The handcuffs distributed by Instructor Park Ayeong were artifacts imbued with magic that measured the wearer’s pulse.
They could tell whether the students had truly worn the handcuffs for twelve hours or not.
In other words, there was no way to exploit a loophole.
In the end, to complete the assignment, we had no choice but to spend at least twelve hours wearing the handcuffs.
‘Twelve hours is half a day, isn’t it? Even if we meet at ten in the morning, that means we have to stay together until ten at night…. If we meet after lunch, it’ll take more than a full day.’
It was an exhausting and uncomfortable task.
All the more so between a man and a woman, who had to understand and accommodate their differences.
On top of that, in our case, the three of us had to share that time together.
The burden was bound to be much heavier.
So rather than approach it spontaneously, we needed to plan things out.
“We all have classes on weekdays, so that obviously won’t work. I guess the weekend is our only option, right? Saturday? Sunday?”
“Hmm…. Wouldn’t Saturday be better than Sunday? If we do the assignment on Sunday, we’ll have to face Monday the very next day. Everyone will be tired.”
“I agree with Haneul! I heard from the others that they’re all doing it on Saturday, too.”
“But we have club activities on Saturday. Should I skip them….? Or I could participate while wearing the handcuffs. Time would pass quickly. Tomorrow is Saturday, after all.”
“Gyeonwoo, remember what Madam said? She’s only doing club activities until this week, then taking a break from next week until the final exams. If we want to combine it with club activities, should we do it this week?”
“Sorry, guys! I don’t think I can do it tomorrow. I already have plans in the evening.”
“You’re going to meet friends we don’t know again, aren’t you? You really are popular. You have so many friends. Haven’t you been spending too little time with us lately? Hang out with us sometimes, too.”
“Yeah, Eunbi’s popular, all right. I don’t have many friends, though….”
“Hey, Gyeonwoo, Haneul? Could you stop labeling me as popular every chance you get? Why am I popular? If anything, I’m a total loner! And what are you talking about? I hang out with you more often. You shouldn’t slander me!”
“Haneul, is that true? Have you ever had dinner with Eunbi lately?”
“I don’t think so, from what I remember. Was last Wednesday the last time?”
“Defendant, let’s hear your explanation. If you say the wrong thing, you’ll be getting handcuffs on your hands and feet.”
After finishing our Human Mysteries class, we moved to the Brilliant Café to coordinate our schedules.
I interrogated Go Eunbi, who was shamelessly trying to deceive us, while casually spinning two handcuffs around in my hand.
Depending on her answer, I was even prepared to restrain her wrists and ankles like a barbecued pig right there in her seat.
At that, she protested with an incredulous, aggrieved expression.
“Hey, you two? Do you even have a conscience? Who was it that turned me down when I asked you to have dinner last week!? You said you’d decided to go out and eat alone together! Do you know how hurt I was then?”
“Well… I do feel sorry about that. But Haneul and I need to have some time to eat together, just the two of us.”
“I’m sorry too, Eunbi….”
“Still, we don’t have many people to eat with. You have more friends than we do.”
“That’s true. I only have Gyeonwoo and you two to eat with….”
“Wow, seriously…. This is deception. It’s absolutely deceptive! You can’t say things like that! You deliberately have such a narrow social circle because you’re always going around together!”
“What are you talking about?”
The true deceiver was trying to frame us as deceivers.
I frowned as I watched Go Eunbi click her tongue in disbelief.
Still, since we weren’t entirely blameless, I quietly put the handcuffs away.
“Enough. Let’s get back to what we were talking about.”
“Yeah, let’s.”
“Wow, look at them changing the subject now that things aren’t going their way. Maybe I should’ve done this with the others instead….”
And so, after our discussion,
we decided to begin the assignment the following Saturday morning.
In the evening, we planned to invite our other friends and have a drinking party.
‘If we drink and have fun with everyone, the time will fly by, and we won’t run out of things to talk about.’
* * *
The week passed quickly.
Saturday morning, 10:30 a.m.
