episode_0206

It was a snowy day. White flakes were flying from the sky, trying to cover the world, and I and he were standing in the same place.

In that dark yet bright place, I stared blankly at the sky, wearing the clothes that Kylon, or rather Jimin, had prepared for me.

“It’s snowing… ”

Pure white snow, which I rarely encountered directly, greeted me.

I felt a surge of emotion welling up in my chest.

My heart was pounding so hard that it felt really painful.

But still, I knew very well that it wasn’t a bad pain, so I just placed my hand on my chest and tried to calm my heart.

Jimin also didn’t say anything to me, just stood there blankly on the street, glancing at me for a moment before looking up at the sky with me.

It’s not like I don’t know anything about the world, but compared to Jimin, I’m basically ignorant.

I have never experienced the world beyond the screen in person, so just seeing these eyes makes my heart flutter, but I opened my eyes wide and took in the world to see what other things were like.

Han Ji-min was my name, but since I became Veronica, I decided to live under the name Yoo Min-hee again.

Yoo Min-hee, that was his name, but since he became Kaylon, he decided to live with the name Han Ji-min again.

It might be a little difficult to have each other’s names as if they were your own.

But still, I smiled, thinking that it would work out somehow in the end.

After looking at him for a while until my eyes were satisfied, I grabbed Jimin’s sleeve and pulled him tightly. He chuckled and started walking at my urging.

“You look just like a child.”

“… No, it’s not a kid.”

Even though he denied it, his mental age probably hasn’t grown that much, so from a mental perspective, I have nothing to say.

As I was groaning like that, he chuckled and answered my question.

“Yeah, yeah.”

If he had said something different, I would have at least argued back, but he accepted it so leniently that I felt like I was being treated like a child.

I wanted to say it properly, “I’m not a kid,” but at the point where he already knew, there was no reason to say anything more.

That’s a style that really hits players well.

Thinking so, he approached me cautiously.

“Aren’t the mittens uncomfortable?”

“… Not really?”

“If your hands are cold, I was going to ask you to hold my hand.”

Uh. Hmm.

“Actually, I have cold hands and feet… ”

“Yeah, here.”

“Originally, women’s bodies were often cold.”

“Of course. I know it well.”

He also talks to me like I’m a child. He just thinks about how he’ll definitely be on top someday.

I don’t want a superior-subordinate relationship, I just wish I could be that easygoing and treat Jimin like that.

I put my hands in my padded pockets and fumbled around. Then I took out my gloves and held out my slightly reddened hands to him. His large hands gently grabbed mine and pulled me into his clothes.

My hand, which had accidentally gone into Jimin’s pocket, felt cold for a moment and then warmed up.

I tried to say that I was uncomfortable, but I couldn’t say anything because it wasn’t just uncomfortable.

So I just glanced at his face with a subtle expression on my face, then lowered my head again.

It’s warm.

The place we went to was a dessert cafe.

The pink-pink atmosphere welcomed me, and the warmth inside the store greeted me.

“Oh.”

To my amazement, Jimin continued his explanation while chuckling every time I reacted.

“They sell cakes, macarons, and chocolates here. What do you want to eat?”

“… Uh, uh.”

But the problem was that even if Jimin explained it, he still didn’t know what tasted like what.

Come to think of it, what was my taste like?

My thoughts became a little deeper. I was also worried about what had happened to my body.

Although my hymen was regenerated and I returned to that world for the last time, I was worried that if my body was regenerating after returning here, I might not be able to taste anything.

“Ugh.”

So I kept thinking about it.

In the first place, these are things I don’t even know the taste of. What if I can’t taste them again? I groaned as I thought that. Jimin blankly looked at my expression and made an “Oh no” expression.

“Just buy them all.”

“… Uh, yeah.”

I waited for him, giving a bewildered answer.

He ordered a caramel macchiato for me, saying I couldn’t drink coffee that was bitter, and ordered an Americano for himself.

I’ve heard the name, but I don’t know what it tastes like.

What I remember is the taste of the bibimbap I ate once in a while in that world and the taste I don’t want to remember.

The space between his eyebrows twitched.

But that didn’t last long, Jimin finished calculating and hugged me, taking me to my seat.

After he sat me down on the sofa, he sat down on the chair across from me and looked at me with concern.

“Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

“No, um… I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to taste it.”

“Ah, I see… But I thought it would be okay since the goddess was gone… Sorry. I think she just hasn’t tried anything, so I ordered everything. What should I do?”

“No, no. You can eat it.”

“No, I came here to taste it.”

“Haha… ”

Continuing the anxious conversation didn’t lead to anything good.

Jimin also brought me out because it was Christmas, but I didn’t want to spoil the mood, so I changed the subject.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never had dessert.”

“… Yeah.”

