Chapter 33
“Why are you acting so cute?”
It was enough to make him lose his mind.
“M-Me?”
“Then who else is here besides you?”
“But I’m not that kind of person… haha.”
An awkward laugh slipped from her small, unusually glossy lips.
Watching her blink those large eyes and slightly part her lips, Sa-jun felt a strange dryness in his throat and quickly fixed his gaze straight ahead.
“Do you think I’m cute too, sir?”
“Who else said you were cute, if not me?”
“My brothers. They’re total softies.”
There was still a long way to go.
Those soft-hearted brothers had already said every sweet thing under the sun, so her romantic signals didn’t land on him.
Up until now, Sa-jun had convinced himself that the flutter in his chest and the smiles she brought were just because she was a friend’s little sister. But now, he had decided to accept his feelings honestly.
After giving it a lot of thought, he realized he liked Yeon-woo.
He had liked her from the start, but when it turned into something more romantic was unclear.
Was it before coming to Cheongbong, during that near-death experience, or after arriving here?
Regardless, he decided to follow where his heart led.
But it just wasn’t working on Yeon-woo.
Damn Ryu I-gwon.
“If anyone could conquer the world with cuteness alone, wouldn’t it be our Yeon-woo?”
What kind of brother says that kind of thing to his sister so casually?
Well, to be fair, Yeon-woo was cute.
“No one else in Korea my age gets talked to like this, I’m sure.”
“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?”
“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”
Yeon-woo gave him a sideways glare with narrowed eyes, and Sa-jun couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Hahaha.”
“Stop teasing me. My brothers already do enough of that.”
“I meant it, though…”
As Yeon-woo blinked her clear eyes, trying to read his intention, Sa-jun once again reached out his hand.
This time he tousled the crown of her head, and Yeon-woo recoiled in dismay, moving her head far away.
“I’ve been sweating all day—my hair’s gross.”
Blushing in embarrassment and flustered, Yeon-woo stepped back, and Sa-jun quickly apologized.
“Sorry. I’m not usually this handsy.”
He was in trouble.
His wretched hands were acting of their own accord, out of his control.
“My brothers do that all the time too. Maybe I have a head that just begs to be patted.”
Clenching his fist and sighing, Sa-jun focused on driving.
He had no intention of being just another brotherly figure.
Unlike those brothers who called her “princess,” he figured it was time to call Yeon-woo by her actual name.
He had to set himself apart from those guys who annoyed him no matter what they did.
As they drove toward the festival site, colorful banners fluttered in the wind to greet them.
“Spicy Peppers, Fiery Passion! Join the Chili Festival in Cheongbong!”
“A Feast of Peppers, a Festival of Flavor! You’re invited to Cheongbong!”
“Whose Pepper is the Spiciest? Come and Take the Challenge!”
Sa-jun glanced absentmindedly at the banner slogans and then shut his mouth.
“…Let’s go wild… Cheongbong Chili Festival… Little peppers… pack heat.”
Yeon-woo, apparently reading the banners too, softly read a few of the slogans aloud and trailed off.
The phrases were clearly crafted to grab attention with their suggestive edge.
Shouldn’t there be some kind of censorship for this?
Sa-jun tapped the steering wheel while looking for a parking spot.
“You can park over there,” Yeon-woo said, pointing to a temporary public lot.
He steered the car in that direction.
The bright lights lit up the entire town like it was daytime.
After finally finding a space and parking, Sa-jun undid his seatbelt and turned to Yeon-woo.
“Shall we get out?”
“Yes.”
After getting out, they picked up a schedule of events and began looking around.
The opening ceremony and celebratory concert hadn’t started yet.
The town was bustling with people and overflowing with energy.
“What should we eat? There’s so much, I can’t decide.”
“How about some cold buckwheat noodles?”
Yeon-woo pointed to one of the booths.
“Sounds good.”
“Let’s start with that and then try other things.”
Her voice was slightly upbeat, as if she were excited.
“Sure.”
Fried chili peppers, chili pancakes, chili ice cream…
Everywhere they turned, the booths were proudly displaying unique chili-themed foods with bold banners.
Sa-jun realized that the cold buckwheat noodles Yeon-woo chose were probably the safest option.
“Oh, aren’t you folks from Sarang Hospital? Come to enjoy the festival?”
“Hello.”
“Are you two on a date?”
The lady alternated her gaze between the two, her face full of curiosity.
He wanted to say yes, but this was a small rural town—who knew what kind of rumors would spread by tomorrow?
Rumors tended to be exaggerated or completely fabricated.
Not wanting to cause trouble for Yeon-woo, Sa-jun was about to say no, but she beat him to it.
“Haha, it’s nothing like that. This is our first time at the festival, so we just came to check it out.”
She even waved her hands in denial.
Seeing her so adamant, Sa-jun tilted his head slightly.
“Is that so? Doesn’t seem like it with this one. Anyway, I’ll whip up some great noodles for you, so just wait a bit.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Sa-jun responded with a soft smile.
“You’re not gonna talk weird stuff at the hospital now, are you?” Yeon-woo asked nervously.
It was like she thought it’d be the end of the world if they were rumored to be a thing.
Sure, there was a bit of an age gap—but was it really that big a deal?
“Why? Is there a reason we shouldn’t be the subject of rumors?”
Maybe that was why.
Sa-jun leaned his chin on his hand and looked at her intently.
He had come today with a plan—and now waited, expression serious, for her answer.
“I wouldn’t mind… but are you okay with it, doctor?”
“I’d love it.”
“…Stop joking.”
As she responded with a side-eye and a smirk, Sa-jun wondered if maybe the timing just wasn’t right.
“I mean, think about it. I’m a great catch, right? Skilled surgeon, handsome, tall, rich.”
“Ugh, you’ve got more than enough. That’s the problem.”
Still not budging.
“Here you go! Enjoy your noodles!”
Right then, the noodles arrived.
“These are just for you fine folks—on the house.”
The lady placed a plate full of delicious-looking fried chili peppers on the table.
“Thank you!”
Cheerfully answering, Yeon-woo picked up her chopsticks, and Sa-jun joined her in eating without another word.
She bit into one of the huge chili fries, her shiny, oil-slicked lips moving as she murmured how good it was.
Sa-jun couldn’t even tell if the noodles were going into his mouth or nose, too distracted by watching her eat through heat-filled eyes.
Until now, work had always come before women.
Patients had always been the priority, and he had been content living that way.
Now, his priorities were shifting—to Yeon-woo.
The pounding of his out-of-sync heart was proof of that.
“You eat well. Is it that good?”
“Yes. A bit spicy, but tasty. You should try it too.”
If those glistening lips said she wanted more, he’d sound like a madman for wanting the same.
Holding back the words, Sa-jun silently picked up a large fried chili with his chopsticks.
Just as he was about to take a bite—
“Oh, Beom Sa-jun!”
A familiar voice rang out.
It was Jang Chan-woo.
The guy who had dared him to just confess—what was he doing here?
“Ah, hello, doctor.”
Yeon-woo stood and greeted him.
“You on a date with this bastard?”
“Ah, no. It’s my first time at the festival, and he said he’d show me around…”
“A tour, huh? I see. Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.”
Friend? No, he was an enemy.
He was doing this on purpose—jealous, no doubt.
Chan-woo pulled out a chair next to Sa-jun and sat down, shooting him a sidelong glance.
“Sorry. I was so lonely I couldn’t help myself,” he whispered just loud enough for Sa-jun to hear.
You bastard. Just you wait.
Like a leech, Chan-woo stuck with them all the way until they went home.
