Ch.200200. The Most Dangerous Moment Is When You Let Your Guard Down

“……This, we don’t need to prepare this separately, right?”

As Hwa Nabi tapped the “contraceptives” section with her pen and asked, I thought about it to myself.

Do we need to prepare contraceptives? Of course not. Right? Contraceptives are for preventing pregnancy. We already have a baby on the way, so there’s no reason to bother with contraception.

After organizing my thoughts, I nodded reluctantly, and Hwa Nabi immediately agreed as if she’d been waiting for my response. Though she asked me, it seemed she already knew the answer herself.

“R-right? There’s no reason to spend money buying those, right?”

“Yeah, well… I guess so.”

“Then, I’ll just erase this item.”

Hwa Nabi briefly spoke and moved her hand holding the pen. Watching the “contraceptives” section—the last item on the folded checklist—being covered with red ink, I swallowed dryly for no reason.

Well, as Hwa Nabi said, it’s something we don’t need to spend our money on. But I’m not sure if she needs to scratch it out so thoroughly that it’s completely invisible.

“Hmm, all done.”

Hwa Nabi exclaimed softly after finally finishing her scribbling. Glancing at the checklist in her hand, I saw she had covered the original text with two or three layers of ink, making it completely unreadable.

Does she have some grudge against contraceptives? Holding the bright red checklist that might cause misunderstandings if others saw it, she glanced at me nervously before tucking it into her skirt pocket.

“I-is that everything now?”

“It is, but did you need to color over it so meticulously? Anyone who sees it would think it’s the name of your parents’ sworn enemy or something.”

“Well… it’s not quite my parents’ enemy, but I still don’t like it.”

“Really? Why don’t you like it?”

It’s arguably one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, so what’s there to dislike?

I asked casually while reaching for my suitcase. As I was about to check again if I’d missed anything, Hwa Nabi moved in close beside me.

“Because it doesn’t feel good when we use it.”

And then, with an incredibly calm face, she helped me while saying something outrageous.

“……”

I froze while checking my travel toiletries. This time, I must have misheard.

Otherwise, it would mean my girlfriend was the kind of person who could casually say such things in broad daylight.

It must be my ears playing tricks on me.

“What doesn’t feel good?”

“The feeling isn’t good. I think it was early March? I don’t remember the exact date, but you bought some then, Siwoo. I tried it and didn’t like it.”

I asked again hoping I’d misheard, but what came back was confirmation—with information I didn’t want to know added on top.

“……Oh.”

After being momentarily flustered by this somewhat shocking revelation, I soon regained my composure. Well… we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, not strangers. We’re even getting married soon, so it would be strange to avoid such topics. We can talk about these things in broad daylight.

Putting on a nonchalant expression, I casually said to Hwa Nabi, who was looking around while holding my spare shirt:

“That’s unfortunate. If I hadn’t lost it, we could have known back in February.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Hwa Nabi asked in an innocent voice. How should I explain this? After pondering briefly, I just laid out the facts from the beginning.

“We went to Jeju Island together in February, remember? That night, before I went to shower in the hotel room.”

“Yes, before you went to shower?”

“……I took out the contraceptive. But when I came out after showering, it was gone. I must have dropped it somewhere by mistake.”

Not having the courage to say the proper name of the item, I expressed it as euphemistically as possible.

After hearing my words, Hwa Nabi made a strange nasal sound as if trying to recall the memory. Then, as if remembering, she turned to me with a short “Ah.”

“Huh, that’s right. So that’s why you were so flustered and said those things?”

“Yeah, well….”

“Ah, you were so cute then. Your face was all red down to your neck.”

I shouldn’t have brought this up. For me, it’s just an embarrassing memory I’d like to erase, but Hwa Nabi giggled as she looked at me.

“Do you remember too, Siwoo? How your lips were trembling so much while you talked?”

“……Did I do that?”

“Yes, you couldn’t even look me in the eye while making excuses. Huh, why? Did you think I wouldn’t let you if you didn’t have one?”

Finding it amusing again, Hwa Nabi nudged my arm with a smile on her lips. I kept my mouth shut, having nothing to say.

……Well, I guess it is funny if I put myself in her shoes. After setting the mood and everything, all I did was make excuses.

Even if she didn’t say it out loud, she probably thought I was an unprepared man. It’s an unspoken rule that men should prepare such things.

“Well, isn’t that normal? Most people use them.”

“You knew that and still didn’t bring one?”

“I didn’t forget to bring it, I lost it while I was in the shower….”

As I mumbled my excuse, Hwa Nabi silently spoke with her eyes: ‘You expect me to believe that?’

Hmm, fair enough. I wouldn’t believe it either. Contraceptives don’t have legs, so how could it disappear in the short time I was in the shower? It’s more likely I never brought it in the first place.

With no good excuse, I silently continued organizing my luggage. Hwa Nabi neatly folded my shirt and handed it to me. I took it and carefully placed it in a corner of my suitcase.

