Chapter 155: Huh? (2)

 

We were on our way back to the lodging after finishing the day’s schedule.

 

Eun-ha, sitting in the passenger seat, was nodding off, clearly tired from running around all day since morning. She looked adorable as she tried to shake off her drowsiness, her head bobbing up and down.

 

“Eun-ha, if you’re sleepy, just take a little nap. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

 

“No way! Why do you think it’s called the passenger seat? I won’t sleep... not at all...!”

 

Despite Eun-ha’s wide-eyed insistence, her eyelids looked heavy.

 

I turned down the air conditioner a little and drove silently, and soon I could hear her breathing.

 

Shweeek, shweeek… The delicate sound of Eun-ha’s breaths tickled my ears, and before I knew it, the corners of my lips lifted.

 

She won’t last ten minutes. How cute can she get?

 

After driving along the coastal road and pulling into the parking lot, I stayed in the car, waiting for Eun-ha to wake up.

 

Carefully, I brushed her hair back and stared at her face.

 

She’s beautiful when she smiles, beautiful when she cries, and even now, she’s breathtakingly beautiful asleep.

 

Her porcelain skin, long lashes, sharp nose, and lips that looked soft and rosy.

 

There wasn’t a single thing about Eun-ha’s face that wasn’t perfect. Just looking at her made my face heat up.

 

As if sensing my gaze, Eun-ha’s eyes moved slightly. I quickly returned to the driver’s seat and pretended we had just arrived.

 

“Eun-ha, we’re here. Time to wake up.”

 

“Huh...? I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Sorry.”

 

“Why are you apologizing for that?”

 

“Your car is just so comfortable, Han-gyeol.”

 

“Thanks for the compliment. Come on, let’s go.”

 

“Okay, okay.”

 

Eun-ha grinned as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

 

I got out too, and we stepped into the elevator to head up to the lodging.

 

As I reached to press the button for our floor, Eun-ha darted forward and pressed the button for the first floor instead.

 

“Aren’t we going to the room?”

 

“Nope. The sea is right in front of us. Let’s take a little walk first.”

 

“Are you sure? Aren’t you tired? We can do it tomorrow.”

 

“Are you tired, Han-gyeol? Then you can go up.”

 

“Nope, I’m fine.”

 

“Then let’s go now. We only get this one moment together today, after all.”

 

“It’s not like the world is ending tomorrow.”

 

“There’s a saying, you know—‘love as if today is your last.’”

 

Eun-ha beamed up at me with the brightest smile. Why is everything she says so sweet?

 

“Eun-ha, even your words are beautiful.”

 

“How’s my flirting? Did it work a little?”

 

“Yeah, you got me—multiple times today.”

 

“You promised to stay smitten with me forever, remember~”

 

Eun-ha linked arms with me, her radiant smile directed at me. Her warmth and soft presence against my arm made my face burn.

 

“Wow, Han-gyeol, your face is all red!”

 

“You’re making me want to skip the beach and go straight to the room.”

 

“No way~ Beach first, room later!”

 

Just as Eun-ha finished speaking, the elevator doors opened to the first floor.

 

We walked outside, the cool night breeze washing over us as we headed toward the beach.

 

“The night air feels so refreshing!”

 

“Yeah, and the breeze is nice too.”

 

“Should I have worn a dress?”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

Eun-ha gave me a shy smile.

 

“Because I want to look pretty for you, Han-gyeol.”

 

“Saying you’re always beautiful might sound too cliché.”

 

“Not at all! I feel thrilled every time I hear it, no matter how often.”

 

“Ahh, you’re adorable~”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re treating me like a little animal.”

 

“Honestly, if I had to compare, you’re more of a predator than a small animal.”

 

“Well, you’re no pushover either, Han-gyeol.”

 

Eun-ha gently slipped off her shoes.

 

“Are you going into the water?”

 

“Just dipping my feet. You’re coming too, right?”

 

Eun-ha held her shoes in both hands as she looked at me.

 

“What if I say no?”

 

“You wouldn’t dare—I know you too well.”

 

“Looks like I better roll out the beach mat~”

 

Following Eun-ha’s lead, I took off my shoes and rolled up my pants. Together, we stepped into the cool ocean water.

 

“Wow, this feels amazing!”

 

“You really love the sea, don’t you, Eun-ha?”

 

“It’s not the sea—it’s being here with you, Han-gyeol. Everything’s better with you.”

 

“Even a pit of fire?”

 

“Okay, maybe not that.”

 

Eun-ha let out a soft giggle.

 

We kept walking along the beach, leaving footprints in the sand.

 

“How far are we going? Let’s turn back soon.”

 

“Let’s do that. My legs are starting to hurt too.”

 

“Want me to carry you?”

 

“What? I ate a lot today, so I’ll be heavy.”

 

“Eun-ha, no matter how much you weigh, it can’t be that heavy. Want me to carry you?”

 

“Hmm—nope. I’ll carry you instead! It’s been a while since I gave you a piggyback ride!”

 

“I’m heavier now; it’ll be tough.”

 

“I’ve gotten stronger too! Come on, hop on!”

 

Eun-ha confidently turned her back toward me, inviting me to climb on.

 

Half doubting, I climbed onto her back.

 

“Ugh…! I can do this.”

 

“Oh… you’re holding on better than I expected.”

 

“I’ll carry you all the way—waah!”

 

Eun-ha lost her balance while carrying me.

 

Suddenly, she tipped over, and we both tumbled onto the sand.

 

A wave rolled in and soaked my clothes before receding, leaving me drenched.

 

Eun-ha stared at me with wide eyes, shocked.

