Choi Seola (2)
Tears dripped from her large, puppy-like eyes.
Surely it wasn't because the steak was that delicious...
"Seola, is something wrong...?"
Chew, chew.
Chew, chew, chew... Gulp.
"...I'm just happy."
"...Is it really that good?"
"Hmph... You know that's not it."
She looked straight into my eyes, her mascara completely smudged.
What is this?
Where did the shy, innocent girl go? Who are you?
"Hmm..."
"Are you this nice to just anyone?"
"You're not just anyone, Seola."
"Because I'm your first viewer and manager?"
"Well, that is how we first met, right?"
"That's cheap..."
She puffed out her cheeks, looking thoroughly pouted.
"Ahem. What kind of answer do you want to hear, our Seola?"
"See, there you go again... 'Our Seola.'"
Then what am I supposed to call you!
Why am I getting so swept up by her?
She's only a twenty-four-year-old woman.
*Come to think of it, I used to dodge questions like this and get scolded by Christine.*
*Ah!*
*Thinking about another woman while sitting right in front of one is trash behavior!*
"You've dated a lot of women, haven't you? Do you just call any woman 'our so-and-so' to act close?"
"...My Korean is a bit rusty..."
"Shall we talk in English?"
"Oh..."
*Right, she went to school in New York. I'm cornered.*
"Okay, fine. Avoiding it any further would just be pathetic! I don't feed steak to just anyone, nor do I call just anyone 'our so-and-so.' Happy?"
"Hehehe..."
She beamed again.
*Did her dark mode just deactivate?*
*Is she Jekyll and Hyde...?*
*Especially with her mascara all smudged like that.*
*Hmm.*
*Should I tell her first... or is it better etiquette to pretend I didn't notice?*
*I should probably tell her before we leave.*
"Then I'm someone special to you, Saebyeok. Right?"
"I... suppose?"
"Why are you hesitating?"
"Whoa, that's not fair! You're throwing absolute fastballs at me. How could I not be startled?"
"I'm throwing fastballs? What does that mean?"
She tilted her head, wearing an innocent, clueless expression.
*Whoa, that's terrifying!*
*Please... just pick one personality.*
"Ahem. Never mind. Anyway, are you full?"
She nodded eagerly.
"Aside from my father, this is the first time a man has fed me. It made it taste so much better!"
*Right... normally, men don't feed women like that.*
*Wait, since this is a reversed world, is it actually common for men to feed women?*
"Then that's all that matters. What else is there to life? Eating, sleeping... that's about it."
I left out "shitting" for the sake of humanity.
*I have to protect my image as an artist, after all.*
"Hehehe... You're right. If you say so, Saebyeok, then it is."
*Holy...*
*She reminds me of my old disciples.*
*I need to get out of here!*
"Ahaha... Shall we head out now?"
"...Are we parting ways already?"
She immediately slumped into depression.
*Is her emotional state on a roller coaster or something?!*
"No! We can't just stay in this restaurant forever, can we? The scenery out front looked nice, so let's go for a walk."
"Ah! I thought... Yes, I'd love to! I'd really love to!"
She suddenly sprang up from her seat.
*Oh my... her chest is certainly heavy enough to feel the pull of gravity.*
*What kind of body does she even have?*
*Even in a reversed world, the mysteries of the female body are truly wondrous.*
She packed her handbag and looked at me with bright, expectant eyes. I had no choice.
It was time for the truth.
"Seola? Um..."
"Yes! Yes! Let's go quickly!"
*If she had a tail, it would probably be spinning like a windmill right now.*
I felt a brief pang of sympathy, but if she went out looking like that, it would become a permanent dark history for her.
"Do you happen to have any foundation—no, wet wipes?"
"Huh...? Are you going to fix your makeup, Saebyeok? I have both, hold on!"
They say women's handbags are enchanted, and it seems to be true.
She was already rummaging through her bag.
I closed my eyes and just blurted it out.
"No. Not for me, for you, Seola."
"...Me?"
"You'll see what I mean when you look in the mirror. Wait! Before you do, take a deep breath. In, out! In, out!"
She blankly held up her compact mirror, and her eyes stretched incredibly wide.
"Kyaaaaaah!"
*I hope she uses waterproof next time.*
"You're mean..."
"Ahaha... It would have been a bigger problem if you came out looking like that, you know."
We bickered as we walked along the path near the restaurant.
The forest, illuminated by colorful lights, felt like Christmas in midsummer.
It created a strange, romantic atmosphere.
