Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Paris Gifts and Restless Feelings
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Noonas.
I'm back.
Did you miss me?
Jeong Eun-seong spoke into the empty air where no one was around.
Ever since his debut, he'd been practicing talking to imaginary noonas with his close trainee hyung, just in case he froze up during a live stream.
He was practicing aegyo in his spare time, too.
His best one was the bear cub routine.
Why practice aegyo now that you'll probably never use if you don't debut?
Well...
'Lately, I've just been feeling off.'
He felt like he needed to throw himself into something—anything—just to keep his feet on the ground.
Staring blankly and bursting into laughter for no reason. Getting choked up over nothing and wanting to run off somewhere. Fidgeting restlessly.
He just couldn't sit still.
Eun-seong knew exactly when these bizarre symptoms—ones he'd never experienced in his life—had started.
'Why are you sticking your neck out? Are you my boyfriend?'
'I thought we were friends, too, Jeong Eun-seong...'
Exactly from that moment.
No, even before then.
When was it? April? March?
...This isn't something you "know well," idiot.
Anyway, it was a relief they'd settled on being friends.
The first time Kang Da-hye said, "Are you my boyfriend?" he'd nearly collapsed from how hurt he felt.
It still stung thinking about it.
He didn't even want to recall it. From now on, he'd call it "the statement whose name shall not be spoken."
Right. He had to start thinking from that point.
Why had "the statement whose name shall not be spoken" from Kang Da-hye hurt so much? Why did it feel like a door slamming shut right in front of him?
Why?!
'Because we're friends.'
She was treating him like a friend but wouldn't let him help. Of course it hurt.
He emphasized to himself: he wasn't forgetting his idol duties and trying to date her.
They were just friends, but...
Still, what if—just what if—he were Kang Da-hye's boyfriend?
When she cried, instead of standing there awkwardly with his hands up, he'd hug her tight and tell her not to cry. Comfort her. Buy her something delicious. Punch that idiot Do Ha-jun for talking nonsense. Ask if she felt better now.
What if, just what if, he were Kang Da-hye's boyfriend...
"Ah, it's hot."
Why was the weather so damn hot? His face was burning up.
Global warming was serious. It felt like 104°F out here. Was the Earth about to explode?
Everyone, please protect the environment.
Kang Da-hye was always hopping around full of energy—she'd probably live easily to 120. But what if the ice caps melted by the time she was a grandma and it became unlivable?
Worrying now about when an 18-year-old turns 120?
But Eun-seong was dead serious.
He'd resolved to protect the environment starting today. He shot a glare at his close trainee hyung, who was sipping coffee from a disposable cup right next to him. The hyung flinched at the stare.
"W-Why?"
"What're you drinking, hyung? No tumbler?"
"I dunno... I ordered a macchiato at that café over there? Thought it'd be caramel, but this came out. Super bitter. Can't even complain 'cause I don't speak French."
"That's just an espresso shot with a bit of milk foam on top."
"No way, really?"
"Yeah. Kang Da-hye told me."
"Hey, didn't you say you weren't talking to her?"
"I did say that. Which means I'm not listening to your advice anymore."
His hyung wasn't protecting the environment, either...
"Fair enough. It was already over when you bolted out of the dorm in your pajamas at dawn after her call that night."
"..."
"Man, she was impressive, though. I was shocked when I heard you guys made it back on time. Not something a 5'3" girl should be handling. Makes sense for tall guys like us with long legs."
"Kang Da-hye has long legs, too."
"Yeah, yeah. So, where we headed now?"
"Bookstore."
"We come all the way to Paris... for a bookstore?"
Not the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, or Musée d'Orsay—but a bookstore?
But Eun-seong's resolve was firm. Staring only at his phone map in this scenic city, he beelined for the bookstore, pushed open the door, and stopped dead.
"..."
I don't know a sickle from an A-frame.
But he'd come prepared for that. Approaching a staff member, Eun-seong pulled up the book title he'd saved in his phone notes ahead of time.
-Un peu de soleil dans l’eau froide
"What's that?"
His hyung peeked over his shoulder.
"Gonna buy a book."
"You speak French?"
"Nope. Don't even know how to pronounce it."
"Then why buy it?"
"To give to someone."
