Say You Love Me Again
I couldn't believe it.
The lips that met mine after seven long years, the words I love you that left his mouth—both felt so far removed from reality that they terrified me.
What if I had just collapsed after a single drink and was trapped in another one of these awful nightmares…?
Chuu.
But the kiss shattered Yena's lingering fear all over again.
At the same time, the desire that had burst free refused to be reined in by her own will.
Because this was the moment the seven-year hell without Eunwoo finally crumbled.
Yet the moment selfish, terrible Yena realized Eunwoo truly liked her, she began pouting at him.
"I thought you really hated me… Do you have any idea how hard that was for me…!"
"I'm sorry…."
Foolishly kind Eunwoo had done nothing wrong, yet he accepted every one of Yena's sulky complaints and offered his apology.
After sobbing her heart out in his arms for a long while, Yena lifted the arms that had been wrapped around his waist and looped them around his neck instead.
"Eunu… can you say you love me just one more time…?"
Just as she wished, Eunwoo whispered "I love you" against her ear and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.
"Heheh… I didn't ask for a kiss, though…."
"Should I stop?"
"No… if you're gonna do it, then not there…."
She pouted her lips in a clear demand for a proper one, and Eunwoo's soft mouth settled over hers.
Chuu. Chuu.
Two kisses later, Yena let out a silly little laugh and snuggled tightly into his embrace.
Right then—
Gurgle. The unmistakable rumble of Yena's stomach clock.
"……."
Her boyfriend was snickering while she was embarrassed, which was annoying as hell, but the gentle pats on her backside made her decide to forgive him just for today.
"Want to eat more meat?"
"Mm…."
After we finished dinner, the alcohol hit harder than expected and my face burned hot.
Normally I can drink way more without getting drunk….
I was so happy now that a single bottle had me swaying, unable to keep myself steady.
"Yena, if you're dizzy, just sit on the sofa. I'll handle the dishes."
"…I should be the one doing them…." she started to insist, but Eunwoo didn't even let her finish. One arm slid under her knees, the other supported her back, and he lifted her as if she weighed nothing.
In that instant she let out an involuntary "Kyaah!" and threw her arms around his neck.
"I'll do them tonight, and you can do them next time. Deal?"
"…."
Nod, nod.
He carefully set her down on the sofa.
"Yena, can you turn around for a sec?"
"Mm…."
She turned her body as instructed.
Eunwoo untied the waist strings of the apron and looped it around his own neck.
Yena's personal apron looked completely wrong on tall Eunwoo, yet even that sight felt adorable to her eyes.
They had already kissed so many times, and still she wanted more.
When Yena tugged on the long, loose apron strings, Eunwoo came into her arms without the slightest resistance.
Chuu.
"A reward for doing the dishes…."
"Pfft, aren't rewards supposed to come after you're done?"
"…I'll give you another one when I'm finished, too."
"Guess I'd better work hard, then."
When the dishes were done and I walked into the living room, Yena was already asleep with her tank top ridden up, baring her white stomach.
"Seriously, her terrible sleeping habits haven't changed one bit."
Ever since we started dating, Yena had always loved sleeping with me.
Not for sexual reasons—she simply claimed she couldn't fall asleep unless she was clinging to me like a body pillow.
Well, holding back every time was pure agony for me… but what was I supposed to do when my girlfriend said she couldn't sleep without me?
Poke.
"Hnnngh…."
When I prodded her soft cheek with a finger, she flinched and mumbled around an invisible something in her mouth.
"Lee Yena, you have to brush your teeth before you sleep."
"Unngh…."
Ignoring me completely, she started nuzzling her face against the back of my hand. There was zero sign she planned to get up.
I had no choice but to play my trump card.
"Haa, I don't want to kiss a girl who doesn't brush her teeth."
The second the words left my mouth, Yena shot upright and half-ran to the bathroom with her eyes still half-closed.
"You're gonna fall—slow down a little."
I followed right behind her into the bathroom.
Toothbrush already in her mouth, Yena was dozing off on her feet.
What if she smacked her head on the sink like that…?
Of course, as an S-Rank hunter, Yena wouldn't even get a scratch, but as her boyfriend I never wanted to see her in pain.
I wrapped my arms firmly around her waist from behind; she immediately went limp and leaned her whole weight against me.
"Excuse me, miss, you're heavy."
"You said I wasn't!"
Her mouth was full of foam, so I couldn't make out the words clearly, but she was definitely mad.
