Picking Up Unrequited Love Chapter 121

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Chapter 121: Threatening Spirit (5)

[Eun-ha: Han-gyeol. I think you can come home now. Be careful!]

As soon as I saw the message from Eun-ha, I started to worry.

Last night, I was too drunk to be concerned, but now... As I recalled Eun-ha’s expression, a chill ran down my spine.

I hurried my steps, anxious that something might have happened.

“Whoo...!”

Standing in front of the door, I took a deep breath and entered the passcode.

When the door opened and I stepped inside, I saw Eun-ha’s feet at the entrance.

Slowly, I raised my gaze from her toes to meet her eyes.

“Han-gyeol, you’re back?!”

“Hmm-?”

I worried she might be looking at me with cold eyes, but it was just the usual Eun-ha.

Seeing her greet me with a bright smile, I felt somewhat relieved.

“Yeah, I’m back. Have you eaten, Eun-ha?”

“I was waiting to eat with you~”

“Did Choi Jiyoung go home?”

“Yeah, yeah! We talked for a long time after breakfast and decided to be friends!”

“Friends?”

“Yes! Friends! She said she wants to have lunch next time and thank you too. Let’s go together.”

It seemed like she had sent Choi Jiyoung home. But there was something slightly different about Eun-ha’s demeanor today.

She seemed oddly excited, but why?

“Okay. Nothing happened, right?”

“Hey~ Do you think I would do something to Choi Jiyoung?”

“Ah, no. It’s not that-”

“I’ll get mad if you worry about other girls~”

Something felt off... or maybe it didn’t...

“Are you hungry? I made some soybean paste stew. Let’s eat and talk afterward~”

“No wonder the house smelled so good when I came in. I’ll go change my clothes.”

“Okay! Hurry, I want to see you~”

“Alright~”

I carefully closed the door to the bedroom where the wardrobe was.

As I changed my clothes, I quickly processed the situation in my mind.

This must be how a husband feels when his wife smiles and says they need to talk.

I guess Eun-ha might not like that I took care of a female colleague.

If I were in her shoes, would I be okay with it? Honestly, it wouldn’t feel good.

It would be strange to act like it didn’t matter. So what does this mean for me going forward?

“Han-gyeol~ Have you changed your clothes?”

“Oh-?! Yeah. I’m coming out now.”

She didn’t even give me time to think. After changing my clothes, I looked at the meal prepared in the living room.

“Come on, eat up~ You didn’t have a proper breakfast, right?”

“Ah- I had an egg at the sauna.”

“Is that enough? Hurry and eat.”

“Alright.”

Eun-ha didn’t seem much different from usual.

Was I just being paranoid?

“Tasty?”

“Yeah. It tastes even better today~”

“That’s good. If you need more, just say so~”

She seemed even more considerate than usual.

“Do you want to talk before eating?”

“Um... no. Let’s talk after we finish eating.”

“We can talk now if you want.”

“I still need to gather my thoughts. Let’s eat first, okay?”

“Alright.”

It was best to eat quickly and then talk to Eun-ha.

After we finished our meal, we cleaned up together and sat on the sofa.

I couldn’t remember what we usually talked about after lunch.

“Han-gyeol.”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Can we talk now?”

“Sure. What’s on your mind?”

Eun-ha gently cupped my cheek and turned my head to face her. Looking straight into my eyes, she slowly began to speak her mind.

“First of all, what you did yesterday was the right thing.”

“Huh?”

“The girl could have been in danger, so you did well. I don’t blame you. In fact, I should commend you. If something like that happens again, help out just like you did last night. But, it’s important that you don’t put yourself in danger. Understand? I want you to think of yourself first. Do you get what I’m saying?”

I nodded silently.

“Now, here’s the main point... I’m just being honest, so I want you to answer honestly too.”

“Okay. What is it?”

Eun-ha seemed hesitant, as if she was struggling with what to say.

“Eun-ha, it’s alright. You can tell me.”

This was my choice. I had to take responsibility.

“Well...!”

“Yeah?”

What was she trying to say?

“Before, I told you that I already feel loved enough and that you didn’t need to love me more, right?”

“Yes, you did. But why bring that up?”

