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I never thought I would say something like this, but people… well, how should I put it?

When you live with many people, certain rules inevitably form within that environment.

It’s not exactly written down or anything. If you overly define such rules while living together, it’d just be exhausting for everyone.

Therefore, sometimes someone benefits a bit more, and someone else makes a concession.

If someone concedes, that’s fine. After all, it’s one way to avoid conflict.

However, if you end up seeing something you didn’t particularly want to concede and would rather not witness, naturally, you would get angry.

Today, I found myself alone with Jua because of such a reason.

We were lovers, but at the same time, we were all friends together. None of us wanted to cut off our relationships. Of course, Ji-hye and Eun-ha felt the same way.

Jua was the same way—but feelings are not something that can be easily managed. If they could, there would probably only be saints in this world.

“So, um, where should we go?”

Although we were familiar with each other’s destinations, there was still a bit of nervousness being out alone together like this.

“……”

Jua pouted her lips but tightly wrapped her arm around mine.

Her attitude was clear.

She simply wanted this situation to continue as it was.

It was just around the time summer was ending. The days were a bit warmer. If we were stuck like this, the parts of us that were touching would definitely get soaked with sweat.

But still, I didn’t want to ask Jua to let go.

“Shall we just wander around anywhere for now?”

I asked.

Only then did Jua nod her head.

She was still pouting, but it seemed that my initiating the conversation cheered her up. Her face was slightly flushed, and her eyes looked a bit relaxed.

The strength in her grip on my arm was firm, and oddly, her footsteps felt light.

Seeing her like that relieved my tension a little.

*

Thinking about it, it had been quite a while since we came out on a date like this. Since we were a group prone to drawing too much attention, we usually went to places where we could both stick together and maintain our privacy, avoiding the eyes of others.

In such places, it wouldn’t be appropriate to bring only one person along. After all, we couldn’t hang out together every day.

Still, at least it was fortunate that we had many days to rest.

“How about this one?”

As I showed Jua a necklace, she flickered her gaze around before looking up at me.

“That, um…”

“That what?”

“Um, I don’t really… know about that.”

“Really? You don’t know?”

“I, uh, haven’t really dressed up like this much before…”

Though Jua normally acted confidently at home, it seemed a bit challenging for her to be alone with me in a place like this. It didn’t look like she disliked it, just that she was a bit embarrassed.

Had Jua always been like this?

I thought she had the image of someone who liked cute things…

…

Ah, right. Thinking back, Jua wasn’t the type to lead many friends around either. If I had to say, she was somewhat similar to me.

Unlike me, she didn’t have as many girls around her to learn from, like Ha-yoon or Ji-eun, so she hadn’t naturally developed that knowledge.

Even for me, while I find it a bit difficult to dress up, I at least know what designs would look decent on pretty girls.

Especially since Jua usually has a rather simple style. In such cases, a delicate necklace without any extra decorations would definitely suit her.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

Feeling a bit more relaxed, I leaned slightly towards Jua, meeting her gaze.

“With you, anything will look good on you.”

“Even if you compliment me like that, um, nothing will come of it, you know?”

Seeing Jua say that as if she thought I was just teasing her made her face blush even more when she noticed my tilted head.

I’m being serious, you know?

I think all my brides are lovely and beautiful. If I didn’t think that way, I wouldn’t even entertain the thought of marrying all of them. It doesn’t matter how objectively attractive they are.

Having fought together for our lives and simultaneously being with someone who loves me, there’s no way I could dislike them. I wouldn’t tease or try to gain anything from them.

The reason I hold Jua close and sniff her is simply that I find the whole act delightful.

“I’m always sincere.”

“Wh-what do you mean…?”

“While I haven’t lived my life without telling a single lie, my feelings are always genuine. I don’t intend to lie about this kind of stuff anymore. It seems like making strange statements just leads to too much loss.”

I placed the necklace around Jua’s neck—

kiss

And lightly kissed her on the cheek. Her face turned even redder, almost to the point of bursting.

Hmm.

Should we quickly escape since people are looking at us? I’ve calculated my escape route in advance.

I quickly straightened up and stood.

“Eeep!?”

