Chapter 129: Travel  (2)

 

“Hey, Han-gyeol, how did your exam go?”

 

“Economic Principles was pretty tough. How about you?”

 

“Ugh...! I think I chose the wrong major. It was insanely difficult.”

 

“Seems like it was hard for everyone. Do you have any exams left?”

 

“Nope, I’m done. Seunghoon still has his Marketing Principles exam though. Want to grab drinks when he’s done?”

 

Jaehyun suggested, but I had to turn him down.

 

“Ah, sorry. I have plans with my girlfriend today, so I can’t make it.”

 

“Yeah, I figured. Let’s do it next week with Seunghoon.”

 

“Sounds good. You did great on your exams. I’ve got to go now, I’ve got something planned.”

 

“Alright~ Have fun~”

 

After finishing the conversation with Jaehyun, I headed towards the student center where Eun-ha was waiting.

 

Sitting on the bench outside, I replayed today’s exams in my head as I waited for her.

 

‘I think I did well, but I wonder if it’ll be good enough for a scholarship.’

 

I had completely forgotten all the stuff I studied for the college entrance exam, so I had to start from scratch, but studying for my major was different.

 

Surprisingly, all the things I learned in my previous life were still fresh in my mind, so I was expecting good results.

 

Back in high school, I was too busy studying for the entrance exam to notice, but being younger definitely has its perks.

 

Having to go through military service again felt like the world could crumble at any second, but there was nothing I could do about it.

 

Since I had this chance to start over, I thought it’d be smart to start preparing for a job a little early.

 

Getting certifications like CFP, AFRK, or becoming an investment manager would be great to have under my belt while I’m still young.

 

Or maybe, I could start studying for a professional license while I’m ahead of the game.

 

Some of the university courses overlap with the first exam requirements, so it wouldn’t be too hard to prep for the first stage.

 

Would the best option be to pass the first stage around the time I finish my military service and then prep for the second right after?

 

That way, I’d have the certification before I even graduate.

 

Having struggled with job prep in my previous life, I wanted to start as soon as possible. I thought I worked hard back then, but I didn’t really understand the job market, and that made things rough.

 

Now that I’m 20 again, creating a gap between me and my competition is the smartest thing to do.

 

I need to maintain my grades for the scholarship, but extracurriculars can wait until after military service, right?

 

I should get some certifications and start preparing for language exams in the meantime. I should at least take the TOEIC before the second semester starts.

 

“Han-gyeol~!”

 

“Hm?!”

 

Eun-ha came running out of the student center, and I spotted her right away. She had the biggest smile on her face, and I stood up from the bench.

 

“Han-gyeol~ Let’s go to Gangneung~!”

 

She bounded over to me, her bright eyes sparkling as she gazed up at me.

 

“Why are you so excited? How did your exams go?”

 

“Hm?! Who cares, they’re over! Let’s just go!”

 

“We’ve got plenty of time~ Let’s stop by home and pack first. Okay—”

 

When I reached out my hand, Eun-ha smiled shyly and intertwined her fingers with mine.

 

“You worked really hard on your exams.”

 

“You worked hard too, Han-gyeol~ Ah, the others gave me a list of great places to eat in Gangneung.”

 

“Oh, really? Let’s check them out.”

 

“I love traveling with you. I think it’s going to be so much fun.”

 

“With a perfect plan, it has to be fun~”

 

“Exactly. Let’s go already!”

 

We went back home, packed our things, and headed out.

 

After taking a taxi to Cheongnyangni Station, we grabbed some croque-monsieur and coffee at a café and reviewed our plans.

 

We made sure to double-check the check-in time for the accommodation and even had a Plan B ready, just in case.

 

The weather was clear, and our first trip together was going smoothly.

 

“Han-gyeol~ Pay attention to me too~”

 

“Hm? Oh, I thought you were busy looking at your phone.”

 

“The plan is all set now, so we can relax, right?”

 

Eun-ha smiled sweetly and placed her hand on top of mine, her fingers playfully moving across the back of my hand, drawing my attention.

 

“Alright~”

 

“I’m a planner too, but you’re on a whole other level~”

 

“I just don’t like when unexpected things happen.”

 

“Really? I think it’d be fun if something unexpected happened while we’re traveling, especially with you!”

 

Eun-ha looked at me intently, swaying her head side to side, her feet playfully nudging my leg.

 

“Maybe I’ve been thinking too much about the plan.”

 

“But I like you because you’re so handsome and sexy when you plan.”

 

“Wow, you really just say that out loud, huh? I like you too, Eun-ha.”

 

“Han-gyeol, where should we go during summer break?”

 

“How about an indoor pool? I want to see you in a swimsuit.”

 

“Whaaat~? You’re so cheeky~”

 

Eun-ha’s bright smile was so lovable that I couldn’t help but be charmed.

 

“You’re so beautiful, I can’t help but want to see more.”

 

“Alright. Let’s go to the pool in the summer and find a nice, cool place to stay.”

 

“And if we have time, let’s visit Jeju Island too.”

 

“Yes, yes! Let’s make lots of memories!”

 

“The train should be arriving soon. Let’s go.”

 

“Okay~”

 

Eun-ha and I left the café and headed towards the train platform. In the distance, the KTX pulled in, and we quickly boarded.

 

“Is it because it’s Friday lunchtime? There aren’t many people.”

