48. The Childhood Friend Is in a Good Mood
48. The Childhood Friend Is in a Good Mood
48. The Childhood Friend Is in a Good Mood
In a secluded corner of the hanok village.
After tangling tongues with her for quite a while,
Yu Ha-yeon pushed me lightly with her palm, as if she couldn't breathe.
"Pwah...! Haa... Haa..."
She caught her breath for a moment, then looked at me with resentful eyes.
"Y-you... how are you so good at this...?"
"Ah,"
Well, that's because I practiced with Ban Ha-na.
I couldn't exactly say that, so I decided to bluff my way out.
"Looks like I have a natural talent for kissing."
"Th-there's no way you have a talent like that! Suspicious... this isn't your first kiss, is it...!?"
Yu Ha-yeon asked me cautiously, her face turning red.
The contrast between Yu Ha-yeon's clumsy, stiff tongue and mine made it only natural for her to be suspicious.
'Sorry, Yu Ha-yeon.'
Still, from Yu Ha-yeon's perspective, it would be better if I were also a first-timer. I couldn't admit I'd done it several times with Ban Ha-na, so I decided to tell Yu Ha-yeon a white lie.
"Of course it was my first kiss. Did something seem weird?"
"I'm not sure if 'weird' is the right word... Something was off... you seemed skilled... or maybe not...?"
Yu Ha-yeon kept tilting her head, looking confused.
Since it was her first time, she had nothing to compare it to. She couldn't tell exactly how skilled my tongue movements really were.
I spoke to Yu Ha-yeon shamelessly.
"If you're not sure, you could just try again."
"Wh-what the...! Pervert! Drop dead!"
Was it because the mood had already died down and she could hear people's footsteps approaching? Yu Ha-yeon snapped at me and flailed her arms in refusal.
In that moment, I felt a slight thirst.
'It felt different from Ban Ha-na... I wanted a little more...'
They say the first time is difficult, but the second is easier. I seemed to be addicted to it—the sensation of her lips kept coming back to me.
"Yu Ha-yeon. Let's do it one more time."
"N-no! It felt good, but... no! People are coming!"
They say kissing produces dopamine and makes everyone involved happy. My brain, addicted to that dopamine, kept craving more.
'Could this be the influence of fate too?'
Still, if Yu Ha-yeon refused, there was no forcing it. My childhood friend's face looked as red as a ripe tomato, about to burst, so I decided to save it for later.
As we stepped out of the hidden hanok where no one could see us, Yu Ha-yeon immediately grabbed my hand and stuck close to me.
She looked up at me and spoke expectantly.
"S-so... I'm not your family... we're childhood friends... that means we're officially dating now, right?"
Officially dating...?
That won't do.
If it got out that I was lovers with Yu Ha-yeon, what girl would cling to me? With so little time left on my life, that would be no different from suicide.
I hinted at my refusal.
"Isn't it still too soon to be dating?"
"What's too soon? We've known each other for years. We've seen everything there is to see about each other—good and bad. What else is there to add? Han Si-jun. Wanna die?"
"E-ease up, Yu Ha-yeon... that hurts...?"
As soon as I said I wouldn't date her, Yu Ha-yeon clutched my hand in an iron grip, as though that were the logical response.
For my part, I'd like to date her. But I knew that the things I'd have to do while dating her would only hurt Yu Ha-yeon. Until I could extend my life, I couldn't be with her.
'If I didn't get caught, that'd be one thing, but...' Still, there are things you can and can't do as a couple. I didn't have the kind of abnormal brain structure that would let me cheat while dating her.
"One year. Give me one year. Let's date then."
"One year...? Why exactly one year? Can't we just date now?"
"I... have my reasons. Trust me."
When I looked at her with sincere eyes, Yu Ha-yeon wore a disappointed expression, as if thinking, 'I thought I had him...'
She nodded to show she understood, then grabbed me by the collar and pulled me close.
Smack.
The warm feel of Yu Ha-yeon's lips on my cheek.
She gave me a light peck.
"In return... if you cheat on me within that year, you die...?"
"O-of course... how could I cheat on you..."
I'm sorry. I'm planning to cheat like crazy.
Guilt welled up inside me, but I had to cheat to live longer with Yu Ha-yeon, so I squeezed my eyes shut and steeled myself.
Having received my promise, Yu Ha-yeon happily led me away.
The café in the hanok village.
The hanbok rental shop.
The restaurant with a traditional food concept.
"Han Si-jun, come quickly!"
She bounded around the hanok village as though she'd become Chunhyang, taking photos for social media and spending time alone with me.
With carefree eyes, as if this very moment were the happiest of all.
'The gate opens tomorrow anyway, so it's fine.'
I watched her, enjoying myself just as much.
