The Guy Who Kisses for Five DollarsI translated the post I posted on Postype using ChatGPT. Originally, I was going to post it on AO3, but I'm posting it here because I'm embarrassed as I'm looking at the content to translate it.

Warning
- This is a fanfiction. The idea of “He’ll kiss you for 5,000 won” was inspired by a pre-existing work of the same name, but this story is not related to that original work.
- A somewhat dark contemporary K-highschool AU focusing on this couple(Buck×Blossom)… but they only kiss.
- The curriculum, educational environment, and other details may differ from the present day, though some elements are based on real-life experiences.




Spring — the season when a new school year begins.

But among students, whether term-time or vacation, there was no hint of freshness; only provocative topics circulated, not a speck of anything lighthearted.

“Did you hear about that”
“You mean the guy selling kisses I heard he starts right when school opens.”
“I’m curious — should I go check it out”
“What Hahaha, are you crazy”

The most talked-about of all was a certain boy who would give a kiss for five dollars.

His name was Buck. Eighteen and about to enter the second year, he was tall — well over six feet — with neat, striking features. In short: a tall, handsome guy who supposedly sold kisses, and word had it he was so good at kissing that girls lined up for him every time. Rumor spread even to the neighboring areas, though he drew the line at taking customers from other schools — only girls from his own school. That much attention, then…

Blossom, the model student who ranked first in the whole school and went to the same school, was no exception.

“Figure’s obvious even without seeing him. He’s gotta be a total jerk.”
“Probably, right”
“Being mixed up with someone like that won’t do anyone any good. And—”

Ding dong—

“…I should study.”

Unintentionally overhearing the conversation of the kids in the row ahead, Blossom found herself thinking about the rumor. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard of him — he’d gone to the same school last year, after all. Every so often some sensational news popped up and distracted students from studying, and for that reason Blossom held a quiet resentment toward a boy she’d never even seen.

She admitted to herself that she had been curious about the rumor. But that was all. She was busy enough with studying. Her routine — arriving by 7:50 for morning study, enduring seven class periods, lunch and dinner, then evening study until dismissal at 9:50 p.m. — had been rigidly followed during her first year and would be again in her second. After all, second year counted more toward school records. She couldn’t study any less.

So no matter how sensational the rumor, she’d listen with one ear and let it out the other. Blossom thought so. Then, the classroom atmosphere — loud enough that even when she was lost in thought she noticed it — suddenly froze. She looked up, thinking a teacher had come in, and saw a student walking through the front door, neatly in uniform. But the boy looked strikingly tall and a little rough around the edges, despite his neat clothes.

No way.

“…Could that be him”
“I dunno… I haven’t heard we had another guy that tall and good-looking.”

Please, not him... Blossom silently hoped as she watched the other kids’ speculative reactions. But the homeroom teacher came in and took attendance, and the student’s identity became clear. Buck — the boy who would kiss you for five dollars — was in her class.

*

Buck was the kind of student who stood out anywhere.

His height made him visible even in a crowd; his carved features drew other students to him; and he stuck out even in class where standing out was impossible. Not only because his seat happened to be diagonally forward from Blossom’s — he also, surprisingly, took notes diligently in class, interacted with the teacher, and even had good grades.

Of course, Blossom was the school’s top student; someone being “good at grades” by ordinary standards didn’t compare to her. Still, she was sufficiently shocked. Was it more shocking that a kid like that could be good at studying, or that the seating chart had placed him in her class, or simply the fact that the rumored boy was now a classmate She couldn’t tell. The shock was such that, half joking, she even briefly considered switching to the humanities.

On the other hand, Blossom felt a twinge of guilt toward Buck. She’d been annoyed by the rumor and had thought badly of him, but seeing him in person — neat uniform and earnest about his studies — softened that impression.

