Chapter 23
When her eyes met the neatly scattered underwear, Haru quickly kicked off her shoes.
Like Usain Bolt, she darted straight toward her goal.
Safe. Haru hastily grabbed the underwear, tossed it into the room, and came back out.
“Haha. Now you can really come in.”
With an awkward laugh, Haru wiped the beads of sweat forming on her forehead and gestured.
Smiling with his head lowered, Ihan took off his shoes and stepped inside.
“Just wait a moment. I’ll cook it right away.”
Haru immediately went to the kitchen, washed her hands, and pulled out a pot and some ramen.
While the sound of her bustling movements filled the air, Ihan looked around the house.
A cozy two-seater sofa and a small light-pink table.
Sheer curtains and a framed poster of a classic movie.
The neatly and charmingly decorated home resembled Haru herself.
After a quick look around the small living room, Ihan sat down on the sofa.
From the living room sofa, the kitchen was clearly visible.
While waiting for the water to boil, Haru busily moved between the fridge and sink.
Her tied-up hair swayed with her movements, reminding him of a puppy’s wagging tail, which made him smile.
Before long, Haru slipped on oven mitts and brought over the pot.
Placing it on the sofa table, she went to fetch bowls and spoons.
“There’s no separate dining table.”
With no space for one, the sofa table doubled as their dining table.
Sitting across from him, Haru set chopsticks and a spoon in front of Ihan, placing the bowls and ladle before herself.
“Sorry, all I have is ramen.”
“I should be the one sorry, eating ramen after you let me crash here all night.”
“Still, you must’ve slept well. You look clearer now.”
With a playful glance, Haru motioned for Ihan to sit down on the rug.
The small sofa table between them, the two faced each other.
Haru ladled some ramen into his bowl.
Tasting it right away, Ihan nodded in approval.
“It’s good.”
Haru proudly lifted her shoulders, grinning with the ladle in hand.
“See? I told you I make good ramen.”
“What’s your secret?”
“Green onions chopped, egg cracked?”
The simplest method, something hardly worthy of being called a secret—yet it tasted this good.
Even for Ihan, who normally wasn’t fond of ramen, it was delicious.
The pot was emptied in no time.
After the meal, Ihan looked at a framed poster on the wall above the sofa.
“You must really like that movie?”
“Yes. It’s my life movie. I’ve probably watched it twenty times.”
While clearing the dishes, Haru continued.
“It’s also what made me interested in English. I first saw it in middle school, and later I wanted to watch it without subtitles.”
She smiled as she spoke effortlessly.
“So on my bucket list was watching that movie without subtitles and traveling to Italy when I turned twenty.”
Nodding quietly, Ihan asked,
“What do you like about the movie so much?”
“Well… cliché as it is, the yearning of a forbidden love, you know? And the setting, the atmosphere—it was all perfect. A movie full of romance. Watching it made me feel excited, like I was breaking free, just like the heroine.”
Haru gazed at the poster with a faint smile.
“Especially that kiss scene was unforgettable. Their first kiss, soaked with tears, confirming their feelings only to part right after… Every time I watch it, my heart aches.”
“And you, Haru.”
“…Yes?”
Catching the sudden question, she blinked.
“What about you?”
Realizing he meant the kiss they had shared, Haru couldn’t answer.
She fell silent, only blinking, while Ihan filled the pause.
“I liked it.”
“…”
“I really did.”
His low voice tangled with a steady gaze.
Haru’s body shuddered at the intensity.
And then—hiccup!
She suddenly hiccuped.
Her eyes widened as more hiccups followed one after another, making Ihan burst into laughter.
“Looks like you need water.”
When he started to rise, Haru stopped him, turning her head to hide her flushed face.
Holding out her palm to signal him to stay, she hurried to her feet.
“I’ll get it.”
Was it because she was flustered? Or in too much of a rush?
As she got up, her foot caught on the table leg.
She stumbled forward, losing balance.
“Ah!”
Ihan lunged forward, catching her against his body.
Falling back slightly, he took her weight as Haru collapsed on top of him like a blanket.
Her flushed face was now inches from his, impossible to avoid.
Her heart pounded against his.
“I told you I liked it. Want me to prove it again?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant…”
Hiccup, hiccup.
The hiccups wouldn’t stop.
Suddenly, Ihan leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.
Haru’s eyes went wide.
“Maybe this will stop it.”
Of course, it didn’t.
Startled, her hiccups only grew louder.
She clamped her hands over her mouth, shoulders jerking with each one.
Just then, the doorbell rang through the house.
Snapping out of it, Haru scrambled off him.
“No one should be visiting this late…”
She muttered to herself as she headed for the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, the landlord.”
Recognizing the landlady’s voice, Haru opened the door.
There she was, in a cardigan, arms crossed.
Without delay, the landlady said,
“Remember how I mentioned the downstairs leak? Turns out this unit is the cause. They need to do work—replace the pipes under the floor.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Yeah. So on the day of the work, you’ll have to stay somewhere else overnight.”
Haru nodded in agreement.
Then the landlady asked slyly,
“So, who are you with?”
“Huh?”
Her gaze flicked down.
Noticing the men’s shoes, the woman casually remarked,
“Ah, must be your boyfriend.”
“No, it’s not like that—”
Just as Haru opened her mouth to deny it, another hiccup burst out.
“What did you do to be hiccupping like that? Sneaking something fun?”
Why that mischievous smile?
Having known Haru for quite some time, the landlady smirked and teased,
“Well then, enjoy your evening.”
With a playful wink, she turned and went down the stairs.
“We were just eating, that’s all…”
Her protest went unheard.
Mortified, Haru shut the door and squeezed her eyes shut.
“The landlady stopped by…”
Forcing herself to turn back, she muttered to Ihan.
Unable to meet his eyes, she went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.
She even added some ice from the freezer into two cups.
The cold water was exactly what her burning face needed.
“They’re doing construction at your place?”
“Yeah. She said it’s because of a leak.”
Haru brought the two cups to the table and sat down.
As she gulped down the icy water, Ihan asked,
“Do you have somewhere to stay for the night?”
“I’ll just crash at a sauna or something.”
Shrugging it off, Haru spoke lightly.
Ihan slipped his hand inside his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet.
He handed her a card key she recognized.
“Stay here. Silas Hotel, Presidential Suite.”
“Huh? You got a new key?”
Of course, Haru didn’t know he had never actually lost it in the first place.
Chuckling to himself, Ihan explained,
“It’s a spare. You can use it on the day of the construction.”
“No way, I can’t use this.”
Chewing an ice cube, Haru shook her head.
“Why not? It’s your boyfriend’s.”
“…”
“It’s my private room anyway. A VIP suite that stays empty all year round.”
Ignoring her protests, Ihan pressed the card key into her hand.
