174. Do You Know What Fire-Gazing Is?
174. Do You Know What Fire-Gazing Is?
***
"Was I staring too much?"
When Eunha asked with an awkward laugh, I nodded.
"Do you have something to say?"
It would have been strange to pretend not to notice someone staring at me for several minutes. I figured Eunha might be looking at me because she had something else on her mind.
"Hmm..."
At that, Eunha showed an uncharacteristic moment of hesitation, as if she were mulling something over.
I quietly waited, gazing out at the lake, and then Eunha suddenly said something I couldn't understand.
"The term fire-gazing. Do you know it, Serin?"
"...Fire-gazing?"
When I asked what that was, Eunha smiled brightly.
"Ah, so you don't know it."
She said it like she was pleased I didn't know. I couldn't quite grasp what the term fire-gazing meant.
Fire-gazing?
'A burning doggy?'
No, that sounded way too weird.
"Well then, Serin, how about we do a little fire-gazing today before heading back?"
The sun was gradually setting, so we didn't have much time to spare. After all, starting tomorrow, we each had our own routines.
I had to prepare for my stream as a streamer, and Eunha had to return to the team house as a pro player. Neither of us had much leisure.
"I don't know what fire-gazing is, but let's do it. I'm curious too."
As Eunha slowly rose to her feet, I got up as well and followed her.
Pat. Pat.
I lightly brushed the dust off my clothes and followed Eunha up onto the walking path, then unconsciously glanced back once more.
I took in the lakeside at sunset one last time, holding onto the feeling of the moment.
'Will I ever come back here again?'
The scenery before me was charming enough to make me think such a thing.
It was beautiful enough to keep as a memory, so I let my eyes linger on it once more before moving on.
......
Crackle. Crackle.
The firewood piled in the brazier crackled as it burned, flaring brightly and pushing back the darkness that had settled over the space.
There was something deeply satisfying about watching the torch gas ignite the firewood in an instant with its powerful flame.
"Thank you."
Eunha spoke calmly at the sight, and the man seated across from her shook his head as if it were nothing.
"No, not at all. Glad I could help."
Serin quietly watched him answer with a nonchalant expression.
After hearing Eunha explain what fire-gazing was, they had stacked firewood in the brazier at one side of the yard and made their preparations, but the torch they were going to use to light the firewood hadn't been working properly.
So, as it happened, they had ended up borrowing a torch from someone they'd coincidentally run into when they arrived at the pension. That was the current situation.
"I'll just leave the torch here."
But at the man's next words, Serin felt a flicker of puzzlement.
'If he wasn't going to take it back, why didn't he just lend us the torch in the first place? Why come over and light it himself?'
She thought that, but outwardly she didn't raise any objection.
Even after their first encounter, this man hadn't been pushy or crossed any lines. So she didn't feel the need to say anything.
"It's fine. We'll be heading back soon anyway. You should just take it with you."
Eunha answered indifferently, glancing at the torch, and the man laughed awkwardly and picked it back up. He rose to his feet to return to his own pension.
In that moment, I caught him looking at Eunha with an odd expression.
He kept looking at Eunha as if reluctant to leave, hesitating so visibly that even I could tell.
'Is he a fan of Eunha?'
That was my first thought. The gaze he gave Eunha was too full of admiration to be the look of someone trying to pick her up, so it seemed clear he recognized her. I was just thinking he might ask for an autograph before leaving when—
"...Well then, have a pleasant evening."
With those final words, the man left, and I blinked blankly.
'Wait, he's leaving just like that?'
If I were a fan of Eunha, I'd probably get excited the moment I met her in person and ask for an autograph or something.
So I unconsciously looked at Eunha, wondering if I'd misread the situation.
"That person... wasn't he a fan of yours, Eunha?"
Eunha, who had been casually closing the distance to my side, tilted her head for a moment.
"Who knows?"
She said it as if she had no interest at all, then suddenly handed me a skewer.
I took it reflexively, wondering what this was now.
Something white and rice-cake-like was stuck on it, so at first I thought it was rice cake, but looking closer, the shape was a bit different.
"What is this?"
"Marshmallows. We roast them over the campfire."
Eunha smiled faintly as she spoke, and I stared blankly at the campfire.
"...Over this?"
"Yes. They're tastier when you toast them over the campfire."
As if she knew exactly what she was doing, Eunha moved her own marshmallow toward the campfire first. The sight was somehow fascinating.