Still, his hair swept back like it’d been slicked with wax and his casual posture made her unable to shake the suspicion that he might actually be a jerk. The whole idea of selling kisses seemed insane. Why would he do something like that And—

What would it feel like to kiss someone like him

Blossom had already resigned herself. Whenever she saw him, she found herself thinking about kissing; he wasn’t the kind of person you didn’t notice. Gradually, she found herself thinking about his kisses here and there, like an eighteen-year-old who’d just started noticing the opposite sex.

Even now he sat in the seat diagonally in front of her — barely a glance away. It was lunch, with about ten minutes until the bell. Most students weren’t in the classroom; a handful had headphones in and were quietly studying, while others chatted in small groups. Buck was among those clustered by his desk.

More precisely: he’d been studying at his desk when girls from other classes suddenly came over and surrounded him. It wasn’t a pretty scene — letting kids from another class into your room like that — but it wasn’t terribly loud, so the teacher let it be.

He seemed to move more alone than in packs. Often girls gathered around him like now. On the surface he looked like the type whose main interest was finding a girlfriend, but overhearing their conversation suggested otherwise — it wasn’t flirtatious in tone.

A few times she’d glanced at him and their eyes had met. Several times, even. Luckily he hadn’t said anything like “why are you staring,” but Blossom felt embarrassed and thereafter deliberately avoided looking at him.

Of course, there were times when she couldn’t help it.

Buck stood out more than usual during calculus. It happened to be a daily class on the timetable.

Word was he was the best at math. Among all subjects, his math grades were top; some even said he was the best math student in the school.

Blossom, the school’s number one, was included in that comparison.

The calculus teacher often had students come to the front to solve problems on the board for their records. Not many volunteers signed up compared to the number of problems, so anyone who raised a hand usually got a turn.

And the student who raised his hand every time, the one who drew the most attention, was Buck. Beyond his looks, he strode forward confidently, solved problems without stammering, and spoke with a hint of a regional accent.

Blossom wanted to duck her head in defeat, but since Buck truly was good at math she had to pay attention. Aside from class-participation points, Blossom was — relatively speaking — a little weak in math.

The other students’ reactions were generally tepid. Calculus I was taught in the first semester; science-track students who picked the harder math stream wouldn’t see it on the college entrance exam, and those who had already studied Calculus II in advance would find Calculus I easy. Most students who found it easy had done some advance study over vacation.

So did Buck do advance study If he was that good, just how good was he You could only check one’s subject rank through mock exams or tests, so if she was curious she’d have to ask him — but that would be odd. People didn’t usually bring that up even with friends.

Blossom didn’t actually want to get close to Buck. Her interest in him was purely curiosity. She wasn’t opposed to being friendly per se, but she was busy. She thought a friend who’d eat with her in class would be enough. And Blossom was the sort who had talked to just about everyone in class, and that hadn’t changed.

Besides, it felt late to try anything now. It was the season of performance assessments.

The bulletin board at the front of the classroom was plastered with notices about assessments for each subject. Students photographed them with their phones to prepare. Blossom took a picture too and began to read.

Well, she tried to read.

The whole performance-assessment notice didn’t register because of the boy who kissed for five dollars sitting in her class. Seasons might change, but seats didn’t, and her curiosity about him remained, unresolved.

His voice, chatting about trivial things with friends, lodged in Blossom’s ears. He chimed in more to add to friends’ remarks than to make his own point. He behaved quietly at school; he didn’t act like the notorious punk from the rumors and never once mentioned the K-word. Only the rumor itself spread rampant.

Approaching someone based only on rumor wouldn’t be polite. If she only lifted her head a little, she could see him right there — how could she not be affected Still, seats would change and curiosity was temporary.

Blossom thought so, and believed there was no need to take action right away. In fact, she’d been fine so far.

But the consequence showed up numerically a few days later.

*

“Uh…”

It was time to check the scores from the performance assessment taken the day before. The format had been simple — blank-fill questions, not essay, basically concept questions on a handout used in class.

