Pretending To Have A Girlfriend? Chapter 21: What Is She Doing? (5)

Uh, anyway. Why did you co?

I asked to quickly skip the uncomfortable subject.

Lily Noona replied this ti.

I was curious about who that Girlfriend was.

My girlfriend?

I knew they would ask, but I didnt expect them to co specifically to ask that... Especially, so early.

No matter how many tis I hypnotized myself, I still had insufficient imagination and muscle mory I wondered if it would be okay to answer now.

Yes... You ran away after telling us you had a girlfriend you didn't even hear us.

Looking at Vienna who was still gloomy, I didnt want to answer now. I had already made one slip of the tongue, but I thought I would make even more mistakes because of being drunk.

I was going to flesh out the lie a little more tomorrow.

Apart from her na being Elza and a few personality traits, I didnt even think of anything else.

If I had to answer now, I would have to make up things as they asked...

'Ugh, I'm not good at this'

Can I answer you next ti? It is too late now.

Thats why we ca early to talk, but you ca late.

Vienna blad , while Luss spoke in a kind tone:

Ive been waiting for you, can you tell , Chis?

I still felt guilty for hurting Luss because of a lie, so it was difficult to dismiss even this request.

Tell us quickly... Chis has a girlfriend We should know about her.

Luss urged.

Well make sure she's not a weirdo, Starchis.

Lily Noona added.

After taking a deep breath

"Co on, tell quickly-"

-Elza.

I finally told them her na.

Their eyes focused on .

Her na is Elza.

But Vienna who looked at as others, turned her head again after a mont.

Lily Noona nodded slowly.

Luss kept muttering sothing.

Elza Elza Elza

Lily Noona asked. Pretty?

Yes?

What was this first question? Wasn't it the kind of question that only n ask?

'Why dont you ask first about how is her personality?'

Or did she have the sa misunderstanding as others who asked if I invited these three to my party because of their appearance?

'Hey, when I look for my lover, I dont care so much about looks.'

Is she pretty? Your girlfriend?

Uh Yes. She is pretty.

More than ?

In response to Lily Noonas question, I imagined Elza's face again and compared it to Noona's. It was not good to get caught just because of carelessness.

No. Objectively, I think Noona is prettier.

"Then why-"

What about ?

Luss interrupted Lily Noona, who was about to ask sothing.

Your Girlfriend... is she prettier than ?

Now, Noona didn't seem as weird for asking about Elza's appearance first. It seed like all girls cared about such things.

This ti, I compared Elza to Luss in my mind.

Silky black hair and deep obsidian eyes... great height and long legs... Luss was also very pretty, to be honest.

No, actually, objectively, the three of you are prettier than Elza.

I didnt want to talk much about looks, so I told them all at once.

The pressure that had been weighing down my shoulders seed to be a little lighter too-

But, what does that matter? It was enough for her to be pretty in my eyes.

-but it doubled as soon as I uttered those words.

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. The side effects seed to co from drinking.

But in that state, I had to overwork my brain to co up with lies.

That Is that so ?

Lily Noona said. But it didn't look like she believed my words.

What does she look like?

It was Luss again.

Well logically, when a close friend suddenly has a lover, anyone would be curious. So I understood Luss' curiosity a little bit.

Pink eyes and pink hair... I was trying to answer her question in my head first and then speak it, but it got caught in my throat.

Can I say this?

The more I spat out these specific lies, the more difficult the future would be; being too specific might cause several problems.

What if a pink-haired, pink-eyed Elza was real?

The odds didnt make sense, but it was not completely impossible.

So can I...?

Hey! Speak quickly!

Vienna seed to have already regained so of her previous nature.

I had no choice but to say sothing.

She looks Cute and pretty.

No, Chis. There are things like hair color, height, and breast size.

What did she say?

Are you really asking about her breasts... really?

Why cant you tell that? Luss asked, genuinely curious.

Aweso.

Even if I had second thoughts about lying, these three won wouldnt give a choice anyway.

If I couldnt even tell her what Elza looked like, theyll look at strangely.

I couldnt help but explain my imagination of Elza.

Pi-pink hair and I dont want to talk about her breasts.

It was not that I didnt want to say anything, I hadnt really thought about it.

