Tempting Bora (2)
Vrrrm.
Inside a car whose engine roared like something magnificent, I squirmed with excitement, unable to sit still. Going out to play was always a joy. We seemed to be nearing our destination, though, and the growl of the engine slowly faded away.
We pulled into a downtown parking lot, and I hopped down from the passenger seat. Bora climbed out beside me. I bounced in circles all around her.
We're in the city now. So what am I supposed to do?
For a moment, my brain short-circuited. I'd made it outside, sure—but now that I was actually out, I had nothing to do. Fortunately, Bora seemed to have something in mind. She took my hand and headed off somewhere, and that somewhere turned out to be a street lined with food stalls, one after another. Delicious smells came drifting over on the breeze.
"Bora, buy me this!"
It was lobster smothered in cheese. Just looking at it made my mouth water. It had been ages since I'd had street food. My usual limit was meals at restaurants, or else a convenience-store run for snacks and drinks and nothing more.
"Okay, Hana. Two of these and two of these, please, sir."
Bora handled the vendor with easy confidence. My eyes were locked on the lobster and nothing else. I couldn't tear my gaze from that rich, mouthwatering smell. She paid, then handed me a lobster still sending up soft curls of steam.
"Wooow!"
I could feel my salivary glands detonating. Bora and I sat down on a nearby bench and spread out everything we'd bought like a little street-snack feast. It came packed in a paper box, so I flipped the lid open. Inside, a lobster gleamed in colors so seductive it might as well have been begging me to eat it.
I grabbed one and popped it into my mouth.
"Nom, nom."
The moment I started chewing, the juices packed inside flooded my mouth. Then the cheese launched its second attack. A rich, savory aroma crept up and bloomed across my tongue.
With a flavor I couldn't even begin to describe filling my mouth to the brim, my eyes couldn't help but quiver. Food this delicious actually existed! Street food, as expected, came in exactly one variety: delicious. Well, of course. If it tasted bad, it wouldn't sell, and it'd be weeded right out of the market.
The taste refused to fade. It spread through my mouth like a scar that wouldn't wash away.
"Is it really that good, Hana?"
"Yeah! It's so good I can't stop eating!"
I barely managed to scrape my wits back together long enough to answer. But even when I tried to chew slowly, the lobster melted away on my tongue and was gone before I knew it. I stared at what was left, regret written all over my face.
There had only been two, so by unspoken agreement we were each supposed to have one. That was why I was gazing at the last remaining lobster with longing practically dripping from my eyes.
But Bora, as always, understood exactly how I felt. She said the one thing that scratched the itch perfectly.
"Hana, want another lobster? I ate before we came out, so I'm not really hungry."
Yes! Bora really is the best.
"I can really have one?"
"Yeah. If you want it, you can have another."
Eyes shining, I snatched up the remaining lobster and popped it into my mouth. This one, too, melted away before I'd even chewed it a few times and vanished. Before I knew it, both lobsters had been swept off as if by the wind. I sucked on my fingers and stared wistfully at the empty paper box that had held them.
"Hana, we bought a lot of food. You've got to eat this, too."
As she spoke, Bora started opening the second thing we'd bought. This looked delicious as well. It was takoyaki, steam curling up off the balls.
No way!
The takoyaki was tempting me with an incredible smell, as if begging to be eaten right this second. This vixen of a food! To think it would seduce me so shamelessly... There was no doubt about it. This food was wicked.
I picked up a toothpick, stabbed one ball with a neat little poke, and popped it into my mouth.
Mmm!
This takoyaki was incredibly delicious, too.
"Hana, eat slowly. Nobody's going to steal it from you even if you don't inhale it."
"Okaaay!"
Bora's words didn't register. Even when I tried to slow down, my hands refused to get any slower. If anything, they only sped up. There was absolutely no reason for them to slow down.
At tremendous speed, I finished off the rest of the takoyaki as well. Bora ate one or two, but compared to me it was practically nothing.
