Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Confession
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We arrived at a high-end beef restaurant that prided itself on serving only premium Hanwoo beef at exorbitant prices.
I couldn't resist Na-young's sparkling, pleading eyes and had come along, but now that we were here, I couldn't help but wonder if this was the right call.
Well, we're already here... no turning back now. Sigh.
I fiddled with the small box in my pocket as I followed Na-young inside.
"Your parents?"
"It's just us!"
The staff lady asked the obvious question the moment we stepped in.
Na-young answered brightly, and the lady looked a bit flustered before showing us to our seats.
"This place is pretty pricey. You sure you're okay with that?"
"Yes! Ji-hoon has tons of money!"
"Oh, really?"
"Yep!"
She couldn't fully believe it without proof, but she let it slide for now.
"What would you like?"
"Flower Sirloin! Seven servings of Flower Sirloin, please!"
"Seven servings?"
"Yes!"
For two kids whose appetites were laughably small compared to adults, seven servings was quite a lot.
But for Na-young, who still ate like a champ despite having slimmed down so much, it was actually on the skimpy side.
The reason she was holding back at just seven servings wasn't the price—it was because I'd warned her about yo-yo dieting and packing the weight back on.
Never mind that I had more than enough money to not worry about it.
"Eat as much as you want today, so feel free to order more."
"R-Really...?"
Na-young asked again, her face full of disbelief.
"Absolutely. Ten servings of Flower Sirloin, please."
"My goodness."
The lady was startled by the jump of three extra servings and eyed us suspiciously—two kids dining alone without parents.
She probably figured we might try to run out on the bill midway, or that our parents would show up later to pay.
With that in mind, she stood up.
"I'll bring it right out, so just wait a moment."
"Okay~!"
A short while later, the lady returned with plates piled high with our ten servings of Flower Sirloin.
"Do you know how to grill? Want me to do it for you?"
"No, I'll handle it."
"Alright... Just let me know if you need any help later."
"Thank you."
She was clearly worried about kids handling fire, but since I refused her offer to grill and it was peak hours anyway, she left with a heavy heart.
Sizzle.
I placed a piece of meat on the scorching hot grill plate.
The loud sizzle tickled our ears as the aroma of grilling meat filled the air.
The pink marbled beef was changing color under the intense heat, and it looked impressive.
"Heehee!"
Just watching it made Na-young grin like an idiot; she couldn't tear her eyes away from the grill.
"Na-young, did you have fun today?"
"Today...? Yeah! It was super fun. I wanna go to the arcade with you again next time! And karaoke, and the PC bang. And... and more...!"
She rattled off a ton of places she wanted to go.
Bowling alley, swimming pool, ski resort, baseball field, soccer stadium, celebrity concerts, you name it. She listed them nonstop, like she was determined to get her money's worth.
But there was one key condition: she had to go with me.
She'd heard all sorts of exaggerated stories from the girls at school she'd gotten close to lately, which fueled her wishlist, but without me, none of it meant anything to her.
Not bad at all.
I liked how Na-young thought even the most fun places would be boring without me.
"That's a lot."
"I-Is it too many...? Sh-Should I cut a few?"
She started fidgeting, realizing it herself, and began picking a couple to drop.
"No, keep them all noted down. We'll go to every single one together, just the two of us. It might take time, but we'll get to them all eventually, right? Anywhere we can't go as a pair, we'll take the family. Okay?"
"W-With you... and with f-family...?"
"We're basically family now, aren't we?"
"Family... Hee, heehee... Yeah. Family with you. Oh... family with Mom and Dad...!"
Her trash parents, who had ignored, cursed, and abused her, were gone from her world now.
All she had left were her kind mom and dad, who showered her with sweet words and love—and me, her current sibling-to-be, future lover, and eventual spouse.
Anyone who tormented or hurt her had vanished completely.
Na-young beamed, her eyes growing misty.
She paused mid-motion, ssam wrap ready with perfectly grilled meat at her lips.
"Ji-hoon... Ahh..."
Like something out of a drama, she brought the ssam she'd planned to eat herself right to me instead.
Her appetite had only gotten fiercer after dieting and controlling it, but she was managing to restrain herself enough to keep her slim figure—though sometimes the reins slipped, and she'd devour everything in sight.
And yet here she was, offering her share to me first.
That was real progress.
"Thanks."
I chuckled softly and took the bite from her.
