Chapter 144: If You Hadn't Been There

TL: Aniea

After fully savoring the sweet taste of the cotton candy. Kim Eun-ha felt a surge of courage welling up from deep inside her heart.

‘...I think I can do it now.’

Thanks to the warmth conveyed through their clasped hands, her steps grew lighter, and even as she walked toward the roller coaster, her stride became more determined.

Gulp-!

Of course, when she thought of the entrance to the roller coaster, it felt like she was sticking her head into the gaping mouth of a giant snake.

But rather than being vaguely scared like before, it now felt like something she could endure to some extent.

“Are you mentally prepared?”

“.......”

Kang Woo-ju opened his mouth in a very cautious tone.

No matter how much Kim Eun-ha tried to hide her nervousness, she couldn’t help but tremble instinctively.

Just as she could feel Kang Woo-ju’s body temperature and heartbeat, he too must have sensed her trembling through their skin.

“I’m Kim Eun-ha.”

Kim Eun-ha responded in a tone that sounded like she was repeating it to herself. Taking a deep breath to steady her trembling body, she put a smile on her lips.

In her mind, she kept reminding herself who she was and where she stood.

The ideal version of ‘Kim Eun-ha’ she envisioned wasn’t someone who would back down over something like this.

“This is nothing.”

Contrary to what she said out loud, she could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

However, her expression remained calm. No, it carried the usual composure she often had.

Based on her recent experience participating in a theater, Kim Eun-ha performed self-hypnosis.

She played the role of an ordinary woman who didn’t have claustrophobia, just someone who couldn’t hide her excitement in front of an amusement park ride.

“Really.... That’s just like you, Eun-ha ssi.”

Smirk-

Watching Kim Eun-ha, Kang Woo-ju curled up the corners of his mouth as if proud of her.

He didn’t offer any premature comfort like saying she didn’t need to take risks or push herself.

He simply respected Kim Eun-ha’s decision entirely, planting a small seed of courage in the path she was walking.

Squeeze-

Kang Woo-ju tightened his grip on her hand once again. As if to say that no matter what happened, he would somehow take care of it.

‘...This is why I can’t hate him.’

He was so kind that sometimes she had to secretly look after him from behind, and occasionally, he did things that made no sense.

Nevertheless, this was exactly why she couldn’t distance herself from Kang Woo-ju.

Even for someone like her who was innately unable to trust others, he made her think, ‘Maybe this person is different....’

He might not be perfect like a prince in a novel, but he recognized his own shortcomings and made constant efforts.

And because he had grown through such a difficult process, he possessed the tolerance to understand and embrace the flaws and deficiencies of others, that was his greatest strength.

‘Something I don’t have....’

Unlike herself, who thoroughly tore apart others when she spotted their weaknesses, he was the complete opposite.

Kim Eun-ha knew her own ugly side all too well. That’s why she always thought she could never be loved by anyone.

But.

If it’s Kang Woo-ju.

“Shall we go then?”

“...Yes.”

A voice broke through her deep thoughts. When Kim Eun-ha came to her senses, it was already their turn.

Originally, there had been a long line in front of them. Fortunately or unfortunately, thanks to using a pass, they didn’t have to wait long.

“You two can board now!”

Soon after, the train entered the platform, and the two sat down according to the staff’s guidance.

Haa- haa-

Now that she was actually here, Kim Eun-ha’s resolve seemed meaningless as her breathing began to grow labored.

‘Kim Eun-ha. You can do it. You can do it. It’ll only last a few minutes at most.’

Kim Eun-ha, eyes shut, tried hard to calm her pounding heart. But unlike her wishes, her clueless heart began beating even more violently.

‘I can do th- no, maybe I can’t!?’

Her fear peaked the moment the safety bar came down. The weight pressing against her chest made her eyes pop open.

The roller coaster hadn’t even started yet, but the claustrophobia she had barely suppressed began to growl like a fierce beast.

As a result, Kim Eun-ha’s vision blurred, and the hands gripping the safety bar turned deathly pale.

“Eun-ha ssi.”

“.......”

Even at Kang Woo-ju’s voice, she couldn’t easily open her mouth. If it weren’t for Kim Eun-ha’s remarkable determination, she would have already fainted.

When the staff checked the safety harness once more, Kim Eun-ha felt as though a massive wall was pressing down on her chest.

She tried to calm the growing sense of fear, but unfortunately, it was in vain.

“Then we’ll get going~”

No-!!

The cheerful voice of the staff member didn’t suit the current situation at all. Kim Eun-ha felt cornered to the point she found the innocent staff member hateful.

In her heart, she wanted to run away from the seat immediately, but she couldn’t even move a finger.

Vrrr-!

Just as the roller coaster began to vibrate lightly and was about to depart, Kang Woo-ju suddenly raised his hand high above his head and stopped the ride.

“Excuse me!”

Screeech-!

The train, which had been just about to dash off, came to a sudden halt, and countless pairs of eyes turned toward them.

Kim Eun-ha, who was in a panic, had no time to grasp what was going on. She couldn’t respond to anything.

“What’s the matter?”

“I suddenly feel a bit dizzy. I’m sorry, but may I get off?”

The staff member quickly checked the complexions of Kang Woo-ju and Kim Eun-ha sitting next to him, and as if understanding the situation immediately, nodded right away.

“I’ll assist you.”

As the safety bar lifted back up, Kang Woo-ju helped the dazed Kim Eun-ha off the ride.

“What’s going on?”

“Why’s he acting like that all of a sudden?”

“Kim Eun-ha looks pale.”

“Don’t tell me... she’s too scared to ride?”

There were too many eyes watching.

It would only take a moment for rumors to spread.

And just as quickly, she’d be pushed out of the successor race.

