NOVEL WEB Chapter 21
Chapter 21: The Date
—–CROW—–
Like Ariadne entering Cobb’s dream in Inception,
countless people in the street glanced at Da-Hye as if they were all part of a coordinated plan.
It was a bizarre situation, but I couldn’t help but understand them.
They weren’t just looking at her because she was beautiful; their gazes were involuntarily drawn to her.
Even among the people dressed in bright, spring-colored clothes, Da-Hye’s legs were exceptionally radiant.
It was impossible not to look.
But Da-Hye, like a warrior armed with buffs, bravely navigated the street, unfazed by the waves of attention.
Where did the shy, awkward girl from earlier go?
I felt a sense of pride.
My strategy had worked.
Now Da-Hye’s attention was solely focused on the shops and me.
She probably didn’t even register the crowd anymore.
Excellent work, Park Da-Hye. One thumbs-up.
“Sung-Hyeon! Ice cream! Should we get some?”
“Let’s have ice cream after we eat. Aren’t you hungry?”
“Hmm… now that you mention it, I’m starving.”
“Anything you want to eat? Just tell me. I know all the good places around here.”
“Hmm… a hamburger? How about hamburgers?”
“For breakfast?”
“Is that weird…? But for some reason, I crave hamburgers on weekends…”
Hmm.
I wanted her to eat something healthy, but hamburgers…
But I understood.
I also craved hamburgers on weekend afternoons.
Just imagining sitting by the window of a two-story fast-food restaurant, munching on fries, made me happy.
Did Da-Hye feel the same way?
Oh well, whatever.
It wouldn’t kill her to have some fries just this once.
We’d start with healthy food for dinner.
“Okay, let’s have hamburgers. There’s a good burger place here.”
“McDonald’s?”
“It’s a gourmet burger place. It’s way better than McDonald’s.”
“Wow… I really like McDonald’s, but is it tastier than that?”
“Of course, it’s like ten times tastier. Hmm… how about we get the burgers to go and eat them in the park?”
“Okay! That sounds great!”
How could I refuse when she was so excited?
The gourmet burger place was at the end of the street.
We should stop by a clothing store before that.
It would be good to buy Da-Hye some clothes that covered her legs a bit more, and some underwear as well.
While walking down the street, I bought two pairs of character socks that Da-Hye picked out.
And I chose a pair of sunglasses and a hat for her.
They were cheap, but I figured they’d come in handy someday. Come to think of it, whenever I was with Da-Hye, I felt like I was playing an RPG.
Like this morning, I kept thinking ahead and preparing for things.
This must be what it felt like to be a parent.
From the moment I decided to support her, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d become a parent.
A little while later, Da-Hye, who was walking ahead, waved her hand and said,
“Sung-Hyeon! There’s a lingerie store here.”
“You can buy underwear by yourself, right? I’ll wait here, so just buy some and come out.”
“No, don’t go! You have to help me choose!”
Ugh, this was going to be awkward. I wasn’t comfortable in a lingerie store.
Da-Hye dragged me into the store, and the saleswoman greeted us cheerfully.
The walls were covered with lacy lingerie, making me dizzy.
“Welcome. Are you looking for underwear for your girlfriend?”
“Yes, her size is a bit large, so I’m not sure if you have anything that fits.”
“What size does she usually wear?”
“She’s a 70E.”
The moment I said her size, the saleswoman’s eyebrows shot up like Mario jumping.
Well, even I, in my 29 years of life, had never met anyone with an E cup.
It seemed like ‘E’ was an unfamiliar letter even to a lingerie store employee.
“Then should we measure her size first?”
“Yes, please.”
The conversation flowed naturally, but why was *I* the one talking to the saleswoman?
The person who was actually buying the underwear was hiding behind me, too embarrassed to come out.
“Da-Hye, what are you doing? Go get measured.”
“Um… I’m embarrassed.”
“What are you talking about? You’re always flaunting them at home, and now you’re embarrassed? Hurry up.”
“Okay…”
A moment later, Da-Hye returned, her face flushed crimson.
“Does it fit?”
“Yeah, she said it fits…”
“But why do you look so down?”
“That lady touched my boobs… I’m embarrassed…”
Aha.
So that’s what it was.
She was embarrassed because the saleswoman touched her breasts.
That was ridiculous.
She acted like she had no shame around me.
Was it really that embarrassing?
I couldn’t understand her sense of shame.
The saleswoman led us to the back of the store.
