Ch.249249. A Dog Without a Leash

Travel day 2, afternoon. As the sun that had been high in the sky tilted slightly westward, we left our hotel room and came out to the streets of San Juan.

Spending time alone in the room is certainly one way to enjoy a trip, but I thought we should still go out and see the sights since we were in a foreign country.

The first place we visited was a restaurant on the street to fill our hungry stomachs. With a sign format slightly different from those in Korea, it was a place called Cafeteria Mallorca.

From what I’d heard, this place was like Korea’s Kimbap Heaven… or something similar. While I wanted to take Hwa Nabi somewhere more upscale since I’d brought her out, she insisted this place was good enough, so I had no choice.

“Ah, I’m hungry. Husband, what are you going to eat?”

“Well, let me think for a moment. What do you want to eat?”

“Hmm… I’ll have a Mallorca with ham and cheese.”

Come to think of it, I was told to definitely try Mallorca in Puerto Rico. I heard it’s really delicious, and since the restaurant is named Mallorca, I guess it must be their specialty.

Maybe because we’re in a foreign country, I feel like other foods might not suit my taste. I was thinking of ordering the same thing but with slightly different fillings when Hwa Nabi quietly stood up from her seat.

“We haven’t ordered yet, where are you going?”

“Ah, I just need to go somewhere…”

“Go somewhere? ……Oh.”

Is there anywhere else to go besides the bathroom? Belatedly realizing, I looked at Hwa Nabi awkwardly. Despite having spent years together, I still haven’t gotten used to these things. I wonder if it will get better with more time.

“Do you know where it is? Want me to go with you?”

“……Could you just pretend you don’t know?”

Hwa Nabi adjusted her crossbody bag and cleared her throat. I was just trying to be considerate. Was I being too insensitive? As she asked, I pretended not to know, looking elsewhere and nodding. Then Hwa Nabi walked hurriedly toward the bathroom.

As I watched her disappear around the corner, I rubbed the back of my neck. I’m such an idiot. I should have just acted naturally. Why do I sometimes behave this way?

Is it about experience? Will these awkward tendencies disappear as I get older? While I was seriously contemplating this, I turned to the side at the sudden sound of snapping fingers.

There were two women. Since they weren’t there before Hwa Nabi left, they must be new customers. Just by their eye color and skin tone, I could tell they were locals.

“Are you having trouble with the menu?”

“Ah… yes, I’m not sure what’s good.”

“What do you like? Meat? Or soup?”

“Umm, meat.”

“Then how about bistec? It’s the best meat they serve at Mallorca.”

“Oh, really? I’ll try that then. Thank you for the recommendation.”

I was worried they might speak in a language I didn’t know, but fortunately they used familiar English, so we could communicate easily. After expressing my gratitude, I called the waiter and ordered a Mallorca for Hwa Nabi and a bistec for myself.

Mallorca is a food with salty ham topped with powdered sugar, and bistec is beefsteak. You know, the kind you commonly see at Western restaurants in Korea. I asked for it well-done. I prefer my meat thoroughly cooked.

Anyway, I cut and divided the pre-meal bread the waiter brought. As I was about to take a quick bite before Hwa Nabi returned, the foreign woman who had just spoken to me looked at me quietly.

“Aren’t you ordering dessert?”

“Dessert?”

I wondered why she suddenly mentioned dessert, but then I realized. She must want to recommend a dessert too. I put the bread back in its place, wiped my fingers, and answered.

“What’s good here?”

“I like cream pie.”

“Oh, cream pie. Is it delicious?”

“Well, yes? Men usually go crazy for it. Would you like to try it?”

I wonder how delicious it must be for her to use the expression “go crazy.” Since it’s pie, I guess it must be sweet?

Thinking Hwa Nabi would like it, I looked for it on the menu, but strangely, there was no cream pie listed. The foreign woman and her companion glanced at me and snickered.

……What’s going on? I’m not stupid, so I sensed something was off. There must be something I don’t know. What could it be? Could this be that racial discrimination thing people talk about experiencing abroad?

I couldn’t hastily conclude that’s what it was, so I was about to ask for more details when I saw Hwa Nabi returning from afar. I quickly straightened my posture and waved at her.

“Nabi, over here!”

I waved because I was worried she might not find our table, but Hwa Nabi’s face turned red, and she quickly motioned for me to put my hand down. I awkwardly lowered my hand, and she came over and sat across from me.

“Really. Why are you waving like a child?”

“I was worried you wouldn’t find me. By the way, I already ordered.”

