#66. Cherry
#66. Cherry
Why do women like tteokbokki so much?
Truth be told, I wasn't all that attached to tteokbokki as a food.
Sure, if someone suggested eating it together, I'd happily go along, but the times I'd actually paid for it myself with my own money could be counted on one hand.
It was just rice cakes soaked in gochujang broth, after all.
I couldn't really grasp why I had to shell out money for that.
And lately, it even felt ridiculously expensive.
Ten thousand won could get you two bowls of gukbap...
Meanwhile, my girlfriend right in front of me was happily propping her cheeks with her hands, munching away with her little mouth.
If this were a comic, it'd probably have "om nom nom" floating above her head or something.
"Oppa, eat up quick. The cheese is gonna harden."
"Yeah. Eating."
I stabbed a fish cake with my fork and popped it in my mouth.
"What're we doing after this?"
Na-eun asked me while slurping her drink.
"Huh? Doing what? Watching the movie, duh."
We'd just bought tickets a bit ago.
Even if [Fruits Adventure] was kinda childish.
"Ah... There's a good chunk of time before the movie starts."
"Yeah? What time's it start?"
"Um... It's 5 now, so... just enough time to grab a coffee somewhere?"
Ah. That's about right.
"Then let's just hit a cafe, sit for a bit, and head in."
I thought it was a solid answer, but did Na-eun not like it for some reason?
Her brow furrowed freely.
"Oppa. Do you like comics?"
"Comics?"
"Yeah. Webtoons or Japanese manga, whatever."
"I used to read a ton back in the day."
I'd devoured shonen manga hard during middle school.
This is just my take, but it seemed like every guy goes through a phase where they get totally hooked on comics at some point.
Sure, some people loved them from childhood and kept at it forever, but most folks around me had a specific period where they'd lose their minds over them.
For me, it was middle school, and even in high school, there'd always be one or two guys in class sneaking anime in the corner.
Especially in the military—guys I thought were total normies would come out obsessed with anime. That was fucking hilarious.
You bastards. You roasted me in middle school for being a weeb.
"Then after we eat this, let's hit a manga cafe!"
A manga cafe, huh...
I'd never actually been to one.
Why go to a cafe to read comics?
You could just lie at home scrolling on your phone or borrow paper books.
"Sure!"
But Na-eun wanted to, and...
Plus, if it fit within normal date territory, I was game to cooperate.
"Great! Then Oppa pays for the food, and I'll cover the rest."
"Nah. I'll get it."
"No way. Dummy. Just buy the popcorn instead."
Ah. Well, that evens out the bill, I guess.
"Deal. Then."
It felt like totally normal couple talk...
But the smile tugging at Na-eun's lips somehow resembled a third-rate movie villain.
Ooh... this is wild.
First time at a manga cafe, I was shocked at how much more organic the space was than I expected.
"The interior's so unique. The flow lines are intriguing too."
"...Oppa. Architecture vibes. Cut it out."
Na-eun shot me a look of utter disgust.
"Ah. Sorry."
But is this really something to apologize for?
After four years of architecture training, the habit kept slipping out unconsciously.
Studying architecture inevitably trains you to analyze spaces.
What finishing materials they used. How they laid out the internal circulation.
Call it an occupational hazard.
Even seeing evacuation route maps on walls for emergency exits, I'd analyze them.
I hated myself for instantly clocking the floor tiles at 60cm.
"Let's grab drinks first and find a seat."
Having no experience, I just followed Na-eun's lead.
"I'll have an Earl Grey tea. You?"
"Me... uh..."
I figured a manga cafe would just have like 5-6 drink options.
But with a menu rivaling a big chain, it took me a bit longer to choose.
Must be tough for the part-timers here too.
"I'll take a cherry ade."
"Oppa isn't a cherry, so why order that?"
Na-eun snickered at me.
"To commemorate popping your cherry."
Cherry. In English, that's cherry.
Surprisingly, this fruit term also means virginity.
