Chapter 14
Chapter 14
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The 99-Point Pillow
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After a commotion broke out at the PC bang,
We came home affectionately, still holding hands without letting go. Then, a few days later...
Surprisingly, nothing happened. Nothing at all.
"What is it."
Was it a dream?
Even after reconciling at the PC bang and walking out, it was obvious we were both aware of each other.
We'd deliberately pretended not to notice, squeezed each other's hands like it was no big deal, and come all the way back...
...Was I the only one whose heart was racing?
Even now, if I closed my eyes and clenched my fist, I could almost feel that soft, warm sensation from that day lingering at my fingertips.
Han Seo-ah's attitude hadn't really changed since then, but somehow... it felt unsatisfying.
On that day, we definitely felt more like lovers than childhood friends.
But now, it was like we'd woken from a midsummer night's dream and gone right back to being childhood friends.
"Sigh..."
If I hadn't known this feeling from the start, maybe it wouldn't have mattered.
But now that I did, like a traveler wandering the desert, I couldn't help but yearn desperately for the oasis named Han Seo-ah.
Hoping my thirst would finally be quenched at the end of the journey.
This was exactly why I'd been trying so hard to hide my feelings and look away until now.
No, wait—to become lovers in the first place, how does that even work?
Isn't telling you that being with you feels the best pretty much the same as a confession...?
Scratching my head, I turned to YouTube gurus for help and searched "How to Date Your Childhood Friend."
The top result, "69 Ways to Date Your Childhood Friend—Fully Revealed!" jumped out with its blatant clickbait title, so I clicked it.
--But why 69 ways, of all numbers?
I had that question floating in my head.
Little did I know that brushing past it without resolving it would lead to a minor mishap down the line.
#56 Clickbaited.
69 ways, my ass.
Nearly 80% of the video had nothing to do with childhood friends, and it ended with a pathetic plea for subscriptions and likes. Total trash.
The only halfway useful advice was to show a fresh, different side since your relationship is already so familiar.
...But didn't I already do that?
In the past few days, the sides we'd shown each other were definitely similar to before... but different too.
Because at some point, Han Seo-ah had started showing me a side of herself that was different from usual, so I stopped hiding my true feelings as well.
Which left just one thing...
"Confession, huh..."
I let out a deep sigh.
Confession.
If it worked out, that'd be amazing.
Just imagining Han Seo-ah as my girlfriend had my heart pounding already—what would it feel like for real? I couldn't even begin to guess.
I could only vaguely imagine it'd feel like I owned the whole world.
But,
--What if it fails?
Like Adam and Eve giving in to the serpent's sweet temptation and stealing the fruit from the tree of knowledge.
If I paid the price for my presumptuous greed...
And lost even our childhood friend relationship with Han Seo-ah...
I'd spend my whole life missing you.
Or even if I met someone else, I'd unconsciously think of you and chase your shadow. The very idea made my heart ache.
"Sigh..."
This was tough.
They say confession isn't about challenging someone—it's about confirming mutual feelings.
Are your feelings the same as mine right now?
Looking at the way Han Seo-ah had been acting toward me, it sure seemed like it, filling me with confidence one moment.
But then the doubt would creep in—"Isn't that just because we're childhood friends?"—and my thoughts would spiral, leaving me deflated like a punctured balloon.
I sighed and flopped onto the bed, curling up under the covers.
Maybe I should just bury my face in the pillow, close my eyes, and catch a quick nap... But even that was impossible; my mind wouldn't stop churning, leaving my chest feeling stuffy and sleep far away.
As I wrestled with my tangled emotions, I heard the front door open.
Light, cheerful footsteps approached from the entrance toward my room, and just like that, my heart started fluttering as if it had never been in turmoil.
--What am I, Pavlov's dog?
Screw it—even if I am a dog, so what.
"Jun-woo!"
Han Seo-ah burst through my door with a bright, sunny smile.
Come to think of it, yeah, I really was Pavlov's dog.
Just seeing her smile made one creep across my face automatically.
"Hey, you're here?"
We hadn't made plans or anything, but there was no reason I'd ever dislike her showing up, so I greeted her with a smile.
She sauntered over naturally and flopped right onto the bed beside me.
Boing—
The bed... bounced.
