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chapter 28
“…Now?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected suggestion, Yoona blinked like a startled rabbit. Youngwon looked slightly embarrassed and averted his gaze. He couldn’t bring himself to meet Yoona’s eyes, feeling as if he were asking her out on a date, even if it was only in his own mind.
“Well… you seemed unusually tired… so I thought a change of pace might help… and if we consider it like a mission… would that be okay…?”
“It’s already twelve o’clock… Aren’t you tired, Youngwon?”
“…I’m fine.”
When Youngwon answered, Yoona, glancing at her phone clock with a slight hesitation, gradually smiled. She remembered something she had wanted to do someday during cherry blossom season in Seoul. Her gaze suddenly lifted to Youngwon.
“Then, I want to eat ramen too.”
“…Are you hungry?”
Only then did Youngwon meet Yoona’s eyes again. She smiled sheepishly.
“Not exactly… I just wanted to try eating ramen while viewing cherry blossoms at night by the Han River. It doesn’t matter if it’s at school!”
It was a scene that often appeared as a heartwarming memory of a drama’s protagonist or a romantic moment on a variety show. Since they had started their newlywed life near the Han River, he had assumed they could try it at least once. But Seonghee was always too busy, never taking him to the Han River. He had gone alone before, but it was definitely different from having someone with him.
Yoona’s brown eyes sparkled with anticipation. Youngwon, who had seemed to hesitate for a moment, changed the suggestion.
“Then let’s go to the Han River. Do you have a thick coat? It might be cold with the river breeze.”
“I have a cardigan in the car. But isn’t the mission supposed to be done at school?”
“We can take some ambiguous photos and claim it’s at school.”
“Hahaha. You know how to insist, Youngwon?”
Laughing, Yoona began preparing to leave. It was sudden, but sometimes unplanned surprises were more fun. Her sudden burst of energy wiped away her sleepiness, and she hummed a tune as she went.
When they reached the parking lot, Youngwon’s car was there. Yoona, puzzled, asked him:
“Why did you bring your car all of a sudden?”
“…I heard that not using it enough shortens its lifespan. So we’ll go in my car.”
“Oh, right. Okay, let’s do that then. It’s an expensive car, so we should take good care of it.”
Trusting Youngwon’s excuse without suspicion, Yoona grabbed her cardigan from her car and got into his black car. Youngwon let out a sigh of relief internally.
Yoona chattered excitedly the entire way to the Han River. Driving through the empty city streets, usually clogged with traffic, gave her a strange sense of freedom.
Soon, they saw a large illuminated bridge and cherry blossom trees lined along the road. The Han River park was just as empty. Awed by the quiet and beautiful scenery, Yoona exclaimed.
Youngwon parked at a suitable spot. Behind them, cherry blossom trees bloomed like popcorn, and a convenience store was nearby. As soon as the engine turned off, Yoona jumped out.
“It’s so pretty! It’s amazing!”
“Haha. Here, wear this too.”
Perhaps because it was early morning, the river breeze was colder than expected. Youngwon handed Yoona a hoodie he had brought. Looking like she was wrapped in a blanket, Yoona giggled, and Youngwon couldn’t help but laugh as he looked at her.
After waiting for Yoona to take a series of photos, they went into the convenience store. Buying ramen turned out to be more difficult than expected. They carefully selected their items, but neither of them knew how to use the cooking machine.
“Why is the instruction manual so complicated? Have you done this before, Youngwon?”
“This is my first time too. Let’s read it again.”
Though Youngwon wanted to take over and do it for her, he had no experience either. He had never even decided to do something like this before.
Still, after reviewing the instructions together calmly, they managed it. Successfully completing their first Han River ramen, Youngwon and Yoona finally left the convenience store and settled on a bench. Cherry blossom petals had fallen onto the table.
Yoona took a photo capturing both the two bowls of ramen and the petals. The faint smell of the ramen stirred their appetites.
“Let’s eat now!”
“Enjoy your meal.”