We gathered in front of the Jade Dormitory and decided to begin the assignment.
Yeon Haneul and Go Eunbi took out the handcuffs.
“Gyeonwoo, give me your hand. I’m going to put them on now, okay?”
“Put them on? Put them on? You’re putting on handcuffs?”
“That’s right, that’s right. Put them on, put them on.”
Since all three of us had to wear handcuffs, one person would be unable to use both hands freely.
That person was me.
I held out my hands to Go Eunbi and Yeon Haneul, then sighed at the thought of spending twelve stifling hours like this.
In the meantime, Yeon Haneul cuffed my right hand, while Go Eunbi cuffed my left.
‘I’ve been sealed.’
My hands no longer belonged to me.
I decided to keep my hands relaxed so I wouldn’t make things uncomfortable for the two of them.
“Hang in there just for today, Gyeonwoo.”
“Yeah, I only have to endure half a day….”
Yeon Haneul spoke to me in an apologetic tone.
Not wanting to make her worry, I shrugged my shoulders.
Then I asked Go Eunbi,
“Was our first activity exploring downtown? Let’s get going soon instead of staying here.”
“Sure! I’ll show you where all the hot spots are these days!”
“Try to take us somewhere without too many people, if possible. It’ll be hard to move around.”
“It’s Saturday, so everywhere will be crowded, but I’ll do my best.”
We weren’t in a good position to travel far.
We decided to head for Fantasy Road in District 23, following Go Eunbi’s lead.
I took a step after the two girls and gave a bitter smile.
‘Walking is really awkward….’
I couldn’t walk as I pleased.
I was taller than Go Eunbi and Yeon Haneul, so I had to match their strides.
Of course, it wasn’t a difficult request for me, since I was already accustomed to walking at Yeon Haneul’s pace.
The problem was that while matching Haneul’s pace, I also had to match Eunbi’s.
The two of them had subtly different strides, so I had no choice but to pay attention to the rhythm of my steps.
Moreover, with both arms unavailable, it was difficult to maintain my balance while walking.
Whenever I fell behind the two of them, the handcuffs would subtly tighten around my wrists.
In many ways, I had no choice but to feel restricted.
“Gyeonwoo, are you okay?”
“It’s not unbearable. Don’t worry about me and walk comfortably. I’m the one who should match your pace, not the other way around.”
“Okay…. Thank you, really.”
Yeon Haneul kept checking my expression whenever she had the chance.
Her concern alone was enough to make my dissatisfaction subside.
Meanwhile, I could feel people staring at us.
“Why are they walking around like that?”
“Did the guy commit some kind of crime….? It looks like he’s being arrested. Is it a lovers’ quarrel?”
“Looks like a love triangle, huh? Amazing. They’re being so blatant about it.”
“Having a harem really is crazy. It’s best to live single.”
“I’m jealous….”
“I used to be like that, too. I miss those days.”
“…”
We were walking down the street in broad daylight wearing handcuffs, so naturally we attracted people’s attention.
In particular, I was unable to use either hand, which must have made me an especially fascinating sight.
Embarrassed, we did our best to ignore the stares and continued on our way.
We entered Fantasy Road around then.
“Here we are. It’s a shopping mall that opened recently, and there’s quite a lot to see.”
“It should be a decent place to kill some time.”
The place Go Eunbi had brought us to was a cultural complex.
After entering the building, we slowly looked around, starting from the first floor.
The two girls were filled with excitement, just as I was.
Yeon Haneul’s rabbit ears kept twitching.
“Don’t just look from outside. If you’re curious, let’s go inside and take a look, too.”
“Yeah…. Shall we?”
Yeon Haneul’s face lit up.
Intrigued by my suggestion, she led us inside.
She and Go Eunbi examined the cosmetics and chatted amongst themselves.
I quietly watched them test the samples.
“Gyeonwoo, don’t just stand there. Try something, too.”
“What do you expect me to do in this state? I’m satisfied just watching. Haneul, you enjoy yourself as much as you can in my place.”
