Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Love Advice Consultation
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#173
Seo-ah had gone around with Kang Ji-ah and her friends for the first time in ages, hitting every spot they could until it was nearly 9 p.m. before asking if I could come pick her up.
The old Seo-ah would've hesitated, shrinking back out of concern for my feelings, or skipped calling altogether to avoid bothering me.
But now, with that cute, coquettish tone, she was straight-up asking me to come get her. Far from annoying, I loved the change.
Isn't that what love is? Not calculating efficiency with each other, but happily accepting even the nuisances.
Seo-ah must've figured I'd worry about her all day, because she kept me updated like she was reporting to a boss.
Where she and her friends were grabbing food, when they'd arrived at karaoke...
Even while having fun—when she should've been too busy to bother—she sent photos along with steady updates on her whereabouts, saying we should go together sometime and that she missed me.
In return for her thoughtfulness, the moment her text came in, I bolted out the door.
When I reached the spot she'd messaged, there she was in the corner of the cafe, looking bored as she scrolled her phone, waiting for me.
The instant she spotted me approaching, her face lit up so brightly it felt like staring into the sun, and she beamed at me.
Taking in that adorable sight, I knew coming was the right call.
#174
Whirr—
"...And that's how it went."
"Heh..."
We'd grown so used to heading back to my place together.
We greeted my parents, showered before bed, changed into comfy pajamas.
The things Seo-ah had gradually brought into my room had seamlessly become part of it, and the dresser that once held my clothes had been ousted, now stuffed with hers and her underwear.
It was no longer just my room anymore. It was our room, overlaid with her traces.
Inside it, I gently dried her silky hair (she'd even brought her own diffuser), and with each touch of my hands, her small head swayed softly side to side.
Drying my short hair took maybe three minutes tops, but for Seo-ah's long locks, it was at least fifteen, sometimes twenty.
Once, while lounging on the bed watching her, I'd gotten curious why it took so long and offered to help. She loved it.
After that, she kept asking, and somehow I became the official Han Seo-ah hair-dryer.
It'd be a lie to say it wasn't the tiniest bit of a hassle.
But the reasons to put up with it overflowed.
Like the soft strands slipping through my fingers.
Or the glimpses of her pale neck and cute little ears peeking through.
Or the fresh, tickling scent of her that wafted from those strands, teasing my nose.
When she first started staying over, she smelled sweetly of strawberries.
But at some point, she switched to my shampoo, filling the room with a tangy lemon scent—and it felt like she was soaking up my traces, just as my room had hers. My heart tingled at the thought.
Finally finishing the marathon drying session, I planted a kiss on the top of her head. She twisted around with a squeak, offering her lips.
Mm—
They were moist, fresh from her shower—or maybe always that way.
I savored them.
Naturally, I stood, lay back on the bed, and pulled her into my arms. The room, which felt so empty when I was alone, seemed to buzz with life again, as if it'd never been otherwise.
To the point where I couldn't imagine being without her now.
"What do you wanna do, Junu?"
"About moving out?"
"Yeah, honestly... I love the idea. It's somewhere I've wanted to do for ages, and..."
"We'll end up living together someday anyway, sooner or later."
"And if we move out... we could do it with you anytime... right?"
I'd been nodding along with an "Mm, yeah" until her last words trailed off, hit with a sultry glance that made me gasp.
"...Junu, why the shock?"
"...Guess I need to stock up on stamina boosters."
"Hee, I'll do it with you every day."
Every day? The words nearly escaped, but I swallowed them.
Every day sounded great to me.
Like home training(?)
I used to be the one initiating with Seo-ah at first, but now she was the one asking—and yeah, succubus confirmed.
Even now—
"Seo-ah, if you keep touching it, it's getting hard to hold back..."
"Oops, I didn't mean to..."
...What do you mean, didn't mean to?
Her hand softly stroking my little Junu wasn't unwelcome—in fact, I wanted more—but after Mom's words earlier, doing it again right away would mean facing suffocating stares come morning. So I held back.
