Chapter 76
Chapter 76
“A Four-Cut Life Photo?”
Bom’s red, plump lips parted slightly. It was a look Jae-gyu knew well. Every time they parted like that, her front teeth peeked out like a rabbit’s, and at that immense cuteness, Jae-gyu unconsciously swallowed the saliva that had gathered in his mouth.
“You wanted to take one, I could tell.”
“But they have that here?”
“Didn’t I tell you it just opened in town? Let’s go.”
Bom hesitated for a moment, but eventually gave an OK sign. Earlier, when they were feeding the kids at the rest area, Se-jin had pulled out and shown them a Four-Cut Life Photo.
The two of them, pressed close together, posing in four different ways, looked really good. The fact that they could print multiple copies also pleased her greatly.
[Uncle, you should go too.]
[Oh, right! They say it opened in town too. You should go take one. I bet you’ll get addicted.]
Han-gyeol and Se-jin had given them useful information, and Jae-gyu had been wondering when to take Bom, but now was the perfect timing.
Bom, at some point, went to the closet, held various clothes up to the mirror, then slipped into the bathroom. A while later, when Jae-gyu saw Bom emerge with a fresh face, he pushed back his dining chair and stood up.
“...What is this?”
“What’s wrong? Is it strange?”
“Didn’t you look in the mirror? Ha, damn it.”
Bom quickly ran to the entrance, checked herself in the full-length mirror next to the shoe rack, and spun around. Jae-gyu approached the busy Bom from behind, looked in the mirror, and frowned deeply.
“You’re trying to tempt me, aren’t you?”
“...Excuse me?”
Jae-gyu had come today wearing a white shirt and black suit pants. He was wearing a suit in case Bom changed her mind at the last minute and accompanied him to Seoul.
Whether she intended it as a couple’s outfit or not, Bom was also wearing a black One-Piece Dress. Knowing what lay beneath that tight-fitting dress, his head quickly grew dizzy.
His gaze also fell on her exposed neckline, where her loose hair was swept over one shoulder. Jae-gyu’s lower half quickly grew heavy.
“Hoo...”
If they didn’t leave now, he felt he wouldn’t be able to let go of Bom all night. Jae-gyu suppressed his lust with superhuman effort and found Bom’s shoes by the entrance, pulling them out for her.
“Phew, just pick one.”
“What do you mean?”
“Either pretty or sexy.”
“No, where do I look sexy...?”
“Can’t you see it here? Right now, mine is completely... Ha, I can’t take it anymore.”
“Just bear with it...”
Taking the bewildered Bom, who had put on her shoes in a daze, he quickly went outside. It was a great relief that the weather was nice.
Bathed in the bright sunlight, Bom’s expression relaxed even further, and as she rode in the car, feeling the wind through the window, she even laughed at his jokes.
“School starts next week, you said.”
“Yes, Monday.”
“That’s really quick, isn’t it?”
“This vacation seems to be passing unusually fast.”
Strange, huh? It’s because you’re dating me. Lately, Jae-gyu was completely absorbed in the fun of teasing Bom internally. He’d been hit by her small fist several times for saying things out loud, so he’d recently started to be more careful.
Actually, what he was most curious about was why the flower basket was so utterly destroyed, and what had happened with her mother. But he decided to ask when Bom was in a better mood.
He roughly knew. It seemed Bom’s family had somewhat anticipated the Blind Date with Choi Yi-jun, and when it didn’t go well, they must have gotten grumpy.
‘They don’t even realize Bom is far too good for Choi Yi-jun...’
Anyway, it was a frustrating situation. Jae-gyu deliberately brought up only trivial topics.
He also told her about the information he’d looked up on Jindo River, and the story of witnessing Ms. Moon and Mr. Park from ‘Soljjak’ on a date when he went to Seoul. Bom was startled and couldn’t believe it.
“Mr. Park, as in the one who hit on Ms. Yoo...? That’s incredible.”
“Right? They both had masks on and were wearing ball caps, but I recognized them instantly.”
“Ha, that’s truly shocking... They say Soljjak is starting its second season soon.”
“This time, we’ll definitely watch it live.”
“Okay. Ha, I’m still shocked. Wow...”
As they chatted about this and that, they soon reached the town. The two of them, entering the Rodeo Intersection, initially walked a respectful distance apart, but soon drew close together.
At first, Bom was self-conscious, worried she might run into students or parents at the Rodeo Intersection. However, she soon realized there was no need.
“Wow, I’ve never seen it this deserted before.”
“Everyone’s completely gone?”
“Good, we’ve got the whole town to ourselves.”
Today, a national program called ‘Paldo Singing Contest’ was filming in the neighboring town, so the Rodeo Intersection was completely empty. It wasn’t just the elderly who were absent from the streets.
They said a twenty-year-old trot male singer, who’s really popular these days, had come as a guest performer, and perhaps because of that, even the children seemed to have all gone out to watch. The Rodeo Intersection even felt eerie.
“Isn’t that it over there?”
Jae-gyu, who was guiding Bom to the place Se-jin had told them about, eventually found the shop he was looking for and pointed at the sign with his finger.
“That must be it, right?”
“You’re right, there it is. It’s usually bustling with people, so it’s a relief...”
“Let’s go in. Wow, they’re even getting things like this in town now.”