“By the way, Siwoo. I was thinking of stopping by a clothing store while we’re out buying a power strip later, is that okay?”

“Sure, if you need something. Getting new summer clothes?”

“Well… I guess they’re summer clothes? Since I won’t wear them except in summer.”

Summer clothes that aren’t worn outside of summer? It sounds obvious but somehow meaningful.

My hand stopped in mid-air as I pondered this unexpected riddle. Hwa Nabi stared at me for a moment, then added with a gentle smile:

“My chest has been getting bigger lately. So some of my clothes don’t fit anymore. Among those that don’t fit is my swimsuit, so I think I need to buy a new one before our honeymoon.”

“Hmm, really?”

A swimsuit not fitting is a major issue. Puerto Rico, with some exaggeration, has almost no tourist attractions except for the beach in front of the resort, so it’s fair to say there’s not much to enjoy besides water activities and food exploration.

And for half of those activities—playing in the sea—I’ve even arranged a private beach with my brother’s help. It would be a significant problem if she couldn’t enjoy it because she didn’t have a swimsuit.

So it seems we need to prepare a swimsuit in advance. I’m not sure if swimsuit rental is available at the resort there, but even if it is, it’s questionable whether they’d have one suitable for Hwa Nabi.

The reason I think this is, well, it’s painful to explain. I remember the last time I saw her bra size was 65I, and they say women’s breasts typically grow a cup or two during pregnancy….

“……”

How much bigger are they going to get? Even now, they’re more than a handful. Will regular clothes eventually not fit at all? Or is that already happening?

Just imagining it made me gulp involuntarily. Should I order custom-made clothes right away?

It’s too late for the swimsuit, but there’s no harm in preparing clothes for future seasons in advance. Like spring clothes, or next year’s swimsuit.

For the swimsuit design, would a bikini be better, or a one-piece? As I was lost in such thoughts, Hwa Nabi suddenly narrowed her eyes at me.

“Siwoo, you’re having strange thoughts right now, aren’t you?”

“……What strange thoughts?”

Feeling guilty, I pretended not to know and unnecessarily rearranged the shirt I had already neatly organized. Hwa Nabi lightly tapped the back of my hand.

“You already finished organizing that. Why are you touching it again?”

“No, just in case…”

“Stop creating extra work and go get your underwear. We’re going on a trip for a week, do you think this will be enough?”

Nodding at her valid point, I agreed. For a week-long trip, having exactly seven pairs of underwear might be a bit insufficient. You never know what might happen.

I went to my closet and brought back a few more pairs of underwear and some light outerwear. Hwa Nabi examined the clothes in my hands, then lifted one thin shirt with her finger and said:

“Aren’t you packing too many thin clothes?”

“Yeah, why? It’s hot there.”

“It might get cold if it rains. I think it would be better to bring at least one moderately thick outer layer.”

“Well, if it rains, we won’t leave the hotel at all, so it doesn’t matter, right?”

As I muttered this while subtly wrapping my arm around her waist, Hwa Nabi glared at me, silently scolding me with her eyes. She was being serious, and I shouldn’t joke around. Embarrassed, I quietly withdrew my hand.

“Save the jokes for after the wedding. We’re busy now, aren’t we?”

“Really? So you’re saying I can touch you in two days?”

“As if you wouldn’t touch me anyway, even if I told you not to.”

That’s true. But there’s a difference between having permission and not having it. It’s about whether I can touch her with a clear conscience.

As I was trying to think of a natural-sounding response, Hwa Nabi suddenly grabbed my hand. Wondering why she did that, I glanced at her to see her quietly smiling at me.

“I forgot to ask, but does Siwoo prefer bikinis or one-pieces?”

I’d be thankful for whatever she wears… but that would sound too shallow, right? I held Hwa Nabi’s hand and pondered.

Bikini or one-piece? A bikini looks good, but I’ve seen it several times before, so it lacks freshness. She always wore bikinis whenever we went to the pool or beach.

Then perhaps the fresh one-piece? One-piece types are nice too. It’s not always about high exposure; there’s an aesthetic to clothing that covers the skin as well.

“……”

Hmm, it’s not easy to choose. Moreover, I suspect she’s not just asking casually—she’ll probably wear whatever I say. The thought that my choice will determine Hwa Nabi’s swimsuit makes me even more cautious.

“If it’s hard for you to choose, I’ll decide on my own.”

“Hmm, what are you going to wear?”

“I wonder, what do you think it might be?”

Hwa Nabi stared at me as I struggled to give a clear answer. As if trying to read my thoughts from my eyes.

“Our Siwoo, your eyes look so excited.”

“No, well….”

“Huh, alright. Look forward to it a lot.”

Finding my gaze uncomfortable, I unconsciously looked away, and she gently stroked my head after releasing my hand with a faint smile.

“……I’ll surprise you.”