Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: At the Movie Theater Together (3)
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I picked the horror movie at first because summer horror flicks are ridiculously fun.
I get scared by so many things.
Flying bugs like flies terrify me, grasshoppers and other insects freak me out, and reptiles like snakes? No thanks.
But horror movies? They don't scare me one bit.
The terrifying creatures in them mostly don't exist in real life, so there's nothing to fear.
They give me a little chill, sure, but that's exactly why I watch them.
So that's what I went with... but then an unexpected situation cropped up.
*Squeeze*
In the middle of the horror movie, Haneul suddenly pressed right up against my side.
It was a side of Haneul I'd never seen before.
When we were really little and I first met him, Haneul actually scared me.
He was bigger than me and kept calling out to me, acting all friendly.
But that day at the amusement park when we lost the teacher...
From then on, Haneul didn't scare me anymore.
Instead, he seemed incredibly reliable and cool.
And now, after all these years, Haneul was clinging to me just like that for the first time.
Apparently, these kinds of horror movies freaked him out.
It was so adorable. A cuteness you could never find in his usual reliable, cool self.
The moment I saw this utterly precious Haneul, a tiny bit slyly, I thought it was my chance.
Haneul was sticking close because he was scared.
So if I pretended to be scared too and snuggled up to him, wouldn't he wrap me in those big, broad shoulders of his?
Or since he was distracted and scared himself, maybe he'd hug me even tighter?
Either way, it'd be perfect, so I faked being scared and dove straight into Haneul's arms.
There wasn't a hint of hesitation as I plunged in, and his embrace was... incredibly warm. So incredibly warm.
It was summer, so he was a little sweaty, but his scent didn't bother me at all. If anything, thinking of it as Haneul's smell made me feel good.
And not only that—Haneul was hugging me tight even though he was scared himself. Like he was telling me to just trust him, like he'd reliably stay by my side.
He was so cool, so lovable, so cute.
I was thrilled that I got to see this new side of Haneul over and over.
I even thought it might be fun to turn off all the lights at home when our parents aren't around and watch horror movies with him.
I carefully set down the popcorn I was holding, then pressed even closer into Haneul's arms.
Like a kid begging to be held because she was scared.
Of course, Haneul hugged me right back. I don't know if it was instinct or a conscious choice—it didn't matter to me either way.
All that mattered was that Haneul was holding me, and I could spend this blissful time nestled in his arms.
I couldn't focus on the horror movie anymore. I just hoped it would drag on as long as possible.
I wanted Haneul to hold me even one minute, one second longer.
This time, feeling his warmth in his embrace, breathing in his scent, blissfully happy—it just needed to last a little longer.
That was all I could think about.
When the movie ended and the lights came on, I immediately apologized to Seol-i.
"Seol-i, sorry."
Seol-i looked at me and tilted her head. She seemed curious about what I was apologizing for.
This was the moment I should have been honest.
Sorry for hugging you, sorry for touching you with other people around.
But I was mortified.
A full-grown 23-year-old soldier dude hugging a 14-year-old girl.
Right now, I was a 14-year-old boy, so it might not be a huge deal, but my own sense of ethics and morals was calling foul.
It was so embarrassing, but I had to apologize. And in that situation, Seol-i didn't show any emotion toward me. Or more precisely, she seemed totally unaware of why I was even apologizing.
Clinging to such a kind, innocent girl just because I was scared... I was a real jerk.
But the worse part was brushing it off without a proper apology.
"...Nah, it's nothing."
"Okay..."
Seol-i nodded and squeezed my hand tight. I grabbed the popcorn tub from the floor and the empty paper cup, then headed out.
I had no intention of eating the leftover popcorn, so I tossed it, separated the straw from the drink cup, and recycled them properly.
By the time we stepped outside, it was already 4 p.m.
"Did you have fun?"
Seol-i seemed to think about it for a split second, then nodded right away.
"Yeah, it was fun. You?"
"...Yeah, fun."
