."

I smiled brightly and introduced myself.

* * *

"...Sure. I will. I love you. I'll be back soon."

"...I love you. Go have fun."

-click

"......"

The call ended, and she was left alone in the house that had been so warm just moments before.

"...What do I do now."

Elli thought.

This is boring.

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