Chapter 53
Only after my parents’ car left the terminal did the German sedan parked in front come into view. It was the car Ryu Eunseok usually drove. As I approached the passenger seat, his composed face came into view through the lowered window.
“Sorry. Did I make you wait long?”
The man who met my eyes gave no reply, only a blatant stare. Did I do something wrong? I came earlier than the meeting time. Why is he looking at me like he’s angry…
Just then, at the end of my wandering, unsettled gaze, I noticed a guest already occupying the passenger seat.
“…Huh?”
There was a panda plush sitting there, roughly the same size as me. Its wheat-colored fur, a few strands sticking up on its head, its plump snout, even its cute gray claws—all rendered in perfect detail. It was an extra-large version, identical to the real thing.
“Did you buy this?”
My voice shot up without any restraint. At that moment, Eunseok’s faintly stiff expression softened all at once.
“Yeah.”
Ryu Eunseok nodded.
“For you.”
“…Huh?”
My eyes widened as if they were about to pop out at the sudden remark.
“Get in first.”
Ryu Eunseok unfastened the seatbelt on the passenger seat and lifted the panda plush up. Though I was confused by his vague explanation, I got into the seat anyway. After moving my bag to the back seat and settling in comfortably, the fluffy panda was placed on my lap.
“Wow, it’s really soft.”
It even smelled like clean, bright fabric softener. Without thinking, I pulled the panda into my arms and sniffed it.
“I washed it yesterday.”
There was a hint of pride in the low voice coming from the driver’s seat. I quickly composed my expression and lifted my face from the plush.
“But why are you giving me this all of a sudden?”
“Because it’s your birthday tomorrow.”
I didn’t even need to ask how he knew it was my birthday. I had already told him casually before. Even the password for the locker we shared was 0528.
“Hey, but this is expensive…”
It was something I had often fiddled with whenever I went to Yongin and then put back down. No matter how much I liked pandas, a plush costing over 100,000 won was too much of a luxury for a student living on allowance.
My eyes darted toward the driver’s seat. As always, his large hand, veins faintly raised, smoothly turned the steering wheel.
Does this guy, who says his family isn’t well-off, just casually buy things like this for someone he’s not even that close to? If his wallet gets thinner while his spending stays the same, isn’t that a problem?
“I bought it with extra money, so don’t worry.”
A faint smile curved Ryu Eunseok’s lips. Somehow, it looked almost sinister.
“Extra money?”
“I squeezed laundry money out of Kim Do-wan.”
At the suddenly mentioned name, my brows furrowed. It reminded me of an unpleasant memory of clothes getting soaked all the way to my underwear.
“I didn’t think your personality would let you collect laundry fees, so I threatened him a bit on your behalf.”
A terrifying explanation followed. Just what kind of intimidation had he used to make Kim Do-wan—who had such a nasty temper—actually hand over the money?
“Anyway, it was bought with money you were supposed to receive, so don’t worry about it.”
I held the panda’s paw and let my thoughts drift for a moment. Whether it was really okay not to care, whether Kim Do-wan might complain later, why he would spend that money on something like a stuffed animal.
But none of those thoughts ever came out of my mouth.
“Honestly, I really wanted this. But it was expensive, and I didn’t think I’d be able to handle something this big, so I gave up on it. But now that I actually touch it, it feels really nice.”
I hugged the panda again and rested my chin on its soft head.
“Thank you.”
Eunseok, who had been staring straight ahead, turned his head toward me. Inside the car tinted dark enough that sunlight shouldn’t have mattered, his face was faintly flushed red. As if holding back words, his lower lip curled inward slightly.
After silently nodding once or twice, he looked forward again. The exposed tip of his right ear was even redder than his face.
His grip tightened on the steering wheel, the bones on the back of his hand standing out sharply. The other arm resting on the console box remained stiff, no longer tapping as before.
I buried my face in the panda and watched the scenery slide past the window. Only the low hum of the engine and a calm pop song filled the car.
His tension seemed to transfer to me as well. I became awkward in turn and fell silent.
I kept telling myself not to think too deeply about the fact that Eunseok had given me this panda.
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