Our First Date, With a Touch of Skinship (1)
After the two of them became a couple, their first weekend together finally arrived. Jihyeok had worried he might not sleep a wink because of how nervous he’d been the day before, but the conversation he shared with Yuna last night had melted that tension away like snow in spring.
The moment he opened his eyes, he slipped out of bed and washed up in record time. Part of him was simply eager to leave the house, but the biggest reason was something he had always wanted to try.
It was this exact moment:
“Huh? You’re already here? Did you wait long?”
“No, I just got here myself.”
To a third party it might have seemed like an ordinary exchange, but after watching his older brother’s dates, Jihyeok had set one clear goal: to be the one waiting first and deliver those lines to his own girlfriend.
This date was the very first for both him and Yuna. He refused to let it fail.
He returned to his room and stood in front of his closet, trying to pick an outfit that suited him perfectly—something stylish but not overdone, nice but not boring. Sadly, none of his clothes met that impossible standard.
“…I finally understand why women say they have nothing to wear even when their closets are full.”
Jihyeok was confident he would find Yuna beautiful no matter what she wore. After all, she was the girl everyone at school called the princess because of her breathtaking looks. Anything she put on simply became a frame that highlighted her beauty even more. People said clothes make the man, but for Yuna, clothes were merely tools to accentuate her already perfect face.
While he was still pacing in front of the closet, someone knocked on his door.
“…? Come in.”
The person who opened the door was none other than his older brother, Jiwook.
“I already knew exactly what you’d be doing.”
“Huh?”
Jiwook handed him a coordinated set of clothes he often wore himself.
“Wait… aren’t these the ones you treasure? You only wear them when you go out with Yuseo noona.”
“My little brother is going on a date with his girlfriend. How could I not help?”
“Hyung… thank you. I mean it.”
“If you’re thankful, change and come straight to the living room. Mom and Dad already know.”
“…They do?”
“They know you have a girlfriend now.”
Jihyeok wondered how they could possibly know when he had never said a word. Still, he changed into the outfit his brother lent him. As expected, the quality was on another level. Promising himself he would repay the favor someday, he headed to the living room.
“Son, come here for a moment.”
“Yes, Dad.”
His father, who had been watching television with his mother, called him over. The moment Jihyeok sat down beside him, his father spoke while staring straight ahead.
“I hear you have a girlfriend now?”
“Yes. Today makes it the third day.”
“I wanted to hear it from you directly, but Jiwook told us first. Were you planning to keep it a secret?”
“Well… I was just worrying about how to bring it up. I thought you might be shocked if I suddenly announced, ‘Hey, your son has a girlfriend now.’”
“That’s true. You’ve never once invited a friend over, so I suppose that reaction makes sense.”
“Oh? Honey, weren’t you the same before we got married? You didn’t have any friends either.”
“…I just wanted to focus entirely on you. You haven’t forgotten how Yoon Junseok was in his twenties, have you?”
“Haha, that’s right. Back then you were completely head over heels for me.”
“…Ahem.”
His father cleared his throat in slight embarrassment and continued.
“No matter who you bring home, we’ll welcome them with open arms. You said it’s only been three days?”
“Yes.”
“This might be rude to ask, but… how far have you gone?”
“We’ve only held hands so far. It hasn’t been that long.”
“You really are just like your old man…”
“Sorry?”
His mother chuckled. “Like father, like son…”
“Your father was completely hopeless when it came to skinship. Whenever I made a move, he would jump back in surprise.”
“…Dad was like that?”
“Yes. Remember our first kiss story?”
“…Honey, let’s not talk about that in front of our son.”
“But this is the fun part~”
“It’s a memory I’d rather keep hidden.”
Jihyeok was curious what exactly had happened, but since his father clearly didn’t want to elaborate, he decided not to pry.
“Anyway, what Dad wants to tell you is this: don’t end up with regrets like I did. Don’t hesitate—go ahead with the skinship.”
“…Pardon?”
“What I’m saying is that dating isn’t about how many days you’ve been together. It’s about proving how much you like and love the other person through your affection.”
“Jiwook promised marriage at twenty-three. Jihyeok, don’t feel embarrassed. Have the kind of relationship both you and your girlfriend want.”
“If she’s okay with it, you can move as fast as you like. That’s how we ended up having Jiwook, after all.”
“We’re only saying this because we trust that neither you nor Jiwook would cross any lines. I’m not sure if our shy little Jihyeok can pull it off, but if you’re unsure, just let your girlfriend take the lead.”
After listening to his parents’ advice, Jihyeok began to worry about something else.
“But… I’m not sure I like her as much as she likes me. I don’t even know that much about her yet, so I don’t know if I can—”
“Jihyeok.”
“Yes, Dad?”
“That’s a completely useless worry.”
“…It is?”
“She confessed first and you accepted, didn’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then that means you already like her. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have accepted her confession.”
“Well… I guess that’s true.”