What was she trying to say?

“I’m taking it back!”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Because of this incident, I realized something! I want you to love me more! It’s not that I feel unloved, but I want you to be kinder to me than to other girls, and I want you to pay more attention to me! I want more physical affection and for you to call my name more often! You don’t have to do it all the time, but especially on days like yesterday when you’re kind to other girls, I want you to show me more love! I hesitated to say this because I didn’t want to burden you... but I got really jealous this time! Of course, what you did was right, but it still made me uncomfortable. So, can you love me more today?”

I blinked in surprise at Eun-ha’s words. Her face was flushed with embarrassment.

She must have found it extremely embarrassing to ask for more love.

“You’re adorable...”

“What?!”

Honestly, I expected her to get angry, but instead, she cutely asked for more love.

Eun-ha, with her flushed cheeks and clear eyes looking up at me, was incredibly adorable.

“I thought you’d be mad...”

“Well... I am a bit upset, but what you did was the right thing...!”

I gently placed my hand on Eun-ha’s head.

As I slowly stroked her hair, she quietly accepted my touch, snuggling closer to me.

It was incredibly cute how she nestled against me, pushing her head into my hand.

What’s this? She’s even cuter than usual today.

I wondered how she’d react if I stopped.

As I subtly withdrew my hand, Eun-ha quickly grabbed it.

“It’s not enough...! Do it more.”

“Are you a cat...?”

“Hurry, keep petting me...! Keep going until I say stop.”

“Why are you so cute today?”

“Wh-what! I’m allowed to be like this today! You took care of another girl, so it’s fair for me to want more today!”

Her sulking expression was utterly endearing.

I lifted Eun-ha up and placed her on my lap.

I wanted to see her flushed face, but she kept turning her head away, trying to hide her face.

“Let me see your face.”

“No. It’s embarrassing.”

“Come on, show me. I want to see it.”

Eventually, Eun-ha showed me her face.

“You’re about to burst...”

“You were teasing me! That’s it! No more face for you!”

She threw her arms around me, pressing her face against my shoulder, and hugged me tightly without letting go.

“Did you get jealous?”

“Of course I did...”

“Did Choi Jiyoung leave safely?”

“For now...”

For now?

“That sounds a bit ambiguous. You didn’t kill her, did you?”

“Why would I kill her?! We just talked, that’s all!”

“What did you talk about?”

Meeting my gaze, Eun-ha replied.

“Han-gyeol... she thinks you’re handsome. Other girls in the department think so too! I wish you weren’t so handsome. What if someone likes you? What if they try to seduce you? Answer me quickly.”

“What? You’re still thinking about that? I don’t really-”

She interrupted me, squirming on my lap.

“Ahhh-! You’re just oblivious to your own attractiveness! You’re handsome! So, answer me quickly! What will you do if another girl tries to seduce you? If you don’t answer, I’ll take matters into my own hands.”

“Take matters into your own hands? How?”

“It’s not something nice, so it’s a secret. Just answer me quickly.”

“What if my answer doesn’t satisfy you?”

“If that happens, next time I’ll lock you up and make you look at only me for the rest of your life. I’m not joking. I’m serious.”

What?

“That’s scary...”

“You seduced me first... You have to take responsibility. So, answer me. What will you do?”

I smiled at Eun-ha, who kept pressing for an answer.

“Eun-ha, honestly, I only have eyes for you. You’re the prettiest, cutest, and most lovable person in the world. So don’t worry about it~ There’s no one more beautiful or cuter than you. I truly love only you. It’s sad that there’s no way to prove it.”

“Then hurry and love me more. Come on- quick! Pet my head again and hug me!”

Even Eun-ha being clingy and demanding more love was incredibly adorable.

“Should I give you a kiss too?”

“Only after you brush your teeth...!”

“What about doing more than just a kiss?”

“...Actually, that’s what I want the most.”

With those words, I lifted Eun-ha, still holding her tightly, off the sofa.

“Eek-! I just ate, so I must be heavy-! Put me down quickly!”

She wriggled in my arms, concerned about her weight.

“Nope, you’re really light. Come on, let’s go shower.”

“Together...?”

“Yeah. Together. Is that okay?”