"You want to lightly toast the outside. If you hold it too close, the marshmallow burns, so it's harder than it looks."
Eunha explained gently, as if giving me a warning, and I nodded. Then I brought the skewer she'd given me toward the campfire, following her lead.
As we both held our skewers over the campfire, I laughed for no reason. It felt like we were playing around like kids.
"Eunha, you know a lot of interesting things, don't you?"
I said that while watching Eunha's marshmallow slowly toasting over the fire.
"Ah, I wanted to try this with you, Serin. It's fun actually doing it together."
Eunha smiled brighter than ever, and I found myself staring without realizing it.
I'd only ever seen Eunha smile softly before, so seeing her smile so radiantly now felt new.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
'People really are prettier when they smile.'
I'd thought she was plenty pretty even when she was still, but as her emotions became more animated, her charm seemed to come alive even more.
"Serin, let's stay until 9 and then head back. Is that okay?"
Eunha casually suggested leaving at 9, and I almost nodded before hesitating.
"I don't mind, but wouldn't that be too tiring for you, Eunha?"
It was already past 7 p.m. Wouldn't leaving at 9 be too late? I remembered it had taken over two hours just to get here, so if we left at 9, even at the earliest we wouldn't arrive until past 11 p.m.
"I'm fine. I'm pretty confident in my stamina, and since we're not drinking, driving won't be an issue either."
She laid out one reason after another, clearly hoping I'd agree. When I looked at her, Eunha met my gaze as if waiting for me to say yes.
"Really. You're not pushing yourself, right?"
I knew exactly how she'd answer, but I asked once more anyway.
"Yes, I'm not pushing myself, Serin."
So I simply nodded and accepted it.
Right, Eunha's not a child. She's saying that because she's fine.
"Ah. Thank you!"
At Eunha's bright smile, I awkwardly smiled back.
I hadn't really done anything worth thanking me for.
"...Ah. That looks good."
Eunha pulled her appetizingly toasted marshmallow away from the campfire, and I turned to check on my own marshmallow.
"...Ah."
The marshmallow at the very top of the skewer was on fire, and the one right below it was charred completely black, like looking at a lump of coal.
'Wait, why?'
I'd definitely put my marshmallow over the fire at the same time as Eunha.
Why had mine burned like this?
Serin stared at her marshmallow with a hollow look.
"Pfft..."
Eunha, watching Serin, covered her mouth and laughed softly. At the sound, Serin turned her head blankly to look at her.
"Eunha... why didn't you say something?"
"About what?"
Eunha blinked as she asked, and Serin deliberately sighed before speaking.
"My marshmallow... it burned. You were definitely watching, weren't you?"
As Serin pouted slightly, Eunha looked at her like she was cute and laughed softly.
Then she slowly extended her own hand holding the marshmallow.
"Ah, then Serin, would you like to try mine first?"
When Eunha held out her nicely toasted, golden-brown marshmallow, Serin was a little flustered.
"Uh..."
She'd said it as a joke, and while she was grateful that Eunha took it in stride, the extra consideration made her a bit embarrassed.
Eunha really was like a blank sheet of paper.
When you joked with her, she accepted it all without any resistance. And on top of that, she even showed consideration in the middle of it. It felt like her true nature was showing through.
"..."
Serin looked at the offered marshmallow for a moment, then opened her mouth slightly as if she wouldn't refuse. Eunha carefully brought the marshmallow to Serin's lips.
Serin bit off the marshmallow at the very top of the skewer.
Eunha watched, then gently pulled the skewer back and bit off the marshmallow right below it.
Serin watched Eunha quietly and chewed.
The marshmallow she'd bitten into had a light crispness on the outside at first, and then a soft, chewy texture filled her mouth.
And the taste was sweet.
"This is good!"
Maybe it was because Eunha had toasted it well, or maybe it was because it was roasted over a campfire, but it tasted different from the marshmallows I knew.
Plop.
Serin pulled the burned top marshmallow off her own skewer and brought the rest back toward the campfire.
At that, Eunha casually held out her marshmallow to Serin again.
"Ah. I'm, I'm fine."
"It's fine, so have one more."
Eunha said it was fine and gave her an expectant look, and Serin awkwardly bit off another marshmallow.
Watching Serin, Eunha smiled even more brightly than when she was eating the marshmallow herself.