Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Flower Viewing #2
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"Whoa, damn. Are those celebrities?"
"They're freaking amazing..."
The guys' exclamations ringing out around us were starting to hurt my ears.
A classic rom-com scenario was unfolding right before my eyes.
You know, the one where a guy comes to view the cherry blossoms with his girlfriend, gets totally entranced staring at the protagonist's heroines, and ends up getting dragged away by his ear.
I get it. Even I feel my heart racing against my will whenever I look at the girls.
But considering the age gap in our mental maturity, I consciously try not to stare like that...
Especially today, when it was obvious all four of them had gone all out with their outfits, drawing even more attention from everyone around.
If Yoon Jiu hadn't been with us, we'd probably have been hit on a hundred times over.
Following Seong Yurin's lead, we arrived at a prime spot under a massive cherry tree, a bit removed from the main festival grounds where the sunlight didn't hit too harshly.
There were still plenty of people passing by, but it was far enough from the main paths that we didn't feel too exposed—perfect, really.
Four women with sharp, composed expressions had laid out a large mat there and were holding the spot for us.
As Seong Yurin approached, they bowed deeply and melted into the crowd.
"Whoa, who were those ladies just now?"
Yoon Jiu asked as he sat down on the mat alongside Seong Yurin.
"They're the security detail my family assigned to me. I've known them since I was little, so I asked them for a little help today."
"You even have bodyguards, huh..."
On the mat were festival snacks that the bodyguards must have prepared and left behind.
"Oh, this is what I was gonna buy earlier."
There were even those cherry blossom rice cakes being sold at the festival stalls—the ones I'd had my eye on when we came in.
I don't like super sticky stuff, but rice cakes are my jam.
The chewy texture released a subtle floral aroma in my mouth—pretty magical.
We sat on the mat, boys and girls separated, as a cool breeze tickled our hair.
"Just sitting here doing nothing feels pretty nice."
"Isn't that Jin's favorite thing anyway?"
I stretched out flat and gazed up at the tree overhead, prompting Lee Sea to tease me with a laugh.
"Maybe you're right..."
Whoever had set up the mat must have smoothed out the ground first, because there wasn't a single hard pebble digging into my back—just the soft give of the earth.
I pillowed my head on my arms and nearly drifted off right then.
That's when a shadow fell over my head.
"Jin, your arm's gonna go numb like that. Here, lie down."
The shadow was Lee Sea.
With those words, she gently lifted my head and set it on her lap. I jolted in surprise and nearly sat up.
But her soft hand pressed firmly on my forehead, holding me in place.
The cherry blossom scent lingering in my nose faded, overtaken by her fragrance.
The tension melted from my body, leaving me no choice but to relax and stay put.
"Uh, um..."
The others watching us had a strange glint in their eyes.
The girls, and even Yoon Jiu—his pupils were trembling a bit.
We're close, sure, no pretenses there... but, like, this is...
I opened my mouth to say something.
"Nice weather, huh?"
Our eyes met hers, soft with a smile, and somehow the words wouldn't come out.
Hong Yeonseo and Lee Soyun, who had been messing around with Seong Yurin, exchanged glances and nodded subtly.
"It's her birthday."
They whispered it softly.
Then they broke into smiles, lightening the mood again.
"Ah... uh, I'll go grab some drinks. What do you all want?"
"I'm good with just water."
Seong Yurin pointed to the chilled water the bodyguards had set out.
Yoon Jiu took the girls' orders and headed off.
"This is so peaceful. I could lie here forever without getting bored. Right?"
"Y-yeah. Let me know if your legs start cramping."
I couldn't quite meet Lee Sea's eyes, so I stared off into the distance as I replied.
It wasn't long, but I didn't sit up until Yoon Jiu returned with the drinks, sneaking glances at him the whole time.
Lee Sea looked like she wanted me to stay put a bit longer, but I got up anyway because it felt too awkward.
"What's the plan for the rest of the day?"
