Ch.1212. Being Too Honest Can Also Be a Sin

One of the common phrases people often use is “Should we take a break somewhere?”, which usually implies a certain meaning.

You know, that thing where you beat around the bush because it’s somewhat embarrassing to directly express your true intentions.

I suppose that’s how most men would interpret it, and I confess that I too was one of those men with such a simplistic brain structure.

The reason I was visibly flustered was probably because of that. I never imagined Hwa Nabi would say something like this.

For a moment, I almost took it that way, but quickly came to my senses when I realized what I was thinking.

She’s a high school student, not an adult. Though that’s not to say it would be okay to make a move even if she were an adult. How should I explain this?

…Let’s just think pure thoughts. Nabi probably didn’t mean it that way either.

“Ahem. So, what you’re saying is that your place is closer than mine, so I should stop by to clean up before heading home?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. I figured you’d be uncomfortable going back in that state, Siwoo.”

“Hmm, true. It is a bit uncomfortable.”

“Yes, yes. It is, isn’t it?”

After exchanging these meaningless words, we both looked away from each other.

Standing on the left, I stared only at the wall to my left, while Nabi glared at the puddle of water on her right.

We remained rooted to the spot for an awkward moment.

Feeling like we might stand there forever, I forced myself to squeeze out some words.

“Nabi, which direction is your house again?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s behind Yewol High School. Why do you ask?”

“Why? Because we need to go to your place now. That’s why I’m asking.”

“Ah, right. That’s true. What was I thinking?”

“Anyway, if your house is near Yewol High… Let’s see. Do we just go straight down this road?”

“Yes. Just go straight and cross one crosswalk.”

“Alright, let’s go then.”

With that, our conversation ended. We crossed the main road while sharing the same umbrella.

After walking along the road for about 5 minutes, just when I thought we should be seeing it soon—

Nabi stretched out her right hand and pointed somewhere.

“It’s over there.”

“Oh, what is?”

“That’s my house.”

Where Nabi’s finger pointed was an apartment complex across the crosswalk. The arched main gate had a huge lion’s head embedded in it.

“Oh…”

Though it had been mentioned a few times in the story, this was my first time seeing it in person. Even at a glance, the sculpture exuded an air of luxury—I could tell this place was expensive, if nothing else.

But to think she lives alone in a place like this. I couldn’t help but glance at Nabi. How wealthy must her family be to afford her an apartment like this? It was beyond my imagination.

Perhaps sensing my gaze, Nabi suddenly let out a deep sigh. I wondered if my thoughts were that obvious. As I was secretly feeling anxious—

What came out of her mouth was completely unexpected.

“I know. It’s quite shabby, isn’t it?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Yes. It probably doesn’t meet your standards, Siwoo. I know. But what can I do? My parents insisted it had to be here and nowhere else.”

“…?”

I looked at Nabi in disbelief. Did she just call an apartment worth billions of won shabby?

But Nabi, misinterpreting my look, started making excuses.

“I was against it at first, of course. I complained about how I could live in a place like this, asking if Dad hated me. But Dad kept saying that for a place to live alone, being close to school is the most important thing. And when I thought about it, it made sense. So…”

She asked her parents if they hated her for getting her a luxury apartment as a place to live alone? This was the kind of talk that would numb my financial senses if I kept listening. So I quickly stopped her.

“Uh, yeah. I understand. You can stop now.”

“Huh…? Oh, okay. I’m glad you understand.”

Nabi, you’re scary. Not your personality or face, but your strangely distorted sense of money.

A woman living in a world where even the number of zeros was different from mine. Only then did I truly realize what kind of background my fiancée had.

Well, they say birds of a feather flock together. I suppose one needs to be at least that level to be considered suitable as a daughter-in-law in a chaebol family.

Swallowing my true thoughts, I walked forward.

“Let’s stop by a convenience store before we go.”

“The convenience store? Why?”

“I need to buy something.”

