Short Trip (1)
The day of our promise arrived, and I grabbed my roughly packed bag and headed out.
"I'm off~"
I said that, but no one answered.
Well, Mom and Dad had left early that morning for their own errands, and my sister was probably still sprawled out sleeping.
Even so, after giving my greeting, I slipped on my shoes and stepped outside.
I took the elevator down to the first floor, exited the apartment, and headed to Na-eun's place.
As soon as I arrived in front of her apartment, someone was waving at me with the brightest smile.
"Seonwoo oppa~"
Na-eun came running over, beaming up at me. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, still grinning nonstop.
"When did you come out?"
"Just now! You too, right, oppa?"
"Right on time for our appointment."
Na-eun, who had been smiling wide at my answer, naturally hooked her arm through mine.
"Oppa, shall we go now?"
"Yeah?"
She nodded with an exaggerated bob of her head—somehow even that was unbearably cute.
I might like Na-eun even more than I realized.
She clung tightly to my arm as we started walking. But...
"...Na-eun."
"Yeah?"
"Isn't your bag heavy?"
Her bag looked seriously weighed down.
She didn't seem to mind much, but still, it was obviously too heavy.
Unable to stand it, I reached for her bag.
"Na-eun, give me your bag."
"Ah... No...!"
But Na-eun panicked and shook her head.
"...Can't I?"
"The... bag... not yet...!"
Something felt off about what she said, but I decided to let it slide.
If she didn't want to hand it over, there was nothing I could do.
Instead...
I slipped my hand under the bottom of her bag and lifted it just enough to take the weight off.
Na-eun seemed to notice the relief on her back right away and leaned into me, whispering softly.
"...Thanks, oppa."
"Nah, no need to thank me. This much is a given."
She nodded again, and seeing that made me smile even wider.
I was seriously dating the cutest person alive. I must be so lucky.
*
Na-eun and I took a bus together, then headed straight to the subway station.
We boarded the arriving train and set off.
"Oppa, we just take this subway all the way, right?"
"Yeah, it's not far this time."
That's right. Na-eun and I had picked a spot reachable by just one subway line. Somewhere in the capital area.
We chose it in the metro region because we wanted easy travel back and forth.
The goal was a short trip packed with fun memories with Na-eun— the exact spot didn't matter much.
Once on the subway, Na-eun naturally took off her bag and set it on the floor.
She must have found it heavy after all.
"I told you I'd carry it."
"Still no. Absolutely not."
Na-eun was dead set on keeping her bag, guarding it fiercely.
It only made me more curious. What on earth was in there that she was refusing so vehemently?
I was curious, sure, but that didn't mean I needed to pry. There had to be a reason she was hiding it.
About an hour passed on the subway with Na-eun...
[This is the next stop...]
We'd finally arrived at our destination.
"Na-eun, let's get off."
"Okay...!"
I lightly lifted her bag for her—it was fine for that much—and she let me help her sling it back on.
We exited with our bags, passed through the turnstiles, and headed to the motel we'd researched in advance.
It was about a 10-minute walk from the station. Not too pricey, but good quality.
As I'd told Na-eun, it had a decent computer setup and a TV with all the streaming services.
"Oppa, the motel... um... is it okay? Leaving our stuff first?"
"Worried about checking it?"
She nodded.
I gently patted her head at the sight.
"It'll be fine."
"How can you be sure?"
"They put it in lockers, right?"
"Ah...?"
"No password, no access—even for them. Sure, they could force it open, but why take the risk?"
Na-eun's expression eased a bit at that.
"Oppa, isn't that the motel?"
She pointed ahead, and sure enough, there was the one I'd booked.
"Yeah, that's it. Wanna head in?"
"Yes, let's go."
We walked over to the motel and entered through the front.
Inside was spotlessly clean, and just as I'd checked, there were the lockers greeting us.
I passed them and went to the counter where the part-timer sat.
"I have a reservation."
"Ah, yes. Name?"
"Seonwoo Lee."
"Seonwoo Lee... Yes, got it... Will you be storing any luggage?"
"Yes."
"Use the lockers by the entrance... Enter your room number and set a password."
"Got it."
The part-timer finished the formalities and turned back to the CCTV with sleepy eyes. I headed back to Na-eun.
I punched in our reserved room number, and the matching locker popped open.
"Na-eun, just put it in there."
"Okay...! Heave...!"
Na-eun shoved her bag in with a grunt, and I added mine.
"Nothing else you need to take out?"
"Nope. Got my phone, power bank, wallet, ID—all set!"
"Good. Closing it up?"
I shut the door and entered the password.
"Oppa, what'd you set the password to?"
"Hmm... Wanna guess?"
"1234?"
"Whoa, even I wouldn't go that basic."
"Then what?"
"Hmm~ How about~ 0106?"
0106—the day Na-eun and I first started dating.
"Ugh, seriously..."
Her face flushed bright red as she started getting all shy.
No need to be embarrassed, but she was overdoing it.
I rubbed her cheek lightly, doting on her, and she kept her face buried, blushing furiously.
"Alright, shall we go see the otters?"
"Yeah... Let's go... see the otters..."
Her voice was still tiny from the shyness.
It was cute how bashful it made her, but I hoped she'd enjoy herself more.
This was our first trip together, after all.
Luckily, my worries were unfounded.
"Woooow...!"
Na-eun's face lit up the moment she saw the otters.
Yeah, she deserved to enjoy our first trip like this.
* * *
The aquarium Seonwoo oppa and I went to for the first time was amazing.
The fish were cute, the jellyfish floating ethereally were cute, the dolphins were cute—everything was cute.
But the cutest by far? Otters, hands down.
Toddling along, then zipping through the water, munching fish from the keeper—they were impossibly adorable.
"Na-eun, you like otters?"
"I looove otters!"
"Your favorite animal?"
"Hmm~ Actually..."
I went up on tiptoes and whispered my real favorite into Seonwoo oppa's ear.
"I like sea otters even more."
"Sea otters?"
"Yeah."
"Why whisper it like that?"
"Didn't want the otters to overhear and get sad?"
Seonwoo oppa smiled warmly and praised me like I was a good girl.
"You're so sweet, my Na-eun."
"Heehee."
The praise felt great. But at the same time... not so much.
It felt like he was treating me like a little sister.
I mean, I'm his girlfriend—his one and only lover—and treating me like a kid sister? That's kinda harsh.
So, in retaliation, I grabbed his arm super tight.
"...Na-eun?"
"What?"
"...Nothing."
He avoided my eyes, but I knew exactly what he was thinking.
That's right—look at me more. See who I really am.
I'm not just some cute little sister. I'm your one and only girlfriend.
The one who loves you so much she'd give you everything—the one who loves you more than anyone.
I hugged his arm with all that feeling poured in.
Then Seonwoo oppa slipped his arm free from my hold and...
Whoosh! Squeeze!
"Oomph...!?"
Wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into a gentle hug.
So tenderly, so warmly.
...Seriously, I can't win against him no matter what he does. Seonwoo oppa is.