You're Mine Now
It felt blissful.
Walking through the shopping mall hand in hand with Hari noona brought me a happiness beyond words.
Plenty of eyes followed her as she wore a light coat, but the thought that I was the one standing beside her made even that feel joyful.
“How do I look?”
I was currently wearing the clothes noona had chosen for me—a white turtleneck like hers, brown pants, and a matching coat.
“You look handsome.”
“Thank you.”
The more we shopped, the more I realized noona only ever said that one thing. It made me so happy I kept grinning on the inside, though I tried my best to look composed on the outside.
Probably.
“Noona, do you want to watch a movie?”
Watching her rummage through the racks, I spoke up first.
This won’t end at this rate.
Seeing how happy she looked while picking out clothes made me want to keep shopping, but I also wanted to do other things with her.
“Sure, why not?”
“There’s a movie I want to see.”
“Mm. Let’s do it.”
Hari noona took my hand and led me toward the staff member standing beside our five shopping bags.
“These clothes, right? Ring everything up with this, please.”
“…Excuse me? Just a moment.”
I caught her hand as she tried to hand over her card.
“Um… do you know how much all the clothes I’ve tried on so far cost…?”
She had to know. I just couldn’t believe it.
“Yeah, I know. Around a million won, right?”
“…And you’re going to buy all of it for me?”
“Of course I am. I used to buy you things all the time, remember?”
She had done the same thing two years ago when we went shopping. No matter how many times I asked, she would casually insist on paying. Her calm demeanor told me she was completely serious.
“Noona. Can’t you just buy the outfit I’m wearing now?”
She didn’t seem willing to buy nothing, so I compromised.
“Just that? That’s enough for you?”
“Yes. This one feels the best because it matches what you’re wearing…”
My voice grew smaller as embarrassment crept in.
Noona’s mouth opened slightly in surprise, then she let out a playful laugh.
“Alright, Yeonwoo. Then I’ll only pay for the clothes I like and that one. Okay?”
“…Okay.”
“Ring up these clothes and everything in those shopping bags. Oh, and the things we bought at the store earlier—send them to my home address. You have it, right?”
“Yes, ma’am. Understood.”
The way the staff treated her with such deference was fascinating to watch.
“Shall we go see that movie now?”
“Yeah…”
It felt surreal. Like I was watching someone treat a VIP.
“They know me because I come here often. Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
“Oh, do you need anything else?”
“Not really.”
“Want me to buy you a wallet?”
She wasn’t thinking of that place, was she?
“Where are we going?”
I asked while praying the name wouldn’t come up.
“Louis—”
I covered her mouth before she could finish. I knew it.
Accepting luxury gifts felt far too burdensome.
“Let’s just go watch the movie, noona.”
“Okay.”
We headed up to the theater on the upper floor.
A lot had happened, but it had been a wonderfully happy shopping trip. I already wanted to come back with Hari noona again.
“Hehe.”
Because that smile she was wearing right now was far too charming.
***
After taking the elevator up to the cinema, Hari noona and I headed straight for the kiosk.
“What do you want to watch?”
I had been the one to suggest the movie, but I hadn’t given it much thought. I had simply wanted to do something with her.
“Um… how about a simple romance?”
“Sounds good. We can watch something else next time.”
Next time.
Those words reassured me that I hadn’t been imagining things, and relief washed over me.
Before buying tickets for the romance film starting within fifteen minutes, I spoke up.
“I’ll pay.”
“I’ll get it.”
Noona stared straight into my eyes, refusing to back down.
“Let me pay. Noona, didn’t you make a dinner reservation too?”
Two years ago, whenever we shopped and then ate dinner, she had always booked a place in advance. I assumed she had done the same this time.
“…”
Her silence told me I was right.
“You really made a reservation?”
“Yeah. I booked one nearby.”
“Prepaid?”
“Prepaid.”
Then there was no way I could let her pay for this.
I had no intention of backing down.
“Then at least let me take care of the movie tickets. They’re not even that expensive. Besides, this is a date. It doesn’t feel right if I only ever receive.”
“…Alright.”