 

“By evening, it’ll probably be packed. Give me your bag, I’ll put it up for you.”

 

I placed my bag in the overhead compartment and lifted Eun-ha’s bag up as well.

 

“Thank you~”

 

“If you need anything, just let me know.”

 

“Got it! Let’s sit down.”

 

Once seated, Eun-ha showed me some restaurants on her phone.

 

“Yoori said this place has amazing kalguksu! Do you want to try it?”

 

“Think you can eat all that? The portions look pretty big.”

 

“It’s fine~ I can eat a lot! We’re on a trip, so we should indulge in lots of good food. Ah—! And this place! They’re famous for their gelato. Want to check it out? It’s not too far from where we’re staying.”

 

“Let’s do that~ We can go whenever we have some free time.”

 

Eun-ha, brimming with excitement, was absolutely adorable.

 

“Han-gyeol, I’m already having so much fun. What do I do?”

 

“What do you mean~? We’ll just have even more fun once we get there.”

 

“Yeah, yeah! Thanks for coming on this trip with me.”

 

“I should be the one thanking you~”

 

Why is she so lovable?

 

“It’s about an hour and a half to get there, right?”

 

“Yeah, and the place we’re staying is just a short walk from Gangneung Station.”

 

“Cool. What do you usually do on the train? Do you sleep?”

 

“I usually look out the window for a bit and then sleep. What about you?”

 

“Then I’ll just watch you sleep, Han-gyeol. Go on, sleep.”

 

“I’m not gonna fall asleep that fast.”

 

“I’ll lend you my shoulder.”

 

Eun-ha gently offered me her shoulder. I tried leaning on it, but the height wasn’t quite right, and it felt a bit uncomfortable.

 

“How is it? Comfortable?”

 

“It’s a bit cramped.”

 

“But only you get to use it.”

 

“True~ but you smell amazing.”

 

“It’s like having a personal diffuser, huh?”

 

“What even is that?”

 

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her joke. This wasn’t my usual vibe.

 

“Since I gave you my shoulder, I should get to hold your hand.”

 

“I thought it was a free service?”

 

“Nothing’s free in this world~ Come on, hand it over.”

 

She held out her palm, so I placed my fist on top of it.

 

“How am I supposed to hold this? Open your fist!”

 

“Try opening it~”

 

Eun-ha struggled to pry my fist open with one hand. When that didn’t work, she turned her body and used both hands to force it open.

 

Once she finally managed, she tightly clasped my hand with a satisfied smile, offering me her shoulder again.

 

“Han-gyeol, what should we do first when we get there?”

 

“We’ll probably be hungry, so how about we grab something to eat? Should we head to Gangneung Market first?”

 

“I love it~ Since we have plenty of time, let’s take it easy on the first day and then really explore starting tomorrow.”

 

“What should we eat at the market?”

 

“Just follow me. I’ve already picked out a bunch of stuff I know you’ll love. Want to see?”

 

Eun-ha showed me her phone screen.

 

[Must-eat foods at Gangneung Market]

 

○ Chicken skewers. 4,500 won

○ Kalguksu. 3,000 won

○ Ice cream hotteok. 3,000 won

○ Fish cake croquettes (Kimchi, Cheese croquettes recommended). 3,000 won

○ Kimchi-wrapped pork belly. 5,000 won

○ Garlic bread. 3 pieces for 13,000 won

.

.

○ Sweet and spicy chicken. 20,000 won (22,000 won for half mild, half spicy!)

 

Seeing the long list of dishes made me smile involuntarily. I hadn’t expected her to look all this up in such detail.

 

“When did you find all this?”

 

“I’ve been looking things up whenever I had time~”

 

She was so adorable, I thought I might die from it. I hadn’t realized she was looking forward to this trip so much.

 

“Sounds good~ So, how about we start with kalguksu and then work our way through the rest?”

 

“Yes, yes! Perfect. Should we save the sweet and spicy chicken for dinner, though? It’s a bit much right after eating, don’t you think?”

 

“Yeah, let’s do that~ What else did you find?”

 

“A gelato place, some cafés we can visit, and so on.”

 

“We’ll probably spend the whole trip eating at this rate.”

 

“I also found a great shellfish grill and a sashimi restaurant for the evening! Don’t worry, I only picked places with great reviews, so just trust me and follow my lead.”

 

Eun-ha, insisting I just trust her, was too cute for words. I tried holding back my laughter since we were on the train, but it was impossible.

 

“Pfft…!”

 

“Why, why are you laughing?”

 

“Sorry. You’re just so cute right now… I can’t help it.”

 

“Wh-what do you mean cute? What did I do to be cute?”

 

“You’re just too cute. Why are you like this?”

 

I leaned closer, resting my head on her shoulder.

 

“I really like you.”

 

“Why am I so cute, though~?”

 

“Everything about you is cute. Were you this excited for the trip? I don’t know how you held it in until now~ Anyone looking would think you’re a little kid. Next time, let’s go somewhere even farther. And be this excited for that trip too, okay?”

 

Teasing her playfully, I could see that she was getting embarrassed.

 

She must have realized how overjoyed she’d been this whole time, as her face flushed bright red.

 

“N-no way! Do you think I’m a kid or something…?!”

 

“Anyone would think so~”

 

Ah, this is going to be such a fun trip.

 

“Stop teasing me…!”

--- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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