Chapter 110: Let’s Go Do a Lot!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 110: Let’s Go Do a Lot!
If real life were a manga, I’m sure there would have been at least ten anger veins popping on my head by now.
I had been looking forward to a sweet, romantic ski trip with Oppa, but now I was realizing just how naive I’d been.
Sigh... I should have asked if they had any male instructors.
The so-called instructor who showed up didn't look much older than us.
And the problem was...
Every time Oppa fell, she would rush over to hold his hand. She kept touching him here and there, claiming she was just teaching him.
Worse, as if she noticed me glaring at her, she started sending me down the slope first so she could come down with him alone.
"...I said I'm not eating."
"Hey, Doah. If something's bothering you, you have to tell me so I know."
Tell you what’s bothering me?
To be honest, I wasn't really upset with Oppa.
He fell while skiing, and the instructor helped him up. How could I blame him for that?
But that bitch of an instructor...
Making me watch her get all cutesy with my boyfriend, on my dime.
Frustrated, I thumped my chest and glared at Oppa.
"Oppa."
"...Yeah?"
"Did you have fun learning to ski?"
"Uh... well, I was just glad we could finally ski together this afternoon..."
A sigh escaped me as I watched him answer so cluelessly, his eyes darting around.
"Haaah..."
Right. What good would it do to get angry at him?
This wasn't the first or second time something like this had happened, so I felt like I was learning to just accept it.
I knew that being grumpy the whole time we were here wouldn't do anyone any good. Instead of answering, I buried my face in his chest.
"I'm annoyed."
"Why? Are you frustrated because I'm so bad at skiing?"
"Yes. Oppa, how can you be so bad at it?"
Seriously, how do you even fall on the beginner's course!
Even I'm a good skier!
"I'm sorry."
"Holding hands with that unnie, giggling... hmm? You two looked pretty cozy."
As I narrowed my eyes and pressed him, Oppa placed a hand on my head.
"I was just laughing because it was so embarrassing to keep falling. Little kids were zipping past me. I couldn't just cry because I fell, you know."
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
Despite my words, we ended up going to the food court to get something to eat.
But what's with these prices?
"...Why does a basic bowl of ramen cost 5,000 won?"
"Maybe they boiled it with snow they gathered from nature."
I wasn't sure what kind of premium was attached, but everything seemed to be at least 2,000 won more expensive than outside.
I ordered udon, and Oppa got the cheese tonkatsu.
"How is it?"
It was supposed to be cheese tonkatsu, but the cheese in Oppa's bowl showed no signs of stretching.
"Mm. It tastes exactly like the kind of food you get at an amusement park."
That seemed like the perfect analogy.
It felt very much like an overpriced rest stop.
We decided to have a proper dinner later and finished our simple meal. Finally, we could have our ski date, just the two of us.
"Should we go to the beginner's course?"
A part of me wanted to try the intermediate slope right away, but I was worried about Oppa's skills.
"Yeah, let's do that."
He didn't seem to have any intention of being reckless either, as he readily nodded in agreement.
I'm sure skilled skiers can glide smoothly even on flat ground.
But Oppa and I walked slowly across the snow, waddling like penguins.
Anyone who saw us would think we were a beginner couple.
For some reason, the thought of people seeing us that way made me happy, and I linked my arm through Oppa's.
"Hm?"
He looked down at me as if to ask what I was doing.
"Can't we walk like this?"
"I think we'll be super slow."
"Then you can pull me along."
I held onto his arm and shook it like a playful daughter.
"Hey, if I have to pull you, we'll be lucky to get three runs in before we have to go home."
Oppa chuckled and pulled me forward with a gentle tug.
"Go on ahead, Doah-tan! Wait for me in the future!"
He was parodying a line from a cartoon I knew well.
He pushed me forward so hard that I almost took an embarrassing tumble on the flat ground.
After sending me flying ahead, he waddled along behind me.
Ah, I really shouldn't have bothered with that lesson this afternoon.
It's so nice like this, even without skiing.
We managed to reach the ski lift and, luckily, got a chair all to ourselves.
Holding onto the safety bar, we watched the people skiing down below.
"Doah."
"Yes?"
He had a rare, wistful look in his eyes.
What's this? Why the sudden change in expression...
"If I become a celebrity, do you think we won't be able to come to places like this together anymore?"
"Hey, what are you talking about? We can just make time and come again."
Things I had momentarily forgotten flashed through my mind.
Taemin Oppa was going to sign his contract after this vacation was over.
There was still too little information to say what would happen.
"You think so?"
"Of course! And do you think just anyone can become a superstar?"
He hadn't even started, yet he was already worried about the troubles of being famous.
