episode_0040

Each person has their own unique scent.

Some describe it as the smell of fabric softener, while others call it “body odor.”

Hanryu-won has emitted the same scent since becoming an adult.

It’s similar to the perfume she was given on her coming-of-age day.

She still emits the same scent.

It means she’s still using the perfume I gave her.

“Shall I put it here?”

“…Do as you please.”

Feeling good for no reason, I cheerfully set the table.

Fried snacks and soju, beer, and coffee-flavored peanuts that she likes.

“Why don’t they sell coffee-flavored peanuts in this neighborhood.”

Thanks to that, I wandered around a few convenience stores, thinking I was lucky to find them, and glanced at her sitting on the bed.

Her gaze was fixed on the well-prepared table.

She seemed to want to eat as well.

“Come and sit down.”

“…You eat.”

When I gestured, she stubbornly turned her gaze away.

“Hey. How can I eat all of this by myself? Just have a little, just a little.”

Clunk. I poured beer into a round ice cup I bought from the convenience store.

Then I approached her, forced it into her hand, and led her to the table.

“Really, just taste it. I won’t force you to drink more. Huh? I deliberately bought only what you like.”

“……”

Reluctantly, she took her place at the table.

I chuckled and filled her glass with soju.

Convenience store ice, beer, soju, 7:3. It was Hanryu-won’s favorite ratio.

“Here. Cheers to another hard day!”

Having made identical glasses, I subtly extended mine for a toast.

“……”

For a while, she stared at me without saying anything, holding the glass…

Swoosh. She brought the glass to her lips.

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.

The full glass was emptied in an instant.

“Phew.”

Exhaling a cold breath, Hanryu-won put the glass down and glanced at me briefly.

It felt like she was hinting, “What are you doing if you’re not drinking?”

“…That was fast.”

I quietly followed her and quickly finished my drink.

“Phew.”

Amidst the rising alcohol, as she grabbed snacks to eat, she suddenly snatched the glass and began to fill it herself.

This time, with a 9:1 ratio.

Of all things, the soju was at 9.

“Hey… if you drink like that, you’ll die tomorrow.”

“That’s why I’m doing this.”

“….”

I lost my words and silently watched her actions.

Then, she handed me the completed glass, and as if someone was chasing her, she immediately started to gulp down the drink.

“Hey.”

You should eat some snacks and drink. You’ll regret it otherwise.”

I offered her a piece of fried food with a fork.

“…Phew….”

With a grimace, she managed to empty the second glass, then subtly hinted at the coffee peanuts I had poured on one side while reaching for them.

“What are you doing? You’re not drinking.”

“…Let’s drink slowly and talk.”

“I won’t say anything until you finish it all.”

“….”

Hanyerwon asserted firmly with a resolute expression.

It was only then that I could understand the meaning of the drink she had made.

This was “punishment drink”.

Literally, it was her “punishment” for me.

“Fine, I’ll take it sweetly.”

Closing my eyes tightly, I picked up the glass, held my breath, and quickly emptied it.

“Argh…!”

And in the moment I hurriedly grabbed a snack to wash away the strong alcohol coming up.

“Here.”

Hanyerwon casually offered me a piece of fried food.

Even amidst the intense alcohol, a slight sense of gratitude welled up within me.

“Thank you.”

“….”

After that, the drinking session continued in a normal manner.

“It’s edible.”

“…Yeah.”

Hanyerwon also gained strength from what she ate and drank, and gradually began to speak more coherently, finally leading to a proper conversation.

“Maybe it’s getting better.”

I cautiously brought up a slightly serious topic while gauging her reaction.

“…How have you been in my absence?”

“…The same, just went to work. Worked like crazy, came home, cried, got tired, and slept. Then went back to work.”

“….”

“…I even tried to die…”

Hanyerwon, who had been casually responding, suddenly looked at me, then quickly averted her gaze.

“…But, I didn’t die.”

Her indifferent tone pricked at my guilt.

“…Whether to come back or not. Why of all times…”

“……”

“I’m sorry. Let’s just pretend you didn’t hear what I said earlier.”

Hanryeowon, who had poured out a muttered complaint filled with resentment, awkwardly gulped down the drink with a flustered expression.

It was a face that seemed to waver between anger and sadness.

“Ryeowon.”

“……”

“I still only have you.”

“…Forget it.”

“I really do. I can swear.”

With a serious expression, I firmly grasped her hand on the table.

Hanryeowon just quietly watched our joined hands.

“It’s true that I’m a bad guy. It’s also true that I cheated on you for your sake.”

