episode_0047

Episode 46: Date, Date (1)

—

“Ah… Ha…”

Her whole body trembled.

To be precise, it was more like a shiver.

Jeong A-yeong nestled her body between the soft sheets, sinking in.

There was no tearing or anything of the sort.

Just a feeling of soaring happiness.

“Hehehe, huhu…”

The corners of her mouth curled mischievously.

A date, an actual date!

It hadn’t even been a week since they started dating.

Having set a date for Saturday, Jeong A-yeong was overjoyed.

Her lips naturally curved upwards, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Her facial muscles didn’t stop twitching until her jaw hurt.

Truly, Jeong A-yeong was happy.

Her emotions were so intense that there might be side effects, but at least for now, she was the happiest she had been in nearly five years.

Was it because of what happened just three hours ago?

As isolated and sad as she felt towards him earlier,

everything seemed to have improved, and tomorrow’s prospects looked even brighter.

“Hehe…”

Good.

Though there was a tingling sensation somewhere in her heart,

Jeong A-yeong decided to stay true to the emotions she was currently feeling.

*Gurgle.*

“I’m hungry…”

She hadn’t even had dinner properly, too engrossed in her smartphone.

To fill her hungry stomach, she got up from bed.

Hopefully, no one will nag her…?

—

In South Korea, 10 p.m. could be considered early.

Even high school students who needed enough sleep were still organizing their bags at school.

However, darkness fell quickly at Han Seyeon’s house.

“…”.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

It was a comfortable silence despite only staring at the smartphone.

Dim lights and the cozy blanket provided a decent ambiance despite the outdated interior.

“Sis, working tomorrow?”

“Mm. Gotta go.”

Han Seyeon yawned in response.

With a wake-up call at 5 a.m., it was time to start getting enough sleep.

It was around 10 p.m. now, so she should start dozing off soon to get sufficient rest.

Of course, even if she took an extra hour nap during the long lunch break,

it was vastly different from sleeping through the night.

“Should I sleep…?”

“Yeah… Let’s do that.”

Twenty, then twenty-three.

It might sound strange for a typical relationship between a man and a woman.

But they were siblings, bound by blood.

Pushing away dark thoughts, Han Seyeon put down her smartphone.

Darkness enveloped them.

Sounds rustled nearby, and a subtle warmth could be felt.

A distant yet close distance.

They wouldn’t sleep clinging to each other.

Despite being family, they were adults, maintaining a proper distance even in a single-room setting.

Stirring emotions lingered.

It wasn’t an unusual phenomenon.

Whenever she thought of her younger brother, it was always there.

However, the words from her brother in the silence chilled her lingering emotions.

“I’m going out to hang out tomorrow.”

“…Really?”

She wanted to ask questions.

In fact, she was somewhat surprised.

It had been a while since they last spoke, and they had grown closer recently.

Yet she knew her brother’s style.

Positively, a homebody.

Negatively, an outsider.

While she found comfort in being an older sister, she also worried about his social skills.

Upon reflection, the former was probably more significant.

So, her brother’s words sounded even more unfamiliar.

Should she inquire further?

Rather surprisingly, Han Seyeon was the first to continue the conversation.

“Do you remember A-yeong?”

“When you went to pick her up?”

“Yeah. I’m going to hang out with her.”

“Hmm…”

A brief pause.

Feeling her younger sibling’s awareness, Han Seyeon sensed a frustrating emotion.

Was this even right from the start?

A younger sibling seeking permission from their older sister.

A complex and inexplicable pleasure arose.

If it was inevitable, why not keep it a secret?

Even if they were siblings, there was no obligation to disclose everything.

However…

Seeing the younger sibling making promises while glancing at her, Han Seyeon felt a faint pleasure.

What if she opposed here?

What expression would the younger sibling have in the darkness?

A sense of guilt lightly surfaced in Han Seyeon, who did not even realize her hypocrisy.

Gradually melting into desire.

It was Han Seyeon’s subdued voice that kept her sanity intact.

—

“Sister…”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah. Go on. Be careful… What time do you think you’ll be back?”

“6 PM? I might come back before that… If we want to eat together, you’ll have to wait a bit.”

“I’ll get some chicken.”

“Oh, really?”

A joyous voice.

Han Seyeon, upon hearing the word “sister,” forced a bitter smile.

Uncertain if it would show on her face, it was an assumption made under the premise that it wouldn’t be visible.

Words affirming their relationship.

As blood-related siblings, they felt a sense of guilt for the impulse that had arisen momentarily.

—

“Chicken… sounds delicious.”

“It’s been a while…”

“Mm. Okay. Thank you, sister.”

In the pitch-black darkness.

