Ji Ho couldn’t continue speaking for a moment.

Although he didn’t expect it to be the same, hearing that it wasn’t made him feel suddenly deflated.

The thought that he was still far from matching Yi Soo’s pace made him feel a bit overwhelmed.

When would he be able to do as he pleased to his heart’s content?

Could there be a more tantalizing romance than this?

It was always Ji Ho’s role to be anxious, while Yi Soo always wore a face without any regrets.

“That’s a bit disappointing……”

Seeing Ji Ho’s sullen face as if he’d been hurt, Yi Soo felt a little sorry too.

This wasn’t why she came.

So what if it’s not the first time? Why does that matter?

“No, that’s not what I meant. Of course I like it too, but coming home every day is a bit much. You know, even when dating, you should have your own life.”

Yi Soo made an excuse-like statement to try and soothe Ji Ho’s feelings.

“To be that disappointed. You saw how much I liked it earlier.”

The look in her eyes as she watched Ji Ho playing the piano was an undisguised sincerity.

It was a feeling on a different level from thinking he was handsome or cool based on his appearance.

“Then stay a bit longer today and go home late. Okay?”

Ji Ho didn’t miss the opportunity.

He sensed Yi Soo’s intention to leave right after eating and held her back.

**

While eating, it had become dark outside.

The day of their first date.

Tonight, Ji Ho could understand Yi Soo, who hadn’t even glanced out the window while he was admiring the beautiful night view.

An even more splendid night view than then was spread out below the living room of Ji Ho’s house.

“Are you just going to look at the night view today too?”

Ji Ho wrapped his arm around Yi Soo’s shoulder and pulled her towards him.

That day he said to each look at what they wanted to see.

“Look at me now. Don’t say you’re going home after just looking at the night view.”

She was deliberately avoiding his gaze, feeling shy about being alone together today.

Ji Ho pulled Yi Soo closer, as if every minute and second was precious.

Even though they hadn’t done anything, just facing each other this close made Yi Soo feel her spine tingling.

Everywhere Ji Ho’s hands touched felt like it was burning, and her heart felt like it would burst, but she felt a bit annoyed at Ji Ho who seemed to be leisurely enjoying the whole situation.

Yi Soo suddenly grabbed Ji Ho’s wrists with both hands.

As if telling him not to move.

“What are you doing?”

Ji Ho asked with an amused smile at Yi Soo’s sudden action.

“I’ve been thinking for a while, we need to talk.”

Yi Soo had a serious expression.

“Talking is good, but I don’t think you need to keep me from using my hands like this.”

Ji Ho smoothly withdrew his hands and wrapped them around Yi Soo’s waist, pulling her tightly into his arms.

Yi Soo’s body was half-buried in Ji Ho’s chest as she was embraced.

Ji Ho’s face came down to Yi Soo’s neck.

“This makes it difficult to talk. I want to see your face while we talk.”

Yi Soo squirmed, ticklish from Ji Ho’s breath with each exhale.

“Don’t you like me touching you?”

Ji Ho asked, looking at Yi Soo with puppy-dog eyes.

It was a gaze impossible to say no to.

“No, it’s just ticklish.”

At the word ‘no’, Ji Ho’s hands immediately dug into Yi Soo’s waist.

Yi Soo startled and looked at Ji Ho.

“Just up to here. I won’t go further.”

Yi Soo felt the bare skin where Ji Ho’s hands touched as if it was burning hot.

It felt like all the nerves in her body were concentrated there.

“Come here.”

Ji Ho suddenly stood up and took Yi Soo to the single wing chair facing the floor-to-ceiling window.

Ji Ho sat in the chair first and pulled Yi Soo to sit between his legs.

Pulling Yi Soo with both hands, she was buried in Ji Ho’s embrace with her back against his chest.

“Lean on me. This way you can see the night view, and I can hold you. I’ve compromised a lot, so don’t complain.”

There was no way for Yi Soo to escape with Ji Ho’s strong arms wrapped around her body.

She could feel a strong heartbeat against her back, indistinguishable whose it was.

Yi Soo’s face flushed and her heart pounded.

Ji Ho’s face came down over Yi Soo’s shoulder, their cheeks touching.

“I like this so much. I want to be with you like this every day.”

His arms tightened around her body with more strength.

“It’s hard to talk like this.”

“It’s not hard at all, so say whatever you want. I’m listening to everything.”

With Ji Ho’s arms gradually tightening, Yi Soo thought she should say something quickly.

As she rapidly tried to think of what to say, Yi Soo blurted out something that suddenly came to mind.

“I thought of something to say.”

“What.”

Ji Ho asked, still not lifting his face from Yi Soo’s neck.

“On the day of our club’s pub event, the others were asking if you could help with serving in the hall. Did you get a call from Ha Joon?”

“Ah, that.”

He had forgotten after saying he’d think about it.

“Are you going to do it?”

“Should I? I’ll do whatever you say.”

His tone suggested he didn’t really care either way.

Honestly, Yi Soo hoped Ji Ho wouldn’t do it. She already felt heated thinking about the groups of girls who would flock to see Ji Ho’s face.

But knowing that Ha Joon had asked as a favor, and that everyone was expecting Ji Ho to come, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him not to do it.

She hoped Ji Ho would decide not to do it on his own.

“What are you doing that day? I want to do the same thing as you.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen making side dishes, so that won’t work.”

“Oh, that sounds great. You know I’m good at cooking. I think I might be even better than you.”

“You know why the others want you to serve in the hall. You can’t be in the kitchen.”

“If I could be alone with you in the kitchen, I’d want to do it right away.”

Ji Ho grinned mischievously.

