Chapter 259
Chapter 259
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 259
Chapter Title: Date (1)
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The next day.
Oh-jin was waiting for Isabella near Jamsil Station.
Since they lived in the same house, it would have been simpler to just leave together, but they had decided to follow Isabella's suggestion to depart separately and meet at Jamsil Station to better capture the feeling of a date.
“Haaah.”
A deep sigh escaped Oh-jin as he sipped the canned coffee he’d bought from a convenience store.
Going out to enjoy a carefree date in such a serious situation, with the Heavenly Demon possibly on the move, was one problem.
But what made him feel even more pathetic was standing blankly in front of the station, waiting to go on a date with another woman when he already had a girlfriend, Ha-eun.
‘Even though Ha-eun said it was okay...’
A tangle of complicated thoughts filled his mind.
“Ah, Oh-jin. Have you been waiting?”
But the moment he saw Isabella stepping out of a luxurious limousine, all those tangled thoughts vanished as if washed away.
She wore a chestnut-brown turtleneck knit sweater and a tulip skirt, her long, slender legs wrapped in black stockings.
An Hermès bag hung from her left arm, and her earrings and necklace, while not flashy, exuded a subtle elegance that made a quiet statement.
And what drew his gaze more than anything were two sinfully prominent hills, their curves clearly visible even under the loose-fitting knit.
No, 'hills' wasn't quite right; 'towering mountains' seemed a more fitting description...
“Oh-jin?”
“Ah, yeah. Sorry.”
Snapping back to his senses, Oh-jin gave an awkward smile.
“I'm sorry. It took me a while to get ready. Did you wait long?”
“No, I just got here myself.”
This wasn't the usual polite lie lovers tell; he had genuinely arrived less than ten minutes ago.
After all, since they lived in the same house, their arrival times wouldn't be that different even if they came separately.
“Hehe. That's a relief.”
Isabella smiled shyly and naturally wrapped her arm around Oh-jin's.
As she drew closer, the fragrant scent of lilac tickled his nose.
“Did you get a new perfume?”
“Fufu. It's for spring.”
Just as she said, it was a scent that suited the spring season, when the cherry blossoms were just beginning to bloom.
“It smells amazing.”
He didn't know the brand, but the fragrance wafting from her perfectly suited the radiant, platinum-blonde Isabella.
“I-Is that so?”
Isabella suddenly took out her smartphone from her Hermès bag and sent a message.
From a quick glance at the screen, the message seemed to be an order to buy more of that perfume immediately.
It was probably a message for Roberto.
‘My apologies, Roberto.’
He felt a bit strange, as if he were adding to the man's workload in real time.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, Oh-jin!”
Having sent the text, Isabella nodded vigorously.
The place Oh-jin and Isabella had chosen for their date was Lotte World.
It was the quintessential date spot, a place nearly every Seoul resident had visited at least once.
“Are you sure this is okay? The amusement parks overseas probably have better facilities.”
Lotte World was certainly one of the better-made amusement parks.
Still, it couldn't compare to the famous parks abroad.
Of course, while the 'overseas' barrier existed for most, it was no issue for Isabella, who owned a private jet.
“It's fine. If I'm going to be living in Korea from now on, I need to get used to the culture here.”
From now on, huh.
His mind grew complicated again at how naturally she said it.
Oh-jin pushed the complicated thoughts aside and stepped into Lotte World.
“Woah.”
A short gasp of awe escaped Isabella's lips as she entered Lotte World.
The interior had a charming atmosphere, like stepping into a fantasy fairytale.
A bustling atmosphere and screams echoed from all around.
“You said this was your first time at an amusement park, right?”
“Yes, it's my first time.”
Isabella's eyes sparkled as she constantly looked around.
Seeing her excited like a child on a field trip, a smile naturally formed on Oh-jin's lips.
“Have you been here before, Oh-jin?”
“Once, a long time ago.”
He had come as part of a government support program back when he was in the orphanage.
It had been a for-show program, so he'd been tired from forcing a smile at the director's insistence, but it was still one of the few pleasant memories from his hellish orphanage days.
“What do you want to ride first?”
“Uhm. Just a moment.”
Isabella took out her smartphone again and operated it with the swiftness of a squirrel peeling an acorn.
Had she researched the attractions beforehand?
The screen displayed a detailed list of Lotte World's rides and their features.
“Atlantis! I heard this one is the most popular!”
“Then shall we go ride that?”
Oh-jin chuckled and headed toward the outdoor area where Atlantis was located.
A refreshing spring breeze, along with the bright sunlight, tickled their cheeks.
“I think that's it over there, Oh-jin!”
He could see people lined up to ride Atlantis.
In the past, you'd have to wait one or two hours at minimum, sometimes over three, but since the Gates opened and life became harsher for most, the number of visitors had dropped significantly.
Well, even if life was harsh, South Korea was still one of the better places to live, which was why the amusement park was still in operation.
“It says we can ride it if we wait about thirty minutes.”
“Then wait here for a bit. I'll go buy us something to snack on.”
“Something to snack on?”
“There's something you have to eat when you come to an amusement park.”
Oh-jin grinned and bought two churros from a nearby shop.
The churros, heavily coated in sugar, gave off a rich cinnamon aroma.
“Is this the thing you have to eat at an amusement park?”
“Yep. Try it.”
Isabella cautiously took a bite of the churro.
“Ah, it's delicious.”
“Right?”
“Yes. It seems like a dessert that would go well with coffee.”
Isabella beamed, seeming to quite like the churro.
“But why did this become a must-eat food at amusement parks?”
“Uh… I don't really know either.”
Was there even a reason…?
“Hmm. Then this must be another part of Korean culture!”
Isabella's eyes sparkled as she happily munched on the churro.
As they waited while eating their churros, the line shortened quickly.
