The World's Greatest Girlfriend
"So."
The next day. I picked a random café as our meeting spot to get this over with. The moment Son Seungwoo—no, Jeon Seongmu—saw my face, he puffed up his chest, looking full of himself. He started drinking in the delusion that he’d already won, acting smug from the very start.
"You mean you want to try things with me again, right?"
"What?"
"Unblocking me is a signal, isn't it? It means you realized, after thinking it over coldly, that I'm the better choice. You're getting older, so you must want to settle down properly now, right?"
"……."
I sighed at how shallow and vulgar his thinking was. I’m not exactly in a position to criticize others for a shallow view of dating, but I could at least manage a scoff.
"Get a grip. This was a notification for you to stop pretending you know me the next time you see me."
"Ha, don't make me laugh. If you really weren't interested, you wouldn't have even glanced my way. You're just going to move on to whoever suits your taste anyway, aren't you?"
"…Yeah, I used to be like that."
That retort made me smile with bitter self-deprecation. I was forced to face the version of myself who had lived so recklessly in the past once more.
Smile♡
But this time, I held my head high. I didn't hide in shame like I used to; I looked him straight in the eye. It wasn't because Seungwoo was standing right there listening, but because I had finally sorted out my own heart.
"Before we go any further, I’m going to make one thing crystal clear."
I stirred the hot coffee the server had just brought in a mug. After tapping the cute little teaspoon against the rim, I confessed plainly.
"I’ve met someone I truly love."
"!"
"Yes, no need to hide it—it’s the person you met yesterday. Like you said, he looks incredibly ordinary and is tall, but he has this clumsy side to him that’s just so endearing, and things are going amazingly well with him."
"Hey, a guy like that—"
"But I love him."
I cut him off. I took a sip of the well-mixed coffee and continued with a serious face.
"I love him so much it kills me every time I see him. Now, whenever we’re apart, he’s all I can think about. Even now, I’d rather be with him than waste my time looking at your annoying face."
"Shit..."
He cursed as if he were overheating, then started running his dirty mouth.
"So what’s the reason!? You didn't even give me a 30-day chance when we were dating, this is just absurd!"
'Well, that’s because your personality is like that.'
As he threw a tantrum like a man losing his mind, I took a breath and lightly ignored him. He was huffing and puffing like an angry bull, drawing the attention of everyone in the shop, but I just enjoyed the aroma of my coffee with as much leisure as I could muster. My teasing attitude made him even more restless; he slammed his hands on the table, thud! thud!
"At least give me a reason I can accept for why you chose him over me! Was he secretly rich? Did he have a decent house in Seoul? Does he at least drive a nice car instead of wearing that salad-dressing outfit?!"
Every example he gave was tied to money. As the only son of a landowner who struck it rich overnight thanks to a surprise government announcement, the fact that he only pointed out things he was confident in was, once again, incredibly shallow. Even the old me probably wouldn't have lasted long with a guy like this. But to be cold about it, Jeon Seongmu had a very "modernly correct" perspective. In an era where everyone compares everyone else, an era where people look at money rather than abstract love, the value of wealth that Jeon Seongmu was blabbering about is becoming increasingly important. So, I could understand his frustration at being rejected.
If I asked my acquaintances or other women, they would probably find his argument more persuasive than Seungwoo’s. However.
"Well, honey♡ My guy has so many advantages that you couldn't even dream of, I don't even know where to start."
"Bullshit! You said he was clumsy and didn't have a dime, so what kind of advantages could he possibly have!"
"Heh~ At least my guy doesn't run his mouth without any class like you do."
"Did you call me here just to make fun of me!?"
I hummed as if to admit that was exactly it. After opening up my heart, I felt completely at ease. Since I had cleared my mind, I could brush off his temper tantrums with ease. Social recognition is important. Women are very sensitive to the status of their men. But the feeling of "loving" someone was enough if I just kept it to myself. I had tried so hard to find the reason why I was so drawn to this man, but at some point, I decided to stop looking. Instead of counting every grain of rice in the field, I decided to be grateful for its existence and just enjoy the meal. Instead of checking the water quality before diving in, I decided to just jump in and enjoy the cool sensation. Good things are just good, for no reason at all.
Paradoxically, having this mindset made it clear why he was so good. I love his attentiveness in remembering the small details of our anniversaries. I love his effort to change up our date spots to keep things fun. I love the habit he has of holding me tight after we have great sex, as if he’s breathing in my scent. I loved the warmth of his hands, always holding mine or wrapping around my shoulders wherever we went. At first, I found it funny, but I grew to love his effort to keep carving out new charms just to impress me.
When I look at the details, I’m truly head over heels. He’s like a delicious yogurt—there’s so much to lick up and enjoy. That’s why even his occasional idiotic behavior looks so cute to me. He’s a partner who makes me happy just by being together, someone whose very existence makes me feel grateful. I’m finally feeling those foolish emotions that are so easy to have in your early twenties. It’s almost enough to complain that it arrived way too late.
"Shit… I really don't get it. ……Hey! You! Stop hiding and acting all smug back there!"
"?"
I thought this guy had finally lost it. I had kept my distance, treating him like a complete stranger despite his loud shouting in a public place, but now he was muttering at something behind me, as if he could see ghosts. I turned around to see what was behind me, and—
"……! Ho, ho, honey!?"
"Ah… ahahaha."
…Seungwoo was sitting at the table behind us. He took off the sunglasses and mask he didn't usually wear, and with that stupidly cute face, he scratched the back of his head as if acting coy. Why was he here? I lost the composure of a matador skillfully handling an angry bull and started trembling. He explained first.
