Chapter 62
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62
The outing was a success.
Just as planned, we bought decorations for the tree, then stopped by the supermarket to get all the ingredients for our party.
When we went to the crowded areas, she did shrink back and hide behind me, but she didn't seem particularly uncomfortable beyond that. I managed to coax her along and we got everything done.
It wasn't until we arrived home that she, who had been timid and withdrawn the whole time, finally perked up.
As soon as she got out of the car, Eun-ah stretched her body and began to radiate a sense of pride. Watching her, Dokyun felt a sudden smile spread across his face and spoke.
“You did great today.”
At his words, she finally turned to look at him, a bright smile blooming on her face as she replied.
“Yes…! I, I protected Kkulbeol-nim well…!”
She said it proudly, her shoulders squared.
Dokyun’s smile deepened, and he teased her playfully.
“Are you sure you protected me? I think it was the other way around.”
“Eek…!”
Her shoulders slumped slightly, and her eyes narrowed into a pout.
As she glared at him, she offered an excuse in a voice that was barely a whisper.
“I, I was just letting you…! Be-because I felt sorry for you… Yes, because I felt sorry for you…!”
She nodded as if she’d convinced herself with her own words.
Seeing Eun-ah regain her spirit, the smile on Dokyun’s face grew even wider. Noticing this, Eun-ah finally chided him in a whining tone.
“D-don’t laugh…!”
“Pfft… I’m sorry.”
Dokyun tried to stifle his escaping laughter as he looked at her.
Her cheeks were flushed red, her eyes narrowed in a pout. Realizing he should probably stop here, Dokyun changed the subject, lifting the bags they had taken out of the car.
“Shall we head inside now?”
“Ugh…”
A disgruntled noise escaped her as he walked toward her.
After glaring at him for a long moment, Eun-ah finally stood beside him, took a few of the bags he was holding, and walked on ahead.
Dokyun watched her back for a moment as she strode past him.
The sight of the back of her small head, radiating indignation without a single word, was so adorable that he felt another laugh coming on.
After watching her for a moment, Dokyun composed his expression, quickened his pace to catch up, and called out.
“Let’s go together!”
*
Once inside, we changed our clothes and began to unpack everything we’d bought.
After putting away the groceries, Dokyun spread out the tree decorations and began to ponder how to best arrange them.
“Hmm…”
Dokyun stared at the large tree standing in the corner of the living room.
Was this overkill?
The tree was slightly taller than he was. He’d chosen a big one, thinking that if they were going to make a memory, they might as well do it in grand style. But now, looking at it, he was at a loss as to how to decorate it beautifully.
If he just plastered the ornaments all over, it would look messy. But if he only used a few, it would be a waste of all the things they’d bought.
As he continued to mull it over without a clear answer, beginning to resent his own lack of aesthetic sense, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Dokyun turned his head slightly and saw Eun-ah looking up at him, a string of LED lights in her hand.
Her eyes were brimming with anticipation. A smile formed on Dokyun’s face as he spoke to her.
“Hm? What is it?”
“Th-this first…!”
Dokyun took the LED lights she was holding out right in front of his face, her eyes sparkling, and nodded.
“Should we wrap this around first?”
“Yes…!”
She nodded her head vigorously in response to his confirming question.
Dokyun smiled back, nodded again, and said, “Alright. Can you wait just a moment?”
With that, Dokyun approached the tree, stretched his arms out, and began to wrap the LED lights from the very top.
It was a size he could easily manage just by reaching, so he was wrapping the lights without much trouble when he felt another tug on his sleeve and shifted his gaze.
“Hm?”
Eun-ah’s expression was one of displeasure.
A small question forming in his mind, Dokyun asked, “What’s wrong?”
His question was met with a moment of hesitation as her lips parted and closed, before she finally muttered in a small voice.
“Th-that’s not how you do it…”
She was giving him pointers.
It was the same attitude she’d shown once before, when she’d watched him cook ramen.
Wondering if he was doing something wrong, Dokyun felt himself flinch slightly. He forced an awkward smile and asked again.
“Uhm… then how should I do it?”
“F-first…!”
At his question, she stared intently at the tree with a look of utmost seriousness, then began to explain, using her hands and feet to gesture.
“Th-that part should be a little lower… and here, it should be th-this much more dense…”
From the top to the bottom, she explained the parts she couldn’t reach and personally adjusted the parts she could. There was something professional about the way she went about it.
Dokyun glanced from the improving tree to her and saw that she was beaming, a wide smile on her face, radiating pure joy.
Watching her, Dokyun felt the corners of his own mouth lift unconsciously.
Seeing her so happy with what he had planned filled him with a sense of pride.
This is how we’ll do it. Filling our lives, little by little, one thing at a time.
So that Go Eun-chae is no longer needed. So that she can be happy without having to be a “good girl.” We’ll just have to fill her life with memories like this.
With that thought, he continued to adjust the tree by her side.
Her aesthetic sense was far superior to his. As he followed her instructions, repositioning the lights and hanging the ornaments, a magnificent tree that drew involuntary gasps of admiration was soon complete.
“Whoa…”
As Dokyun let out a sound of awe, she asked him a question.
“S-so, what do you think…?”
Even after creating something so splendid, her face was waiting for his verdict, her voice laced with tension.
Dokyun looked at her for a moment, then broke into a wide grin and gave her a big thumbs-up in response.
It must have been a satisfying answer. When he glanced at her, he saw her looking at his raised thumb, a small laugh escaping her lips.
“Hehe…”
A blush deepened on her cheeks.