Hari noona, who had seemed deep in thought, gave a calm nod.
She wasn’t upset, was she?
But after I paid, she immediately took my hand and led me toward the snacks, so I guessed she wasn’t.
What had she been thinking about?
“What about popcorn? Should we get one to share?”
“Yeah. I don’t eat that much, so let’s get a small one. We’re having dinner after anyway.”
“Then one small popcorn, and you’ll have coffee?”
“Coffee for me.”
“I’ll get coffee and juice.”
After buying the snacks, we headed straight into the theater.
It seemed we were a little late; the advertisements were already playing. We quietly made our way to our seats.
Two seats slightly behind the center.
Those were the only ones left together.
“Are the seats okay?”
“Yeah. Not bad at all.”
Seeing Hari noona sit down first in the decent enough seats, I took the spot right beside her.
I placed the drinks in the cupholders and set the popcorn between us, which immediately created a small problem.
This makes it awkward to hold hands.
With the popcorn in the middle, reaching for her hand felt strange. But I couldn’t exactly move it either.
It felt a little unfair.
As I carefully glanced at Hari noona, our eyes met. She smiled softly and moved the popcorn down to the floor.
-Squeeze.
Her fingers slowly traced mine before she naturally laced them together.
How could anyone not fall for her?
It was impossible not to.
“Yeonwoo.”
“Yes, noona.”
“Your hand is warm.”
“…It’s because I’m holding yours.”
“Heh. Yeah. It’s starting.”
With that sweet atmosphere and our eyes locked, the movie began.
Our fingers still intertwined.
I had picked a romance film somewhat randomly, so I didn’t know the plot, but it seemed decent enough. The male lead, who had lost his girlfriend, goes back in time and starts dating her again, facing various events along the way.
A straightforward story with comedy and a romance that grew sweeter as it progressed.
During a kiss scene, I felt something stir in my left hand and glanced at Hari noona.
Our eyes met as if we had planned it.
We didn’t speak since the movie was still playing, but her gaze was the same as the one she had given me in the elevator on Saturday and earlier today when she had been talking.
A gaze that longed for me.
A gaze that wanted me.
Since we still hadn’t done anything, I swallowed my frustration.
-Squeeze.
All I could do was hold her hand firmly enough that it wouldn’t hurt her.
Her gentle smile seemed like it would accept anything, and when my eyes were drawn to her red lips, my heart pounded wildly.
If we were lovers, I would have leaned in already.
The fact that we weren’t made me incredibly regretful.
I renewed my resolve to confess my feelings today and focused on the warmth of her hand.
The end of this date—where I would confess and finally hear her true feelings—was drawing near.
***
I barely paid attention to the second half of the movie before it ended.
The same went for Hari noona.
We had spent most of the time just looking at each other, unable to focus on the film, but I felt like our hearts had grown much closer.
“…How much is this place?”
I asked as we sat down at the cozy pasta course restaurant Hari noona had reserved.
“It’s not that expensive. The whole thing comes to less than a hundred thousand won.”
That was a relief.
I still remembered how shocked I had been as a new graduate when she had taken me to an omakase place. She might have thought it was casual, but I had been so nervous I couldn’t even remember the taste.
“Aren’t you spending too much?”
“It’s fine. I set a monthly budget for myself. I still have plenty left.”
As we chatted, the meal came out—starting with salad and soup, followed by pasta and steak.
“…It’s delicious.”
The slightly upscale flavors took some getting used to, but I could at least tell it tasted good.
“Right? That’s why I come here often.”
“By yourself?”
“Yeah.”
“…Let’s come together from now on.”
I imagined Hari noona was smiling right about now.
“Let’s do that.”
My prediction had been spot on.
“All done?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
A faint tension I had learned to recognize after spending the whole day with her appeared on noona’s face.
I knew what it meant.
This was the end of today’s date.
***
The place we arrived at after riding in Hari noona’s car was the park near the university—the same one where we had met yesterday.
It was already famous for its beautiful scenery and good for walks, but now that night had fallen, the lamps were lit, creating an even better atmosphere.
Quite a few people were actually out strolling.
Hari noona took my hand without a word and walked forward.
