Chapter 80: I'm Lonely. I'm Worried. As I Expected, I'm Lonely! (4) |
TL: looloo
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"Huh? Yeonho?"
In response to her urging for an answer, I didn't rashly blurt out anything, instead quickly organizing my thoughts. Considering it was Heena, who had been worried about the number of female employees, I figured it would be safe to carefully discuss that aspect.
Moreover, if Heeseong hyung could also attest to the fact that I hardly talked to those ladies, it would be perfect─
"Have a fun date. I have an appointment, so I'll take my leave."
Traitor!!
But as he walked away, Heena added a line.
"We'll talk more at home later, oppa."
"Why are you doing this to me..."
Eventually, he left with slumped shoulders. Then, turning to Heena, who was intently staring at me, I smiled and offered her a coffee.
"Heena, are you thirsty? I got you a coffee."
"Really? Thank you~"
She happily accepted the Americano. I thought I might have smoothly diverted the topic, but then she immediately followed up.
"So? How was it?"
I gave up on sidestepping the question. She wouldn't let it go until I gave a proper answer.
"I didn't really talk much, so I'm not sure. The manager was kind, and the other two seemed nice too."
I calmly emphasized how little we talked and just how kind they were, deliberately avoiding any mention of their looks or anything else. After hearing this, Heena looked at me with half-closed eyes for a moment before smiling.
"Is that so? That's a relief. When it comes to part-time jobs, the people you work with are more important than the job being tough."
"Really? I guess that's true. When I worked part-time at Yoonsung's, it was bearable because I was with him."
I wouldn't have lasted if it was with someone else. That place was hell.
Fortunately, she didn't probe any further. Honestly, it was true that I hadn't talked much with the female staff, so there wasn't much else to say.
After our conversation, Heena linked her arm with mine and took a sip of her Americano.
"This Americano is good. I should come here more often when you're working."
"Come to think of it, they remembered you. You've been there a few times, haven't you?"
"Yeah. About two or three times when oppa was working. You left something behind once."
We chatted like this as we strolled down the street. I hadn't expected to be out with my brother today, so we hadn't planned anything afterwards. I figured I might as well take this opportunity to visit Heena's place. I had already checked the route on the subway, and it didn't seem too complicated to get there.
Heena seemed to realize I was heading in that direction and didn't comment on our destination.
However.
"Yeonho, let's change our profile pictures to one where we're kissing. No exceptions."
"I like my current profile picture, though."
"Please~ Can't we change it?"
"Well..."
Not that it's impossible. Heena pleaded with a cute charm, and I hesitated for a moment. It seemed like she was worried because of the café ladies. Telling her it was an unnecessary worry wouldn't make her listen.
My current profile picture was one where Heena and I sat side by side, both winking at the camera. Heena was the main focus, and I was slightly in the background. It had been about half a year since I set this as my profile picture.
The reason I had kept this picture for so long was simple.
"But you look so pretty in it. Every time I open KakaoTalk, it makes me happy."
"Hehe, really?"
"Yeah. Seriously."
It was purely for that reason. Of course, I hadn't changed it since shortly before the college entrance exams, mainly because I was too busy, but also because Heena's wink with her right eye was just too cute to change. I wanted to show off the cutest girlfriend in the world.
I would have liked to edit out my own winking face in the background, but Heena didn't want that.
Seeing her burst into her characteristic playful laugh after my straightforward compliment felt like completing a mission. Heena's reactions are always so honest; that laugh meant she was truly overjoyed.
Adding a bit more to the conversation, I said something I knew she liked to hear.
"Yeah. Why are you so pretty? I kept thinking about you even during the job interview; I almost got into trouble."
"Really~? Hehe, you shouldn't be distracted during interviews!"
She spoke as if scolding me, but her relaxed face and tone made it clear she was thrilled by my words. These days, it took more than just simple compliments or physical affection to please Heena, so seeing her this happy made me happy too.
I didn't stop there and, unlinking our arms, I took her by the waist and pulled her closer to me. She didn't resist my touch and came willingly, so I gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
"I really want to take you home right now."
Finishing with those words, and gently running my finger over her lips would be perfect─
"Yeonho, let's go this way."
"Huh?"
As soon as I finished speaking, Heena, who had been happily receiving my kiss in my arms, grabbed my hand and started walking towards a less crowded area.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere quiet. Hurry up!"
Her face was flushed as she pulled me along strongly.
Did I put too much fuel in the fire?
