TSS 06

Chapter : 6

Deep in thought, Geonhyeong picked up the water bottle on the passenger seat and started gulping it down. But he hadn’t even taken a few sips before finishing it entirely.

Have water bottles gotten smaller these days?

Geonhyeong frowned again. He didn’t understand why his throat was still so dry. Maybe, just as Taeseon suggested, he should go to the hospital.

‘Brother, could it be some kind of dehydration or something? What exactly did you eat on the blind date that you’ve been carrying a water bottle around ever since?’

Ah, the blind date. Come to think of it, that’s when it started. He still didn’t understand why his stomach would twist up whenever he thought of that tiny girl.

Geonhyeong sighed and carelessly tossed the empty water bottle behind him.

Clatter.

The sound of the bottles piled up on the floor banging against each other made him jump. This crazy bastard—thirsty as he was, how many bottles had he actually drunk?

“I brought more than usual just in case…”

And he drank them all? Geonhyeong turned around with a disgusted expression. Considering he’d been tempted to down a beer earlier, it was probably fortunate it was just water.

“…Better clean up the trash first.”

He happened to be near a trash can, so he threw the bottle away. When he returned and saw his reflection in the car window, he frowned again. The loosened tie looked completely wrong to him. Actually, it was impressive that Geonhyeong, who hated feeling constricted, still wore a suit and tie. But his father was the problem.

‘You idiot. Your appearance already looks rough enough; at least wear your clothes properly.’

Every time, his father would say this and smack Geonhyeong on the back. Even at his age, his hands were strong. Who could Geonhyeong take after? So whether the tie was tight or loose, father and son had compromised by at least hanging it around his neck.

“…Seeing me like this…”

Geonhyeong tilted his head slightly and began fixing his tie using the side mirror. Considering how big he was and how casually he appeared, it was no wonder Hayun had been intimidated on the blind date. Still, what if she cried today? Crying was one problem—but there was a bigger issue than that.

“Back then, we argued about whether I could get married or not…”

His hurried hands froze. Today, he finally understood the real cause of his severe thirst. It wasn’t because his father suggested meeting a few more times before deciding on marriage, nor because his mother was lecturing about premarital purity. He had no idea what he would do if Hayun stubbornly insisted she couldn’t get married today.

‘Seriously, even if I held a sharp blade to his face, he wouldn’t flinch… so why is this so scary?’

He could almost hear Taeseon’s mocking voice. That’s right. That little girl, with her wide, round eyes staring at him—it felt like he could swallow poison.

And if she cried? Back then, he had simply covered her mouth in a rush, but what about today?

“Ha, damn it.”

He had never understood the fuss about being afraid of women’s tears. After all, the only woman around him had been his mother, and she was far from the crying type.

‘Anger or annoyance… that would’ve been easier to handle.’

Ah, with his mother, her smile was actually scarier. When she smiled, she made sure to put you in your place.

Geonhyeong let out a short sigh and pulled a cigarette from the pack in his pocket. While rummaging for a lighter, his face brightened.

“Ah.”

Finally, the moment he had been waiting for had come. With a cigarette in his mouth, Geonhyeong strode forward. Perhaps due to his impatience, he had barely walked a few steps before closing the distance and greeting her.

“How have you been?”

“Eek!”

Hayun, lost in thought, screamed in surprise and staggered. Geonhyeong quickly caught her by the waist.

“Be careful.”

He had excellent reflexes, thanks to his parents, who had raised and educated him to be capable of avoiding injuries.

“Can you stand properly?”

“W-who… Ah. Yes…”

Hayun blinked her large eyes and seemed to understand, nodding slightly. Geonhyeong released her waist with a satisfied expression.

“Good.”

“Th-thank you.”

“What were you thinking, stepping so clumsily?”

“Ah… just…”

Hayun gave an awkward smile. She was shy by nature, unsure of how to face Geonhyeong. Although they had kissed before, this was technically only their second meeting.

Yes, Hayun was that shy. When kissing, eyes are closed, so there’s no chance to get familiar.

“How admirable.”

“Admirable…? For what?”

This time, he held her waist while she had her eyes open, leaving no room for awkwardness. Hayun responded somewhat familiarly. Geonhyeong finally took the cigarette from his mouth and smiled.

“For not crying.”

