Ch.160160. Will U Marry Me

“Something you want to give me? What is it?”

“Wait, just a moment.”

After answering briefly, I stood up abruptly. I walked to the window, drew the blackout curtains, and pressed the light switch to turn off the bedroom light. The entire room instantly darkened.

I turned around. I could faintly see the silhouette of Hwa Nabi sitting at the edge of the bed. I approached the drawer where my gift was stored, where the mood light was.

“I wonder why you’re setting up such an atmosphere.”

Click, a soft crimson light fell on Hwa Nabi’s face. She had a puzzled expression. She might have guessed what I was about to do, or maybe not.

I carefully sat down beside her and reached for the second drawer. My fingertips touched the item in question. When I pulled out the rather flimsy plastic bag with a rustling sound, Hwa Nabi’s eyes widened.

“What’s this?”

“A gift for you.”

“…?”

Maybe because I was nervous inside despite trying not to show it, I accidentally cut my sentence short. Hwa Nabi, still in her outdoor clothes, narrowed her eyes slightly. Her gaze showed curiosity about what was inside, but it wasn’t time to show her yet.

I should say something impressive before giving it to her, right? Honestly, I did this somewhat impulsively, so I didn’t have time to think ahead. The point is, I need time to come up with words that would move Hwa Nabi.

“About three years ago. During our first year of high school, on the first night of the festival… do you remember?”

“The first night of the festival? …Ah, that thing?”

Though she lumped it together as “that thing,” seeing her nod with a faint smile, it seems she remembers. That’s a relief. I was worried she might not remember.

“Yeah, looks like you remember.”

“Of course, how could I forget that day? When shy Siwoo hugged me and confessed.”

I clearly remember confessing first, but I’m not sure about the hugging part. Actually, I secretly kicked the blanket a few times the next morning. Since I blurted it out impulsively without preparing any smooth lines, it was a confession that left me with many regrets.

As I slowly recalled what happened that day, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Come to think of it, I really do live impulsively without thinking things through. Wasn’t that confession also something I suddenly felt like doing?

At the time, I promised myself that if a similar situation arose, I would hold back and think it through several times before acting.

“…”

I’m clearly not keeping that promise. After all, what I’m about to say while giving this gift is also half-impulsive.

Still, I don’t regret my choices. Then as now, I was able to say those words because I deeply loved Hwa Nabi. I was aware of it back then too, but lacked the courage to take the step, and the impulse merely pushed me forward.

“What? I didn’t say anything wrong.”

“Who said you did?”

Perhaps because I was just staring without saying anything, Hwa Nabi muttered while glancing at me nervously. I reached into the bag and fiddled with the box containing the ring.

“Remember how we won first place in the couple game on the first day of the festival, and the prize was a ring?”

“Hmm, right? And then you put the ring on my finger. Then you confessed.”

“…”

I don’t understand why she keeps bringing up the confession. Is she subtly pressuring me? While fiddling with the ring box, I glanced sideways. Perhaps noticing my suspicious hand movements, Hwa Nabi’s face was full of smiles.

“Anyway… do you also remember when I put that ring on you, I promised to get you a better one later?”

“Yes. I remember, but wasn’t that settled when you gave me a ring for my birthday last year…?”

Hwa Nabi stopped mid-sentence.

Ring, ring…? She muttered quietly, twitching her eyebrows, then rolled her eyes and glanced at me repeatedly. More precisely, at a specific part of my left hand.

“…or maybe not. I’m not sure. Did I receive a ring?”

Then she awkwardly mumbled to herself while slowly removing the ring from her left ring finger. I quietly watched this process and then cleared my throat.

“Yeah, so I prepared something.”

I trailed off as I gripped the ring box. The exterior of the box was a plain navy blue, but Hwa Nabi’s eyes sparkled like they had stars embedded in them as she looked at it.

I held Hwa Nabi’s gaze for a while, then unlocked the box with my right thumb. Click, with a crisp sound, the box slowly opened.

“Wow…”

Hwa Nabi covered her mouth with her hand and let out an exclamation. She was surprised by the ring inside the box. Understandably so. The ring I prepared was a diamond ring with a clear, beautiful diamond set in the center.

“Is this… a diamond…?”

“Yes, it is. But not just any diamond.”

I took the ring out of the box, holding it between my thumb and index finger. I put down the now-empty ring box and took Hwa Nabi’s left hand with that hand.

