On Christmas (2)
I'd racked my brains trying to guess where Na-eun would take me for our Christmas date, but honestly, there weren't many options to begin with.
She's still in high school, after all, and even assuming she'd been on a bunch of dates, they'd probably maxed out at cafes.
So the place she brought me to was none other than the Botanical Garden.
At first, it caught me off guard, but thinking about it, it wasn't that surprising. If anything, it was right in line with what I'd expected.
Botanical gardens make for a solid date spot, and more importantly, they're perfect for students.
Why? Because the admission is dirt cheap.
Adults pay 5,000 won, teens 3,000 won. Even if Na-eun and I hung out here for hours, it'd only cost us 8,000 won combined.
We each paid for our tickets and headed inside.
I was kinda looking forward to it—it seemed like it'd be fun.
This might sound weird, but back when I was dating my ex, I'd never been to a botanical garden.
Suhyun Kang loved food, and she was more into thrills and excitement than anything "boring," so we skipped places like this.
Plus—and this isn't bragging—neither of us were the type to skimp on money during dates.
That's why I was even more excited about a spot like this. Total first for me.
But there were a fair number of people around.
I figured that added to the fun... but Na-eun's face didn't look too happy.
She seemed to feel guilty for bringing me somewhere crowded, but honestly, she had nothing to feel bad about. If anything, I was grateful she'd shown me a place I'd never been.
With that in mind, I decided to cheer her up and show my thanks by making the vibe as fun as possible.
"Isn't the bustle kinda fun?"
Yeah, the hustle and bustle has its own charm. Liveliness means energy, and that alone makes everything more enjoyable.
Did my intention get through? Na-eun gave a small smile and replied.
"...Yeah, the bustle could be fun."
Seeing her smile put my mind at ease. Whatever funk she'd been in seemed to lift right away.
"Na-eun, ready to start exploring?"
"Yeah, let's!"
Na-eun nodded enthusiastically, and we began wandering the botanical garden.
Leisurely, and with big smiles.
*
The place was packed with all sorts of plants.
Some were quirky houseplants, others were flowers so pretty anyone would stop and stare.
"Oppa, look at those flowers...!"
"Oh, pretty. What's their name?"
"Margaret. Margaret."
"Cute name too."
Na-eun beamed a happy smile at the little pink blooms in full display.
I watched her, then pointed at another plant.
"Na-eun, check that one out."
"A cactus? Whoa, it even has flowers. Awesome."
Na-eun snapped a photo of the flowering cactus right away. Was it that fascinating?
Watching her, I asked just in case.
"Na-eun, want me to take your picture if you're cool with it?"
"My picture?"
"Yeah, isn't snapping a photo tradition at places like this?"
"Totally~ Oppa knows his stuff!"
Na-eun grinned brightly and headed off to strike a pose—right by the Margarets we'd just seen, naturally.
"Oppa, how's this? Do I look good?"
"Hmm~ Not bad, but..."
Not bad. But not quite perfect.
The flowers were tiny, and the background felt off, so they barely showed up—mostly just Na-eun shining through. The blooms were kinda hidden behind her, even.
Still, the surrounding greenery made Na-eun—the real flower—pop even more, so I shrugged it off with a mental No biggie~.
"Say cheese~ One, two~"
-Click! Click! Click! Click!
I fired off four shots, and Na-eun came over to check the phone.
"Ooooh...!"
"What do you think? Good?"
"Yeah! Love it!"
Na-eun nodded vigorously, grinning as she whipped out her phone and swapped her KakaoTalk profile pic to the fresh shot in seconds.
I'm no pro photographer, but the subject was so gorgeous, it came out like a total insta-worthy pic.
"Let me take one of you, oppa!"
"Me? Nah, I'm good."
"Hmm... Then let's take one together!"
"Together?"
"Yeah! I wanna take a pic with you!"
What a sweet, sneaky girl.
Offering to take my photo by making it a couple shot? Can't argue with that.
Why pass up a beauty like Na-eun wanting a pic with me? That'd be the real loss.
"Excuse me...!"
Na-eun smoothly asked some nearby adults to snap it for us, handed over her phone, and hustled back to pose by my side.
I felt a bit awkward, but I matched her pose as best I could.
"Okay, here we go~ One, two~"
-Click! Click! Click! Click!
Just like I'd done for her, they took about four shots before handing the phone back.
Na-eun checked them, her smile even brighter than before, and bowed deeply to our photographers.
"Thank you...!"
"Thanks."
"Have a wonderful romance~"
"Merry Christmas~"
The middle-aged couple who'd taken the pics must've pegged us as a couple—they left with that sweet blessing.
Were we that cozy-looking? I peeked at the photos on Na-eun's phone...
...Yeah, definitely. Super intimate vibes.
Na-eun and I looked so sweet together, it screamed couple. If this wasn't one, no photo ever was.
Not that we were, though.
* * *
'Have a wonderful romance~'
That lady's words echoed in my ears, refusing to fade.
A wonderful romance—did she mean Seonwoo oppa and I looked like a couple?
God, I hope so. If others see us that way, it means we match perfectly.
-Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
My heart was pounding like crazy. Because of that word "romance"?
Definitely. "Romance" has this magical power.
And with the guy I love right beside me, no wonder it was amplified tenfold.
"Hoo... haa... hoo... haa..."
I took deep breaths in and out, repeating until I felt a bit calmer.
A bit, anyway.
Of course, the slightest thing would set it off again.
And that trigger was...
"Hey, Na-eun."
"Y-, uh, y-, yeah...! Oppa...!"
Just Seonwoo oppa's voice.
"You okay?"
"Wh- wh- what...!?"
"Your sentences got short all of a sudden..."
"I'm fine, really, totally fine...!"
I'm not fine. My heart can't take this.
After that lady's words, how could I look him straight in the eye? No way, impossible for me.
I couldn't control my racing heart or face him, but Seonwoo oppa hit me with something way too cruel.
"Anyway, this is the end of the botanical garden."
"Oh... yeah..."
"...Wanna stick around a bit longer?"
His words were so gentle. But his actions...
Tilting his head down to look at me with that caring gaze—it made my heart hammer wildly.
Right now, I didn't want him seeing my face.
If he did...
My feelings would spill out for sure.
"Oppa...! Um, l-, let's...! Stay here just a little, a little longer before we go...!"
"Uh... sure. Oh yeah, that photo from earlier—can I get it?"
"The photo...? Got it...! Sending it now...!"
My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and opened KakaoTalk with Seonwoo oppa.
I sent him the couple pic we'd just taken.
In the process, I glimpsed his face on the screen...
"...So handsome."
His face was too perfect—my heart pounded even harder.
Thanks to that, I couldn't look at Seonwoo oppa properly until it finally calmed down.