Chapter 35: Yeah. So That's How It Is?

Our lips parted, and I met Jin-wook's eyes.

It must have been short in reality, but the moment that felt like a long time ended.

Perhaps because he had been exploring my lips, Jin-wook's breathing was slightly rough.

"Ah."

And did he realize what he had done?

Jin-wook let out a gasp and turned his head away sharply.

Anyway, we had already moved beyond friends, and we couldn't go back to before.

"Jin-wook-ah."

"...Sorry."

"I said you don't have to apologize."

Why is he apologizing to me so much?

Regardless of your heart, your hand is still holding me like this, as if part of my body is already yours.

"For a single day, we are lovers."

"Lovers... Right."

"Lewd things aren't allowed, but kissing is okay."

Heterogeneity (A sense of difference).

Jin-wook, a civilian, was momentarily breathless just from exploring my lips.

But my body remained strangely calm, bringing me that sense of heterogeneity—that Jin-wook and I are fundamentally different.

So I gently leaned on Jin-wook's shoulder.

I wanted to dilute, even a little, this sense of difference that seemed to divide me and Jin-wook right now.

The relationship between a man and a woman.

The saying that once a special trigger occurs between the two, they can no longer remain friends... I was feeling it desperately on my skin.

'My heartbeat is faster than usual.'

My heart, which never changed when looking at Jin-wook unless I was in a fierce battle or swept up in a whirlwind of emotions.

Strangely, my heart rate was slightly faster than usual right now.

"Isn't it uncomfortable?"

"...It's okay."

Since it was a movie theater where we had to be quiet, our conversation ended there.

But the movie had already left our attention.

Even though the final highlight scene was playing—where the female lead returns the book she borrowed to the male lead and confesses again with a message written inside the cover.

[ Here is the book. ]

[ ...Thank you for returning it. ]

[ That's not the end. Would you like to open the cover? ]

Seeing that the content of the movie no longer entered my ears, it was true.

Perhaps because Jin-wook was by my side for a long time, more movie-like than a movie.

Eventually, we left the theater feeling like we hadn't even watched half the movie.

Coming out of the slightly dark theater building.

Even though it felt like we spent quite some time eating and watching a movie, the clock greeting me still indicated 4:40 PM.

"Ugh, that was a good movie."

Jin-wook seemed to have watched something at least.

Perhaps Jin-wook's pounding heart was due to the kiss with me.

But the excitement given by the movie itself seemed to have had some influence too.

"Was it fun?"

"The reviews were good for a reason."

"Really? I feel like I couldn't watch it properly because of someone."

As I smiled and brought my fingertip lightly to my lower lip, Jin-wook coughed in vain, "Ahem."

Who was the one surprised and had their heart pounding?

"Do you think I'll like it if you keep sudden-kissing (launching a sudden start) me like that, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Bullshit, seriously."

With what confidence does he answer so naturally?

Hey, that's a crime, a crime.

Sexual harassment, you know?

"Anyway, the girlfriend role ends here."

"What? You said one day."

"It's almost 5 PM. This counts as a day passing."

I really wonder if we might make a mistake again like last time at this rate.

I didn't want to cause an accident like that time again.

Due to the deflowering, Jin-wook and I had already come to recognize each other as the opposite sex.

If we repeat the same mistake, I have no idea what will happen then.

"Just do it until we go home."

"...Hmph. Do you think I have to do everything you ask?"

"Strange. Our Eun-ha used to listen well."

"Am I a dog?"

But contrary to my words, I was linking arms with him before I knew it.

I started walking side by side with him in a posture where I subtly buried Jin-wook's arm into my chest.

We could just go to the bus stop like this.

However, I felt it was a pity to just go back in like this.

Since we came out to the city center to watch a movie, I wanted to do a little more.

And it was too early for dinner.

"Ah. Jin-wook-ah, wanna go there?"

"Game room (Arcade)?"

"Yeah. Let's play a little more before going. It's been a while."

Then, an arcade that opened a few months ago caught my eye. When I pulled Jin-wook's hand...

Even though he looked like he wanted to go home, seeing him being led by me naturally without any resistance made me smile automatically.

"Wow, they have everything?"

I had seen it a few times while passing by, but curiosity arose naturally in a place I had never entered.

There were typical arcade machines, but besides those, coin karaoke booths, basketball machines, hammers, punches, etc.

Truly diverse games were grabbing my interest.

"You're not planning to do the hammer, are you?"

"I'm going to try?"

"Don't. Using that against a former S-Class like you..."

Seeing my eyes shine looking at the hammer game, Jin-wook hurriedly stopped me.

But the hammer was already in my hand.

"Wa—!"

The moment Jin-wook shouted, the hammer struck the machine's hitting point, and the score was being calculated.

Bam!

"Phew."

"Uh, what. Is this for Hunters?"

"Hey, did you stop me because you thought I'd actually break it?"

Can't you see the released telekinesis holding the machine and gently stroking my hair?

Jin-wook made a dumbfounded expression seeing the machine spit out a normal score, contrary to his expectation.

Of course, the score was showing a number unworthy of an S-Class Hunter.

"What is that, did you just get 800 points?"

"If I really struck with all my strength, it would have broken immediately."

"Ah, you scared me."

But it wasn't a score a woman who barely exercised recently would show either.

If I did the punching machine because I was interested, I felt like I'd get nagged at, so I looked for the next game.

"Shall we try that?"

