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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Sensation of the First Kiss
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“A-jin.”
Jun-woo finally spoke up.
“Huh?”
A-jin lifted her head.
Smack.
He kissed her.
It was just a brief touch and pull-away, but it made a distinct smack sound—a real kiss.
A cute, lovable kiss.
The way she had run toward him.
Her dazed confession.
Her lips as she confessed—it was so lovable he thought he’d go mad.
He couldn’t hold back from kissing her.
The kiss was completely unexpected.
A-jin froze solid, blinking her eyes over and over.
Once, twice, three times, and exactly three seconds later,
“Kyaaah!”
She let out a scream.
“Wha—what?”
Jun-woo startled back at the utterly unforeseen reaction.
If she’d slapped him, he might’ve understood.
“S-sorry.”
The apology slipped out automatically.
“N-no, that’s not it. The feeling was just so weird... Is that what lips touching feels like? It’s kinda strange. I mean, since it’s my first time feeling something like...”
“Weird?”
It was an utterly unfamiliar sensation.
Trying to recall the texture of that feeling she’d never experienced before, A-jin kept dwelling on it.
Her cheeks flushed redder with every thought.
“Sorry. I was too sudden.”
It had been far too abrupt a kiss.
He regretted it, wondering if he’d gotten ahead of himself with her, who had only just taken her first step.
It made him feel like some kind of pervert.
But then she said something unexpected.
“Can we do it one more time?”
Another unforeseen reaction left him flustered once more.
Everything felt so confusing.
He’d thought she hated it.
“Huh?”
“No, it definitely felt weird, but it also kinda felt like pollock roe touching my lips or something.”
“What? Pollock roe?”
Cherry, sakura, peach, pudding, marshmallow—all these pretty words for soft, squishy lips, and what? Pollock roe?
Was she saying it felt slimy and sticky, making the texture weird?
He must’ve bathed too long, just like his dad always said.
Dizziness hit him for a moment.
“Pollock roe is kinda quivery and smooth and all that, right?”
She explained, wiggling her fingers.
“So you hated it?”
She waved her hands, denying it.
“No, it was good. No, I mean... the texture was good. Soft and moist and stuff.”
Saying outright that the kiss was good would be too embarrassing.
Her pink cheeks burned even redder.
Luckily, it had been a good thing.
He let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Pollock roe as a compliment.
Her unique way of putting it made him chuckle.
Then, lifting her shy face, she timidly brought her index finger to his lips.
“It went by so fast that... can we do it one more time?”
He’d expected her to run off in a huff, calling him out for his antics, but here she was showing curiosity about the kiss and asking him for another.
Her wide eyes full of embarrassment yet brimming with the quirky determination to try it again—it was so cute.
That’s why he liked her.
He adored her so much for not hiding her feelings.
“You’re secretly bold. Demanding I do it again and all.”
His teasing instinct kicked in once more.
“Bold? Forget it! It’s not like I’m dying to do it or anything.”
Offended, A-jin bristled and waved it off like it never happened.
That’s why he couldn’t resist teasing her.
Even her pouting was so lovable he couldn’t just watch anymore.
Jun-woo grabbed A-jin’s wrist and pulled her close.
Drawn in without resistance, she placed her hands on his chest to steady herself against his body.
She’d asked for it, but now that the mood was set, she seemed tense.
She couldn’t even blink, just gulped nervously.
“Close your eyes.”
He whispered softly.
Like an obedient child, A-jin squeezed her eyes shut.
Her eyelids trembled faintly.
Gazing down at her, he flashed a relaxed smile, though he was tense too.
He pressed his lips together, took a deep breath,
and overlaid his lips on hers.
* * *
Jong-min yawned widely as he shuffled into the convenience store.
Knees poking out of gray sweatpants, a white short-sleeved tee stained with jjajangmyeon, and three-stripe slippers—he looked just like some unemployed bum.
He grabbed two triangle kimbaps and a cup ramen, heading straight to the counter.
“Take care!”
Ever the bright greeter, he called out loudly, took the plastic bag from the clerk with a jangle, and left the store.
Standing at the crosswalk, raindrops began to fall one by one.
Others shielded their heads or fidgeted to dash across faster, but Jong-min just stood there, figuring a little rain was no big deal.
Then, a woman beside him muttered.
“What do I do...”
He turned at the voice.
A girl about his age was pacing anxiously, staring into a sewer grate.
“Oh no, what do I do? Just hold on a bit, okay? Sis is gonna get you out.”
From her trembling voice, she sounded on the verge of tears.
Jong-min sidled up to her.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a kitten that fell in down there.”
Jong-min peered into the sewer.
A tiny kitten, barely a handful, was shivering like it was trapped in a prison.
Its yellow eyes glimmered desperately, begging to be saved.
“For real. Yours?”
At his question, she looked up at him and shook her head.
Her face was stunningly pretty up close.
Like an angel.
Snow-white skin, neat bob haircut. Moderately large eyes, lips red like spilled paint—utterly beautiful, with a peach-like charm that was downright cute.
“Whoa.”
An exclamation slipped out before he knew it.
Snapping out of it as she spoke to him.
“Help me.”
Jong-min came to his senses and asked.
“Did you call 119?”
