Chapter 22: Kim Minsoo, a Man Who Seeks Relationship Advice Online
Chapter 22: Kim Minsoo, a Man Who Seeks Relationship Advice Online
Kim Minsoo, a Man Who Seeks Relationship Advice Online
"Minsoo, I can't make it tomorrow."
"Huh? Why? Why?"
Yoomin's refusal hit Minsoo like a surprise punch, leaving him too shocked to respond appropriately.
It's the initial instance Yoomin has declined a date. Typically, she takes charge, and Minsoo just follows along. Initiating things scares him; even though he's never faced rejection before, he remains passive.
Yoomin does everything anyway
Embarrassing to acknowledge, but Minsoo anticipates a shift soon. He's happy with the status quo, always picturing a future where he can proudly stand beside Yoomin.
Is she still upset? This has never happened before.
Lately, Yoomin's been acting strange after a misunderstanding about secret dating at the cafeteria.
But I explained it properly back then
After patiently waiting for Yoomin to finish showing Taeyang around the academy, Minsoo believed he addressed the secret dating matter.
"Yoomin, regarding the whole secret dating thing"
"No worries, Taeyang talked to me. Everything's sorted now."
"Really? It is? Thanks for understanding!"
Considering that talk, there weren't any missteps, only the happiness of having a girlfriend who understands him before he even speaks.
"It's just Minsoo, it's just that you threw in a plan all of a sudden"
"Ah Did I act too hastily?"
After proposing the date as an attempt at patching things up, Minsoo didn't anticipate it would fall apart so harshly. It crossed his mind that Yoomin might have a tendency to take things slow in terms of planning dates.
"How about we make it next weekend, then? A movie sounds great! Let's make it a movie day!" His voice suddenly rose at the thought of watching a movie together, but it didn't matter.
Movie with Yoomin! Sharing popcorn and touching hands!
Minsoo basked in the joy of the imaginative scenario.
"A movie? Which one?"
"Thunder Hammer Man 4! It's this film about"
"Oh Minsoo, I've already watched that."
It's not even out yet Minsoo was about to mention that but hesitated. Yoomin's life isn't exactly average. Without making a fuss, she actually owns a few buildings close to the bustling Victory Academy.
Given that, maybe she has access to the movie slated for release next month?
During their movie time, Minsoo had the idea of unraveling the intricate history and expansive universe of Thunder Hammer Man. Yet, an unexplained disappointment led him to drop the subject. He speculated that exploring this topic could have been a quick remedy for their relationship.
"Alright, so when can we set up another date?"
He swiftly consulted the calendar. April marks the beginning of a bustling time at Victory Academy. March's first semester is more theoretical, helping new students adjust, but practical sessions ramp up from April.
On days back from the Gate, he'd be too exhausted. Meeting before the demanding schedule began, comforting each other, would have been the ideal plan.
"Wouldn't it be difficult for a while? Um are you not done yet?"
Her tone was chilly, and it sounded like she had a lot on her plate.
"Ah is it because you've been busy these days?"
"Yeah I'm sorry."
"So, it's not that you're avoiding me but genuinely occupied?"
In a rush, Minsoo blurted out the words, feeling like he had to address it immediately. It resonated with something he had read online the notion that handling such matters promptly helps safeguard the relationship.
Prevent misunderstandings before they escalate!
I misunderstood. Lately, Yoomin's responses on KakaoTalk have had an unusual delay, and there were instances of messages being read but left without a reply. So, I began to think, is she intentionally avoiding me? Has she started to dislike me? Only to realize it was purely due to her being occupied!
"Of course, why would you think that way?"
"Heh Hehe Sorry"
Minsoo sighed in relief. Listening to Yoomin's reproachful words melted away his worries. Recently, she hasn't said she loves him or held hands, and he felt disappointed about that. Since their confession, Minsoo hadn't made the first move in holding hands, always leaving it to Yumin.
"Haa, we've been on the phone for quite some time. My cheek is starting to heat up, Minsoo."
"Ah right, then let's end it! What are going to do, by the way?"
It's ambiguous to call this a long conversation. Ten minutes could be long or short, depending on the person. But people have different perceptions, so it could be the case.
In the past, even two hours seemed short Indeed, she seems to be genuinely busy. According to the book, a man who decisively ends the call is considered manly.
"Me? I'll go to sleep."
Yoomin seems to sleep early these days, even mentioning a bedtime around six in the evening. "Sleeping beauty" suits her well. Maybe gifting her pomegranates is worth considering.
"Okay, you must be tired Goodnight, Yoomin! I love you!"
He expected to hear Yoomin's sweet "I love you" soon. In a lover's call, expressing affection at the end is customary.
Hmm?
But this time, something was off. No matter how long he waited, he heard no response at all.
"Oh She hung up"
Looking at the phone screen, the call had already been disconnected.
"She must be tired"
Suddenly, he felt gloomy. The call they had after a whole day was so dry.
Could it be that Yoomin's love has cooled?
No, that can't be right I'm so gentle
Objectively, he considered himself very handsome and reliable. If Yoomin recognized her beauty in an instant, then his judgment must be correct. Minsoo believed that his perspective was quite objective.
"Can't even go on a date haven't heard her say I love you' either"
Even though he managed to resolve things, tears welled up for no reason. Despite knowing that imagining things would lead to negative thoughts, his mind kept painting a bleak picture.
He searched the internet. If he couldn't solve it on his own, he needed the help of an expert. Whenever he had concerns or issues in his relationship, he used to post questions online to seek solutions.
[Concerns about my girlfriend] SweetStudent
This is SweetStudent's 2314th post.
My girlfriend rejected my date
This has never happened before
Actually, this was my first time suggesting a date
Lately, she's been busy, and her responses have become infrequent.
