Date 2

The fresh air always feels good no matter when you breathe it in.

If asked to name a good point about falling into a ruined world novel, it would probably be this refreshing air.

By the way, the best thing was undoubtedly meeting Michaela.

Something similarly good was being able to help her brother.

You don’t have to wear a mask.

You don’t need to get vaccinated.

“Where should we go next?”

“Wherever you want.”

The people of this world wouldn’t know that this is a blessing.

Moreover, to be able to freely roam the streets with the person you like.

“Didn’t we just go where I wanted?”

The corners of Han Seoyeon’s mouth refused to turn down.

“I think it makes sense to take turns going to places we each want to go.”

A place she wants to go.

Actually, there was no place she simply wanted to go for the sake of going.

Han Seoyeon just wanted to seduce her senior through today’s outing, which was written as “going out” but read as “date”.

But there was a place she had in mind.

The classic of classic date plans.

“Then, shall we go watch a movie?”

“Sounds good.”

After all, when you think of Korea, isn’t it Director Bong’s country, movies?

Of course, there’s no Director Bong in this world, but still.

Han Seoyeon stepped into a movie theater for the first time in a long time, and for the first time in this life.

Even in a world inside a novel, a movie theater was still a movie theater.

Buying popcorn, buying cola.

She headed to the staff to book tickets.

If possible, a melodramatic genre would be nice.

What’s popular among recent releases?

[The Taegukgi Flutters Brilliantly]

[The Great Hero’s Life Story]

[Long Live the Republic of Korea]

[The 4.1 Great Battle, and]

…Right.

This was a dystopian world ruled by a dictator, wasn’t it.

‘Wow…’

The world was full of Korean patriotism.

Nothing but Korean patriotism.

The movie contents were all about the heroic exploits of Hunters.

She didn’t particularly mean to disparage the first-generation Hunters.

There was no lie in their achievements.

It’s just that it might be a bit awkward to watch with a foreign lover.

Especially on a first date.

“What’s wrong? You’re spacing out.”

“…Senior, is there any movie you want to watch?”

“Well…”

Michaela trailed off.

“This is my first time watching a movie too.”

Michaela doesn’t know movies.

Even if she’s living her second life.

“There weren’t such cultural facilities in Germany.”

A movie theater plastered with Korean patriotism.

Even such a movie theater was a luxury for someone.

As expected of a ruined world novel, it was a deep, dark world view.

“Is there any particular type of movie you’d like to see? Like romance or thriller?”

For someone watching a movie for the first time, I couldn’t just recommend anything.

If I could make her enjoy watching movies, wouldn’t I be able to suggest going together two or three more times someday?

“History. History would be good.”

“History? Why?”

“I think it will be helpful for studying.”

“Ah…”

Han Seoyeon recalled Michaela who, until just a month ago, had answered “Pyongyang” to the common sense question of what the capital was, despite having lived in Korea for over a year.

A historical movie meant a Korean patriotic movie.

Han Seoyeon booked [The 4.1 Great Battle, and], which seemed to have the better title.

As it was a world without viruses and without quarantine rules, the seats were full.

Soon, the movie begins.

How should one evaluate it?

First of all, the direction was the worst.

It was a world where culture had been shattered once by monsters and the Gate incident.

Perhaps this level of direction was the best.

It’s just that Han Seoyeon’s standards were too high.

The story wasn’t bad.

No, it couldn’t be evaluated as bad.

Because it was a movie based on a true story.

It felt new.

Even though she had seen the backstory from before the main story in the original work long ago, being able to see it visually was quite interesting.

While it was far from the level of “Taegukgi Flutters”, it was a hundred times better than UBD.

A Korean patriotic movie that would be strange if it didn’t sell.

That was Han Seoyeon’s impression.

“Hooh…”

An exclamation of admiration escaped.

“So this is… a movie…”

It was from Michaela’s lips.

