Chapter 27: Ice Cream
There was a specialty ice cream shop closer than expected. The colorful display of various flavors inside the glass case was enough to delight anyone’s eyes.
At a shop filled with children, Lee Jun awkwardly scratched the back of his neck with his large hand.
“Is this it? Green tea?”
Lee Jun couldn’t take his eyes off Yooa’s smiling lips as she walked toward him.
He had moved the moment she said she wanted to go, and now he regretted it.
A grown man, sitting in a shop full of chattering kids in the middle of the day, putting a tiny, brightly colored spoonful of ice cream into his mouth—it just didn’t feel right.
He had brought her along partly to avoid inhaling dust at the construction site, but the location turned out to be a poor choice.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
The strawberry-flavored ice cream—refreshing and sweet just like her—kept disappearing into Yooa’s mouth. Curious about the two flavors she brought, he just watched. Sensing this, Yooa widened her eyes and asked,
“What? Oh, do you want to try mine?”
She scooped a generous spoonful, saying it might be too sweet, and held it out to him. Lee Jun accepted it with a “whatever” attitude and took the bite. The sweetness was intense enough to make him frown, and he ended up chugging a whole bottle of water.
“See? I told you.”
Yooa, who acted like she knew him better than he did, was absolutely adorable.
Her transparent eyes that seemed to see right through him, the corners of her mouth that curved up when she smiled, and the tiny, twitching nose that would redden first when she was about to cry—he wanted to keep looking at her.
Yooa’s laughter was sweet enough to make any discomfort bearable.
“What about you? Did your taste change or something?”
As far as Lee Jun remembered, Yooa didn’t like overly sweet things either—especially not the fizzy, popping sensations in the mouth.
“Someone recommended it. I tried it and liked it.”
“Who? Someone I know?”
“…Probably not.”
Even though it might have sounded childish, Lee Jun couldn’t help asking. But there was a hint of sadness in her vague reply that made it impossible not to question further.
When he asked if it was a guy, Yooa gave a sheepish smile. Her lips trembled awkwardly as if she didn’t know how to respond.
Lee Jun regretted asking. He wanted to act mature, but imagining Yooa going out to eat ice cream with some guy he didn’t even know left a bitter taste.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“No. I don’t feel like it.”
Yooa blinked rapidly as she looked at Lee Jun, who had turned his head to face the window.
“But you used to like it.”
“Not anymore.”
Tap. Tap.
She stabbed the surface of her ice cream with her spoon, just like Sejin did when she was upset.
Looking visibly annoyed, Lee Jun sighed repeatedly. He crossed his arms, drummed his finger endlessly on the other arm, and kept opening and closing his mouth as if he had something to say—all of it resembled Sejin too much.
“If you don’t want to eat, should we go?”
This was a place she used to visit with Sejin. She had wanted to come here with Sejin’s dad at least once. But seeing other kids with their moms in a place so full of memories overwhelmed her with sadness.
Hurriedly composing herself, Yooa stood up with her barely eaten cup of ice cream.
“Aaah!”
Just then, a little boy, barely tall enough to reach her knees, came running in and collided with her.
The boy had slipped while trying to throw away a popsicle stick, and now sat on the floor, pale as a ghost.
Rightfully so—her white blouse had been completely smeared by the ice cream in her hand, dripping down onto the floor.
“M-Mom… Mom!”
The boy teared up as if something terrible had happened, unable to look away from the mess he’d caused.
But Yooa, rather than fussing over her ruined blouse, knelt down to meet the boy’s eye level.
She knew that boys around this age were more curious than cautious.
“Where’s your mom?”
“Outside… she got a call, so Ji-hwan, um… I said I’d throw it away by myself…”
The cautious boy twitched his lips at Yooa’s warm voice. His chubby, pale cheeks looked like they’d burst into tears any second.
“I see. Ji-hwan, you’re so brave.”
“Yes.”
Looking beyond the glass, Yooa saw a woman who appeared to be the boy’s mother talking on the phone. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to have noticed the scene inside.
Yooa helped the boy up, dusted off his knees, and gave him a reassuring smile.
“Your clothes…”
As she helped him up, the boy caught a whiff of strawberry yogurt from her blouse and, realizing his mistake, pointed to her with his tiny fingers.
“I’ll tell Mom. Ji-hwan has to say sorry…”
Despite his babyish lisp, the boy lowered his head, aware he’d done something wrong.
“I’m sorry…”
Hearing the drawn-out apology, Yooa shook her head and told him it was okay since she was heading home anyway.
“I’ll clean this up, so you can go.”
“Really…?”
“But no running, okay?”
“Okay…”
“Good. Go straight to your mom.”
The boy took small, cautious steps toward the door but turned to look back. When Yooa instinctively waved both hands side to side, the boy smiled brightly and walked out.
It was a small incident, but Yooa’s chest felt heavy. Seeing a boy about Sejin’s age made her eyes sting with tears.
“Where are you planning to go looking like that?”
Before her tears could fall, a deep navy jacket landed on her shoulders. It was so big it completely covered her torso, hiding all the messy stains.
“This jacket… It’ll get dirty.”
“It’s fine. I’m heading home too.”
Lee Jun stood firmly by her side, repeating the same words she had said to the boy.
Yooa linked her fingers through his offered hand. And just like she did after Sejin’s allergy treatments, she left the ice cream shop—one she always visited as a reward.
“Haa…”
As they stepped out from the sweet-smelling store, both Lee Jun and Yooa took deep breaths at the same time. Then he helped her into the passenger seat and drove off skillfully in the opposite direction.
“Aren’t we going home?”
Watching the uphill path fade behind them, Yooa nervously asked again.
“Lee Jun?”
“We’re making a quick stop first.”
Seeing her wearing his jacket made Lee Jun hold himself back from driving straight home.
Maybe it was the cold ice cream, but her lips were slightly pale. Every time she spoke, a sweet scent lingered. The blouse clinging to her skin, soaked in melted ice cream, revealed a bit too much.
To maintain his composure, Lee Jun bit his lip.
“Wearing this?”
Unaware of his struggle, Yooa opened the jacket and began wiping the stained area with tissues.
Even when he told her to just keep it on, her hands didn’t stop. As the mess spread, Lee Jun’s breathing grew heavier.
“Damn it.”
He gripped the leather steering wheel tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
The most dangerous thing about Yooa was that she had no idea how her actions affected others.
“This place…”
They entered a large apartment complex with a distinctive sculpture at the entrance. After heading straight to the underground parking, Lee Jun parked the car in a designated space.
And without a word, he leaned in and kissed Yooa.
“Mm, ah… Wait. Lee Jun, mm…”
“I’m just in a hurry.”
Not even giving her time to unbuckle, he pressed himself close, determined to consume the lingering sweetness inside her mouth.
“Haa…”
