episode_0027

A few minutes after I returned to the room as the last one among our group,

The long-awaited lunch arrived.

I was a bit flustered, thinking about what would happen if Mina came just now,

But thankfully, another staff member brought the food and left.

… I don’t understand why my colleagues are acting like this these days.

Eunseol and Mina too…

It’s as if they’ve been holding back until now,

From the ghostly expressions and lack of distance in their touch, as if they were going to devour me,

To their forceful actions without regard for personal space,

It’s scary…

It feels like I’m seeing my ex-wife from the time when she used to storm at women approaching me.

Am I that annoying of a person..?

… For what reason?

I still don’t understand women’s hearts even now,

Apart from my wife, I never had a girlfriend,

.. Ugh, I don’t know! It will work out somehow,

Misunderstandings might have piled up between us,

Let’s treat each other better from now on!

Minsu still hadn’t realized what the problem was.

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.

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“Bon appétit~”

“Haha, the food here is always delicious no matter when you eat it! It really lifts your spirits.”

“Wow, this is really tasty!”

With those thoughts in mind, I immediately started eating lunch.

There were so many dishes that my table was filled to the brim,

And the food served was a local specialty fish dish,

Whether steamed, grilled, or raw, these dishes might seem simple, but with a skilled chef putting his heart into each dish, the result truly lives up to the expression “a taste of the sea and mountains.”

So tender and flavorful that even someone unfamiliar with gourmet tastes could appreciate it to some extent,

The cooking method that uses seasonings to eliminate the fishy smell and bring out a subtle deep flavor is something I’d like to learn as well.

They say dinner is the real deal with Ryokan cuisine, so if lunch is this good, the upcoming meal… must be exceptional without even needing to see it.

Thanks to the incident with Mina, my unsettled feelings seemed to dissipate,

Indeed, people live to eat!

“Uhyo~ This gluttonous woman..! Your belly is so plump and round! Yuck!! Accept my slimy amino acids!”

“I’ll lick every corner that your husband can’t reach, it should feel quite pleasant, right? Haha”

“Haha, how much do you do with your husband? You’re so knowledgeable, you might just pop out!”

“A woman with a child fooling around with another man, she’s disqualified as a wife haha”

“No, eighteen.”

… Cancel that last statement

Just when it seemed quiet, chaos ensued again.

Let’s at least eat properly during meals!

Even dads are human beings!

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.

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After that, I spent my time peacefully, either meditating absentmindedly, taking naps, or watching YouTube videos on my phone,

The rustling sound of the swaying bushes and the cool autumn breeze during the day,

The clear sky without a single cloud and the sun warming the ground gently,

Having eaten to my heart’s content and feeling light, sleep came easily.

Enjoyable moments pass by quickly,

After savoring meals that rival those of a 4-star hotel once again,

Seeing the sun starting to set, I realized it was already 6 o’clock.

“I should go.”

The festival will start soon.

The time Minah and I agreed upon is almost up,

“Sigh~~”

Struggling to get up from rolling around on the floor, I called out lazily,

“Oh? Where are you wandering off to again?”

“.. It doesn’t seem like you’re the one to listen after turning everything upside down in the Ryokan.”

“Haha, let’s say it’s a male behavior to conquer a sexy female, shall we?”

“Ugh.. Anyway, I promised to go to the festival place ahead for a bit.”

“Oh..? Was that tonight? I didn’t know.”

“They hold festivals here too? Sounds fun..!”

Although he looks like an adult who has experienced all kinds of hardships, his inner child is still lively,

Just when he starts to feel bored, a place to hang out appears, making his eyes sparkle with excitement,

“Haha, it’ll be perfect to go with college girls!”

“There’s nothing like a festival to create lasting memories!”

“Is Dad meeting that girlfriend from earlier?”

“..Well, she’s not exactly a girlfriend, but yeah, I did agree to meet her on short notice.”

“Haha, then you might run into each other while wandering around!”

“Yeah, if you’re going to be out and about, should Dad give you more allowance? You’ll need a lot for snacks and stuff, right?”

“Nah, I still have plenty. It’s Dad who needs to make sure his girlfriend has everything she needs.”

It’s hard to tell who’s the dad and who’s the son.

And with that realization, as if making a decision after seeing me and Taeyang, Taman suddenly jumps up and dashes out into the hallway.

“Alright! I’m feeling good about this one, Taeyang…! Uncle will be back soon!”

“If that bitch doesn’t fall after ten hits, keep hitting until she falls over!”

