NOVEL WEB Chapter 22
Chapter 22: The Date (2)
—–CROW—–
After leaving the lingerie store, Park Da-Hye strutted around as if she’d just won a PvP tournament.
The back of her swaggering head was annoying.
She clutched the shopping bag, glancing at me and smirking…
It was irritating.
Was being honest a crime?
“Park Da-Hye, why do you keep looking at me? Do you have something to say?”
“I’m not the one looking; you are. You want to see me wearing this, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t. Obviously, I was lying.”
“No, you’re not. You clearly said you wanted to see it.”
“That was a total lie. I’m never going to look.”
“No, you want to see it so badly, you’re practically buzzing with anticipation.”
“No, you’re absolutely not allowed to wear it at my place. Instant eviction the moment I see it.”
“No, eviction reflex activated. You’ve already confirmed you want to see it. I know what you’re imagining in your head, too.”
Oh, she was sharp.
She’d caught me.
Yes, I had imagined it. A lot.
But I really wasn’t going to look.
She seemed genuinely clueless…
Lingerie wasn’t some cash item to increase NPC affinity.
It was something couples wore when they were intimate enough for sex to be a given, not something you wore just for a back hug.
It wasn’t just crossing the line; it was sprinting into the realm of debauchery.
Go date someone first before trying this, you newbie.
“Over my dead body. I’m not looking.”
“But you do want to see it, right? I’ll keep this preciously stored, so just let me know whenever you change your mind. Okay? Heehee.”
No, I’m never looking.
Even though I wanted to. I wouldn’t. Really.
Da-Hye continued to tease me, dangling the bag.
She was the one scheming for my body, yet she was so excited just because she’d gotten me to admit I wanted to see her in it.
It was annoying and infuriating, but…
Still, it was nice to see.
It was better than nothing.
The street was still crowded, and many eyes were still on Da-Hye.
But Da-Hye was preoccupied with teasing me, completely oblivious to her surroundings.
Her mind was probably full of ways to make fun of me.
I just hoped this would last until the end of our date.
I brought Park Da-Hye out of the house to see this side of her.
It would be difficult for now, but I hoped that someday, Da-Hye would completely break free from her shut-in mode and walk this street confidently, without being self-conscious, even without me.
So, I would just endure being teased.
I’d consider myself a sacrifice, extending the duration of her buff.
While leaving the fashion district, I bought Da-Hye a dress.
A light beige dress perfect for the spring weather.
It reached down to her ankles, covering her shockingly white legs.
She seemed to like it, and the number of stares significantly decreased, so it was a win-win.
We picked up our burger order and completely left the crowded area.
The aroma of fries wafted from the paper bags we were carrying,
and a familiar floral scent mingled with the gentle spring breeze.
We just had to cross the street to reach the park.
The number of people enjoying the outdoors had noticeably increased.
People riding bicycles, couples walking arm in arm, strollers, dogs on leashes.
The sight of the lush green lawn across the street made my heart flutter with anticipation.
The weather was perfect; we could sit anywhere in the park, take a sip of cola, and it would be heaven.
But when I looked down at the waterfront park after crossing the street,
an unexpected sight unfolded before us.
“Right. I completely forgot about this.”
Cherry blossoms.
Cherry blossoms in full bloom lined the waterway, transforming the park into a pink Milky Way.
Fallen petals turned the canal into strawberry milk, and throngs of people were gathered beneath the blossoms.
Wow, they were packed like sardines.
Well, this was normal for this time of year.
Intoxicated by the freedom of not having a girlfriend, I hadn’t even glanced at the cherry blossom news.
Of all days, they had to be in full bloom today.
Normally, I would have considered it lucky, but not now.
What were we going to do with this massive crowd?
The upper part of the park was relatively less crowded, with people walking around,
but the entrance was packed shoulder-to-shoulder.
I looked at Da-Hye, and as expected,
her face had gone pale, just like when we first entered the fashion district.
Damn it, she’d been reset.
I’d worked so hard to buff her up, sacrificing myself to keep her attention on me,
but it was useless against this enormous crowd.
Well, if it were that easy to fix, there wouldn’t be people with social anxiety disorder in this world.
I got cocky because I’d experienced the same thing, but today’s operation was a failure.
It was a shame, but the date had to end here.
It would be better to eat the hamburgers back at the apartment.
“Da-Hye, should we eat the hamburgers at home? It’s too crowded here.”