If a silver-haired foreign beauty were to do YouTube with the thumbnail “The reason a German noble beauty was shocked by Korea’s new culture”, wouldn’t becoming a 1 million subscriber YouTuber be not just a dream?

At least Han Seoyeon was ready to like and subscribe.

“It’s different from both comedy and ordinary video materials. I feel like I’ve had a good history lesson.”

A foreign beauty studying history through a Korean patriotic movie?

It was a combination that couldn’t help but sell.

“I… I see.”

Still, she’d have to teach her history separately.

Like a private lesson between Teacher Han Seoyeon and Student Michaela?

“However.”

With somewhat bitter eyes, Michaela murmured to herself.

“Compared to the process, the result is a bit disappointing.”

Sssip.

Watching a Korean patriotic movie with a foreign girlfriend was indeed not a good idea…!

“Wh-Where should we go next? It’s your turn, senior!”

“Next, huh.”

Current time, 10:30 AM.

It was an ambiguous time, if anything.

“Are you not hungry yet?”

“No. We ate a lot of popcorn and cola.”

The taste of the sweet carbonated drink she had after a long time was great.

Perhaps because she grew up eating little in the slums, Han Seoyeon’s stomach was small.

“What about you, senior?”

“I’m the same.”

Michaela too couldn’t hide her shock at the fast food she had eaten for practically the first time in her life.

Beyond being full, it was even greasy.

“It would be better to postpone dinner until the evening.”

“Agreed!”

There was no reason not to agree.

Lunch is just the appetizer in the full-course meal of a day.

The cozy atmosphere when the curtain of night covers the sky, that’s the true decisive moment.

“In that case…”

Michaela pondered.

For this rare outing, what common denominator could two girls enjoy together?

“Let’s go to a cosmetics store.”

Michaela is certainly not a sexist.

She considers the value of men and women equal, and doesn’t particularly care whether women wear makeup or not.

She just thought.

In any world, ordinary girls of this age are busy decorating their appearance.

To Michaela, Han Seoyeon was an ordinary high school girl.

Just with a few special secrets, and a kind personality.

Even if it’s awkward at first, surely Han Seoyeon would be satisfied too.

Michaela believed this without doubt.

Cosmetics are essential items for women regardless of the era.

Used since ancient Egypt around 3500 BC.

Not decorating oneself is not a sin.

Decorating oneself is not essential.

However, decorating oneself is also an effort of human beings.

It was the very nature of humans being honest about their desires.

People often say that lookism isn’t right, but isn’t the effort to look a little prettier to others not strange?

Unlike wigs, the cosmetics business is still thriving today.

This was a mistake for the two people who had nothing to do with cosmetics.

Michaela and Han Seoyeon have good natural looks.

Enough to be called beauties by any human aesthetic standards.

So until now, the two had never felt the need to wear makeup.

In other words, they were completely ignorant about cosmetics.

[Lotion]

[Sunscreen]

[Foundation]

[Cushion]

[Eyeshadow]

[Eyelash Curler]

[Mascara]

[Shading]

[Lipstick]

“What are all these…?”

“I don’t know either.”

It’s a dizzying array.

Their eyes were spinning.

The smell of various cosmetics in the store approached more stimulatingly.

Lotion, sunscreen, cushion, lipstick, and even eyeshadow could be understood from simple context.

But beyond that was incomprehensible.

What’s foundation, what’s an eyelash curler, and what’s shading?

“Owner.”

There was no other choice.

Michaela decided to use the cheat key of capitalism.

A card with gold embroidery on an all-black background.

A symbol of wealth that anyone would recognize its value.

The employees’ eyes sparkle.

“I request the best service you can provide here.”

Michaela and Han Seoyeon are beginners.

As they know nothing, the judgment to leave everything to the experts was extremely correct.

“Oh my…! Such beautiful natural looks…!”

“Leave it to us. We’ll show you the best service!”

