Chapter 142: Just Trust Me and Follow

TL: Aniea

After quite a long drive, we arrived at the amusement park.

As it was the most famous one in South Korea, the crowd was already packed from the entrance of the parking lot.

‘...Is diving into that crowd really the right choice?’

That doubt lingered for only a moment.

I strengthened my resolve as I looked at Kim Eun-ha, who was unusually excited like a child. Having an experience like this once in life wouldn’t be so bad.

“If you wait here for a moment, I’ll get the tickets....”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Pardon?”

Swaying-

As I sent her a questioning look, Kim Eun-ha pulled out two tickets from her pocket and waved them. Judging from the context, they were clearly amusement park admission tickets.

“When did you prepare those?”

“This is just basic.”

Hehe-

Kim Eun-ha lightly smiled as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Then, as if she couldn't wait a moment longer, she urged me on.

“Woo-ju ssi, are you ready?”

“Of course.”

A cheerful atmosphere that felt quite unfamiliar, but because of that, even more appealing. I felt a smile blooming without realizing it and quickly unbuckled my seatbelt as well.

“Ah, just a moment!”

“Hmm?”

Just as I grabbed the door handle to get out of the car, Kim Eun-ha suddenly grabbed my shoulder in a hurry and stopped me.

When I tilted my head in confusion, she pulled out a deeply-covering hat and a pair of dark sunglasses from somewhere.

Then she lightly gestured toward me. Understanding her meaning, I quietly lowered my head, and Kim Eun-ha personally put the sunglasses and hat on me.

“If you go out like this, you’ll definitely attract too much attention, Woo-ju ssi.”

Saying that, Kim Eun-ha also pulled a hat and sunglasses onto her own head. Except for the slight difference in color, it was the exact same design as mine.

What’s commonly called a couple look.

No, in this case, should it be called a couple item?

“...Wouldn’t this draw even more attention though?”

“Couple looks are meant to be seen by others.”

That sounded the complete opposite of what she just said, but I didn’t bother to nitpick.

The items she prepared were clean and stylish, just like Kim Eun-ha, and above all, they were couple items she had gone out of her way to prepare.

“All set. Shall we really go now?”

“Let’s do it.”

Finally, Kim Eun-ha adjusted the rearview mirror and checked her appearance from various angles, and once she was satisfied, she energetically opened the passenger door.

They say if you want to hide a tree, hide it in a forest. I was worried people might recognize us, but we didn’t attract as much attention as I had feared.

Some people, even when they made eye contact with us, just gave a light nod and greeted us politely, grateful fans, indeed.

“That’s an illness, you know.”

“Excuse me?”

Smile-

When I tilted my head as if I didn’t understand, Kim Eun-ha said with a mischievous smile at the corners of her mouth.

“Celebrity syndrome. Ah, but you’re an actual celebrity, so maybe it’s not a syndrome in your case? Well, anyway. People aren’t as interested in others as you think.”

“Hmmm. Not sure about that.”

For someone saying that, the stares flying in from all directions weren’t exactly subtle. Even with sunglasses and a hat, Kim Eun-ha’s beauty couldn’t be hidden.

This would’ve been the same even if she weren’t the granddaughter of Mirae Group. It’s human instinct to follow beauty with one’s eyes.

‘...Almost every guy, without exception.’

Every man who passed by us turned their head to look at Kim Eun-ha without a single exception.

Some even stopped in their tracks and stared blankly. Others wandered around nearby trying to get another look.

Even those who came with their girlfriends or families weren’t exceptions. As we walked, the sound of backs getting slapped echoed rhythmically around us.

“...This is annoying.”

“Hmm? What did you say?”

“Ah, nothing. Just talking to myself.”

“What? Are you thinking about something else in front of me right now?”

Kim Eun-ha slightly lowered her sunglasses and stared intently at me. In response, I quickly raised both hands to declare my innocence.

“I was thinking about you, Eun-ha ssi.”

“What kind of thoughts?”

“That you’re excessively pretty.”

“Liar.”

“It’s true.”

“.......”

Hmph-

Thinking it was just an excuse, Kim Eun-ha pouted her lips. Still, seeing her avert her gaze, it seemed she wasn’t in such a bad mood after all.

“By the way, it’s kind of annoying.”

“...Sorry?”

Wait, did she hear everything?

Feeling a bit guilty, I turned my head, only to see Kim Eun-ha scanning the surroundings with a cold gaze.

“Not you, Woo-ju ssi. I’m talking about the women passing by. They keep glancing at you and whispering. That one over there has already made eye contact with me three times, you know?”

“......?”

Wondering what she meant, I looked around, and only then did I notice the stares directed at us.

Most of them were looking at me, so our eyes naturally met, and the women let out youthful squeals and quickly turned their heads.

“I told you it’s Kang Woo-ju!”

“His proportions are insane.”

“Should I go ask for an autograph?”

“Kyaaa!! I just made eye contact!”

Now I realized it wasn’t that we weren’t drawing attention. I had just been too busy watching out for the men sneaking glances at Kim Eun-ha to notice it.

‘...Of course.’

What’s the point of hiding a tree in the forest if its presence rivals the world tree from myth? It’s impossible to hide.

‘Hmm. This might get dangerous.’

Though I’d experienced similar situations every time I went out with Kim Eun-ha, amusement parks were on a whole different level in terms of crowd density.

Of course, even now, there were plainclothes bodyguards blended into the crowd, but once more people started pouring in, even they wouldn’t be able to respond quickly.

“Eun-ha ssi, maybe we should... mm!?”

