Date Me! - Chapter 37

As Juwon coaxed Ina, who was pouting her lips, and they came out of the store, a chilly night wind blew.

As the cold night air entered her dress, goosebumps spread across her legs in thin stockings.

When Ina unconsciously shivered, Juwon wrapped his arm around her shoulders and looked down at her.

“What’s wrong? Are you cold?”

“Huh? No, it’s not cold, but it is a bit chilly, isn’t it?”

Juwon took off his jacket and put it over Ina’s shoulders as he said,

“Then shall we go get a warm drink?”

“Yeah. Okay. Sounds good.”

Juwon pulled Ina’s shoulder closer as they started walking.

But after just a few steps, Ina suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

At Juwon’s question, Ina looked down at her shoes.

Her right shoe seemed stuck to the ground and wouldn’t move.

“I think my shoe is stuck.”

“Really? Hold on a moment.”

Juwon bent down and looked at Ina’s shoe.

The thin high heel was caught in a small hole in the ground.

“Stay still. I’ll pull it out for you.”

Juwon knelt down on one knee.

And just as he reached for Ina’s shoe, her slender leg extending from her thigh caught his eye.

“…”

Unconsciously captivated by that smooth curve, Juwon quickly coughed and averted his gaze.

He reached for Ina’s shoe again, but perhaps due to the lingering image he had just seen, he used more force than intended.

As a result, when the heel came free, Ina let out an “Ah!” and stumbled forward.

Just as she was about to fall face-first, Juwon quickly stretched out his arm and wrapped it around Ina’s waist.

Thanks to Juwon, she didn’t fall, but Ina’s face turned bright red at the realization that Juwon was supporting her belly, which had become plump from the tuna sashimi.

“Th-thank you!”

Ina exclaimed, straightening her upper body like a spring.

“Are you okay? I think I pulled too hard.”

“Huh? No, it’s fine.”

Ina smiled awkwardly.

I ate so much earlier… Did Juwon feel my belly fat?

While Ina’s mind was focused on her belly fat, Juwon’s thoughts lingered on the curve of Ina’s leg he had just seen.

The leg line, accentuated by the high heels, continued to float in Juwon’s mind, leaving an afterimage.

“Ahem.”

Juwon cleared his throat once more before taking Ina’s hand.

“Shall we go for that drink now?”

“Yeah.”

Both Juwon who asked and Ina who answered felt their hearts racing in that moment.

* * *

A little while later, the two entered a nearby coffee shop.

It was a pretty coffee shop boasting a clean white exterior.

As they went inside, the fragrant aroma of coffee wafted through the air.

“What would you like to drink?”

At Juwon’s question, Ina looked at the menu board.

She had originally planned to have a warm tea, but after smelling the aromatic coffee, she wanted to have coffee instead.

“I’ll have a vanilla latte. What about you?”

“I’ll just have an Americano.”

As Ina took out her wallet, she saw the slice cake display and asked Juwon with sparkling eyes,

“Shall we get a slice of cake?”

“Sure.”

Ina ordered a cream cake with a large strawberry on top and two cups of coffee.

After receiving the vibrating pager, they went up to the second floor and saw an interior prettily decorated with cute props and frames.

“Wow. They’ve decorated this place so beautifully.”

“They really have.”

Juwon smiled and took Ina’s hand, leading her inside.

The inner part of the second floor had separate couple seats, and luckily, one spot was still available.

It was a seat with a round table and a single cream-colored sofa that looked plush, facing the window.

Ina’s heart fluttered at the couple seat where they could sit side by side and enjoy the view outside the window.

As they sat down on the sofa side by side, the street view outside the window came into full view.

“I really like this coffee shop.”

“Yeah? Then let’s come often.”

“Okay.”

As Ina answered with a bright smile, the vibrating pager went off.

Juwon went to get the coffee and placed it on the table.

Along with the fragrant coffee aroma, Ina’s eyes were drawn to the appetizing slice of cake.

Ina scooped up a spoonful of cake with a fork and held it out to Juwon, who smiled and opened his mouth.

“Ah.”

Ina popped the cake into Juwon’s mouth.

“Mm, it’s delicious.”

“Really?”

This time, Juwon scooped up some cake with the fork and put it in Ina’s mouth.

Ina savored the cake in her mouth and then smiled with satisfaction.

“Mm, it’s really delicious.”

At Ina’s words, Juwon scooped up more cake and put it in Ina’s mouth.

As Ina happily ate the cake, some cream smeared on the side of her lips.

“You’ve got some here.”

As Juwon spoke, he held Ina’s chin and sucked off the cream that had smeared on her lips.

“…”

Ina’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked at the neighboring table.

Fortunately, the couple at the next table was busy looking at their phone screens side by side.

“What’s wrong?”

Juwon asked in a relaxed tone, resting his chin on his hand.

“Ah. No, it’s just… suddenly doing such intimate skinship…”

As Ina spoke with a reddened face, Juwon chuckled and asked,

“Is this considered intimate?”

“Isn’t it?”

When Ina asked with rounded eyes, Juwon played with Ina’s hand and smiled leisurely.

“You shouldn’t call this intimate. This doesn’t even count as ‘low’ on a scale of low, medium, high.”

Ina’s eyes grew even rounder.

