Ch.9393. You in the Shining Night [Illustration]

Now, looking back, I actually had plans for this time yesterday.

I was going to wake up by a certain time in the morning, eat breakfast, drive around in a rental car to see the sights, and return to the hotel around sunset… That was the plan.

But it all fell apart because of unexpected events.

“Sigh…”

Ah… well, not all plans turned to nothing. After all, we still have our night together.

Even though we completely lost the morning and afternoon, we can still make up for it.

“Hmm.”

When I say “night together,” it sounds a bit, no, very suspicious. So I corrected myself internally.

Not a night together, but rather a festival of the night would be the right expression…

-Creeak.

Just as I was making excuses to no one in particular, the dressing room door in front of me opened with a squeak.

Then pink hair peeked out cutely, swaying gently before my eyes.

“…Pfft.”

What was this, a puppy instead of a person? I chuckled at the momentary illusion.

“Hwa Nabi, what are you doing there instead of coming out?”

“…”

She didn’t answer my question, just her protruding hair swaying a few times. Unable to contain my curiosity, I moved away from the wall and approached her.

“Are you done changing?”

I put my hand through the gap in the open door, trying to push it open.

Clank, the door didn’t open as the hinges clattered. Hwa Nabi was gripping the doorknob, physically blocking it.

“Ah… yes, I’ve changed. But… I’m not sure if it suits me.”

I can’t say for certain since I haven’t seen with my own eyes, but Hwa Nabi is universally acknowledged as a beauty. So she’d look good in anything.

“We’ll know when I see it.”

“…What? Oh, wait. I’m not mentally prepared yet…!”

Deliberately ignoring her protests, I stepped forward without hesitation and flung the dressing room door wide open.

Hwa Nabi, her appearance now revealed, looked at me with a startled face, then cleared her throat and stood up straight.

“Um… Siwoo. How do I look? This is my first time wearing something like this, so I feel a bit awkward…”

The outfit Hwa Nabi was wearing was hanbok. More precisely, it was a dress-like garment with a slightly longer skirt hem, modified for easier movement…

“…”

The type of clothing she was wearing wasn’t the important thing. No, it is important. But I mean it’s not as important as the socially conventional thinking and…

Hmm, I don’t even understand what I’m saying. The reason I’m so flustered is probably because Hwa Nabi standing before me looks too beautiful.

Without any exaggeration, I’m not joking when I say she looked like a celestial maiden descended from heaven.

I’m realizing it anew, though I’ve felt it all along.

Hwa Nabi is truly, adorably beautiful…

“…Siwoo?”

When I couldn’t continue speaking, only marveling internally, confusion began to creep into Hwa Nabi’s eyes.

“Oh, oh, what?”

“Um… do you also think it doesn’t suit me?”

“Huh? No, that’s not it. It suits you well.”

At my reflexive answer, Hwa Nabi bit her lower lip slightly. Then, with a face drained of confidence, she tugged at her clothes to examine them, turned her head back slightly to check for wrinkles.

Then, with an awkward smile, she muttered.

“Ah… no. I can tell from your reaction. I’ll go change quickly.”

Hwa Nabi took a step back. It seemed like she was trying to go back into the dressing room… thinking she might misunderstand if I left her alone, I grabbed her arm to stop her.

“No. That’s…”

“…?”

As Hwa Nabi, with her hair beautifully braided up, looked up at me with an anxious face, I felt momentarily breathless.

I wanted to shower her with flowery compliments, but my heart was pounding because the hanbok dress suited her almost frighteningly well.

Because of that, my lips only moved slightly, unable to form proper words. Seeing my behavior, Hwa Nabi seemed to misunderstand, her expression turning slightly pouty as she cutely pushed out her lips.

“Why are you holding me here? I’m busy.”

“The hanbok dress… it really suits you incredibly well.”

“…I don’t think so.”

“…Huh? What?”

“It seems like you’re forcing yourself to compliment me when it doesn’t suit me at all…”

“Ah… no, that’s not it. The clothes suit you so well, and you’re so pretty. That’s why I couldn’t speak.”

“…If that’s really the case, then I’m glad.”

Even after my explanation, she seemed unconvinced, looking down at the floor and muttering weakly while avoiding my gaze.

“…”

Ah, it’s really not like that. I truly couldn’t speak because you look so beautiful and it suits you so well.

I felt so wronged that I wanted to turn my heart inside out to show her if I could.

But right now, clearing up Hwa Nabi’s misunderstanding was the priority.

“Sigh…”

But… how do I clear up this misunderstanding? Looking at her sulky face, it was clear she had seriously misunderstood my feelings. But I couldn’t think of a good way to resolve it.

Trying to persuade her with my poor eloquence would only be a temporary fix, not a fundamental solution.

