#53 - Lovers at the Manga Cafe
It's been a week since Na-eun Jeong and I started dating.
In that week, we've done a ton together... and also barely anything.
Why say that? Because all we've actually done is hit up the PC bang to game together and chill at cafes sipping coffee. That's it.
How'd this happen? Simple reason, really.
It goes back to the conversation we had the day after we got together.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah? What's up?”
“What haven't you done with your ex?”
“Hmm... gone to the PC bang together?”
“Then I wanna go to the PC bang with you a ton!”
It's all because of Na-eun's intense jealousy toward Suhyun Kang.
As her boyfriend, I'm grateful for it... but also kinda sorry.
Her jealousy means she'll try even harder to treat me better than my ex ever did.
How could I not appreciate that?
At the same time, it makes me feel guilty. If I'd chosen Na-eun from the start... if I'd picked the path to become a couple with her right away, she'd probably be even happier now.
Thanks to that, here we are again today, gaming at the PC bang.
-Du-du-du-du!
Na-eun's character spotted the enemy first and took them out. She beamed at me, her cheeks puffing out happily.
“Oppa, how was that!? I did awesome, right!?”
Whenever she fishes for praise like this, she's like a total puppy. The cutest little lapdog ever.
Knowing the coast was clear, I reached over and stroked her head.
-Pet, pet
Never thought I'd use the tricks I learned from my ex on something like this... but here we are.
What tricks? When petting a girl, since her hair's already styled, never mess it up. Stroke gently, carefully, following the flow of her strands.
That's exactly what I'm doing now—slow, cautious pets along Na-eun's silky hair.
She seems to love it, grinning ear to ear as she leans into my touch.
As I petted her, though, a little anxiety crept in.
Was she forcing herself to come to the PC bang with me? Just obsessed with “doing everything my ex and I never did”?
That worry hit me, so the second we finished the round, I asked her.
“Na-eun.”
“Yeah!”
“This is like our fourth day straight at the PC bang, right?”
“Yeah, it is!”
“You having fun?”
She flinched at my question, suddenly glancing at me like she was gauging my mood.
Guess she misunderstood.
“It's not that I'm bored or anything—I'm just worried about you. You never gamed before. Feels like you're coming just to keep me company.”
Na-eun shook her head vigorously.
“No way, not at all!”
“Really?”
“Yeah! I love coming to the PC bang with you, oppa. Gaming's super fun too. If I'd discovered this back in my senior year... I'd have bombed the CSAT for sure, lol.”
That eased my mind a bit, but I still felt a twinge of guilt.
So I asked her another question.
“Na-eun, if you're cool with it, wanna try somewhere besides the PC bang? I'd love to do other stuff with you too.”
She nodded eagerly.
Of course. Even if PC bang dates are fun, doing only that gets old. Especially for a girl who never gamed before.
We quit the game without a second thought and stood up.
Hand in hand, we headed out of the PC bang.
Na-eun squeezed my hand tight, pressing her body against my arm with a goofy grin.
I playfully poked her cute cheek and led us to our next spot.
It was about a five-minute walk away, so we strolled leisurely, chatting along the way.
“Na-eun, you really like gaming that much?”
“Yeah! It's so fun!”
“That's bad news.”
“Huh? Why?”
“If you get hooked, university life's gonna be rough. You've got studying to do, but you'll wanna game too.”
She shook her head casually.
“Then you can just manage me, oppa.”
“Manage you? How?”
“Easy. Scold me if I slack on studying.”
“That'll do it?”
“Yep!”
I pinched her grinning cheek lightly.
“...But nursing's busier than my engineering major. You'll be swamped.”
“Huh? R-Really?”
I dropped a bit of a bombshell on her curious face.
“Yeah... Jinhan University ties into Jinhan University Hospital, right?”
“Yeah...?”
“Clinical rotations eat up all your time for credits.”
“Huh?”
Her eyes widened in shock as I laid out more details.
“You'll probably have zero days off from Monday through Friday.”
Ku-gong!
If I had to onomatopoeia her face right now, it'd be something like that.
“D-Do I not get to h-hang out with you...?”
Her teary question was adorable, even mumbled like that.
“It's fine. You won't have rotations till after I graduate, at least. Probably not till your third year.”
“Hehe.”
Her bashful smile made me worry even more.
Sure, nurse hazing has died down lately, but it's not gone completely.
Can a sweet, pure girl like Na-eun handle it? That gnaws at me.
But that's future me's problem. For now, I shoved it aside and focused on enjoying our date.
“Alright, Na-eun, we're here.”
“This place... Oh...!”
She knows it too.
The Manga Cafe—one of our usual spots.
The difference? Before, we were just oppa-friend and friend’s-little-sis. Now, we're lovers.
“Shall we?”
“Yeah!”
Na-eun nodded big and hugged my arm tight. I led her inside.
I ordered a lemon tea; oppa got peach iced tea. We headed upstairs to our usual corner private room, just like old times.
I went first, and Seonwoo oppa stuck right behind me. He's still worried I'll trip or something—super close, ready to catch me.
God, he's so cool.
As we climbed to the private room, my heart started pounding.
The lighting here's dim and moody. Gives off a kinda... sultry vibe.
Plus, it's small. Big enough for me and oppa side-by-side, but not for stretching out comfortably.
Dim lights, cramped space, alone with Seonwoo oppa? No CCTV?
...Heart-pounding conditions everywhere.
What does he wanna do, bringing me here?
Honestly, probably just read manga and kill time. Oppa’s not that type—he's kind and cool like that.
So...
...I'll tempt him a little.
Right here, in this tiny private room at the manga cafe.
I don't wanna stay just the cute, pretty girlfriend. I wanna be someone we can do more with.
After we grabbed our manga and drinks...
“Um... oppa...”
“Yeah, Na-eun?”
“...Can I sit next to you?”
I asked straight-up if I could sit beside him.
He nodded right away, and I scooted over quick.
Then rested my head on his shoulder, like always.
But I went further.
-Squeeze
I hugged his arm tight against my body.
My figure's plenty appealing. Pressing like this should be stimulating enough.
But oppa just looked at me fondly, like it was cute, and kept reading.
As pages turned, I gripped his arm harder.
Eventually, his right arm was buried against my chest and side.
He still seemed unfazed.
Calmly flipping pages.
By the time I snapped out of it, we'd finished a whole volume.
The seduction time slipped by so anticlimactically, I almost felt deflated—but then oppa looked at me, chuckling softly...
-Mwah
...and suddenly pressed a light kiss to my lips.
My face burned red; I was mortified. My brain short-circuited from the surprise.
Oppa gently stroked my head, then stood up.
He knew. He knew I was seducing him, knew exactly why I was acting up.
And he “scolded” me for it.
With a playful, loving little kiss.
God, I'm dying of embarrassment.
But I love it. I love you.
Seonwoo oppa, I love you.
