Chapter 20: Sharing a Desk

Squeeze.

A moment later, I felt a hand firmly grip my shoulder. Only then did I let out a yelp, “Ack!”

But Ban-ye paid me no mind, still pressing down on me as he looked at my monitor screen.

Almost simultaneously, Ban-ye’s large hand covered mine on the mouse.

Scroll, scroll.

The sound of the mouse wheel turning seemed unusually loud.

Not knowing why Ban-ye was suddenly acting this way, I just darted my eyes around.

“I was wondering what was so amusing that you couldn’t even hear me knocking….”

“Y-you knocked?”

“Twice.”

That was my mistake, so I apologized to Ban-ye, “Sorry…,” but he didn’t say anything in response to my apology.

He just meticulously read through my conversation with ImSoCute from the beginning.

I felt a needless tension, wondering if I had said anything that required such close inspection, but even after reading the chat, Ban-ye didn’t let me go.

Instead, he rested his chin on the top of my head and pressed down, firmly.

My scalp hurt and I groaned, but Ban-ye still didn’t release me.

“You’re pressing on my head….”

He ignored even the words I finally muttered, unable to bear it.

But soon, Ban-ye lifted his chin from my head.

I relaxed a little as the pain subsided, but at that moment, Ban-ye suddenly wrapped both of his arms around my shoulders from behind, as if hugging me.

Naturally, I flinched.

While I was frozen like that, Ban-ye, in a pose that was basically a back hug, started typing in the chat window, pretending to be me.

[Guild][Ah-ang] On second thought, seems like a waste of money to buy a bicycle?

[Guild][Ah-ang] I’ve stolen one a few times and it wasn’t even hard lol. To pay money for this is a bit…

“Wh-what are you talking about!”

I flailed in horror, trying to snatch the keyboard from Ban-ye, and only after pinching him a few times did he meekly hand it over.

I hurriedly hit enter to clean up the mess.

___

[Guild][Ah-ang] nvm alksjdf;alksdfjhlkasdjf

[Guild][Ah-ang] No, that wasn’t me;;;;;

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] This is fcking hilarious lmaooo

[Guild][Ah-ang] I said that wasn’t me

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] lol then who was it

[Guild][Ah-ang] Ban-ye wrote that!

___

As soon as I said it, I thought, oops.

I hadn’t planned on telling the guild members I was staying with Ban-ye, but because he said something weird, I blurted it out without thinking!

I shot Ban-ye a resentful look, and he just shrugged nonchalantly.

For a second, I wondered if Ban-ye had said those outrageous things with this exact intention.

It felt like I had fallen right into his trap….

___

[Guild][ImSoCute] Huh? Are you two together right now?

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] lol looks like they decided to move in together

[Guild][HeyYam] Did you two meet up, yam?

[Guild][Ah-ang] It just kinda happened;;

[Guild][Youngmyeong] What’s this, you two meeting up alone! You should’ve invited me too ㅡㅡ!

[Guild][Ah-ang] haha……;;;

[Guild][Ah-ang] Btw what are you guys up to?

[Guild][ImSoCute] But why did you two meet?

___

I tried to change the subject, but ImSoCute’s question made it impossible.

Moreover, at that exact moment, Ban-ye must have finished installing the game on the laptop I gave him, because he logged in with Ban-yeStorage.

[Your lovely spouse has logged in.]

[Guild][Ban-yeStorage] yo

In the meantime, Ban-ye had gone to the kitchen, and I quickly ran after him.

He was looking at the laptop, then glanced up at me as I approached, resting his chin on his hand.

I felt like I was the only one making a fuss and faltered, but I still asked him carefully.

“Th-they’re asking… why we met. What should I say?”

Unlike my worried self, Ban-ye answered coolly.

“Just say we met to hang out.”

“Sh-should I…?”

I heard his words and was about to turn back, but then I remembered the nonsense Ban-ye had typed with my ID and felt a little anxious.

So I trotted back to Ban-ye and grabbed his arm.

“…?”

“How about… we play together in my room, instead of here?”

I suggested it, thinking I needed to keep him where my eyes could reach him, but Ban-ye just stared at me before agreeing.

