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“Should we go a little further?”

“Further?”

“Well, we can always come back tomorrow anyway.”

For a brief moment, I thought Yeon-woo meant we should fly there.

Of course, the kids around me often had dreamy looks in their eyes. It was an inevitable environment, after all.

They weren’t entirely blind to reality, but rather, it felt like they were pursuing some sort of romantic ideal.

But Yeon-woo wasn’t suggesting flying; she just meant we should take a train like normal people.

After my last date with Jua, everyone seemed to be lining up for something. I thought it was fine since we all enjoyed living together and having fun, but it seemed like people really want alone time with those they like.

Yeon-woo was no different.

Just like with Jua, after spending a leisurely time together, I returned home the next day. So, it made sense that Yeon-woo would naturally want that much time.

“Where to?”

“How about Gyeongju?”

“Gyeongju? Any reason?”

“Not really. Just thought of it. Although, there are plenty of nice places. The town was pretty when we went for our school trip.”

I knew it was pretty since I had been on a school trip, but I didn’t mention that.

“Well, okay.”

I replied. It couldn’t be too bad. It wasn’t like we were going abroad.

As soon as I nodded, Yeon-woo’s face lit up.

She was a year older than me, yet sometimes her expressions made her look so young. When she was a magical girl, she seemed the most mature among us.

But sometimes her youthful looks made her seem extraordinarily cute, which was a bit unsettling.

Yeon-woo took the lead, and I leisurely followed behind her. Since it wasn’t a holiday and it was a weekday, there weren’t too many people on the streets, and the same at the station. Well, it was much less crowded than on weekends.

Ecstatic, Yeon-woo bought a few snacks. Boiled eggs, a few bags of chips, and each of us got a 500ml drink from the convenience store.

She looked like a little kid on a picnic.

Sitting on the station bench waiting for the train, Yeon-woo looked like a child bursting with excitement.

“Already having fun?”

When I asked, Yeon-woo nodded eagerly.

“That’s how travel is, starting from the moment you leave.”

I couldn’t argue with that. Even as I waited by her side, my heart started to race for no reason.

*

How long had it been since I rode a train? Thinking about it, I realized I hadn’t taken a train much since being born into this world. Maybe I rode buses or subways more frequently.

Most of the time, we’d rent a bus for school trips.

I imagined Yeon-woo, being the daughter of a pretty well-off family, not bothering to take a train either.

The scenery flowed outside the large window.

At first, tall buildings filled the view, but then they slowly grew shorter, eventually reducing in frequency altogether.

They were harvesting ripe rice, and they tied the rice straw with white cloth, creating large marshmallow-like bundles dotting the landscape.

“Do you know what that is? It’s actually real marshmallows.”

“I had no idea!”

I joked along, and Yeon-woo looked startled. Well, it wasn’t so much that she was fooled but rather that I had responded seriously, causing her momentarily confusion. Sometimes, when people earnestly deliver absurd stories, you can’t help but think, ‘Could it actually be true?’

When I chuckled, Yeon-woo laughed as well, looking amused.

The journey took quite a long time. Since it was over two hours, we simply chatted leisurely about various topics.

Most of our conversations revolved around the scenery passing by.

About thirty minutes in, Yeon-woo started snacking on the treats she brought.

While peeling an egg, Yeon-woo broke into a slight grin and—

Whack!

“Oops!?”

As she swung an egg towards my head, I intercepted it mid-air with my own egg, and Yeon-woo gasped in surprise. Noticing curious glances from those around us, we both bowed our heads slightly and giggled.

About an hour into the ride, Yeon-woo leaned toward me slightly.

“…”

She wore a playful smile, likely assuming I would feel embarrassed.

Wanting to avoid losing to her, I gently touched her thigh.

Yeon-woo didn’t pull away. In fact, she slightly parted her legs.

“Ha, this is just ridiculous.”

As I withdrew my hand nervously, Yeon-woo laughed as if she had won.

Should I have just gone all in?

…

No, that’s not it. Doing that on a train would be a bit much.

*

After our playful banter, we finally arrived in Gyeongju.

As we stepped off the train, I realized we truly hadn’t prepared for this trip at all. I didn’t even have a backpack on my back.

We immediately went to book the last remaining room at the hotel, and then we set out together.

Our steps weren’t synchronized military style, but rather I bounced along, trying to match Yeon-woo’s lively rhythm.

I guess it’s because we’re both in college? Though I’m a college student too, Yeon-woo still had a strangely childlike quality in her movements that I found delightful.

Every time she hopped along while linking arms with me, an enjoyable scent wafted from her. Her flowing brown hair danced charmingly against the sky. The way she occasionally turned to smile at me looked almost innocently youthful for her age, making my heart race a bit.

