Epilogue Chapter 2
I wonder if I should buy it on my way home later. Joo Kwon-oh usually takes care of these things, but since it’s been a while, he might have forgotten too.
Somehow, I feel more nervous than on our first date.
Lost in these thoughts, I suddenly found myself in front of the building. As I stood by the club room door, trying to peek inside to see if Joo Kwon-oh was there, I heard voices seeping through the slightly open door.
“That’s right. We went out to play games and eat with the others last week. The pasta place in front of Exit 3 was really nice. Kwon-oh, let’s go there together sometime.”
“Exit 3? Oh, it must be new. It wasn’t there last semester.”
“Yeah. It’s become a popular spot for blind dates lately. The atmosphere is nice.”
“Is the food good?”
“It’s pretty decent. Right?”
“Yeah. You know how picky Suyeon is with food. Even she ate well there.”
Hearing Joo Kwon-oh’s voice mixed in, I peeked inside and saw him sitting askew on a desk, surrounded by students. Almost all of them were girls.
What the… Is he not replying to my messages because he’s busy chatting with them?
Seeing Joo Kwon-oh chuckling and responding to the girls who were suggesting they go to the restaurant together later made my chest feel tight.
“Kwon-oh, where did you get your hair cut? It’s much shorter than in the first semester.”
“I got it trimmed at a salon just before leaving the Netherlands. How is it? Does it suit me?”
Joo Kwon-oh ran his fingers through his hair and tilted his head at an angle. The girls giggled in response.
“Honestly, you look good no matter what…”
The atmosphere was warm and friendly.
I don’t understand why he’s entertaining all this, even though he’s usually quite perceptive. Even to me, a third party, the girls’ affection for Joo Kwon-oh is so obvious.
Isn’t this too much after coming back to Korea after three months? Even if I’m not here… At times like this, I slightly resent Joo Kwon-oh for being so soft with girls.
“So what did you eat there? Tell me some of the dishes you enjoyed. Focus on the pasta.”
“Oh, Kwon-oh, you like pasta?”
“Not me, my girlfriend does.”
As I was pouting and debating whether to open the door and go in or continue waiting here, the conversation continued.
I stopped fidgeting with my phone in my hand when I heard what came next.
“I don’t know much about pasta types, so I want to look up the menu in advance.”
“Oh, so you’re still meeting with your girlfriend?”
“All the best menu items at that place are good. Kwon-oh, honestly, with this much effort, your girlfriend would be happy to go anywhere with you.”
…Hmm. I don’t like pasta that much.
I felt my face flush and covered my mouth. The heaviness that had settled in my chest like a boulder until just now disappeared, replaced by a ticklish feeling like feathers floating around.
“Still, I want to take her somewhere nice. So you recommend all the best menu items? Okay. Let me know if there are other famous places. I don’t know what’s what since I’ve been out of the loop while in the Netherlands.”
“I thought you would have been to all the places near the school… By the way, how long have you been dating your girlfriend?”
“Show us a picture together! We’re curious!”
“No way. My girlfriend’s face is too precious. It’s for my eyes only.”
Joo Kwon-oh raised one eyebrow with a playful expression. Finding his reaction amusing, the gathered female students laughed again and jeered.
It was a harmonious scene, like a perfect picture.
I wasn’t sure if I should like it or hate it.
I sighed, feeling my lips curl up slightly, and then pressed them firmly together. I trudged back down the stairs I had come up and called Joo Kwon-oh.
I didn’t have the confidence to open the door right away, disrupt that atmosphere, and talk to Joo Kwon-oh. It would be better to meet outside.
— Oh, Peach. How was class?
Joo Kwon-oh answered the phone quickly, before it could ring more than a few times.
“It just ended a little while ago.”
— Really? It ended early. Let’s chat on KakaoTalk.
“I sent you a message, but you didn’t reply. You must be busy.”
My voice came out grumpy without me realizing it. Joo Kwon-oh asked back after a beat.
— Huh?
“You seem to be having fun.”
— What? Where are you now?
“I’ll wait for you in front of the convenience store near the main gate.”
— When did you get there? I’m coming right now!
The call ended just as I arrived in front of the convenience store. I went inside, looked around nervously, and took a condom from the shelf.