They just didn’t expect the staff to be this enthusiastic.

Professionals tend to take pride in their own workmanship and experience.

But in front of these veterans’ eyes, two newbies who are ignorant about makeup but comparable to any celebrity or model, asking to be taught makeup while pulling out a black card.

“Wow, w-wait!”

It would be strange to be able to resist.

Without even a moment to say anything more, Michaela and Han Seoyeon were each led away by the staff’s hands.

“Now, first we’ll apply lotion and sunscreen! Do you prefer foundation or cushion? Next is eyeshadow! Don’t move when using the eyelash curler! It might hurt! Then we’ll apply mascara, and shading too! Finishing with lipstick…!”

Was this some kind of spell chanting?

Strangely, there was little they could understand.

This couldn’t be considered Korean.

“There! It’s complete!”

Some time passed.

Han Seoyeon looked in the mirror.

In her opinion, she was a beauty.

It was well-founded confidence.

Because that was actually the reality.

At this moment, it was a little different.

Han Seoyeon thought she might be the most beautiful girl in the world.

It’s about a person who is beautiful without makeup taking care of their face.

There was no way it could turn out badly.

Even knowing this, exclamations of admiration kept trying to escape.

Her skin is fair.

It looked like the color of clouds.

Her skin, which already had no blemishes, went through foundation and showed an unrealistic pure white like elves in fiction.

Her red eyes add even more brilliance.

Gracefully and vividly.

The eyelashes, neatly curled with an eyelash curler, added depth, making her eyes sparkle like rubies in contrast.

Anyone who sees this even once would not be able to take their eyes off.

“It seems you’re done too.”

“─.”

She looked at her senior.

Han Seoyeon completely retracted the nonsense she had just spouted about herself being the most beautiful in the world at this moment.

It was the eyes.

A fairy of snow was there.

The silver hair sways like a snow breeze even with the slightest movement.

The blue eyes looked as if they had captured a frozen lake.

The skin was white and fine, no different from a snow field.

“─Ah.”

Her breath trembles.

Her breathing stops.

Her heart beats violently.

“It’s my first time wearing makeup, so it feels a bit awkward… How is it, does it suit me somewhat?”

“Yes.”

There wasn’t even a second’s hesitation in the affirmative answer.

“I see.”

The fairy smiled.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

For a very brief moment, Han Seoyeon thought it wouldn’t be bad to die happy right there.

It was a strange feeling.

Han Seoyeon and Michaela had spent countless times alone together.

Facing each other was nothing out of the ordinary.

Daily life is repetition.

Repetition dulls the senses.

Because Han Seoyeon’s affection for Michaela was always at its maximum, Michaela might have come to accept that excessive love as natural without realizing it.

In short, there was a lack of excitement, of heart-fluttering moments.

To develop into more than friends.

“Senior…”

It was new.

It was fresh.

It was another aspect of a girl in love that Michaela didn’t know.

“…Does it suit me too?”

It was shyness.

An emotion unlike the Han Seoyeon so far, yet one that suited her more than anything.

Until now, Han Seoyeon had been confident.

She had confessed her unrequited love loudly and without hesitation.

It’s not that she hadn’t shown weakness occasionally.

When she was bullied.

When she cut a person for the first time, even if they were evil.

When she couldn’t protect someone precious due to her own weakness.

Michaela disliked such an unconfident Han Seoyeon.

She wanted Han Seoyeon to just smile and be happy.

Therefore.

The emotion she felt towards Han Seoyeon who was shy purely because of love,

“You’re stating the obvious…”

Although it couldn’t be put into words, it was at least not the emotion Michaela had felt towards Han Seoyeon until now.

Silence followed for a moment.

The two just stood there doing nothing, unable to take their eyes off each other.

“Shall we walk a bit?”

“…Okay.”

They left their spots with effort.

Still, it was awkward.

Strangely, their hearts were beating unusually fast.