Ch.199199. There Was a Brief Commotion

“……Siwoo, did you go to a bar without telling me?”

As soon as Hwa Nabi’s voice dropped about two octaves, I had a feeling something was wrong. If I make a mistake here, I might end up on her bad side just two days before our wedding.

I can’t let that happen. On what should be a happy occasion, I can’t start by making a mess of things because of my mistake, can I? I gulped nervously and tried to read the situation.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

Hwa Nabi asked again, looking at me. Her eyes were full of suspicion, and I felt that if I didn’t tell the truth quickly, something unpleasant would happen.

“No, wait. I think you’re misunderstanding something. I haven’t gone once since you got pregnant. We’ve barely been apart since we started living together, right? What I was talking about was earlier this year, when I went with my high school friends.”

My explanation was airtight. Considering how suddenly this cold front blew in, I’d like to congratulate myself on handling it so well.

After hearing what sounded like an excuse but was actually the truth, Hwa Nabi thought for a moment, then made a “hmm” sound and nodded.

Since there were no follow-up questions, it seems she believed me right away.

“I guess you wouldn’t do that. You don’t even like drinking that much, right?”

It’s not that I enjoy drinking, but I don’t particularly dislike it either. It’s somewhere in the middle—I’ll drink if offered, but I can take it or leave it. Is there any need to extend this conversation by saying that now? It would only put me at a disadvantage.

With that in mind, I carefully embraced Hwa Nabi, who was sitting sideways on my lap.

“Right? I’ve barely had any drinks except the ones I’ve had with you.”

In terms of frequency, it’s about once every two months, and I haven’t even had that recently. It’s almost fair to say I haven’t drunk at all.

“Ah, speaking of alcohol, that means you were a minor when you drank with me, right?”

“That applies to you too. Strictly speaking, weren’t we both minors? If your birthday hadn’t passed yet, you weren’t 19 yet.”

“The law changed quite a while ago. You can buy alcohol and cigarettes after January 1st of the year you turn twenty.”

“Oh, really?”

This is news to me. When did the law change like that? I’m pretty sure you had to wait until your birthday before. I guess I wasn’t paying attention and missed it.

“But then there’s no problem, right? Both of us drank after January 1st of the year we turned twenty.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“…Then why bring up the minor thing?”

“Well, just to tease you?”

Hwa Nabi said cheerfully, winking at me. It was an incredibly cute wink, but my eyes naturally narrowed as I looked at her.

I appreciate the honest answer. But her motive is too impure! Bringing that up just to tease me.

I was about to let it slide because of her cuteness, but then I decided against it and slipped my hand under her clothes. When I wiggled my fingers to tickle her, she burst into laughter.

“Heehee! Hah… Ah, wait. I’m sorry. Siwoo, I won’t tease you anymore, so please stop… Heek! Heeeing-.”

“Did you do something wrong or not?”

“I-I did something wrong. So just once, huh! Ah, my side, don’t touch my side-!”

I kept moving my fingers until Hwa Nabi, who couldn’t stop laughing from the tickling, was completely exhausted. When I felt she’d been punished enough, I stopped.

She seemed out of breath from laughing so much, taking rough breaths as she leaned against me.

“Whew… Hmm, really. Siwoo, you don’t seem to have any mercy.”

“Well, who told you to tease me?”

“But I live for the fun of teasing you?”

Her answer was so honest that I was even more dumbfounded. If she lives for the fun of teasing me, what would she do without me?

“Then how would you live without me?”

“I couldn’t live without you. So don’t go anywhere and stay right by my side. Got it?”

She didn’t just say it but hugged my torso tightly. After pushing me away, now she’s pulling me back. Her intention was obvious, but I couldn’t push her away. How could I reject such a lovable girlfriend?

Hmm, I wonder if I’m too soft on Hwa Nabi. After all that, my heart melts completely with just one cute gesture.

Pretending to give in, I gently stroked her hair, and as if that was a signal, Hwa Nabi buried her face in my chest.

Then she sniffed as if smelling me, lifted her head, puffed out her cheek, and tapped it with her finger.

“Here, kiss me.”

“……”

This is exactly why I can’t push her away.

I looked at Hwa Nabi’s spotless white cheek, then gently held her chin and tilted her head to steal a kiss on her lips. She seemed surprised at first, not expecting me to do this, but slowly closed her eyes.

A sweet moment of confirming our affection for each other without needing words. My heart is filled with the desire to stay like this forever.

