Chapter 45: Time for the Answer

My heart is pounding.

Right next to me, the girl I've been longing for since that day.

The fact that she is clinging to me not as a friend, but as a woman, made it absolutely impossible to focus on the movie.

"Hehe, good."

As if she were really my girlfriend.

Beneath her happy face as she stuck her body close and hugged my arm tightly.

The pure white nape revealed between her hair and the streamline curve continuing below it.

These were quite fatal to me, whose feelings for her had only been growing since that day.

'Absolute Territory...'

On top of that, even those words she clearly said on purpose.

Since she talked like that, before I knew it, dark thoughts were slowly creeping into my mind.

I wonder if there are safety shorts under that skirt or not.

If she finds out while our relationship isn't defined yet, she might say, 'Want to reconsider our relationship?'

'Haa.'

It seemed like it would be a bit tough until the movie ended.

"Ugh, did you enjoy the movie?"

"Uh, well, it was fun."

I extended my hand to Jin-wook, who answered lukewarmly, asking him to hold it.

Jin-wook made a shy expression but held my hand and started walking first.

Sticking right next to him, I asked, "Where are we going now?"

"You didn't eat lunch, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then want to eat first? I'm getting a bit hungry, how about you?"

"I'm hungry too."

That's a lie.

Actually, since I ate the meal prepared by the guild chef at Si-hyun Unnie's house before coming out, I wasn't that hungry.

Unnie said something about men having a slight fantasy about women.

'Phew.'

But, no matter how I look at it, our Jin-wook didn't seem to be a man who had such fantasies about women.

How does he know so well that I like Gukbap (Rice Soup) enough to be called a 'Gukbap-addict' (Gukbap-chung) without complaint?

"Gukbap, call?" he asked, pointing with his thumb to the Gukbap restaurant I used to go to often during our school days.

"Good."

Actually, if we wanted something more romantic, we have plenty of money anyway, so we could have gone to a high-end restaurant.

But it was clear that neither I nor Jin-wook wanted that.

Natural and like us.

I wanted that, and Jin-wook seemed to have similar thoughts.

"Oh my, what is this? Isn't that student Eun-ha?"

"Hello."

"You've become a total young lady now. You were on TV the other day, and I can't tell you how amazed I was to see the student who always ate here on TV."

"Ahaha, thank you. I'll have what I used to eat, please."

"Right, wait a bit. The student next to you too?"

"Yes. Please."

While we sat naturally and Jin-wook took out the spoons, cups, water bottles, and wet wipes flew through the air and landed between Jin-wook and me.

When the Gukbap arrived, we put in salt, salted shrimp, and seasoned red-pepper sauce (Dadaegi) to taste and stirred it.

We giggled seeing each other sitting in a Gukbap house eating lunch on our first date.

"Really, we are helpless too, right?"

"Tell me about it, kuk-kuk."

"How can the first lunch on the first date be Gukbap?"

Really, looking at it like this, I wondered if we met because we are birds of a feather.

To the point where I wondered what that period of awkwardly walking the line between friends was all about.

"Shall we go there for dinner? You know, the place we couldn't go to in the past because we felt self-conscious. That 'Out-Steak' or something?"

"I'd love that."

Chatting like that, I picked up a piece of Sundae (Korean blood sausage) that came out soon with my chopsticks and carefully held it out to him.

Smiling bashfully and making an "Ah" sound, Jin-wook hesitated for a moment, then accepted the Sundae I offered.

"It's delicious," he exclaimed.

It must be the same taste we always ate...

"Want one more?"

At my question, seeing Jin-wook nod, I picked up another Sundae with my chopsticks and held it out, and Jin-wook accepted it again just like that.

Just watching him eat gave me a deep sense of satisfaction, and I started eating too.

Of course, with the same chopsticks Jin-wook used to eat the Sundae earlier.

'Indirect kiss...'

I once said it as a joke.

But seeing it become reality now, I felt like my face was going to turn red.

Even though we've already done things far beyond that.

'Does Jin-wook like kissing me?'

Then, such a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Sometimes Jin-wook was like that.

When a question he found difficult to answer came up, he would block my mouth with a kiss instead of answering.

"Done eating?"

Because I was thinking about such things, I didn't know if the rice was going into my nose or my mouth.

Before I knew it, having eaten sparsely and left half of it, I stared blankly at Jin-wook eating and came to my senses at his voice.

"Yeah."

"What, you left a lot."

"Actually, maybe because I ate something a little before coming, I got full quickly."

After paying, we came outside.

They definitely said the day would be bright today.

Seeing clouds slightly covering the sky, I tilted my head.

Well, it's not like the weather forecast is wrong only once or twice...

"Shall we walk a bit to digest?"

"Yeah."

Just as I was about to move forward, Jin-wook's hand headed toward me and then stopped suddenly.

Is he trying to hold my hand, or asking me to link arms?

Or perhaps, does he want to wrap his arm around my waist like lovers in a really deep relationship?

"Why?"

"N-Nothing."

"Jin-wook-ah."

