Chapter 93
Permission to move their relationship from friendship to the starting point of romance.
“Okay.”
Eunseok’s entire face softened.
He tried to compose himself, but the smile kept breaking through.
From between his constantly curving lips came a low voice that barely managed to maintain its composure.
“I’ll gladly accept the gift.”
Without replying, Sang-hee simply stared at him.
Even through her thick lenses, her eyes were fairly large. He knew that when she took her glasses off, the slightly upturned corners of her eyes and her even rounder pupils became visible.
That was why every time Sang-hee polished her glasses with the hem of her shirt, all of his attention sharpened.
Because the eyes looking directly at him were so clear and unclouded.
Because the unobstructed gaze that came straight at him always startled him enough to make his heart drop.
And because he was afraid other guys would see that side of her and start drooling over her too.
He had already realized that Lee Dong-ha had fallen for Sang-hee at first sight when he saw her without makeup.
And he suspected that Joo Seung-jae had also, at some point, seen her bare face without glasses.
Once the semester started, he’d have to shake off those small fry first.
But if they were keeping their relationship secret, how was he supposed to stake his claim?
Dong-ha was perceptive enough that a few discouraging hints would probably make him back off on his own.
Joo Seung-jae, however, didn’t seem nearly as easy.
The worries were already piling up.
Sang-hee finally looked away and stood up.
Eunseok quickly grabbed the cupcake he hadn’t even tasted and hurried to her side.
He took the shopping bag from her small hand and, in its place, slipped his own hand into hers.
Startled by the sudden hand that grabbed hers, Sang-hee’s shoulders jerked.
She reflexively tried to pull away, so Eunseok raised an eyebrow and put on a stern expression.
“We’re not at school.”
They were far from campus, and the park was already growing quiet with closing time approaching.
If he couldn’t act like a couple here, then where could he?
“Summer break’s almost over. I should make the most of it while I still can.”
“Who said you couldn’t?”
Sang-hee stopped resisting and let him hold her hand.
After fidgeting with her fingers for a moment, she quietly tightened her grip and clasped his hand back.
He had held this hand before under all sorts of pretexts, but now that they had officially decided to date, even its warmth felt different.
It was as if all the blood pumped by his heart had gathered right there.
He felt like he could hold onto this hand all day long, even if his palms became slick with sweat.
The only time Eunseok let go was when he helped Sang-hee into the car.
The moment he climbed into the driver’s seat, he immediately reached over and grabbed her hand again.
“Let go. You need to drive.”
Looking bewildered, Sang-hee lifted and lowered the hand he was gripping.
“You can’t drive like this.”
“I can do it with one hand.”
Eunseok started the engine with practiced ease using his left hand and fastened his seatbelt.
“My second older brother deliberately taught me how to drive with one hand.”
It had been driving lessons drilled into him by his second older brother, Jin-young, immediately after the college entrance exam, accompanied by endless nagging.
“Why?”
“So my right hand could hold my girlfriend’s hand. My brother said our eldest brother taught him the same thing.”
Three years ago, he’d been thoroughly annoyed by his brother’s harsh teaching methods, but now that he was actually in this situation, gratitude washed over him like a rising tide.
As expected, smart people always had a reason for what they did.
When his brother got home from work later, he should at least make him some ramen.
“If it gets dangerous even a little, let go immediately. Got it?”
Unaware of the rigorous training Eunseok had endured, Sang-hee repeatedly warned him with a worried look.
Even as he casually steered with one hand, suspicious glances continued to come from the passenger seat.
“Did anyone contact you during break?”
Driving along the open road, Eunseok casually asked something he’d been curious about for a while.
“You exchanged numbers with a lot of people at the end-of-semester gathering.”
“Not really.”
So there had been some.
His smile immediately faded as he found himself already guessing who.
“Who? Dong-ha?”
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