“Mmm, hmm….”

As we kept our lips pressed together for a long time, suddenly my clothes rustled, and Hwa Nabi’s fingers slipped underneath. Not stopping there, she fumbled around my abdomen, gently tracing the lines of my abs with her fingertips.

“…Huh.”

Come to think of it, she secretly enjoys this too. Not that I can say anything since I’m similar. It’s natural, right? When you’re standing, you want to sit; when you’re sitting, you want to lie down. When you’re kissing and get excited, you naturally want to touch here and there.

So I also reached out my hand to gauge the position of Hwa Nabi’s bottom. Since my eyes were closed, I wasn’t exactly sure, but based on experience, it should be somewhere around here. Maybe here?

As I was fumbling around her lower back and waist area searching for my target, Hwa Nabi suddenly made a tired sound, broke the kiss, and pulled away. Her breathing was rough, suggesting she had been holding her breath.

“Wait, this isn’t the time for this, is it?”

I thought she was just playing hard to get, but her expression was quite serious. Had I forgotten something? After thinking for a moment, I realized it.

Packing our luggage into the carriers.

“Ah… right. We need to pack, don’t we?”

“Yes. We’re taking the plane right after the ceremony that evening. We agreed to pack in advance for that.”

Seeing how we both forgot something so important after the wedding, it seems we’re both quite distracted. We looked at each other and jumped up from our seats.

We went straight to the storage room, pulled out the suitcases we had kept there, and headed to the bedroom.

“We can each pack our own clothes, and the visas and passports are ready, right?”

“Yes. I’ve already exchanged currency too. I think we just need to pack clothes and travel items. What should we pack first?”

“Hold on, I have a list I printed out. Let’s pack while looking at it. We can buy anything we’re missing at the mart later.”

“Okay, got it.”

Moving busily, I opened the second drawer of the dresser. On top was an A4 sheet titled “Pre-Travel Essential Checklist.”

“Do you want to look at it while packing? Or should I call out items while I pack my things?”

“You pack first, and if there’s anything you think you might miss, let me know separately. There’s no need for me to pack what you’re already packing, right?”

“Yeah, that’s true. Shall we start right away?”

Looking at the list, it seemed endless. Vouchers, visas, passports, travel itinerary, cards, cash as essentials, plus multi-adapters, sunscreen, cosmetics, emergency medicine, sunglasses for sun protection, selfie sticks, clothes, swimwear….

I sorted through the list, skipping what could be skipped and packing only what was necessary, telling Hwa Nabi as I went.

“I’ll pack the emergency medicine. We should buy a new travel adapter, and you can pack your cosmetics without me telling you, right?”

“Yes. I’ve already packed them.”

In this way, we went through the list item by item until we reached the end. The last paragraph listed items to pack considering each person’s situation.

That item was “contraceptives.”

Ah, contraceptives. People do say it’s good to bring them on trips. Rather than buying them after arrival, which could be awkward, it’s better to buy them in advance and keep them in your wallet or hidden somewhere discreet in your bag.

I stared intently at the bottom of the list, then looked away. While it might be essential for couples who are trying to regulate pregnancy, it’s not necessary for us.

Because we failed at regulation.

“……”

Saying “failed” makes it sound strange. Anyway, thinking about contraceptives reminds me that it’s still a mystery to this day.

I definitely checked two or three times before leaving to make sure it was there, and even after taking it out, I remembered its location correctly.

But when I came out after showering, lo and behold, the box had vanished as if it had never existed. I spent fifteen thousand won on it and couldn’t even open it.

It’s not about the money anymore, but I’m still curious. Where did it go? If I couldn’t find it even after waking up, it might still be hidden somewhere in that hotel room.

“Siwoo, have you packed everything?”

While I was lost in useless thoughts, Hwa Nabi’s voice came from beside me. Coming back to my senses, I lifted my head and responded.

“Yeah, I’ve packed everything. Want to check?”

“Sure. I’ll look and verify. Give me the list.”

“Here you go.”

Taking the paper, Hwa Nabi began comparing the items in the suitcase with the checklist items.

“Emergency medicine, check. Sunscreen, check. We’ll buy the adapter later, so pass. Toiletries, check…”

She was meticulously checking off completed items with a pen when she suddenly stopped near the end. Wondering why she paused, I took a peek.

“…We don’t need to pack this separately, right?”

She tapped the “contraceptives” line with her pen and asked me.