The modern-looking sign and interior caught their eye. As he led Bom into the shop, he saw that some people had already taken photos and pasted the leftover ones on the wall.
What a waste, why would they stick these here? Jae-gyu tilted his head, looked around, and said, “Excuse me, owner.” But Bom chuckled softly.
“These places are unmanned.”
“Oh...”
Bom seemed to have been here before, as she pulled Jae-gyu to where the props were gathered. Next to the large mirrors, there were all sorts of strange headbands and hats.
Jae-gyu, who was hovering next to Bom as she pondered what to wear, put on a pair of spinning glasses himself and placed a silver curly wig on Bom’s head.
“What is this!”
“Pretty.”
Jae-gyu quickly pulled out his phone from his pocket. As he took a mirror selfie, just as Han-gyeol had taught him, Bom glared at him.
“Of all things, a grandma wig...”
Even after taking the photo, Jae-gyu kept glancing at Bom, who was wearing the silver curly wig. Actually, Jae-gyu was curious.
What she would look like when they grew old together.
Jae-gyu, who knew well that youth was fleeting, always envisioned the next stage of this love. He had thought a few times about carrying an elderly Bom-Bom on his back, but seeing her directly with the wig on, it was even better than he’d imagined.
“Bom-Bom, look here.”
Jae-gyu took off Bom’s wig, put it on his own head, and asked.
“Even if I become an old man like this, you shouldn’t look at younger guys, okay?”
“What are you talking about? Do you think I won’t get old?”
“For you, age isn’t what matters.”
Jae-gyu looked at his own face in the mirror, wearing the silver curly wig, and let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps because he was quite handsome to begin with, it seemed Bom wouldn’t easily stray even if he became an old man.
Well, Bom seems more interested in his physique, so from now on, he should pay even more special attention to exercise...
“Bom!”
While he was lost in thought, Bom, who had put all the props back in their places, was entering the booth with the photo machine. Jae-gyu quickly followed her in.
“Do you know how to do it?”
“Leave it to me.”
Bom confidently began operating the machine, and Jae-gyu watched from the side.
“Smooth as silk.”
He watched her touch the screen here and there, then, at the prompt to pay, he hastily pulled out his wallet from his pocket and slipped in the money.
“Huh?”
Immediately, the screen showed Jae-gyu and Bom. Before they had a chance to be surprised, 10, 9, 8... the countdown began.
“Oh no. It’s starting right away?”
“Didn’t you say you’d done it before?”
“I only searched it up, thinking about taking one before.”
7, 6, 5, 4... To the flustered Bom, Jae-gyu quickly told her the idea he’d already envisioned in his head.
“Let’s make half a heart each.”
“Yes, yes, okay.”
Jae-gyu grinned, raised his arm high, and made half a heart. 3, 2, 1, 0, click.
The heart didn’t come together. Unlike Jae-gyu, Bom had curled her fingers to make a small heart. They were photographed with two different heart shapes.
Jae-gyu and Bom were so surprised by the distorted heart that they were dumbfounded.
“...”
“...”
10, 9, 8, 7, 6... There was no time to talk. The countdown was starting again.
“...Heart!”
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, click. This time, the two of them made the heart shapes they had each made earlier, and were photographed just like that.
“What do we do?”
Bom stamped her feet, looked at the screen where the countdown had quickly started again, and said impatiently.
“Let’s do a K-Heart.”
“Yep.”
3, 2, 1...
“But what is that?”
0, click.
Bom alone was captured in the photo, having made a heart by overlapping two fingers.
“Ha... We messed up.”
The disheartened Bom just stared at the screen, regardless of the countdown this time. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5... Then, as if disappointed, she murmured softly.
“It’s our first Four-Cut Life Photo...”
Jae-gyu grabbed Bom’s waist and pulled her close. Her slender waist immediately pressed tightly against his body. Jae-gyu’s lips curved upward slightly.
4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
He bent down and kissed Bom, whose eyes had widened. The soft, sweet sensation, as always, made him dizzy. Jae-gyu let out a low groan, and the machine clicked.
“...”
The photo had already been taken, but Jae-gyu didn’t pull away. He loved Bom’s face, trembling like a deer every time he kissed her.
He observed Bom’s fluttering long eyelashes and watched her blinking eyes. He could also feel Bom’s thumping heartbeat.
He slowly pulled his lips away, then pressed them back for a quick peck, and only then did he release Bom.
In truth, he didn’t want to pull away like this. But he was a true civilized citizen, so he exerted his reason with all his might. Jae-gyu turned his eyes to the screen.
“Good, it says it gives us a chance to retake the photos.”
On the screen were three failed heart shots and one last shot of them kissing. Since the hearts had utterly failed, he naturally assumed Bom would choose to retake them.
“...?”
Bom’s slender finger pressed the ‘Print’ button. A short while later, two sheets of Four-Cut Life Photos emerged from the slot below.
Jae-gyu, who was about to ask why she didn’t retake them and just printed them, closed his mouth. Bom’s face, as she gazed intently at the photos, looked so incredibly happy that he felt his heart might just tear out.
‘This is a huge problem.’
Jae-gyu, too, gazed at the Four-Cut Life Photos, his heart fluttering.
Can I really be apart from Bom?