My heart pounded as if I was doing something wrong as I put the largest size on the counter. For some reason, I found it hard to look the convenience store clerk in the eye as they scanned the barcode.
After paying and carefully putting the condom in my bag, I left the store, and Joo Kwon-oh had just arrived.
“Jeong-ha!”
His breathing was slightly labored, as if he had run quickly from the club room.
Knowing that he had been happily chatting with the female students until just now, my eyes narrowed as I looked at him.
“Whew, I was talking with the others for a bit.”
“I know. I heard everything.”
“When did you come to the club room? You should have just called me.”
“No, I suddenly thought of something I needed to buy. And it seemed a bit… strange to suddenly call you out when you were with everyone…”
“What does it matter? Oh, I heard there’s a new pasta place nearby. Let’s go there together after your exams are over.”
“Okay.”
“Since we’re talking about it, should we just have dinner there today?”
“No. Let’s eat at your place today.”
I shook my head and rolled my eyes.
“I want to… be alone with you, Kwon-oh.”
“Alright then.”
Joo Kwon-oh’s voice lowered as he caught my subtle hint.
“My room is a mess right now because I haven’t unpacked yet.”
“It’s fine.”
“True. I need to give you the gift I bought anyway, so let’s go to my place.”
Joo Kwon-oh chuckled several times, who knows what he was thinking.
And so, after three months, I entered Joo Kwon-oh’s studio apartment.
As he said, the room was a bit messier than I remembered.
I walked in first through the door Joo Kwon-oh opened for me. As soon as I stepped into the entryway, Joo Kwon-oh hugged me from behind, almost pouncing on me.
“Haa. I’m going crazy, this scent.”
He buried his face in my nape urgently and took a deep breath. I shrugged my shoulders, unable to move, as if tied up tightly with a rope.
“This is the entryway…”
“So what? It’s my place now. Ah, your peach scent is killing me.”
“It hurts, Kwon-oh…”
Joo Kwon-oh was squeezing my torso so tightly with both arms that it was hard to breathe.
At my whining, he loosened his grip a little, and I was finally able to turn around and face him.
As our eyes met, my heart raced wildly. It had been so long since I’d seen him this close. My throat tightened with excitement, nervousness, and emotion.
Joo Kwon-oh pressed his forehead against mine and looked directly into my eyes.
“I’m back.”
As soon as I heard his deep voice, I thought of the condom I had put in my bag, feeling like a pervert.
“I… I missed you so much.”
As I hugged him, the familiar scent of Joo Kwon-oh that I had longed for enveloped me completely.
Joo Kwon-oh also tightly embraced my back and head. His grip was so strong that it took my breath away, but I didn’t care.
“Look up at me.”
As I raised my head from his embrace, my lips were instantly devoured.
Joo Kwon-oh roughly captured my lower lip first, then pushed his tongue in, nibbling.
As this was what I had been longing for as well, I wrapped my arms around his neck and parted my lips. As I kissed him back eagerly, licking his tongue and lips, Joo Kwon-oh’s breathing became more ragged.
“Haa.”
Soon after taking off our shoes, we entered the room, still locked in a kiss. Our four feet moved clumsily, entangling as we stumbled along.
As we got closer to the bed, I suddenly felt something sharp dig into my heel and my eyes flew open.
“Ah! It hurts!”
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
A stinging pain spread from the tip of my foot, bringing tears to my eyes.
Surprised, I looked down and saw the small items Joo Kwon-oh had left unpacked. Of all things, I had stepped on the corner of a charger.
“I’m sorry. Does it hurt a lot? I should have cleaned up the room beforehand, but I went straight to school…”
Joo Kwon-oh sat me down on the bed with an awkward smile. I sat down, clutching my still-throbbing heel, and swallowed the pain.
“It’s okay.”
I nodded with tears in my eyes. It hurt, but I was more disappointed that the good mood had been abruptly broken.
“Let me see. I want to check if you’re badly hurt.”
Joo Kwon-oh reached out to take off my sock. I shook my head.
“It’s not that bad.”
“Still, a foot injury can be uncomfortable. Ah, shit. I should have cleaned up earlier.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