 

“Oh no.”

 

“Eun-ha, since it’s come to this, maybe you should—”

 

Before I could finish my sentence, Eun-ha bolted, running away from me.

 

“Hey, where are you going!”

 

“You’re going to dunk me in the water!”

 

Smart. She knew my intentions, but that’s to be expected after dating so long.

 

Still…! I kicked off my shoes onto the sand and ran after her.

 

“Stay right there!”

 

“Kyaaah! I’m sorry!”

 

Eun-ha ran for her life.

 

Did she train for track and field when I wasn’t looking? How is she so fast?

 

Just as I was about to give up and slow down—

 

“Ah—!”

 

Eun-ha tripped over her own feet and fell onto the beach.

 

“Oh no.”

 

****

 

In the end, we returned to the lodging covered in sand and took a shower together.

 

But I couldn’t stop replaying the image of Eun-ha tripping over her own feet in my mind.

 

“Han-gyeol… stop laughing…!”

 

“Am I laughing right now?”

 

“You’re laughing a lot!”

 

“At least you didn’t get hurt.”

 

“My pride got hurt…”

 

For some reason, everything Eun-ha said today was hilariously funny.

 

Even though I tried to hold it in, the corners of my lips kept twitching upward.

 

In the end, Eun-ha grabbed my cheeks.

 

“Really… Is it that funny to see your girlfriend fall over?”

 

“Sorry… you were just too cute—”

 

“Fine, I’ll forgive you because I’m cute…!”

 

Eun-ha looked down at me with a pout.

 

“Are you really sure you didn’t hurt yourself?”

 

“Yeah. My clothes just got wet, that’s all.”

 

“Are you mad?”

 

“No, just embarrassed. Come here so I can dry your hair.”

 

“I can dry it myself, you know?”

 

“Just come here already.”

 

She seemed so flustered that she wouldn’t meet my gaze.

 

Sensing her embarrassment, I turned around and sat with my back to her.

 

Eun-ha began patting my wet hair with a towel, then grabbed the hairdryer.

 

“Let me know if it gets too hot.”

 

“Okay. I’m counting on you.”

 

Vrrrrr— The hairdryer buzzed softly as Eun-ha carefully dried my hair.

 

When she was done, she wrapped her arms around me from behind.

 

“What’s this? Isn’t it my turn to dry your hair now?”

 

“Just… forget about me falling earlier. It’s so embarrassing.”

 

“Alright. If I turn around, I’ll pretend it never happened.”

 

“Ugh… I fell so clumsily too…!”

 

“Honestly, it was kind of cute.”

 

“Ugh… don’t call things like that cute!”

 

Eun-ha rubbed her face against my back.

 

“Promise me you won’t tease me about it anymore?”

 

“I promise. I won’t do anything you don’t like.”

 

“Thanks…”

 

“Now, can you let me see your face?”

 

Eun-ha quietly stepped away from me.

 

When I turned around to look at her face, I saw that her cheeks were burning bright red.

 

She looked so adorable that I couldn’t help but pull her into my arms.

 

“But my hair isn’t dry yet…”

 

“I’m hugging you because you’re too cute to resist.”

 

“I feel like I show this childish side of myself to you way too often.”

 

“You do?”

 

Eun-ha spoke in a slightly sullen tone.

 

“Yeah. I want to be the kind of mature woman you can lean on, Han-gyeol.”

 

Her words carried a hint of frustration, and I froze for a moment.

 

I hadn’t realized she felt this way.

 

Meeting her gaze, I softly replied.

 

“Honestly, I think you’re incredibly mature, Eun-ha.”

 

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, aren’t you?”

 

“No, I really mean it. I’ve thought that about you for a long time.”

 

“Really? In what way? Be specific.”

 

“Nothing comes to mind immediately, but… you’re always so thoughtful. You plan things carefully, take responsibility, and think deeply about everything.”

 

“But I learned all of that from you, Han-gyeol!”

 

“That’s not true. Hmm… for example, do you remember what you told me before I went to the military?”

 

“What did I say?”

 

Eun-ha tilted her head, curious.

 

“You told me not to feel obligated.”

 

“Oh—yeah, I remember. Why?”

 

“You might not realize it, but that was such a mature thing to say. Honestly, it takes a lot of courage to say something like that. When I heard it, I thought, ‘Wow, Eun-ha is so grown-up.’ And honestly, I’ve never really thought of you as childish.”

 

At my words, a slow smile spread across Eun-ha’s face.

 

She seemed happy to hear the compliment.

 

“Hehe… so that’s what you thought.”

 

“Yeah. And I rely on you a lot, Eun-ha. When I’m having a hard time, you’re the first person I think of.”

 

“Really? If anything tough happens, you have to lean on me, okay? Your Noona here will take care of everything! Just trust me!”

 

Eun-ha declared confidently, brimming with pride.

 

“Still, don’t stop showing me this cute side of you every now and then. I love mature Eun-ha, but I love cute Eun-ha too.”

 

“Okay, okay! I’ll make sure to do that!”

 

“Feeling better now?”

 

“Yep!”

 

“...”

 

Looking at Eun-ha like this, I found her both adorable and incredibly dependable.

 

“In that case, Noona is going to devour you today.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I love you.”

 

“Wha—ack—!”

 

Eun-ha suddenly pushed me over, pinning me to the floor.

 

Then she climbed on top of me, tying her hair back with slow, deliberate movements.

 

“Han-gyeol, you’re staying still today.”

 

How did things escalate like this?

 

Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter. Even this side of Eun-ha is too adorable to resist.

--- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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