Ch.143143. Conversation on the Bed

An incident at the movie theater about three years ago. When I mentioned the conversation we had in that private place, Hwa Nabi’s shoulders twitched. Judging by this dramatic reaction, it seems I wasn’t the only one who remembered.

“…What are you talking about? I don’t really know.”

But Hwa Nabi pretended not to know, feigning a calm face while responding blankly. She’s acting like this even though I clearly saw her shoulders and lips trembling. Does she think I won’t notice if she plays dumb?

I felt like she would confess if I pressed her, but I decided to wait and see. It seemed like something I could use effectively, and I found it quite adorable how she kept glancing at me nervously. I wanted to enjoy this sight a little longer.

“What, you don’t remember? You know, when you came to the movie theater with me three years ago. You remember that, right?”

So I also pretended not to know, asking with the nuance of whether she couldn’t remember. Hwa Nabi took the bait and brightened up.

“Ah… the movie theater? Yes, I remember going to the theater together.”

“…Really? That’s strange. But you don’t remember anything else?”

“No, I have a bad memory. Was there something else besides watching the movie?”

I had to hold back my laughter. Ah, she’s really cute. It’s obvious she remembers everything, but she’s going to keep pretending? Alright, fine. Let’s see how long she can keep up this act.

I was lying down, but I turned to my side to get a better look at Hwa Nabi. She was still focusing her gaze only on the screen, so she hadn’t noticed that I had moved.

“Then, you don’t remember watching a romance movie together in the VVIP seats?”

“…VVIP seats?”

“Yeah, it was a bed seat like this one. You were lying on the left, and I was on the right.”

Only then did Hwa Nabi glance at me, as if trying to check my appearance. As soon as our eyes met, I explained while pointing out the positions with my finger.

“Hmm, I feel like I might remember. But also like I might not…”

By now she should have confessed, but she tilted her head with a face that suggested her memory was vague, then furrowed her brow delicately. Wow, what impressive acting skills! If I didn’t know better, I would have really believed she couldn’t remember.

Seeing her pretend not to know with such a brazen face makes me want to tease her more. With that thought, I propped my chin up with my right hand and reached out with my left to gently stroke Hwa Nabi’s bangs.

Her shoulders twitched again, and she couldn’t stay still, startled.

“W-what are you doing?”

“You said you don’t remember? I thought reenacting what happened might help you recall.”

I answered casually while stroking her hair. Perhaps because she takes such good care of it every day, Hwa Nabi’s hair is soft and has a nice fragrance.

Not an artificial perfume smell, but a natural shampoo scent, if that makes sense. Touching it like this almost gives the illusion of having silk in my hands.

“You touched my hair like this back then…?”

“Yeah, I did. In March, you and I were really close.”

Since Hwa Nabi lied to me, I added a small lie of my own.

She and I didn’t become close until after the school trip at the earliest. We had some tension before that, but we weren’t the kind of relationship where we had such casual skinship.

In my first year of high school, especially in March, this would have been unimaginable behavior. Back then, I was so shy that I hesitated even to touch someone lightly. So naturally, it’s a lie that I casually stroked her hair like this.

“R-really? I don’t think so…”

“What do you mean?”

“No, I just don’t think you could have touched me so freely back then.”

“Huh? That’s not true. We came to the movie theater together and I touched you a lot.”

Hwa Nabi turned toward me and narrowed her eyes, as if telling me not to lie.

Still, I pretended not to know, continued to play dumb, and kept stroking her bangs, which made her lips quiver. She seemed to have a lot to say but couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.

Of course she would. Since she’s pretending not to remember what happened then, she can’t rebel by saying “That never happened!” even if I handle her however I want. Doing so would be evidence that she deliberately avoided answering my question.

In other words… at this moment, I can touch Hwa Nabi as much as I want without hesitation. If she tries to say something, I can just brush it off by saying, “We did this back then too.”

“No, that couldn’t have… ah.”

I moved my hand from her bangs to her left cheek. When I caressed her smooth skin without makeup and her sleek jawline to make her look at me, she abruptly stopped speaking.