Fortunately, she didn’t probe further when I was vague. No matter how much she was my fiancée, I couldn’t tell a girl from my class that I was going to buy underwear.

“Okay, let’s go.”

She answered primly, though I wasn’t sure why she was avoiding my gaze… Anyway, we walked a bit more and arrived at a convenience store on the first floor of the apartment complex.

-Welcome.

The part-timer’s greeting, who didn’t even look our way due to excessive realism, went ignored. I naturally headed to the beverage display first.

Nabi followed me with small steps. Standing beside me, she peeked out and said:

“What, were you thirsty? If that’s the case, we have plenty of drinks at my place.”

“I want to drink something right now.”

“Ah, I see.”

Contrary to what I said, I wasn’t feeling thirsty at all. The reason I headed straight to the beverage section was obviously to shake off Nabi for a moment, but—

For some reason, Nabi was sticking right behind me.

“Don’t you want to get anything?”

“No, I don’t.”

Her immediate and firm response made me think she was being stubborn. Though I was inwardly flustered, I tried to maintain my composure.

Since I couldn’t possibly buy my underwear in front of a girl, I subtly suggested to Nabi:

“Come on, it’s dinner time. Aren’t you hungry?”

Both of us had missed meals due to lost time. Though I was just making conversation, I was actually feeling a bit hungry myself.

Indeed, my assumption was correct. Nabi quietly nodded.

“Now that you mention it, I do feel hungry.”

“Then pick something you want. I’ll buy it all for you.”

“Really? You mean it?”

“Yes, really.”

“Awesome! So I can really buy anything I want?”

Her reaction was more enthusiastic than I expected, which momentarily confused me. Why is a rich kid acting like this? As if reading my inner question, she blurted out an explanation I hadn’t asked for.

“I-I’ve been short on allowance lately. Dad doesn’t give me much money since I started living alone.”

So that’s why. It seemed Nabi had her own struggles.

“Anyway, you just said it, right? That I can pick whatever I want. No taking it back.”

“Yes, go ahead and choose.”

“Alright. Hmm, what should I eat first? Oh, this is new.”

As Nabi’s figure and voice gradually moved away, I let out a sigh of relief. Now’s my chance to quickly take care of business.

I went to the daily necessities section I had spotted when we entered and looked for men’s underwear. I didn’t need anything for the top, just the bottom would do.

It took just 5 seconds to grab the underwear, go to the counter, and quietly place it there.

“I’d like to pay for this.”

I muttered quietly enough that Nabi, who was far away, couldn’t hear.

The convenience store clerk’s gaze became strange as they looked at me. They probably wondered what kind of person buys underwear secretly from their companion.

“That’s 8,000 won. Do you need a bag?”

“Yes.”

It took about 15 seconds for me to take out my card from my wallet, hand it to the clerk, for them to complete the transaction, and hand me the underwear in a bag.

Just as I received the bag:

“Siwoo, where are you?”

A thunderbolt-like sound… no, Nabi’s voice was heard. Currently, Nabi was at the snack display, a bit away from the counter where I was. If I acted quickly, there was enough distance to hide the bag in my backpack.

So at a speed almost rivaling light, I opened my bag, put the bag inside, and zipped it up.

“Siwoo, why aren’t you answering? Did you buy something?”

Nabi, who had been choosing snacks, finally approached the counter. But I had already destroyed the evidence. I answered with a calm face.

“Oh, I bought something.”

“What?”

I didn’t expect her to probe like that. I inwardly pondered how to answer.

“Siwoo, why can’t you answer?”

But there was no way a good excuse would come to mind in such a short time. When I didn’t answer, Nabi’s eyes narrowed. It was a suspicious look.

That’s when it happened. The seemingly lethargic convenience store clerk suddenly raised their voice.

“Oh, aren’t you Hwa Nabi who went to Yewol Girls’ Middle School?”

As if seeing something amazing, the clerk pointed at Nabi while covering their mouth.

“Do you know me?”

“Of course I do. Don’t you remember me?”

“…Who were you again?”