“Since we’re in Gyeongju, how about visiting Hanok Village—”

“Let’s go to the amusement park, the amusement park!”

“Huh?”

I barely reacted before being dragged along by Yeon-woo. It was surprising that she took me straight to a bus stop instead of some place near the hotel.

But seeing her bright face, I thought, well, it might not matter.

After all, the amusement park isn’t going to be that different. We can wander around, go on some dates, eat delicious food, and then head back to the hotel for some more quality time before resting well.

An amusement park, huh. Sounds good.

*

It wasn’t good.

“Why? Why?”

As we stood in line for the roller coaster, Yeon-woo pressed her face against mine, questioning.

“Are you scared?”

“….”

I frowned and shot her a glare.

So this was her plan.

Yeon-woo is a bit mischievous. She often plays practical jokes that get me in trouble. Recently, most of them have been a bit cheeky.

Though today, since we were outdoors, it wasn’t too naughty, but I could tell she wanted to see me flustered.

After all, time alone with me is a rarity. For Yeon-woo, the best dates must be situations where we can tease each other like this.

I looked up again.

The roller coaster was shaped like it was going to drop straight down.

…Right, it wasn’t “like” vertical; it was just vertical. It even leaned slightly forward before it started.

“We have to sit in the front row, no exception.”

Yeon-woo said with a grin, her eyes filled with enthusiasm.

I felt a bit annoyed and, with one hand, pulled her waist closer to me. Our bodies pressed together, her curves perfectly aligning with mine. Since she was slightly lower, it created an interesting overlap.

“Ugh.”

Yeon-woo breathed out, slightly heated, pressing her mouth close to my ear.

“In bed, you always win… but sometimes, I have my strong points too, you know.”

…

Ah, I see.

Did she just tease me a bit?

I thought there might be times I’d let her win, but honestly, when I see her top me first, it just sparks my competitive spirit. In the end, we were both satisfied, often ending with playful bumping.

Despite Yeon-woo’s body being generally firm, the soft parts undeniably existed.

…

Well, whatever, let her be scared.

If my girlfriend wants that, then giving her a good scare might be acceptable.

“Ahhh!?”

But as I mulled that over, feeling left out, I gently bit her neck.

Some people might have recognized us, but who cares.

Yeon-woo seemed a bit embarrassed, but I figured since I’d probably be losing soon, it was fine.

*

“Ugh, this is exhausting.”

“Hehe.”

Even as I intentionally leaned my weight against her, Yeon-woo just smiled back. No, she looked like she enjoyed it even more, playfully running her hands around my waist.

I might be a bit of a pervert, but Yeon-woo is no slouch in that department either. Lately, she seemed to have become a bit more flirty.

“Did you have fun?”

When I asked, Yeon-woo nodded with a refreshing expression.

“It was awesome.”

“Awesome?”

When I probed about her unique impression, she chuckled lightly.

“Yeah. We went high up and then rushed down. The scenery changing was amazing.”

“Impressive that you could enjoy the views while on a ride.”

“I’m a magical girl, after all.”

“Who isn’t a magical girl?”

At this point, it seems the term “girl” could be dropped.

“And now that I’ve grown up, I haven’t had the chance to visit places like this.”

“….”

“When I was young, I loved it so much.”

That could be because of me.

If Yeon-woo had dated a regular boyfriend back then, she probably could have had more one-on-one dates.

With this many people around, it ended up feeling like a group trip.

As I closed my eyes to think and sighed heavily.

“One more round.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s go for one more round…!”

Since it was off-peak season, the crowd was thin.

Yeon-woo beamed at my suggestion.

“Alright!”

I matched my jumps to Yeon-woo’s lively steps and skipped alongside her.

*

Yeon-woo loved flowers.

More precisely, it seemed she liked all plants in general.

When thinking of Gyeongju, the first place that came to mind was Cheomseongdae, so we came together around sunset—and we were surprised.

We had just come without much thought and found that there were tons of pink flowers blooming around.

“Pink muhly!”

Yeon-woo shouted and dashed in.

“Ji-eun, look over there!”

I was lost in a daze watching Yeon-woo among the blooming pink grass, her figure looked like a painting, and then she pointed elsewhere.

There were yellow flowers blooming vibrantly over there.

Yeon-woo changed direction and headed toward those flowers.

Looking again, various types of flowers were blooming splendidly around, even in the autumn.

Yeon-woo’s exuberant and beautiful figure darting between the flowers was a sight to see.

Every time she looked at me, a bright smile bloomed on her face, which captivated me, and I slowly followed behind her.

I suppose my face, too, was adorned with a blooming smile as I followed her.

 

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