I was trying to lead her somewhere less crowded, but suddenly, someone grabbed both of my cheeks and forcefully turned my head.

Startled by the sudden skinship, I opened my eyes wide, only to find Kim Eun-ha staring straight at me as she spoke.

“Don’t look at other women.”

“No, this is just...”

“Shhh-”

Kim Eun-ha firmly cut me off. At the same time, she gripped my cheeks even tighter, making it impossible for me to escape or respond.

“Are you jealous right now?”

“I’m just keeping things in check.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“...Do you really want to see me being jealous?”

“No. I’m sorry.”

I had briefly tried to tease Kim Eun-ha, but I immediately backed down at her threat.

Because Kim Eun-ha was someone with a fierce attachment to what was hers, and she would literally use any means necessary to protect it.

“Oh my gosh....”

“It’s like watching a drama.”

“The two of them together look like a painting. A painting.”

“Right? They match so well, it’s almost funny.”

Kyaaaa-

Watching us like that, some people let out stifled squeals like teenagers. The heartwarming reactions made my face heat up without realizing it.

Only then did Kim Eun-ha seem to become aware of her own actions. Her ears turned red, and she awkwardly cleared her throat as she let go of my cheeks.

Pfft-

Seeing her uncharacteristically shy made my lips curl up. Feeling playful, I reached out and grabbed her retreating hand.

“This is a rare date, you know.”

“There’s no need to go this far....”

“Are you embarrassed by any chance?”

“Who? Me? Ha.”

Squeeze-!

Typical Kim Eun-ha. With just a slight poke to her pride, she didn’t just stop pulling her hand away, she laced her fingers with mine.

We had held hands before, of course. But it was always because of paparazzi photos, acting, or choreographed duels.

This was the first time we were holding hands with a pure(?) heart. Maybe that’s why our interlocked hands trembled slightly.

Whose hand was trembling-

That, we decided to keep as our little secret.

***

‘...It’s not my hand that’s sweating, right!?’

At the same time.

Rather than being thrilled about the interlocked fingers, Kim Eun-ha was more worried about whether her palm was sweating, or if he might hear the wild thumping of her heart.

On the outside, she somehow kept a calm face, but in reality, her mind had gone completely blank, making it impossible to think about anything at all.

“...ssi.”

The sensation of Kang Woo-ju’s cheeks, which she had grabbed half-instinctively, and the heated gazes pouring in from around them lingered in Kim Eun-ha’s mind, etched onto her retinas.

Her cheeks flushed so red she could feel it herself. Not wanting to show such an embarrassed expression, Kim Eun-ha reflexively lowered her head.

“Eun-ha ssi!”

“Y-Yes!?”

Then, Kang Woo-ju suddenly called out to her, snapping her back to her senses.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Hmm... never mind. I think I got a little nervous because there are more people than I expected. Anyway, is there any ride you want to go on?”

The corner of Kang Woo-ju’s left eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. It was such a small sign that only someone paying close attention could notice it, something that only she in the entire world would recognize as one of Kang Woo-ju’s habits.

‘...He’s more sensitive than he looks.’

Just moments ago, Kim Eun-ha had clearly lost her grip on reality. There’s no way someone as observant as him wouldn’t have noticed.

But Kang Woo-ju had lied so she wouldn’t feel awkward. He even smoothly changed the subject, saying something about being nervous himself.

That small gesture reflected Kang Woo-ju’s considerate nature. Because of it, she held his hand even tighter.

“...Eun-ha ssi?”

“Just trust me and follow.”

She gripped his hand firmly and took a big step forward, and though Kang Woo-ju looked flustered, he obediently began walking behind her.

That was attractive too.

Because Kim Eun-ha was someone who didn’t easily trust others, the fact that Kang Woo-ju followed her almost unconditionally made her feel even more drawn to him.

‘...Maybe this really is possible.’

The reason she had brought Kang Woo-ju to the amusement park. Part of her just wanted to go on a date like a normal couple, but more importantly, there was something else.

‘I have to overcome my claustrophobia.’

The accident where she lost her parents. As part of the trauma from that event, Kim Eun-ha had developed claustrophobia.

Because of it, she couldn’t even ride elevators or airplanes properly, which disrupted her daily life.

Most of all, as the heiress to Mirae Group, even a small flaw could make her an easy target, so she had to overcome it somehow.

‘...I can’t believe I came here to ride amusement park rides.’

She couldn’t even stand being a passenger in a car, so there was no way she could comfortably ride something like a roller coaster.

Just imagining sitting down and having the safety bar come down made her heart feel like it would drop.

To be honest, she wanted to turn around and leave immediately, but the quiet tremble passed through their joined hands gave her the courage to move forward.

“You don’t have to push yourself.”

“Huh?”

Just as she had firmed her resolve and was about to take a step forward, Kang Woo-ju suddenly tightened his grip and spoke.

Wondering what he meant, she turned her head and saw him looking at her with a rather serious expression.

‘No way... did he figure it out?’

That thought crossed her mind for a moment. Kang Woo-ju always had a strange knack for picking up on things like this.

Smile-

As if to prove her right, he met her eyes and lifted the corners of his lips gently.

“Why don’t we start with something light?”

“......?”

He then turned his gaze toward something, bumper cars. If it was that ride, even she could probably enjoy it without much pressure.

A strong sense of determination was transmitted through their joined hands. It was enough to make her nod without thinking.

“...Alright.”

At that, Kim Eun-ha slowly nodded. Kang Woo-ju walked forward in step with her, moving ahead at a slow pace.

*****

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