Netkama Punch!!!

"…Forget it. Use that money to pay off your debt."

I said it half in pity, half in exasperation—genuinely trying to offer some advice. But Shin Heejae just got more worked up.
"Noona, you still don’t believe me, do you?"
"Haa…"

"Should I pull up the real estate registry?"
And just like that, he exited the game and started opening the national land records site. I stared at him in disbelief.
If I let this go on, I’d probably have to look through every one of his assets and gasp in amazement like it was a tour, so I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked it hard to stop him.

"I believe you!"
"Then why do you keep looking at me like I’m pathetic?"
"……"

"And it’s not like you even like me…"
He completely ignored all the crap he’s done to me so far, acting like my lukewarm reaction was the worst betrayal.
Sigh…

It was annoying, sure—but I could kind of see where he was coming from, so I couldn’t bring myself to say anything too harsh. People who try to buy affection with money… there’s something pitiful about them. And honestly, I used to think the same way—not long ago, I thought money could solve everything. So I kind of understood where his head was at.
So I took a deep breath and answered.
"Then what, you want me to suddenly treat you better the second you say you’re rich? You idiot?"

"……"
"And I’ve never been the sweet-talking type. It’s not ‘cause I’m annoyed with you, it’s just how I talk, okay?"
After that little clarification, the grumpy expression on Shin Heejae’s face eased up a bit.

But of course, that didn’t mean he was done. He stared right at me and suddenly dropped a bomb.
"Noona, you’re aware that we’re dating, right?"
"What?"
"Why are you acting like it’s the first time hearing it? We agreed to get back together, remember?"

"……"
My mouth shut like it was glued shut. I wasn’t expecting him to dig up that particular nightmare from the past.
But just clamping my lips didn’t stop my face from twisting into a grimace. Shin Heejae took a quick glance at me but plowed ahead like he didn’t see my reaction at all.

"That’s why I said I’d get you a watch. When you’re dating someone, you want to give them stuff, right?"
"……"
"But all you do is insult me, call me dumb, never talk nicely, never buy me anything…"

"……"
"It feels like I’m the only one dating in this relationship."
I almost blurted out, “You ARE the only one dating,” but thankfully stopped myself, remembering just how unhinged this guy could get.

You’re just doing this to mess with me—so how far are you planning to take the act, huh…
My cheek started twitching from forcing a smile. But Shin Heejae’s barrage of passive-aggressive whining disguised as affection didn’t stop.
"You hate it when I try to give you stuff…"

"……"
"You don’t want to do anything with me?"
Then he grabbed both my wrists and slowly pulled me toward him.

Seeing his face suddenly up close triggered the horrifying memory of our two accidental kisses, and I instantly flailed and shoved him away.
"Wait, wait!!!"
Determined not to let it happen a third time, I threw my arms up in front of me, and thankfully, Heejae stopped.

But just because he stopped moving didn’t mean the interrogation ended. One wrong move now and I’d be cleaning up a disaster.
This psycho…
I swallowed a curse and tried to respond as vaguely as possible.

"Hey, I… I get how you feel. I do, but… to be honest…"
"…To be honest?"
He stared straight into me.

I was this close to saying “Honestly, this should stop already,” but I choked it down. His eyes were way too intense for that.
"Honestly… I-I don’t hate it!"
"……"

As his expression finally softened a little, I let out a sigh of relief—silently.
Jesus… If I’d said how I really felt, I would’ve been totally fucked.
"Then what’s the problem?"

But of course, he didn’t stop there. Another brutal question.
What do you mean, what’s the problem? YOU are, you maniac.
I forced a sheepish smile and tried to twist my answer carefully.

"It’s just… not really pressure, but it’s kinda… exhausting, I guess…"
"What’s exhausting?"
"I’m just not good at expressing things… That’s just how I am… yeah."

I basically decided right then and there that this was my new personality. It was also code for don’t expect any reactions out of me, thanks.
Shin Heejae stared at me for a long second. His look said “Wow, look at you squirm like a slippery little eel.”
"You could just accept what I give you, but you won’t."

"……"
But he kept pressing—trying to force a sense of obligation onto me.
Why the hell is this guy tormenting me like this…?

At this point, I seriously started questioning his motives. Like, Is he actually gay or something?
If Shin Heejae really does like me…
There’s no worse scenario.

