Our First Date, with a Dash of Skinship (4)
Because of what had just happened, a small crowd had begun to gather around the flower garden. After all, the police had suddenly shown up and hauled away people who looked like ordinary guests but were actually criminals. It was only natural for bystanders to drift over out of curiosity. Jihyeok and Yuna, who had played a huge part in catching those criminals, had to work surprisingly hard just to slip away from the scene.
It wasn’t that the crowd bombarded them with questions. It was more that…
“Whew… there were way too many people.”
“Tell me about it… My girlfriend just has to be moderately pretty, doesn’t she? You’re so stunning that you draw every eye.”
“What~? My boyfriend is so handsome I’m worried someone might try to steal you away, you know~?”
Their overly cringey flirting had drawn a few awkward glances from passersby. Still, most of the onlookers were groups of friends rather than couples, so the pair decided not to let it bother them.
Yuna, who had taken the lead for this date, slipped her arm around Jihyeok’s left one again and said, “There’s a super popular spot in this amusement park! It’s a restaurant that couples on dates visit all the time.”
“Really? Then shall we follow my girlfriend’s lead?”
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
When they reached the restaurant Yuna had mentioned, a long line stretched out front, proof of its popularity. Families with children stood alongside couples who were openly affectionate—some even more intensely than necessary, as if daring anyone to call it a nuisance.
The moment Jihyeok took in the scene, he got the distinct feeling that something hidden was going on.
“…This is the right place?”
“Yep! The food here is insanely good!”
“Hmm… but the customers seem a little… intense?”
“Does it matter? We have our own way of doing things.”
“Uh… I’m kind of worried we’ll get devoured.”
“Pfft… I won’t go that far~ …Probably?”
“Wait, what did you just—”
“Come on~ Before the line gets any longer, let’s go!”
The queue wasn’t long enough to require a waiting ticket, but a sign posted midway caught their attention.
It takes 10 minutes from here!
“Only ten minutes…”
“What are you planning…?”
“Hm? Nothing at all~ Just… a kiss?”
“…Huh?”
Jihyeok had resolved to get used to skinship before their date even began, but he had never imagined doing it in a place this crowded. If it were somewhere private, he was sure he could manage, but no matter how much he liked Yuna, the thought of being affectionate in front of so many people made him incredibly nervous.
Yuna, who knew very well that Jihyeok had almost no immunity to skinship, had already read his mood. She had never intended to do anything too intense. Deep kisses or wandering hands felt a bit much even to her. But if Jihyeok were the one touching her while they kissed… she would want that more than anything.
To help ease his nerves, she leaned in and gave him a light peck on the cheek, then looked up at him.
“Just little kisses on the cheek or lips is fine, right?”
“Well… that much is okay.”
“Then I’ll keep going?”
“…Yeah.”
With his permission, Yuna occasionally pressed her lips to his cheek or mouth. She couldn’t quite match the long, lingering kisses other couples were sharing, but simply being able to kiss Jihyeok filled her with tremendous happiness. Every time she pouted her lips, he noticed right away and met her halfway. She was grateful that he could already read what she wanted.
“You seem more comfortable with kissing now, huh?”
“It’s still hard doing this where so many people can see… but my girlfriend looks so happy. I can’t exactly say no.”
“Hehe… thank you. For trying so hard.”
“It’s nothing. Oh, looks like it’s our turn.”
They had lost count of how many kisses they’d shared while waiting. The fact that Jihyeok had grown so much more comfortable with their skinship filled Yuna with deep satisfaction. She wrapped her arm around his again as they stepped inside the restaurant.
The seat the employee led them to felt specially designed for couples. The round table could be arranged so they sat facing each other or right beside one another—clearly set up for lovers to enjoy every moment to the fullest. Since Yuna already liked feeding Jihyeok during school lunches, she naturally pulled their chairs side by side.
Once they were seated, they studied the menu and debated what to order.
“Are we riding any attractions today?”
“Hmm… we don’t only have today to go on dates, so I was thinking we could just wander around and look at everything. Is there anything you want to ride?”
“Not really… I think walking around with my girlfriend sounds better.”
“Really? Then we should eat a proper lunch to keep our energy up.”
“Should we order a lot? Don’t worry about the money. I got some allowance from my parents when I left the house.”
“Wait, really? Then we should be careful not to spend too much!”
“When I told them I was going on a date with my girlfriend, they actually told me not to hold back and to use it freely.”
