Side Story 3.6

“Where were you?” 

“Just outside for a bit.”

“Outside where?”

“Just around the neighborhood…”

Her answers were vague, and unlike his persistence, her tone was dismissive. She seemed to be avoiding eye contact, as if she didn’t want to face him. Dowook’s heart sank.

Was it because I was too rough yesterday? Because I didn’t consider her feelings and only focused on satisfying my own desires? Did she lose interest in me?

He had promised to take care of her, to make her the happiest person in the world. He had worked so hard to win her over.

Junhee stepped past him, placing something on the dining table. She removed a thin cardigan she had been wearing. Dowook followed her, his voice cold as he asked, 

“Why won’t you look at me?”

“…”

“Why won’t you look at me?” 

When he reached out to turn her toward him, she suddenly thrust something into his hands.

“Here.”

“…What is this?”

“A gift.”

It was a small, rectangular shopping bag, no larger than his hand. Junhee still avoided his eyes. Dowook raised an eyebrow in confusion and took the bag. As he held it, Junhee glanced away, pretending to be distracted.

Now that he thought about it, she had mentioned giving him something during their time together last night. At the time, he had assumed it was just an excuse to distract him, a way to push him away when he overwhelmed her. But now, Junhee hesitantly spoke up.

“…The original shopping bag was really pretty.”

“Shopping bag?”

“But on my way home, it started raining, and I accidentally dropped it. The bag got wet and tore apart.”

“So?”

“So… I wanted to give it to you in something nice. I went out to buy another one.”

Dowook couldn’t understand her words at first. 

Why does the shopping bag matter?

“I went to a few nearby stores, but none of them had bags as nice as the one from the store. But it’s just a shopping bag. What’s important is what’s inside.”

Junhee rambled awkwardly, which was unusual for her. Dowook opened the small shopping bag. Inside was a small box. He untied the ribbon around it and opened it to reveal a red velvet case. Inside the velvet case was a single gold ring.

The moment he saw it, his heart thudded loudly in his chest. But this time, it wasn’t from irritation or anxiety.

“Do you like it?”

For the first time, Junhee cautiously met his eyes. Dowook stood frozen, staring at the ring with a dazed expression.

In truth, it wasn’t a fancy brand. Ideally, Junhee would have liked to give him a better ring from a more prestigious store, especially since Dowook had such refined tastes.

Although she didn’t know much about expensive accessories, she chose the prettiest one she could within her budget. Still, she couldn’t help but worry—what if he thought her choice was tacky? Perhaps she should’ve gone with him to select it. But she wanted to surprise him, to make him happier.

“This brand is apparently trending these days… I’ll buy you a better one later when I make more money. I don’t know much about accessories, and I’ve never bought anything like this before. If you don’t like it, we can go pick one out together…”

“So, are you proposing to me right now?”

“What?”

“I’m fine with it. Let’s get married.”

“What? What?!”

“How about tomorrow? Filing the marriage registration won’t take long.”

“No, no, this isn’t a proposal. It’s just a couple ring.”

“Oh, I should’ve done it first. I’m a step behind.”

Before Junhee could react, Dowook had already slid the ring onto his finger and swept her into his arms. Her feet lifted off the ground, and she let out a startled cry as he spun her around. Looking down at him from above, his face was beaming with joy. Junhee, however, was flustered.

“Wait, wait…! This isn’t meant as a proposal. It’s just a couple ring to celebrate us starting to date.”

“You’re going to marry me anyway.”

“What?”

“If not me, then who else would you marry?”

“…Anyway, I didn’t buy this with the intention of saying, ‘Let’s get married right now.’”

“Oh, so you’re saying you’ll marry me someday?”

Dowook laughed heartily as he gently set her back on the ground. But as soon as he did, he pulled her into a tight hug, pressing her small head and slender back against him.

His scent enveloped her, and the overwhelming emotions of joy and affection he exuded made her feel like she might suffocate. She felt as though she was being swept away by him. Yet, strangely enough, she had no desire to refute his words. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his back.

He showered her with affectionate kisses. Even though her lips and tongue had no flavor, he kissed her as if savoring something sweet and delicious.

