Ch.4444. Hug Me

After enjoying the water activities for a long time, our pool time finally ended.

In the late afternoon as the sun was setting, I came out of the makeshift outdoor shower after washing up briefly. Hwa Nabi was leaning against the wall waiting.

“You came out quickly.”

“Yeah, I’ll wash properly later. What about you? Don’t you need to shower?”

“I’m going to shower in my room. I feel a bit self-conscious outdoors.”

“Really?”

I was about to wonder why she’d care about such things, but then I understood. Women probably have different circumstances than men.

As I started walking, Hwa Nabi fell in step beside me.

“Where are you going now?”

“Well, we’ve played enough. Maybe I’ll change clothes in the locker room and then get dinner? I’m getting hungry after playing for so long.”

“Sounds good. I’m hungry too, but where should we eat?”

“Hmm…”

Our accommodation is hotel-style with several options. The most straightforward choice would be the formal dining restaurant on the first floor with no additional cost. Dinner is already included in the school trip fees.

Our homeroom teacher said we could use it for free by showing our Chungha Highschool student ID. So I mentioned that restaurant.

“That’s nice, but don’t you think it’ll be too crowded?”

“Hmm, you think so?”

“Yes. It’s dinner time now, so the restaurant will be packed with students, and the wait time will probably be long.”

“Well, that’s true. Should we go out to eat then?”

“That would be unauthorized departure, wouldn’t it? We’d be in big trouble if the teachers found out.”

She’s right about that. I pondered after eliminating these two options.

The first floor is too crowded, and going outside would be unauthorized departure from the trip location… What should we do? I sighed unconsciously because I couldn’t think of a good solution, when Hwa Nabi, walking beside me, suggested in a subtle voice.

“Siwoo, how about we go to the outdoor pool?”

“I don’t mind going, but why? Do you want to play more?”

“No, that’s not it. They serve food at the outdoor pool here. They bring it to your seat when you order.”

“They have that here?”

“I think most hotels with swimming pools do?”

I asked in surprise, and Hwa Nabi gave me a detailed explanation as if she were familiar with it.

Her explanation was lengthy, but to summarize: ‘The outdoor pool has rest areas called day beds and petit cabanas, and you can order food by asking the staff for a menu.’

Eating meals at the outdoor pool. I felt the generation gap. We didn’t have such things in my day.

…Actually, I’ve never even stayed at a hotel before, but anyway.

“How do you know all this? Have you been here a lot?”

“Not a lot. I came maybe twice in middle school. We had a family trip to Jeju Island.”

A wealthy family’s vacation spot is Jeju Island? Don’t rich people usually go abroad? That question must have shown on my face, because Hwa Nabi smiled and added:

“Why bother going abroad? It’s only fun if you go occasionally. If you’re always traveling, Korea and foreign countries start to feel the same.”

“Ah… come to think of it, you lived in Canada when you were young, right?”

“Yes. I’ve traveled to many places with my parents, so you can trust what I’m saying.”

I just went along with it since I’ve never lived abroad. Then Hwa Nabi, who had been walking beside me, suddenly stopped and pointed to the back of the hotel building.

“Siwoo, stop for a moment.”

“Huh? Why?”

“The outdoor pool is that way.”

Where Hwa Nabi was pointing was a building that was separate from the hotel but just as luxurious.

Simply put, it’s a facility that only a small number of VIP customers can visit and operates on a strict reservation basis.

“That’s for VIPs only, right? And we don’t have a reservation. It’s unfortunate, but there’s no point in going…”

“But we do.”

“…What?”

“Actually, to be more precise, we don’t need one.”

“…Why not?”

“Heh, I wonder why?”

“…”

Whatever the reason, I wish she wouldn’t smile with those narrowed eyes like that.

It makes my heart flutter unnecessarily.

*

We moved to the VIP lounge.

In the late afternoon as the sun was setting, I sat on a bed by the outdoor pool and looked around. I think this bed is what they call a day bed, but that’s not really important.

“…What’s going on?”

There’s nobody here. …Why? Even if this is a VIP-only lounge, it’s strange that there’s not a single person around.

“It must be a coincidence…”

Maybe it’s because it’s off-season, not holiday season. Adults are probably busy at work right now, except for students.