I asked Seong Yurin to shake off the one-sided awkwardness I was feeling.
"Oh... I posted it in the group chat, but you didn't see?"
"Sorry, I don't check it much."
"Lunch is reserved at a restaurant nearby. After that, we can hang here longer if you want, or head straight to my place."
"Are your parents home by any chance?"
"Just my mom... She won't make you guys uncomfortable or anything."
"No, that's not what I meant. What's uncomfortable about hanging with a friend's parents?"
Seong Yurin had even set out backrest cushions for sitting, making it comfy to chat.
Naturally, the conversation drifted to school life—specifically, club activities.
No one shared a club, so everyone was super curious about each other's.
"Ooh, I'd love to read Soyun's novel sometime."
When Lee Soyun from the Literary Creation Club confessed she'd been working on a short story lately, everyone perked up.
She was shy at first but soon laughed and promised to share it once it was done.
After that, we endured a full rundown of Yoon Jiu's Entertainment Club boasts about his idol senior.
Apparently, his active idol senior had come back to school after ages and given him her number or something...
...But Jiu, is bragging about that here some kinda jealousy ploy...?
Once Yoon Jiu wrapped up, Seong Yurin from the Academic Advancement Class didn't have much to say, and after some back-and-forth, all eyes turned to me.
I didn't have anything particular, but the cosplay event popped into my head.
I hesitated, but the girls picked up on it like hawks and pressed until I spilled everything.
"Whoa, so Jin's dressing up as this character?"
The girls marveled at the character image on my phone.
"Yeah, that's the plan..."
It was mortifying confessing to regular folks that I'd be cosplaying—showing them the pic and all.
Thankfully, they didn't seem put off by subculture stuff.
Nah, their eyes lit up like they couldn't wait to see.
"It's gonna be a total change from your usual drab clothes."
Sorry for being drab.
Hong Yeonseo had a point—my style really was dark, solid colors.
Black washes easy... And don't guys live and die by black?
In the end, I promised to ask the Club President and let them know if they could come along, calming them down.
Things felt like they were snowballing, stirring some inexplicable anxiety, but apparently, I'm weak against pushy girls.
After a morning of chill vibes and chats, we headed out for lunch.
Seong Yurin had reserved a famous local Korean spot that's notoriously hard to book.
She'd done it the same day she'd first brought up today's plans with me.
...I learned later it wasn't a place you could snag a table in just a month.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "This braised short ribs is killer."
"Melts right in your mouth."
The meal prepared for us seemed tailored to Lee Sea's birthday at Seong Yurin's request—on top of the regular menu, there was seaweed soup and braised ribs, perfect for a birthday spread.
Lee Sea clung to Seong Yurin, thanking her profusely, and Seong Yurin hugged her back, thrilled she liked it.
Mm. A sight to warm the eyes.
Like Eastern and Western beauty blending together...
Seong Yurin's features weren't exactly Western, but her eyes and hair color gave off a strong exotic vibe.
After the delightful lunch, we piled back into the limo waiting out front.
"Seong Yurin, thanks. You've spoiled us today."
"Glad you enjoyed it. I was actually a bit worried."
She'd kept saying it was fine all morning, but she'd been fretting we'd feel burdened and pull away from her.
Her mind eased only after Lee Sea hugged her at the restaurant.
The other girls cooed over how cute she was.
Seeing Lee Soyun—who usually got all the pampering from Seong Yurin—petting her head was hilarious yet fitting.
Leaving behind the fun flower viewing and delicious lunch, we headed to Seong Yurin's house with a strange tension building.
Her place was in the upscale neighborhood just past ours.
Once we passed the old town where my house was, the surroundings turned impeccably pristine.
I peeked through the blinds again and announced we were almost there.
"We just passed our neighborhood."
The kids hurriedly packed away their munchies.
Moments later, the driver announced we'd arrived.
Stepping out of the limo, the sight before us left everyone's jaws on the floor.