Chapter 131: Travel (4)

 

We were taking a walk along the beach and ended up at a café with an ocean view.

 

Sitting by the window, we leisurely ate our dessert, but Eun-ha had a pouty expression on her face.

 

“Just once—! Just one more time—!”

 

“I told you, it’s embarrassing~ I’ll do it next time.”

 

“When’s next time?”

 

Eun-ha seemed to really like being called “Darling.” Ever since the beach, she had been begging me to call her “Darling” just one more time.

 

Honestly, I could’ve done it, even though I was a little embarrassed, but Eun-ha’s persistent nagging was too cute, so I decided not to give in.

 

I had to hold back my grin as she puffed up her cheeks and glared at me with a sulky look.

 

“Hmm, maybe when we go on another trip?”

 

“That’s too far away. Can’t you just do it now and get it over with?!”

 

“Eun-ha, can’t you just hold out a little longer?”

 

“I’m holding out even now. It’s not like it’s a big deal, so just do it. If you do it one more time, I won’t ask aga—mmph.”

 

I shoved a piece of cake into her mouth. Eun-ha chewed it slowly, staring at me the entire time.

 

“Isn’t it good?”

 

“If you call me ‘Darling,’ I think it’ll taste even sweeter…”

 

“You really want to hear it that badly?”

 

At my words, Eun-ha nodded furiously.

 

“I’ll call you that once the whipped cream on your lips is gone~”

 

“What—?!”

 

Eun-ha quickly turned to check her face on her phone screen. Then, she looked back at me with a cold expression.

 

“There’s nothing on my lips…!”

 

“I was just teasing you. Darling.”

 

“…!!”

 

Eun-ha flinched, blinking rapidly. I watched her face turn red, all the way from the beginning to the end.

 

“Your face went red so fast. You’re gonna explode.”

 

“Seriously…! You always hit me with these things out of nowhere…!”

 

Maybe trying to cool herself off, Eun-ha grabbed the coffee cup from the table. She took a big gulp of the iced Americano, trying to calm down, but it wasn’t working.

 

Her flushed face wouldn’t cool down, and the poor Americano quickly disappeared.

 

“Teasing you is my favorite thing in the world.”

 

“Enough already?! I’m not falling for your tricks anymore.”

 

“Really? Then why is your face still so red?”

 

“Ugh…! I’m mad that I’ll keep getting embarrassed no matter how many times you do this…!”

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it if you hear it enough~”

 

As I smiled at her, Eun-ha’s face turned even redder.

 

“I don’t think this feeling will ever go away. Whenever you call me that, my heart flutters. People say that as time passes, excitement fades and comfort grows, but why is that not happening to me?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“The more time I spend with you, the more I like you and the more I get excited. Maybe it’s because I already felt comfortable with you even before we started dating?”

 

“I’m not really the most comfortable person, am I?”

 

“Hm…! Objectively speaking, you can be a bit cold, but to me, you’re incredibly comforting. It’s like, when I’m with you, I feel good, at ease, and I don’t have to overthink things.”

 

“Thanks for saying that~”

 

We’ve always worked things out through conversation, so I had confidence that, even if conflicts arose in the future, we’d handle them well.

 

“Come to think of it, we’ve never really had a fight, have we? The other day Jeong asked if I’d ever had an argument with you, but I couldn’t think of anything~”

 

“An argument , huh~? I can’t think of any either. We’ve always been good at talking things through. If I had to point out something, maybe before we started dating, when I asked you to be honest with me because you were avoiding me? Or that time I lied about being sick and you got mad?”

 

“Oh-! That’s right!”

 

Eun-ha suddenly widened her eyes as if she’d just remembered.

 

“But still, those weren’t really fights, were they? They were more like misunderstandings.”

 

“Yeah, I was definitely hurt when you kept avoiding me like that~”

 

I teased her lightly, and Eun-ha looked flustered.

 

“T-that wasn’t avoiding—!”

 

“Then what was it~?”

 

“It was just… around that time, I realized I liked you… so every time I saw your face, my own face would get so hot, and I didn’t know what to do.”

 

“That was cute too~ Like when you invited me to get tonkatsu and then apologized at the café afterward.”

 

“Ah, come on…! That was a year ago!”

 

“And you pretending not to know the answers in class just so I could explain them to you was adorable too~ You don’t do that anymore, huh?”

 

“Ugh…! Stop bringing up my embarrassing past!”

 

Even when she spoke with a grumble, it was impossibly endearing.

 

“Why~? Those were the innocent days of high school.”

 

“Ugh…! Thinking about it now, I should’ve just confessed to you right when I realized how I felt!”

 

“Even your confession was adorable~ The way you buried your face in the blanket while confessing~”

 

“You’re so mean…!”

 

Eun-ha bit her lip, her cheeks flushed.

 

“Oh? You’ve got the same look on your face as you did when you confessed.”