“Huh? Oh…”
But for some reason, Da-Hye didn’t move.
She kept looking back and forth between me, urging her to go back, and the crowded park.
It must be uncomfortable just standing there, so why?
“Da-Hye, what’s wrong?”
“No… Sung-Hyeon, don’t you want to eat hamburgers in the park? Let’s just eat here and go.”
“Hamburgers taste the same wherever we eat them. I don’t mind.”
“But… I know. You’re doing this because of me. I don’t mind the crowd at all.”
Oh, she knew.
“You don’t have to push yourself like this. The park isn’t going anywhere; we can come back another time.”
“I was really looking forward to this. I know you’re worried about me… but I wanted to eat hamburgers with you in the park… so let’s just eat here and go.”
“Really?”
“Yes…”
If she said so, I had nothing more to say.
It was my own meddling to worry about Da-Hye’s condition; what could I say when she insisted she was fine?
But could Da-Hye really navigate through this sea of people and cross the park?
I wasn’t sure.
There were plenty of lawns and benches just 200 meters from the entrance.
If we could just get there, it would be fine, but Da-Hye’s face was already filled with anxiety.
Yet, she managed a smile and said,
“Let’s go, Sung-Hyeon. We’re eating hamburgers here, just like we planned.”
Seeing that smile, I couldn’t refuse.
**
She descended the stairs with an anxious expression.
I followed behind her.
A stream of people poured out of the park, and Da-Hye was pushed back by the crowd.
It was easy enough to support her from being pushed around.
But within my arms, she squeezed her eyes shut and couldn’t take another step.
Beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead.
Seeing her like this reminded me of when I first met KimPokDaughter in the game.
I remembered her back as she silently walked deeper into the maze, despite facing thousands of dead ends and hundreds of intersections.
How could she be so brave, so willing to throw herself into the dark labyrinth?
All I did back then was run and hide.
I often thought that KimPokDaughter would have been better suited as a warrior than a priest.
Actually, I felt the same way.
Sometimes, looking at Da-Hye’s back as she silently pressed forward, I wanted to cast a healing spell on her.
That feeling hadn’t changed.
“Hey, KimPokDaughter.”
“Uh, uh… Sung-Hyeon.”
“Do you remember that place? Area 1 of the World Tree Labyrinth.”
“Huh? Suddenly? Why?”
“Look ahead. Doesn’t this look just like Area 1?”
Da-Hye followed my finger and looked up at the park sky.
A straight path opened up through the sky, surrounded by fluttering pink cherry blossoms.
It was a scene we were intimately familiar with.
Area 1 of the World Tree Labyrinth, where we rode a boat along the waterway, fighting plant-type monsters.
It was perfectly recreated in the sky above this park.
“Wow… it really does…”
“You’re getting debuffs because you entered the Dryad’s Tomb with no items, you dummy. Here, wear this.”
I handed Da-Hye the hat I’d just bought.
It was a straw hat with a wide brim that covered her entire face when pulled down.
“It’s the Ancient Tree Bark Hat. You know its effect, right?”
“Uh… I remember. Immunity to sleep and… bind.”
I also put the sunglasses on her.
“And these are Euclid’s Oracles. You need these to block the poison damage. You need this much to clear the Dryad’s Tomb. Now, let’s go, PokDaughter.”
I held both of Da-Hye’s hands and stood close behind her.
She looked back and forth between me and the sky, then started walking.
I could feel her emotions through her hesitant hands.
Those emotions were no longer fear, but rather bewilderment and amusement.
I could practically see her smiling at the absurdity of the situation, even from behind.
Go ahead, laugh all you want.
But I had to see her clear this dungeon.
It was only 200 meters.
Her first two steps were heavy, but after that, they became lighter.
As if the cold sweat from earlier had never existed,
she, like the 48th ranked priest she was, effortlessly navigated through the “dungeon” and finally found the adventurer’s resting place.
As expected of KimPokDaughter.
That’s my partner.
Since there were no empty benches, we sat down on a patch of grass and opened the burger wrappers.
I took a long gulp of cola and a big bite of my burger.
KimPokDaughter, armed with the Ancient Tree Bark Hat and Euclid’s Oracles, was no longer afraid.
She smeared sauce all over her mouth and shamelessly licked her fingers.
I didn’t usually ask this kind of question, but I always wanted to ask Park Da-Hye.
“Is it good?”
“It’s freaking delicious!”
* * *
—–CROW—–
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