“What’s wrong”
“Ah, shit. The ninth-period kids made a fuss earlier, so I figured something was up — turns out I missed filling in blanks too.”
“What do you mean Huh”
“Here — you had to fill the boxes even if the parentheses weren’t marked.”
“Wait, seriously I didn’t fill those either.”

Hearing the kids in the back row, Blossom felt her blood run cold. The paper handed back to her showed a few blanks she hadn’t realized were blanks, and exactly that many points had been docked.

“This is insane. Hey, did anyone fill these in”
“I dunno, fuck…”

It felt like her heart plummeted. She wasn’t lacking study time, and she didn’t actually not know the material. She’d simply overlooked a few blanks and they’d been marked wrong.

Apparently other students had made the same mistake. From the hubbub it sounded like the majority. The teacher began explaining how the scores of those students would be considered when calculating the grades to reflect the class overall, but it didn’t sound hopeful. In short, Blossom’s score would not be perfect.

She was stunned. Calm down. Be composed. She repeated that to herself, but she couldn’t calm down. Writing off a one- or two-point deduction on a single science assessment as no big deal felt impossible — she’d been under a lot of stress lately. On top of that, the second year split between humanities and sciences meant the pool for grade tiers was halved; what had once earned a top-tier rank among 100 students (top 4) was now among just 50 students (top 2) — a nerve-racking change. Losing points on such a trivial concept question, and for such a reason, was infuriating.

*

That evening during night study, Blossom quietly left the study room, leaving her books and pen case where they were.

Sitting there doing nothing but turning thoughts over, her head gradually cleared and her purpose sharpened. (She’d barely registered dinner while eating.) She decided she needed to settle this feeling at once — she had not been fully focused on her studies, and that had led to this.

In other words, Blossom was heading to where the boy who kissed for five dollars did his “business.”

Luckily, she had about five dollars in her wallet. She had a mask because the air had been bad lately, and she wore a hooded zip-up, so she could pull the hood up and avoid standing out. Night study wasn’t enforced in a way that a teacher would chase a student trying to sneak away, anyway…

Blossom recalled an incident. She couldn’t remember whether it had been during class or break, but there’d been a disturbance and a teacher had quietly pulled Buck aside and asked whether the rumor about him selling kisses was true.

Buck had calmly denied it, saying, who says that — it’s just a rumor. The teacher had seemed relieved. At first Blossom had thought, like the teacher, that it was probably just a rumor. But last year someone in Blossom’s class had said they’d received kisses from him several times. That meant his denial had been a lie. He must know that it wasn’t something acceptable at school.

She left the school building and headed toward a nearby park. His operation wasn’t inside the school, although he’d said he only took girls from their school as clients.

The more she thought about how improper it was, the more her pulse quickened. The closer she got, the more overwhelmed and fluttery she felt — not just from walking fast through the cold with a thick mask from the school to here. Ahead she saw a line of girls and Buck. Blossom stood a few steps back from the end of the queue.

If she could just get a kiss for five dollars and walk away clean, that would be best.

Standing in line with that thought, Blossom watched and then could not help but witness him kissing one of the girls.

She couldn’t hold back her horror.

It wasn’t a light peck you could shrug off. Their bodies weren’t simply pressed together; they were tangled. Their hands were on each other’s bodies, moving… At the sight, Blossom shut her eyes. Suddenly a wet, sticky sound filled her ears.

Her sweaty hand gripped the neckline of her hood. They actually did that… Why had she assumed it would be light She’d been careless. But she couldn’t move her feet. She didn’t go back to school, nor did she move forward as the line shortened — she simply stood where she was.

The kissing pair separated three minutes later. No way. Blossom checked her wristwatch in disbelief. A little timer bell had sounded ahead; apparently they were timing three-minute slots. On the bench nearby were, besides the timer, a few backpacks and some mouthwash. So they were gargling between rounds… Hardly reassuring for hygiene, anyway.

