15.2

He tastes sweet even though he didn’t eat anything sweet. He has such a pretty face, but kissing her with such a sweet smile makes her heart tremble.

And that brought an unexpected happiness. It was a happiness she had never felt before.

This is okay, right? Things have been tough, and I deserved this bit of reward. After all, Seonho would be leaving soon.

He would be in Korea, and I would remain in the UK. Distance always served as a convenient excuse.

“What do you think? Is it good?”

Chaeyoon gently wiped the sauce on his lips with her thumb and asked affectionately.

“It’s delicious. You should eat, too.”

Seonho smiled broadly.

“Yeah.”

The two ate their lunch cozily, almost like a couple, flirting and enjoying each other’s company. It was hard to tell if it was because the food was delicious or the cozy atmosphere.

“What’s next on your agenda?”

“Going home to organize the groceries and catch up on housework.”

“And after that?”

“Nothing. Rest.”

“Then you can give me that time, right? I have plans to impress you while I’m here. Aren’t you excited?”

“What is it?”

“Oh, no. It’s less impressive if you know in advance.”

Seonho shook his head seriously.

“What if I’m not impressed with the plans? How will you compensate for my wasted time?”

“We’ll negotiate that afterward.”

“So, one way or another, I need to be with you, right?”

“Don’t be too stingy. I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon.”

Seonho said in a deflated tone.

That won’t do. I’m weak for this kind of thing.

“Oh? You know how to make a pitiful face? Yoon Seonho, your acting has really improved.”

“Right? Even I’m surprised.”

Chaeyoon couldn’t help but laugh at Seonho’s cheeky remark.

***

After having coffee at a cafe with a sparkling view of the Thames River, Chaeyoon and Seonho returned home together.

“It feels a bit drafty, doesn’t it?”

Seonho said, looking around as he felt the chilly air.

“It’s because it’s a converted barn. The house is old, too.”

“Isn’t it cold?”

“I’ve gotten used to it, so it’s bearable. I also have a heated mattress pad.”

Chaeyoon tapped the bed lightly.

“A heated mattress pad?”

“I don’t know about you, but I definitely need a heating mat. As long as it’s warm when I sleep, that’s enough for me. Once you move around, you start to warm up. And it’s tough to find a place this good.”

“It does feel cozy. Like a dollhouse.”

“Haha, by your standards, maybe.”

Though small, the space had everything necessary and made efficient use of the area, especially the view of the garden through the large window, which was like a living painting.

Although the garden was dry with only evergreens due to winter, it possessed a certain charm, and it would be even lovelier in spring when filled with blooming flowers.

Seeing the desk that doubled as a dining table under the window, Chaeyoon could easily picture herself sitting there, enjoying tea while looking out at the garden.

“The garden is nice. I can see why you chose this house.”

“Not really. My only criteria were the rent and the windows. The garden was a lucky bonus. I got lucky.”

“What are the prices like in London?”

“Ugh, horrendous. Just as bad as Gangnam. No, maybe worse?”

Chaeyoon shook her head disapprovingly.

“Should I buy a house with a garden in London?”

“Why?”

“For investment?”

“Why bother with all the hassle in London?”

“You could manage it during your study abroad. In exchange, I’ll charge the same rent as here. Or should I be paying you for the management?”

Seonho tilted his head, puzzled.

“Stop talking nonsense, and can you put this on the shelf?”

Chaeyoon, who would normally need a chair to reach, asked Seonho to place the groceries on the shelf.

“Sure.”

Seonho placed the items on the shelf effortlessly without needing a chair.

“I’ll run the laundry, and while I’m at it, you can run the vacuum cleaner. Just turn it on like this.”

Chaeyoon explained to Seonho how to operate the vacuum cleaner.

“Okay.”

Seonho should have complained, but he followed Chaeyoon’s instructions. Though it was an easy task, since he hadn’t done it before, Seonho’s movements were somewhat awkward.

“Is this how it’s supposed to be done?”

“Yeah, you’re doing great.”

“Really? I’m really good at anything I try.”