“If this isn’t even ‘low,’ then how much would ‘high’ be…”

Unable to finish her sentence, Ina swallowed hard, and Juwon burst into laughter.

Ina’s expression, both embarrassed and curious about what ‘high’ might entail, was just too cute.

“Well, it’s hard to say exactly.”

Juwon started to gently tickle Ina’s palm with his index finger.

Then, gazing intently at Ina, he whispered,

“I’m a man full of desires, more than you might think.”

At the word ‘desires,’ Ina’s eyes grew as large as if they might pop out.

Ina blinked, looking at Juwon, then quickly reached for her coffee cup.

Juwon’s words suddenly made her feel hot, and drinking the hot coffee seemed to make her insides burn even hotter.

Looking at Ina like this, Juwon instead smiled leisurely.

Ina, who had been silently sipping her coffee with her head down, opened her mouth to change the subject.

“Juhee’s flight is at 2 pm on Sunday, right?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

Juhee was planning to arrive on Sunday for their father’s birthday on Monday, and stay for four days before returning.

The night before, Ina had a long phone call with Juhee and they had also promised to meet every day.

The thought of meeting Juhee, whom she had missed so much, after 13 years made her feel excited already.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight and tomorrow because I’m so excited.”

“Juhee probably feels the same way.”

Juwon smiled, resting his chin on his hand.

“I’m so excited to meet Juhee, but it’s also amazing that there’s a beautiful baby in Juhee’s belly.”

“Well, I find it amazing too.”

“How pretty would a daughter who looks like Juhee be?”

Ina rested her chin on both hands, lost in imagination.

Then Juwon looked at Ina intently and said,

“A daughter who looks like you would be even prettier.”

That statement halted Ina’s imagination.

“Huh?”

“A daughter who looks like you would be not only extremely pretty but also cute.”

Juwon’s gentle smile and gaze as he lightly pinched Ina’s cheek made Ina’s heart flutter.

And the fantasy she had forgotten from last Sunday slowly resurfaced.

If she started dating Juwon, would she become family with Juhee? She had pondered about such serious matters on her own…

Ina swallowed dryly and gazed steadily at Juwon.

Is he saying… that a daughter who looks like us would be pretty and cute?

Lee Juwon, are you already thinking that far ahead? Oh my, oh my, look at this guy.

“What?”

Juwon asked in a soft voice to Ina, whose cheeks were bright red.

“Huh? Ah, it’s nothing. Um… let’s go to the department store tomorrow.”

Ina quickly changed the subject, trying to cool her heated feelings.

“Department store? Why the department store?”

“I want to buy a gift for Juhee.”

“A gift?”

“Yeah. I want to buy some pretty baby clothes.”

“Okay. Got it.”

Juwon smiled and held Ina’s hand.

When it became 11 o’clock, the two left the coffee shop and took a taxi.

As the taxi stopped in the alley near Ina’s villa, Juwon held out his card.

“Huh? Are you getting off too?”

“Yeah.”

Juwon took back his card and opened the taxi door for her.

Ina got out in a daze, and Juwon followed, closing the taxi door.

As the taxi drove away, Ina looked up at Juwon.

“We’re already at my place, why did you get off?”

“To keep a promise.”

“Promise?”

“The promise we made earlier in front of the company coffee shop.”

“What promise?”

“The promise that I’d hold back and kiss you later.”

“…”

Wait, wasn’t that not a promise but something you said on your own, Mr. Lee Juwon?

As Ina asked with rounded eyes, Juwon took her hand and headed towards the villa.

They walked silently to the main entrance, and perhaps because it was late at night, not a single person was in sight.

Only the streetlight beside the main entrance stood silently, casting a soft glow.

As they stopped in front of the main entrance, Juwon gently held Ina’s shoulders and looked down at her.

Ina blushed and gazed back at Juwon, whose eyes were brimming with affection.

Juwon smiled softly, then bent down and approached Ina.

And cupping both of Ina’s cheeks, he pressed his moist lips against hers.

As Ina closed her eyes gently, Juwon lowered one hand to pull Ina’s waist closer.

Thanks to her high heels, Ina, now taller, also reached out to embrace Juwon’s firm waist.

The soft and sweet kiss, like walking on fluffy clouds, filled Ina’s mind with the word ‘happiness.’

After sharing a long kiss like that, Juwon gave a final light peck and let go of Ina.

“You should go in now. Sleep well. I’ll come pick you up around 11 tomorrow.”

Juwon said, caressing Ina’s cheek.

“Okay. You be careful going home and sleep well too.”

“I will. Go on in now.”

Ina quickly stood on her tiptoes to give Juwon a peck on the cheek, then darted into the villa like a swift squirrel.

Watching her, Juwon smiled and turned around.

Then he hailed another taxi where they had gotten off earlier.

After giving the apartment address to the taxi driver, Juwon leaned his head against the window.

In the quiet taxi driving through the night streets, a languid jazz tune played on the radio.

As he closed his eyes listening to the music, the scene from earlier in front of the Japanese restaurant came to Juwon’s mind.

How he had been momentarily captivated by the sight of Ina’s slender legs while trying to free her shoe heel stuck in a hole in the ground, and how he had unintentionally used too much force, almost causing Ina to stumble.

Juwon opened his eyes, looked out the window, and sighed.

Then, pressing his temple, he muttered,

“I’ll need to take a cold shower as soon as I get home.”