Chapter 39: Love is...

 

“Han-gyeol, in the spring, we should always go to the cherry blossom festival. And in summer, where do you prefer: the valley or the beach?”

 

“If I had to choose, I’d prefer the valley. What about you, Eun-ha?”

 

“I like the beach, but I think the valley could be nice too.”

 

“Then we could alternate each year.”

 

Even though it was now spring, I found myself thinking about the upcoming summer.

 

And even further, to winter.

 

“How about watching the autumn leaves in fall? And maybe a ski resort in winter? Between skiing and snowboarding, which one do you prefer?”

 

“I haven’t been to a ski resort, so I wouldn’t know. Of course, I’ve never tried skiing or snowboarding.”

 

“Really? I’ve only been to a ski resort once during middle school with my family.”

 

“Then we can go skiing this winter. We would’ve finished our college entrance exams, so it’ll be a good time to have fun.”

 

“True. Unfortunately, we might have to study through this summer and fall.”

 

“If it doesn’t interfere with our studies, maybe a day off wouldn’t hurt?”

 

“That’s true. But don’t you think we’re planning too much fun?”

 

“As long as we meet our study quota like this time, it should be fine~”

 

“Right. Having a reward right in front of us does seem to make studying easier.”

 

I continued chatting, hand in hand with Han-gyeol.

 

I came here to see the cherry blossoms, but I found myself looking at Han-gyeol more.

 

Whenever our eyes met, it felt both embarrassing and fun to turn away.

 

As we walked, a woman cautiously approached and spoke to me.

 

“Excuse me, could you please take a photo for us?”

 

“Of course! And after, could you do the same for us?”

 

I readily nodded my head and asked.

 

We hadn’t managed to take a full-body photo, so I was grateful for her offer.

 

“Of course. Why not?”

 

After receiving the woman’s phone, I stepped back a little.

 

Though our meeting was fleeting, I put my heart into taking the picture. Since we were asking for one in return, I couldn’t take it carelessly.

 

“Hold on...! I’ll take just one more!”

 

After taking a final shot, I handed back the phone. The elegant woman who took her phone from me expressed her gratitude without even checking the photos.

 

“Both of you, please stand under the cherry blossom tree. I’ll make sure to capture you two beautifully.”

 

“Ah—okay! Han-gyeol, let’s go.”

 

“Alright. Thank you.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got the magic touch.”

 

Han-gyeol and I thanked her before positioning ourselves under the cherry blossom tree.

 

“Han-gyeol, what pose should we do?”

 

“What do you feel like doing, Eun-ha?”

 

“Um... How about a heart with our hands?”

 

“Sure. Let’s do that.”

 

We both interlaced our thumbs and index fingers, forming a heart, and took the photo. After snapping our picture, the lady suggested, “Try a different pose!” We hesitated for a moment.

 

“Oh, what should we do?”

 

“Why worry? Just go with the flow. Come here.”

 

Gently, Han-gyeol placed his hand on my shoulder. Although a bit shy, I carefully wrapped my arm around Han-gyeol’s waist. With a natural smile playing on our lips, we looked towards the phone.

 

After capturing the moment, the woman handed my phone back with a broad smile.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Han-gyeol and I expressed our gratitude once again.

 

“We should be thanking you. Here’s the photo. Please check it out!”

 

The woman handed me my phone.

 

I immediately looked at the photo she had taken, and it was beautifully captured.

 

“Wow...! It came out so beautifully!”

 

“Whoa...! Is this a photoshoot or something?”

 

“Really? That’s good to hear.”

 

“Thank you so much!”

 

“Well then, we’ll be on our way. Wishing you both a beautiful relationship~ Thank you.”

 

“Yes~ Wishing you both the same.”

 

Even after the couple had left, we couldn’t tear our eyes away from the photo. It was so beautiful that I wanted to show it off to others. But, we had already decided to use the earlier picture for our profile...

 

“Should we use it as our wallpaper?”

 

“Do you want to set it as the wallpaper?”

 

Han-gyeol and I spoke simultaneously. Surprised at our synchronous thought, we stared into each other’s eyes.

 

“Whoa! You had the same thought as me?”

 

“Exactly. Since we’ve already decided on the profile picture, I thought about the wallpaper.”

 

“Me too!”

 

I was thrilled that Han-gyeol and I were on the same page. We truly were a perfect match.

 

“Eun-ha, are you hungry? We’ve been here for a while. Shall we go grab something to eat?”

 

“Yes, yes. Let’s go have spicy pork stir-fry.”

 

“Spicy pork stir-fry?”

 

“You like spicy pork stir-fry, Han-gyeol. The pork cutlet is good too.”

 

“I mean, I do like it, but is spicy pork stir-fry and pork cutlet really okay for our first date?”

 

“There’s no hard and fast rule, right? And I love spicy pork stir-fry too!”

 

Since Han-gyeol and I had pork cutlet last time, we decided on spicy pork stir-fry for today.

 

“Do you want to eat something else?”

 

“I want spicy pork stir-fry.”

 

“You really want spicy pork stir-fry?”