Holding a model gun placed in front with the words "Achieve the highest score," aiming and shooting enemies on the screen.

As my eyes shone looking at the shooting game machine, Jin-wook made a bet, "Loser buys dinner tonight, call?"

"What, don't tell me you're betting against me?"

"Why, scared?"

"Scared my foot. Just don't let your hand tremble when you hand over your card tonight after losing."

I accepted boldly and picked up the gun.

But as expected, perhaps because he went to the military, Jin-wook's form holding the gun was...

"Pu-hat, what is this? Look at this bastard striking a pose. Ack!"

"This is how you're supposed to hold a gun originally."

While striking a pose worthy of an administrative clerk (Haengjeong-byeong) that was enough to make me laugh.

The sight of him making a confident expression as if saying 'I served in the military' was somewhat hilariously pathetic.

Of course, he would hold it better than me, who had never held a gun in my life.

"Then would you please teach me? Teacher Jung Jin-wook."

As I spoke while subtly pressing my body against him, Jin-wook seemed to want to pass on the facts he knew in his own way.

He placed his hand on my body, diligently corrected my posture for a moment, and explained how to hold a gun.

There was a little chest touch in the process, but I should let that slide.

"Anyway, the loser really buys dinner."

"You too, don't say it's invalid later."

But is it unavoidable that a person with experience hits a little better?

I lost to Jin-wook by a larger score difference than expected, but I didn't feel bad.

I was inwardly planning to buy dinner anyway today.

"Yay, what should I eat today?"

That's a relief.

That he has no thoughts (about the chest touch).

I smirked at Jin-wook, who purely liked that he saved dinner money, and pointed to the sticker photo booth saying, "Shall we just take that and go?"

"Okay."

Jin-wook entered the photo zone first without any suspicion, seated me as if pulling me next to him, and looked at the camera.

It seemed this wasn't his first time here, as he pressed this and that button on the screen to adjust something.

While I, knowing nothing, waited for a moment until Jin-wook finished the settings.

"Okay, taking it now."

Settings done, he made a V-sign and looked at the camera simultaneously.

I drew a V prettily with my fingers and waited until the click sound.

How many times did we repeat that?

Soon, the printed photos contained the images of me and Jin-wook, looking truly like lovers, to the fullest.

We were busy giggling and teasing each other on the bus ride home.

Along with a small happening where we shut up after receiving glares from people around us.

"Ugh, playing is surprisingly tiring."

As soon as I returned home, I lay down on the sofa without changing clothes as if collapsing. Soon, Jin-wook's nagging was heard, "Aren't you changing clothes?"

The girlfriend concept and whatnot had long since flown away.

"I don't know, it's annoying," I replied roughly and extended both arms to Jin-wook, who was walking toward me clicking his tongue.

"Jin-wook-nim, if you hate seeing it so much, please just take off the coat. I'll take off the rest myself."

"What are you saying, not changing quickly?"

"Aang, hurry and take off the coat and throw it in the room. I'm really lazy."

As expected, going out was a truly tiring event for an 'Assa' (Introvert/Loner) who prefers being stuck in the corner of the house.

If I knew it would be like this, I should have just stayed home and played games instead of doing a useless event.

But was my sincerity not to be too shocked conveyed well?

While grumbling, Jin-wook said, "Just sit up for now," and lifted my body, hanging the coat he took off on the hanger before I knew it.

"You're going to lie down again without changing clothes, aren't you?"

"Do not oppress the freedom to do whatever I want with my body, you sentient being."

"Your dog-drip (nonsense) is real. Then lie down with your skirt revealing everything inside."

Skirt?

Ah, right.

I was wearing a skirt right now.

I forgot about it because I was wandering around without thinking.

"Why, do you want to see? If our Jin-wook is really hungry for a woman, I can make it a little erotic for you."

I quickly sat up at the thought that crossed my mind.

Then, lifting the skirt slightly and asking with a playful smile, Jin-wook shook his head left and right and flopped down next to me.

"Do whatever you want."

"Che, seems you've built up immunity these days. Originally, your panicked reaction was really fun."

My playfulness cooled down quickly at the reaction that was less fun than expected, so I pouted.

I stood up, rolled down the flesh-colored stockings I was wearing under the raised skirt, shedding them like a skin.

Seriously, it's amazing how women can endure such annoying things and wear strange clothes like skirts that are open at the bottom.

"True. Maybe it's because it's you."

"What?"

"If you did it once or twice, maybe, but since you've been doing it whenever you get a chance, wouldn't it be strange if I didn't develop immunity?"

"...Yeah. So that's how it is?"

"What."

Anyway, I didn't have a hobby of showing my panties to Jin-wook, so I headed to my room shedding clothes like a husk.

Roughly changing into a comfortable t-shirt and shorts, I returned to the sofa. Jin-wook's face, happily worrying "Ah, what should we eat," caught my eye.

'He definitely said it would be strange if he didn't develop immunity.'

I don't know why I suddenly felt defiant.

But for some reason, I really wanted to see Jin-wook's flustered gaze.

So I returned to the sofa, lay down on my stomach, propped my chin in both hands, and looked up at Jin-wook.

"Did you pick what to eat for dinner?"

"Not yet."

"If you haven't picked, shall I pick for you?"

Since today hasn't passed yet anyway.

I decided to launch a sudden start (attack) one more time like earlier in the afternoon and blurted it out.

"What are you going to pick."

"It's right in front of you. Something you can eat."

With a grin.

"Me."