TL: looloo
Schedule: 4/Week Wed-Sat
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For the first time, I tried on glasses and took a few selfies with Heena. We chatted and strolled around various spots.
While passing by the SPA clothing brands commonly found in malls, we browsed through some outfits.
"You'd look good in these shorts, Yeonho."
"In a bit, you'll probably get tired of seeing me in shorts because of the heat..."
"Me too! In summer, it's easy to pair them with a simple tee. Let's try a matching couple look!"
"Can't summer come any faster?"
The idea of matching outfits is so romantic. It's also nice to match accessories or shoes.
As we glanced through eye-catching stores, we briefly stopped by an arcade near the movie theater entrance.
I wasn't really into arcade games, and I didn't really know how to play any of them. We just decided to drop by while walking around the mall and slowly explored the inside with Heena.
"Seems like they have every game these days."
"You don't like these kinds of games?"
"They're fun with friends, but I wouldn't come to play them alone."
It's true that hanging out with friends, even just wandering the streets, has its own charm.
"What about that one?"
"Which one... Oh, the basketball game?"
What Heena pointed at was a basketball arcade game, a staple of most arcades.
It's technically called a "basketball game", but it's more of a ball throwing game. To score properly, you need to mechanically toss the ball in, almost like dribbling with one hand.
Still, it's a fun game to play when killing time before a movie.
"You like basketball, right?"
"I do, but this is a bit different from actual basketball."
"How so?"
"Remember the ball-throwing event from elementary school sports day?"
"I do."
"It's pretty much the same. You just throw it in as fast as you can."
"Oh, like that?"
"If we're just playing for fun, there's no need to be competitive... Wanna give it a try?"
"Yeah! Let's do it together!"
Rapidly, I approached the coin exchange machine and exchanged a 1,000 won coin. I had no time to hesitate, fearing Heena might pull out her wallet at any moment.
After getting the coins, we stood side by side in front of the game machine. I wanted to briefly explain the game to her, but there wasn't much to say.
"Just catch the ball when it comes down and throw it into the hoop."
"Got it. Let's do this!"
"Let's go!"
Upon inserting the two 500 won coins, the once mellow retro background music picked up pace.
Moments later, four basketballs rolled down.
Before they reached the bottom, I quickly grabbed one and lightly positioned myself before throwing. We weren't competing, just having fun with Heena, so there was no need to be overly serious.
Just a touch with the left hand!
Swish!
─Two points!
The ball cleanly passes through the rim, the sound of the chain in place of a net resounds, signaling a score.
"Yeonho, you're good!"
Even though the game had started, Heena's compliment reached my ears, sounding more appreciative of me than the actual shot.
Wasn't all the basketball I played leading up to this moment?
Fueled by Heena's praise, I focused more on accuracy than speed, sinking each shot.
Between my shots, Heena was also throwing forcefully with both hands, and surprisingly, she was doing well.
─Two points!
─Two points!
"You could keep up with me in a real basketball game."
"Really?"
"Absolutely!"
─Two points!
─Three points!
─Three points!
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Raei Translations
---
─Three points!
Though not particularly fast, we scored high due to our accuracy. Especially in the last 15 seconds, when three-pointers were allowed, we silently threw with all our might and breezed through the first stage.
I had hoped we'd have a casual conversation during the game, but we were too focused.
Clearing the stage might seem like no big deal, but it's a game that strains the arms more than you'd expect. Continuously catching the ball from below and throwing it up can be tiring.
Being a man, and someone who plays basketball almost daily, I wasn't tired yet. But it might be more taxing for a woman.
Near the end, I didn't see any balls coming from Heena's side. She might have stopped because she was tired.
With that thought, I relaxed my arm and turned to look at her.
Huh?
"Heena?"
Before me stood Heena, holding a basketball, tears streaming down her face as she looked at me. Strangely, even amidst the tears, a smile graced her lips.
"Did you hurt yourself? Show me your hand!"
Panicking, I thought she might have hit her hand while throwing. Dropping my ball, I grabbed her wrist to inspect for injuries.
Thankfully, there were no visible wounds.
Then why the sudden tears?
Unsure of what to say, Heena, wiping her eyes, began, "I'm not hurt, Yeonho. I was so focused and strained my eyes, they just got a bit tired."
It wasn't easy to take her words at face value, even though she didn't appear injured or look in pain or sadness.
Just moments ago, we were enjoying the game and chatting. It was hard to guess why she was suddenly crying while looking at me.
"I promise! My eyes just dried out from being too wide-open."
There seemed to be no reason not to believe Heena's explanation after all.
"Whew... When you suddenly started crying, I thought you'd bumped into something and gotten hurt."
"I'm sorry. Oh, I need to use the restroom real quick."
"Okay, I'll wait here."
A nagging feeling settled in a corner of my heart.
Not long after, once Heena returned, we left the somewhat unsettling arcade, browsed around the mall a bit more, and then headed outside.
We had seen enough, and since we hadn't eaten lunch, we needed to grab a meal.
While I had a few bites of various street foods, Heena seemed to have eaten almost nothing the entire lunchtime. Considering the single piece of charcoal-grilled skewer I gave her was all she had, she must've been pretty hungry.