Perhaps because it was summer, it felt a bit warm.
When I took off my blazer and draped it over my arm, Seola flinched in surprise.
"Aren't you hot, Seola?"
"Oh, n-no... I'm fine. If you're too hot, Saebyeok, should we head back?"
"I thought you didn't want to part ways yet?"
"..."
She froze, and I spoke again playfully.
"Come on. The atmosphere here is quite nice."
"...Okay."
Close enough to hear each other speak, yet not too close.
An awkward distance of one meter.
She followed me with quick, short steps, carefully maintaining that boundary.
Glancing back, I saw her mouth twitching as if she wanted to say something, her fingers fidgeting. It seemed Jekyll and Hyde were having a fierce battle inside her mind.
I kept trying to convince myself that I only felt this way because of the atmosphere, but...
She had already made her feelings abundantly clear.
If there was a problem, it was me.
A mix of past regret and present guilt.
I had already crossed the Rubicon; I could no longer define what it was, nor could I resolve it.
There is a Korean proverb that says new wine must be put into new wineskins.
*Let's not turn away. Let's not lump it all together as 'something.'*
I wanted to lay down my apologies to Christine and my guilt as an outsider living Saebyeok's life.
Within me, both 'Ed' and 'Saebyeok' coexisted.
Perhaps I already knew the outcome.
*I promised myself I wouldn't regret anything again.*
*Stop blaming it on hormones.*
*You're just scared.*
*You've never loved anyone, and you didn't have the confidence to try.*
*Let's move forward.*
*Not as 'Ed,' nor as 'Saebyeok,' but simply as myself.*
"For the record, I don't link arms with women. Though I don't mind if it's the other way around."
"...Huh?"
"Well, go ahead."
She cautiously stepped closer and placed her trembling hand on my forearm.
"Is that all?"
"Hmph!"
Gathering her courage, she threw her entire weight into wrapping herself around my arm.
Clinging tightly to my arm, I could feel her soft touch along with her heart pounding as if it might explode.
The warmth was contagious, and before I knew it, my own heart began to beat in rhythm with hers.
"I'm never letting go..."
"Even when it's this hot?"
"Oh, seriously! Are you going to keep teasing me?"
"Ahahaha!"
We walked for a long time, feeling each other's racing hearts.
It was nice even without any conversation.
Come to think of it, neither of us knew very much about the other.
One of us could have easily started pouring out questions, but we didn't.
We just enjoyed the present moment.
Before long, the end of the path came into view, marked by a signpost.
This is the end of the path. May your walk back be just as lovely. 😊
It was time to turn back.
*Should we talk on the way back?*
As I naturally went to turn around, she stopped in her tracks.
"Saebyeok... are you really okay with someone like me?"
Like Cinderella after midnight, she looked anxious.
I understood.
We knew nothing about each other.
But that was nothing.
If we didn't know, we could just learn.
Before telling her about myself, I wanted to give her reassurance.
"What do you mean, 'someone like you'? Why do you have so little confidence in yourself?"
I turned and grabbed her by the shoulders.
Her body was trembling so faintly it made my heart ache.
Her wildly shaking pupils were pitiful.
I couldn't leave it like this.
I wrapped one arm around her slender waist and used my other hand to tilt her chin up.
"Close your eyes."
Her closed eyelids fluttered.
I stared at her for a moment before leaning in toward her lips.
"Ah..."
I gently knocked inside her slightly parted lips.
As her body flustered in confusion, I pulled her even closer.
I brushed my tongue against her teeth, like teaching a child how to brush for the first time.
Her tongue shyly met mine, and we became entangled for a long moment.
Her clumsy movements and the way she moved her tongue were endearing.
Yes. I understood now.
That comfort is something to be shared.
She, who had no self-confidence, and I, who had been dropped alone into this world.
We had become each other's sanctuary.
Yes. I had fallen for her at first sight too. Now I knew for sure.
Her tense body began to relax.
From now on, I would get to know more of her habits.
Our clumsy, passionate first kiss probably tasted like steak, which made me chuckle inwardly.
I took my hand off her waist, gently cupped her face, and slowly pulled my lips away.
The image of her, still squeezing her eyes shut, was burned into my retinas.
"Open your eyes."
"Mmm... I'm embarrassed."
"I'm going to leave you behind."
"Ah! They're open! They're open!"
The way she opened her eyes wide was incredibly addictive.
As I studied her face, her cheeks flushed hot.
I stared at her for a long moment before asking.
"