 

“Han-gyeol, you seriously—!”

 

She’s just too precious.

 

****

 

After the sun set, we headed to a shellfish restaurant near the beach for dinner. Eun-ha had picked this place after reading lots of reviews.

 

“Please prepare it like this. Oh, and a bottle of soju, too.”

 

“Of course! I’ll get everything ready for you right away~”

 

“Thank you~”

 

After expertly placing the order, Eun-ha turned toward me with a bright smile.

 

“Han-gyeol, I’ll grill everything perfectly for you!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I watched videos on how to grill shellfish to perfection~ so leave it to me. I’ll wear the gloves and do everything. Trust me!”

 

Eun-ha confidently slipped on the thick gloves from the table, and the sight of those bulky gloves on her delicate hands was oddly adorable.

 

“Everything you do is seriously cute.”

 

“Huh?! This is the moment where you should say I’m impressive. I’m planning to grill the shellfish all cool and professionally.”

 

“Really~? So you’re going to handle everything from start to finish? I’m not going to help at all?”

 

“All you have to do is eat and enjoy~”

 

“I do have a conscience, though. Let’s take turns.”

 

But Eun-ha crossed her arms in an X and firmly refused.

 

“No way. I really want to do this for you. Most of the time when we eat out, you’re the one grilling the meat.”

 

“Well, that’s because I’m good at grilling meat.”

 

“That’s exactly why I want to do this for you. I’ll even peel the shrimp for you, so just focus on eating this time! I’ve watched a lot of videos, so I’m confident. Trust me! I’ve got this whole trip under control!”

 

“Pffft-! ‘Noona’?”

 

“Yeah! If I’m taking care of you, I’m like your ‘Noona’. Plus, my birthday’s earlier, isn’t it?”

 

“We’re only a few days apart!”

 

“Even a few days is a difference, isn’t it?”

 

“Oh, so that’s how you want to play it?”

 

“Yup, that’s exactly how I’m playing it!”

 

Traveling really is great. Seeing Eun-ha so happy made me excited too.

 

“Alright~ I’ll serve you as ‘Noona’ for today~”

 

“Okay!”

 

Soon, our platter of grilled shellfish and shrimp arrived. Not long after, the soju was brought out, and I immediately opened the bottle.

 

“Eun-ha, hold out your glass.”

 

“Sure! Pour it respectfully~ I’m the ‘Noona’ today~”

 

Eun-ha held up her empty soju glass.

 

“Eun-ha, are you already tipsy? Did you sneak a drink before I noticed?”

 

“What kind of tone is that to your Noona~?”

 

It seemed like she was really getting into the playful mood. This mischievous side of Eun-ha was both fun and adorable.

 

Though strangely enough, it reminded me of her older brother, Eunwoo. Maybe that playful streak runs in the family?

 

“Han-gyeol~ My arm’s going to fall off~”

 

“Where do you even learn to say things like that?”

 

“I just came up with it.”

 

“Clever.”

 

“Really?!”

 

Even her proud expression was cute. I poured soju into her glass and handed the bottle to her. After she filled mine, she got right to grilling the shellfish.

 

“Even with those gloves on, be careful. It’s really hot.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be careful not to get burned. Do you not trust me?”

 

“I’m neutral~ You’ve never grilled shellfish before.”

 

“I’ve run so many simulations in my head, it’ll be fine.”

 

Simulations aren’t always foolproof, but watching her focus on the shellfish so seriously was too cute.

 

“Aren’t you being a bit too silent, just staring at the shellfish?”

 

“I’m trying really hard not to stare at you, so cut me some slack. Are you jealous?”

 

“Of the shellfish?”

 

Eun-ha nodded without saying a word.

 

“That’s ridiculous.”

 

“Then bear with it a little~ I’ll make sure it turns out delicious.”

 

She flipped the shrimp with the tongs. As the shellfish began to open, Eun-ha’s hands grew busier.

 

I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she worked so hard to make sure the grilled shellfish turned out perfectly for me.

 

Out of nowhere, something rose from deep within me, and the words just slipped out.

 

“Eun-ha.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I really, really love you.”

 

Eun-ha’s hands froze mid-action. She looked at my smiling face, then responded with a grin of her own.

 

“I love you too. I love you sooooooo much.”

 

Who knew the first day of the trip would be this fun? The midterms I’d taken earlier that morning had long since faded from my mind.

 

All I could think about was the adorable Eun-ha in front of me. I couldn’t help but feel excited about how much fun tomorrow would bring.

 

“Isn’t it almost done by now?”

 

“The oysters are ready to eat-!”

 

“Are they cooked through? You should try them first.”

 

“No way. The oysters are all yours.”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

I tilted my head in confusion, but Eun-ha placed the grilled oysters onto my plate.

 

“Oysters are good for men~!”

 

“What?”

 

“Eat up~”

 

It seems like tonight is going to be even more exciting than tomorrow.

--- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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