Chapter 30: First Trip with My Girlfriend (5)

    TL: looloo

    Schedule: 4/Week Wed-Sat

    Join the discord! Here

    Lost in thought, I subtly turned my head to the side. Heena and I locked eyes. Had she been watching me all this time?

    "Yeonho."

    "Hmm?"

    "I''m sorry."

    Her unexpected apology caught me off guard, but I didn''t respond immediately. I could tell she had more to say, so I waited patiently.

    She continued softly, "I feel like I always push things onto you. And because I know you''ll accept it, I think I do it more."

    "I did it when reserving our room this time, when we were out today, and surely many times before."

    "Thank you, always. For putting up with my demands."

    I looked at her gentle smile. In her apologetic eyes, there seemed to be more happiness than regret. The tender curve of her gaze said it all.

    I felt relieved inside. All the pressures she put weren''t against her will but came from her genuine feelings. It was only natural.

    Her words gave me courage. I began to share thoughts I''d kept to myself.

    "I should be the one thanking you."

    "For what?"

    "For everything."

    Perhaps it was the sound of the waves from the vast night sea filling our view, but I found it easier to express myself.

    "I might''ve mentioned this before, but thank you for confessing your feelings to me first. If you hadn''t, I might''ve never known. That I would''ve had such a wonderful girlfriend."

    "And don''t call it pushing. Your nudging whenever I was indecisive is something I''ve always been grateful for."

    "You always said you''d do anything for me, right?"

    "I feel the same. I want to be there for whatever you want. Even if I grumble sometimes, I truly want to be there for you."

    "For a while, to be honest, I didn''t know how to treat you. But since you approached first, things slowly became clearer."

    I chuckled, thinking of something.

    "Of course, about what you mentioned earlier..."

    I could feel the gleam in Heena''s eyes next to me. I wasn''t sure if my upcoming response was what she was hoping for.

    "Our parents trust us enough to let us travel together, right?"

    "They might not reprimand us if we decide on something now, but if we seriously think about our future..."

    "To be honest, I really want to... but I want to wait until we graduate."

    "Until we can take responsibility for ourselves, at least a little."

    "I hope you can wait until then. Is that okay?"

    Feeling a bit awkward, I scratched the back of my head.

    This was the first time I had confessed my feelings so directly. Reflecting on it, I felt a bit foolish for only expressing this now. It wasn''t just about lacking confidence in my emotions.

    "Sigh..."

    "Huh?"

    Suddenly, a sob breaks from the side. I froze in shock.

    I couldn''t tell what had upset her or what part of our conversation had triggered such an emotional response.

    Heena cried even harder than the first time we met in misunderstanding, shedding torrents of tears.

    "Th-thank you... for thinking... about the future with me, not just now..."

    "I''m so grateful... I love you so much... Oh..."

    Amidst her sobs, she muttered words so choked up they were hard to understand.

    Through her tear-streaked face, I''d never seen Heena look so endearing.

    Without realizing, I found myself saying, "I love you too, Heena."

    It wasn’t just a mere ''like'', it was love that came naturally.

    I knew our feelings weren''t quite equal, and they might never be, but in that moment, I felt like I was catching up to Heena''s affections.

    Up until now, she had always been overly sweet.

    Regardless, we took turns washing our faces in the morning, checked for any forgotten items, and left the room.

    "Thank you for your stay."

    We checked out, greeted by the ever-polite hotel staff.

    As we stepped out of the hotel, I couldn''t help but marvel at the day.

    "Did you actually bring a change of clothes for today?"

    "Of course. Now, tell me, do I look pretty? By the way, I''ll only accept ''yes'' as an answer."

    Saying so, Heena twirled in front of me, wearing a white dress that reached her knees and a short denim jacket.

    "It''s pretty, so pretty!"

    "Say it with more sincerity!"

    "You look stunning, darling."

    "Hmm~ 60 points?"

    "Your grading is too strict~"

    It''s hard to describe precisely, but as we chatted, I felt our bond had deepened.

    No, we definitely became closer, and not just in a physical sense.

    With that thought, I suppressed a laugh and gently stroked Heena''s hair.

    Her eyes widened in surprise at my action, but she didn''t resist.

    "Why the sudden touch?"

    "I just felt like it. Go on."

    "Heh~ Alright then. My hair is exclusively for you, after all!"

    "Should I put a name tag on it?"

    "Name tag? Didn''t you put one yesterday?"

    Huh? I put a name tag?

    Our playful banter paused at my confusion.

    Seeing my pondering face, Heena approached and quickly pecked my lips.

    She then touched her own lips with her index finger and gave a playful wink.

    "It''s right here, didn''t you see?"

    "Now I do."

    "Hehe, good. I was going to reapply it if you hadn''t seen."

    "Oops, actually, I don''t see anything!"

    "Ah!!!"

    At my words, Heena pointed at me and let out a playful scream.

    "You just lied, didn''t you~?"

    "...No."

    "Isn''t that a lie too?"

    "Why bring this up suddenly?"

    "Remember? When we studied for exams, if one of us caught the other lying, we''d grant a wish."

    "...I...I remember."

    I had initially wanted to deny remembering, but feared that might also be counted as a lie. Who knew she''d remember such a thing?

    "So, what wish will you make?"

    "I''ll save it for later!"

    Seeing her radiant smile, I chuckled.

    After all, what does it matter? It''s not like she''d wish for anything outrageous.

    Seeing Heena so happy, the little things seemed trivial.

    In any case, it was the most delightful and rewarding journey of my life. I believe it was the same for Heena.