“But still…. Ah, then I’ll put some on your hand for you. Open your hand.”
“Here.”
Yeon Haneul applied hand cream to my open right hand.
I let her freely touch and play with my hand.
Soon, she lightly patted my hand to help the hand cream absorb.
“There. That’s done, right? What do you think?”
“Do you like it?”
“What does my opinion have to do with it?”
“If we’re going to use it anyway, we might as well choose a scent you like.”
“…Yeah, I like it. A lot.”
“Then shall we buy this one?”
“Sure. I’ll buy it for you to commemorate all your hard work today.”
“I’ll use it gratefully if you buy it. But are you only going to apply it to this hand? What about my left?”
“You want some on your left hand, too? Here, hold it out. Open your hand wide, little Do Gyeonwoo.”
Yeon Haneul let out a giggle.
Then, just as before, she applied hand cream to my left hand.
She kneaded my left hand, interlaced her fingers with mine, then pulled them apart as she played around.
Not to be outdone, I responded by taking her hand and releasing it in turn.
Go Eunbi rubbed the corners of her eyes when she saw us.
“Hey, guys… if you just want to hold hands, don’t worry about what I think and go ahead. It would honestly be less painful to look at.”
“Should we? It does feel like holding hands would be more comfortable.”
“…Yeah.”
With Go Eunbi’s permission, I promptly took Yeon Haneul’s hand as though I had been waiting for it.
Both her hand and mine were slippery from the hand cream.
Worried that our hands might come apart, we pressed our fingers tightly together.
“Wait, guys… I said hold hands. I didn’t say interlace your fingers…. Ah, whatever. Do whatever you want with each other.”
“I think it’s about time for lunch…. Haneul, is there anything you want to eat?”
“Let’s have whatever you want today. You’re having the hardest time.”
“Then, how about tteokbokki?”
“Huh? That’s what I like. I said to eat whatever you want.”
“But that’s what I want. Don’t you feel like having tteokbokki?”
“I do, very much. Are you really okay with that? You don’t want to eat meat?”
“They probably have something like meat there, too. Let’s go eat tteokbokki, then.”
“Okay!”
“Hey, guys? I’m only saying this just in case, but you do remember I’m here too, right? What about my opinion?”
“Oh, right, you were here too. Eunbi, you’re eating tteokbokki too, right? If you’re not in the mood for it, go get something else. Fish cakes or gimbap or something….”
“Gyeonwoo, isn’t the difference in the way you treat Haneul and me a little too extreme….”
* * *
It had been nice to come eat tteokbokki while taking Yeon Haneul’s preferences into consideration, but the problem was my hands.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t use them at all, but it was terribly inconvenient.
What was worse, whenever I moved my right hand, I had to pull Yeon Haneul’s hand along with it.
I was worried that her hand might get squeezed by the handcuffs, or that they might leave marks on her wrists.
Just then, she made a suggestion.
“It must be inconvenient to eat like that. Should I feed you?”
“Really? I’d appreciate that.”
“Okay. Is there any fried food you want? Tell me, and I’ll dip it in the sauce for you.”
“I want a seaweed roll.”
“Here. Say ‘ah.’”
Yeon Haneul held out a fried seaweed roll coated in tteokbokki sauce toward my mouth.
I had been holding her hand with my right hand, so I bit into the seaweed roll.
The peppery aroma filled my mouth, and the crisp fried texture was exquisite.
After that, I accepted whatever food she fed me.
“Is it good? What should I give you next?”
“Don’t just feed me. You should eat too, Haneul. What are you going to do if Eunbi eats everything?”
“I’ll eat whenever I get the chance, so it’s fine. Oh, do you want some gimbap this time?”
“I’d like that.”
“Why did I choose to do this assignment with you two…. I must be crazy. I knew it would be like this, but I never imagined it would be even worse than I expected. I feel like I’m just getting in the way.”
“You’re only realizing that now? You’re such a nuisance.”
“Exactly. Eunbi, you really are oblivious, aren’t you?”