I, who was about to go ahead first, turned back slightly and stuck my body close to his side as if telling him to do whatever he wanted with his body.

Then Jin-wook made a thoughtful expression for a moment, then wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me a little closer to him.

'Bold.'

To place his arm on a spot where he could touch my butt if he went just a little lower.

Is he already thinking of me as his girlfriend?

"Where are we going?"

"Well, haven't really thought about it right now."

"Then wanna go to the Lake Park after a long time? I'll show you something fun."

"Oh."

"Instead, you have to hold my waist tight, okay?"

"Huh?"

Grinning, I took out the card I always ride from my pocket.

When Jin-wook made a curious expression wondering what I would do, the card, which I usually enlarge enough for just me, expanded enough for two people to ride comfortably.

"Oops," making a sound on purpose as I boarded, Jin-wook asked me, "Ride next to you?"

"Yeah."

When I nodded, Jin-wook said "Then excuse me" to my card first and boarded carefully.

Does he know?

That currently, you are the only one besides me allowed to ride this card.

"I'll hold it well with telekinesis so you won't fall, but still, you have to hold onto me tight, okay?"

"Got it."

As we slowly floated into the air, Jin-wook started to apply slight force to his arms that were wrapping around my stomach before I knew it.

Actually, telling him to hold my waist just in case was a lie.

Because even if I push him, Jin-wook would be held securely by telekinesis so he wouldn't fall off this card.

'Innocent.'

Taking advantage of the fact that Jin-wook couldn't see my expression because he was behind me, I started giggling by myself.

It was a posture I couldn't have even imagined in the past.

Perhaps the feeling of my stomach felt through the knit dress was quite touchable, as Jin-wook's hands were wiggling before I knew it.

"We're here!"

"Wow, that was fast."

"Right?"

As soon as we got off the card, I quickly retrieved it, put it in my pocket, ran to the lakeside immediately, and grabbed the railing.

A wide lake.

And people walking along the lakeside.

Jin-wook quickly caught up to my side and asked, "What fun thing were you going to show me?"

"Hmm, well? If I play with water, there are too many things to do... Shall we try this first?"

At that moment.

Centering on where I stood, the water parted to the left and right.

A lake path wide enough for one person to pass was created.

"Miracle of Moses!" I said laughing, and Jin-wook smirked and tapped my arm saying:

"What is that."

"It's true! It won't collapse as long as I'm holding it."

"You say that, and if I go in saying it's fascinating, you're going to dunk me once, aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

Of course, the pranks using water didn't end there.

I wanted to press down the lake tight and turn the whole thing into an ice rink for a moment, but since the earth in our world couldn't withstand that pressure, I put that aside.

Instead, I grabbed some water, squeezed it tight into the shape of a sword to make an ice sword, and showed it off.

"Ring."

"Hey, you make almost everything, huh?"

I flicked the captured water droplets at Jin-wook too.

Saying "One who walks on water" jokes, I lifted him delicately so only the soles of his shoes touched the water, and Jin-wook took pictures of me.

When Jin-wook tried to take the same picture, I teased him saying "Now I'll put you in!"

We really had a fun time.

Actually, it was just simple water play at a winter lake.

The only things that could be considered fun were pranks that couldn't be done without telekinesis, but...

I felt the reason this time was enjoyable was because I was with Jin-wook, just the two of us.

"Eun-ha-ya, it's already getting dark."

"True."

Really, the day felt so short that the time flowing indifferently felt cruel.

Maybe because we played so much fun.

Sitting on a bench leaning on Jin-wook's arm and watching the sunset, I started to realize that today was coming to an end.

"I told you yesterday."

"What."

"Let's think about our hearts one last time today."

"Right."

And, the fact that the day is ending meant...

That the time for the Answer about whether we will move forward from the precarious relationship we've had, or go back to being best friends like before, was approaching.

"Shh."

"Uh?"

"We talk about that after dinner tonight. Our date isn't over yet, right?"

But wanting to enjoy the joy of this moment and the fluttering in a corner of my heart a little longer...

I blocked his lips with my index finger, and Jin-wook nodded.

Actually, I was running away for a moment, afraid that the answer Jin-wook would give—from the confusion between love and friendship—might be 'friendship' rather than seeing me as a woman.

Because I already knew what my heart was while spending the day today.

"Right?"

"True. It's not over yet."

I unfolded the card in front of my eyes again.

To eat dinner at a restaurant that was quite expensive for a college student's allowance.

And to decorate the finale of today splendidly, we had to go back to the city center.

I sat on the card first, and Jin-wook sat behind me, wrapping his arms around my stomach from behind like earlier.

Slowly floating into the air, we began to fly toward the city center again.

And what unfolded before our eyes was...

The top part of the tallest building in the city where my main house is located, where the restaurant meant for finishing today would be.

"Kyaaaak!"

"R-Run away!"

BOOM-!

Being smashed by an explosion, scattering countless glass shards around.

It was a scene that made me doubt my eyes as to what kind of situation this was.