Chapter 87
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: An Autumn Date as Leaves Turn (1)
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Not long ago, it was so hot that just stepping outside would leave you drenched in sweat,
but now cool breezes blew in as the sun set, carrying a refreshing chill.
People still wandered around in short sleeves quite often,
but you could now spot some in long-sleeved shirts or light jackets.
And beneath that crisp autumn wind stood Baek Jae-hyun, waiting for someone.
Two days after pulling an all-nighter with Flora at the movies—doubling as a date and some SM play—he now found himself alone on a weekday afternoon by the roadside.
'Standing out here like this at this hour... feels kinda awkward.'
Though his job as a magical girl's manager was anything but ordinary,
he was still, technically, an average office worker. Which made being out here in the middle of the day all the more conspicuous.
It was simply his turn for a date with Athena.
Athena had said waiting until next weekend was fine,
but he didn't want to make her wait a full week.
Unfortunately, with manager duties still backed up,
he couldn't take the whole day off and had only gotten approval for half a day.
So after ducking home alone right after lunch,
here he was, just past 3 p.m., waiting for Athena.
'Back in the day, they'd have demanded I come in even on weekends.'
At least they let him take half a day... He'd count his blessings.
"...Manager!"
As he mulled over his brief vacation thoughts,
Athena—who'd also taken the day off—approached.
"Did I keep you waiting long?"
"No, not at all. I just got here myself a minute ago."
Athena's outfit perfectly matched the mellow autumn weather.
A thick brown knit sweater over a white shirt,
paired with a short skirt and necktie in the same shade.
Like Flora, Athena usually favored comfy clothes,
so whenever she dressed up cute like this, it always caught him off guard.
"That's a new outfit—suits you perfectly. Or maybe it's just because you're so pretty."
"Ehehe... Hearing you say that makes me so happy...♥"
Her already ample chest had grown outrageously larger lately,
making it tougher than expected to pull off a casual look.
Athena didn't know much about fashion or style to begin with,
so she'd scoured YouTube for "fall outfits for fashion newbies."
After much deliberation, this was the result that caught her eye.
Jae-hyun's immediate compliment upon seeing her melted away her worries of maybe looking off.
"Today's date spot with you, Manager, is the park!"
Athena had come prepared with a meticulously planned itinerary.
She proudly showed him her phone screen,
introducing a park along the riverbank in the city.
"Think I've seen it online before.
People ordering delivery and eating while gazing at the scenery."
"Wait... Did you already know about it...?"
Her tone had carried a hint of unveiling a secret weapon.
Seeing Jae-hyun already somewhat familiar with the spot,
Athena pouted a little—she'd hoped to surprise him.
"No! I've just seen it vaguely online... Haha."
Jae-hyun felt terribly awkward seeing her crestfallen expression.
He waved his hands frantically, insisting he hadn't been there himself so he didn't really know,
and asked her to guide him on how to get there.
'She's got such a mature personality... but she has these quirky moments sometimes.'
"It's not far from here, so shall we walk together...♥?"
Perking up at his words, Athena offered her hand.
- Swish...♥
Relieved she wasn't disappointed, Jae-hyun gripped her outstretched hand tightly
and they started walking side by side.
They might spend every day in beastly rutting,
but truth be told, they were a fresh young couple with barely any age gap.
'Felt it a few days ago too... Dating really hits different.'
'It really... makes our relationship as lovers feel real...♥'
This ticklish flutter in his heart kept drawing faint smiles to his face.
Weaving through alleys and along the main road,
the river soon came into view in the distance, its waters flowing cleanly.
Drawing nearer to the river,
they spotted a row of street food stalls.
"Such a variety. Cup rice, too... They sell all sorts of wild stuff."
"What looks good to you, Manager? I'll buy it for you!"
The first step in Athena's date plan:
Buy and share whatever street food Jae-hyun picked.
"I don't have strong dislikes, so picking one's the hard part.
Anything you're craving, Athena?"
"You've always been so considerate first, so this time you have to choose!"
A habit Jae-hyun picked up from tending to Flora.
When deciding on meals to share,
he never went with his own preference—instead, always deferring to the magical girls' tastes.
He wasn't picky anyway,
and had hardly any ingredients he couldn't eat.
"Haha... That's even tougher."
But that was the catch with folks like him—zeroing in on one option was the real struggle.
With her insistence that he pick this time,
Jae-hyun furrowed his brow in deep contemplation.
"Alright... That one it is."
After much thought, he settled on seasoned fried chicken bites.
It was a meat dish he could confidently say he loved,
and the sweet sauce would suit Athena's sweet tooth, too.
"One small garlic-soy, and one small spicy, please."
Hearing his choice, Athena dashed to the chicken stall
and returned moments later, one flavor in each hand.
"I was gonna buy."
"Ehehe... It's fine! Magical girls get paid well."
"True enough. Well... Thanks, I'll dig in."
Chicken bites wafting savory aromas in hand,
they passed the row of stalls and settled by the river where the breeze blew cool and refreshing.
"Staring out like this... even cools the heart."
"I wanted to do something even more fun together...,
but sorry I'm not that exciting of a person."
"No, don't think like that."
Typical dates involved fancy spots with unique experiences
or savoring upscale cuisine together.
Especially tough to date often in their situation,
Athena had craved sharing something out of the ordinary.
"Truth is, once I got a boyfriend... I always wanted to try this."
Skewering bites on toothpicks, stuffing their mouths full,
leaning against each other with no thoughts but the view.
It might seem plain or boring,
but for Athena, perpetually locked in frantic battles, this rest was essential.
That's why she'd insisted on planning it herself.
She wanted a date where they could relax like this.
"Here! Ahh...♥"
Athena held a piece to Jae-hyun's apologetic lips.
A bit awkward trying something so cutesy,
but he soon smiled faintly and took the bite.
"Then... You too, Athena."
One good turn deserved another.
Now Jae-hyun fed her from his own serving.
"Ahh...♥"
Eyes squeezed shut, oblivious to sauce on her lips,
she chewed slowly, savoring with sounds of pure bliss.
"Master feeding it to me... makes it taste even better♥"
Slowly tasting, licking her lips with her tongue,
she gazed at him with eyes brimming with affection, conveying her gratitude.
They spent a sweet, simple moment on the bench,
feeding each other bites in cozy bliss.
And as the sky began to blush red,
"Master... mind if we hit a café or something?"
"We've been out a while...,
sipping cool coffee while watching the sunset sounds nice."
Wherever beautiful waterscapes sprawled,
cafés and pensions inevitably cropped up nearby.
Several cafés with prime views were open around them.
"That one's... way too crowded, huh?"
"Yeah..."
Glancing at the eye-catching franchise café,
it was packed even from afar.
"Any spot with seats is fine, really.
Just to check—wanna peek inside?"
After a moment's thought, Jae-hyun suggested trying it anyway,
and Athena's pondering face lit up.
'As expected... Master is such a wonderful person...♥'
Truth be told, she'd planned on that franchise café originally.
But never having gone at this hour,
she hadn't anticipated the crowd.
'She clearly wants to go there... Not hard to just check it out.'
Athena's preference was obvious,
so despite mentioning the crowd, Jae-hyun intended to go in.
Even a bustling spot like that
would become a memory and experience for her.