I am Smart

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On her way to work, Lee Da-ram clung to Moon Si-hyun’s side as they walked together, just like always.

Moon Si-hyun, perhaps having gotten used to it by now, walked naturally without any hint of resistance.

“These days, the Sky Realm’s influence is just too big. Yesterday, I was doing solo queue and—”

Lee Da-ram chattered away in that state. Talk about games that didn’t often come up among women. It was a frequent topic for them.

“Yeah, I think I get what you mean.”

Moon Si-hyun, now well-versed in Fiore, opened her mouth.

“Originally, it was okay to just ride the wave when the Sky Realm descended, but now there are times when you have to ride it, fall back for a bit, and then ride it again.”

“…… Ah, right.”

Lee Da-ram paused, then finally replied.

Recently, she had asked Moon Si-hyun about her strategies, but no matter how much Si-hyun explained, Da-ram just couldn’t grasp it.

Moon Si-hyun was really bad at explaining things compared to her skill level in Fiore. She mixed in all sorts of incomprehensible onomatopoeia, making it even more confusing.

And no wonder, her playstyle was purely sensory and not verbalized at all.

Now, Moon Si-hyun had a master score of 450. Only 150 points more to reach Grandmaster—she was quite close.

Although Si-hyun insisted that her basic stats were just fine, she was increasingly feeling the need to make some changes given the rising difficulty in the game.

With the topic of Fiore coming up, Moon Si-hyun briefly thought about her stats.

– Squish

“Ugh.”

An unsettling sensation gripped her abdomen.

Startled, Moon Si-hyun quickly distanced herself from Lee Da-ram, looking at her with a flustered expression as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

Da-ram was quietly alternating between clenching and unclenching her fists.

“Why, why there?”

“No, I was just curious how you eat so many sweet things and don’t gain weight. But you’re so toned…”

But her belly? A few question marks seemed to appear over Moon Si-hyun’s head.

She had no idea whose common sense was strange. After all, she didn’t even know much about the culture of the opposite gender, being below average herself.

“Okay, but do you usually just touch someone’s belly?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry if that upset you…”

“No, that’s not it… Then, on the flip side, if I did that to you, you wouldn’t say anything?”

“Of course. You’re my older sister.”

Lee Da-ram corrected her posture and pushed out her abdomen. The outline of a feminine shape was faintly visible beneath her taut shirt.

Moon Si-hyun shook her head vigorously, refusing. Then she considered Da-ram’s own puzzling question.

“It’s probably because you exercise a lot.”

“Oh, you said you do a lot of workouts. What kind of exercise do you do?”

“Well, I don’t do strength training very often these days, but I run a lot. Oh, and I tried playing soccer lately, and it was fun. I haven’t been able to go for a bit because I’ve been busy, but I plan to go again soon.”

Moon Si-hyun recalled the days she used to play soccer.

“Soccer? … Who do you play with?”

“With some middle school kids I met at the sports field.”

“Hmm… What are they like? Are they nice?”

“Yeah, they seem nice. They smoke a bit, but they seem good-hearted.”

“Wait, what!?”

At that, Lee Da-ram was taken aback.

“Sis, guys are usually nice to girls. And middle schoolers smoke…?’

Moon Si-hyun was scolded again for her unnecessary remark.

*

This restaurant doesn’t have a bell to call for staff—it’s a stubborn insistence by the head office for a classic atmosphere.

So, guests have to either raise their hands or vocally request their orders. Among the men, Lee Da-ram and Moon Si-hyun, especially Si-hyun, were called upon the most.

“Thank you.”

“Here’s some extra tissues.”

“Here’s your water.”

“I’m sorry, but personal questions like that are inappropriate.”

During the lulls in ordering, there was a man in the kitchen who quietly watched her.

On his right arm was a tattoo of a compass enclosed in geometric figures. Sometimes he would cover it when he had to go out to the hall, but with the heat in the kitchen, he rolled his sleeves up.

He would bow his head at the start and end of all conversations with guests, speaking softly. He didn’t smile much, and even when difficult customers came in, he handled it without losing his temper. When seated, he kept his legs together and didn’t rush about.

A true lady’s man.

That term floated into his mind from some boring novel he’d read once.

A type of person he had rarely encountered in his life. With his handsome looks, it’s no surprise his gaze was often drawn to him.

“Hey, what are you looking at?”

At those words, he looked to the side. The manager had snuck up next to him with a playful tone.

Although the manager wasn’t always around the restaurant, it seemed he was feeling bored lately and had started visiting often.

The man had started working from the restaurant’s opening, and their personalities matched well, leading to a friendly relationship.

“What am I looking at? Just people-watching.”

“Again, huh? I knew you were just staring at Si-hyun since a while ago.”

“Haha…”

The man didn’t bother denying it.

“Do you want to get close to Si-hyun?”

As time passed, the manager too had naturally started to speak informally around him.

“Come on, I’m not a kid anymore. We need to get to know each other before those kinds of feelings can develop.”

“Sounds kind of awkward coming from you.”