Then she swallowed hard and quietly gazed at me with trembling eyes.

“Hwa Nabi.”

“Y-yes…?”

“Do you really not remember what happened between us?”

Her pink lips only mumbled, unable to give a proper answer. She must be conflicted. If she speaks honestly, she’ll have to answer my first question, but if she keeps pretending not to know, she’s doing something wrong to me.

As I waited for her answer while maintaining eye contact, she unconsciously lowered her eyes and fidgeted. Like an anxious puppy, she wiggled her hands and feet, and whenever our eyes met, she would tightly close her eyelids to avoid my gaze.

“……”

I hadn’t intended to push her this far. Seeing her weakened state made me feel somewhat guilty. So just as I was about to give her an escape route, Hwa Nabi spoke first.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Me too… huh?”

“A-actually. I remember everything…”

Unable to look me in the face while speaking, she mumbled in a shrinking voice with her eyes tightly closed. I swallowed and carefully chose my words.

Since I hadn’t expected Hwa Nabi to confess first, I wasn’t sure how to respond.

When I didn’t react, Hwa Nabi, who had been quietly waiting for my answer, opened her eyes. She glanced at my hand on her cheek, then met my eyes.

“Um, Siwoo.”

“Uh, yeah.”

“I’m really, really sorry for lying… but don’t you have something to say to me too?”

Though she didn’t say it, I understood what she meant from her eyes. Since I had also lied, she wanted me to be honest too. Or maybe she wanted an apology.

I’m not Hwa Nabi, so I can’t know exactly what she wants. But I do know what I should do right now.

*Smooch*

“…Ah.”

I brought my face close and kissed her forehead. She rubbed the spot where my lips had touched with her hand, her cheeks turning slightly red.

“Sorry.”

I spoke briefly and pulled Hwa Nabi into my arms. Without any resistance, she obediently came to me, buried her face in my chest, and let out a small sigh.

“…What are you sorry for?”

“Just for being spiteful for no reason.”

I just realized that I can’t be tough with Hwa Nabi. I didn’t express it because it was embarrassing, but seeing her become dejected because of me made my chest feel tight.

So, from now on, I shouldn’t do things like this even as a joke. As I was making that resolution, Hwa Nabi wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed herself even closer.

“What do you have to be sorry for, Siwoo? It was actually my fault.”

“Still.”

Regardless of who was at fault first, being sorry is being sorry, so I swallowed the rest of my words and stroked Hwa Nabi’s back. She enjoyed my touch while breathing evenly.

“But you know, Siwoo. You’re also pretty good at lying shamelessly.”

Just when I thought the mood was improving, Hwa Nabi, after taking a few breaths, threw a stone into the calm lake.

There was a mischievous smile on her lips as she looked up.

“…Huh?”

That doesn’t seem like something to say at this timing. I looked down at her in bewilderment, and she placed her hand on my chest.

Then, touching the area where the front pocket of my shirt would be, around the upper chest, gently with her index finger, she said:

“When you were in high school, you were such a shy person. Even though we lived in the same house, you never laid a finger on me. How could you so shamelessly claim that you touched me a lot?”

“No, that’s…”

“And even when we were alone, you just kept teaching me without changing your expression at all. I deliberately wore short clothes, but you didn’t even look at me. If I hadn’t said anything, I would have thought there was something wrong with you. It was like you wouldn’t eat even when the food was served right in front of you.”

I was very flustered by this emotional confession that seemed to have been waiting to burst out. At that time, I had just thought she was feeling hot, so I had no idea she had such intentions and thoughts.

“And on the festival day too, right? When you gave me the ring, pulled me close, and confessed, I thought ‘finally, it’s happening.’ So I invited you home, but you just kissed for hours without touching me at all. Do you know what I thought as I fell asleep that night? Am I that unattractive? Or is there really something wrong with this person?”

“……”

My sexual function is perfectly normal, and it’s not that Hwa Nabi is unattractive. Rather, she’s overflowing with charm, which is the problem.

I was about to retort when Hwa Nabi added one more thing.

“So I secretly checked at night, and that wasn’t the case. You seemed completely fine.”

“…What?”