I wanted to ask what that look meant, but I was still too shy around him to ask.

Anyway, that’s how Ban-ye and I ended up sitting side-by-side at the large desk in my room, playing the game.

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] So why did you two meet?

I had hoped the topic would have shifted by now, but HugMeRaiseMe asked again.

[Guild][Ah-ang] Does a married couple need a reason to meet?

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] lol is that a reason you both agree on?

[Guild][Ban-yeStorage] no

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] lmaoooooooooooooo

I typed [That’s so meanㅠ] and then deleted it.

Because with Ban-ye playing right next to me… I was too embarrassed to be as clingy as usual.

Still, typing it out was easier than talking face-to-face.

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] Where’d you meet?

[Guild][Youngmyeong] I’m curious!

[Guild][Ban-yeStorage] Jeju Island

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] for real?

[Guild][Ban-yeStorage] lol

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] talk straight

[Guild][Ban-yeStorage] Hawaii

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] ㅡㅡ

[Guild][HeyYam] Looks like they don’t want to be disturbed during their private time, yam

Thanks to Ban-ye’s iron wall, we managed to avoid any detailed questions.

I turned to see what kind of expression Ban-ye had while typing such things.

But, he was typing with a completely blank face.

Feeling like I was snooping, I turned my head back, then leaned my body far to the side to see the screen of the laptop Ban-ye was using.

Ban-ye was checking Ban-yeStorage’s skills.

For some reason, I felt like a student having their homework checked by a teacher and watched him cautiously.

“…S-so, how is it?”

“You’ve allocated the points well.”

“Right?”

My face lit up at Ban-ye’s praise.

And in that moment, our eyes met.

My smiling face froze awkwardly at his gaze, which was like he was looking at something strange.

I gave a faint, “Ha, haha…” laugh and returned to my original position.

[Guild][ImSoCute] Ah-ang

[Guild][Ah-ang] yeah?

[Guild][ImSoCute] I’ll organize a list of recommended bicycles and send it to you separately later lol

[Guild][ImSoCute] Is that okay?

[Guild][Ah-ang] Yes, that would be great ㅠㅠ

“Are you going to keep playing Ah-ang?”

I was about to say thank you when Ban-ye suddenly asked from beside me.

I faltered, “Uh, uh,” then shook my head.

“You want to play?”

“Yes.”

I got up from my seat.

Since we were both logged in anyway, it was more convenient than logging out and back in.

Ban-ye switched seats with me without a word.

[Guild][Ah-ang] You don’t have to send it.

[Guild][Ban-yeStorage] that’s not me, it’s Ban-ye ㅠㅠ

[Guild][ImSoCute] lmaooooo

[Guild][ImSoCute] Ban-ye, do you want to ride together too?

[Guild][Ah-ang] no

[Guild][Youngmyeong] Keeping your spouse in check……ㄷㄷ

[Guild][Ah-ang] Anyone for Tongjeol?

[Guild][HeyYam] Me, yam

[Guild][HugMeRaiseMe] Me

Ban-ye simply ended the topic by looking for party members to run a dungeon with in the guild chat.

[Guild][Youngmyeong] So you’re not going to tell us anything?

Of course, a guild member who wasn’t going kept asking persistently, but Ban-ye just ignored them.

And right next to me, Ban-ye started grinding.

I also moved my character, planning to level up Ban-yeStorage by joining a public party.

But my attention kept drifting to Ban-ye’s screen more than my own.

It was nothing new that Ban-ye’s controls were good, and I had watched him many times on Discord, but this was the first time seeing it in person.

Ban-ye’s long fingers danced across the keyboard so quickly it was hard to even see what he was pressing.

My own grinding wasn’t important.

I was so mesmerized watching Ban-ye’s god-tier movements that my own game became an afterthought.

At first, I was stealing glances, but later I just leaned my body to the side and watched openly.

Ban-ye seemed too focused on the game to notice….

“….”

At some point, Ban-ye’s hands stopped.

Feeling a gaze on me, I stiffly lifted my head to find Ban-ye staring right at me.

I was so startled I let out a gasp and recoiled.

My chair tipped and I almost fell over, but Ban-ye caught me.