Thinking that, I pressed down on the bed sheet. It’s so soft that my fingers sink into it. It feels like I could fall asleep on it.

Of course, I’d catch a cold if I did that, so I shouldn’t fall asleep.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice from behind me.

“Siwoo, take this.”

I turned around and saw Hwa Nabi. She had gone somewhere saying she had something to do, and now she was back.

She extended her right arm toward me as I sat there. She was holding something in her hand, which upon closer inspection looked like a blue paper bracelet.

“What’s this?”

“Oh, this? It’s a VVIP exclusive bracelet. If you wear this, you can move around freely here.”

“What happens if you don’t have one?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never tried it, but I guess you’d get kicked out?”

“Then I’d better wear it.”

Since I couldn’t risk getting kicked out during dinner, I obediently took the bracelet and put it on my right wrist.

The end of the bracelet had a weak magnetic property, which was used to adjust the length to fit the thickness of the wrist.

“Am I doing this right?”

Since this was my first time with this type of bracelet, it felt a bit awkward. I awkwardly shook my right wrist with the bracelet on.

Hwa Nabi, who had been watching me intently, showed me her left wrist with the bracelet on.

“Yes, that’s right. But Siwoo, doesn’t this feel like we’re wearing couple bracelets?”

“It’s not like we’re the only ones wearing them. Everyone else will be wearing these too, so how is it a couple bracelet…”

“Tsk, you don’t have an ounce of romance in you.”

Hwa Nabi seemed to be joking, but I was strangely moved by something so trivial.

I’m not sure if it’s because of the location, or because she’s still wearing that pink bikini.

“So, what would you like for dinner?”

Hwa Nabi asked as she sat down next to me, at the edge of the bed. I calmed my emotions and responded.

“I don’t know, what’s available?”

“Look at this menu. I’ve already decided.”

“Let’s see…”

Looking at the menu, there was a wide variety of meal options.

Korean, Western, Japanese cuisine, as well as seafood udon, and even unidentifiable noodle dishes like “Beef brisket jjamppong with abalone and Korean beef.”

After a brief deliberation, I ordered the strange menu item called “Beef brisket seafood jjamppong,” and not long after, our food arrived.

We moved to a spot slightly away from the day bed, where chocolate-shaped rattan furniture was placed here and there, and sat facing each other with a small table between us.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Hwa Nabi politely said grace before eating, even though no one was watching. I stared at her for a moment, then abruptly asked.

“Are you on a diet?”

“…Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”

“Just wondering why you’re eating salad when you normally don’t. I was curious.”

In truth, vegetable salad isn’t a meal that provides much satiety. Most people probably eat it for dieting or body management purposes.

Some women might eat only vegetables for all three meals a day, but the Hwa Nabi I knew wasn’t the type to manage her diet that strictly.

So when someone like her suddenly orders a menu with just vegetables, it’s natural to be curious when eating together. That’s why I asked.

“Well, you’re right… but isn’t your question a bit out of the blue? It’s embarrassing when you ask so directly.”

“I’m sorry about that, but why are you suddenly on a diet?”

“…Why, you ask? Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“Yes. I don’t understand.”

I nodded sincerely.

This might sound strange coming from a man, but judging from her figure, Hwa Nabi didn’t seem to need a diet at all.

If anything, she looked like she needed to gain weight, her waist was so thin.

In contrast to her lower body, her upper body showed a remarkable volume…

“…”

What am I thinking? I finally came to my senses and looked up.

And trying to act normal, I was about to change the subject when—

“…Siwoo, what are you looking at?”

I had already been caught. Feeling quite embarrassed, I just cleared my throat awkwardly.

“…Anyway, I don’t think you need to diet, so why are you eating salad?”

I’d like to tell her to eat more and gain some weight, but in this situation, that wouldn’t be well-received.

Hwa Nabi rubbed her flushed cheeks, sighed deeply, and muttered:

“Thanks for saying that, even if it’s just flattery, but I really have gained weight. I’ve gained a whole kilogram since last year.”

Dieting and eating vegetables just because of one kilogram? I was honestly dumbfounded… but I held back and responded:

“But you must have grown taller too. Doesn’t that balance out?”