Ruuuumble!
With a thunderous roar, the roller coaster sped along.
The cheers and screams of the riders echoed loudly.
“Do we get on here?”
“Yep.”
Oh-jin and Isabella sat side-by-side in the front seats of the boat.
“Alright~ We'll be launching shortly! Everyone, please hold on tight to your safety bars!”
With the attendant's announcement, the boat shot forward.
Launched to a speed of 72 km/h in just 1.5 seconds, the boat zipped along the rails.
While the other riders shrieked,
“Hmm.”
Isabella simply let go of the safety bar with an indifferent expression.
It made sense.
She was a superhuman who could accelerate far beyond 72 km/h in 1.5 seconds—she could break the sound barrier.
There was no way a speed like this would thrill her.
“Boring, right?”
“N-No. It's really fun!”
Did she think he meant the date itself was boring?
Isabella frantically shook her head and exclaimed.
“Let's go ride something else.”
The most popular thrill rides at the park held little interest for Oh-jin and Isabella, who both possessed superhuman bodies.
“The ones I researched were all similar to that…”
“How about the haunted house? Is that too childish?”
“A haunted house?”
Isabella let out a small, derisive laugh.
A haunted house… isn't that the thing where they create a scary atmosphere and part-timers dressed as ghosts jump out at you?
She'd never been to one, but she could roughly imagine what it would be like.
“Yes, that's fine.”
As if grateful that Oh-jin had put thought into it, Isabella headed for the haunted house.
And then.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!”
A piercing scream echoed through the air.
Isabella clung to Oh-jin's arm, her eyes welling with tears.
“O-Oh-jin! A gh-ghost, a ghoooost!”
Her face pale, she pointed at a female ghost in a white funeral shroud staggering toward them.
“…Isabella?”
“Q-Quickly, let's go, quickly!”
Her plea was so desperate it couldn't possibly be an act, and Oh-jin let out a hollow laugh.
“Wh-Why are you laughing?!”
Isabella shouted, pressing herself tightly against Oh-jin.
Mmph.
The two peaks, which asserted their strong presence even through the chestnut-brown knit, pressed against Oh-jin.
“Ahem.”
Oh-jin cleared his throat for no reason and slowly moved forward.
“Kyaaaaaah! O-Oh-jin! A v-vampire! It's a vampire!”
“No.”
You're a vampire too…
“Oh-jiiiiiiiin!”
“Ugyagyagyagyak!”
Feeling his bones about to break from the crushing strength of her grip, Oh-jin hurriedly escaped the haunted house.
“Pant, pant!”
After barely making it out of the haunted house.
Oh-jin gasped for breath and looked at Isabella.
Was it because she was relieved to be outside?
Isabella wiped away the tears in her eyes, smoothed her disheveled hair, and said.
“I-It wasn't that scary.”
“…Huh?”
That was the reaction of someone who wasn't scared?
“I-I was just pretending to be a little scared to have an excuse to hold onto you, Oh-jin. Y-You totally fell for it, didn't you?”
Isabella avoided Oh-jin's gaze, staring off into the distance.
Oh-jin smiled playfully and grabbed her hand.
“Then do you want to go in one more time?”
“N-No way!”
Isabella cried out, her face deathly pale.
“Pfft, hahahahaha!”
He burst out laughing at the sight of the terrified Isabella.
Who knew the lofty queen had a side like this.
“Don't tease me, Oh-jin!”
“Hahaha! Sorry, sorry.”
Oh-jin barely suppressed his laughter and looked back at Isabella, who was pouting with puffed-up cheeks.
“Should we go get something to eat?”
“Ah, it's already this late.”
They had been so absorbed in having fun that lunchtime had already passed them by.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Uhm… Bunsik, is that what it's called? I want to eat that!”
“Bunsik?”
“Yes!”
For someone who wanted to learn about Korean culture, there was nothing better than bunsik.
“Is there a tteokbokki place around here?”
Oh-jin headed for the food court and looked for a bunsik restaurant.
Even if the exterior was a fantasy-themed street, was the inside still thoroughly Korean?
It didn't take long to find a tteokbokki chain restaurant.
“Yeopgi Tteokbokki? What an unusual name.”
“It's a pretty famous place.”
Oh-jin and Isabella entered the tteokbokki restaurant.
The menu had options to choose from: mild, regular, and spicy.
“Let's get the spicy one!”
Isabella, looking at the menu, chose the spicy option without hesitation.
“Are you sure? Even the regular version here is pretty spicy.”
“Fufu. Enjoying spicy food is part of Korean culture, isn't it? And don't worry.”
Isabella puffed out her chest proudly and continued.
“I can handle spicy foods like kimchi jjigae and jeyuk bokkeum just fine!”
“Uh… yeah.”
Were those… considered spicy food?
Oh-jin tilted his head in confusion but ordered the spicy version as Isabella requested.
The steaming hot tteokbokki arrived, served on a plate.
“Wow! So this is tteokbokki!”
Isabella's eyes sparkled as she picked up a piece with her fork and took a large bite.
“Hmm? It's not as spicy as I thought…”
The moment she was about to finish her sentence.
“Mmmph! Mmmmmmmph!”
Isabella's face turned beet red, and she began to kick her legs wildly.
She desperately reached for her cup of water.
“Uh, wait, if you drink water…”
When you eat spicy food, drinking water only helps for a moment. An even more intense spiciness follows.
“Mmmmmmmmmmmph!”
Having gulped down the water, Isabella writhed, tears welling in her eyes.
Oh-jin handed the struggling woman a Coolpis.
“Hah, hah!”
After drinking the Coolpis and calming down somewhat, Isabella trembled and exclaimed in a voice full of indignation.
“D-Don't Koreans know the meaning of moderation?!”
It was an undeniable point.