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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: What Are You Touching?!
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“Really? Hohoho.”
“Yeah. Haha.”
Jun-woo opened his laptop to watch the online lecture.
But the laughter coming from downstairs made it impossible to hear the instructor at all.
Hee-jin and A-jin’s constant giggling and chatter—what could be so funny?—started to feel annoyingly grating.
“They’re really having a blast, huh?”
She hadn’t smiled once since giving the card key to Han Cho-hee.
I’m always under a rain cloud, but she’s basking in the sunshine.
He felt irritated.
If she were even a little ugly, maybe it wouldn’t bother him so much.
Her cute face, curving into half-moons every time she smiled, kept popping into his head, making him even more frustrated.
“And what’s with that outfit?”
The bright blue dress fit her like it was made for her.
It looked cool and lively.
“A-jin is hilarious. Hoho.”
“Me? No way. Kyarr.”
What on earth were they talking about?
“This is so annoying!”
Jun-woo irritably slammed the laptop shut.
* * *
Whenever A-jin demonstrated, Hee-jin followed along.
In between, Hee-jin even volunteered as her assistant.
Her hands were busy with the baking, and her mouth never stopped from all the talking.
“Really? Jun-woo teased you by calling you a puppy?”
“Yeah. He’s got a real playful side.”
Hee-jin widened her eyes suspiciously, unable to believe A-jin’s words.
“No way. Him?”
“Yeah. He’s good at pranks and teasing.”
“I can’t picture it. He barely talks at home, and he’s so stoic.”
“He is stoic. Oh! Right, I almost forgot the baking powder again.”
“Oh no, did I distract you too much?”
“No. That’s just how I am.”
“But you two seem pretty close.”
At Hee-jin’s question, A-jin gave a bitter smile.
‘We used to be close.’
“Not close, exactly. We’re just classmates.”
“No, he’s not the type to joke around with just anyone. Or maybe Jun-woo likes A-jin?”
Hee-jin’s question nearly made A-jin spill the dough.
“Huh? No.”
“Really? The men in this house have a sneaky soft spot for cute things.”
“No.”
A-jin shook her head firmly in denial.
Just then, Jun-woo quietly entered the kitchen.
A-jin glanced at him, wondering if he’d overheard her conversation with Hee-jin.
“What’s up, son?”
Hee-jin noticed Jun-woo because of A-jin’s startled reaction and asked.
“Aren’t you having dinner?”
“It’s not time yet. Hungry already?”
“Well...”
Jun-woo trailed off awkwardly.
“Go back upstairs. I’ll bring you a snack.”
“No thanks. I’m not that hungry.”
Jun-woo didn’t go back to his room.
He lingered around the table, as if waiting for an invitation to stay.
Seeing that, Hee-jin took off her cooking gloves and called him over.
“Then can you help A-jin for a bit? Just take photos after we’re done.”
Hee-jin handed him the camera she’d left on the table.
She was still awkward around Jun-woo.
And he was mad at her—he wouldn’t help her.
A-jin waved her hand, saying it was fine.
“Oh, no. I always do it alone anyway, so it’s okay.”
“Jun-woo’s good at taking photos. You can help, right, son?”
“It’s fine...”
Hee-jin handed over the camera and left the kitchen.
Jun-woo reluctantly took the camera from her.
A-jin pleaded with her expression for Hee-jin not to go.
‘Um... Hee-jin unnie—no, Jun-woo’s mom, please don’t go!’
In the end, only the two of them were left in the kitchen.
The awkwardness was thick.
They both kept their mouths firmly shut, like they were competing to see who’d speak first.
The suffocating silence dragged on until Jun-woo finally spoke.
“What’s so funny?”
“Huh?”
“It’s so noisy I can’t study.”
“Sorry...”
He hadn’t meant to deflate her, but she bowed her head like a wilted flower.
So timid.
Her reaction seemed cute, and he let out a smirk.
“Thanks.”
“Huh? For what?”
He’d said he couldn’t study, and now suddenly thanks?
A-jin’s eyes widened in confusion.
“I didn’t want to study anyway. Good excuse. Worked out fine.”
“Really? That’s good then.”
“Yeah.”
“Good to hear.”
“Thanks.”
“For what now?”
“For hanging out with Mom.”
“Hey. Hanging out? Mom’s the one hanging out with you.”
“Still, I’ve never heard her laugh like that before. Dad and I are so stoic, she’s always bored.”
Knowing she’d helped made A-jin feel proud somehow.
A-jin smiled shyly.
Standing there covered in flour, her face looked even whiter and more radiant.
Maybe that’s why her smile seemed even prettier.
Jun-woo stared openly at A-jin’s face.
Meeting his gaze, A-jin looked up.
Their eyes locked.
They held it for a long moment before snapping out of it.
A-jin flustered and fidgeted in embarrassment.
“Where’s the spatula?”
She flailed her hands.
“It’s right here.”
He found the spatula first and handed it to her.
In her panic, A-jin snatched it from his hand.
Flour from the spatula scattered in the air.
The flour spread everywhere.
It dusted A-jin’s apron and the floor.
And his pants too.
In the most embarrassingly obvious spot...
“Oh! Sorry.”
His black pants made it stand out even more.
Flustered and apologetic, A-jin instinctively reached out.