Blossom scanned her surroundings. It was late and a secluded spot, so there weren’t other people around. There was no one behind her; in front, counting the person who’d just kissed and Buck, there were six students. Not as many as she’d expected.

That made it worse. If there’d been a crowd, she could have blended in. Instead, the girl who’d first been kissed hadn’t packed up and gone home — she was waiting beside the bench to watch the next person get kissed. Why Blossom couldn’t understand these kids. It wasn’t normal to stand and watch someone else kiss, right The whole situation was already very odd.

But actually none of that was what mattered right then. The students ahead were being called forward faster than Blossom felt, and her turn was getting close. She still couldn’t move, and so she stood at a distance as the line dwindled.

Okay, just go back now. You can’t do that in front of other kids… But she still couldn’t bring herself to leave. Why Because, of course, she still wanted to try his kiss. She acknowledged that, but deciding to act on it wasn’t easy.

When Blossom finally came to her senses, Buck had already noticed her and approached, speaking as he came up.

“Hey, you, friend. What’re you standin’ there for Weren’t you in line too, or what”

Up close Buck was really tall, with sharp features and a jawline that didn’t suffer even from a low angle; he smelled faintly of some fragrance. A perfume, maybe Blossom was momentarily intoxicated by the scent and then panicked, not sure what to say. Her eyes darted to the distance, to Buck, then to the girls behind him.

“Um, I— it’s kind of—”
“Oh Ah, hey. Kids — let me finish my business, why don’t you head home.”

As soon as Buck seemed to notice something, the other girls said things like “see you later” and left in an instant. While Blossom stood stunned for a moment, Buck continued.

“You’re Blossom, right We’re in the same class.”
“Huh You know me”
“You’re the school’s top, ain’t ya. Everyone knows.”
“Oh…”
“So you were in line too”
“Well, I was curious, is all. I saw what you were doing earlier — that’s… a bit much.”
“If you don’t want anything intense, I can keep it light. I’ll do whatever you want. Come over here.”

Buck held out his hand. It felt oddly embarrassing. Blossom, without realizing it, took his hand and let him lead her to the bench.

He perched beside her and leaned toward her. His faint scent grew stronger. Buck slowly pulled off her hood and mask. Then he took her chin and brought their faces close.

They were so close Blossom could see each of his thick eyelashes, the clear color of his irises, and her reflection in his pupils. She wondered if they could get any closer.

“If somethin’ gets too much, don’t say it — just hit me. I’ll stop. Got that”
“Okay…”
“Then close your eyes, will ya”

At his words, Blossom closed her eyes and the kiss that had been spinning in her head finally came.

At first their lips met — moist and warm. Then they parted, and a wetter, hotter tongue pressed in for much stronger stimulation. Startled, Blossom tensed and shut her mouth tight. The boy’s tongue instead licked the corner of her mouth from below to above.

Like a dog or something… This isn’t right. Blossom slightly let her guard down and relaxed her mouth. The tension she’d put into her mouth had gone into her fists. She clenched them as if she might strike, but in reality she was just nervous at having her first kiss.

Even with her eyes closed, Buck could tell. He could tell it was her first kiss. He hadn’t expected the school’s top to be that nervous, but she’d come with her own money and on her own feet. Buck felt bad that her first kiss would be with someone like him, but since it was her choice he decided to carry on as usual.

The plump, warm, moving mass of flesh pushed past her lips and teeth and brushed against Blossom’s tongue, which had been tucked obediently in her mouth, tickling it. She felt a ticklish sensation all through her body and even inside her heart. His tongue scoured her mouth; the exploratory sensation made Blossom flinch, and her fists tightened.

Then Buck’s hand wrapped around Blossom’s hunched shoulders. It had the opposite effect — his hand was large, heavy, and warm, which only heightened her nerves. He seemed to notice and put one hand on the back of her head.

How did he know Had she opened her eyes Blossom peeked and saw Buck’s eyes mere inches away. Up close she could see makeup on his eyelids. A high-school boy wearing makeup Perfume too Kissing many girls after school for money… Was she dreaming Only briefly — the sensations were vivid.