“You two are seriously….”
“I’m joking. Eat well, you too.”
“Eunbi, should I pick something up for you? What do you want?”
We didn’t forget to look after Go Eunbi from time to time so she wouldn’t feel left out.
Yeon Haneul and I teased her as we enjoyed a delicious lunch.
Afterward, we went to watch the movie we had reserved in advance.
It was a movie Go Eunbi had strongly recommended.
「Taming My Childhood Friend: Reincarnated Heavenly Demon Arc」
‘…Why did Eunbi want to watch something like this?’
I couldn’t hide that thought when the long string of advertisements ended and the title appeared.
When I glanced sideways at Go Eunbi, she already seemed completely absorbed in the movie.
Yeon Haneul also looked fairly interested.
‘Whatever. I’ll just watch it.’
I held the tub of popcorn in my left hand.
With my right hand holding Yeon Haneul’s, I decided to simply watch the movie.
The movie was about a protagonist who realized he had been the foremost figure of the unorthodox sect in his previous life and physically and mentally tamed his childhood friend, who had been reincarnated as the Heavenly Demon who killed him.
As someone who preferred action filled with blows, fights, and destruction, I didn’t particularly care for the plot, which seemed overly focused on romance.
However, I found it interesting to watch the protagonist, who had been reincarnated as the son of a wealthy family, pay off his childhood friend’s family debts in exchange for hiring her as a maid and gradually training her.
[You shouldn’t do that. I just finished cleaning, and now I have to clean it again.]
[I-I’m sorry, young master….]
[Scrub it clean. Every corner.]
In truth, the heroine had become the Heavenly Demon against her will after being brainwashed by the Heavenly Demon Cult….
I supposed this was what one would expect from someone who had been the foremost figure of the unorthodox sect in his previous life.
The things he did were truly irritating and wicked, but he was unbelievably skilled at making people squirm with frustration.
That was something worth learning.
[P-Please, young master….]
[I don’t understand when you put it that way. Either tell me directly, with that mouth of yours, what exactly you’re asking for.]
‘So that’s how you push and pull the other person until they say what you want them to say.’
Could I use that someday, too?
While seriously pondering the matter, I became conscious of my right hand.
The right hand holding Yeon Haneul’s was faintly damp with sweat.
I didn’t know whether it was my sweat or hers.
‘Maybe I should let go for a moment….’
Not wanting to inconvenience Yeon Haneul, I tried to release her hand.
At that moment, she reflexively squeezed my hand tightly, as if she had no intention of letting it go.
Our eyes met.
“….”
In the darkness of the theater, where we had to rely on the light from the screen.
Yeon Haneul’s red eyes were trembling.
My own eyes were probably doing the same.
Steadying my shaken emotions, I whispered quietly.
“Can I have some popcorn?”
“…Yeah.”
Yeon Haneul leaned toward me and put her hand into the tub of popcorn.
I ate the popcorn she gave me.
In the process, my lips and tongue unintentionally brushed over her fingers from time to time.
Her fingers tasted salty yet sweet, like caramel popcorn.
“Sorry. Your hand got dirty, didn’t it?”
“No, it’s fine. Want some more?”
“Is that okay?”
“Don’t worry about my hand. Eat as much as you want.”
Yeon Haneul whispered into my ear and smiled softly.
Looking shy, she brought the popcorn to her mouth.
Then she gave me more popcorn.
We watched the movie while eating popcorn in turns—one bite for me, one bite for her.
‘…Playing while handcuffed to Haneul isn’t so bad, either.’
To be honest, from around the middle onward, I could barely follow the movie anymore.
I was simply thinking that taking the human-body mysteries class had been a good decision.
But that thought vanished as soon as the movie ended.
Because of the bathroom.
Holding back one’s bodily functions for twelve hours was practically impossible.
“…I’m sorry.”
“N-No, it’s all right. Things like that happen…. I’m fine, okay….”
“Still, Gyeonu, can’t you take care of it quickly? The people coming in are startled when they see us and leave…. Ah! I think something cold just touched me. What was that!?”