“……”

“I know it won’t make sense, but the situation I’m in right now is just as nonsensical.”

“……”

“My ex, who used to be overly attached, summoned me, and I was even confined without being able to contact you. Do you know what she said? If I get back together with her, she’ll let me contact you.”

“……”

“At first, I endured it by force, but I kept thinking about you.”

“So, did you sleep with her?”

“Yeah. I did it until she was satisfied.”

I put more strength into our joined hands.

I earnestly appealed to her as I held her hand more tightly.

“Thanks to that, I’m here in front of you now.”

“……”

“Do you think I would sit here like this if I hadn’t fallen for you? Really shameless.”

“That’s right. I’m shameless. A scumbag with two women. I’m doing everything I can to lure back my ex who left me.”

“……”

The sharpness in Hanryeowon’s eyes disappeared.

She didn’t try to pull her hand away.

Although her heart had already moved, it felt like she was trying to deny her emotions.

“If you really have no feelings left for me, I’ll give up cleanly too.”

“……”

“But… if there’s even a little bit of lingering affection, let’s try again.”

“……”

Hanryeowon looked at me more and more intensely, her eyes reddening.

Then, with a voice that suppressed her emotions, she spoke.

“Why are you so bad to me?”

“……”

“How much more are you going to make me suffer?”

“……”

“Lately, all I hear around me is about you and her. Everyone passing by says that you and she are meant to be.”

“……”

“What about me? How do you think I feel hearing those things?”

“Ryeowon.”

“They’re the couple of the century or whatever, but every time I hear that kind of thing, it feels like my heart is being torn apart. It’s driving me crazy, I want to just die.”

“…….”

“But…. if I die, I won’t be able to see you.”

She, with moist eyes, bit her lip as if trying to hold back tears.

Her appearance seemed so pitiful.

“…Ryeowon.”

I moved to her side and hugged her tightly.

Fortunately, unlike my room, there was a two-seater sofa set up.

“I’ll do better from now on.”

“……”

“That’s all I can say. I’ll do better for you.”

“…Hmph….”

“Give me a chance.”

In the end, Han Ryeowon couldn’t hold back her tears and buried her face in my arms.

I comforted her wholeheartedly.

“You can resent me. If you want to kill me, I’ll gladly die for you. So stay by my side.”

She sobbed bitterly and clung to me.

“…You jerk… sniff….”

“Bad guys are popular, you know? You’ve fallen for the wrong person.”

As I playfully patted her head, she grumbled and expressed her dissatisfaction by pinching my back.

I quietly lent her my chest until her tears subsided.

After a while, when her crying stopped, she spoke softly.

“…I really missed you.”

“Me too.”

“I missed you so much…. But now that I see you, I’m angry.”

“That’s understandable.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.”

We embraced each other and shared the reunion we hadn’t been able to have.

Until the emotional cocktail of accumulated feelings completely melted away.

The phrase “fateful love,” I thought, might not actually refer to Han Ryeowon and me.

“Do you want to drink more?”

“…No. I’m full now. What about you?”

“I’m good too.”

So, until the late dawn, we exchanged various conversations, and then decided to go to bed for our next schedule….

I was bothered by the spread-out drinking table in her room.

It was too much trouble to clean up right away, and the smell of food wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“Let’s sleep in my room.”

So, I invited her into my room.

“…Together?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you asking me to be your national fiancée?”

‘National husband’ followed by ‘national fiancée,’ huh.

Those were really confusing nicknames.

“If it doesn’t bother you. I think from now on, I’ll call myself that.”

“What…?”

“We should unify our titles so there won’t be any confusion with the names.”

I looked at her with a bewildered expression and smiled as I tried to take her to the room.

“Let’s go.”

At that moment.

“…Wait.”

She grabbed my hand and spoke seriously.

“I haven’t completely made up my mind yet. …I won’t do it tonight.”

In other words, since it wasn’t a completely decided reunion, she was telling me not to touch her tonight.

“I never said I would.”

“…Huh?”

“If you wanted to, you should have said it.”

Playfully wiggling her fingers, she sent a sharp glance as she covered her chest with her hand.

My mouth involuntarily curved into a smile at her sassy appearance.

“Okay. Since I’m being considerate, let’s just hold hands tonight. Is that okay?”

“……Really?”

“Really. You need some time to think too, don’t you?”

Hanryu-won followed me gracefully with a meaningful look in her eyes.

That day, we really just held hands tightly and fell asleep quietly.

…Strangely enough, the next day I found a 10-pack “Vitamin Box” in my room.