Encouraged by the praise that could make even a whale dance, Seonho enthusiastically ran the vacuum cleaner. Chaeyoon laughed at the cute way he stuck his tongue out in concentration.

“Thanks to you, I finished early.”

Chaeyoon rubbed her hands together and looked around the room.

“You got everything done for the weekend, right?”

“Yep. I have time to hang out with you.”

“Well, it’s worth the effort. Let’s go to downtown London. We’ll have dinner there.”

“Have you ever toured London before?”

“It’s cold. I’m not risking my life for sightseeing, like you.”

Seonho shrugged, looking outside where it was already getting dark.

“Ugh, you sloth.”

“I still want to see your school, though. Just that.”

“It’s a small school, not like those big campuses in Korea. There’s not much to see. About the size of a slightly bigger house? Probably smaller than your family home.”

“Still, I want to see the world you’re a part of.”

“’The world I’m a part of’. Sounds pretty fancy when you put it that way.”

“A fancy person makes fancy remarks.”

“Whatever.”

Chaeyoon chuckled and slipped a cloverleaf ring onto her finger. She always wore it but had forgotten to put it back on after showering in a hurry.

“What’s that ring?”

Seonho showed interest in the ring.

During the trip to central London, Chaeyoon told Seonho the story behind why she purchased the ring and the events associated with it.

“That’s why I love antique jewelry. While flashy, attention-grabbing jewelry is appealing, when there’s a story behind it, it becomes more than just an item. It becomes a part of life.”

Chaeyoon lovingly caressed her ring with her fingers.

“So, you want to specialize in custom brands rather than mass-produced ones?”

“While dealing with antique jewelry. There’s an antique jewelry shop on Bond Street. I want to open a similar shop in Korea and sell my own creations there. Of course, I’ll also offer custom services.”

“It sounds fun, but will it make money?”

Seonho looked somewhat skeptical.

“I have to make it profitable, right? I’ve come to study abroad, I don’t want to do it as a hobby.”

“True. Skill varies from person to person.”

At Seonho’s request, Chaeyoon took him to the jewelry school she attended. The school, with a small workshop on the first floor, looked like a red brick house.

“It has an old-fashioned charm. Should I say it’s very London-like?”

“Right? Want to go inside?”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah, I brought my ID card.”

Chaeyoon pulled out her student ID card, which also served as an access card, from her bag. Once inside, she showed Seonho around the lounge, the lecture rooms, and the workshop.

“This is the workshop. This is where they make my fingers like this.”

“Looks intense. Like a taskmaster with a whip might jump out at any moment.”

“Right? I was pretty nervous at first too. But it turns out workshops around the world are pretty much the same.”

Chaeyoon giggled.

“Let’s get out of here.”

They stepped outside to find the sun setting.

“Hey, you’re really lucky.”

Chaeyoon remarked admiringly as she looked at the crimson waves in the sky.

“Huh?”

“It’s been raining a lot recently, so sunsets have been rare. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one too.”

“I’m always lucky. I was born with it.”

“Whatever.”

Chaeyoon made a sour face, somewhat annoyed.

“That’s why you should stick close to me. They say luck is contagious, so if you’re near someone lucky, their luck rubs off on you.”

“My luck is pretty good too.”

“You’re not greedy enough.”

“What do you mean? No one is as greedy as me, which is why I dropped everything to study abroad so I could do what I want.”

“If that’s what you call greed, then you’re not greedy.”

If you’re really greedy, you should be greedy for me.

Seonho swallowed the words he really wanted to say.

“It’s not about being more greedy, it’s about wanting different things.”

“It’s dark already but it’s not even 5 o’clock yet?”

Seonho checked his watch.

“It’s winter, so the sun sets quickly. It’s gotten a lot longer, though. When I first got here, it was dark before four.”

“We still have some time before our dinner reservation. Let’s go there.”

“There?”

“To the place where you bought your ring.”

“Why there?”

“Because you talked about it so excitedly earlier, I wanted to see it too. Who knows? Maybe I’ll have a destined encounter like you did.”

“Ha-ha, we’ll see. Now I’m curious about your ‘destined encounter’.”