Episode 44: Park Ha-ru Is Nervous

44 Park Haru Is Nervous

"Oppa, scissors?"

"Yeah."

Haru cut the naengmyeon and handed me the scissors. Some people hate cutting their naengmyeon noodles, but I'm more on the side of liking it.

What I hate even more is snapping the noodles halfway through a bite.

"How is it?"

Haru watched me with a slightly tense expression, waiting for my verdict.

"It's genuinely delicious."

I found myself reflecting on my past self who thought all naengmyeon tasted basically the same. There were levels to naengmyeon, too.

"Try some of this too."

"Ah, right."

I'd been so focused on the naengmyeon that the bulgogi had become an afterthought. Me, putting meat on the back burner — the naengmyeon must've really done a number on me.

"Mmm!!"

"Good, right?"

"Yeah, it's really good."

The bulgogi was excellent too. It was so flavorful I wanted to ask the owner what they seasoned it with.

I'd followed Haru's lead without complaint, but I was a little bummed we didn't order dumplings at the naengmyeon place. That disappointment vanished completely once I tried the bulgogi.

After a satisfying meal, while Haru took a quick phone call, I got in the car and turned on the AC.

"Sssp... tch."

The naengmyeon was delicious, but the brisket garnish was sliced so thin it got stuck between my molars. I tried to work it out, but it wasn't coming loose.

Haru finished her call, got in the car, and punched in the next destination: a hotel.

"Isn't this way too early?"

"It's... it's summer so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the sun stays up longer, that's all!"

Sure, the summer days are long, but it wasn't even 5 o'clock yet and we were heading straight to a hotel. Pretty bold woman.

"Alright, let's go."

Haru, who had been chattering nonstop on the way here, had gone quiet. I could hear her swallowing hard every so often — nerves, probably.

I reached over and gently pressed my fingers against her forehead, easing her head back against the headrest since she'd been sitting rigid with tension.

Then I softly stroked the side of her hair before lowering my hand and taking hers, which had been clenched into tight fists.

"Why are you so nervous?"

"I... I wonder."

She'd reverted to the Park Haru from before we got close. That's how nervous she was.

"Don't be nervous. If you don't want to, we won't do anything. We'll just hold hands and sleep."

"Pfft!"

Haru laughed and gave my palm a light smack.

"What's that... I was looking forward to it."

"Looking forward? Not nervous?"

"Mm... you made me laugh so I relaxed a lot, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so maybe 30% nerves, 70% excitement?"

"That's a relief."

But the closer we got to the hotel, the quieter Haru became again. The way she kept squeezing my hand tight — seemed like the nerves were creeping back.

I slowly parked in the hotel garage, put her mask on for her, and quickly got out to open the passenger door and offer my hand as an escort.

Even with all that, Haru's expression wouldn't loosen up.

I took her phone and checked in for her, then we headed up to the room.

"Oh..."

The hotel faced the lake, so you could see the water right from the window. It was a spectacular view.

"Haru-ya."

"Yes? Mmm."

"Come here."

I positioned Haru in front of the window and stood behind her, holding her shoulders and gently massaging them.

"It's beautiful..."

"Right?"

The sunset reflecting off the lake filled the room with a soft, ambient glow — no mood lighting needed.

I slowly slid my hands down and rested them on her stomach, pulling her gently toward me. Haru didn't resist my touch; she leaned back against my body and softly held my hands.

"You okay?"

"If I'm not okay, are you really just going to hold hands and sleep?"

"Nope."

"What the—"

"I'm going to hold you and sleep."

That part was completely sincere. I'm not confident I could keep it at just holding hands, but holding her while sleeping... maybe that could work.

"I... I'm going to go change!"

Haru grabbed her bag and darted into the bedroom. I stared blankly for a moment, then went into the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth.

"Ahh..."

After brushing, I was surprised by how much fresher I felt than I'd expected. If it weren't for the brisket thing, I would've stood her against the window and kissed her right then — but I held back with effort.

"O...oppa, are you going to wash up? I mean, are you washing up?"

I was still rinsing my mouth when Haru knocked and called out to me.

"Huh? No, just brushing my teeth. I'll be right out."

I hurriedly spat out the water in my mouth. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Haru wasn't there.

"Haru-ya?"

"Oppa, I'm in the bedroom."

I walked into the bedroom and stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn't help it.

"What... what's wrong?"

"You... you..."

Haru's outfit was perfectly engineered to snap the thread of my rationality. I closed the distance to where she sat on the bed in an instant and kissed her.

"Smooch, slurp, mmm—pah-ha."

"Slurp, mmm, oppa, mwah! I haven't, mmm, washed up yet."

"Hah... and you put this on?"

She'd put together a textbook seduction outfit — a white button-down shirt and a black skirt. And she'd unbuttoned the entire shirt, leaving it spread open with her provocative white underwear fully visible.

And she was looking up at me with this slightly challenging expression from below.

"O...originally, you button it all the way like this..."

Haru buttoned the shirt back up.

"Is it normal for your stomach to be showing like this?"

The shirt, which had looked slightly oversized before, was pulled tight by Haru's chest.

When I gave her a peculiar look, Haru launched into an explanation like she was defending herself.