The clerk greeted her warmly, but Nabi didn’t seem to recognize them. Inwardly tense, I stepped back to examine the clerk’s appearance, wondering if they might be a character from the original work.

The clerk’s hair was a dark blonde that was obviously dyed, with black roots showing, giving it a somewhat unnatural look. After a brief examination, I came to a conclusion.

I have no idea.

“Hey, Nabi. It’s me. Don’t you recognize me?”

“Um… Siwoo, do you know who this is?”

“Huh, me?”

The spotlight suddenly shifted to me, who had been observing. How would I know someone Nabi, who went to the same school, doesn’t recognize?

“I don’t know either…”

“Wow, how can you forget me already when it hasn’t been that long since graduation? You really don’t remember me?”

The clerk spoke with disappointment, but Nabi truly seemed not to know.

She furrowed her brow as if trying to recall her middle school memories, made a strange groaning sound between her teeth, and when that didn’t work, she twisted the ends of her hair back and forth in contemplation.

After thinking for a while, she bluntly said:

“I don’t know… So who are you?”

“Hmm, maybe this will help you remember?”

With those words, the clerk began rummaging through a cross bag hanging next to the counter.

After a moment, the self-proclaimed classmate of Nabi took out an eyeglass case. From it, they pulled out round-framed glasses and put them on.

In that instant.

Nabi, who had been watching the series of actions indifferently, began to widen her eyes, and then smiled brightly at the clerk who had adjusted their glasses.

“Daeun!”

“Nabi!”

Suddenly calling out each other’s names, they embraced across the counter. Seeing their sudden warm hug, I was momentarily dumbfounded.

What is this? Do girls always hug each other when they meet old classmates? For guys, it’s a relief if they don’t curse at each other. Feeling bewildered, I stepped back once more.

“Hey, Nam Daeun. Why didn’t you say something? You’ve changed so much I didn’t recognize you! Are you wearing contacts?”

“Yeah, I bought some to try. How do they look? Good?”

“Yes, they suit you incredibly well. And you’re so pretty!”

Nabi and her classmate, apparently named Nam Daeun.

While the two of them conversed, I just scratched my cheek from behind. Somehow, I’d become like a borrowed sack of barley.

“Wow, seeing you like this makes me so happy. Daeun, are you working part-time here?”

“Yeah. The manager here knows my dad. But Nabi, what brings you here? Isn’t your house not in this area?”

“Oh, I moved right after graduating middle school. I live in this apartment now.”

“Wow, I see. But who is this person?”

The “this person” referred to none other than me.

“Hello.”

“Oh, yes. Hello.”

I nodded slightly in greeting. I just gave a simple greeting because it felt awkward to introduce myself, but thinking about it, I should have at least mentioned my name.

After this awkward exchange of greetings, Nam Daeun gave Nabi a look. It was a look demanding a detailed explanation.

“Daeun, he’s the same age as us, so you can speak comfortably. Siwoo, you can speak comfortably too. Oh, as I just mentioned, his name is Han Siwoo, and our relationship is…”

Nabi, who had been visibly excited to meet her old classmate, suddenly stopped speaking.

1 second.

2 seconds.

3 seconds…

After about 10 seconds of just moving her lips like a broken robot, Nam Daeun, seemingly frustrated, asked Nabi first:

“So what kind of relationship do you two have?”

“Um… We’re not just acquaintances… but not exactly close friends either… Siwoo, how exactly should I explain our relationship?”

Her skill at passing difficult questions to others was almost at the level of a volleyball player. Since the ball had come to me, I had to answer. So I thought about it a bit.

“Hmm.”

I too found it difficult to define our relationship with a suitable word.

In truth, our relationship has aspects that are ambiguous to explain to others. An engagement between high school students isn’t exactly common, and honestly speaking, telling the truth might lead to misunderstandings like “Did you two get into trouble?”

After much contemplation, the word I chose was very simple.

“What else? We’re going to get married.”

“”…?!””

Both women were silently shocked.