He didn't need to ask who. Chuckling wryly, the hyung looked around.
"Ooh, cute book cover. Ooh, they sell mugs. Should I get one?"
Spotting eco bags stacked behind the counter, the hyung called out to Eun-seong, who was heading over with the book from the staff.
"Eun-seong! They sell bags here, too."
"Yeah."
Eun-seong replied indifferently and set the book on the counter.
"Ah, maybe I'll grab a bag. For Mom. Girls like these, right? Bought at a foreign bookstore."
"Bag, too, please."
The hyung gawked as Eun-seong switched up quick.
"Wait..."
Would a French person understand "bag, too"? And "please" wasn't even French...
But Jeong Eun-seong's "pleases" were just getting started.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ "Whoa. These cookie boxes are cute." "Please." "Whoa. This chocolate looks tasty." "Please." "Whoa. These macarons..." "S'il vous plaît." ...
Are you taking all of Paris home?
The trainee hyung shook his head beside Eun-seong, who was buying up a storm.
Crazy. Buys anything that looks even a little nice. Especially if it's "something girls would like?"—instant buy.
Everything except mint chocolate.
Paris would be lighter without Jeong Eun-seong.
"Good call buying that eco bag, Jeong Eun-seong..."
Without it, he couldn't have carried it all back to the dorm.
That was when it happened.
The eco bag was stuffed full. For this, maybe pocket it. Rummaging in his pants pocket, Eun-seong froze.
"Hyung. Looks like I got pickpocketed."
"What?!"
What about your anti-pickpocket bag? The one we bought together! Eun-seong shook his head at his hyung's shout.
"Too annoying pulling out my wallet all the time, so I stuck it in my pocket..."
"Why'd you let your guard down?!"
The scolding came too late.
"Nah, it's fine. I'd already bought everything, so not much cash left anyway. Got emergency funds at the dorm. Didn't lose any purchases, right?"
"Yeah. Wasn't careless with those."
"Jeez. Let's head back to the dorm first."
"Okay."
A slightly deflated Eun-seong and his hyung—eyes wide to protect his own wallet—were on their way back when Eun-seong halted in front of a shop window.
Every time the door opened, a pleasant scent wafted out. The display was sweetly decorated with fresh flowers and dolls. Soaps and hand creams artfully displayed like in a museum. Hair ties given free with hand cream purchases.
This was something girls would really like.
"Jeong Eun-seong, why are we stopping again..."
"...Hyung."
"What! What!"
"Lend me some money? I'll pay you back as soon as we get to the dorm."
The problem?
He later found out that hand cream was sold in Korea, too.
Sitting in front of his suitcase, Eun-seong sank into deep disappointment.
His fed-up hyung scolded him.
"Snap out of it. Drugstore cosmetics are sold in Korea, too, but people still bring them back from Paris as souvenirs. It's fine, even if it's available domestically."
"Really...?"
"Yes, really. Hurry and pack that stuff in your suitcase. Does it lock?"
It didn't.
Eun-seong had to buy a small carry-on at the airport. Once he did, new worries hit.
'Is it too much to give her all this?'
The snacks would go bad if he didn't hand them over soon.
Would it be overwhelming?
Half from me, half anonymously?
Ah.
Aaaah!
What to do!
'For now, head near her place and run a dry rehearsal.'
Simulate if it'd be too much and decide then.
With that in mind, the day he returned from Paris, Eun-seong dragged his suitcase straight to Kang Da-hye's neighborhood.
He hadn't contacted her.
Didn't plan to meet her that day.
Just go home, wash up a bit...
Running into Kang Da-hye right there was 100% coincidence.
"Uh..."
Kang Da-hye's eyes went wide upon spotting him. Seeing her startled face made Eun-seong smile without thinking.
He couldn't even remember what he'd been agonizing over moments ago. He just felt good.
"Jeong Eun-seong?"
Why did it feel so good?
What if... I'd missed you?
Yeah. I missed you.
I missed you, Kang Da-hye.
🐻 BEAR CUB AEGYO SKILL 🐻 Bear: One teddy bear~ Doll: Spins around~ Ee: Like this, smooch! 😘😘😘 One: One more smooch! 😘😘😘 Ma: Finally, smooch! 😘😘😘 Ri: Replay smooch!!??