And then,
“All the E-cup sizes are here. You can choose from these~.”
She just said that and left.
It was worse than I thought.
Out of all this lingerie, the space allotted for E cups was just a single rack.
There were maybe ten bras.
I was realizing this again, but Park Da-Hye was a truly rare specimen.
“Da-Hye, do you see anything you like?”
“What about you, Sung-Hyeon?”
“Why would you need my opinion when you’re buying for yourself?”
“You’re the one who’s going to see them at home; you’re the only one who matters.”
“Please stop being considerate in such strange ways, and just focus on covering yourself up, okay?”
“Of course I’ll cover up. But, you know… we’re living together now, so… they might be visible sometimes…”
“Just pick something already.”
“Okay…”
A moment ago, she was dejected because she was embarrassed, and now she was dejected for a different reason.
I knew why Da-Hye was acting like this.
It was because of the “no physical contact” rule I’d imposed this morning.
She loved it when I patted her head or hugged her from behind.
Now that it was forbidden, she must be feeling disappointed.
But wrong is wrong.
Now that we were living together, if I didn’t set some boundaries, I might not be able to control myself.
I didn’t want to be irresponsible.
I never slept with any woman without feelings, and that was especially true for my precious KimPokDaughter.
“Then… I’ll buy this one and this one.”
Da-Hye chose simple silk bras without any patterns or lace.
One black and one white.
They were the simplest designs, but because of her cup size, they looked incredibly sexy.
“Those are fine. Give them to me; I’ll pay.”
“Huh? I’m buying them? I have money.”
“I’m paying for everything today. It’s a housewarming gift.”
“But I feel bad…”
“Don’t. You’ve carried me in the game for eight years; this is nothing.”
“Hmm… then I’ll pay for our next date.”
“Okay, that sounds good. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Heehee. Thanks, Sung-Hyeon. But, I saw something else I wanted… can I buy it too?”
“Sure, but these are the only ones that fit you.”
“No, not like these. Wait a minute!”
Da-Hye said that and disappeared.
She was so shy behind me earlier; what was she looking at so intently?
Was there lingerie with game characters on it or something?
As I placed the bras on the counter and waited for Da-Hye, the saleswoman cautiously approached me.
“You must be happy to have such a beautiful girlfriend. She has an amazing figure, too.”
“Yeah, well. That’s true. Haha.”
“But she seems quite shy. She was very hesitant when I was measuring her. I’d be proud if I were her.”
“She’s naive and a bit timid.”
The moment I said that, Park Da-Hye returned.
Holding something unbelievable in her hands.
“Are you… serious?”
The item Park Da-Hye was holding was…
A chemise.
A nightgown.
It was a frilly slip dress with shoulder straps, the top and bottom separated at the waist…
The problem was…
Both parts were completely see-through.
“Oh my. That would look lovely on you~ Hohoho.”
The saleswoman gave me a knowing, suggestive smile.
Damn it. Why was she never helpful?
I just covered for Da-Hye, saying she was naive.
What was I supposed to do when she brought something like *that* at a time like this?
And then, without a hint of self-awareness, she declared,
“Sung-Hyeon, buy this for me, too!”
Her happy smile radiated desire.
The shameless desire to secure a back hug, no matter the cost.
I supported your shopping with a parental heart, and all you’re thinking about is a back hug.
Perhaps the most urgent task for me right now wasn’t helping Park Da-Hye, but protecting myself.
“Let me be clear, you can only wear that in your room. The moment I see it outside your room, you’re evicted.”
“Ugh… you’re so mean, Kwon Sung-Hyeon…”
“What’s so mean about that? Even if you like back hugs, that’s a bit too much.”
“Hey~ you said I was beautiful earlier. Don’t you want to see me wearing this?”
“Want to see… what are you-”
“Don’t lie. Really!”
“…I do want to see it.”
Ugh. I should have just lied.
Silence filled the air.
Da-Hye nodded proudly.
Behind me, the saleswoman covered her mouth, giggling.
*Sigh*…
But I couldn’t help it.
Da-Hye’s incredible figure from this morning, glimpsed beneath her pajamas, overlapped with the see-through chemise. How could anyone resist?
I didn’t know anymore.
Kwon Sung-Hyeon, reaping what he sowed…
Would I end up being devoured?
Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Da-Hye, without missing a beat, handed the chemise to the saleswoman and said,
in a surprisingly loud voice,
perhaps because my buff was too strong.
“Miss, I’ll take this too!”
* * *
—–CROW—–
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