Chapter 28.1

Chapter 28.1

The delivery food arrived, filling the table with an abundance of dishes. It almost could have been more, but they managed to reduce the order somewhat. Whenever Yeon-ha hesitated while scanning the menu, Min-gyu had insisted on adding more items.

“I don’t think I can eat all of this, what should I do?”

“If there’s leftover, I’ll eat it tomorrow,” Min-gyu replied casually.

Yeon-ha’s voice had risen slightly, a hint of concern, which made Min-gyu chuckle. As they unwrapped the food, Yeon-ha quickly looked over everything. What she thought was just some bossam (pork) with a couple of side dishes turned out to be a much more generous spread than expected.

There were large pancakes, cold buckwheat noodles, soft steamed eggs, and various banchan (side dishes). Even Yeon-ha, who had claimed not to be hungry, couldn’t help but swallow at the sight of the food.

In the end, they compromised and decided to order delivery. Despite the prevalence of delivery services nowadays, neither of them had any delivery apps installed on their phones. Yeon-ha had never really ordered food to be delivered before. The only times she had eaten takeout were when her grandmother occasionally brought home some fried chicken. Her grandmother was particularly strict about the unhealthy nature of outside food, which only made it more rare. Min-gyu, on the other hand, always ate out, so he hadn’t needed to use delivery services much either.

Thus, Yeon-ha had installed a delivery app on her phone for the first time. The moment they sat side by side, debating what to order, had been surprisingly fun and a little amusing.

“Eat quickly,” Min-gyu urged.

“Okay.”

Yeon-ha quickly nodded, knowing he liked to see her start eating first. She spooned up some clam soup, and the spicy broth immediately warmed her stomach, even though they hadn’t had any alcohol. Meanwhile, Min-gyu tore a piece of the pancake into a small bite and, with a soft “ah,” brought it to her mouth. Surprised by the sudden action, Yeon-ha leaned forward a little and took a bite. It was crispy and warm.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah.”

Nodding, she smiled at him, and Min-gyu poured beer into her empty glass. He downed a drink quickly, refilling his glass without hesitation. Yeon-ha, annoyed, placed a long piece of pancake on his plate. He raised his eyebrows in playful protest.

“Why don’t you feed me?”

“Just eat it.”

Despite her curt reply, Min-gyu just grinned, clearly in a better mood than before. Yeon-ha, relieved, let her gaze drift toward the large windows. She had hoped the rain would stop soon, but it was still pouring heavily, as if it intended to continue throughout the night.

Min-gyu, noticing her, pushed more food onto her plate, urging her to eat more. As Yeon-ha moved her chopsticks, a subtle sense of excitement bubbled inside her.

Excited?

Yeon-ha was momentarily surprised by the emotions that surfaced. It had been so long since she had felt something like this, and it felt unfamiliar. Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal—just ordering delivery food, with the alcohol placed in front of her, even though she wasn’t drinking. It almost felt like she was out somewhere having fun, or like she had really grown up.

Of course, she wasn’t actually out, and she had already grown up a long time ago.

She focused on eating for a while, trying to push the strange feeling aside. She ate whatever was put in front of her, sipping the drink that Min-gyu poured for her. Then, their eyes met, and despite being used to his direct gaze, Yeon-ha couldn’t help but feel awkward today. Feeling the tension, she tried to speak up.

“Don’t smoke anymore these days?”

“Hmm?”

His response came quickly, as if waiting for her to ask, making her eyes widen slightly. She wasn’t sure whether to believe him, especially when she asked if he still smoked at work, but his confident answer was clear.

“Why would I lie about something like that? I’ve totally quit.”

“…How long has it been?”

“Since the time I confessed to you. I haven’t smoked since… I think it’s been a little over a month now?”

The pride in his voice made her pause, especially at the mention of the confession. She remembered the time he admitted to having smoked just one cigarette and had vividly shared the details. The memory of him holding her close afterward, his voice low and tender as he murmured against her ear, and his lazy, relaxed expression, lingered in her mind. It felt strangely real, yet so distant.

Something felt off.

Yeon-ha couldn’t shake the feeling and, almost absentmindedly, emptied her cup. As Min-gyu said, it had only been a little over a month. Yet why did it feel like such a long time ago? If there were a clinic that could explain this feeling, she would’ve wanted to ask. It didn’t make sense—she hadn’t even hurt her head recently, but the person she was not so long ago felt like a stranger now.

Could she hold him like she did back then?

‘That’s ridiculous.’

She denied the thought in her mind, taking another sip of the clam soup to distract herself. When he asked if she wanted him to heat it up again, she shook her head.

“So, you’ve completely quit now?”

“I keep my promises.”