And if I really had a girlfriend, wouldnt it be rude to ntion the size of her breasts even if soone asked about it?

Im a girl. You can tell , Chis.

But Luss kept asking.

'Haah!' I sighed.

It looked like Luss didn't have any intention to skip this topic.

'Let's just answer her... She would keep asking otherwise.'

They're fine. Is that enough?

What about the eyes?

My heart was pounding in nervousness.

Even if I didnt want to say the specific details, I couldn't help it.

She has pink eyes.

How tall?

Haha, Luss, what painting are you drawing?

I made a joke to divert the topic, but Luss looked at with deep black eyes and asked again, ignoring my words.

How tall is she?

Compared to her... I'm only a head taller.

Luss nodded at my words and began to mutter sothing on her own. Although I couldn't hear properly.

Pink hair, pink eyes, moderate breasts, moderate height Elza.

Vienna suddenly spoke from the side.

It's said that girls with pink hair are lewd!

Ah, what are you talking about?

Is she genuine? How do you know she's not ssing around with others?

Vienna.

No. My Elza was not like that. She was a person with a pure heart, who only looked at ... According to her setting.

[Note: Vienna here is referring to how the sa term is used for both 'prostitute' and 'pink lady' in Korea, and how the internet has many inappropriate images of pink-haired girls for the sa.]

Elza is not that kind of girl.

When I said and acted a little firm... huh? She turned her head and-

I heard its only been 2 weeks since you t.

-said those words.

Thats right. According to the setting, she was soone I t only two weeks ago, so I couldnt figure that out.

With nothing to say, I just chose silence.

When I took my eyes off Vienna, my eyes t Lily Noona's sitting in front of .

She seed to be contemplating sothing, tapping her fingers on the table.

Starchis, you talked about it so briefly back then, but can you explain everything from when you t to how you ended up dating?

Then she narrowed her eyes.

As Vienna said, its been only two weeks since you both t.

-Gulp

I swallowed.

If so far I'd been lying about basic things, now I had to co up with a lie that put a fictional character into reality.

If there was a part that did not sh with reality in the slightest, the lie may be exposed.

I had to tread on thin ice here.

So when I was coming back after leaving Vienna to her church, we t for the first ti. Do you rember that big tree on the way to my house from church? Near it.

Eyes were drawn to Vienna who wiggled her fingers as if it was her fault.

Who spoke first? Asked Luss.

'I-'

Thoughts appeared as I tried to answer. I looked into Luss eyes and thought of her one more ti.

Luss knew that my personality made less likely to talk to strangers, she might even feel strange if I do.

Just now, it was a bit dangerous.

Eh, Elza spoke first.

At my answer, Lily Noona spoke before Luss could.

Ive been thinking about it for so ti, but it seems like youve already gotten a little closer... seeing that you call her Elza, not Elza ssi. Shes your girlfriend, but that doesnt change the fact that you've only been seeing her for two weeks. Didnt it take a long ti for you to call Lily Noona? Right?

Yes, Chis. Ive been thinking about it for a while too. You didnt talk to casually until half a year of friendship.

Yeah, yes! You also let go of honorifics after drinking with that day!

As if the three were united, they tackled the unnaturally familiar speech I used for Elza.

I thought about it once in my head; Was it weird or not?

But it felt more strange to use a formal tone for my lover.

She's my girlfriend, so we need to talk comfortably.

Huh!

Ugh.

Vienna and Luss made dumbfounded sounds.

Ignoring them, Lily noona spoke like spitting sothing.

And?

Yes?

What happened after that? That bit no, did she talk to you first?

Then, we talked to each other a little So we beca close. But the next day when I was coming back leaving Luss at her house, it was nice to see her again, so we just talked again.

This ti, the eyes were on Luss.

Every ti they appeared in my story, attention was drawn to them. As everyone did, I also looked at Luss.

Then, as the silence grew longer, her eyes returned to .

Oh!

I spoke:

And after that, we kept eting by chance after I dropped one of you guys off, so we kept getting closer.

Chis, isnt it a bit strange?

Uh?

My heart began to beat crazily.

Isnt it too much of a coincidence?

