Chapter 143: Pre-enlistment Trip (2)

 

I was happy that Han-gyeol’s parents seemed to have a good impression of me.  

 

But as I thought of Han-gyeol, who would soon be enlisting, a part of my heart ached.  

 

Even so, I wanted to see him off with a smile. I didn’t want to shed any tears.

 

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll be sightseeing, right? For today, just get a good rest in your room.”  

 

“Right. If we want to have fun, it’s best to sleep early.”

 

Chatting with Han-gyeol’s parents made the time fly, and before I knew it, it was already ten at night.  

 

But… was it okay to sleep in the same room with him while his parents were here?  

 

Sharing a room while staying with adults—it felt a bit awkward.

 

“Eun-ha, you should sleep with Han-gyeol too.”  

 

“A-ah! Really? Is that okay?”  

 

“Of course~ It’s perfectly fine! Han-gyeo doesn’t have any weird sleeping habits, does he?”  

 

“Not at all! Han-gyeol sleeps really neatly.”  

 

“Oh, you must’ve seen that a lot~?”  

 

“Ah—well, it’s a bit embarrassing, but… yes.”

 

I answered shyly.  

 

Soon, I’d have to part with him, and I wanted to be by his side every night until then.

 

“So, you’re staying for breakfast tomorrow?”  

 

“Yes, that’s the plan. We will come back the day before enlists.”  

 

“Good. Have a great time. Eun-ha, you too, enjoy yourself.”  

 

“Yes! We’ll have a wonderful time!”

 

I think my response left his parents feeling satisfied.  

 

After turning off the lights in the living room, I washed up and headed into the room I’d be sharing with Han-gyeol.

 

“Eun-ha, let me know if you’re uncomfortable sleeping.”  

 

“I sleep fine as long as I’m with you, Han-gyeol!”  

 

“Alright, then. You lie down first, and I’ll turn off the light.”  

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

I climbed onto the bed first and pulled the blanket over me.  

 

After turning off the light, Han-gyeol lay down beside me.  

 

Gently, I took his hand and looked him in the eyes.

 

“My parents really seem to like you, Eun-ha.”  

 

“Mmm-hmm. That’s such a relief. Think I earned some good points?”  

 

“They already seem to see you as a future daughter-in-law.”  

 

“Hehe… That makes me feel good.”

 

As I nestled into his arms, he pulled me close.

 

“You weren’t uncomfortable, were you?”  

 

“No, no. They treated me so well.”  

 

“Still, you seemed a bit tense~”  

 

“Well, I was nervous~ But I felt at ease too.”  

 

“Now, get some good rest~ Go to sleep.”

 

With his arms around me, Han-gyeol softly stroked my hair.  

 

Every time his large hand brushed over my head, I felt a calmness settle over me.  

 

But the thought that soon, I wouldn’t have this comfort anymore… it made me sad.

 

“Han-gyeol.”  

 

“Yeah?”  

 

“Keep stroking my hair.”  

 

“Alright~ Like this?”

 

Han-gyeol stroked my hair even more gently.

 

“Yes, like that. And… a kiss too… No, wait. Since your parents are here, save it for tomorrow.”  

 

“Why~? I can sneak one in. It’s fine as long as it’s not too intense, right?”  

 

“It feels a bit like… we’re doing something we shouldn’t—”

 

Before I could finish my sentence, he leaned in and kissed my forehead.

 

“I wasn’t done talking…!”  

 

“Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself. You’re too beautiful, Eun-ha.”  

 

“But when you start, I just want more…”  

 

“Then I’ll keep going.”  

 

“No, I want to do it.”

 

I held his face and pressed my lips to his.  

 

The soft, warm sensation of his lips—I wanted to etch it clearly into my memory.

 

“So where’s that Eun-ha who wanted to save the kiss for tomorrow because my parents are here?”  

 

“You said it’s fine as long as it’s not intense~ Your lips are so soft, Han-gyeol. Mine are soft too, want to check?”  

 

“Yeah, come a bit closer.”

 

This time, he gently held my face and kissed me deeply.  

 

I felt amazing. My heart raced, and I felt even closer to him, as if we were one.

 

“This is… so embarrassing…”  

 

“You’re saying that, but you kissed me pretty boldly.”  

 

“Being embarrassed is one thing, but wanting to kiss you is another~”  

 

“I really want to kiss you too, Eun-ha.”  

 

“Then let’s kiss all the time starting tomorrow. But tonight, let’s stop here.”  

 

“Aww, come on, just one more?”  

 

“Hmm, fine. Go ahead, quickly.”

 

I smiled, and he leaned in for another kiss.  

 

I felt so happy, yet there was a bittersweet ache in my heart.  

 

As he finished the kiss and tried to pull away, I instinctively grabbed his collar.

 

I didn’t want to let him go.  

 

I didn’t want him to leave.

 

But I couldn’t bring myself to say that.  

 

I could only hold onto him, silently asking for one more kiss.

 

Clutching his collar tightly, pulling him close.  

 

I tried to soothe the sadness in my heart.

 

“Han-gyeol.”  

 

“Yeah? I love you too.”  

 

“What~? I didn’t even say it yet.”  