All of this happened within a day
I know I'm at fault, but could it have such a significant impact?
What should I do? Please, tell me!
[Answer 0] [Like 0] [Dislike 0] [Comment 0]
PureDiaryAuthor, please respond today too!
When he first posted the question, several people responded. But one by one, they left comments like "Don't make up stories" or "Where does a person like this even exist?"
Then, like a comet, a user named PureDiaryAuthor appeared. With a knowledge answer level of solar, this person is practically an internet knowledge guru. Moreover, it isn't in another field; it's in the realm of relationship advice. This person undoubtedly has extensive experience in relationships.
Ding! A response has arrived for [Concerns about my girlfriend]
"Wow so quickly! As expected, PureDiaryAuthor!!!"
The words slipped out without him realizing, but there was no one to hear them anyway. Minsoo quickly entered the knowledge response screen.
Response to [Concerns about my girlfriend] PureDiaryAuthor [Solar]
Maybe she's teasing a bit, playing a hard-to-get move? You know, they say women sometimes need a couple of nudges.
In my opinion, going all-in with an immediate date request might be a bit much like, love can be a bit scary, you know?
Fear of love? Does that sound about right?
Anyway, let me share a story from my past. So I had this childhood friend, a real SSS-level beauty in our town. When I got hit with a cold, she got seriously mad at me but in a surprising twist, she also cooked up a pot of porridge for me. Now, isn't that her way of showing she cares?
Women are truly unpredictable beings. Even after I'd fully recovered from my cold, she scolded me once more, saying, "Now that you're all better, let's go out."
After getting over a cold, isn't it common sense to rest a bit? But no, she wasn't having it. I ended up being coerced into stepping out, and lo and behold the whole neighborhood started clapping and cheering as they caught a glimpse of my childhood friend and me on a date. They even threw in a standing ovation gotta admit, it felt pretty fantastic That's my story. Can you connect with it? You picking up what I'm putting down?
Women are naturally like that. Saying no but secretly screaming yes, pretending to be mad but secretly enjoying it
Hey, SweetStudent, if you take these quirks into account, who knows? You might end up like me? Well It might be a stretch, haha. Cheer up.
[Like 1] [Dislike 0] [Comment 0]
"As expected PureDiaryAuthor's class is on another level"
He's living in a completely different world. The moment he responded, the number of likes instantly went up!
This info is genuinely reliable. If I can't trust this, what else is there to have faith in?'
"So, Yoomin is playing hard to get? That's cute"
But no time to dwell on that. I have to act fast and give the perfect response to my adorable girlfriend.
[Yoomin, what are you doing? 22:59 [1]]
[I still think we should meet tomorrow. What do you think? 22:59 [1]]
She'll reply soon, right? I've a strong intuition. It will be read soon, and a sweet message will tickle my eyes!
[Yoomin? 23:04 [1]]
After waiting for 5 minutes, there was no response.
Maybe she's really sleeping. Should I call? But wouldn't she reply in the morning when she wakes up?
"Sigh Too bad Huh?"
In the end, he pressed Yoomin's profile picture because he wanted to see her face. However, the profile picture changed in real-time. Originally, it was a full-body shot of her reading a book, but it changed to a cute close-up shot with her palms on the cheeks.
Minsoo initial thought was that it's nice because she looks pretty, but soon a question arose.
Wait, can you change your profile picture while sleeping? Is there some kind of automatic feature I'm unaware of, or is she so focused on the photo that she can't see my messages?
His thoughts spiraled, leading to the worst-case scenario.
No way Could it be she ignored and didn't read my messages?
Even as he dismissed such thoughts, tears welled up again.
The condition for PureDiaryAuthor's response was a reaction from the girlfriend's side. But what if there's no reply? What should I do? Is this the end? So soon?'
Just a hundred days into the relationship? We've even decided on the name for our future child after marriage.
Suddenly, Minsoo felt like everything went dark. He needed to find another way, so he searched through his phone contact list.
Surely, I've got his contact number
For problems that can't be solved by an online love expert, turning to a real-life love expert is the right thing. And he is the only real-life love expert I know!
He is none other than
++++
Yours truly. Kim Minsoo's real-life love expert is none other than me, Baek Taeyang. He explained everything while sobbing.
"Taeyang, what should I really do? Please, give me the answer"
"Um well"
At this point, shouldn't the quest automatically resolve itself if I let it be?
This guy is even more out of touch than I gave him credit for. I thought they broke up, but it's just a meltdown over being turned down for a date. Not that it's only about the date, but that's where the drama began.
"Okay, then how about we meet tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? Uh, should we? I'll come to your place!"
Opting for this nonsense while playing the dating coach game felt like a stellar idea. Conveniently, Minsoo agreed, and he even threw in the bonus of bringing some snacks.
Then a message arrived.
[So Yoomin]
[Taeyang I'm coming to your dorm tomorrow to hang out If you turn me down, Yoomin will cry . And if you don't reply, I'll be sulking big time, so be a sweetheart and respond right away ]
"Um Minsoo, I'm sorry, but something suddenly came up for me"
"Huh? Uh are you busy too?"
Minsoo's bewildered voice could be heard. He got turned down by Yoomin because she claimed to be busy, and it would feel weird if I pulled the same move. Still, it's kinda my only play.
"Well, how about we watch a movie later? What do you think of Thunder Hammer Man 4?" Minsoo quickly organized his emotions and suggested the next plan.
The idea is to talk while watching a movie. And at the same time, another message from Yoomin popped up.
[Let's watch a movie at your place! Thunder Hammer Man 4! Ever heard of it? It's not out yet, but I've got an early pass for us. Let's enjoy it together And make sure to shoot me a reply ]
"I've seen that already"
"Uh, the movie even isn't released yet"
An awkward silence lingered on the phone.