"Pfft, if you're gonna yell, rinse first."
Bubble, bubble—she spat out every last bit of foam and then cutely shouted again, "You said I wasn't heavy!"
"I was joking. Hey, do you have a spare toothbrush?"
Yena pulled one from the drawer, squeezed toothpaste onto it, and handed it over.
"Here…."
"Thanks. Guess I'll just leave this one here from now on."
"Heheh… yeah."
She watched me brush with a bright little smile.
"You going to work tomorrow?"
"Obviously I have to."
"…So are you going home now?"
"If our Yena calls me a designated driver, I'll go. If she doesn't, I was thinking of staying."
"…."
Without a word, Yena grabbed my wrist, silently telling me not to leave.
Not that I'd ever planned on going home in the first place.
It was the first day we were dating again after seven years, so even if I wasn't showing it much, I was ridiculously excited too.
We moved from the bathroom to the bedroom and lay down on the same bed.
In most relationships, "we're just holding hands and sleeping" is pure bullshit.
You start out holding hands and somehow a hand ends up inside clothes—that's the usual rule.
But both of us had been through way too many changes in a single day, so simply lying here together was more than enough.
Of course, if Yena wanted more, this body of mine was ready to go up in flames for her.
Unfortunately, she was already dead asleep in my arms.
Chuu.
"Good night."
The next morning.
The second I opened my eyes I planned to start the day with a kiss from Yena, but the space beside me was empty.
Did she go to the bathroom…?
I sat up, still half-asleep, rubbed my eyes, and walked out into the living room.
At the same time, a savory scent of doenjang jjigae tickled my nose.
"Oh, you're already up?" Yena came scampering over and threw herself into my arms, then pouted her lips demanding a kiss.
Chuu.
"Sleep well?"
"Mm…!"
"But how come you're up so early?"
"You said you're going to work today… You have to eat breakfast first."
"Ah…."
Back in school, Yena had been such a heavy sleeper that even when I went to wake her she barely stirred, and she'd nearly been late more times than I could count.
The fact that this same sleepyhead had gotten up early just to make me breakfast filled me with so much emotion I could hardly stand it.
"Hold on, the stew's boiling."
She slipped out of my arms, turned off the induction cooktop, and set the bubbling pot in the middle of the table.
Then she transferred one side dish after another until, before I knew it, a full feast was spread across the table.
"You never ate breakfast properly when you were working, right?"
"Uh…."
I didn't bother mentioning that I used to get by on triangle kimbap every day; I didn't want to make her sad.
"Heheh, I won't let that happen anymore. Shall we eat?"
I nodded and sat down.
Today's menu: flower crab doenjang jjigae and rolled omelette, plus all kinds of namul and napa cabbage kimchi.
"Haum…."
"How is it?"
What was there to say?
"It's delicious…."
Delicious enough that I wanted her to cook for me for the rest of my life.
I arrived at the company under Yena's tearful send-off.
The moment I sent the text, my phone started ringing like crazy.
"Sunbae, the meeting with Miss Yena is set for next Wednesday."
"Yeah, the manager already texted me about it last night."
"Ugh… why does that guy send work texts to someone on leave? So rude…."
"Tell me about it."
Kim Gayoung was frowning and trash-talking Manager Park right up until the moment he walked in, at which point she instantly switched to "Oh my! Good morning, Manager!" and started buttering him up.
That was probably why the higher-ups liked Kim Gayoung so much.
Watching her handle office life always made me, as her senior, feel like I should take notes.
People like her were loved no matter where they went.
"Gayoung, thanks for the other day."
I handed her a vitamin drink as I spoke. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.
"What…? Did I do something wrong to you, sunbae?"
"No…. You gave me relationship advice before, remember?"
"Huh?! Don't tell me?!"
"Yeah. We started dating again yesterday."
"Holy crap! No way! I knew something was up when you suddenly took leave!!!"
"Could you… maybe tone down the theatrics? A twenty-seven-year-old dating isn't that big a deal."
"…It is a huge deal to me…. Do you have any idea how much it sucks being a lifelong single at twenty-five? Haa, seriously, couples here, couples there… this place is the worst…."
Kim Gayoung suddenly launched into a self-pitying monologue and hung her head.
I would have loved to introduce her to a decent guy, but unfortunately every single one of my close male friends already had girlfriends.
The only thing I could offer was a few pats on the shoulder.
"Well… hang in there."
"Haa, you're just rubbing salt in the wound again…."