Given that it was a rare date, I wanted us to enjoy something more than the usual, even if it wasn't lavish. But Heena resisted, suggesting another place.
So we ended up at...
"Do you like burgers?"
"Yes~ I love burgers."
"I mean, I do too, but..."
"It's fine~"
The fast-food place where we first met.
Though it felt somewhat out of place, it was Heena who had chosen it. And seeing her happily enjoy the burger she'd ordered, I didn't have much to say. To be honest, I was content as long as Heena was happy, regardless of what we ate.
Moreover, the way she delicately nibbled at her burger, much like a squirrel, was utterly endearing.
It made me think, perhaps this was perfect in its own unique way.
---
Raei Translations
---
After a simple meal,
Heena, with a bright smile, asked, "Where should we go now?" as she eagerly pulled me along. But there was an uneasiness lingering in my heart about wandering around like this.
One might argue that it's unreasonable to send someone off right after eating, but she hadn’t eaten anything since this morning. I couldn’t just let her go, fearing she might faint.
Of course, skipping a meal or two wouldn’t typically cause someone to collapse. Yet, Heena looked so delicate and frail, which made me a bit anxious.
I deeply wanted to spend the entire evening with Heena. But the image of her crying in the arcade weighed on my mind.
Regardless of the reason,
"Really, I’m fine," she said.
"I know. But I’m still worried."
"Mm."
Seeing her visibly disheartened when I suggested we call it a day, I felt a mix of regret and joy in seeing such a side of her.
In no time, it was 5 pm.
It felt a bit early to part ways, but I thought it wasn’t a bad day for our first date.
"It’s not like today’s the only day. We can date anytime."
"True..."
"So, will you cheer up? Or should we meet tomorrow?"
"I’d like to... but I have a visit scheduled tomorrow."
"Then let's meet late tomorrow or on Monday. I'll come to you."
"Okay..."
My heart ached seeing her still looking so gloomy. I comforted her bit by bit as I accompanied her to the bus stop.
I wanted to walk her all the way home, but Heena declined. She insisted there was no need for the unnecessary effort.
As her bus approached, we exchanged final goodbyes.
"Today was really fun. Heena, you looked beautiful."
"Mm, thanks."
As she replied, she subtly wrapped her arms around my waist.
Before I could even react, Heena tightened her embrace.
For a moment, my mind went blank, and my arms flailed. But I soon pulled myself together and hugged her back.
The subtle fragrance that had teased my senses throughout the day now felt even more profound.
"I really enjoyed today too."
"Mm, take care on your way. Text me when you get home."
"You too. And next time, our date won’t end this early, okay?"
"Of course. I won’t let it."
"That’s a promise."
"Yes, a promise."
We locked pinkies and sealed it.
Then, she headed towards her arriving bus.
"Talk to you later!"
"Take care!"
"You too!"
With those words, the bus carrying Heena gradually drifted away.
It was then that I paused to reflect on the day’s date.
All day, I felt led by Heena. While I don’t believe men should always take the lead, I did feel somewhat pitiful reflecting on it.
Compared to Heena, who always looked out for various things, I felt like I hadn't done anything special for her.
I wasn't sure if sending Heena home early because of what happened at the arcade was the right thing to do. Maybe it would've been better to spend more time together, laughing and enjoying each other's company.
It's a bit late to think about that now.
"Well, I guess I'll do better next time."
With that resolve, I headed back to the shopping mall, thinking of buying things like handkerchiefs. After today, I realized that next time, I should be the one doing things for Heena.
I wanted to show her that I'm improving, bit by bit.
For her, who dresses up beautifully for me, puts effort into our dates, and is saddened by our departures.
Author's Note:
Posting this before heading to work. ;ㅅ;
Love you all!
Regarding the casual tone in the dialogue, I didn't use it much in school or even recently in real-life conversations. But a few years ago, when I started using Discord frequently, it became common when playing games with friends. I love games like LoL and PUBG. Due to their fast-paced nature, we often shortened our sentences, and this way of speaking naturally made its way into the novel.
Aside from the story with Heena, interactions with other friends or family are intentionally exaggerated. With Heena's parts being relatively calm and touching on emotions, I wanted to contrast them by making other sections feel lighter and more cheerful, almost like light novels.
Regarding the chat section, although it's reminiscent of KakaoTalk, I initially labeled it as just 'chat' and arbitrarily chose "999+" messages. But on reflection, and based on feedback, I realize "300+" might be more relatable and have made the correction.
About the pedestrian part, I wanted to convey the vibe of Hongdae station's second exit during its peak. On weekends, it could get extremely crowded. My intent was to depict how the "extremely beautiful" protagonist received attention in such a place, but it seems my description fell short.
Regarding the glasses store scene, it wasn't inside the store but in the busy part of a shopping mall. Please interpret it in the same vein as the previous scene.
Some dialogues and choice of words might be a bit off, and that's on me.
I tried to explain my writing intentions, but honestly, I've been out of writing for years, so I'm still a novice in many ways.
I'm sorry! ^.<
Thank you so much for the support and feedback!
Love you so much and thank you!
I'll return with the next chapter featuring Heena.