Isn't that getting way ahead of himself?
As I let out a small laugh, Oppa leaned his face closer and closer to mine.
"Well then, I'd better get a kiss in before I become a superstar."
As he playfully moved closer, I silently closed my eyes and puckered my lips.
-Clank.
I expected to feel his dry, chapped lips meet mine.
But our helmets were faster than our lips.
"Oh."
"Pfft."
Oppa made a dumbfounded sound at the unexpected outcome, and I found the sight so cute I wanted to take a picture.
"Well... if we just tilt our heads back a little like this..."
Clearly disappointed about the failed kiss, Oppa tried to suggest another method, but we were running out of time.
"Please raise the safety bar!"
A staff member's shout came from up ahead, and we reluctantly had to get off the lift.
My boyfriend wore a very sullen expression, a mix of embarrassment and disappointment.
On the last flat stretch of snow before the slope began, I turned back to face him.
"Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"Later, after we're done skiing."
Ah, it's embarrassing now that I'm about to say it.
The wind was blowing fiercely since we were at the summit, but my ears felt like they were burning.
"Let's go do a lot!"
Leaving the verb hanging, I left him behind and started my descent.
That instructor I disliked must have had some teaching talent after all, because I successfully made it halfway down without falling.
I looked back to see if Oppa was coming along okay, but...
"...Why is he still up there?"
Oppa had fallen after not even making it five meters down and was struggling to get back up.
It was over fifteen years ago that I realized I had no talent for sports.
I hadn't expected to be a great skier, but I never imagined I'd be this bad. My pride had taken a huge hit.
"Hey, it's okay. It's fine if you're not good at it."
Doah's words of comfort only made me feel worse.
I mean... but... no matter how I thought about it...
No matter how positively I tried to spin it, taking forty minutes to get down a single slope was just too much.
The afternoon session was about to end, so we had decided to do one last run on the intermediate course.
The result was so disastrous that it would have been faster for me to take off my skis and walk down.
"...I'm sorry."
"Oh, it's really okay, I'm telling you."
After returning our equipment and getting our bags, we decided to head to our room to drop off our things.
Doah stood at the resort's front desk.
She had told me to just wait, and soon she returned with a key card and handed it to me.
"Oppa, did you see pictures of the room?"
"I didn't see which one it was exactly."
Doah had handled all the payments and reservations.
I was just going along with whatever she had planned.
"Ah, you can look forward to it."
Seeing her so confident, I figured it must be something special.
-Beep.
She tapped the key card and gave me a slight nod, then gestured with her head for me to go in.
"Whoa."
I seemed to be exclaiming in awe a lot today.
The first word that came to mind was 'spacious.'
It was an incredibly comfortable-looking space for two people.
The view was of the entire ski resort, and the bed was a queen... no, wait. I think this is a king-size.
"What do you think? It's amazing, right?"
"Yeah, it's great, but."
...How much did this cost?
At this point, my concern for my bank account outweighed my joy.
We had agreed to split the cost, and it would be too humiliating if I couldn't pay her back.
"How much was it?"
I felt I had to ask and swallowed hard, but Doah just wagged her index finger back and forth.
She didn't answer my question.
"You don't have to worry about it, Oppa."
"No, I need to know so I can send you the money."
"I'll cover this, so you can buy me dinner."
...Even a hotel buffet would probably cost less than this.
I gave her a look that said, 'Are you really sure?' but Doah just came into my arms and hugged me tightly as if to stop me.
"If you're that grateful, then you can treat me right."
"Umm... I'll try. Though I think I failed at the skiing part."
I stroked Doah's hair, but I still felt burdened.
I'll have to look up how much this place costs later.
"I think I got sweaty while skiing, is it okay if I shower first?"
"Oh, of course. Go ahead."
After sending off my girlfriend, who was being treated like royalty, I plopped down on the bed.
"Haaah..."
First at Christmas, and now again, it seemed like Doah was spending a lot of money.
Of course, seeing the donations she received, I figured this much wouldn't even make a dent for her, but still...
It didn't do much for my pride as a man.
I picked up my phone, thinking I should really look up the price.
"Oppa!"
A voice called out from inside the bathroom.
"Yeah?"
"Can you get the lotion from my bag?"
I picked up Doah's bag and was faced with a dilemma.
Lotion.
Which pocket could it possibly be in?
It was strange enough that Doah even owned a military-style bag with so many pockets.
I thought about asking her, but then figured I'd find it if I just looked. I opened the outermost pocket, and my mouth went dry.
So this is what she meant by 'treat me right'...!
The unopened box of condoms was more than enough to make me tense up.