I wrapped my arm around Jua’s waist and led her outside.

After trying out different places, I realized I really like putting my hand on a woman’s waist. Since kids who usually are fighters tend to have good body control, it’s pretty convenient to hold someone like that.

Moreover, by doing this, I can pull anyone close to me, preventing them from even thinking of escaping.

By the way, as much as I like holding women’s waists, they also enjoy holding me. Generally, they are more interested in my chest.

While Jua did her best to avoid pressing her face against my side, she still was very aware of the softness in that area.

“Okay, where should we go next? Should we go watch a movie?”

“I-I’m fine without the movie.”

Jua rejected my suggestion.

“Why? You like them, don’t you?”

“That’s something you watch at home. I want…”

Jua bravely stretched out her arms and wrapped them around my waist. For some reason, her gentle embrace felt as if it barely touched my side, which tickled a little.

I liked Jua’s attitude.

While intertwining our bodies can be a beautiful and enjoyable act, there’s a certain aesthetic charm in having this embarrassing playfulness on a date too.

“I want to talk a little more and look at each other a little more. You can’t do that in a theater.”

“……”

Jua’s words momentarily left me at a loss for words.

“I see.”

After a long pondering over what to reply, that was the only answer I could give.

“Then, should we head to a nearby park?”

“That would be better.”

Jua answered with a shy smile, glancing down a tad.

*

So, we did just that.

We went to the riverside, spread out a mat, and lay side by side.

No one around us seemed interested in us. It appeared everyone was preoccupied with their own loved ones, family, and friends, having no intention of looking our way.

Or perhaps it meant that the world had grown this quiet, to the point where we wouldn’t stand out even if we were there.

Well, it could also be because we were both wearing large sunglasses.

The sun was still slightly hot, but it was bearable.

In fact, the warmth felt delightful.

Jua, who usually seemed tensed, was now relaxed and floppy next to me.

Although she was sprawled out, we were both still closely snuggled together.

I unnecessarily flexed my arms and pulled Jua closer to me.

Jua made a whiny sound but snuggled closer. She felt like a big plush doll. Soft and warm.

“What should we have for dinner?”

“Hmm, I wonder.”

Jua answered leisurely to my question.

“How about meat?”

“Meat sounds good.”

“Noodles? Rice?”

“Carbs wouldn’t be bad either.”

“From that answer, it sounds like you’re fine with anything.”

“That’s because I really am okay with anything! I already know Ji-eun’s taste pretty well. Generally, she enjoys most things, but she won’t touch anything too really spicy. It’s a very ordinary taste, isn’t it?”

“Is that something to dislike?”

“It’s actually a good thing. After all, it means I can be okay with anything.”

Jua suddenly looked up at me. Unlike earlier when her face was near my chest, she had wriggled a bit and was now closer to my face—

kiss

She planted a light kiss on my cheek.

“Well, the range of ‘anything’ is pretty broad, but what can I say? I’ve ended up liking you.”

Jua said while looking up at me.

“Since I’m the only one who feels this way, I guess that’s enough.”

My face felt hot.

It probably wasn’t just from the sun.

“That was revenge for earlier.”

Jua said that and flashed a smile.

Her expression was so cute that I couldn’t help but scoop her up into my arms and roll around on the mat.

I’m happy.

Just the fact that I can receive such love makes me feel extremely blessed.

Just this realization makes me think that living this life was truly worth it.

“Thank you, really.”

“…Thank you? For what?”

As I whispered that while holding Jua close, she finally turned red from embarrassment and started looking around nervously.

Eventually, we ended up attracting the attention of others, prompting us to quickly gather up the mat and escape.

We stuck together like that all day long.

Eventually, Jua thought of what she wanted to eat.

A really common neighborhood meat restaurant. Sitting outside, we grilled and devoured our samgyeopsal and pork belly.

“I like this more than making a big fuss over the atmosphere.”

I smiled and agreed with Jua’s words.

It’s so very ordinary, yet at the same time, it feels special because it’s just the two of us.

We spent a long time sitting with each other while sharing quiet conversations, leaning closely together.

For a long time.

Like we were savoring this moment.

 

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