Well... it was fun, sort of. I didn't catch a word after the middle, but up until then, I'd been scared out of my mind.
For a horror movie, isn't that what makes it enjoyable?
That's what I'd go with.
"Dinner at home, right?"
*Nod nod*
I nodded back at Seol-i's nod and started heading out of the building. Nothing left to do, so home it was.
But Seol-i was staring at something.
The moment I saw what it was, I asked her.
"...Wanna try the claw machine?"
*Nod nod*
What had caught Seol-i's eye was a claw machine, stuffed to the gills with pure commercial greed.
I'd never touched one before. I knew they were a rip-off, and wasting money on them just felt wrong.
But seeing Seol-i's sparkling eyes made me think, hey, even if I've never done it, maybe once wouldn't hurt.
"Wanna give it a shot?"
*Nod nod*
Seol-i nodded and trotted over to the claw machine, so I followed right behind her.
Claw machine: 1,000 won per play. 5,000 won got you six tries.
"How about exactly 5,000 won's worth?"
"Yeah!"
Seol-i reached for her wallet, but I stopped her.
"I'll cover it."
"No way! I'll do it!"
"It's fine. Everything today came from your aunt's money—let me handle this much."
*Nod nod*
Seol-i gave a small nod, and I nodded back before sliding in the 5,000 won first.
The prizes inside were mostly small keychain-sized plushies rather than big dolls.
Those might actually be harder, but I pushed the thought aside.
Time to focus on the claw.
I concentrated hard, adjusted the claw's position, and dropped it down. It plunged without a second's pause.
*Whirrr...*
*Whiiiine...*
The machine pitifully came up empty-handed. My competitive streak kicked in, so I tried again.
*Whirrr...*
*Whiiiine...*
*Plop*
This time it grabbed the plushie, but it slipped free on the way up.
"So close...! Haneul, one more...!"
Seol-i was cheering me on, so fired up, I went for it again... but
*Whirrr...*
*Whiiiine...*
*Plop*
Failed again.
"Ughhh...!"
Seol-i was flailing her arms in frustration.
That just made me more determined. Is this why claw machines are so addictive?
I tried once more and failed...
Down to just two tries left.
"...Seol-i. Wanna try?"
"Me?"
"Yeah."
I figured it'd be different if she tried.
Honestly, handing over the last two after four fails made me the jerk here, but doing them all myself felt off. Plus, she might actually get one.
Seol-i nodded with tense eyes and stepped up to the machine.
*Whirrr...*
*Whiiiine...*
She was aiming for a cute hamster keychain, and the claw went right for it—nailing the grab.
*Whirrrrr...*
The claw carried the hamster toward the chute, but then...
*Plop!*
It dropped just before the chute.
"Ah...! Ughhh...!"
Seol-i got even more fired up and targeted the same hamster keychain again.
*Whirrr...*
The claw dropped and snagged the hamster perfectly.
But it didn't stop there.
For some reason—maybe tangled from the last drop—it also scooped up the capybara keychain next to it.
*Whiiiiiine...*
Both keychains rose together toward the chute, staying firmly attached the whole way...
*Plop!*
*Clunk!*
They both dropped into the chute.
Seol-i saw them and screamed right away.
"Kyaaa! Two! Two of them, Haneul! Two!"
She bent down, grabbed the two keychains, and immediately handed one to me.
"Haneul! A gift!"
"...Huh?"
What she gave me was the hamster keychain.
"Isn't the hamster cuter?"
"That's why I'm giving it to you...!"
"...I can really have it?"
"Yup!"
Seol-i nodded big and broke into a beaming smile.
There was no refusing that kind of heartfelt gesture, so I took the keychain with a nod.
"...I'll treasure it."
"Thanks! You have to cherish that little guy...!"
I nodded at her words and took a look at the hamster keychain.
It was the cutest thing—a tiny hamster nibbling on a seed.
It somehow reminded me of Seol-i, which made it even cuter.