"I'm... I'm big! Last time, when I said Eunhwi unnie's underwear was big, you misunderstood."

I didn't misunderstand. It's just that Haru is so slim that you don't get that impression.

"Eunhwi unnie is the weird one. A body like that with a chest like that..."

Maybe I see her so often that I've gotten used to it and no longer register how big she is. Or maybe Sieun noona is even bigger, so by comparison...

"Wait, 'unnie'?"

"Ah, we've met a few times and decided to be casual ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with each other."

"Oh really?"

For some reason, hearing that the two of them had gotten comfortable with each other put me at ease. I shook my head to clear the stray thoughts and resolved to focus on Haru right in front of me.

"Why are you shaking your head?"

"No, just... stray thoughts."

"With me right in front of you?"

Haru started unbuttoning her shirt again, one button at a time, seducing me.

"Ah... didn't you say you hadn't washed up..."

"Yep, I'll go wash up now~"

Haru slipped off the bed and out of the room.

"Oppa."

She turned back while taking off her shirt, winked at me, then scurried into the bathroom.

"Geez... cute."

Haru had left a trail of clothes behind her like Hansel and Gretel. I picked them up and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Hmm?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ "I left a robe out front."

"Okay, thanks."

While tidying up the clothes, her underwear naturally ended up in my hands, and before I knew it, I'd brought it to my nose.

"Hmm..."

I was surprised by how good it smelled. The memory of my own clothes occasionally smelling none too pleasant when I took them off made it unexpected.

"Well... the noonas' clothes smell nice too..."

"Ah, you sick bastard..."

The noonas must be deeply lodged in my brain — I kept thinking about them with Haru right here.

"It's... disrespectful."

There was the consideration for Haru, sure, but more than that, my feelings for her had grown.

I think I'd be sad too if someone was thinking about another person with me right in front of them.

I hung Haru's clothes neatly on hangers and then showered in the bathroom connected to the bedroom.

I must have been in a hurry — it was the fastest shower I'd taken in recent memory.

"Oppa."

I saw Haru come out in a bathrobe. I walked over slowly, took her by the shoulders, and gave her a soft kiss.

"Mwah! Mwah! Slurp, mmm, ha-ah, oppa-ha ♥"

Her cheeks flushed red and her body radiated heat from just kissing. That was Haru.

"Just a moment."

"Okay."

I turned Haru around and guided her forward slowly. She still didn't resist my touch and just followed along.

I sat her down in front of the mirror and picked up the hair dryer to gently dry her hair.

"Oppa, oppa."

"Yeah?"

The hair dryer was too loud — I'd missed what she said. Haru was tapping me to get my attention.

Wheeeeeeee wheeeeeeee

"Oh, too loud."

Her voice was buried under the noise of the dryer, so I couldn't make out what she was saying. I turned it off for a moment and asked her to repeat it.

"Your touch is really gentle, oppa. You're good at this."

"Yeah?"

It was my first time drying short hair, so I'd been a little worried. That was a relief.

"Dry it quickly. I want to be held."

Haru was pouting, being fussy.

It was so cute that I messed up her hair on purpose a bit, then turned the dryer back on and gently smoothed it out for her.

Haru had her eyes closed, basking in the feeling of my hands, clearly in a good mood.

"All done, valued customer."

"Thank you, seonsaengnim."

I guess calling a hair designer "teacher" is some kind of rule — whenever someone dries your hair, that's what you call them.

"Stay seated."

Haru started to get up, so I sat her back down and tidied up around us.

"Let us proceed, princess."

"Eek!"

When I scooped Haru up just as she was sitting, an excited squeal pierced my eardrums. I carried her slowly into the bedroom.

"Haru-ya."

"Yeah."

I laid her down gently on the bed and looked down at her, calling her name in a voice that even I could tell was greasy.

"Ahem! Ahem! Nope, can't do it."

But that kind of voice just feels awkward and hurts my throat, so I dropped it right away.

"Pfft! It didn't suit you."

"Thanks for playing along anyway."

"Hehehe."

It was a little embarrassing, but Haru took it cheerfully.

A bit of time passed, and just as the mood was turning mellow again, I lowered my head and kissed her.

"Haa-ah... smooch, smooch, slurp, mmm ♥"

"You okay?"

"Yes..."

She said she was okay, but one hand was still clenched in a tight fist — she was obviously still nervous. I gently took her hand and unfurled her fingers.

"You'll hurt yourself."

"Mm..."

I gazed into Haru's eyes as I slowly stroked her cheek with one hand, then gradually slid my hand down to her neck.

"Ha-ah! It... it tickles."

I kept my palm and four fingers on her neck, my thumb caressing her cheek. I lowered my head again and gave her slow, soft kisses.

"Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!"

"Oppa-ha..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm... I'm really a virgin... s...slowly, gently."

Does this girl even know? How the word 'first time' drives men absolutely insane. How hard it is for a man to suppress the instinct that screams at him to tear right through the thread of reason.

Still, to give her the best possible memory, I held my desire in check for a moment and took a breath.

"Don't say things like that to just anyone."

"Oppa isn't just anyone..."

"Hah..."

"O...oppa."

"Yeah?"

"Please... pop Haru's cherry."