 

“Yes, I want to have spicy pork stir-fry.”

 

“Alright, let’s go have some. Where should we go?”

 

“Hmm... Good question. Let me look it up.”

 

I quickly searched on my smartphone.

 

Although I typed in ‘spicy pork stir-fry restaurants’, most of the results were snack bars. While I was looking for a place within walking distance, a ‘Gisa Shikdang*’ caught my eye.

 

Hmm... I remember hearing somewhere that ‘Gisa Shikdang’ is a real gem.

 

“Should we go here?”

 

“Where? Is this a Gisa Shikdang?”

 

“Yeah. I heard somewhere that most ‘Gisa Shikdang’ are pretty good.”

 

“I’m all for it, but don’t you want to go somewhere with a nicer ambiance?”

 

“Of course, that’d be great too. But I want to see you enjoying the food you love.”

 

At my words, Han-gyeol chuckled and said,

 

“Alright. Where is it? If it’s far, should we take a bus or a taxi?”

 

“It seems to be about a 15-minute walk. Let’s take our time walking.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

Still holding hands, we headed toward the ‘Gisa Shikdang’. Some might find it peculiar, but as long as we, the ones involved, were happy, that was all that mattered.

 

****

 

As we entered the Gisa Shikdang, we promptly placed our order.

 

“Could we get two orders of spicy pork stir-fry, please?”

 

“Sure~ It’ll be right up!”

 

The friendly-looking owner responded with a warm smile as he prepared our dishes.

 

It hadn’t been long since we ordered when two generous servings were placed in front of Han-gyeol and me. The side dishes laid out on each tray looked appetizing, and the spicy pork stir-fry appeared mouth-watering.

 

“Enjoy your meal. If you need anything more, just let me know.”

 

“Thank you. Let’s eat, Han-gyeol.”

 

“Yeah, it looks delicious. Let’s dig in.”

 

Han-gyeol was the first to take a bite of the spicy pork stir-fry.

 

Seeing his joyful smile, I felt happy too. As I began to eat, I thought to myself how glad I was to have come here. The food was as delicious, and I felt like we’d be visiting frequently.

 

“Wow- This is really good.”

 

“Right? It feels like we’ve discovered a gem.”

 

“Whenever we crave spicy pork stir-fry, we should come here.”

 

“Let’s do that.”

 

It seemed Han-gyeol really enjoyed it.

 

Our first date was incredibly successful.

 

The excitement on our way to the date location.

 

The thrill upon arriving there.

 

The memories made under the cherry blossom tree.

 

The delicious meal.

 

It was a perfect date without a single flaw.

 

After finishing our meal quickly, we promptly stood up. We were the only customers who looked like students. With adults present, we carefully pushed our chairs in and headed to the counter. The prices were reasonable, and everything seemed satisfactory. Great value for the money, perhaps?

 

“Ah- Han-gyeol, I’ll cover this one. You can get the drinks at the cafe later.”

 

“Mm- Is that so? Let’s do it.”

 

As I was pulling out my card, the owner spoke with a smile.

 

“Oh, a gentleman earlier already paid for you.”

 

“What?! Really?”

 

Han-gyeol and I exchanged surprised glances.

 

“Yes. He said you two looked like his children, so he covered it for you. You can just leave.”

 

“Has he left long ago?! We didn’t even get to thank him···!”

 

“Oh, he’s been gone for quite a while now. He must’ve already taken a taxi.”

 

As Han-gyeol and I stood there flustered, an older gentleman from behind commented.

 

“Seems he paid on your behalf because you reminded him of his children! It’s alright, you should go.”

 

“Seeing young faces like yours in a place like this must’ve brightened his day! Of course, he’d cover it. Be careful on your way out, students!”

 

Upon hearing the gentlemen’s remarks, Han-gyeol smiled and gave a respectful bow.

 

“Thank you. Enjoy your meal!”

 

Seeing Han-gyeol bow, I instinctively lowered my head as well.

 

“We, we had a good meal! Please enjoy yours.”

 

With a final exchange of greetings with the gentlemen, we exited the restaurant. It was challenging to articulate the feeling — whether it felt warmly emotional or had a ticklish excitement — but we were elated.

 

“Shall we head to the cafe now?”

 

“Yes! I’m in such a good mood, I’ll treat you.”

 

“That’s problematic. I’m also in a good mood, so I want to pay.”

 

“How about rock-paper-scissors? Best of three?”

 

“Just one round.”

 

It was a day where we received kindness from a stranger whose name and face we did not know. Even if I were to lose a bet on such a day, I felt the mood would remain high all day long. It was a joyous day, memorable enough to be recalled in the distant future.

 

Perhaps, love is about steadily stacking up memories known only to the two involved?

--- The End OF The Chapter ---

 

[TL: Gisa Shikdang: In Korea, Gisa Shikdang refers to eateries or dining places tailored for drivers, especially taxi drivers, offering them affordable meals and a place to rest during their breaks. Think of it as a counterpart to the American ‘truck stop,’ but more oriented toward urban taxi drivers than long-haul truckers. 

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