“As for getting to know her, you can take your time. That’s what dating is in the first place—slowly learning about each other and growing your love together.”
“…A lot of the things I was curious about are starting to make sense now.”
“Really? That’s good to hear.”
While talking with his parents, Jihyeok glanced at his phone and saw that only five minutes remained until their meeting time. Since they lived so close, they had decided to meet right outside the house. He stood up to leave.
“It’s almost time, so I should head out.”
“Have fun and stay safe.”
“I will.”
“Oh, right! Sweetie, take this with you.”
His mother handed him a check card.
“What’s this for…?”
“There are times when you suddenly need money. Use this card then.”
“…It feels like too much.”
“We made it for the three of you. There’s plenty of money, so don’t worry and use it freely. Don’t even think about paying it back. If you knew what your mom and dad do for a living—”
“…I’m convinced.”
Jihyeok’s father had taken over a failing company, revived it through outstanding judgment and management, and turned it into a global enterprise where he now served as president. His mother, with her god-like cooking skills, had opened a side-dish shop that had since grown into a chain with hundreds of locations. She was a wildly successful chef.
Slipping the check card into his wallet, Jihyeok opened the front door.
“I’m heading out now.”
“Take care.”
“Bring your girlfriend by sometime so we can meet her~”
“I will, once she’s comfortable with it.”
With his parents’ warm send-off, Jihyeok headed toward their meeting spot.
He had deliberately left thirty minutes early. Yuna still hadn’t come out of her house, which probably meant she was taking her time getting ready. She had said yesterday that she would dress up as prettily as possible, so he had every reason to look forward to it.
While waiting for Yuna, Jihyeok replayed his parents’ words in his mind.
Don’t hesitate when it comes to skinship. If it’s difficult, let your girlfriend lead. Dating is the process of learning about each other while loving one another.
After thinking it over, he reached one simple conclusion: don’t go too slow, but don’t rush either. If they simply dated the way both of them wanted, the ending would naturally be a happy one.
Convinced he wouldn’t forget the valuable advice his parents had given to someone who had never dated before, Jihyeok promised himself he would make this a satisfying first date.
As the appointed time drew near, he saw someone stepping out of the house where Yuna lived. Of course, that someone was—
“Jihyeok~!”
“Hey.”
His girlfriend, Han Yuna, came running toward him at full speed. He caught her safely so she wouldn’t stumble.
“Why did you run? You could have walked.”
“Because I missed you, obviously~”
She said it in such an adorable way while hugging him that Jihyeok stroked her hair and wrapped his arms around her back.
“You look really pretty today. Were you looking forward to this too?”
“Of course I was! Who do you think I’m going on a date with?”
“Same here. I’m on a date with the prettiest girlfriend in the world, so I tried to dress up as best I could. What do you think?”
Yuna answered without even looking at what he was wearing.
“You’re the coolest person on the entire planet! I want to brag to the whole world that someone this handsome is my boyfriend!”
“You didn’t even look at my clothes.”
“You look handsome no matter what you wear! Oh, how do I look?”
She spread both arms and spun around once, proudly showing off her outfit. For spring, she had chosen a fragrant pink short-sleeve top and jeans that clung to her legs, which were so perfectly shaped they could belong to a model. She carried the same eco-bag she used at school, and her lips—free of any blemishes—were tinted a soft pink with lipstick. A cute cap sat on her head, probably to keep the sun off her face. The combination added an extra layer of adorableness to her already stunning beauty.
Gazing at her, Jihyeok spoke from the heart.
“A goddess descending upon the human world.”
“Pfft… what is that supposed to mean~”
“You’re that beautiful. I still can’t believe a girl this pretty is my girlfriend. I’m so happy.”
“You seem a little more honest today. Well, I like it!”
Yuna naturally slipped her fingers between his, interlocking their hands. The deeper, warmer sensation made both of them blush, yet their faces glowed with happiness.
Even like this they already looked like a couple deeply in love, but Yuna wasn’t finished.
“Hmm?”
“Holding hands is a little boring, so how about this?”
She kept their fingers laced but used her other arm to wrap around his. The result was Yuna hugging his arm tightly.
“That’s…”
It wasn’t bad—far from it. Yuna’s face was beautiful, but her figure was just as breathtaking. Even though she was still in high school, her chest was fuller than most girls her age. The moment she pressed against him, Jihyeok could feel it clearly.
In other words, he was experiencing three emotions at once: pleasure, embarrassment, and happiness.
His parents had definitely told him that if he felt lost about skinship, he should let his girlfriend take the lead. As long as they didn’t cross the line, anything was fine.
Even so, the two soft sensations pressing against his arm right now made the current Jihyeok incredibly shy. Perhaps that was why, before the date had even properly begun, he answered in a weak, drained voice.
“It feels… way too good…”
Realizing once again that her boyfriend had zero immunity to skinship, Yuna set a new goal for herself: during this date, she would help him get used to it.