Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Studying Together, Eating Together
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Final exams were right around the corner.
Seol-i and I decided to study together, even on the weekends.
And get this—at her house, no less.
We unfolded a desk in Seol-i's room and got started.
Back in the day, I'd help her with her worksheets right here on this very desk. But before I knew it, we were tackling middle school problems side by side.
I cautiously wondered if we'd end up doing high school homework together someday, too.
"Uuuuum...."
Seol-i pressed her lips with the tip of her pen, staring down the problem like it had personally offended her.
A quick glance showed she was working on math—and it clearly wasn't going well.
I debated how to help, then gave up on the idea.
Not because it was tough. No, if I solved it for her, she'd never learn to do it on her own. It was that straightforward.
Of course, if she asked, I'd teach her.
And sure enough, I was right.
"Um... Haneul..."
"Yeah?"
"This problem... it's kinda hard..."
"Got it."
I didn't say another word. Just drew a quick auxiliary line on the triangle.
The moment she saw it, Seol-i let out a little "Aha!" and dove right back in, solving it on the spot.
Her solution was spot-on, so I nodded and turned back to my own work.
But as I got back into it, something started nagging at me.
Not the problems. Seol-i.
...At some point, she'd pulled the teddy bear into her lap.
The teddy bear. The one I'd given her.
What was its name again? Teddy? Te-ni?
I was glad she treasured the doll I'd given her when I was seven. We were fourteen now.
That meant she'd kept it for half her life—and it still looked brand new.
I was grateful beyond words...
But why on earth was she hugging it while studying?
Sure, it looked comfy. Super soft and fluffy, yeah.
But why right now?
I just couldn't wrap my head around it.
Finally, I couldn't hold back anymore.
"Hey, Seol-i."
"Hm? What's up?"
"That... bear. Teddy, right?"
"Yeah! Teddy! The one you gave me, Haneul!"
Her beaming smile was adorable. Hugging the bear while she looked at me? Cutness overload didn't even cover it.
But that wasn't the point.
"But... do you really need to hug it right now?"
"It's just comfy..."
She snuck a glance at me, then set it aside. Figured I was giving her a hint.
I wasn't. It didn't bother me that much, and it sure wasn't uncomfortable.
"It's fine if you hug it. I was just curious why."
"It's really comfy...! You should try it, Haneul...!"
...Me? Hug the bear?
A regular middle school guy with acne hugging a stuffed animal? One a cute girl had just been snuggling?
No chance. Not happening.
I shook my head furiously.
"I'm good."
"Just once wouldn't hurt..."
She started peeking at me again.
Man, I'm such a pushover for Seol-i. Those puppy-dog eyes? They break me every time. I'd do anything she asked.
"......Fine. Just a quick hug."
"Hehe, yay! Here, try it!"
She handed it over without a second thought. For the first time, I hugged the bear my parents had bought for me seven years ago.
-Squeeze
...So fluffy. Sturdy too, like it was packed full of stuffing.
And the fur? Still soft as ever, perfectly maintained.
I'd felt it before, but holding it again brought it all back.
"...Yeah, it does feel nice."
"Right? Hehe."
Her grin was cute as ever, but now something else was bugging me.
The sweet, pleasant scent wafting from the bear.
Whose scent was it? Obvious. Only one person hugged this thing nonstop.
I handed it back and dove into my books.
Seol-i snatched it up again...
-Squeeze
-Rub rub
And proceeded to wreck my heart.
Hugging it tight and nuzzling her face against it.
Harmful on so many levels. Especially since I'd just been holding it.
I forced myself to ignore her and focus on my problems.
Next thing I knew, I'd blasted through everything I'd planned to do.
Time really flies when I'm with Seol-i.
In the best way possible. It couldn't be anything but good.
How could time with Seol-i ever be bad?
"Haneul, stay for dinner."
"Yeah, you have to eat before you go. Especially since you're pregnant, ma'am. And you're biking home? Gotta fuel up."
"...Thank you."
Thanks to Seol-i's parents' kindness, I was staying for dinner.
Honestly, "dinner" was underselling it. We'd had snacks during study too, so I was getting fed big time.
Felt bad. Should bring coffee next time. Cheap stuff on my allowance, but it's the thought that counts.
Anyway, I sat down and started eating with Seol-i.
I'd offered to help with dinner, but they shut that down hard: "Absolutely not!" So I focused on eating heartily instead.
And man, the side dishes were plentiful.
Considering her mom had cut back on housework since getting pregnant, this was a feast.
"Thanks for the food~"
I dug in, sampling a bit of everything.
With this spread, it'd be rude not to.
But that turned out to be a bad move for Seol-i.
"Seol-ah, look at Haneul next to you. Eating everything. That's how he got so tall."
"Right? Maybe Seol-i should stop being picky?"
"I don't picky eat...!"
"Then how about some seasoned eggplant?"
"Eggplant's kinda..."
She shot me a pleading look, begging for backup.
But oh, Seol-i... you didn't know.
I hate picky eating.
"Seol-ah."
"Uh... y-yeah...?"
"Wouldn't it be better to eat a variety instead of being picky?"
-Boom
Her face was perfect for a thunderclap sound effect.
Mouth slightly open, eyes blinking. I nearly burst out laughing.
I smiled faintly and polished off her eggplant and kimchi, shooting her looks that said, "At least eat this much."
She just poked at her rice, watching me.
By the time she finished, her lips stayed sealed the whole meal.
She was seriously sulking.
...Gonna have to make it up to her later.
Thirty minutes later.
I realized she wasn't that mad after all.
As I was heading out, she came running.
She wanted to walk me to the edge of the complex.
I accepted her sweet gesture, and we walked together that far.
Wanted to spend even longer, but the weather was warming up. No point pushing it.
"...Kinda hot out. You okay, Seol-i?"
"I'm fine...!"
Come to think of it, she'd always handled heat well. Cold, on the other hand...
Her name was Seol-i, and yet here we were. Funny how that worked.
"Still, head back if it gets too hot, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah! Got it!"
Her bright smile was so cute, I couldn't help but smile back.
She grinned even wider in response.
Then she brought up the earlier thing.
"Haneul. Um..."
"Um?"
"You don't like picky eaters?"
I thought it over, then nodded honestly.
"Yeah, not a fan."
"I see..."
She nodded, looking a little deflated.
"...But it's not like I hate it or anything. People slip up sometimes."
I tried to soften it, but it didn't land.
Instead...
"I'll try to cut back on picky eating as much as I can...!"
I got to hear her adorable little vow.
Too cute—had me smiling like a proud dad. Though deep down, I had this feeling she might not pull it off.
Picky eating's tougher to shake than you'd think.
But surprisingly, Seol-i actually succeeded.
Not completely gone, but she cut back a lot after that.
So proud. Our Seol-i.