The manager looked at him with an expression of disbelief.

It had been eight years since the restaurant opened. In that time, the manager knew how the man had spent his youth.

Though it couldn’t be called debauchery, he had seen him make many women cry.

“Come on, that’s ancient history. You know I don’t do that anymore.”

“Well, I guess that’s true. You seem quieter these days? Have you had your fun already?”

The manager laughed and slapped the man on the shoulder before moving on.

“What? You’re both adults; neither of you is a bad person. Ah, by the way, ask Si-hyun something today.”

“Sure.”

The man waved goodbye to the departing manager, then took a moment to roll his sleeves down and stepped outside the kitchen.

In the waiting area, he spotted Moon Si-hyun. This time, the man looked at her from an angle where she could notice him. It wouldn’t be long before their eyes met.

But as soon as he looked in her direction, Moon Si-hyun turned her head away, making him flustered, but he smiled and waved. Si-hyun bent her head slightly and once again faced forward with her hands clasped.

After a little while, he looked at her again. This time, aware of his gaze, she met his eyes. He waved playfully, smiling. She had a puzzled expression but then dipped her head again.

That was his intention. It was important to make the other person aware of himself. The first step was making it clear that he was interested in her.

At that moment.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp gaze right next to him.

Lee Da-ram had appeared next to Moon Si-hyun.

With her eyes narrowed, she aligned her middle and index fingers to her eyes before showcasing them to the man.

‘What era is that gesture from?’

The man chuckled and waved to Lee Da-ram before averting his gaze.

Da-ram was particularly exclusive towards men, especially when Moon Si-hyun was involved.

Even when Si-hyun was surrounded by playful customers, Da-ram was always there to help her out.

That much was understandable. Although Moon Si-hyun seemed to have no gaps, she often showed surprisingly innocent traits. If someone cared for her, it was reasonable to worry.

… Of course.

“Sis, can we quickly go to the restroom? There aren’t many customers right now.”

“…… No, I’m sorry.”

“Tch. You never come with me. I get it.”

That wasn’t something he had to be considerate about.

Watching Lee Da-ram scurry into the restroom, the man changed his pace.

As he got closer, Moon Si-hyun’s gaze was once again locked onto him.

“Hey.”

“Hello.”

“Is work not too tough?”

The man briefly exchanged pleasantries about work. However, there wasn’t much time. He lunged as naturally as possible into the main point.

“Si-hyun, would you like to step out with me for a bit during break?”

“I don’t think I can. I’m sorry.”

“I’ll buy you ice cream.”

“…… If it’s just a little.”

*

Moon Si-hyun walked alongside the man. Viewed from a slight angle above, her three-dimensional features stood out even more.

Unlike Da-ram, there was hardly any distance between her and the man. Even now, they were quite close enough for him to catch a whiff of her cool mint scent.

“You’ve been doing well at work lately, right? Not making mistakes.”

“Thank you.”

“Da-ram scolds you a lot, huh? Is it okay? Hehe.”

“It’s not that bad. It’s not like I’m being scolded for work.”

Moon Si-hyun replied expressionlessly.

The man had never seen her smile.

Moon Si-hyun rarely smiled, whether it was in response to light jokes or situations that warranted laughter.

“Do you remember my name?”

“Your name? …… I’m sorry.”

Moon Si-hyun bowed her head slightly.

She hadn’t even heard his playful remark about calling him “Oppa.” She was just bad at remembering others’ names.

Her clumsy behavior and close proximity gave men some leeway, but she didn’t allow anything more than that. It was strangely intriguing to him.

What he knew through Da-ram was that she had an intense sweet tooth. Not long after, they reached the ice cream shop. It was an unmanned ice cream kiosk.

Inside was brightly lit.

On the ceiling-mounted TV, a drama was playing, showing a scene where a man and a woman were holding hands. They walked together down a street, laughing.

The man didn’t miss the conversation starter. As he bought ice cream for Moon Si-hyun and received a polite “thank you,” he finally spoke up.

“That’s that drama. I can’t remember the name, but everyone seems to love it. What do you think when you see that?”

“Well, I guess I’m not really interested. It’s not a topic I know much about.”

“Hmm.”

‘Guess she really is that type.’

Based on experience, the man assessed her.

“Honestly, I think it’s a loss to take love too seriously. It wouldn’t hurt to think of it lightly. Youth passes by quickly. Experience love with a lot of people and interact with many. That way, you broaden your own world.”

Moon Si-hyun quietly listened to him while meeting his gaze. Then she spoke.

“Well, I really don’t know much about love, and I’m not very interested, to be honest.”

As she spoke, Moon Si-hyun peeled the plastic off her ice cream.

“I want to believe it’s not something so light.”

She replied and took a bite of the ice cream bar.

The corners of her mouth slightly lifted. It was the first glimpse of her smile he had seen.

“……”

The man gazed at that scene in a daze.

He was now truly convinced in his heart. It was time to voice it.

“Si-hyun.”

“Yes?”

“We’re having a little get-together after work today. Would you like to join us?”