“This isn’t some meeting plaza. Did you think I wouldn’t be able to find our table?”

I didn’t mean to tease her. But seeing her face turn red because of my actions was kind of cute. Just as I was about to tease her a bit more, the foreign woman who had mentioned cream pie earlier suddenly interrupted.

“Is she your sister? Or your girlfriend?”

“No, she’s my wife.”

“Huh? Wife? Really? You look so young. You’re already married?”

As the foreign woman asked in surprise, Hwa Nabi’s gaze landed on her. It was a look that asked who these women were.

“These people helped me order food earlier. They told me what’s delicious when I was contemplating the menu.”

“……Oh, I see.”

Seemingly relieved by my explanation, Hwa Nabi smiled with her eyes and nodded slightly. Seeing her smile, she seemed like her usual self, which was reassuring.

Hwa Nabi exchanged a few words with the foreigners on my behalf, then turned her attention back to me. She still had a subtle smile on her face, and I’m not sure if it was just my imagination, but she seemed unusually happy.

“Husband.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Did those people say anything… strange to you?”

“Strange? Besides recommending menu items… Oh, actually, there was something.”

“What was it?”

“That person said she likes cream pie. So when I asked if it was delicious, she said men usually go crazy for it and asked if I wanted to try it too. I was curious why she would use such an expression, so I was going to order it. But when I looked at the menu, there was no cream pie.”

“Cream pie, men go crazy. Would you like to try it…?”

After hearing my words, Hwa Nabi seemed to be contemplating something, tapping her lips with her index finger. Then, as if realizing something, she muttered “Ah, no way” and glanced to the side.

For some reason, that glance seemed to contain a hint of disbelief. How should I put it? It was like the look you’d give an uninvited guest who touched your belongings without permission.

“Ha, really. Every time I look away…”

Hwa Nabi, who had been muttering quietly, suddenly raised her head. Then she looked me up and down, and I could clearly feel that her gaze was not normal.

Sensing something unsettling, I cautiously began to speak.

“Um, Nabi? Why suddenly…”

“I can’t exactly put you on a leash.”

That’s not just a casual remark… her eyes are too serious. She looks like she might actually put a leash on me, so I swallowed and straightened my back.

With a thud, Hwa Nabi abruptly stood up. Then she grabbed my arm, forcibly pulled me up, and strode over to a sofa seat meant for four people.

“Go to the inside.”

“Oh, okay.”

The atmosphere wasn’t one where I could refuse, so I obediently followed. After making me sit on the inside, Hwa Nabi sat down right next to me, pressing her body close to mine.

“……”

Not only were we using a table for four with just the two of us, but she was also sticking right next to me—something that even couples wouldn’t do unless they had nerves of steel. I could feel the other customers in the restaurant glancing at us. Understandable. From their perspective, some Asian couple was sticking together and being lovey-dovey.

Even at a cocktail bar, this would attract attention, let alone in a regular restaurant, it would inevitably…

“Husband, you haven’t forgotten our promise from before, right?”

It’s unclear whether she’s speaking casually or formally. Even more unclear is what Hwa Nabi means. Promise? Which one is she referring to? I’ve made so many promises with Hwa Nabi that I’m not sure which one she’s mentioning.

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten.”

I planned to answer first and then try to recall slowly. But abruptly, Hwa Nabi didn’t even give me that small window of opportunity as she hugged my left arm and pressed her body even closer. As if telling me not to think about anything else.

“Then let’s start now.”

“Start what?”

“Sticking together wherever we go.”

“Aren’t we already doing that?”

“No, we’re not. Even when we came here just now, we were separated. Don’t you remember?”

“I think we were holding hands when we came.”

“That’s not enough. Don’t you think people watching from a distance would see us as separated?”

How far apart would we have to be to look like that? Like, at least 500 meters apart, I’d think.

“So from now on, let’s walk arm in arm like this.”

Needless to say, when I link arms with Hwa Nabi, her chest area touches my arm. That means I can’t help but feel her body temperature and skin, even if I don’t want to.

Not that I dislike this soft sensation, but anyway. Hwa Nabi’s words seemed to mean more than just walking arm in arm.

If that was all, there would be no need to declare it in this way. Why? Because we could just do it without making a fuss. Having reached that conclusion, I looked at Hwa Nabi.

“Sure, linking arms while eating is fine.”

“We’re not just going to do it while eating, you know?”

“……”

Then when exactly are we going to be linked? As I asked with my eyes, Hwa Nabi smiled brightly.

“We’re going to be like this all day today.”