“Crying? I did trip, but… I didn’t get hurt.”

“So what were you crying about last time?”

“That was…”

Hayun blushed, fumbling over her words. Geonhyeong patted her head as if praising her.

“See? Isn’t it admirable for not crying? So don’t cry in the future. You might as well curse instead.”

“…Curse?”

Hayun tilted her head as if it made no sense. Geonhyeong put the cigarette back in the pack and chuckled.

“Ah, I’ve heard my mother curse a lot.”

He had been worried about what to do if she cried again. All he could do was fill up on water and bring it along. He figured if she cried, she might become dehydrated.

Anyway, considering he drank most of that water himself, it was a relief that she didn’t cry today. Last time, it had taken a red bean shaved ice for her to smile a little…

“Damn, such a fool.”

Suddenly recalling something, Geonhyeong clicked his tongue. …He just needed to buy her shaved ice, didn’t he?

“Was it for not cursing, or for not crying?”

Hayun bristled at his “foolish” remark. Her round eyes narrowed slightly, but Geonhyeong only found it cute. He patted her head again.

“No, I’m the fool. You, Hayun, are admirable. You didn’t even cry today.”

“I… I was just surprised at the time.”

Hayun trailed off and lowered her head. Geonhyeong’s gentle touch pleased her. She hadn’t been touched this kindly since her mother.

“Well, I’m not exactly an easy person to be around.”

Despite his words, Geonhyeong didn’t stop patting her. Her fine, smooth hair was too tempting to resist.

Yes, it was light and airy. No wonder the little girl could let her hair grow down to her waist.

“How awkward that was. Suddenly dragged to a blind date, and there’s a tiny girl sitting there…”

“Ah, I’m not tiny…!”

Hayun raised her voice. She was still sensitive after arguing with her sister about her height recently.

Geonhyeong, however, remained unfazed and answered calmly.

“You’re smaller than me.”

“B-but… how many people are taller than you, Geonhyeong…”

Hayun replied cautiously, still a little intimidated. Out of everyone she had met, Geonhyeong was the biggest. Compared to him, anyone would seem small. This time, he playfully pressed her cheek.

“Anyway, that tiny girl was shedding tears like raindrops…”

“I’m not small…”

Hayun exclaimed, flinching. The touch of his fingers on her cheek was softer than she expected. Geonhyeong’s fingers were solid and thick, befitting his size, yet surprisingly delicate. Then he cupped her face with both hands.

‘The scent…’

A scent, unidentifiable, wafted from his hands to her nose. Perfume? Makeup? Hard to tell.

Lost in thought, Hayun’s head was gently turned toward him by Geonhyeong. Her gaze went upward, and his face filled her view. Geonhyeong smiled fully.

“…It’s really pretty.”

Hayun’s face instantly flushed crimson. She lowered her head forcibly. As he withdrew his hands, a faint, unfamiliar scent brushed past her nose again.

Suddenly, she recalled a scene she had overlooked—the cigarette in Geonhyeong’s hand.

“Cigarette…”

“Huh?”

Hayun blurted out, trying to change the subject, her voice muffled as she kept her head down. Once she calmed herself, she asked shyly:

“Geonhyeong… do you smoke?”

“Ah.”

Geonhyeong looked embarrassed this time. His hand instinctively went to his pocket, crushing the cigarette pack inside. Taeseon had warned him repeatedly:

‘Brother, I know you’re a chain smoker, but don’t smoke on a date. Women hate the smell.’

“…I do, a little.”

He smiled awkwardly, trying to cover it up. A little? Sometimes he smoked more than two packs a day. Cigarettes were basically a trademark of Choi Geonhyeong—always dangling from his lips.

“Oh, that’s the smell.”

Hayun nodded. She hadn’t been around smokers much, but the faint scent on his fingers lingered. She remembered hearing that cigarette smells are sometimes used in perfumes.

Geonhyeong had no way of knowing her thoughts.

‘…So Taeseon was right sometimes.’

Maybe he felt uneasy. Dozens of thoughts ran through his mind.

He hadn’t smoked a single one today, but after over ten years of smoking, it was probably ingrained. Taeseon had once marveled that despite being a heavy smoker, he didn’t smell. But women clearly disliked the smell of cigarettes.

…He needed to quit immediately.