“The kitchen is already full.”

“Alright. Then I’ll do the serving.”

It didn’t seem bad to be close by, even if not in the kitchen.

“You’ll really do it?”

Yi Soo asked with wide eyes, as if surprised.

“Weren’t you asking me to do it?”

He thought she would be happy if he agreed, but Yi Soo’s expression was quite disgruntled.

“No, I just passed along Ha Joon’s request. I thought you’d say you didn’t want to do it……”

Yi Soo trailed off.

“Why that expression? Don’t you want me to do it?”

“The reason they’re asking you is to use you to increase sales, isn’t it? They want to use you as eye candy.”

I don’t like my man being eye candy for other women.

Seeing Yi Soo’s downturned lips, Ji Ho smiled brightly.

“Are you bothered by women coming to see me?”

“……”

“Don’t worry. I’ll only be looking at you.”

Ji Ho’s smile widened, pleased that Yi Soo was jealous.

At those words, Yi Soo felt like there was a drumming sound coming from her heart.

“Then we can decide on that, do you have anything else to say?”

Ji Ho’s gaze on Yi Soo’s lips intensified.

As if he would use them himself if she had nothing to say.

“Oh, I do. When’s your birthday? We still don’t know each other’s birthdays.”

At those words, Ji Ho lifted his head.

“Ah, come to think of it, you’re right.”

“Mine is November 15th. What about yours?”

“July 7th. Summer and winter.”

Ji Ho showed proper interest for the first time since the conversation started.

“My birthday is first. Let’s spend the whole day together then. 24 hours.”

24 hours?

Yi Soo looked at Ji Ho with wide, round eyes.

“It’s my birthday. Do whatever I want that day.”

Ji Ho’s lips curved into a smile again, his thoughts unclear.

“We can talk about that when the time comes. Umm… And what are your hobbies?”

It was the kind of question you’d ask on a blind date, but honestly, she understood why she was asking this.

Because she didn’t know even these things.

Pff.

Ji Ho burst out laughing.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s been so long since I’ve been asked questions like this.”

“I know so little about you. I didn’t even know your birthday. I don’t know your hobbies. There’s so much I don’t know about what you like. So I’m curious.”

Ji Ho looked at Yi Soo lovingly and gently caressed her face.

“This really makes it feel like we’re dating. Hearing you say you’re curious… It’s very exciting.”

“All I know is what I can see on the surface. I just want to know even small things.”

“You know my heart too. How much I like you.”

Ji Ho held Yi Soo tightly and spoke sweetly.

“What did you eat to become so affectionate?”

Yi Soo chuckled as if he was hopeless.

“I think you’re the only one who thinks I’m affectionate……”

At those words, an undisguised smile spread across Yi Soo’s face.

“I’ve never been on a blind date, but let’s pretend we just met today. I’ll do it.”

Ji Ho smiled and began speaking.

“Skipping what you already know. Height 187cm, weight 77kg, blood type B, hobbies are piano and cooking. No foods I dislike, but I like meat, no siblings, both parents are in England. You might know from rumors, but I have a rich grandfather. Also… I like winter, white, basketball……”

He hesitated to mention J.

He didn’t want to deliberately shatter Yi Soo’s happy imagination when she said she didn’t want to know who it was.

After pausing for a moment, Ji Ho looked at Yi Soo and spoke again.

“And right now I like Jung Yi Soo very much, and I think I probably will in the future too.”

Yi Soo, who had been listening seriously while nodding, smiled shyly.

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

“Hmm… Do you go visit your parents every break?”

“Not necessarily. Do you go every break?”

“Yeah. Come to think of it, your birthday is during summer break. That’s why I asked.”

It occurred to her that for their first birthday together, Yi Soo might have to adjust her London schedule if they wanted to be together.

If she hadn’t known in advance, they might not have even been able to see each other, let alone spend 24 hours together.

“Ah, I see.”

Ji Ho thought for a moment, then suddenly his eyes lit up.

“Then let’s go on a Europe trip together this summer.”

“Huh?”

“We can go to London and then travel on my birthday to match the schedule. Wouldn’t that be great?”

“Ah……”

Yi Soo found it difficult to handle this kind of sudden and impulsive conversation.

She couldn’t decide on a trip with her boyfriend so spontaneously.

Moreover, it wasn’t even a nearby domestic trip, but Europe.

“Um, I’ll have to think about that.”

“Why? You’re going to London anyway, right? I’ll go with you. I can go home while you’re staying in London.”

Ah. Yi Soo felt like she’d said something wrong.

She was at a loss for words at Ji Ho’s impulsive decision.

How could everything be so simple and easy for this man?

“You weren’t even planning to go originally, and now you suddenly decided to go?”

“Yeah. I just got a reason to go, so I can go. What more is there to think about?”

“Even so, that’s a bit……”

Should she consider this good initiative?

It was behavior Yi Soo’s personality could never understand.

“That’s not urgent, so let’s think about it slowly. Let’s continue what we were talking about. Should I start with my height and weight like you did?”

“No. Rather than that, I’m curious about how much you like me……”

Ji Ho tilted his head down and spoke.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one who likes you too much.”

She didn’t know he had such thoughts.

Yi Soo, who was clumsy at expressing affection, was at a loss.

She didn’t have the confidence to naturally say sweet things like Ji Ho.

Yi Soo, who had been blinking and pondering her response, turned her body to face Ji Ho up close.

With slightly trembling hands clenched tightly, she pressed her lips firmly against Ji Ho’s lips and then pulled away.

“I like you a lot too.”

As soon as Yi Soo finished her answer, Ji Ho’s smiling lips deeply overlapped with Yi Soo’s lips.