 

“I just knew. Was I wrong?”  

 

“No. You were exactly right~”

 

My heart fluttered at the loving gaze in his eyes.  

 

And as he stroked my hair once more, I felt at peace.

 

What am I going to do?  

 

I wish morning would never come.

 

****

 

"Eun-ha, time to get up~"  

 

"Ugh… Han-gyeol…!"

 

The morning I had hoped would never come had finally arrived.  

 

Just once, I wished my small hope could be granted, but I was disappointed.

 

"Did you sleep well?"  

 

"Yes… did you sleep well too, Han-gyeol?"  

 

"Of course I did. Now let’s get up. We should wash up and have breakfast."

 

At his words, I forced my eyes open and sat up.  

 

I had planned to get up early and help his mother prepare breakfast.  

 

But I had forgotten to set my alarm earlier.

 

"Did your mom prepare breakfast alone?! I should’ve helped her!"  

 

"Nope~ I told her I’d handle it, so she should rest."  

 

"Then you made breakfast by yourself? You should’ve woken me…!"  

 

"I just wanted to make breakfast for you too, Eun-ha."

 

I think I understood what was in his heart.

 

"Alright… But let me take care of the cleanup then?"  

 

"Let’s do that together~ Here, I’ll help you up."

 

He held out both his hands, and I immediately grabbed them.  

 

But he pulled so hard that I ended up crashing right into his arms.

 

"You pulled too hard~"  

 

"Couldn’t help it, I wanted to hold you~"  

 

"Hehe, to be honest, I like it too—"

 

Just then, click!—the door opened.  

 

Still wrapped in his arms, I looked up and locked eyes with his mother.

 

"Kids, breakfast—"  

 

"…!!"

 

I blinked in silence.  

 

My body froze, and I couldn’t even think of pulling away.

 

"Oh dear, sorry~ I forgot to knock~ Carry on with what you were doing~"

 

She smiled warmly and quietly closed the door again.

 

"Oh no, we got caught."  

 

"Aaaaaah…!"

 

I could feel the heat rising all the way from my neck to my face.  

 

And of course, Han-gyeol wasn’t any different.

 

"Shall… we go have breakfast?"  

 

"Give me five minutes… just five minutes to cool my face down."  

 

"Yeah, good idea."

 

We fanned each other’s flushed cheeks to cool down.  

 

When our blushes had faded, we snuck out to the kitchen.  

 

As I sat down carefully, a slightly awkward atmosphere hung in the air.  

 

But thankfully, his mother broke the silence.

 

"My son is surprisingly diligent, huh? Making breakfast too."  

 

"Oh—! Yes, yes. Han-gyeol and I take turns with the chores every other week!"  

 

"That's the way to do it. Good job, son, keep it up."  

 

"Yes, I'm trying to do even better."  

 

"Alright, let’s dig in. You two have a day ahead of you."

 

After his father took the first bite, we joined him for the meal.  

 

Though it was my first time here, it felt comfortable and homely.  

 

The warmth I felt from being around Han-gyeol extended to his family too.

 

When we finished eating, we tidied up the table together like yesterday.  

 

After washing up and getting ready, we put on our shoes, and his parents came out to see us off.

 

"Alright, we’ll be back. See you on Sunday."  

 

"Remember, don’t drink too much just because it’s your last outing before enlisting."

 

After Han-gyeol greeted them, I bowed as well.

 

"I’ll see you on Sunday too!"  

 

"Take care, Eun-ha, and have fun~"  

 

"Yes, we will!"

 

With a bright smile, his mother saw me off.  

 

His father pulled out his wallet and handed a card to Han-gyeol.

 

"Use this and don’t even think about coming home until it’s maxed out."  

 

"Wow…! Thank you. I’ll put it to good use."  

 

"This isn’t because I like you. It’s so you can show Eun-ha a good time."

 

His father shot me a warm smile.

 

"Thank you! We’ll have a wonderful time."  

 

"Alright, have fun, you two."  

 

"We’ll be on our way~"  

 

"See you later~"

 

Bowing together, we stepped outside.  

 

Gazing down at the card in his hand, Han-gyeol’s face lit up with a grin.

 

"Let’s eat something fancy."  

 

"Don’t go too overboard~"  

 

"Hey, he told us not to come back until the balance runs out, didn’t he? Let’s get some crab, Eun-ha."  

 

"That’s going to be too expensive! Let’s settle for sashimi."  

 

"Fine, then grilled tilefish."

 

He looked absolutely delighted.  

 

I knew he wanted to keep his sadness from showing, not wanting me to see it.  

 

How could anyone be so cheerful before enlisting?  

 

I decided to embrace his kindness just as it was.

 

"Come on, let’s get going already."  

 

"Yeah, let’s drop off our stuff at the lodging first."

 

The final trip before enlistment that I had hoped wouldn’t begin… was finally underway.

 

"After we settle in, we’ll go see the ocean, right?"  

 

"Yes, let’s enjoy it leisurely."  

 

"Alright~ Let’s hold hands, Han-gyeol~"

 

When I held out my hand, he grabbed it tightly.  

 

I planned to keep holding his hand throughout the trip.

 

Ah… I really don’t want to let him go.

--- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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