Having eaten lightly for dinner and using their brains until late, Yoona seemed genuinely hungry and eagerly slurped the ramen. At this moment, it seemed that enjoying the ramen took priority over viewing the cherry blossoms, the slurping sounds lively and cheerful. Youngwon smiled as he watched her.
They say just watching someone can make you feel full; perhaps it’s true. Youngwon thought, smiling as he watched Yoona eat.
Curious, Yoona asked:
“What kind of ramen do you like, Youngwon?”
“I’m not picky. How about you?”
“Me neither. Ramen can’t really taste bad. It’s all about the water.”
A sensible answer. Youngwon nodded and asked another question he had been curious about for a while.
“Did you learn how to cook?”
“No. I just had a lot to do, so I naturally got better at it.”
“Did you like it from the start?”
“Yes. That was the only thing I could do with my stepmother.”
“I see,” Youngwon replied. But for some reason, Yoona stared at him intently. Nervous that he might have asked an unnecessary question about family, Youngwon quietly put down his chopsticks.
“If I brought up something unnecessary…”
“No! It’s just that you seem a bit different lately.”
“…Different how?”
Youngwon tensed up, trying to come up with an excuse. If Yoona discovered he had feelings for her, he might never get another chance to eat ramen together like this. But unexpectedly, Yoona gave a surprising answer.
“You ask more questions now.”
“….”
“And you talk a lot more than before.”
“…I hope it’s not uncomfortable for you.”
“No! I like it.”
Yoona’s eyes curved happily. Youngwon’s innocent mind tried to interpret her ‘like’ in its usual way. But Yoona continued:
“It feels much closer than before. Like a real friend.”
“….”
“Since I’m older, maybe ‘friend’ isn’t the right word? But I hope you think of me at least as a ‘close older sister.’ Not just a former boss or school junior.”
“…I do.”
Lowering his gaze from Yoona, Youngwon nodded instead of speaking. Yoona visibly brightened, but a self-deprecating smile escaped from Youngwon’s lips.
Hearing that Yoona didn’t see him as a man stung strangely, even though he had already suspected it. Perhaps it was just the 66% chance coming true.
With their bodies warm and stomachs pleasantly full, they began a proper cherry blossom viewing. Yoona moved between the beautifully lined trees, excitedly taking photos.
“It’s great that the streetlights are on even at dawn! The photos can’t capture their beauty.”
“Watch your step. Don’t just look up.”
The early morning river breeze scattered the white petals like snow. Yoona tried to catch them with both hands, but her delicate hands only swept through empty air.
“Ah! This is so hard. Why can’t I catch any?”
Despite the abundance of floating petals, she couldn’t catch a single one. Spinning like a dog chasing its tail, she moved around, and Youngwon laughed. Even though he was past the age where falling leaves could make him laugh, Yoona was amusing.
When Yoona finally gave up and tried to move, the wind blew again. Petals rained down like snowflakes. A single petal landed on Youngwon’s palm as he unconsciously raised his hand.
“…I caught one.”
“Wow, no way! Is it because your hands are bigger?”
“Haha. I’ll give it to you, boss.”
“No! You must keep this. Don’t lose it.”
“…Why do I need to keep it?”
Following Yoona’s instructions, Youngwon gave her a puzzled look. Won’t it get dirty?
Yoona smiled brightly up at him.
“They say if you catch a falling petal, your first love will come true.”
“….”
Even with her in front of him, when Youngwon heard the words “first love,” Yoona automatically came to mind. Like an automated system, he didn’t try, but she was naturally connected.
The reason he suggested going to see cherry blossoms with Yoona from the start was this: to find an answer to the feelings in his heart, difficult to confirm alone, by spending time together.
Watching her still didn’t fill his heart. Before, he had thought that holding her hand might change something, but now he wanted even more. Whether Yoona, who had lost trust in men, would want a romantic relationship again was uncertain.
But one thing he realized now: gently placing the cherry blossom petal in his pocket, Youngwon spoke softly.
“…It must have been 100%, boss.”
“100% what?” Yoona tilted her head. Youngwon just smirked.
