#51 - I Don't Want to Let Go
We'd confessed our feelings to each other, poured out how much we liked one another after our first kiss and hug, but afterward, neither of us said a word.
Screeech... screeech...
The only sound was the creaking of the swing. Nothing else broke the silence.
“……”
“……”
Neither Na-eun nor I spoke. I figured we were both racking our brains over what to say next.
And in moments like this, it was up to me to break the ice.
“Hey, Na-eun.”
“Yeah, oppa...”
“……Should we head home for now?”
Na-eun shook her head vigorously at my question.
“No way.”
“Why not?”
“I wanna stay longer... with you, oppa...”
...I'm losing my mind. Why does she always say the most lovable things?
It's precisely because she's like this that I fell for her, but damn, she's too adorable.
The problem is, her overwhelming cuteness leaves me speechless—paradoxically paralyzing me.
But this time, I needed to hold back that affection and talk to her seriously.
“Na-eun, your parents don't even know we're dating. Even if they did, I can't keep you out this late.”
“Why not...? We're a couple now...”
I gave it to her straight, catching the way she was gauging my reaction.
“To date each other in a healthy way, this is how it has to be.”
“Healthy...?”
“Yeah, healthy.”
I might come off like a nag, but she needed to hear it clear as day.
“If we like each other so much that we stay out late into the night, what do you think your parents will think of me?”
Na-eun pondered that, then nodded like she got it.
“Okay...”
She looked totally deflated, poor thing, but there was no helping it. Truth be told, I wanted to stay with her longer too—this was my first time dating her, after all.
But keeping her out forever wasn't an option. As someone who'd dated before, if I held onto a newbie like Na-eun late at night, it'd ruin my image. That's why I made the call.
And it wasn't just about my image. Hers mattered too.
In the early stages of dating, if you're out gallivanting too much or neglecting family for your partner, of course your family will think poorly of it.
But Na-eun was way bolder than I'd expected.
She pulled out her phone, sent a message somewhere, and as soon as the reply came in, flashed a triumphant grin.
“Oppa, I think it's okay to stay out a bit longer today.”
“Huh...?”
She showed me her phone. It was a chat with her mom—Auntie Jeong.
“So, this means I can stay longer, right?”
Na-eun beamed at me with crinkled eyes.
Damn, I can't win against you, Jeong Na-eun.
I nodded reluctantly, and she giggled, wrapping her arms around mine.
“Oppa, should we head back to the cafe then?”
“Too cold?”
“Yeah, it's freezing.”
“Alright, got it.”
I led her back to the cafe.
Just earlier, when we'd left, we were like close oppa and dongsaeng. Now? Lovers. The irony felt pretty great.
*
We ordered our drinks inside—another iced Americano for me, a warm cafe mocha for Na-eun.
“Oppa, why do you always get iced Americano? Is it that good?”
“I like the bitterness. Plus, us Koreans have that saying—even ice melts in the end.”
“Doesn't make sense to me. You're such a dummy.”
Even as she teased, her eyes were full of affection.
Her jabs didn't bother me at all—probably because they were laced with love.
Or maybe I was just so head over heels that everything about her looked perfect.
Na-eun cradled her coffee with both hands, grinning ear to ear as she looked at me.
“Oppa, there's something I wanna do with you.”
“What?”
“Take a pic together and set it as our profile picture.”
“Profile pic?”
“Yeah, profile pic. That okay?”
“No reason not to.”
It might sound weird, but back when I dated Suhyun Kang, we'd done the same—snapped couple selfies for our profiles and broadcast it everywhere.
Hey world, we're dating!
Na-eun wanted that too, it seemed.
Made sense— this was her first relationship.
“Doing stuff like this with my boyfriend... it was my dream.”
“Then today, we make that dream come true.”
“Yeah! Taking pics with my boyfriend. I've been so excited for this.”
“Alright then...”
I stood, slid over to her side. She naturally made room, and we sat close, all cozy.
I pulled out my phone, switched to selfie mode, stretched my arm out, and naturally draped it around her shoulders.
Twitch!
Her body shivered just a bit. Even that was cute, so I smiled softly and said,
“One~ two~ three~”
Click! Click!
Our first selfie together. The results? Perfect, of course. Na-eun's beauty didn't vanish just because I was in the frame.
But Na-eun was glaring at me, like something was off.
“Na-eun?”
“I don't like it.”
“What's wrong...?”
She grumbled, then in a tiny voice, dropped the world's most adorable line.
“...You took the selfie way too naturally, oppa.”
I cleared my throat with a cough.
Was natural a bad thing?
Then it hit me what she meant.
Unlike her, I'd dated before—with Suhyun Kang, the queen of rebound relationships, no less.
Of course I'd taken tons of selfies, snapped plenty for her too. It was muscle memory now, so that's why it came out so smooth with Na-eun.
“Sorry.”
She shot me another glare at my apology, then...
Peck!
Her tiny fist tapped my shoulder.
“Don't apologize. You don't need to.”
“Na-eun?”
“I'll overwrite that girl's traces—her scent, everything. All of it.”
She said it with a blush, like she was embarrassed.
God, she's so freaking lovable.
The cafe wasn't empty—people around, CCTV too.
If it were just us, alone in that space, hearing her say that... I'd probably have hugged her or gone for a kiss right then.
How the hell had a girl like this never dated? She drives guys insane.
“...How did you never date anyone?”
“I turned them all down. Every single one, no exceptions.”
“Huh...?”
I stared at her in shock, and she ducked her head, mumbling even softer, face beet red.
“......I only liked you, oppa.”
...My bad.
I was the idiot for dating someone else when this sweet, devoted girl who only had eyes for me was right there.
If I could go back three years, I'd tell my past self: Cut the crap, cherish Na-eun properly, get closer to her.
True love was right in front of me.
* * *
I was so embarrassed.
Jealously snapping at oppa about his ex, blatantly admitting I'd only ever had eyes for him—it was mortifying.
But I wanted him to know.
How jealous I was of that girl he'd dated, how much I like him, how I'd always only thought of him. I wanted him to get it.
So I piled on the jealousy, spilled all the embarrassing truths.
But oppa just listened to it all with that warm, handsome smile.
I was totally smitten by it.
We sipped our coffee like that, chatting away, and changed our profile pics.
He's so ridiculously good-looking. Unless we take a new one together, this pic's staying forever.
With that thought, Seonwoo oppa and I left the cafe and headed home.
I thought we were taking it slow, but we got there way too fast.
No, I don't wanna part. I wanna stay longer, be together.
Gripping his hand with those thoughts...
“Na-eun.”
“Yeah, oppa.”
Mwah— Twitch!
A sudden, sweet kiss that made my whole body tremble.
“O-O-O... Oppa...?”
“...I love you, Na-eun. And thank you—for waiting for me.”
Hearing those tender words, I became the happiest girl in the world.
And it'll stay that way. I'll get even happier, build even more love with oppa.
Pouring my heart into it, I whispered back.
“I love you too, oppa. And thank you—for accepting me.”