“Still…”
Knowing the money had come from his parents made Yuna hesitant to spend it freely. Jihyeok, who wanted to treat her to something, realized he wouldn’t get his way if she stayed this cautious. He made a suggestion to the visibly conflicted girl.
“Then let’s make one promise.”
“What kind of promise?”
“Today’s lunch is on my allowance. In return… my parents said they’d like to meet you someday.”
“Yeah. I saw the message, so…”
“When you have time, I’ll invite you over. Please tell them thank you for supporting us so much on our first date. They’d love to hear that.”
“If you put it that way… okay. I’ll come with a proper gift!”
“Good. Now, shall we order?”
“Yes! Since my boyfriend is treating me, I’m going to enjoy every bite!”
“Perfect.”
After several rounds of careful deliberation over the menu, they finally placed their order. Since they planned to walk around the amusement park afterward, they chose simple but filling onigiri-style rice balls. Ramen and fried foods were options too, but noodles tended to leave them hungry again quickly, so they skipped those. That left the fried items. Jihyeok usually loved crispy textures and had been leaning toward them until—
“No fried food.”
“…But I like fried food.”
“It’s bad for your health. I want to keep seeing my boyfriend looking healthy and strong.”
“We’ll be walking around a lot afterward… so maybe just a little?”
“…Should I let go of the reins here?”
Considering how proactive Yuna had been about both this date and their skinship, the mental image of her completely unrestrained was enough to make Jihyeok abandon the idea. When she looked at him with that seductive expression, tongue peeking out playfully, he gave up on the fried food without another word.
When their rice balls arrived, they each picked up a spoon and scooped a bite-sized portion. The moment Jihyeok tried the one he had ordered, the familiar taste of amusement-park onigiri filled his mouth. It was exactly what you’d expect from a theme-park stall—not exceptional, but decent.
But then—
“Want to try a bite of mine?”
“What flavor did you get, girlfriend?”
“Ham and cheese~ I love cheese, but they didn’t have one with only cheese…”
“Wouldn’t it be too rich with just cheese?”
“I actually like that heavy taste! Here, ah~”
The rice was sticky enough that it wouldn’t fall apart, but Yuna still supported the bottom of the spoon with her left hand, adjusting the angle so it would be easy for him to eat. Jihyeok took a big bite, chewing thoughtfully as he focused on the texture and flavor.
“How is it? Good?”
“If my girlfriend gave it to me, it would taste strange if it weren’t delicious.”
“Hehe. Is that so~?”
Watching Yuna’s smile stretch so wide it nearly reached her ears, Jihyeok felt warmth bloom inside his chest. She had simply fed him a bite, yet it tasted far better than the one he had ordered himself. So this is the power of a girlfriend’s love, he thought, smiling back at her bright expression.
The moment he took another bite of his own rice ball to finish it—
“I licked the spoon once before feeding you. Does that count as an indirect kiss?”
“Cough!”
Jihyeok realized the prank too late and choked in surprise.
“Oh my, Jihyeok. Are you okay? What happened all of a sudden?”
The fact that the culprit was pretending to be innocent left him speechless. ‘Whose fault do you think this is…’ he thought, already plotting a small revenge in his heart.
After gulping down some water and recovering, Jihyeok looked at Yuna.
“…Just you wait. I’ll get you back later.”
“Oh~? How exactly~?”
“I’ll return the exact same prank you just pulled on me.”
“Really? I wouldn’t mind if you did it right now~”
Before he could answer, Yuna leaned in close to his face and whispered in his ear.
“You can skip the spoon and kiss me directly. I’ll accept anything from you… ♡”
The mix of fifty percent sincerity, twenty-five percent seduction, and twenty-five percent mischief in her words nearly made Jihyeok choke again. He realized he still had a long way to go before he could match her playful energy.
By the time they finished teasing each other, it was already three in the afternoon. If they wanted to explore properly and still finish without rushing, they needed to start now. So they began eating their rice balls at a pace that wouldn’t leave them with stomachaches.
After finishing every last bite, they returned the empty bowls and utensils, paid with Jihyeok’s allowance, and finally left the restaurant. With full stomachs, the pair strolled slowly around the area to help digestion. Even while sharing ordinary conversation about everyday things, neither of their faces ever lost its smile. They looked exactly like a loving couple who found pure happiness simply by being together.
“Look at this photo. My eyes are closed.”
“They are. Hehe. My boyfriend still looks handsome even with his eyes closed?”
“My girlfriend looks pretty no matter what angle the camera catches, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“What~? Hehe. From now on, when I take pictures with my boyfriend, I should close my eyes too.”
