Chapter 92
“What are you looking for?”
“Ah, hold on a second.”
What Sang-hee finally pulled out was a carrot cupcake sold at the café in front of Panda World. In her other hand was a red heart-shaped candle.
“I just wanted to create a little birthday atmosphere…”
When Eunseok couldn’t take his eyes off the cupcake barely larger than a fist, Sang-hee awkwardly explained herself.
“You did it for me too.”
Eunseok took the candle and cupcake from her and moved over to a flower bed nearby.
Once he sat on the low brick ledge, the crowd of people blocked most of the view, but the parade wasn’t what mattered right now.
He struck a match and lit the heart-shaped candle.
Instead of the streetlights that had been turned off for the festival, the yellow candlelight illuminated Sang-hee’s face.
“Happy birthday.”
Sang-hee muttered it so quietly that it was almost impossible to hear.
There was no birthday song, of course.
She simply sat there and waited for Eunseok to blow out the candle.
The parade seemed about to begin, as the distant sound of drums echoed through the park.
Boom. Boom.
Eunseok stared at the reddening wick as it burned and then voiced his wish aloud.
“I want one more thing besides the T-shirt.”
“What is it?”
Loud music exploded from all directions.
The gathered crowd erupted into cheers.
To escape the noise ringing in his ears, Eunseok lowered his head. His lips moved until they were right beside Sang-hee’s ear.
“Be my girlfriend.”
Sang-hee, who had been listening closely, fluttered her eyelashes rapidly.
The yellow candlelight reflected in her trembling eyes.
As if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard, she sat frozen in place.
Eunseok carefully withdrew from her ear and blew out the candle.
The flame vanished, but dazzling LED lights from beyond the crowd continued to pour over them.
“I just made my wish.”
Eunseok placed the decision in Sang-hee’s hands.
“You get to decide.”
“Whether you’ll grant my wish or not.”
He stared only at the candle with its burnt wick as he waited for the answer that would come from beside him.
The fact that it was shaped like a red heart unsettled him for some reason.
There had been plenty of other candle designs.
Why had she chosen this one?
He couldn’t stop himself from reading meaning into it.
Was this Sang-hee’s own way of sending a signal?
Had her feelings slipped into the choice unconsciously?
Or had it simply looked the prettiest to her?
And if she had tried to pick the prettiest one, wasn’t that, in its own way, consideration for him?
All sorts of thoughts ran through his head.
While Eunseok’s mind buzzed with restless speculation, Sang-hee remained silent.
A brightly illuminated parade float rolled past, flashing with lights.
One by one, the floats rolled past.
The dancers waving their arms energetically, the performers in strange costumes—all of them moved on to the next section of the route.
Throughout it all, Sang-hee remained silent.
Until the parade ended.
But Eunseok didn’t pressure her.
The moment he rushed her for an answer, he felt she might run away.
Hadn’t he already experienced that once before?
When Yang Subin had publicly embarrassed him in front of everyone, he’d gotten upset and demanded to know why Sang-hee hadn’t asked about it. After that, he barely saw her throughout the entire exam period.
He had gone to the study room every day without fail, endlessly waiting to hear the sound of her footsteps.
In the end, he wasn’t able to talk to her until after exams were over.
Still, the patience had paid off.
That day, in front of a glaring Park Tae-hyun, Sang-hee had taken his side. And she had even given him a matching key ring.
The spectators blocking their view gradually began leaving the amusement park.
It was only then that Sang-hee finally lifted her gaze from the cupcake.
Her dark-colored lips parted.
Eunseok felt as if he might stop breathing, but he repeatedly reminded himself to be patient.
He was almost there.
He couldn’t afford to ruin everything by acting impulsively at the most important moment.
“…Keep it a secret.”
The statement lacked all context, but Eunseok understood immediately.
The heart that had shrunk with anxiety while waiting suddenly sprang back to life, beating vigorously.
“When school starts, don’t stick to me all the time.”
“And just act like a classmate.”
“There are too many people who like you. It’s overwhelming.”
There were conditions attached.
Several of them, in fact.
But in the end, it was still accepted.
A promise that she would become his girlfriend.
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