He likes it. He must really like it.

Junhee thought, feeling relieved as she smiled secretly. It was her first time buying something like this, and she’d felt embarrassed from the moment she stepped into the department store. She’d been shy listening to the salesperson’s explanation and even more so while leaving the store with the purchase in hand.

Even though she was certain Dowook would be happy, she’d worried—what if it didn’t suit his taste? After all, he’d grown up surrounded by expensive and luxurious things. She had wanted to give it to him on the day they shared their first intimate moment, thinking it would make the occasion even more special. It was a small gesture compared to everything Dowook had done for her, but she thought it would be a meaningful way to commemorate their first time together.

“To be honest, I was feeling irritated earlier.”

“Why?”

“I had planned to carry someone around all day, but that someone wasn’t in my arms.”

“Why would you carry me around?”

“Because I tormented you yesterday. I wanted to make up for it.”

“It wasn’t torment.”

“Then what was it?”

“…I liked it too. A lot.”

Dowook’s laughter, filled with joy, echoed behind her.

“Will you keep doing it with me from now on?”

“Yes.”

“You won’t hate it?”

“I won’t.”

“You won’t find me disgusting?”

“Not at all.”

“Oh no, I don’t know what to do with myself.”

He pressed kisses all over her cheeks, squishing them affectionately. Her face was probably all scrunched up in an unflattering way, but Dowook couldn’t stop kissing her, his eyes brimming with adoration.

Their eyes met. His dark pupils still shimmered with a blissful glow. For some reason, Junhee felt incredibly shy. His expression made it seem like he had truly been proposed to, and she felt as if she had actually proposed. Trying to change the subject, she spoke up.

“…Walking was a bit hard.”

“Was it?”

“My back, my waist, and even my thighs ached with every step.”

“And where else does it hurt?”

She tried to think but couldn’t come up with anything else. So, she changed the subject again.

“Do you like the ring?”

“I love it.”

Dowook began describing in detail what he liked about the ring, from its design to its weight. She hadn’t expected him to be so pleased, and it filled her with pride. She told him proudly, 

“I bought it with my part-time job money.”

“A part-time job?”

“As soon as I got paid, it was the first thing I bought. I didn’t even buy anything for my dad or your mom.”

Dowook lifted his upper body slightly to look down at her face. She had thought he’d be pleased to hear that she prioritized him over her dad and the director. But his laugh, accompanied by an “Ah,” seemed a bit forced.

“When did you manage to do something like that without me knowing?”

They were together almost every day, so he couldn’t understand when she’d had the time for a part-time job.

“Remember when one of your family elders passed away, and we didn’t see each other for two days? I did a photoshoot for a university magazine during that time.”

His expression stiffened for a moment before he quickly smiled again.

“Oh, the photoshoot you said you didn’t want to do? You ended up doing it?”

“I didn’t want to, but it was just a one-time thing, and the pay was pretty good… Why?”

“No reason, I’m just touched. Shy little Woo Junhee did something like that for me?”

Dowook naturally pulled her into his arms and sat down on a chair by the dining table. Junhee ended up sitting on his lap. He gently massaged the areas she’d said were sore, soothing her like one would comfort a child.

As he caressed her tenderly, he began asking questions about the magazine—when it would be published, what the photoshoot’s concept was, and how many people were at the shoot. Before Junhee could find his questions strange, Dowook smoothly changed the topic. They ordered food to eat together, compared the size of their rings, and teased each other about the marks left on their bodies.

While outwardly smiling and acting nonchalant, Dowook was internally calculating how to retrieve the thousands of copies of that magazine that would soon be in circulation. He kissed Junhee’s cheek and neck as if nothing was wrong, gently comforting her as she complained about her lingering soreness.

The thought of other men across the country losing their minds over pictures of Woo Junhee made his blood boil. Yet, sitting on his lap, Junhee remained blissfully unaware, her innocence shining through as she talked about places she wanted to visit with him once the rainy season ended. She listed books she wanted to read together during the break and even mentioned competitions or contests they could enter in the next semester, eagerly searching for details on