Short Trip (2)
After spending our time at the aquarium gawking at all the cute otters, dolphins, and other adorable animals, we stepped outside.
"Ughhh, Oppa. Let's go eat something yummy!"
Na-eun stretched her arms high with a beaming smile, suggesting lunch, and I decided to take her to the spot I'd researched in advance.
"Sure thing, Na-eun. Let's hurry."
"Yay! But where are we going?"
"Where else?"
Buffet, obviously.
I led Na-eun straight to the buffet—the one she'd suggested we hit together.
The moment we walked in, her eyes lit up like stars.
"Woooow...!"
There was so much food that even Na-eun's innocent wonder was warranted.
"How many in your party~?"
"Two."
"Payment, please~"
I paid for two right away, and the part-timer checked it with a bright smile before speaking up.
"Got it! Right this way to your seats~"
We were a bit surprised by the crowd but followed politely to our table.
Na-eun wasted no time firing off her question once we sat down.
"Oppa, why'd we come to the buffet already, though?"
"Huh?"
"Weren't we saving it for dinner?"
I decided to give her the straight truth.
"Dinner gets packed here, so we're doing lunch instead."
"Ohhh... So where's dinner then?"
"That's a secret."
The second I said that, Na-eun shot me a playfully excited look and whispered in a sultry little tone.
"Can't wait, Oppa~"
...Expectations might lead to disappointment.
The place I'd booked wasn't that impressive.
Still, we were here, so we might as well stuff ourselves silly.
"Oppa, I'm gonna grab some food first~"
"Me too~"
"Then let's go together!"
We got up, plates in hand, snagged spoons, forks, and chopsticks, then loaded up on whatever caught our eye.
Me being a guy, I went heavy on the meat—came back with a full plate stacked high.
Na-eun, on the other hand, had that girly flair for her picks.
"Ta-da~"
"Ooh..."
She'd grabbed tteokbokki, kimchi rolls, veggie tempura—all the fried snacks. Straight-up snack bar course.
"Shoulda just hit a snack joint..."
"No way~ I'm having this, then gorgonzola pizza and chicken next!"
She was zeroing in on all the unhealthy stuff, no surprise there.
Not that I'd nag her about it. Eat what you want, right?
"Let's eat~"
"Let's eat~!"
Na-eun started munching away on her tteokbokki and fritters, and I watched her cute little chewing while digging into my spread.
The food was decent, but honestly? Her eating was way more satisfying. Like, I could skip eating and still feel full.
Never thought I'd get what Mom and Dad meant back when they'd say, "Just watching you eat fills me up~"
"Take it slow—no one's stealing it."
Na-eun swallowed her tteokbokki with a sunny grin.
"But it's so good here!"
"That good, huh?"
"Yep!"
"Alright, enjoy. But chew well—no tummy aches."
"Okaay~"
For a split second, it felt like raising a daughter. If Na-eun and I had a kid someday, would it be like this?
Obviously, it'd be even more joyful and moving than I could imagine. That's what kids are, after all.
Her eat-show was so filling just to watch that I finally started on my own plate.
Meat dishes, mostly.
Mid-bite, Na-eun looked my way.
"Na-eun?"
"...Oppa."
I instantly popped a piece of my meat onto her plate.
She beamed and took it.
"Oppa, you're the best~"
"Chew well~"
"Yeees~"
Na-eun chomped into the meat like a champ, owning the buffet.
We kept at it, demolishing more plates together.
Side note: Once we tried the chicken, that was it—chicken only. It was on another level. I'd buy it separately if they sold it.
Anyway, after ravaging the buffet...
"Oppa, I'm so full...."
"Same..."
We were both about to burst.
Obviously, a short walk outside digested it quick.
Buffet food's like that—insane fullness at first, gone in no time.
But the calories? Off the charts.
That's the buffet life.
Bellies stuffed from this one, we headed to our next stop: the art gallery.
Reason we picked it? Nothing else worth doing here.
No standout spots on this trip beyond it. Everything else we could do back home on a regular date.
We leisurely toured the gallery and emerged at 5 p.m.
Dusk was settling in, so I asked Na-eun,
"Wanna grab dinner?"
She shook her head right away.
"Nah, Oppa. Still kinda stuffed, honestly."
"That much?"
"Hehe..."
I gave her smiling self a gentle warning.
"You sure you can skip, Na-eun?"
"Hmmmmm..."
She pondered, then grinned and shook her head.
"I think it'll be fine!"
Really?
...You're gonna regret this big time, Na-eun.
But I respected it—her call.
Plus, some lessons you gotta learn the hard way.
"Alright then... Ready to head out?"
"Where to?"
"The motel, duh."
"Oh..."
Her cheeks flushed pink.
So honest, that Na-eun.
And so damn cute.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
My heart started pounding.
It was racing so hard, I felt bad for using such a cutesy onomatopoeia like "thump." It hurt, it was beating that fiercely.
But this feeling? Pure excitement.
The day I'd longed for. The moment.
Watching cute otters and dolphins with Seonwoo Oppa was fun. Eating delicious food with him was great. Strolling the art gallery hand-in-hand was bliss.
But those were just the prelude.
The real deal was the time with Seonwoo Oppa.
Nighttime. Adult time. Giving him my first.
I'm a little worried, sure. Heard it hurts for some.
But I trust him. Seonwoo Oppa.
He'll treat me right, be gentle. He's that kind of guy.
So, no fear.
Just a tiny flicker of anxiety lingering in my heart.
That anxiety...
Squeeze.
I'll squash it by clinging tight to Seonwoo Oppa's arm like this.
But it didn't work.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
My heart went even wilder.
Ahh, driving me crazy. Way too exciting.
Clinging to his arm as we walked, we arrived at the motel before I knew it.
Seonwoo Oppa smoothly opened the locker, grabbed our stuff, and checked in.
Our floor was 9—pretty high up, but whatever.
Even the elevator ride had my heart exploding, but whatever.
Well, maybe not that whatever.
"Whoa...!"
The motel room—my first time in one—was insane.
Insanely flashy, insanely clean.
Nothing like the dingy image I'd imagined.
And just like Oppa said, huge TV, two top-notch computers.
"Oppa, this is really nice...!"
"Right? Best one around here."
"Bet it cost a ton...?"
"Nah, not really? Seemed pretty reasonable."
His words eased me a bit, but hearing his voice just revved my heart more.
"Oppa... So, um, what now...?"
"What to do?"
"Huh?"
His unexpected reply flustered me, and he chuckled teasingly.
Then...
"Wanna watch a movie first?"
He casually flicked on the TV.
Okay, ease into it. He'll lead the way.
That's what I thought...
...But I made one huge mistake.
Whether from nerves unwinding, pure jitters, or lunch overkill...
Zzzzzz...
...I fell asleep next to Seonwoo Oppa during the movie.
Luckily, I woke to his presence beside me...
"You jerk, Lee Seonwoo...!"
...And for the first time, I snapped at him in casual speech.
Crying. Furious.