Chapter 177
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177
Eun-ah closed her eyes, savoring the memories as they seeped into her.
The days she had spent separated from herself, without knowing why.
The days she had spent twisting in boredom, until she began creating hobbies for herself, one by one.
The days she had felt a needless guilt for enjoying herself alone, and had made sure to look after Eun-sam.
And.
‘…Mr. Honeybee.’
The days after meeting Dokyun, the heart-pounding days she had spent with him.
Eun-ah accepted all the days Eun-byeol had lived, organizing those memories and engraving them into her mind before opening her eyes.
Her vision was filled with Dokyun’s face—startled, yet tinged with a hint of bitterness.
“Is she gone?”
“Y-Yes…”
Eun-ah nodded as she spoke, tightening her grip on their interlaced hands.
Eun-byeol’s memories weren’t sad ones. So, thankfully, no tears came. But that didn’t mean there was no sadness.
Eun-ah thought back on the time she had spent with Eun-byeol. She recalled the kind of person Eun-byeol had been in those moments.
Someone she barely knew beyond the pages of a notebook, yet who was another version of herself.
It was a relationship that couldn’t be defined, but if she had to, Eun-ah would have called Eun-byeol a ‘friend.’
A dependable friend who listened to her worries better than anyone, who would leap out to solve any problem the moment it arose. A friend she could define as cheerful and confident.
Eun-ah smiled faintly.
My precious, wonderful friend looked out for me like this, right to the very end.
She packed her feelings down, pressing them tight, and passed them all to me.
Eun-ah’s gaze shifted to Dokyun.
His face was crumpled, trying desperately to hold back tears.
Dokyun’s expression looked so bitter that Eun-ah felt Eun-byeol wouldn’t have wanted to see it. In a playful tone, she spoke.
“M-Mr. Honeybee. Y-You player…”
She’d said it hoping he would smile. In response, Dokyun managed to force a smile onto his broken face and replied.
“I guess so. I really am a player.”
“A-A slut…”
“…”
“A f-fucking prick…”
“…”
Seeing Eun-ah’s tear-streaked face, hearing the words that didn’t match it at all, and feeling the weight of her head leaning against him, Dokyun let out a long, laughter-tinged breath—a soft phhuu—and pulled her into an embrace.
“I’m sorry.”
“N-No, it’s okay…”
Squeeze—. Eun-ah wrapped her arms around Dokyun’s waist.
“A-As much as Eun-byeol liked you, I-I’ll love you even more…”
“Okay.”
“Th-Then it’ll be like Eun-byeol gets to be with you, too…”
“…Okay.”
A bitter smile touched Dokyun’s lips as he felt his chest slowly grow damp. He gently patted Eun-ah’s back.
“Y-Yeah… That’s how it’ll be…”
Dokyun didn’t know why Eun-ah was crying.
He couldn’t know what Eun-byeol had meant to her, or the reason for her tears. It was a span of time Dokyun didn’t know, memories he didn’t share.
All Dokyun could do was hold her just like this.
He was glad he was big, that his embrace was wide enough.
*
Another week passed.
Just as when Eun-ji and Eun-sam had been absorbed, Eun-ah needed time to organize Eun-byeol’s memories.
What was unique this time was that the process took an exceptionally long time. When asked about it, Eun-ah had explained:
—Sh-She did a lot…
She did a lot.
In other words, Eun-byeol had so many experiences and had been to so many places that it took time to sort through it all.
It made sense.
Unlike Eun-ji, who had only stayed inside, or Eun-sam, a shut-in who mostly just surfed the web, Eun-byeol had been an incredibly active personality. It was only natural that integrating her would take time.
Because of this, Eun-ah had to hole herself up in the house for about a week, focusing on the task. But the effort wasn’t in vain. Having fully absorbed Eun-byeol’s memories, Eun-ah achieved a degree of visible growth that was incomparable to the previous integrations.
Namely, a lessening of the social anxiety that had tormented her for so long.
Eun-ah was no longer afraid of people’s gazes.
…No, it would be more accurate to say she no longer cared about them.
Dokyun turned his head to the side, looking at Eun-ah as they walked along the Han River together.
The hat and mask that had always hidden her face were gone.
Perhaps this is Eun-byeol’s influence, since she loved dressing up and showing herself off.
As he watched Eun-ah with that thought in mind, Dokyun realized that the gazes of every person passing by brushed past her, and he let out a small sigh.
It was an attempt to shake off a growing discomfort.
