Chapter 146: I’ll Go Take a Shower First

TL: Aniea

“.......”

The moment Kim Eun-ha’s lips touched his, Kang Woo-ju’s mind went completely blank.

Caught off guard by the sudden situation, he was utterly flustered, and his hands flailed in the air without direction.

But only for a moment.

With the sensation of her lips knocking gently yet boldly like a knock at the door, even the last bit of rationality he had been barely holding on to flew away.

“...Mm!”

He boldly reached out with both hands and held Kim Eun-ha’s chin, and she didn’t resist.

As they eagerly explored each other’s lips in competition, the Ferris wheel steadily climbed toward the top.

And only when they finally reached the peak did the two of them let out the breath they had been holding in and simultaneously lift their heads.

“Hooah....”

“Phew....”

Both of them were gasping for air, neither needing to say a word. Even as they caught their breath, their hands were still firmly grasping each other’s chin.

Thanks to that, they couldn’t hide their faces that had flushed red like the sunset. They just looked at each other silently, steadying their breathing.

“...Beast.”

Swoosh-

Kim Eun-ha softly stroked his cheek as she spoke. The fear and hesitation that had been in her eyes just moments ago were nowhere to be found now.

As always, with a relaxed smile at the corner of her lips, Kim Eun-ha gently caressed Kang Woo-ju’s cheek.

“Who started it first?”

At that, Kang Woo-ju playfully pinched her cheek in response. His tone sounded aggrieved, but his lips were full of amusement.

“That was clearly you, Woo-ju ssi.”

“Based on what evidence?”

“You knew perfectly well that I have claustrophobia and still suggested the Ferris wheel. Thanks to that, I almost died from shortness of breath.”

“For someone like that, you seem far too lively. If you had said you were aiming for the suspension bridge effect, it would’ve been more convincing.”

“Oh, was that it?”

“Maybe a little?”

Pfft-

At his brazen answer, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Kim Eun-ha shook her head as if he was hopeless, and Kang Woo-ju quietly smiled.

“But are you really okay?”

“Hmm. It’s kind of unclear....”

Kim Eun-ha hesitated at the follow-up question, unable to give a quick answer. It was because the suffocating sensation and pounding heart were still there.

She just wasn’t sure if it was because of the claustrophobia or because of Kang Woo-ju.

‘I’m not completely cured, but....’

Even now, just thinking about enclosed spaces made her feel intensely suffocated and scared. If trauma could be overcome that easily, no one would struggle with it.

But when she was caressing Kang Woo-ju’s soft cheeks like this, that anxiety seemed to fade quite a bit.

“...Riding a roller coaster right now would still be too much, but at least until we get off this Ferris wheel, I think I can endure.”

“That’s a significant improvement.”

“Yeah. Thanks to someone.”

Kim Eun-ha nodded and honestly acknowledged it. It was something she could never have even attempted without Kang Woo-ju in the first place.

Maybe she could even ride an elevator now. Just that alone would greatly expand her range of movement.

“Then you should give me a reward.”

“I already gave you plenty.”

When Kim Eun-ha pouted her lips, Kang Woo-ju scoffed in disbelief and continued speaking.

“How is that a reward?”

“Then are you saying it wasn’t?”

“...It’s cheating to ask me that while widening your eyes like that. Sure, I’m in such a good mood I could jump out of this cabin right now, but we should still draw a clear line, shouldn’t we?”

“So?”

Snap-

At the shift into a transactional tone, Kim Eun-ha’s gaze instantly turned cold. Even Kang Woo-ju, who had somewhat anticipated her reaction, flinched.

“What do you want? Go ahead and say it.”

“...Could you let go of my cheeks first?”

Kang Woo-ju pointed to his own stretched-out face. At some point, Kim Eun-ha had been pulling both of his cheeks.

“That’s your request?”

“Of course not.”

“Then just say it like this.”

“...Sigh.”

Kim Eun-ha’s face was full of dissatisfaction, and Kang Woo-ju, knowing better than anyone that there was no changing her mind, let out a deep sigh.

Right after, he held her chin once more. Just as Kim Eun-ha widened her eyes, thinking he might try to kiss her again, Kang Woo-ju gently turned her chin to make her look behind.

“What are you trying to do now... huh?”

She could have easily brushed him off, but Kim Eun-ha quietly followed the motion of Kang Woo-ju’s hand and turned her head.

And just like that, a breathtaking view filled her vision as if it had been waiting for her. The setting sun and the amusement park bathed in its crimson glow came into view at once.

A boy playing airplane with both hands clinging to his parents’ arms, and a girl pointing at something while riding a carousel with her father.

Besides them, there were people waving toward the Ferris wheel and countless others watching the parade.

Even from this far away, she could clearly picture the expressions on their faces.

“Wow....”

So full of happiness.

It was a strange and unfamiliar sight she had never encountered before in her life. So much so that Kim Eun-ha even forgot for a moment that she was inside a Ferris wheel.

“Beautiful view, right?”

“Yeah!”

Kim Eun-ha nodded vigorously, unable to take her eyes off the window.

She even waved back at the little girl on the carousel who was waving in their direction.

Enjoying the happiness unfolding before her eyes so much, she felt disappointed that the Ferris wheel was gradually descending.

“Woo-ju ssi.”

“Yes, Eun-ha ssi.”

“I... I think I want to come here again.”

Even as she said it herself, Kim Eun-ha couldn’t quite believe it and kept moving her lips. Kang Woo-ju, watching her, smiled.