“It’s perfect. If I had made it by myself, it would have been a complete mess. Not even comparable.”
“N-no… anything Kkulbeol-nim makes is pretty…”
After they exchanged a round of compliments and shared a laugh, Dokyun handed her the switch for the tree lights.
“Go on, turn it on.”
He handed her the switch and took a step back. She held it for a moment, looking at him, before her gaze shifted to the tree and she pressed the button.
Twinkling lights began to dance across the tree. Seeing this, Dokyun reached out and turned off the living room lights, making the tree’s glow even more brilliant.
Red, blue, and yellow lights flickered, painting the space in a kaleidoscope of colors.
The spreading light reflected off the ornaments, scattering in every direction like a shimmering haze.
“Woooow…”
Hearing the gasp of wonder escape her lips, Dokyun turned his gaze to her. She was staring blankly at the tree, her eyes sparkling.
Her cheeks, flushed with joy, and her slightly parted lips spoke volumes about the emotions she was feeling.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
“Yes…!”
She nodded enthusiastically at him before her eyes were drawn back to the tree.
Watching her from a step away, Dokyun felt a wave of sentimentality wash over him.
The combination of the colorfully lit tree and the girl staring at it in a daze created a surreal picture, like a scene from a movie.
His gaze was captured by the scene for a moment before he remembered the camera he’d bought today. He quickly grabbed it to immortalize the moment.
Click-!
The sound of the camera’s shutter.
Her gaze shifted to him. Dokyun spoke to her as she stared blankly at him.
“Eun-ah-ssi, could you smile for me?”
“Huh…?”
She tilted her head.
Dokyun lowered the camera from his eye, looked at her with a smile, and continued.
“You have to smile for pictures. Make a V-sign with your hand, too.”
“Ah, yes…!”
At his words, Eun-ah nodded, made V-signs with both hands, and offered an awkward smile.
“L-like this…?”
At that.
“Pffft…!”
Dokyun couldn’t hold back his burst of laughter and his body shook slightly.
The sight of her, swallowing her nervousness at having her picture taken and forcing a creaky smile, was just too funny—and also incredibly cute. He couldn’t stop laughing.
As Dokyun laughed, she maintained her pose and asked in a tense voice.
“Wh-what is it…?”
“It’s nothing. My nose just suddenly got itchy.”
Dokyun composed his expression and answered her question, which in turn made her laugh.
“Hehehe…”
Her expression softened slightly.
Dokyun didn’t miss the moment. He raised the camera again and captured her smiling face.
Click-!
Her body tensed slightly at the sound of the shutter.
“A-are you done…?” she asked.
Dokyun looked at the camera’s display.
A brightly smiling face next to a sparkling tree.
It was a clumsy photo, but with a model so gorgeous it was practically cheating, the picture looked like a work of art.
A smile began to spread across Dokyun’s lips as he looked at the photo. He opened his mouth and answered her.
“Yes, it came out great.”
As he spoke in a satisfied tone, Eun-ah came to his side, leaned in to look at the screen, and let out a gasp of admiration.
“Woooow…”
“It’s pretty, right?”
“Yes…!”
As she answered, her face turned to him, a smile brimming with joy.
“K-Kkulbeol-nim, you’re good at taking pictures, too…!”
She was praising him again.
Dokyun felt a small chuckle escape and returned the compliment.
“That’s because of the model, Eun-ah-ssi.”
“Heehee…”
Eun-ah giggled at the praise. A moment later, she snatched the camera from Dokyun’s hand, looked at him, and announced.
“N-now it’s Kkulbeol-nim’s turn to be photographed…!”
“Ah.”
So I have to get my picture taken, too.
At her proposal, Dokyun felt a little awkward but nodded.
He walked over to stand next to the tree. As Dokyun made a V-sign with his hand and tried to form a smile on his lips…
“Pffft!”
He saw her burst out laughing.
“What is it?”
“N-no, it’s nothing…!”
Dokyun’s eyes narrowed.
Nothing, my ass.
He was well aware of what his face must look like. His expression was probably stiff, making his smile look ridiculous.
Only then did Dokyun realize that his current state was no different from hers just moments ago, and he felt a belated sense of shame for having laughed at her.
I probably look even more ridiculous than she did, he thought. Just as his shoulders were slumping with that realization…
Click-!
The sound of the camera’s shutter.
Dokyun flinched and quickly moved toward her to check the screen.
“Pfft!”
But she had already seen it and burst out laughing, pulling the camera to her chest to hide the screen. A sense of dread filled Dokyun as he asked.
“Wh-what is it?”
Is it that bad? Is it that funny? Is she hiding it because she thinks I’ll tell her to delete it?
As a thousand thoughts raced through his mind, her answer finally came.
“Uhm… N-no… Th-this one is just for me to see…!”
Her words, and the way she hugged the camera tightly to her chest, only made his curiosity surge again.
“Hehe…”
But seeing her laughing, her face completely flushed, he couldn’t bring himself to ask her to show him. He just smiled back and gave an awkward reply.
“Um… okay, then.”
Well, he was curious, but in the end, she seemed happy, so wasn’t that a good thing? Thinking that, he nodded.
Dokyun, who had bent over to check the screen, straightened up and watched her as she continued to clutch the camera preciously, still giggling.
She would smile softly, then sneak a peek at the screen and burst into laughter all over again.
Well… if it’s good, it’s good.
He couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Do I really look that funny?’ But then he decided that if looking at that picture could make her laugh when she was feeling down, then it was all for the best. Following her lead, Dokyun let a smile form on his own face.