"What were you up to?"
--Thinking about you.
She looked so comfy, giggling up at me as she asked the question. I wanted to confess everything right then and there.
All my feelings.
"Just... hanging out."
Hiding those thoughts, I fiddled with her hair, which was splayed out across the bed like wings.
So soft.
"...Is something wrong, Jun-woo?"
I'd thought I'd hidden it well, but apparently not—or maybe she just knew me too well.
Seeing the worry in her eyes as she looked right at me, the words I'd barely swallowed down threatened to bubble back up.
"Nothing."
With a defeated shrug, I lay back on the bed too.
Then,
"Eungcha~"
With a cute, playful voice, she wriggled her body closer to me.
Whoa, way too close.
--We're gonna touch.
The bed wasn't that big to begin with, so we quickly ended up close enough for our breaths to mingle. Her face was right there in front of my nose, and a sweet strawberry scent washed over me.
It was a face I'd seen a million times, but gazing at each other while lying down like this felt totally new.
Neat eyebrows and sparkling eyes. A perfectly straight nose and soft-looking lips.
And... cheeks flushed like she was expecting something, paired with her cute little ears that seemed a bit pink.
The sight was so overwhelmingly beautiful it bordered on violent, and my heart started pounding hard.
I got so worked up I worried my breath would hit her—my whole body felt like it was heating up.
--Oh.
Carefully, I pulled my waist back a little. At this distance, we might actually touch.
"Jun-woo."
"...Yeah?"
Whether she knew how I felt or not, she just called my name playfully, like she was perfectly happy in the moment.
"My neck hurts."
"Oh, sorry. Here, use the pillow."
Too distracted soaking in the sight of her, I'd forgotten the basics. Feeling bad, I hurriedly tried to hand her the pillow, but she lightly tugged at the hem of my shirt.
I looked at her questioningly, and she shook her head just a bit—like that wasn't it.
"Eung, not that."
"Not the pillow?"
I puzzled over what she could mean, and then she tapped my arm lightly with her finger and whispered,
"I think this pillow would be comfier..."
"... "
I was so stunned by her alluring expression that I just stared at her, speechless.
She must've thought my reaction was funny—she let out a soft giggle. Entranced, I extended my arm.
And just like that, with a delighted "Kya~," she rested her head lightly on it, smiling.
"Comfy?"
I teased, seeing how pleased she looked.
"Hee... 99 points!"
Her mischievous expression as she scored me with that cute voice made me chuckle.
"What? Where'd that 1 point go?"
It was 100 last time.
Curious about the missing point, I asked. The little devilish look on her face from moments ago turned shy, her cheeks flushing as she said,
"...You have two arms."
"Huh?"
I didn't get it at first and asked her to repeat, but then it hit me.
Wait... is this what I think it is?
The arm that wasn't pinned under her head—I lifted my other one carefully toward her, giving her a look that said, This, right? Her eyes crinkled in a smile, her expression brimming with affection, confirming it.
Her gaze alone let me feel how much she cared for me.
Without thinking, I reached out further and stroked her soft hair.
Each stroke brought her faint scent wafting up, putting me in such a good mood.
I wanted to stay like this forever.
Then I noticed a strand of hair caught on her cute little ear. I gently brushed it aside, and she let out a soft "Hup~."
...That's kinda hot.
I pulled my waist back a bit more.
Somehow, the closer our upper bodies got, the farther apart our lower halves felt.
I wanted to pull Han Seo-ah into a tight hug, pour out my feelings, and whisper words of love.
But this was probably the closest childhood friends like us were allowed to get.
"Seo-ah."
"Eung?"
She looked so content, her eyes curved into happy crescents, her lovely expression filling my vision.
"Midterms are coming up soon."
"Yeah, they are."
"After midterms, let's go on a trip. One night, two days."
"...Just us?"
If this distance was the limit for where we were now, then it was time to push forward.
Because I wanted more than this with Han Seo-ah.
"Yeah, just the two of us."
"...Yeah, sounds good."
Did she sense it too?
She didn't even ask where—just grinned ear to ear and said yes. It made me feel like our relationship would change after these midterms.
In that playful atmosphere brimming with our deep affection for each other, we spent the time together. And I made a vow.
After midterms end, I'll confess for sure.