She just wanted to brush off the flour.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
Jun-woo, even more flustered by her action, quickly grabbed her hand.
Both their faces flushed bright red.
“Sorry.”
“Get a grip.”
“Got it. Pfft.”
A-jin’s lips twitched, and she burst into laughter.
His flustered look was funny.
It even felt satisfying, like payback for everything she’d endured.
A-jin covered her mouth to stop laughing, but couldn’t hold it all in.
Her giggling made Jun-woo give a dumbfounded chuckle.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“No way. Pfft.”
Laughter erupted again.
Now even eye contact set them off.
Then Jun-woo wiped the smile from his face.
He looked at her seriously.
“Why?”
His intense gaze made A-jin tense up, wondering if she’d done something wrong again.
“You look good when you smile.”
“What?”
“I said you look good when you smile. Don’t avoid me. Don’t act all self-conscious.”
The hurt he’d felt toward her showed plainly on his face.
“......”
“I won’t force you to feel the same, so don’t avoid me for no reason. It does hurt that you don’t return my feelings, but I don’t want to drift apart.”
His honest words nearly brought tears to A-jin’s eyes.
Her feelings toward him were slowly becoming clearer.
It scared her.
Right now, when she couldn’t do anything about it—what if she really started to like him?
* * *
“I stayed too long. I’m sorry.”
They’d finished baking, and she’d even stayed for dinner.
She’d had tea too.
A-jin apologized for the late hour.
“Sorry? I’d love to have you stay the night if I could.”
Hee-jin truly regretted letting A-jin go.
“Thank you so much for today.”
“Wait, I’ll have someone walk you home.”
“No, I can go alone.”
A-jin waved her hands, not wanting to impose.
“Come on, it’s too late. Hold on, Jun-woo!”
Hee-jin absolutely refused to let her go alone and yelled up to Jun-woo on the second floor.
“Yes.”
As if he’d been waiting for the call, Jun-woo came right down.
He’d actually come out of his room at the sound of the farewell.
“Walk A-jin home.”
“Huh?”
Jun-woo pretended to be annoyed but was already heading to the door.
“I’m really fine. I can go alone, seriously.”
A-jin shook her head insistently, but Hee-jin was firm.
“No way. It’s dangerous for a pretty girl to walk alone at night. You can do it, right, Jun-woo?”
“Well, no one’s gonna kidnap her or anything... Yeah.”
He wanted to, but grumbled anyway.
* * *
“You didn’t have to walk me all the way. Thanks.”
They’d already reached her house.
Jun-woo regretted the short thirty-minute walk and dawdled, not turning back.
“Go on ahead.”
A-jin shooed him away.
“Yeah.”
He took a few steps back, then stopped.
“I’ll go in once I see you leave.”
“No, you go first.”
“I want to see you go in.”
“I walked you this far, so I should see you off too.”
“......”
Like they were in a standoff over who’d move first, neither budged.
It wasn’t bad—more time together.
“Guess I’ll head in then.”
Unable to bear the awkwardness, A-jin turned first.
“Okay.”
“See you.”
“Yeah. Wait, hold on.”
As she turned, he grabbed her again.
“What?”
“You gonna keep wearing that outfit?”
“This? Yeah. Your mom gave it to me as a gift.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“It’s too short... I mean, it doesn’t suit you.”
At first, she’d found the slightly short length burdensome herself.
But it suited her well, and it was an expensive brand she’d never owned, so she planned to wear it often.
His words made A-jin pout.
“Doesn’t suit me? Your mom said it looks pretty.”
That’s exactly why he didn’t want her to wear it.
Jun-woo answered curtly to hide his true feelings.
“You think she’d say outright that it looks weird?”
“It looks that bad?”
“Yeah. It’s weird. Don’t wear it.”
A-jin shot him a glare.
Even if the outfit was weird, did he have to say it so bluntly and embarrass her?
“Yeah. Bye!”
Huffy, A-jin spun around and went inside.
He felt bad for upsetting her, but he hated the idea of others thinking she looked pretty.
Smirking smugly, he turned to go—then reality hit.
Why am I acting so childish?
* * *
The moment Jun-woo opened the door, Hee-jin approached like she’d been waiting.
“How’s A-jin? Did you get her home safe?”
“Yeah.”
“Son?”
“Yeah?”
“You like that girl from earlier, don’t you?”
“Huh?”
It was the first time he’d reacted so strongly to Hee-jin’s question.
Jun-woo jumped and asked again.
Seeing his reaction, Hee-jin smirked knowingly.
“I suspected, but it’s true.”
“What are you talking about? No.”
“Come on, you can be honest with Mom.”
“Why would he like a girl like her?”
“A girl like her? Where are you gonna find a nice girl like A-jin!”
“Seriously, no.”
Jun-woo even got angry.
Which basically confirmed it.
“I’m heading up.”
Jun-woo hurried to the second floor, and Hee-jin laughed at how cute he was.
She’d overheard everything from the kitchen between Jun-woo and A-jin.
She was surprised her son liked a girl, and doubly surprised it was A-jin.
She’d secretly wanted to introduce her son to A-jin—this was like manna from heaven.
But had he been rejected?
She was dying to know why.
Her son wouldn’t tell her even if she asked, so she’d have to approach it differently.
Hee-jin began planning their next meeting with A-jin.