His tongue soon moved strongly, roughly stirring around in Blossom’s mouth. Her head felt equally stirred. The motion was irregular, heavy and fast, and she was swept away. Her breath shortened and she uttered sounds she barely recognized as her own. Sensations overwhelmed her.

Finally, when she couldn’t take it any longer, Blossom pressed her hand against Buck’s chest and shoved him away.

Smack — no, instead of a neat sound, a wet, squelching noise and saliva ran down Blossom’s jaw. Ugh… is this a kiss Blossom felt foolish. She sprang up and spat into the area behind the bench, then wiped her jaw on her sleeve. Laughter followed.

“Haha. So that was pretty underwhelming, huh”

If asked whether it was underwhelming, she’d say no. On the contrary, her long-held curiosity had been satisfied, which felt good.

“No… I’m not doing that a second time, though.”
“Not that it was bad, but you don’t wanna do it twice Wow.”

Her irritation giving way to interest, Blossom’s curiosity turned to Buck himself.

“Can I ask you something Why do you do this If you want to kiss someone, why not just date them”

When Blossom finished speaking, Buck looked briefly puzzled, then covered his mouth and chuckled. Blossom had never seen him laugh like that, and she found herself storing the image in her mind without meaning to. She still couldn’t tell why he was laughing.

“That ain’t for me. I’m… greedy.”
“Greedy You mean you need money”
“The details’re private, but maybe I’ll think about it if you come again.”
“We’re in the same class, though.”
“People notice this kinda thing at school, you know. I get enough nagging already, I’m tired. Ain’t you tired of always just studying”
“I suppose so.”
“Right then — don’t talk about this at school. I won’t talk about you either. Promise.”

Buck offered his pinky. It felt childish, like something from kindergarten, and that thought flitted through Blossom’s mind, but she just played along. Before he let go, Buck added one more “term.”

“Then meet me here again during night study tomorrow.”

It was a smooth sales tactic to lure a repeat customer, but before he could pull his hand back Blossom gripped it.

“I can’t. I’m busy — it’s performance-assessment season.”
“Oh… is that so”
“Yeah. You too, right You didn’t bring a bag, so you’re probably heading back for night study.”
“Oh, right. Sharp — huh, school’s top and knows what’s what. So you’re heading back now”
“Mm… yes.”
“Come on then, walk with me.”
“Huh S–sure”

Before she knew it, Blossom ended up walking with Buck. The excitement of what had just happened made her flutter. It lasted only a moment.

Buck looked surprisingly lively. Blossom realized then that it made sense he’d have questions — he studied seriously, and she was the top student — so it was natural he’d be curious. From how much she studied by subject to how she prepared for college, Blossom didn’t think she had any special secret, but she answered as best she could.

“Ah, I’ve got no one to talk about this stuff with, so anything you say is new to me.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“So… is it okay to talk to you like this at school”
“Of course… Even if people aren’t close to me, they still ask me stuff a lot.”
“Haha, really The school’s top is different.”
“By the way, you were top in math last year, right In Semester One”
“Whoa, really. Huh — I didn’t even tell anyone that.”
“I was second in math back then... kind of a jerk to bring it up, huh”
“Ah — that was good luck.”

Buck gave an answer that puzzled Blossom and smiled. That smile somehow reassured her. He smiled a lot. She’d watched him every day since school started and hadn’t noticed that side of him before. It felt cool and refreshing like the night air — the feeling of having found a new friend who understood you.

*

After that, Blossom’s school life changed a little.

Buck tended to greet her first when they passed each other. He did the same when their eyes met in class. Sometimes he even winked. And he spoke to her fairly often. Their conversations were mostly about academics. Blossom sometimes initiated them.

For a while, the presence of the boy who kissed for five dollars didn’t prevent Blossom from concentrating on her studies.

—End—