Luckily, the employee up front didn't catch our convo.
"11,200 won. I'll process it."
Na-eun handed over her card.
"But I don't have cherry...?"
Na-eun-ah. You only know the first verse, not the second.
She probably picked that up somewhere about cherries looking like balls.
But the real origin of cherry as slang was elsewhere.
"Na-eun. Know what a cherry pie is?"
"A pie made with cherries."
"Nope. Besides that."
"What is it?"
Timing it with the blender crushing ice, I slipped in a word that'd be kinda embarrassing outside.
"Hymen."
"...For real?"
"Yeah. That's where the term you mentioned came from."
"Ooh... I see..."
She crossed her arms, stared at the menu a sec, then gave me a weird look and asked again.
"Then, Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"Does that mean you're drinking it to commemorate taking my virginity?"
No? I just said it to mess with you since you were teasing me.
What kind of psycho orders a cherry ade to celebrate deflowering his girlfriend?
"Nah. Just wanted it. Don't read into it."
Grabbing the drinks, Na-eun led me to a boxy spot at the very back of the cafe.
"Take off your shoes and climb up."
"Sure."
It wasn't just regular sit-down seats in this cafe.
Our spot had three walls enclosed, open only at the entrance, giving a semi-public vibe.
"Can you lie down?"
"Probably not fully stretched out."
If I were 5cm shorter, I could lie flat.
"Bummer. Oh well, let's grab some comics then."
We set down our drinks and stuff, then headed to the shelves packed to the ceiling with books.
Ooh... takes me back.
I used to hit up book rental shops a lot as a kid...
Not so much these days.
While browsing the paper books on impulse, I pulled out a rom-com that looked fun.
Three volumes...? That should do till we go.
"Na-eun. Pick and come back."
"'Kay."
Na-eun was still dithering, looking around.
I snagged a blanket from the counter and headed back.
Not long after, Na-eun returned...
"Hey."
"Hold these first."
...What the hell's she thinking.
She'd hauled a whole series—about twenty volumes—grunting as she lugged them over.
"Dude. When do you plan to finish all these? Why grab so many?"
"It's all planned out. Oppa, if you just take a few, you'd have to go back and forth ten times."
...Did you learn speed-reading as a kid or what, Han Na-eun?
My girlfriend, who'd claimed a massive chunk of shelf space, casually leaned against me and started reading.
"What'd you get?"
"Mark of Subjugation?"
...What the hell. That sounds like a classic Erotic Novel title.
I grabbed one at random from Na-eun's towering stack and gawked at the cover.
"...They have a 19+ Section?"
"Ah... You can go in after adult verification over there."
My girlfriend answered nonchalantly.
Dude. We're on a date right now. Is it cool to read this stuff next to me, Na-eun?
"Hey."
"What. I'm focusing. Don't bug me."
Girlfriend gets pissy at her boyfriend talking 'cause she's busy with adult comics.
I'd dreamed of a sweet date, and now I was annoyed for no reason.
"You like dirty stuff, huh."
"Saying it just hurts your mouth."
...Before we dated, you'd at least pretend to hate it.
"But why won't you read my novel?"
"'Cause it's pervy."
Ah~ I see~
Likes dirty stuff but my novel's too pervy~
Her eyes still glued to the comic.
Pissed off now, I grabbed her hand and turned her head.
"Han Na-eun."
"...What."
"You fucking pervert bitch."
Her irritated glare from being interrupted slowly shifted.
I'd clearly spat an insult, but her face turned all shy maiden-like.
"...It's not like that."
Na-eun twisted her body coyly.
Ha. So this is how you wanna play to engage with me?
"What do you mean not. You're out here getting your panties soaked reading this crap again."
I eyed her with contempt.
"Really not..."
"Don't bullshit me. A perv like you reading this wouldn't stay dry."
Her next reply was enough to halt my trash talk.
"No... that's not it..."
Na-eun hesitated, glancing around.
"Today, I don't have wet panties on?"