"How is it?"
"Delicious. Must be 'cause you wrapped it so well. It just melts in your mouth."
It had to—it was from a famous Hanwoo place that boasted only the finest cuts; it would be weirder if it didn't.
Na-young, oblivious to that, grinned widely and waited patiently with bated breath.
Yeah, she wanted one from me too, huh?
"Hold on a sec."
"Okay!"
I wrapped one with care and fed it to her, just like she'd done for me.
She chomped it down eagerly, like she'd been waiting forever.
"So good...! Even tastier 'cause you made it, Ji-hoonie!"
Her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's.
"Glad you like it. Come on, Na-young. Let's eat up before it gets cold."
"Mmph!"
Most of the grilled meat vanished onto Na-young's side plate.
But that was fine.
There was still plenty left uncooked.
While she ate, I snagged a couple pieces for myself and kept grilling steadily.
In the end, we polished off the original ten servings of Flower Sirloin plus five more before finally getting up.
"Your parents still haven't come...?"
The lady at the counter greeted us with obvious bewilderment.
We'd scarfed down fifteen servings without so much as a parent-shaped shadow in sight.
Not just any beef, but premium Flower Sirloin—and she seriously doubted these kids could pay.
I handed over my card calmly.
"Check, please."
Still skeptical, she swiped it anyway, and it went through as a one-time payment.
"Let's go, Na-young."
"Heehee!"
I led her out, her shyly patting her full belly as her face bloomed with a satisfied smile—the first real fullness in ages.
"Wanna head to the observatory?"
"Observatory?"
"Yeah. The stars are really visible these days. It's gorgeous."
"Stars...! Sounds great! But... isn't it getting late? It's almost 8 already!"
"It's fine. I already told them we'd be home late."
"Then... observatory! Let's go to the observatory!"
I'd warned them we'd be late, but we were still kids.
My phone kept buzzing with worried calls from Mom even now, but tonight, I didn't have the luxury.
"Cable car!"
We boarded a transparent cable car, offering unobstructed views of the city blanketed in night.
Na-young's eyes sparkled as she drank in the glittering skyline, refusing to yield to the darkness.
The other couples in the car smiled warmly at her wonder.
Soon, we reached the observatory.
Na-young still looked dazed by the aerial nightscape; it'd clearly left a deep impression.
But that faded quickly.
"Whoa..."
She couldn't look away from the stars scattered across the night sky.
"Ji-hoon... There are so many stars. And they're so pretty...!"
"Yeah."
She was right—the sky was packed with more stars than I'd expected, and stunningly beautiful.
I wondered where they'd been hiding all this time.
You couldn't spot them like this in the city, even if you tried.
"Na-young."
"Yeah...?"
She didn't meet my eyes when I called her.
Just kept staring at the stars.
"Na-young."
I called again, and finally, she looked at me.
I managed a smile despite my slight nerves.
"Truth is, from the first time I saw you, you kept catching my eye."
"..."
I slowly spoke the words I'd been holding back.
Na-young's eyes and mouth gradually widened.
"I wanted to say it sooner, but I kept lacking the courage, so it dragged on like this. I'm just glad I could do it now."
The small box from my pocket.
The ring case.
I opened it slowly.
Inside lay two rings embedded with lustrous blue emeralds.
"Will you go out with me?"
I took out the one I'd secretly had custom-sized for her finger and slipped it onto her left ring finger.
"Hic... Sob..."
Na-young shed silent tears.
"Th-The other kids... they all said they liked me...!"
She blurted it out like pent-up frustration.
"But you didn't...!"
A hint of resentment mixed in.
"So... so...! I wanted to confess first, but I was scared you'd reject me! The kids said if you get rejected once, you can never talk to them again, so I couldn't...!"
I see. So even though Na-young made her feelings obvious, that's why she never confessed outright.
Still, I was surprised she even had friends in class—I was still the total loner outsider.
"Sorry... for not saying it first..."
Guilt gnawed at me for no reason.
I gently pulled her trembling form into a hug.
"It's okay. If anything, I'm sorry for taking so long. So, what's your answer to my confession?"
"Your confession...?"
Na-young pushed back gently.
"Of course."
From tears to smiles in an instant.
"I like you too, Ji-hoon...♡"
She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her lips quickly to mine.
The watching couples nearby applauded our moment.
And with that, Na-young and I were officially together—day one started today.