Well, even if I think about it, this was a coincidence that made no sense. But it would be even weirder if we didn't et often and beca a couple after knowing each other for only two weeks.

That Thats why I said it at that ti; Isn't it fate? Ha ha ha.

You might think so, but it kinda feels weird to .

Yes?

No, it feels weird to too.

Rather than fate, are you not being stalked?

My head froze for a while.

Why would soone stalk ? What did I have anyway?

Ugh, it was all my fault... my fault for lying.

Chis, she did it to cheat you.

Thats right, Starchis. That may be true.

Break up. Starchis.

All three of them worriedly said. They thought I t a strange person, so they must have felt afraid and frustrated. They were a bit cautious when they said those words, so I noticed it.

But everyone was so worried... and I felt sorry for them; because they were angry with my imagination.

This was why one shouldnt lie.

Because things like these that stabbed their conscience happen often.

Still, I cant stop now.

To grow the party and beco an A-class hunter, I needed to take care of my body through rest.

Ahaha, that's what you guys were worrying about? No. She is okay. I know this because I have t her.

Chis, you might think that because your eyes are being blinded by love, but its not the way I see it.

Thanks for your concern, Luss.

She bit her lips at my answer.

To change the topic, I spoke again.

Anyway, then, I stayed up all night with Vienna and Luss, so I didnt see Elza, right? Then, the day before we went to the dungeon, I went to the agency to take a quest, then I t her again and she confessed.

So suddenly? Isn't this really weird? Wasnt there so ulterior motive after all?

But other than that ti, there was no mont when I could receive a confession, and I couldn't confess to her because they knew how shy I was with new friends.

My mind ran as fast as it could to add a reason.

she knew it because she hadnt seen for a few days... Because I wasnt there, she felt my preciousness.

The three flinched suddenly.

All three together... It made my heart flutter.

What did I say wrong this ti?

S, Starchis. Yes, what does she like? What would she even know in two weeks?

Vienna asked.

It was a question that made feel a bit embarrassed to answer.

What would my imaginary girlfriend like? At the end of the day, she had to like any of my good points.

Face? No, not face.

I wasn't dissatisfied with my face, but it was not a face that could attract anyone. Well, at least that's what I understood when the three girls who were closest to never felt any attraction. So I removed the face from my imaginary checklist.

Character? But I was lying like this and deceiving the party mbers...

Then, the body...?

That she said my body is nice?

Vienna jumped up from her seat.

Hey!! Thats a completely lewd whore!!

Vienna!

Startled by her wild swearing, I called her na.

She said, Oops, and sat down and mumbled sothing after turning her head.

It must be her plan

Vienna called Elza a slut and whatnot a few tis, but my conscience stung every ti I got angry; Elza was a fictional character, after all

It was still difficult for to get mad at the real Vienna because of a fictional character.

Maybe its because I felt that Vienna was my colleague and a friend, but Elza hadnt settled in my heart yet.

I just decided to calm her down and change her mood.

What can I say Ah!

Thats right, Vienna, maybe its because you cut my hair before the confession, so she complinted on how well it suits . Thank you.

This ti everyone's gaze was fixed on Vienna.

Ah.

But at my praise, Vienne suddenly stumbled and began to fall off her chair.

Uh, be careful, Vienna.

I caught her by both shoulders to save her from falling... Her whole body was trembling.

Before I could question her if she was okay, words poured toward again.

Chis, Vienna looks fine now. Let go.

Ah, yes.

I continued what I was saying.

Anyway, that's how I was confessed.

Did you accept just like that? What does she even know about you! I know you better than Elza or whatever!

The trembling Vienna again raised her voice.

Well, it's because I had no reason not to accept it.

There was no reason not to accept it? Starchis, shouldnt we be a little more careful?

Noona, as you all know, Ive been single all my life. I also need to et soone.

-Tutu tu tuk

The table started to shake with a creaking voice.

Suddenly, I felt the pressure again and the hairs on my body rose on their own.

Lily Noona asked, looking at with her fiery red eyes.

It was a slightly hushed voice.

Then If you were confessed by anyone, would you have accepted it?

That was not it.

I wouldnt accept anyone's confession just because I was alone.

But I had to hide my true feelings. Because I had to give so legitimacy to dating in two weeks.

Maybe?