As she listened to the murmurs echoing like a chorus, Kim Eun-ha felt her eyes grow moist against her will. Then.

“Ugh-!”

Suddenly, Kang Woo-ju clutched his forehead and collapsed into a sitting position. Startled staff rushed over to check on his condition.

His pale face and trembling body made him look like someone seriously ill to anyone observing.

“A-are you alright!?”

“My head... ugh!”

Kang Woo-ju furrowed his brow with all his might and bent over, staggering like he might collapse at any moment, looking just like a critically ill patient.

“Kang Woo-ju looks like he’s really sick!”

“No, oppa! Don’t be sick!”

“Shouldn’t someone call 119 right now!?”

Naturally, the crowd’s attention shifted to Kang Woo-ju, and the intense focus that had been on Kim Eun-ha vanished as if it had never been.

But regardless of that, red alert went off in Kim Eun-ha’s mind as well.

“Woo-ju ssi-!!”

It was hard to believe she was the same person who’d just been trembling with fear, she quickly pushed through the staff and ran to Kang Woo-ju.

“Are you hurt? Are you okay!?”

The fear that had consumed Kim Eun-ha’s whole body vanished like a lie, and in its place was Kang Woo-ju.

Checking his condition, Kim Eun-ha hurriedly took out her phone and started to dial somewhere.

No, she was about to when-

Kang Woo-ju reached out and stopped her.

“...I’m fine. I just felt a little dizzy.”

“No, we need to go to the hospital first!”

“No. I think I’ll be better after a little rest. I’m sorry, but could you help me down for a bit?”

“Don’t argue....”

“Eun-ha ssi. Please.”

Kang Woo-ju’s low voice. Realizing she couldn’t change his mind, Kim Eun-ha quickly supported his arm.

The staff nearby tried to assist, but Kang Woo-ju politely declined, saying he was really alright.

At the same time, he bowed his head slightly to the people in line and didn’t forget to apologize.

“Looks like it’s not something serious.”

“Guess he was just feeling off.”

“Whoever said Kang Woo-ju’s rude must be crazy.”

Letting the public’s comments go in one ear and out the other, Kim Eun-ha supported Kang Woo-ju’s shoulder and led him away.

“Please rest here for a while!”

“Thank you.”

Following the staff’s guidance, the two entered a restricted staff-only rest area where no one could see them.

Kim Eun-ha quickly seated Kang Woo-ju on a bench. With a worried expression, she brushed his forehead to check his temperature.

“Thankfully, you don’t have a fever. But where does it hurt and how? We really should call an ambulance....”

“Who’s going to ride in it?”

“Well, obviously.... huh?”

At the vivid voice ringing in her ear, Kim Eun-ha blinked blankly. Then, Kang Woo-ju’s playful smile entered her line of sight.

“Will you be riding in it, Eun-ha ssi?”

“What is this... no way!?”

“Not bad, right?”

Smirk-

The smile hanging on Kang Woo-ju’s lips deepened. Only then did Kim Eun-ha grasp the full situation, her mouth dropping open in shock.

“Are you okay, Eun-ha ssi?”

“Wait... I... uh....”

When Kang Woo-ju asked after her well-being instead, Kim Eun-ha was at a loss for words. She hadn’t imagined it was all an act.

“...What exactly just happened?”

Only after a while did Kim Eun-ha manage to collect herself and speak. Her lips were adorably pouting.

Seeing this, Kang Woo-ju scratched his temple with an awkward expression and added a detailed explanation.

“You looked like you were really struggling, so I just...”

“And who gave you permission to-”

“Well, I did.”

The same person who’d been smiling just moments ago now wore a chillingly serious expression.

And with a correspondingly firm tone, Kang Woo-ju left Kim Eun-ha unable to speak further.

“I fully understand your desire to overcome your trauma. But courage and recklessness are two very different things.”

“.......”

With nothing to say in her defense, Kim Eun-ha tightly shut her lips.

She herself knew all too well how reckless she had just been.

But admitting that felt like she’d never be able to overcome her trauma, and in that anxious desperation, she had momentarily lost sight of reason.

‘If Woo-ju ssi hadn’t been there....’

Something definitely would’ve gone wrong.

If she were lucky, she might have fainted mid-ride and been rescued by staff. In the worst-case scenario, she might have died from a panic attack.

Either way, it would’ve flooded social media. No matter how she looked at it, the outcome would’ve been disastrous.

“...I’m sorry.”

Having reached that conclusion, Kim Eun-ha offered a sincere apology. To Kang Woo-ju, who had gone as far as pretending to be a patient because of her stubbornness.

Swoosh-!

Then, she suddenly felt an unfamiliar sensation on her lips. Startled, she looked up to find Kang Woo-ju right in front of her, smiling.

In his hand was a wad of tissue, one corner stained dark red.

“Was the lipstick that tasty?”

“Ah....”

Only then did she feel the pain.

Her body had been so tense on the roller coaster that she must have bitten her lip, leaving a wound.

“Should I have wiped it off with my lips instead?”

“......!?”

At the teasing joke thrown without warning, Kim Eun-ha instinctively stepped back. She glared at Kang Woo-ju with a pouty expression.

Heh-

Kang Woo-ju shrugged his shoulders with a victorious grin. He looked infuriating, but for now, Kim Eun-ha had no choice but to admit defeat.

“You’re really okay now, right?”

“Was I ever not okay?”

“Hm. If I recall correctly....”

“Aaaaaah-!!”

Kim Eun-ha quickly lunged at him and pinched his lips. Despite pinching quite hard, he just grinned, and she let out a deep sigh.

“Zhat hursh, dohzn’t it?”

“......?”

For a moment.

Kang Woo-ju pointed to the Ferris wheel visible beyond the window and spoke.

*****

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