But changing the subject just made me feel more depressed.

Jimin pulled my hand tightly and caressed it gently.

“Let’s do it all. I’ll make you eat dessert until you’re full. I’ll make you eat rice until you’re full.”

“Ah, even so, that’s a bit… ”

“You go on a trip too, right?”

“That’s good.”

“Right, right. Spring is coming soon. Where do you want to go in spring? Flower viewing?”

“I also like looking at flowers. I’ve never been on a picnic.”

“Oh, really? Then the sea in the summer?”

“The sea… I want to go there.”

“In the fall, you can go see the leaves changing color, and since it’s cool, an amusement park would be nice too.”

“What, you’ve already made plans for next year?”

“Of course. I have to plan this out in advance so you can expect it too. Think about what to do with me.”

Winter had arrived. Now all we had to do was wait for spring to bloom, summer to fade, and autumn to fall.

And then, winter will come again, snow falling.

Then, I can laugh like this again.

Hearing Jimin’s voice while laughing, he thought, “What should I do?”, and the round board on the table vibrated loudly.

“Huh, what is this…?”

“Oh, dessert is here. Wait a minute.”

There’s something like that. It was my first time coming to a cafe, so I saw something new.

From behind, I could see Jimin bringing in various things on a tray.

On the tray was a cream cake placed on a plate, underneath it were small wrapped macarons, and on another plate were more chocolates.

“This is cake, this is macaron… This is chocolate?”

“Good guess.”

“Oh, oh. Well, I don’t think I should be happy about something.”

“Why?”

“What, there must be no one who sees this for the first time…?”

“No, you can do that.”

“… … Hmm.”

I don’t know. It was my first time seeing it in person, but I didn’t want to look like an old fart when I was with Jimin, so I just carefully held the fork in my hand.

What should I touch first? I thought about it for a while, but since I was unconsciously picking up the fork anyway, I thought I might as well try eating a cake that I could eat with a fork, so I reached out my hand.

As I was digging into that soft texture with my fork, Jimin chuckled as if he found that sight funny.

“You have to cut it like this.”

Jimin held up a fork and quickly cut it cleanly from top to bottom.

I was digging around the side, wondering how I would eat, and I felt like I was going to die from embarrassment.

“Oh, uh.”

Jimin took a bite of the neatly cut cake and handed it to me.

“Eh,” he responded, grinning and making an “Ahh” motion.

I guess you want me to follow you.

After glancing around a few times, I closed my eyes tightly, opened my mouth, and ate it.

Then he opened his mouth first.

“It’s like a baby bird. It feels good to have someone feed it. By the way… How is it?”

As Jimin asked that, the muscles in my face were busy moving on their own.

The feeling of the cream filling my mouth, both softly and smoothly, and the fluffy cake filling my mouth. And, I could feel the sweetness spreading through me.

My eyes opened wide.

After that, I wiggled my lips and barely managed to raise the corners of my mouth to smile.

“… Oh, it’s delicious.”

“… … .”

He just looked at me with a wry smile without saying anything.

And then he chuckled.

“Why?”

When I asked him that, he continued talking as if he had realized something.

He leaned his head out and whispered something so that only I could hear.

“You know that?”

“What is…?”

“You and I, we all have unique appearances so people keep staring at us.”

“What.”

“I’m not saying it’s weird, but honestly, you look pretty even when you look in the mirror.”

“… Are you handsome?”

“That’s not it. I have white hair and blue eyes, so if you pass by and don’t see it even once, you’re blind. ”

Now I could say that his face was handsome.

But I thought it was really amazing that he didn’t necessarily say that he was handsome.

With that face, I wouldn’t have anything to say even if I developed narcissism.

When I actually looked in the mirror, I thought, “I don’t look that bad.” But then I felt my ears get hot and thought, “Maybe it’s a little strange.”

“What were you thinking that made your ears so red?”

He didn’t miss it again and looked at my ear.

I groaned and then opened my mouth hesitantly.

“… Well, does it suit you?”

“What? You look good in anything… ”

“That’s not it, but am I a good fit for you? ”

“… … .”

Jimin was silent for a moment and then chuckled.

“Hey, there’s no one like you. Even if it’s not now, you’re the best friend that God has given me.”

“… Well, that’s fortunate.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s eat quickly. This looks delicious. I have to eat everything I haven’t eaten before.”

“But I can’t eat all of that.”

“Just taste it. Where should I go after eating this? Should I go to the movies?”

“… I’ve never been to a movie theater.”

“It’s okay. I’ll tell you everything.”

Jimin tried to teach me a lot of things even though I didn’t know anything.

I just leaned on him, but as I said before, I decided not to think of it as carrying a burden.

All I wanted to do was smile and be by his side as a lover who wasn’t lacking in anything.

And that lover becomes a companion.