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Raei Translations
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It took about 30 minutes before we finally left the alleyway and returned to the main street. After those intense 30 minutes of kissing, I was out of breath, panting, and Heena was smiling brightly, her face shining brighter than the sun.
She kept pressing her lips to mine, relentlessly, and I thought I might suffocate.
After catching my breath on the sidewalk, I took Heena's hand and we started walking again.
"Let's take a look around your place, see what's nearby. This is our new walking route now."
"Okay!"
So, we strolled around the area together. Starting from the route Heena took from her place to university, we checked where the nearest supermarket was, and the location of convenience stores.
Additionally, during our walk, we found playgrounds where we could rest our legs.
Given the proximity to the university, there were many studios and officetels in the area, but the neighborhood was exceptionally quiet, perhaps because the semester had not yet started. It seemed that near Heena's place, particularly, the rent for the officetels looked expensive. As we ventured further, we saw many bars and entertainment spots typical of a university area.
But would I ever go to a bar around here with Heena? Even if we drank, it seemed more likely that we'd just drink together in her room. She'd probably prefer that too.
Anyway, I familiarized myself with the area while wandering around. I might visit often, and as my mom suggested, I could end up staying for a few days or even living together.
After making a full loop, we returned near Heena's place. I wanted to look around her house again, but it was currently under renovation, so we couldn't enter. We just leaned against the wall of the building next to her officetel and looked in the direction of her room.
"......."
"......."
We stood there in silence for about ten minutes. It suddenly hit me that there wasn't much time left. Heena, who had been living quite close, would soon be moving a bit farther away. It would only be a 10-15 minute difference, but still.
"There's not many days left."
"Yeah..."
However, Heena's voice, which had been energetic while we were walking around, suddenly sounded deflated. Surprised, I turned to look at her and saw her face with eyebrows drawn down.
"Why so sudden? Are you tired? Should we go back?"
I asked out of concern for her, but she shook her head and then rested it on my shoulder, slowly opening her mouth.
"When classes start... I'll go to university, and you'll be studying at home and working part-time. We'll see each other often, but there will be times we can't, right?"
"Well, it's unavoidable sometimes. Like when we were in high school."
"Yeah... Earlier, when we were walking around the cafe area, I thought about how you're nearby but I still can't see you."
She paused to take a breath. I quietly waited for her to continue. Heena looked at the officetel for a moment with a gloomy face, then resumed speaking.
"I just felt lonely. I forgot about it while on our date, but watching the construction work reminded me..."
She then closed her mouth firmly. As she quietly clung to my arm, I finally spoke up.
"Do you want to see me every day?"
"I want to carry you around in my pocket."
That much, huh.
In fact, even the frequency of our current meetings was enough for Yoonjung noona to once worryingly say that seeing each other so often could make it difficult to sustain a long relationship.
And we've been doing this for almost two years now.
But so far, neither Heena nor I ever felt tired of meeting each other. Sure, sometimes I wanted to play games with friends, but that was occasional; dating her was always fun. Before each meeting, my heart fluttered with anticipation, and afterwards, I felt happy.
Sometimes we tease each other, and there are times when our physical affection might seem excessive. But how could I ever get tired of her, when she gives me so much love? Whenever I feel the magnitude of her love, I just want to give her the same in return.
Still, wondering what to say to alleviate her feelings of loneliness was challenging. Perhaps words alone would be insufficient.
So, instead of lengthy explanations, I turned to face Heena, took hold of her arms, and pulled her in front of me. Then, I lifted a finger to my lips.
A tap-tap, a signal for a kiss that Heena once set as a rule during our dates. Ever since, we occasionally used this as our little rule.
Immediately seeing this, she reflexively lifted her heels and moved towards me.
With a quick peck and our lips now separated, I then kissed her again and, with a smile in my eyes, said,
"Then, I'll kiss you more than ever before, so much that you'll think of kisses more than loneliness. Can you bear with that?"
To my words, her eyes widened for a moment, then she replied with a smile.
"Are you sure you won’t regret saying that? You might not be able to go home today."
"Shall we see who gets tired first?"
"You were already struggling a bit ago!"
"Give me time to breathe..."
"Hehehe, let's go back then! We can do it in my room!"
Her mood quickly brightened, and she tugged at my arm. Of course, this wouldn't completely resolve the loneliness Heena feels, and it might not be the answer. But then again, there might not be a definitive answer.
All I knew was that I wanted to treat Heena even better tomorrow than today, and even better the next day. That's all I could do.
Moreover, in a few days, we'd be doing something that would allow us to feel each other even more deeply than kisses. Hopefully, things wouldn’t intensify more than now.
Hopefully.