“Take care~”

“Oh..! Time flies! Taeyang, let’s go, Dad too!”

“Yeah, Dad~”

The meeting place with Mina was decided to be at the entrance of the Ryokan.

Thump thump thump thump thump

Although there was still quite some time before the appointment, I walked briskly down the hallway as if being chased.

It’s certain that Mina, considering my personality, would come out first to consider me.

No matter what, making someone wait is just not polite.

And how long did it take?

Or rather, was it different? Someone was standing in front of the front door.

A woman’s transformation is innocent.

Depending on how you dress and do your makeup, you can change infinitely.

As if proving that statement,

It wasn’t the neat suit from work, nor the comfortable tracksuit from working at the Ryokan.

Like when going on a date with a boyfriend, a woman stood there, fully dressed up.

If men have Yukata, women have Kimono.

Traditional attire for women accentuates maturity even more,

Contrasted against the dark weather, the bright light from the lamp highlighted her white skin and emphasized the red lipstick on her lips.

Unlike the sharp Eunseol, Mina showed a gentle and innocent charm with her round and soft image.

Leaning against the wall as if waiting for someone, she eventually turned her head towards me.

Smiling, she raised the corners of her mouth and even winked at me upon seeing my face.

“Ay~ Director, you still lack sense, making a woman wait..! Minus 10 points from you.”

Blank-

“…”

“Director?”

“Oh.. Ah! Sorry, Mina, I.. I was surprised by the different image you have now, or should I say I was just momentarily shocked by how beautiful you are? No, no, what am I saying?”

Mina, wide-eyed at the unexpected sincerity that came out of me.

Snicker…

And then, for a moment, she started teasing me like a little devil, wanting to play along.

“Hehe…”

“Director, you didn’t look like this before, but at night, you turn into a wolf, huh, wolf?”

“It’s subtly teasing, very charming, hehe.”

“Haha… Please don’t tease me like that, it’s embarrassing..”

“Hehe, looking at you like this, you seem even younger than me~ Each reaction of yours is so cute that I want to bite you to death…. No, I mean, I want to tease you more!”

“It’s fun! If our cute wolf director wants it..!”

Saying so and exerting force, Mina extends her arm, which seems like it might break due to its whiteness.

“Come on! Let me give you the opportunity to hold hands with the company’s top beauty and escort her! It’s an honor, right? Dating a beauty that every man will envy!”

“Uh.. um, I’ll leave it to you then?”

“Pfft..! What’s that supposed to mean, really~”

“That’s why I enjoy talking to the director, so I’ll leave it to you to have a good night~?”

“Then, slowly now.”

“Oh, wait a minute, Director.”

Whoosh

“..Huh?!”

Her lips, which kept approaching, finally reached right in front of my nose.

If either I or Mina leaned a bit forward, they would touch.

“Since we’re going, we should tidy up, right? Look at this, look at this, your shirt is all loose without me, and you said you can’t go without me, right?”

“Ah..? Oh, thank you, Mina.”

“Not at all~ Well then, let’s really go now, Manager… No, Minsoo Oppa!”

…”

Will we be able to return safely today..?

As we opened the entrance and stepped out, the sky, adorned with countless stars like a rare sight in this sparsely populated countryside, welcomed us.

“There are many delicious things at this market stall.”

“Really? Then let’s stop by here before going to see the fireworks.”

“Son! If you keep running like that and fall, Mom won’t know!”

“Hehe, I’m so excited!”

“I heard this fireworks display is going to be spectacular, like never before. They must have put a lot of effort into it.”

“Really? I can’t wait!”

And amidst such blessings from nature, people bustling around in various directions.

Seeing everyone dressed in yukatas and kimonos heading somewhere, it felt like they were also going to the festival, just like us.

We naturally blended into the procession of the crowd, walking side by side.

“Wow.. It’s nice to see so many people gathered, but there are just too many.”

“Mina, make sure not to get separated.”

“That’s right~ We might get lost if we’re not careful, like this, for example.”

“..Hm?”

Gasp

“..?!”

Although I was only lightly holding out my hand, trying to avoid too much contact,

Mina seemed dissatisfied and firmly grasped my hand, even interlocking our fingers as if to ensure we wouldn’t lose each other.

“Hehe… Perfect, let’s go now, Oppa!”

“… Mina, even if you say that, this is a bit…”

“… Is it okay?”

“It’s not just a bit… You can hold on tighter if you want! We shouldn’t get separated! Anyway, let’s get going, come on!”

“Alright~”

Save me