I'd heard some couples fret over compatibility, but we meshed too well. No room for worries like that—not when we'd been craving each other every night since our first.
"Whew... Okay, I'll talk to Mom about moving out tomorrow. Let's go house-hunting soon."
"Looking at places to live with you... What do I do? I'm so excited already!"
Her eyes sparkled even in the dark room, like she was thrilled just imagining it, and I started looking forward to it too.
"One-room enough? Or two?"
"Junu, obviously one-room! Unless... you wanna sleep in separate rooms...?"
"Sorry."
I knew it was a joke, but seeing her pout like I'd hurt her feelings tugged at me.
"We'll need a bed, right?"
"Junu."
"Yeah?"
"The bed has to be big... Got it?"
Her gaze devoured me, making me flinch and break into a cold sweat.
Watching her expressions shift endlessly without ever growing stale, we chatted about our new place, and the conversation showed no signs of winding down.
"So, wanna check places out this weekend, Junu?"
"This weekend...?"
Mention of the weekend sparked something in my head with a crackle.
What was it? Racking my brain, Kim Seung-hyun's face popped up.
Ah, shit, my eyes...!
I quickly looked at Seo-ah's lovely face to calm down, and she asked what was wrong.
"Junu, why the sudden face? You okay?"
"...Nah, just remembered something weird. How about house-hunting next week instead?"
"Huh? Got somewhere to be this weekend?"
"I forgot to mention... Seung-hyun wants dating advice—from us, especially you."
"From me...? Dating advice...?"
Her eyes went wide, like she'd never dreamed of it.
"That Soo-jin from before, right? Did they fight or something?"
"Not exactly..."
I hesitated for three seconds, wondering if I should even say.
But then, why was I stressing over someone else's issue?
"They're both new to dating, so... things aren't progressing. He's stressing."
"Progressing...?"
She mulled over "progressing," then tilted her head like it didn't click.
"I only know how to progress with you..."
"..."
Her serious face was so earnest, my lips twitched into a grin.
"Our progress is pretty fast, huh...?"
We'd kissed on day one, but the intensity of our time together was unmatched.
"Hng, I've been holding back forever~"
"Blame whoever passed out that first night."
"...Junu, that's cheating."
Bringing up her unbeatable topic, she thumped my chest with her forehead like she was mad, and I burst out laughing.
"Anyway, Seung-hyun wants advice this weekend. Cool?"
"Hmm... Soo-jin and I hit it off pretty well, and..."
And—with a mischievous grin.
"Other people's love lives are always fun, right, Junu?"
"Can't argue there."
We giggled, trading guesses on what'd come up in Seung-hyun's consult.
At some point, in the quiet room filled only with our breaths, sleep finally crept in.
#175
Entering the cafe at the meetup spot with Seo-ah, I spotted Kim Seung-hyun glaring our way, squinting his already ugly eyes even uglier.
"...What's with those faces?"
"First words when you see us? Harsh much?"
"Hi, Kim Seung-hyun~"
"Hey, Han Seo-ah. Long time. But seriously, you two look thrilled it's someone else's problem."
Sip—Busted?
I rubbed my face and glanced at Seo-ah; she did the same to me, and we cracked up.
"Damn... Sit first. My treat today."
He eyed us jealously, shoving the menu our way.
Americano for me, cocoa for Seo-ah.
Orders in, Seung-hyun propped his chin on both hands like a drama king and dove right in.
"So, Miss Han Seo-ah. I have a question..."
"Me...? What is it...?"
"When a boyfriend suddenly gets touchy, or pushes things forward outta nowhere... how do girls feel? Freaked out? Turned off?"
Straight ball from the start. Seo-ah tapped her neat fingers to her lips, humming thoughtfully, then sneaked a peek at me.
"I love it when Junu does that...?"
"............Not by Lee Jun-woo standards."
"I only know Junu."
"Fine, drink and pay yourselves."
Seung-hyun wailed like "Why'd I even come?" while Seo-ah shot me an innocent, wronged look like she'd meant every word.
A wry smile crossed my face. This dating consult was definitely a one-and-done.