She was nervous too.
Now it was noona’s hand, not mine, that felt slightly damp with sweat.
I was a little surprised that someone as capable as her could be nervous around me, and that only made me like her even more.
Because I realized she wasn’t some distant, unreachable person—she was someone I could walk beside.
-Step, step.
We walked quietly through the park.
“How was today?”
I gently asked to ease the tension I could feel from her.
“It was wonderful. Especially because I was with you. What about you?”
“It was great for me too, because I was with you, noona.”
It was a day that couldn’t possibly have been bad.
Spending the whole day watching the person I liked smile, discovering new sides of her, and feeling her other charms.
“Let’s sit for a bit.”
“Okay.”
We sat side by side on a bench with Hari noona and looked up at the night sky.
It was as dark as the day I had realized my feelings in front of my friends, but strangely, the stars seemed to sparkle even brighter tonight.
“Yeonwoo.”
Hari noona called my name while gazing at the night sky.
“Yes, noona.”
“I’ve been watching you since two years ago. At first it was pure coincidence, but you were the first person who ever truly caught my interest.”
Noona slowly unraveled her story.
“I had never been interested in men since I was young, but for some reason I wanted to get close to you. I only realized what that feeling was when you went off to the military. I thought, ‘Ah, so this is love.’”
“…”
“Saying things like this feels unfamiliar, and I don’t usually act playful, but with you it all flows out so naturally. I guess that means I like you a lot.”
Right now, noona was smiling brightly.
“Actually, there’s only one thing I want to tell you.”
Hari noona turned her head to look at me.
Her clear red eyes shone brighter than the lamplight.
Her sparkling red lips seemed to tempt me.
“Yeonwoo, I like you. I’ve liked you since two years ago.”
“…”
Hari noona’s confession.
I organized the words I wanted to say into something short and opened my mouth.
“It hasn’t been that long since I started seeing you as Hari noona instead of my boss, but I’ve come to realize what an amazing person you are.”
“…”
“I like it when you tease me, when you treat me gently, and even when you treat me like a little brother. I like all of it.”
It was time to say it.
I had wanted to be the one to approach first, but I had ended up being a little late with my confession.
“I actually wanted to say it first, but you beat me to it.”
“…What does that mean?”
“I like you too, Hari noona.”
Her wavering eyes steadied, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
“So… we’re dating now, right?”
“You have a cute side too, noona.”
It was adorable how she wanted confirmation even though the answer was already obvious.
Noona let out a small snort.
“Cute? Your face is redder than mine right now.”
“…I doubt it. I think yours is redder.”
Hari noona gently reached out and touched my cheek.
Her touch was warm. Infinitely soft.
“Yeonwoo. There’s something I want to do. Can I?”
“What is it?”
When I asked with a tone that clearly meant yes, Hari noona simply smiled without answering and leaned her upper body toward me.
Her face drew closer and closer, closing the distance between us.
Her long eyelashes, her straight nose, her red lips. A faint blush.
Finally, her red eyes stared straight at me as they approached, and at the end of that gaze were my lips.
Very slowly, noona tilted her head and pressed her lips against mine.
“Noo…”
Hari noona’s lips parted slightly as she kept her eyes fixed on me.
She looked at me with captivating eyes that seemed to say I was hers, staring directly into mine.
Then—
-Chu…
Her soft lips covered mine.
A dreamy feeling washed over me, as if I were drunk.
I couldn’t fully grasp what was happening.
All I could feel was how soft, moist, and tender noona’s lips were.
This kiss that I wished would last forever ended when Hari noona lifted her head again.
“Ah…”
Hari noona smiled as she watched me look at her with longing.
“Yeonwoo, that was my first kiss.”
“…It was mine too.”
That made me incredibly happy.
That it had been with Hari noona. That I had shared my first kiss with her.
“You’re mine now.”
The subtle possessiveness in those words.
The feeling that our relationship had changed once again.
I liked it. I liked it very much.
“I like you.”
So I told her my feelings once more.
“Me too.”
The smile that bloomed from the bottom of Hari noona’s heart was the most beautiful thing in the world.