I mean, I get it, but…
Eun-ah wasn’t just some ordinary beauty. Hadn’t he been struck by her beauty even when he was first captured, when she was so thin and haggard?
Now that she was completely healthy and had filled out, it was only natural for eyes to be drawn to her.
…I know that.
The problem was, he didn’t like those gazes one bit.
In short, it was jealousy.
Everyone stole a glance at Eun-ah as they passed, but it was the young men who stared, completely mesmerized, that truly pissed him off.
And so, Dokyun spent the entire time glaring daggers at those young men, a fierce scowl on his face. Only Eun-ah, giddy from the fresh air, remained oblivious.
Even as he thought about how pathetic he looked, growling like this, Dokyun felt a surge of frustration as his emotions refused to listen to reason.
This wasn’t the first time. He’d gone out with the other personalities countless times and had gotten used to it. But thinking of those gazes being directed at Eun-ah made it unbearable.
Ugh…
What am I doing at my age?
Dokyun squeezed his eyes shut again, trying to rein in his own childish behavior. Just then—
“M-Mr. Honeybee.”
“Ah, yes.”
At Eun-ah’s call, Dokyun’s expression softened.
He put on a smile and turned to her. Eun-ah tilted her head and continued her question.
“A-Are you sick? Should we go back?”
“No, my eye was just a little itchy.”
“O-Oh, let me see.”
Stop. Eun-ah stopped walking right there, reached out, and pulled Dokyun’s face toward her to examine it.
“I-I don’t see any dust…”
“Ah, it’s fine now.”
Dokyun felt a pang of guilt at her innocent reaction and replied with an awkward expression.
“O-Okay…!”
A radiant smile. Feeling a tingle spread through his chest at that bright smile, which felt like the whole world bursting into bloom, Dokyun took Eun-ah’s hand as it brushed against his face, turned forward, and started walking again.
The sunlight bounced off the river, creating a dazzling sparkle. The walking path was so well-maintained that just strolling along it felt soothing.
In truth, this outing to the Han River had been planned a long time ago, but with one thing and another, it had been postponed until autumn finally arrived.
If I’d known it would be this nice, I would’ve come sooner, Dokyun thought with a hint of regret as he spoke to Eun-ah.
“How is it, being out? Isn’t it nice?”
“Y-Yeah. I love it…!” she replied, her voice full of laughter.
After answering, Eun-ah let go of his hand and linked her arm through his, adding, “I love it even more because I’m here with you, Mr. Honeybee…!”
Twitch, twitch. The corners of Dokyun’s mouth crept upward.
“I’m so happy to be here with you too, Eun-ah.”
“Hehe…”
This is happiness.
Dokyun walked on with a bright smile, but his expression crumpled again as he noticed more gazes starting to gather on Eun-ah.
He was an immature 30-year-old who was clearly wasting his years.
*
Evening fell.
Looking at the food trucks lined up along the riverbank, Dokyun asked Eun-ah a question.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Umm…”
A look of contemplation appeared on Eun-ah’s face.
…There was also a hint of displeasure.
Dokyun felt a smirk creep onto his face. He understood why she was acting like that.
Master Chef Go Eun-ah, who was serious about her cooking, was in a sulk because he had suggested they eat out.
He had persuaded her by saying they should make the most of being out, and they had compromised on trying just one place before heading home.
Since he’d even given her the right to choose, Dokyun waited with anticipation to see what she would pick.
Her answer came about three minutes later.
“Th-There…!”
Dokyun’s gaze followed the direction she was pointing.
“Chicken skewers?”
“Y-Yes…!”
She nodded as she answered. Dokyun chuckled and nodded back.
“Sounds good. Shall we go?”
“Yeah…!”
They walked hand in hand.
They went to the food truck selling chicken skewers, bought two, and headed back toward the riverbank. Dokyun sat on a bench and began to eat with Eun-ah.
“Mm, this is good.”
It was better than he’d expected.
Looks like Eun-ah picked a winner, he thought, turning his head.
“…Eun-ah?”
He felt a cold sweat trickle down his back as he saw Eun-ah chewing on her skewer with a dissatisfied look on her face.
“I-It’s under-seasoned…”
“Is it?”
“I-It should have been grilled longer…”
The critique came spilling out.
Listening to her expert opinion, Dokyun thanked his own foresight for not suggesting they eat right there at the food truck.
A sigh of relief escaped him.
That night, after they returned home, Dokyun filled his stomach with Eun-ah’s heartfelt chicken skewers, which she made to satisfy her own simmering frustration.