Even if he offered me a 10 million won watch or a hundred million won car, I’d still say no. The thought of our lips touching still gave me the chills—and now, the way his hands gripped my wrists gave me goosebumps I could practically see.
More than just disliking Shin Heejae, the idea that a guy liked me made me instinctively recoil. If he were a girl, maybe I’d at least think about it—but he’s taller than me, bigger than me, and 100% male.
No way… that can’t be it. It just doesn’t make sense…

But now that the thought was in my head, his gaze started feeling strangely intense. My heart pounded. I broke into a cold sweat.
I had to end this stand-off, fast. I racked my brain.
What could satisfy this guy’s masochistic streak while keeping my own trauma to a minimum? Something that would let us "play couple" without any forced touching or being stuck with expensive gifts…

“…Wanna ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) go on a date?”
It slipped out before my brain could stop it. The moment I saw Shin Heejae’s eyes go wide, I regretted it. One second in, I was already thinking what the hell did I just do? But I couldn’t take it back—because I had no better idea.
"A date…"

Heejae’s eyes lit up at the word. His mouth started curling up like he was thinking the most terrible thoughts. I quickly added conditions.
"But no holding hands, no kissing, no alcohol. We just hang out, eat, and go home."
Heejae raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"What kind of date is that? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"
Yes, obviously. Are you proud of this situation or something, freak?
I felt my blood pressure spike but forced myself to keep things calm.

"It’s not that. I just… it’d be awkward if we ran into someone I know."
"……"
The whole point was to avoid physical contact, so I couldn’t compromise on this.

Heejae seemed to get that. He looked at my firm expression and reluctantly nodded. That’s when he finally let go of my arms.
"Then when should we go?"
"……"

His mood lifted instantly. I kinda wanted to punch that smile off his face, but honestly… I was just relieved.
So I let out a tiny sigh and answered.
"Let’s go Saturday."

"Any place you wanna go?"
"No."
"What? You’re the one who asked, though."

He scolded me, but immediately opened his phone and started searching stuff like “best date spots for a drive.” The way he looked so giddy made that earlier suspicion start creeping back in.
…If we go too far, it might get dangerous.
I quickly cut in.

"Hey, I get carsick. I can’t ride for more than 30 minutes, so don’t overdo it."
"Really?"
I only said that after catching a glimpse of his screen—he was already looking up “East Sea beaches.”

I had no intention of spending the whole day with him. I planned to head out in the evening, watch a movie, eat dinner, and be done in about 3–4 hours max. What’s with the beach trip?
Let’s just get this over with quickly.
"Let’s not go far. Just watch a movie or something."

"That’s kinda boring."
"What? I’m super excited, though."
"……"

He looked at me like he had a hundred things to say, but eventually shut his mouth. The kind of look that said I hate this but I’ll let it slide because we’re going on a date.
He’s not planning anything weird for the date, is he?
The way he looked so happy made me suspicious all over again. He was probably plotting something.

Then again… if he’s just trying to mess with me, that’s almost better…
I let the suspicion linger in the back of my mind with an uneasy sigh.
* * *

After that, Shin Heejae half-heartedly finished his game and started scrolling his phone, looking totally lost in thought. I didn’t know what he was doing, but he seemed fully invested in planning the date, so I left him alone.
But even then, he kept pestering me with random questions out of nowhere.
"Noona."

"What now?"
"Anything you want to eat?"
"No."

"Anything you don’t eat?"
"Not really… I’ll eat whatever."
Even with my half-assed answers, Heejae didn’t argue like usual. He’d just stare at me quietly. I gave short replies with an obvious don’t bug me look on my face.

And honestly… it was kind of peaceful. With Heejae not bothering me and just focusing on his phone, I realized how chill it was. For a second, I even wondered, Should we go on a date every week? Then slapped myself. No. No way.
That’s when he suddenly spoke again.
"Noona. What are you gonna wear on the date?"

"What?"
"You’re not gonna wear sweatpants, right?"
"……"

I had a feeling if I said I hadn’t thought about it, I’d regret it. So I mumbled vaguely.
"Just… something neat?"
And that’s when Heejae got way too excited.

"Let’s match outfits!"
"Match what? You’re not seriously talking about couple tees, are you?"