“Huh? What are you going to do with your eyes closed?”
“This…”
Yuna cupped both of Jihyeok’s cheeks in her hands and kissed him right there.
Mwah.
It was the same short kiss they often shared, yet after spending the whole day on a date, both of them felt their hearts flutter a little more than usual.
Mwah.
She did it once more. It was the first time Yuna had kissed him twice in a row, and the happiness nearly made her want to take things further—but she knew Jihyeok might actually pass out if she did. So, regretfully, she stopped there. They still had plenty of time. She would wait for the day he initiated on his own, choosing instead to focus on enjoying their relationship happily.
After sharing several more affectionate moments on the bus—where over half the passengers were couples—they soon reached their stop.
“Jihyeok, let’s get off!”
“Okay.”
Some of Yuna’s lip tint had transferred to Jihyeok’s mouth. The moment she confirmed he had stepped off the bus, she pulled a wet wipe from her eco-bag, unfolded it, and gently dabbed at his lips.
“Hm? Was there something on my mouth?”
“My tint. Showing up at your parents’ house like that would be… a little embarrassing still.”
“You think? I doubt they’d mind… but okay.”
Since their houses were so close, there was no need to part ways midway. They walked slowly the rest of the way home, fingers interlaced.
“Thank you for leading the date today. Can I ask you to do it again next time?”
“Of course! You weren’t uncomfortable, right?”
“On the contrary, it was too comfortable. I’d welcome a date like this anytime.”
“Hehe. Thank you~”
They exchanged impressions of the day as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived. Even though the distance was short, Jihyeok felt more at ease watching his girlfriend get home safely, so he walked her all the way to her door.
“You could have just gone straight home…”
“We live close, but you never know. Letting your guard down is exactly when danger strikes.”
“Are you worried about your girlfriend?”
“Obviously. What if my girlfriend comes home hurt? I’d grab the nearest blunt object and come running.”
“Hehe. Got it~ Thanks for escorting me all the way home~”
“It’s nothing. Even if you told me not to, I’d follow you to the door anyway, so be prepared.”
“Will that day ever come? It feels like it never will.”
“Then I’d be perfectly happy.”
Neither wanted to let go, but Jihyeok had already told his parents he would be home soon. Still holding her hand, he spoke with clear reluctance.
“I shouldn’t have said I’d be home soon…”
“Aww~ They’ll worry if you don’t let them know.”
“Still… it feels like such a shame. My first date in life is already ending like this…”
“It’s not like we only get to date today. We’ll have plenty more chances. Plus we’re in the same class and sit right next to each other. If we ignore the time we spend at home, aren’t we basically always together?”
“That’s true…”
“So…”
Yuna gave his slightly pouty lips a gentle kiss before continuing.
“Let’s talk at school tomorrow about what we should do for our next date.”
“Sounds good?”
“Yes! No matter where we go, as long as I’m with my boyfriend, I’ll be happy!”
“Alright. Hearing you say that makes it less disappointing.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
It was finally time to head to their separate houses. Even though they were reluctant to release each other’s hands, Yuna reached up to adjust the dog-ear headband still perched on Jihyeok’s head.
“Whenever you look at this headband, you can remember that we had a day like this~ Isn’t it nice to recall memories?”
“Like a token?”
“Exactly! This was our first date, so we don’t have many tokens yet, but from now on let’s collect them whenever we go out. That way we can look back on all our dates.”
“Like souvenirs?”
“That’s it! Souvenirs! Someday—after we’ve passed a hundred days, two hundred days, even a full year—we can look at everything we’ve collected and have a memory-lane date!”
“That counts as a date too?”
“If we’re doing it together, of course it does!”
“You’re right. If it’s something I’m doing with my girlfriend, it’s definitely a date.”
After a long, reluctant moment, they finally let go of each other’s hands. Yuna took a few steps backward, still facing him.
“Then… I’ll head in first.”
“Yeah. Thank you for today. Get home safe, Yuna.”
“I will! Oh! One last favor before I go inside.”
“What is it?”
“Can I have a kiss?”
Jihyeok let out a small laugh, leaned down, and answered, “Have you ever needed to ask? Of course you can, girlfriend.”
“Hehe. Thank you!”
After successfully sharing one final goodbye kiss, the lingering regret they both felt melted away like snow.
“Get home safe! Boyfriend!”
“You too.”
Jihyeok watched until Yuna disappeared inside her house, then replayed every little moment of their date in his mind. Today’s first date, he thought, had been an absolute success.