It was clear that the younger sibling was happy.

Having such a lovely younger sibling…

Han Seyeon closed her eyes tightly.

I should sleep. I will quickly finish work tomorrow and can buy chicken on my way home.

—

“Hello, Ayeong.”

“S-Sein, hello.”

A sway.

It was a different day than usual.

Not the routine of seeing each other at school and parting ways at school.

It was a weekend with a different routine.

Han Seyeon took in the sight of Jung Ayeong.

“You look pretty.”

“Don’t I look cool…?”

“Yeah. You look cool.”

Thumbs up.

Purple hair and eye color.

The outfit suited Jung Ayeong’s unique vibe.

Seemingly randomly put together, but the purple hoodie and white skirt showed an effort to dress up.

On the other hand.

Jung Ayeong made a subtle expression.

Although she wasn’t one to judge others’ fashion choices, it was enough to gauge the essence of the clothes at a glance.

Black slacks.

A crisp white shirt and a black cardigan.

Neat and pretty attire, but half of what he wore was a school uniform.

Jung Ayeong’s mouth opened and closed.

She refrained from asking casually as it could be considered impolite.

She dismissed the rising speculation.

Is his situation so dire that he doesn’t have clothes…?

There was much curiosity, but it was still early in their relationship.

Yesterday was a mistake due to hasty judgment.

I need to be careful.

—

“Shall we go?”

“Me, me! I know a great place.”

“Oh… where?”

Jung Ayeong gathered courage to speak.

The woman should plan the date course.

Though an old saying, considering taking the lead in a relationship, it was a subtly embedded fact.

While Han Seyeon just suggested hanging out around, Jung Ayeong wanted to showcase herself.

Walking confidently as a self-assured young woman!

So she confidently led the way.

—

“That way. Haven’t eaten yet?”

“No.”

“It’s a pasta place, do you like it?”

“Um… I like it.”

In truth, Han Seyeon preferred kimchi stew more.

But Jung Ayeong was unaware of that.

Would it be commendable if she found out?

Even if he didn’t particularly like pasta, showing interest and going along was a nice gesture.

—

-Dododo.

“Ah…”

Jung Ah-young let out a belated sigh.

Her determined steps toward the popular restaurant were accompanied by a sharp exhale.

She hadn’t considered the difference in stride between them as they walked together.

There was a height gap, and a gap in stamina too.

She began her love story by slowing down her pace.

“Let’s take it slow.”

“Yeah.”

They walked along the path.

Excitement blossomed within the simple act.

Just one more person on the journey to their destination.

No longer afraid of doing something outside.

Getting into fights at school.

Getting harassed on the streets.

It had been a daily occurrence outside her home.

The happiness she felt after so long was all the more precious.

How far had they walked?

They arrived at the place recommended as a great eatery.

Despite arriving during off-peak hours, they still had a short wait.

“Table for two?”

“Yes.”

“Please follow me to table 12.”

The interior was upscale.

It might have been intimidating for students to come here.

Considering the cost of living, it was moderately expensive.

Seated at their assigned table, Jung Ah-young could read Han Se-in’s expression as she received the menu.

A slightly parted mouth and subtly trembling eyes.

The engraved emotion was hesitation.

“Would you like to choose first…?”

“Oh, sure.”

Jung Ah-young took the menu.

With various dishes, alcohol was a pass since it was daytime.

The main pasta dishes ranged from ₩20,000 to ₩30,000.

Considering the money she had saved up, it was an affordable price.

After choosing what she wanted to eat, Jung Ah-young realized her mistake.

“I’ll have the Rose Steak Pasta.”

“Um… shall we share?”

“Isn’t that what we should do?”

Usually, two main dishes are ordered to share.

Other tables were doing the same, so it was a common way of eating.

Han Se-in’s eyes quietly lowered.

His focused gaze on the menu was passive.

“I… want the Salmon Poke. I really feel like having this.”

“Should I order another one?”

“Oh, no. I don’t have much of an appetite…”

Jung Ah-young chose the Rose Steak Pasta.

A ₩35,000 dish.

On the other hand, what did Han Se-in choose?

Salmon Poke. A ₩13,000 dish.

The most expensive and the cheapest items on the menu.

Their choices reflected their financial situations.

She made a mistake.

As she faced Han Se-in, who quietly closed his mouth, a sense of regret crept into her mind.

She had thought about the date course and believed it wouldn’t be burdensome.

From Jung Ah-young’s perspective, it would have been fine.

However, the moment she stepped out of herself and considered someone else.

The moment she thought from another’s perspective, not her own.

Regardless of intent.

The reality that her actions had hurt the pride of her beloved partner.

That was an unchanging fact.