Chapter 94: The Gift
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: The Gift
“Why did you want to meet here when it's so cold?” I asked with a smile as I walked up to her.
“Doesn't it just feel like Christmas with the snow and all? It’s a white Christmas this year, you know?”
As Doah cupped her hands, the snowflakes that landed on her skin instantly melted into water.
“You remember this place, right?”
A puff of white breath escaped from between the folds of her scarf.
How could I not remember this place?
Beyond just being a park near my house, this was the very spot where I confessed to Doah that I was Lucario, Luka's biggest fan.
“You cried here, you know,” I teased, brushing the snow from her hair.
“That was your fault, Oppa. You pretended you didn't know me.”
“I said I was sorry.”
But I don't think she brought me here just for an apology.
A paper bag sat on the same bench where we had talked.
It was obvious Doah had brought something.
It was quite large, so I had a hard time guessing what might be inside.
“What’s that?”
When I gestured toward the bag with a tilt of my chin, Doah gave a bashful smile.
“A gift.”
“A gift?”
Wait… I don’t have a gift.
It wasn't Doah's birthday, and it's not like I celebrate the birthday of a Jesus I don't even believe in.
Christmas wasn't over yet, so maybe I should run out and buy something during the day.
Or not. That would feel too much like I’d scrambled to get something at the last minute.
If we were going to exchange gifts, she should have told me so we could prepare them together.
Did it have to be a surprise?!
I felt a surge of indignation, but I was still sorry.
“Uh… I… I didn't get you anything…”
As I made an apologetic face, full of remorse, Doah shook her head as if to say it was fine.
“It’s okay. This is something I’ve wanted to give you for a while now.”
What could it be? Something Doah had wanted to give me for a while?
My curiosity spiked.
I picked up the bag as if asking for permission to look, and Doah smiled shyly, urging me to open it quickly.
The wrapping looked like something Santa himself would have brought.
The box, covered in green and red wrapping paper, was so pretty I almost felt bad about opening it.
“Ah. I should take a picture of this later.”
It felt like a waste to unwrap it out here in the cold.
“What’s gotten into you? Even talking about taking a picture.”
“Well, you know. It’s a special occasion, isn’t it?”
As I smiled awkwardly and put the box back in the bag, Doah took a step closer.
She wrapped her arms around my waist.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Merry Christmas.”
Only then did I realize I hadn't even offered her that common Christmas greeting.
No, wait.
I don't know if she saw it, but I did send ‘Merry Christmas’ in the CLOSER chat several times.
“Yeah. Merry Christmas.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Should we head inside now?”
I thought it was too cold to stay out any longer.
“No.”
“Then where are we going?”
In response to my question, Doah took a step back, putting some distance between us.
“Not that either.”
“Then what are we doing here?”
If we were just going to talk, wouldn't one of our homes be better?
“There’s something I want as a gift.”
“Something you want?”
Right now, I felt like I could grant her any request. The Christmas spirit was a factor, but the fact that I hadn't prepared a gift for her played a much bigger part.
“Tell me.”
I answered with a very serious expression, and Doah ducked her head.
She kicked at the freshly fallen snow with the toe of her shoe.
“...iss.”
“Huh?”
Her words were almost a mumble, so I moved a little closer to hear her.
“A kiss.”
Her words, so far beyond what I'd expected, made my body freeze.
“...please.”
Her eyes met mine for a fleeting moment before darting back down.
Of course, she must have been incredibly embarrassed to ask, but I was confident I could match her in that department.
She… she’s asking me to kiss her…?
The memory of that day overlapped with the present.
The day I was completely drunk and relentlessly kissed her.
That night when I'd spouted nonsense without hesitation, to the point where I wondered if that was really me, Han Taemin.
“Uh… um… ah…”
I wanted to grant her request, but…
As I hesitated, unable to do anything, Doah gripped the sleeve of my arm tightly.
“...I want to try it while we're sober.”
What those deep brown eyes were pleading for was affection.
An emotion too profound to refuse.
I took a step forward, closing the distance between us.
How am I supposed to do this?
Without the help of alcohol, I'm really just a shut-in hiding in my room.
I reached out and lifted her chin.
Doah’s face peeked out from her scarf.
Her small, light pink lips stole my attention.
So… my lips are supposed to touch those, right?
Master of theory, novice in practice.
Though I felt my posture was incredibly awkward, I closed my eyes and slowly lowered my head.
I could feel Doah’s body flinch, tense with nervousness.
I cupped her cheeks with both hands and pressed my lips against hers.
Feeling like I couldn't possibly do anything more than that, I retreated after about two seconds.
Were my ears burning red from embarrassment?
Or was it because of the cold?
After the kiss, we stood slightly apart.
The silence was filled only by the gently falling snow.
“...Thank you,” Doah said softly, still staring at the ground.
“Ah, no? What for? It’s nothing. We’re a couple, after all. Haha?”
A wave of forced, unnatural energy came pouring out of me.
That's how close I felt to my mental limit.
It felt like a celebratory firework had just gone off in my head.
The moment her lips touched mine, my thoughts went blank, and my whole body felt like it was seizing up.
“...Should we go now?”
At the long-awaited suggestion to go home, I nodded vigorously.
“Ah, yeah. It’s so cold! We’re going to catch a cold at this rate.”
I picked up the bag and took Doah’s hand, ready to leave, but for some reason, she didn't move with me.
“...Doah?”
I tried pulling her arm again, but she resisted.
“Can you do it just one more time?”
At her words, I turned back to face her.
I could be sure of one thing.
That Doah's face was several times redder than mine.
“It’s just… that one… felt a little too short…”
I thought I’d held it for quite a while.
Then again, if her point of comparison was the alcohol-possessed version of Han Taemin, this wouldn't even count.
“Ah… in that case…”
I set the bag down and swallowed hard.
This time, instead of her cheeks, I wrapped both arms around her waist and looked down at her.
Doah closed her eyes silently and tilted her head up toward me.
I pressed my lips to hers again.
A complaint had been filed about it being too short, so I’d make it a little longer this time.
I could vividly feel the movement of Doah’s lips against mine.
My own lips moved in response.
We moved as if our lips were sweet candy to be devoured.
“Hah… hah…”
A few seconds passed like that.
Or maybe it was minutes.
When we parted, the first thing I saw was Doah, her lips glistening and moist.
I’d never really thought of her in a lewd way before.
But in this moment, I found my girlfriend incredibly sexy.
“Shall we go?”
I took the lead this time, and Doah accepted my offer.
We walked up the sloping path back home without saying a word.
“I want to open the gift with you.”
When I subtly suggested we go to my place, Doah agreed it was a good idea and followed me inside.
“Phew. It’s warm in here, right?”
In truth, I was hot.
I’d been feeling warm ever since the kiss; the t-shirt under my sweater was probably damp with sweat.
“It is.”
Doah sat on the edge of my bed, hugging the gift bag to her chest.
“So, what is it?”
“This is…”
She smiled brightly.
Instead of answering, she handed the box back to me.
I placed it on my desk, took a picture, and then opened it.
I only had to tear away about half the wrapping paper to guess what was inside.
“Hey… you… this is…”
It was something I recognized.
No, it was something I had even worn before.
A VR headset, identical to the one I had borrowed from Doah.
The headset I couldn't afford to buy.
This thing had to cost hundreds of dollars, even now.
As I was stammering, overwhelmed by such a huge gift, Doah cast another blessed spell on me.
“Merry Christmas.”
Doah gave me a playful wink.
“Oppa.”
Ah. Why didn't I prepare a gift?
This was a moment where I truly hated my own pathetic lack of sense.