Chapter 181
Chapter 181
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 181
Chapter Title: When You're Feeling Down, Just Eat First!
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Ji-ah unnie and I strolled through the streets together, munching on our crepes.
We'd originally planned to eat inside the shop.
But Ji-ah unnie suggested we eat while window-shopping to lift our spirits, so that's what we did.
Come to think of it, it felt like ages since I'd last walked around eating street food.
I often sipped frappuccinos like that, sure.
But for something like crepes that you had to chew away at? That was a rare treat.
"Da-jeong, what toppings do you have in yours?"
As we wandered the streets, stuffing our faces with sweet crepes,
Ji-ah unnie took notice of the one in my hand.
I'd asked for tons of toppings, so hers probably looked comparatively thin, piquing her interest.
"Strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and what looks like chunks of chocolate cake."
"No ice cream?"
"Yeah, does yours have ice cream too, unnie?"
"Yep. Strawberry ice cream and a slice of cheesecake."
Ohh, ice cream, huh.
I'd picked mine just because it looked the tastiest from the visuals alone.
Maybe I should've thought it through a bit more.
Still, mine was plenty delicious.
I could always get this one next time, I figured, as I chomped away.
That's when unnie casually spoke up.
"Curious? Wanna try a bite? It's good."
"Huh? Can I?"
"Of course."
Her unexpected offer had me lighting up as I scurried right up to her.
Sure enough, there was a scoop of strawberry ice cream and a slice of cheesecake stuffed inside her crepe.
They'd cut the cake into a slice here instead of cubes like mine.
Yeah, this definitely looked even tastier.
Next time, I'm getting this for sure.
"Go ahead and take a big bite—no need to hold back on my account."
"Uh... a-alright, if you insist?"
Unnie said that, but still.
I couldn't just devour her barely touched crepe, no matter what.
Keeping an eye on her reaction, I carefully opened my mouth and took a modest bite.
"Mmmph...!"
"How is it? Good?"
"Yeah! Super tasty. But the ice cream is so chewy."
The first bite hit me more with texture than flavor—the ice cream's incredible chewiness.
What was this stuff?
The ice cream I knew melted right in your mouth.
This? You actually had to chew it.
"Probably gelato. The sign outside said they make it fresh on-site."
"Gelato?"
"Yeah. Have you ever tried gelato before, Da-jeong?"
"No, never. I've heard of it, though."
So she explained to me, all wide-eyed and fascinated, that this was gelato.
Aha, so this is gelato.
I'd heard the name a million times, but never actually tried it.
I figured it'd be like regular ice cream, but the texture is totally different.
Gelato, you've won me over!
"Next time we all meet up at the company, wanna hit a gelato spot together? I heard there's a good one nearby."
"Ooh, yes please!"
I was already scheming for another chance to try this gelato.
Then Ji-ah unnie made a suggestion like she'd read my mind.
I started to throw my arms up in excitement but caught myself just in time.
Oh, right.
I was still holding my crepe.
Would've flung it right over my shoulder otherwise.
And after waiting in that long line for it too!
"Here, unnie—your turn! It'd be unfair if I got all the sharing."
"You sure? Alright then. Nom."
Now it was my turn to offer her mine.
Ji-ah unnie—who I'd figured would politely decline—surprisingly leaned right in and took a bite.
"Whoa..."
In that brief moment of closeness,
I found myself staring at her features from inches away and let out a soft sigh of admiration.
It wasn't anything new, but Ji-ah unnie really was stunning.
Even among our super pretty group members,
it was no wonder everyone always said they envied her.
"Hm? What's up, Da-jeong?"
"You're just so pretty, unnie."
She looked at me quizzically,
so I gave her the honest reason.
Her face instantly flushed bright red.
"Uh, wha...? Pretty?"
"Yes! I was stunned when you leaned in just now. How do you even do that?"
"D-Da-jeong? I appreciate the compliment, but it's hitting me kinda hard..."
She started fumbling over her words, averting her eyes.
Wait, did Ji-ah unnie get shy from compliments too?
Even someone that gorgeous?
She must hear it at least once a day, I bet.
Does it ever get old?
"Hehe, unnie gets embarrassed by praise too. It's kinda amazing."
"O-Of course I do. Strangers saying it? Whatever. But hearing it straight from someone close like you? Anyone would react like this."