“If that were the case, I wouldn’t even mention it. My height hasn’t changed, but my weight keeps increasing…”

“I think you could stand to gain a little weight?”

My honest thought slipped out, and I immediately clamped my mouth shut thinking I’d made a mistake, but surprisingly, Hwa Nabi didn’t react much. She just kept her head down, looking at her feet.

Then suddenly, Hwa Nabi grabbed a drink can and emptied it in one go.

Can she drink soda while on a diet? The thought crossed my mind, but I kept it to myself.

Her cheeks were even redder than before.

“…Siwoo, men might not understand, but women have their own concerns.”

“Well… I suppose so.”

They say there’s a big difference between what men consider an ideal female body and what women consider an ideal female body.

…Or is that not it?

“…No. You’re a man, Siwoo. As a man, you’ll never understand what concerns I, as a woman, live with every day…”

I’m not sure why her words were trailing off strangely, but I tried to comfort her.

“Really? What concerns do you live with?”

“…What’s the point of telling you? It’s not like talking about it will solve anything.”

“I may not be able to solve it, but I can listen.”

It would be better if it were a concern that could be resolved by talking about it, but even if it can’t be resolved, it’s worth sharing with someone. Sometimes, just talking about your concerns can provide comfort.

That’s what I genuinely thought when I said that.

But… the concern that came out of Hwa Nabi’s mouth was completely unexpected.

“Do men dislike women with breasts that are too big?”

“…What kind of question is that all of a sudden?”

“I… I have a body type where weight gain goes straight to my chest.”

“S-so?”

“What do you mean ‘so’? Do I need to say more? I’ve gained a kilogram in my chest alone this year. The underwear I bought last year doesn’t fit anymore.”

I unconsciously gulped at this shocking confession. One kilogram gained in the chest alone in just one year? That’s quite remarkable in its own way…

“W-wait. I understand what you’re trying to say. But why are you telling me this?”

“What do you mean why? You told me to talk about it. So I did, and now you’re asking why I talked about it. Isn’t that unfair?”

“Ah… I did say that. I’m sorry.”

“Just with words?”

“…What do you want me to do?”

I was about to stand up, thinking I should bow or something, when Hwa Nabi’s next words froze me in place.

“Answer me first. Siwoo, do you like or dislike women with big breasts?”

…What is this? How did the situation turn out like this? I don’t understand what train of thought leads to this kind of conversation between a man and woman in swimwear.

I suddenly found myself about to reveal my preferences in women to a female classmate. As I hesitated to answer, Hwa Nabi’s gaze grew increasingly sharp.

“Why can’t you answer, Siwoo? Don’t tell me you dislike women with big breasts?”

“…No, I like them.”

I know it sounds like a lame excuse, but honestly, what man in the world dislikes women with volume…?

So my answer was perfectly normal, but I couldn’t help feeling my face burn with embarrassment.

Hwa Nabi, looking at me with narrowed eyes, suddenly spread her arms toward me.

“Really? Then prove it.”

“…How am I supposed to prove that?”

“You said you like women with big breasts, right? So prove it by hugging me.”

“…”

…Is she serious? I almost choked at this outrageous request but managed to hold back.

And as I regained my senses and examined her face…

Why are her cheeks so red?

“Siwoo, why aren’t you doing it? Are you ignoring what I’m saying?”

“No… wait a minute. Why are your cheeks so red?”

Unless she’s sick, cheeks don’t get this flushed just from embarrassment. This is the kind of facial flush you’d see when someone is drunk…

Wait, drunk?

As that thought occurred to me, I quickly examined the table.

The drink can that Hwa Nabi had just emptied in one go was green. Looking closely, there was English text on the coated can surface. The most noticeable phrase was:

[24 Plato scale]

“Hey, this is alcohol!”

And the alcohol content is around 10%. That’s quite high for canned beer. No wonder she got tipsy from just one can.

I picked up the empty can with trembling hands and smelled it.

…It has the sweet yet sharp alcoholic scent characteristic of high-proof foreign beer. It really is alcohol. I must have been too distracted by Hwa Nabi’s outfit to notice.

“Come on! I said hug me!”

“…”

…This is really bad.