Even though Yu Ha-yeon had confessed, our relationship was happy, and nothing had soured at all. It had just gotten a little sweeter. We were always the same.
***
After free time ended, our class gathered at the hotel in the hanok village.
Unlike the real world, this was a three-star hotel that only existed in the world of V. AGE. The exterior was built in a hanok-style tower, but the interior was no different from a modern hotel—clean and crisp.
The students moved to their rooms just as Kang Su-ho had instructed.
Yu Ha-yeon and I also said goodbye for now and headed to our rooms.
No matter how nice the hotel, they couldn't give each student a private room. Since this hanok village hotel had special rooms for school groups, I ended up sharing a room with four other male students.
The room had five beds, and fortunately it was spacious enough for five people.
But suddenly, I found myself missing someone.
'...I miss Ban Ha-na.'
Ban Ha-na would sleep soundly beside me, and she smelled like pink cotton candy.
But what the hell was with these sweaty guys? Muscular, unpacking their luggage, making a mess of the floor.
I have to sleep with them for a whole day? Seriously? Me?
My daily life was surrounded by girls, so I felt a bit regretful about the situation.
Knowing there was no helping it, I unpacked and went to the cafeteria for dinner.
Then came the allotted free time for students. Until lights-out, I just killed time staring at my phone.
Buzz...!
My phone vibrated then.
I checked and saw a text from Yu Ha-yeon.
—Han Si-jun. Come out. I'm bored.
Yu Ha-yeon was telling me to come out because she was bored.
'Thank goodness...' If not for her, I might have suffocated in this sterile space. A room with five guys. And they weren't close to me, so the atmosphere was awkward.
"Guys, I'm going out for a bit."
"Oh... see ya..."
I said goodbye and left the room.
I walked down the hallway and into the hotel lobby, where Yu Ha-yeon was waiting for me.
The moment she saw me, she smiled playfully.
"You're late, Han Si-jun!"
"I came right on time. Do you just always say I'm late no matter what?"
"Who knows...?"
Yu Ha-yeon answered me with a quizzical look, as if to say, 'Did I say that?' It was clearly a look meant to tease me.
She told me to follow and pulled my hand.
"We ate dinner, we rested, so we should take a walk, right? Let's go. I heard there's a great spot."
"A walking path is just a walking path. What difference does it make...?"
"...You idiot who doesn't know a thing about romance. Stop arguing and come on!"
What on earth does romance have to do with a walk? But I had no choice but to be led by Yu Ha-yeon's hand and follow her.
'...So many couples.'
There were many couples out for an evening stroll outside the hotel, and I wondered if we'd look like a couple among them. With that thought, I turned to look at Yu Ha-yeon.
'...You're thinking the same thing.'
Childhood friends' minds think alike. Yu Ha-yeon, perhaps thinking the same as me, was blushing as she looked at the couples.
"Ahem... sh-should we go too...?"
"S...sure."
Holding hands, Yu Ha-yeon and I walked toward the place she led.
In the midst of all those people,
how did we look to them?
Not like childhood friends, but like lovers.
Undoubtedly, that's how we must have seemed.
***
After walking for a while, Yu Ha-yeon proudly exclaimed as if we'd arrived.
"Ta-da! Here it is! The spot I found!"
"Oh..."
She had every right to be confident.
Looking at the view of the entire hanok village, an exclamation naturally escaped me.
This was a hill on the outskirts of the hanok village. Since there was no one around, it seemed like a spot known only to a select few.
I had no idea how Yu Ha-yeon had found this place, but her location scouting was commendable for once.
"Are you really Yu Ha-yeon? How did you even know about this place?"
"Hehe. This kind of thing is easy for me. I just looked it up on social media."
Maybe I praised her too much. Yu Ha-yeon shrugged, looking as if it were only natural.
Seeing that, I wanted to tease her a little.
"Bringing me to such a secluded spot... You're planning to pounce on me, aren't you...?"
"Wh-who do you think I am...!? The things you come up with..."
Wait, was she seriously considering that? Yu Ha-yeon got flustered, as if I'd struck a nerve.
"Wh-what were you planning to do with me...! Answer me, Yu Ha-yeon!"
"..."
Yu Ha-yeon stood there without a word at my teasing. ...Did I go too far?
Then the silent Yu Ha-yeon suddenly lifted her head and revealed her true intent.
"...Han Si-jun. Do that thing from earlier one more time."
"S-so it was real."
So she really had brought me to this secluded spot to pounce on me. Yu Ha-yeon revealed her intentions.
She walked toward me with light, graceful steps.
"Since there's no one around here... l-let's do that one more time..."
She grabbed my sleeve, smiling as if I couldn't run away.
After that, I gave her my lips until Yu Ha-yeon was satisfied.