"That is… she kept begging me to come along. I made one slip of the tongue and ended up stuck to her all day yesterday."
"Th-then…!"
"Yeah. Somehow I was even on the line when you were on the phone. After that call, she started acting all wild, and then she insisted I come watch as the opportunity passed to me… she said the most ridiculous things…"
"So… you heard everything from behind me!?"
"……."
Suddenly, my inner thoughts were laid bare in front of my boyfriend. I had told Seungwoo I loved him before. As our relationship deepened and we were about to pass the promised three months, we confirmed each other's feelings. 'I want to… die!' Still, this wasn't it. Calling over a guy I used to date just to argue that my man is the best? I was no different from a kindergartner claiming their dad is the strongest! I was dying of embarrassment in a different way than yesterday.
I wanted to run away again out of shame, but my boyfriend pushed my hip and sat down in the seat connected like a bench. Then he looked at me. I was terrified he’d tease me about the confession he’d just overheard, but that wasn't it.
"Ugh…!?"
He kissed me right there. Sitting side by side, he planted his lips on mine while Jeon Seongmu watched with an o0o shocked face. It was his way of saying no more unnecessary conversation was needed. He even mixed his tongue in to exchange emotions through skinship alone.
"Ha-ugh, haa… honey, everyone’s watching…♥"
While playing coy, I matched his rhythm with familiar tongue movements. I enjoyed the sensation of one hand held tightly by his, ensuring I couldn't run away, and the pleasant feeling in my mouth made me turn my waist and stack my thigh over his. This was my honey's answer. After hearing my embarrassing confession, he pounced on me as if he couldn't help but find me adorable. He put the meaning of "I love you to death" on the tip of his tongue.
"Hey, stop… stop it. Just stop!"
"Mmm, mmm♥ Touch my chest,"
"Hey, are you two actually crazy!? What is this, a motel room!?"
I just went with it. It felt like the guy had turned on a megaphone and everyone in the café was staring at us, but I just enjoyed it. The taste of the kiss that kept getting better—
"I apologize, but… please take that kind of behavior elsewhere."
…We were kicked out before I could enjoy it. One guy was shouting at the top of his lungs, and the other couple was engaging in high-level public displays of affection, so we were both thrown out.
"What is this! Why me, why can't I—!"
"“……”"
And Jeon Seongmu was stomping his feet like a brat. Even though things had come to this, he blocked our path, insisting he couldn't accept that he hadn't been chosen. Who does he think he is, interfering so much in someone else's relationship? He was demanding an acceptable explanation like a child lying on the floor of a department store demanding a toy.
"Phew…."
At this point, my honey stepped in. Deciding this couldn't go on, he walked up and dropped this line.
"Would you like to go to the bathhouse with me for a moment?"
*
*
"……So, it was really resolved at the bathhouse?"
At this question, the honey I had reunited with just gave an awkward smile. The two men had disappeared while bickering, and we met again 30 minutes later. My honey had really managed to peel that leech off and come back.
"Well… at first he complained a lot, asking why I was suddenly bringing him here."
"And then?"
He looked up at the sky in a troubled manner and said, "So I took off my clothes and showed him a little something… and he looked like he’d lost his soul. After a while, he just muttered to himself, 'I guess that's worth acknowledging…' and left without even washing up. He looked completely drained."
"……."
He really was a funny guy. Just as he had said. Once he saw the advantage he truly couldn't possess, he accepted it and fell away as easily as if he’d been hit by salt. It was such simple logic. In a way, it was a miracle I’d lasted 30 days with a single-celled organism like that.
However,
"Hmm… well, that is your greatest advantage, honey♥"
"……."
"Hehehe. Just saying it makes me look forward to it even more."
It was definitely Seungwoo’s most delicious part. If we were talking about a shortcake, it was the strawberry on top. Even while he usually makes that goofy face, the fact that a monster is still raging underneath is always fresh. It makes me look forward to our nights, which always get wilder as we get into the mood♥
"Yeoeun, I’ll ask you this while I have the chance…."
"Yes♥"
"You’re not really seeing me just for the sex, are you?"
"Who knows~?"
I brushed it off vaguely. Seungwoo was afraid I might be seeing him as a sex toy, but I just laughed it off to keep him on edge. I didn't resolve that conflict right away, just to keep him in the palm of my hand.
"Hehe, anyway, since we’ve gotten rid of that annoying guy, shall we finish what we couldn't do yesterday?"
"Hmm… that sounds good, but I left the champagne in my fridge at home."
"Then there’s no need to say anything else—let’s head straight to your place—"
I started to speak—and let it trail off. Suddenly, one habit caught my eye. A habit that instinctively popped out the moment I went to his side. Our tightly clasped hands. It was strange how naturally we had grabbed each other's hands without either of us going first. Looking at my sanctuary, which fit so perfectly as if I’d be sad without it, I quickly sorted out my thoughts. I’m the type to slam on the accelerator once I’m sure of something. Even if I’m cautious to avoid the landmines scattered on the road, if I feel it’s the right path, I push forward. It was obvious that it was too late to turn back now. With such clear evidence in front of me, I wondered what I was still hesitating for, and this idea just popped out.
"Honey."
"Yes?"
"It’s a bit of a walk, but do you want to come to my place from now on?"
"? Do you stock champagne at your place, Yeoeun?"
"No, we don't have it at my place, but we have it at our 'other house'."
"Huh?"
I enjoyed his goofy face as he failed to understand my little play on words. After teasing him with the confusing double meaning, I tucked my side hair behind my ear with my free hand. I changed our grip to interlocked fingers, looked up at him to look as pretty as possible, and revealed my teeth in a bright smile.
"Do you want to visit my family home?"