“It’s a pink diamond ring.”

I didn’t add that it was natural, not wanting to seem showy, but it was. A one-carat ring with an astronomical price tag, with limited supply and difficult craftsmanship, so the company said it would take at least six months to wait.

But somehow things worked out well, and I received it two months earlier than expected. At the time, I thought getting it early would just make it harder to hide, but looking back now, the timing is truly perfect.

“Wow, wow… I’ve never seen a pink diamond before.”

“Look all you want while you can. It’s yours now.”

“Siwoo, thank you so much! But isn’t this extremely expensive…?”

“Yes, extremely expensive.”

“H-how much?”

The gemstone, craftsmanship, and all other costs combined could easily buy a house and then some. When I told her that, Hwa Nabi’s expression turned pale as she looked at the diamond ring.

“…Um, Siwoo. I’m sorry. I really appreciate the thought, but I think we need to return this ring.”

“Return it? Why, don’t you like it? Should I get a different one?”

“No, that’s not it. The ring is just too expensive…? What kind of ring costs half the price of our house? It’s more expensive than most cars. It’s too much, I can’t accept it.”

“Ah… I understand what you’re saying. But returns aren’t possible; you sign a contract when buying these things. There’s a clause stating that returns are impossible unless there’s a defect with the product.”

“Then can’t we sell it secondhand? You know, there might be someone willing to buy it if we look.”

Finding someone to buy such expensive jewelry is a challenge in itself. People who can readily spend such astronomical amounts aren’t that common.

“It’s possible, but we’d take a loss selling it secondhand.”

“H-how much of a loss?”

“Well, I’m not sure, but probably enough to buy several foreign cars.”

“That’s a huge loss! What should we do? Is there a way to avoid losing money?”

“Just wear it instead of selling it. Then there’s no loss, right?”

“Still… isn’t it too expensive? It’s pretty, but. That’s, well…”

I can tell she’s conflicted, neither readily accepting nor rejecting it. To resolve her conflict, I gently took her left ring finger. Then I carefully slid the ring on, fitting it well on her finger.

“Just so you know, this isn’t a gift. It’s a bribe.”

“A bribe…?”

“To take good care of yourself and deliver our baby healthily. That’s the meaning behind this bribe.”

“Ah, I see. If that’s the meaning… I’ll gratefully accept it.”

Seeming pleased with the ring, Hwa Nabi spread her palm and stared at her left ring finger before smiling softly. I was honestly worried when she said it was too expensive and burdensome, so I’m glad she accepted it well.

“…”

Now that I’ve successfully delivered the ring, it’s time for the main point. I took a small deep breath. Then carefully opened my mouth to call the name of the woman I love.

“Um, Nabi.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Uh, well. I’m not sure how to start this, but first of all, we’re having a baby together, right?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

I had a lot I wanted to say, but when I actually tried to speak, it didn’t come out as intended. My mind felt jumbled.

My heart wasn’t pounding this much even when I first confessed to Hwa Nabi, but now it was beating so wildly that I needed time to calm down. But if I stopped talking, she might think something was wrong, so I pressed my hand against my chest and continued.

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. And no matter how much I think about it, this feels right. No, this is right.”

The reason I stayed up all night, the answer to the concerns I’ve had for two days. It’s time to share my conclusion with Hwa Nabi. Swallowing the hot emotions rising in my chest, I looked at her.

Under the crimson light, the eyes of the woman before me held only me. Encouraged by this, I firmly held her hands.

“I’ll say it now because I think I’ll regret it forever if I don’t. Nabi, will you…”

That’s when it happened.

“…Wait a moment.”

Hwa Nabi, who had been quietly listening until now, spoke up. Wait a moment? At this timing of all moments? Frozen with surprise at this unexpected interruption, I watched as she let out a deep sigh. Seeing her shoulders tremble, it seemed Hwa Nabi was just as nervous as I was.

While I was leisurely analyzing this, Hwa Nabi’s lips parted.

“Last time, you stole my lines, didn’t you?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The first night of the festival. I was setting up the mood to confess, but you beat me to it and confessed first. So I’m going to do the same to you.”

“Wait, wait a minute. You, don’t tell me…”

“No, I won’t wait. …Hey, Siwoo.”

A short deep breath, and Hwa Nabi, who had been looking down, faced me directly.

“Will you… marry me?”