“I did, but now it’s raining, and I’m worried the water’ll rise.”
“Hold this.”
He handed her his bag.
“Nngh.”
He shoved both hands into the sewer grate gap and yanked the lid upward hard.
Blue veins bulged on his forearms below his sleeves.
Straining so much his toes popped out of his slippers.
The girl cheered him on.
“Whoa! It’s moving!”
Finally, the sewer lid budged.
It inched open bit by bit until it was fully off.
Drops of what might’ve been rain or sweat beaded on his face, flushed red like it’d explode.
“Ugh!”
Panting hard, Jong-min set the open lid aside.
The girl hurriedly scooped up the kitten.
“Meow, you must’ve been so scared, huh? Thank you so much, really.”
“No sweat. Glad it’s safe.”
“Look at all that sweat. Hang on.”
She tugged his sleeve and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Not just angel looks—she was one through and through.
Her touch as she dabbed his sweat was so thrilling it was ecstatic.
His lips curved up, hands fidgeting shyly not knowing what to do.
Suddenly self-conscious about his sloppy outfit, he distracted her by talking.
“So, what’re you gonna do with the kitten?”
“Dunno. I can’t take it in...”
“Then the stray cat shelter?”
“But don’t they euthanize them if they don’t get adopted?”
“Do they?”
Clueless about pets, he had no opinion to offer.
As the two pondered the rescued kitten’s fate,
firefighters arrived in response to her call.
* * *
A-jin hugged her pillow tight, rolling side to side over and over.
Yesterday, her first kiss.
His lips still felt vividly stuck to hers, like pollock roe plastered there.
Touching, rubbing, licking with her tongue tip—the sensation wouldn’t fade.
It was so embarrassing, she felt feverish.
She’d barely fallen asleep in the late hours, yet her eyes popped open before 6 a.m.
“Me, kissing...”
She’d never even imagined it.
Kissing was something that happened in movies or dramas—unreal to her.
“He’s gonna think it’s awkward, right? It’ll be so embarrassing.”
How could she face Jun-woo casually?
Last night, when he’d offered to walk her home, she’d said they should go to their own schools today.
He’d looked a bit upset for a second, but nodded at her explanation.
She just needed a day to mentally prepare.
She washed extra thoroughly.
With time to spare, she even ironed her uniform again.
She wanted to look as neat and pretty as possible for him.
Brushing her hair, she glanced in the mirror.
Her face looked plainer than ever today.
Makeup... maybe?
While other friends lugged around tons of cosmetics she’d never even heard of, A-jin had never even owned lip balm.
She wanted to, but had no makeup.
“Right! Joo-hee gave me something last time...”
Two years ago, a friend had gifted her tint.
Touched by the gesture, she’d worn it once or twice but hadn’t touched it since.
She hadn’t thrown it out, so it had to be somewhere.
“I think I left it here.”
She scraped her fingers to the back of the drawer.
Maybe the closet? She rummaged every corner.
Pencil holder? She dumped it out.
No sign of anything like tint.
“Where is it? Mom’s would be too much, right?”
Mom’s lipstick might work, but it felt wrong, so she gave up.
By the time she’d searched everywhere, it was almost time for school.
She headed out without finding the tint.
* * *
The same commute path felt like a different road entirely.
Everyone seemed to be talking to her.
“You dating Park Jun-woo?”
She imagined them asking.
“Am I dating Jun-woo?”
Having a boyfriend was hard to believe, let alone that boyfriend being Park Jun-woo.
What would everyone say?
Today, her friends’ faces stood out more than usual.
Especially the girls with makeup—their faces popped the most.
“Where do they even learn to do makeup like that?”
Could you really get pretty just from videos?
She should’ve looked up YouTube.
One on each cheek, one on the lips—her friends’ faces burst with juicy glow.
Even their eyebrows were perfectly groomed, awe-inspiring.
“I look the ugliest...”
Feeling down, she entered the classroom.
Tense that friends might ask.
Embarrassed he might stare at her.
But Jun-woo hadn’t arrived yet.
He usually came earlier than her, so it was odd.
“He’ll come.”
Instead of her seat, A-jin went to Jung-hwa first.
“Jung-hwa.”
“You’re here?”
“Yeah. Um.”
“What?”
“You got any tint by chance?”
“Tint? Yeah. Why?”
“Could I maybe... Nah, forget it.”
“Why? Wanna try it? Here.”
Jung-hwa readily offered her tint.
“Can I?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks.”
A-jin used her phone as a mirror to apply the tint.
Worried someone might see, she dabbed it on quick as lightning-roasting beans.
“Hey, it’s clumpy here, and nothing there.”
Jung-hwa frowned dissatisfied, grabbed her chin, and reapplied it.
“Like this.”
“Th-thanks.”
“You do makeup too, huh.”
“Huh? No... I just looked kinda pale.”
Panicking she’d ask if she got a boyfriend.
No one even cared, but she felt guilty anyway.
She hurried to her seat.
Sitting, she checked her tinted face in her phone again.
“He won’t say it looks weird, right?”
She’d done it to look pretty for Jun-woo—what if he thought it was odd?
The starting bell rang.
But Jun-woo still hadn’t arrived.