“That was probably the urinal.”
“D-Disgusting…. I want to wash my hands right away….”
We had entered the men’s restroom.
While Go Eunbi and Yeon Haneul covered their eyes and looked away, unsure of what to do,
I lowered my pants despite having to endure the humiliation.
“S-Something touched me just now!?”
“It didn’t touch you. Don’t worry.”
“G-Gyeonu, I think something touched the back of my hand, too….”
“…Sorry.”
“N-No, it’s okay….”
It was only because we at least knew one another.
What did people who had to do this assignment with someone they had never met feel like?
I let out a deep sigh.
“G-Gyeonu…? Are you done?”
“Eunbi, why are you trying to turn your head? Look away. And your fingers are spreading apart. Close them again. Do you want to get scolded?”
“Thanks, Haneul.”
“No, it’s only natural….”
“And you close your fingers, too.”
“Ah, okay….”
I pulled my pants back up.
Then I washed my hands thoroughly….
After that, we headed to the women’s restroom.
What happened afterward wasn’t very different from what had happened moments earlier.
“It’s hard to even close the door because of the handcuffs. What is this…. Gyeonu, you can’t look, okay? Don’t look!?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t look. Haneul is keeping an eye on me right now.”
“Just try letting your eyes wander. You look only at me.”
“Fine, I get it, I get it…. I’ll look only at you.”
What an awkward class this was.
Still, after safely completing the assignment, I was able to check the message that appeared.
[The physical body has broken through its limits.]
[Luck has increased by 1.]
* * *
Even as time passed, the news I was waiting for did not arrive.
What did arrive, instead, were updates on the students from the dark-magic faction who had challenged Gang Hanbyeol, lost, and ended up disgraced.
O Jun-su of the Black Magic Oh family, who reigned over those students and had incited them to act, couldn’t help but feel his pride wounded.
“You’re saying you couldn’t beat him even after ganging up on him? Do you expect me to believe that? What on earth are you doing, losing to a first-year?”
“….”
At a bar near the academy where O Jun-su’s faction often gathered,
O Jun-su frowned as he looked at the students who had been defeated by Gang Hanbyeol and returned stripped of their weapons.
He clicked his tongue as he looked at them standing with their heads bowed and their hands clasped behind their backs.
Then, the male student with the most influence among them spoke up.
“J-Jun-su, you see, the thing is…. From what we experienced fighting him, that Gang Hanbyeol guy isn’t some ordinary—urk…!”
“You call that an excuse?”
O Jun-su abruptly threw the bottle in his hand at the male student.
Caught off guard and attacked while he was speaking, the male student collapsed with a thud.
O Jun-su didn’t even spare a glance for the student now showered in shards of glass across his face.
The students, flustered by the sudden turn of events, were too busy gauging his mood.
“You pathetic fools. Instead of helping me, you insult me? Are you so eager to die?”
“….”
“Should I kill you? Huh? No, should I cut off your sponsorship?”
O Jun-su glared at the students one by one, grinding his teeth.
They received sponsorship from his family, and their futures after graduation were guaranteed. Not one of them dared to object.
In the end, O Jun-su’s anger subsided on its own, and he slumped down into his seat.
He let out a long breath.
‘It looks like I’ll have to deal with him myself.’
He knew well that Gang Hanbyeol was no ordinary promising student.
There was no point in using more students under his influence to challenge him.
In the end, O Jun-su decided to meet him in person, if only to restore his honor.
‘Just what kind of guy is he…? Still, can a mere first-year really stand against me? Foolish bastard. If he’d known his place and properly bowed to the kids under me, I wouldn’t have had to come looking for him…. He brought this humiliation upon himself.’
No matter how strong Gang Hanbyeol was, now that O Jun-su had stepped forward, it was over.
Defeating some first-year marauder would be effortless.
With a plausible plan in mind, O Jun-su had no doubts about his victory.
I Became the Mid-Boss’s Childhood Friend