Is that how it works?
Makes sense—families can feel shy saying "I love you" too.
I still get embarrassed when unnies call me cute.
Wait, but that's different.
I'm not cute, so it embarrasses me when they insist.
Ji-ah unnie's actually pretty and gets shy from hearing it.
Yep. In that sense, Ji-ah unnie is both pretty and cute.
Debate over. Case closed.
"Oh, unnie. You have some cream on your cheek."
"Cream? Where?"
As I gazed up at her pretty face, lost in my little internal skit,
I spotted a smudge of cream near the left corner of her mouth.
Probably from my whipped-cream-loaded crepe.
I pointed it out, but she couldn't quite pinpoint it with her hand.
She could check with her phone camera, I suppose.
But honestly, having someone else wipe it off is easier—so I stepped up.
"No, unnie, stay still. I'll get it."
"I'm not a kid; I can do it myself..."
"Nah, it's fine."
I reached straight for her cheek as she tried to wipe it herself.
Once the cream transferred to my finger, I stared at it intently and then...
"Nom."
...popped it into my mouth without thinking.
I had wet wipes in my bag, but
once I registered it was sweet cream, my body moved on autopilot.
"D-Da-jeong...?! Why'd you eat that? It's dirty!"
"Ehehe... The whipped cream just looked too good to waste."
Ji-ah unnie yelped in shock,
so I flashed an awkward grin with a lame excuse.
She looked like she had a lot to say, but after staring at me for a moment, she just let out a soft "Haa" and patted my head.
Hehe. Feels nice.
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After window-shopping, we headed to the Han River as planned.
There were fewer people than I'd expected.
Probably because it was a weekday, and not even quitting time yet.
So we got to enjoy the wide-open river like we had it all to ourselves.
"Feels healing, right?"
"Yes! It really does."
I nodded vigorously at her question, arms outstretched like a kid as I bounded all around.
Lately, my routine had been home, company, maybe a restaurant here and there—that was it.
Being somewhere with grass and trees underfoot felt like forever ago.
The park from that workout with Ra-hee unnie was about it, maybe.
"Shall we spread out the mat and sit first?"
"Sure! I'll help."
After scoping out the area together, we picked a nice spot.
We were carrying mats and blankets we'd just rented from a nearby shop.
Apparently, you could rent tents too.
"Next time, we should all come with the members, pitch a tent, and hang out."
"Hehe, that sounds fun. Yuna and Chae-yoon unnie would love it, especially."
"Pfft, yeah. Chae-yoon's not as hyper as you'd think, but Yuna? She'd be all over it."
True, Chae-yoon unnie's an E, but not the super outdoorsy type.
She likes meeting people, from what I know.
Just not the high-energy active stuff.
Yuna, on the other hand? She'd go nuts for this.
Heck, when we talked about a group trip for our 1-year anniversary,
most of the plans came from her head—including camping.
Real camping might be a bit much, though.
Ra-hee unnie mentioned glamping?
Something chill like that wouldn't be bad, we all agreed.
Anyway, the second Yuna got here,
she'd be off running around like a dog off the leash. Guaranteed.
"Any places you wanna go, Da-jeong?"
"Places I wanna go?"
"Yeah. Thinking back, you never really chimed in when we were picking spots before."
Did I?
I didn't remember super well, but if Ji-ah unnie said so, then yeah.
It wasn't like I had nowhere in mind.
If anything, the reason I stayed quiet was...
"Hehe, anywhere's fine by me. As long as it's with the members, wherever we go or whatever we do—it's fun!"
Guess it just didn't matter to me.
"...Yeah, figured you'd say that."
Ji-ah unnie smiled like she'd expected as much from my answer.
Whish—
Just then, a gentle breeze blew in from the river, brushing past us.
Perfectly suited to the spring weather—not too cold, not too hot. Blissful.
Unnie and I closed our eyes, savoring it for a good long while before finally getting up.
"Alright, ready to grab some food?"
"Yes!"
The crepes were long digested from all that walking.
Even the greatest views are nothing without a full belly first.
Time to stock up.
"What're you in the mood for, Da-jeong?"
"Han River ramen for me!"
My top pick was, naturally, Han River ramen.
The Cherries always rave about how good it is here!
You can't say you've been to the Han River without trying it!