Yes. Right now, I needed to earn Hwa Nabi’s trust through actions rather than words.

“…”

With that thought, I stepped half a step forward, reached out my hand, and gently arranged her bangs.

And taking advantage of her momentary confusion at my sudden action.

-Smooch.

I lightly kissed her forehead.

“…!”

Hwa Nabi’s cheeks, who had been looking up at me blankly, turned bright red. With wide eyes capturing my image, her pink lips trembled.

She looks like she has a lot to say.

“Wh-what…?”

Hwa Nabi, rubbing her forehead where my lips had briefly touched, opened her mouth. But being completely flustered, she couldn’t form a proper sentence.

I took the remaining half step forward and hugged her tightly. Surprised, she drew in a sharp breath, and I gently stroked the back of her head… whispering in her ear.

“Will you… believe me now?”

Hoping that the sound of my heart, which had started beating fiercely since meeting her, would be conveyed well. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her toward where my heart was.

Hwa Nabi, with her ear against my chest, hesitated for a moment.

“…Yes, I’ll believe you.”

With her earlobes turning bright red, she carefully hugged me back.

“…”

I’m glad the misunderstanding seems to be cleared up… but now there’s another problem. That is, Hwa Nabi clinging to me is incredibly cute and lovable.

I’m not sure if this comparison is appropriate, but like a puppy showing affection to a person, she was rubbing her face against me and sniffing.

“Hwa Nabi, why are you sniffing?”

“Hmm, because Siwoo smells so good…?”

I said it meaning she should stop because it was embarrassing, but her response was beyond my imagination. I was inwardly flustered but tried to maintain a calm exterior, about to give a casual reply when.

“Excuse me, guests?”

Perhaps having witnessed our display of affection, a woman who appeared to be a hotel employee cautiously addressed us.

“…Ah, I’m sorry.”

Though the employee hadn’t said anything specific, we immediately separated from our embrace. Feeling extremely embarrassed, we both cleared our throats a couple of times.

The employee looked back and forth between us, then said with a bitter smile.

“Since this is a space used by other guests as well… okay?”

We had nothing to say even with ten mouths….

*

After repeatedly apologizing to the employee, we went outside the hotel to the first floor.

“By the way, Siwoo, how did you know the hotel offered this service?”

“Huh… service? What do you mean?”

“…What? You said it yourself. That this hanbok is something the hotel lends out.”

Ah, right. That’s true. Receiving Hwa Nabi’s questioning gaze, I quickly collected myself and responded.

“Oh, yes. To be precise, it’s not done by the hotel itself. What was it called? It’s like a collaboration between the hotel and a hanbok company, an event where they lend modernized hanbok to hotel guests. So I made a reservation in advance before coming.”

My explanation was half right and half wrong. It’s true that there was an event lending modernized hanbok, but the part about making a reservation in advance was a lie.

More accurately, I did make a reservation. But when I came to my senses, the reserved time had long passed.

The reason for that was, well….

“Siwoo, what is it?”

“Oh, yes?”

“You were looking at my face. Don’t you have something to say?”

As Hwa Nabi tilted her head and asked, I waved my hand dismissively.

…Anyway, the reason we were able to borrow hanbok despite our no-show was, needless to say, because Hwa Nabi is a VVIP at the hotel.

When a customer who has permanently rented an entire VIP lounge floor wants something, what does a mere reservation time matter? If this counts as using privilege, then I have nothing to say.

“No, nothing.”

“Hmm… really?”

Seeing her face still looking somewhat unsatisfied, I quickly changed the subject before she could probe further.

“There are a lot of people, is there an event happening somewhere?”

Despite it being quite late for a walk, the streets were bustling with people.

“Hmm, I wonder. Maybe a celebrity came?”

“Not a celebrity… it looks like some kind of festival.”

This was exactly why I had mentioned earlier that we still had the festival of the night left.

The Starlight Festival, which only begins after the sun has completely set. More famously known as the ‘Night Festival’ among Jeju Island locals, a winter festival.

That late-night festival was about to begin.

“Oh, they have festivals at this hour?”

“Yes. Looking at this, it seems they start with fireworks and have various activities, want to go see?”

“…Heh, sure. Let’s go see together. It’ll be fun.”

With an excited expression, Hwa Nabi walked a couple of steps ahead of me.

Then she turned her body toward me who was behind her.

“Siwoo, hurry up!”

She called out with a face that couldn’t contain her anticipation.

“…”

Unconsciously swallowing hard, I silently observed Hwa Nabi.

With the faint moonlight at her back, reaching her arms out to me, she looked just like a goddess of the night.

As if entranced, I slowly extended my hand and grasped hers.

“Shall we go then?”

Even amidst the bustling crowd on the street, all I could see was her.

…Only then did I belatedly realize.

I’m really in deep.

“…Yes, let’s go.”