Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: The Password of Our Firsts
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#136 "It was awful meeting you. Let's never meet again..."
"Who are you to say that..."
"Whatever. Just get lost, all of you..."
The match history screen was completely engulfed in a fiery red, like a forest fire had broken out.
The saying "unite and live, scatter and die" clearly didn't apply to us. We banded together only to die together, leaving each other with the deep scar of demotion.
"I did great, you sons of... no, you damn bastards..."
"Lee Jun-woo, you...!"
Ding-dong.
—Yeah, I'm not listening~
I bolted from the voice chat room without hearing the obvious excuses from the losers.
"Ugh..."
I hadn't planned to play this long with Seo-ah around.
But those damn guys pulled the "You gonna lose like this? Throw it?" card, and I couldn't stomach going down without a fight. One more game to win turned into two hours because we kept losing.
I stretched, loosening my stiff body, and glanced to the side. There was Seo-ah.
No, my precious girlfriend was gazing toward me, clutching my phone tightly to her chest, sleeping soundly.
I'd noticed how quiet it had gotten at some point. Had she watched me play until she dozed off?
Seeing her like that, having waited for me and fallen asleep, made me feel genuinely sorry.
—Lee Jun-woo, you idiot...!
Even if Seo-ah said it was okay, I should've stopped sooner.
I shut down the computer, stood up, and carefully approached. I perched lightly on the edge of the bed so I wouldn't wake her.
Lying on my bed, looking utterly at peace.
Her chest rose and fell gently with each soft breath. Watching her sleep, it hit me anew how unbelievable it was that this Seo-ah was my girlfriend.
What else could she be but an angel?
I couldn't forget the addictive softness from when I'd kissed her earlier. I reached out tentatively and pinched her soft cheek.
"Mm..."
Whether it hurt or she hated having her sweet sleep interrupted, her delicate brows furrowed. I felt bad for her, but it was so cute I couldn't help but smile.
When I gently removed my hand, her pale skin left a perfect pink mark where my fingers had been, like a dot of color on white paper.
Sorry, I stroked her soft cheek tenderly. She twitched and slowly opened her eyes.
"Sleep well?"
Still half-asleep, she blinked without fully opening her eyes, then parted her small lips.
"Mm... Jun-woo, you done...?"
"Yeah, sorry. I made you wait too long."
"Nooo..."
No trace of annoyance at me for keeping her waiting. Instead, her voice was laced with affection, telling me it was fine.
She gently took my hand from her cheek and brought it to her lips. Curious what she was doing, I watched.
Mwah—
She pressed her moist lips to the back of my hand.
Then, one by one, my fingers in order.
Mwah—
The warm, wet sensation on each finger.
Not fully awake yet, but showering me with affection like she couldn't contain how much she liked me.
It gave me a glimpse of the depth of Seo-ah's love for me.
"...Isn't that cheating?"
I said with a grin. She finished with my thumb and looked up at me.
"Hm? What is...?"
"You get full marks right after waking up."
"I'm a hundred points...?"
I'd always been the one grading her, so this was new. Her eyes widened in surprise at first, then she burst into laughter.
"Yeah, unanimous hundred points."
"Hee, what's that supposed to mean..."
Teasing me but smiling happily, she propped herself up on one elbow and looked at me.
As I tried to pull back my hand, now covered in her marks, she grabbed it like where do you think you're going? and rubbed her cheek against it.
I stroked her cheek like that. She smiled drowsily, looking pleased, then her eyes sparkled like she'd thought of something good.
"Jun-woo."
"Yeah?"
"Jun-woo, there's a way for you to turn it around..."
"Turn it around?"
I looked at her with puzzled eyes, wondering what she meant.
Tap tap—
She pointed to her moist lips, which had just been on my hand.
That lovable, tempting look was too much for me.
Cupping her soft cheek, I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. When I pulled back,
"Did Jun-woo turn it around?"
Seo-ah said with a satisfied smile.
"...Nah, didn't."
"Huh?"
"Seo-ah, that just got you another hundred. You're at two hundred now."
—I might never beat you in my life.
"What's that supposed to mean..."
She said it like it was ridiculous, but the smile on her lips and her crescent-moon eyes said it all about her mood.
Suddenly, I thought maybe it was true that love made people prettier.
Or maybe I'd been blinding myself to her beauty, wanting to see her just as a friend.
Even as childhood friends, I'd thought she was beautiful. But now, she was growing breathtakingly more beautiful every day.
I couldn't tear my eyes away.
That was probably why I leaned down again.
#137 "Did you change my phone password?"
After earning those hundred points a few more times, my flushed face finally cooled once I opened the window to air out the steamy room.
Calmed down, I tried to turn on my phone screen, but it said the password was wrong.
What? I tried again, but it kept saying wrong until it locked me out for thirty seconds.
Seo-ah was still rubbing her eyes like a cat, head on my hand, not fully awake. I asked her.
"Try guessing, Jun-woo."
She grinned like a kid whose prank worked. I couldn't help but laugh and give it a shot.
My birthday... no, it used to be that.
Seo-ah's birthday? Nope.
Our birthdays combined? No.
What could it be?
I didn't think she'd mess with me on purpose, so it had to be something connected to us. I pondered the setter's intent.
'0430'
The phone unlocked instantly.
"Got it?"
Even though I'd cracked her quiz, she looked happy I'd guessed it right. I couldn't help but smile back.
"I'll never forget it now."
April 30th.
The day we first went on a trip, just the two of us.
The day we ended our thirteen-year friendship and started something new.
The day we first... kissed and fell asleep together.
How could I forget that historic day full of our firsts?
If anything, I felt stupid for not changing it sooner. My heart tickled at the pleasant surprise she'd prepared behind my back.
"Anything else?"
Was it just the password?
I doubted it.
"Wanna look? I'll give you a reward each time you find one."
I didn't need to ask what kind of reward.
We both knew exactly what was in each other's eyes.
I slowly checked the phone. I startled a bit seeing a [Location Tracker] app I'd never downloaded.
But after the PC bang incident, if this put Seo-ah at ease, it was fine. I looked away.
Checking further, I spotted an adorable change she hadn't even tried to hide.
[Jun-woo's ♡]
It had been saved as initials before. H.S.Y..
I'd been so thoughtless.
Was she hurt? I felt sorry for not changing it sooner.
Everything with her was new; I'd said I loved her but hadn't shown it enough.
"Can I change yours too?"
But that wasn't what she'd wanted.
If I was really sorry, I'd start putting in more effort now.
She beamed like she'd been waiting, saying "Yeah!" and handed me her phone with a bright smile.
Like mine, '0430' unlocked it. I held back the urge to hug her right then. There was something to do first.
I opened contacts. The top one was [Jun-woo ♡]. I changed it to [Seo-ah's ♥].
Back then, I'd have cringed at something so sappy. Now, I finally understood why people did it.
I handed it back. She checked and lit up, more beautiful than ever, proving love made you prettier. It dazzled me.
"Time for my reward?"
"...Come here quick."
At my shameless words, she blushed on her snowy cheeks, urging me on like why even ask?
It didn't take long for our shadows in the room to overlap as one.
With you, there's never a dull moment. Is this the honeymoon phase?
No. Even as childhood friends, we'd never been bored in thirteen years.