“As many times as you’d like.”

“Mmhmm! Next time, I want to wear a headband like those people over there, try churros and popcorn, and ride all the rides we missed today!”

“Even the roller coaster?”

“Ugh... That one....”

“Puhaha. I was joking.”

Zap-!

As Kang Woo-ju couldn’t hold back his laughter and burst out, Kim Eun-ha shot him a piercing glare.

“Just you wait. Next time I’ll definitely ride it.”

“Hmm. Then I’ll come prepared too. If I pop a fake blood pack right when you faint, everyone will be shocked, don’t you think?”

“Hey!”

Aagh-!

At Kang Woo-ju’s mischievous joke, Kim Eun-ha pinched his arm, and with nowhere to escape, Kang Woo-ju twisted his body, letting out a boyish scream.

“Did you enjoy your ride.... Oh my.”

In the meantime, the Ferris wheel had returned to the starting point. As the attendant opened the door and saw the two of them, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

Looking at the heat filling the cabin and their disheveled clothes, her eyebrows curved as if she had figured everything out.

“It’s not what it looks like!”

“It’s not what you think!”

The two of them hastily tried to explain, knowing full well what that smile meant, but since they spoke at the same time, it only made things more suspicious.

And since the Ferris wheel was still in motion, they couldn’t give any proper excuse and hurriedly walked away.

“This is all your fault, Woo-ju ssi.”

“This is my fault too?”

“Then who else would I blame?”

“Hmm. That’s fair.”

Even as they bickered while walking, the hands they had naturally clasped together didn’t part.

***

“Phew....”

At the end of an unusually long day.

After safely finishing my amusement park date with Kim Eun-ha and returning home, I collapsed straight onto the bed.

I pride myself on not being particularly weak physically, but looking back, so many things happened today that I really had no energy left to even go take a shower.

‘When I think about it, Eun-ha ssi is pretty amazing.’

Unlike me, Kim Eun-ha had been busily moving around the moment we got back, taking care of things she had put off.

It was impressive how, while handling urgent business over the phone with Secretary Yoon, she used her free hand to swiftly take off her stockings in one go.

As a man, my eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the boldness of that move, though it happened so fast that I couldn’t even react properly.

-I’ll go take a shower first.

After that, she coolly headed straight to the bathroom without even a slight pause, and I stared blankly at her back before heading up to my room.

Since we’re on different floors, there’s no chance our paths will cross again tonight, so this should be the end of it.

‘...What exactly am I expecting?’

Whip-whip-!

Kang Woo-ju shook his head from side to side, fighting off the lustful demons flooding his mind.

He chose to be content with the fact that he had gotten much closer to her today, both emotionally and physically.

“Woo-ju, get a grip.”

Even if it was a theater performance, they had kissed several times before. And nothing had really changed in their relationship after that.

His male instincts might tempt him, whispering, “These days, couples go all the way even before they officially start dating”, but he had no intention of falling for such a shallow ploy.

‘Everyone has their own pace.’

Of course, this body is ready anytime, anywhere, but precisely because of that, he needed to match Kim Eun-ha’s pace.

From what he had observed so far, it didn’t seem like she had much experience with “normal” relationships.

Of course, the same could be said for him too, but he had heard and seen a lot more from those around him.

‘Hmm. But when she took off her stockings earlier, that was kind of sexy....’

Gasp-!

His instincts naturally slipped through the cracks like a snake over a wall. In response, he quickly got up and moved his body.

Lying around too comfortably was making all these weird thoughts pop up. Realizing that, he immediately headed for the shower.

***

“...Woo-ju ssi?”

“Please, go ahead.”

“No, uh... are you okay?”

“What do you mean, exactly?”

Heh-heh-

Seeing Kang Woo-ju with an unusually gentle expression, Kim Eun-ha tilted her head.

It was a bit late, but she had called him to briefly discuss the department store model matter. But something about his state seemed off.

‘...He looks kind of enlightened?’

Well, working even after coming home would definitely be tiring. Maybe she should’ve just let him rest today.

“I’m sorry. I guess I was a bit inconsiderate. There was a lot going on today in many ways. Maybe we should just get some rest now and talk with a clear head tomorrow....”

“It’s fine, Eun-ha ssi.”

Kang Woo-ju reached out and cut her off. The smile on his lips deepened, so much that it gave off a slight chill.

“If it’s about work, I can confidently say I’m in peak condition right now.”

“That really doesn’t seem like the case....”

“You don’t trust me enough.”

His tone sounded just like some kind of cult leader, and Kim Eun-ha squinted at him suspiciously, but it felt wrong to force him away when he insisted he was fine.

She knew better than anyone how stubborn Kang Woo-ju could be. So in the end, she opened her mouth.

“If you look at this photo here....”

“Ah, you were referring to that part. I was already a bit concerned about that during the on-site shoot. If I may share my thoughts....”

But as Kang Woo-ju kept speaking, Kim Eun-ha couldn’t help but widen her eyes. His explanation was as logical and organized as Secretary Yoon’s.

“Uh... hmm....”

“Is it lacking?”

“N-no! Quite the opposite. It’s so perfect that there’s nothing I need to revise. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to have thought it through this much.”

“You flatter me.”

Heh-heh-

As Kang Woo-ju chuckled calmly like a Buddha, Kim Eun-ha felt a strange sense of dissonance, but her instincts kept her from asking why.

*****

For more chapters check out my patreon:

If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it at Novelupdates. Thanks! 😊