Coming back to my senses, I snuck a glance at her. It wouldn't have been strange if she were angry that I hadn't left her any. But she didn't seem to mind at all. She'd produced a hot bar from somewhere—one of those battered sausages on a stick—and was chewing on it with the skewer still in her mouth.
It was the same hot bar she'd been working on since I first started in on the lobster. She'd nibbled at the other food along the way, but only a bite or two, and she still hadn't even finished that first hot bar. She was looking at her phone, tapping out some kind of message.
Oh no! I almost forgot today's objective.
I had to lay on the charm with Bora somehow and get her to lift the ban on snacks and ice cream.
I sidled up beside her. One look at her face told me she didn't seem particularly happy, and watching that expression, I couldn't help feeling uneasy. I was certain that if I brought it up now, she would refuse me without a second thought.
There was still plenty of time. I could take it slow, stay relaxed, and carry out the operation. This wasn't over yet.
Once we'd finished eating, my stomach was sticking out, round and taut. I pointed at it and spoke to Bora.
"Bora, my tummy's sticking out this much."
"Yeah, yeah. You ate way more than I thought you would~"
As she said it, she rubbed my stomach with her hand. Those warm little pats made me feel as if I were digesting beautifully. Our next destination was already decided—a place I hadn't visited even once since I'd changed into this body.
"Bora, I want to see a movie!"
"A movie...?"
"Yeah!"
"Is there one you want to see?"
"I want to see this!"
I held up my phone for her. It was the theatrical film of Little Magician Rumi. Bora broke into a grin, stroked my head, and said,
"Is that why you wanted to come out and play today? So you could see this?"
"N-no!"
It was more or less true, but admitting it outright was a little embarrassing. Begging someone to take me to a movie wasn't very grown-up of me. I wasn't a little kid, after all.
I grabbed Bora's hand and started pulling her along. The destination was already set, so I went without hesitation. A movie theater stood a short distance from the bench.
An enormous theater welcomed me. Even though lunch hour had already passed, crowds of people were coming and going. Is today a holiday? This world really was full of jobless bums who did nothing but loaf, eat, and wander around.
I, on the other hand, was a student, so I could hold my head high. I had a proper occupation: elementary school student of the Republic of Korea, and I'd already finished my entrance ceremony. I was absolutely not some unemployed good-for-nothing.
"Wooow..."
The moment I stepped inside, all kinds of posters greeted me, and blinking electronic billboards assaulted my eyes. I gripped Bora's hand tight. There were so many people that if I let go, I'd be a lost child on the spot.
Fortunately, she seemed to feel the same way. I could sense her putting more strength into the hand holding mine. Just as I thought—Bora and I really were of one mind. After months of living piled on top of each other, a single meeting of the eyes was enough for us to understand each other pretty well. Not quite like a couple who'd been married forever, but still.
"Hmm... this is the one you said you wanted to see, right?"
Bora held up a poster of Rumi mid-kick. I watched with eyes sparkling. It really was the theatrical film I'd been dying to see. In fact, wanting to watch it was part of why I'd come out today in the first place.
"Yeah, yeah!"
I nodded furiously, throwing my whole body into showing just how badly I wanted to see this movie. Perhaps impressed by the desperation of my communication, Bora nodded and said she understood.
At impressive speed, she paid for the tickets.
I took the paid tickets from her and clutched them tight, then tucked them deep into my pocket so no one could snatch them away. If I lost them and couldn't see the movie, I was fully prepared to cry with everything I had today.
The movie was fantastic. Even though it was animation, it was so vivid it felt as if I were living it myself. Rumi was truly alive and breathing inside that screen. I couldn't even spare a thought for watching Bora. I had no choice but to sink completely into the film. Every single scene was far too precious to miss.
I didn't even notice that Bora was gazing at me with a fond, satisfied look. All that remained in my memory was the sight of myself staring at the screen with shining eyes, as if I might be sucked right into it.
"Was it fun?"
"Yeah! So fun I want to watch it all over again!"
"Then we'll just come back later!"
"Yaaay!"
Getting Bora's permission made me incredibly happy. Getting to watch a movie that set your heart pounding was a blessing.