Chapter Forty-Eight: So This Is What It Feels Like to Have Your Heart Stirred

Linking arms with Lim Soo-ha, the two of them happily paid their bill together. As soon as they stepped out of the store, Yu Ji-min eagerly put a hat on her own head and placed another on Lim Soo-ha's head.

After walking together for just a few steps, Yu Ji-min's gaze was caught by a spicy tteokbokki stall by the street. Its savory and spicy appearance made her mouth water instantly.

"Hungry again?"

Lim Soo-ha asked with a chuckle, gently pinching the fingers of the "Mangosteen King." She had clearly said just moments ago that she couldn't even finish a single sweet potato, yet here she was, unable to move her feet again.

"I'm not hungry."

"So, you're craving it?"

"Yyah!"

"Well, I just... sort of want to eat some."

The girl grew a bit flustered and annoyed. Even if it was the truth, he didn't have to just blurt it out like that. Didn't she have any pride to maintain?

"But we're wearing masks and scarves right now. How are we supposed to eat?"

"We can go eat in the car."

"Won't that leave the car smelling all funny?" Yu Ji-min had originally wanted to act spoiled, but upon second thought, it didn't seem quite worth it. While food was certainly delicious, she wouldn't be able to stand her car filling up with the scent of spicy tteokbokki either.

Seeing this, Lim Soo-ha simply wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders and led her slowly back toward the car.

From time to time, Yu Ji-min turned back to glance at the bustling stall with lingering reluctance, though she was also afraid that taking off her mask might lead to her being recognized.

Her habit of looking back three times with every step made Lim Soo-ha want to smile.

"Do you want it that badly?"

"Considering my figure, I haven't had heavily seasoned food in quite a while."

Yu Ji-min shook her head. Sometimes, it wasn't even that she loved it all that much, but rather... a slight craving born from having abstained from strongly flavored foods for too long.

"There will be other chances."

The car slowly started up. Though reluctant, the girl forced herself to break away from her yearning for the spicy tteokbokki.

Instead of dwelling on things she had already missed out on, it was better to... cherish what she had right in front of her.

"By the way, I haven't asked you yet. Shouldn't you be quite busy as the year ends? How do you still find the time to take me out on a date?"

"I'm a rookie, just debuted not long ago. None of the year-end awards ceremonies really concern me, so naturally, I'm quite free."

"Then aren't you just like me, with barely any year-end stages to rush off to?"

"I suppose so. I haven't heard from my manager about any new work schedules for the time being."

Lim Soo-ha nodded, genuinely content with his current situation.

If a rookie of just one month could frequent major award ceremonies and receive all sorts of nominations, he would probably be cursed to death by senior idols' fans.

Things were pretty good as they were. While everyone else's attention was focused on various award ceremonies, he could work on personal projects to improve himself.

And he could also... spend a little more time meeting the girl he liked.

"Mhm." Yu Ji-min nodded nonchalantly, though she felt quite happy inside. Did the lack of work schedules mean that she and Lim Soo-ha would have plenty of opportunities to see each other in the near future?

"Still, I went to an audition for a new drama today. I might have to join the cast for a few days of filming in a little while."

Lim Soo-ha scratched his head. He hadn't received the full script yet, but as a supporting actor in an anthology series, his scenes probably wouldn't even require a full week of shooting.

"Isn't acting a good thing? It broadens your horizons and opens up another path for your future career."

The vast majority of idols needed to ponder their future developmental direction; being an idol wasn't a job you could do for a lifetime.

You always needed a direction for transition and a chance to pivot.

"Still, how long are you going to be gone?"

"Just for a supporting role, I guess it'll be wrapped up in three or four days?"

"Three or four days..." Yu Ji-min checked her recent work schedule on her phone. Apart from occasionally needing to go to the company for dance practice, she didn't seem to have any other external commitments.

Looked at that way, finding time to meet up with Lim Soo-ha wouldn't be a difficult task. But... what excuse should she use to see him?

Yu Ji-min scratched her head in mild distress. Clearly, she was the type of person who disliked letting others affect her mood, yet she kept breaking her own rule time and time again in front of Lim Soo-ha.

At first, she constantly reassured herself that she was merely treating him like a younger brother. But following that drunken incident and the moment she leaned against his chest, the psychological defenses she had built with such difficulty collapsed in a single instant.

She liked this person, and because of this person, she experienced for the first time the passive loss of control over her own heart.

As the car pulled into a secluded corner, the man glanced at Yu Ji-min, who was lost in thought in the passenger seat. He smiled, pinched her cheek, and told her to wait a moment while he came back.

By the time the girl snapped out of it, she was the only one left in the cabin. Yu Ji-min anxiously peered out the window and accidentally caught sight of a figure under a streetlamp buying snacks for her.

What words should be used to describe the feeling of being cared for at every single moment?

Was she touched?

Just a little bit.

There was also a hint of joy, a trace of delight, and a massive sense of happiness.

Ever since she became a trainee and parted ways with her family living in Suwon, Yu Ji-min hadn't felt this kind of attentive pampering in a very long time.

He had noticed her desire to eat; he had read the emotions she tried to hide.

It had been a long time since anyone had kept her in their heart at every moment the way Lim Soo-ha did.

How nice it is to have you...

"What are you thinking about?"

"How come you're still daydreaming after so long?"

Lim Soo-ha returned to the car carrying a box of tteokbokki and a small bowl of wontons. He poked the absent-minded Yu Ji-min and leaned over to unbuckle her seatbelt.

"Eat up. Tteokbokki and small wontons."

Lim Soo-ha pulled the girl close, letting her lean gently against him inside the car. Looking up at the hazy starry sky above, he boldly reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Yyah!" Yu Ji-min gave a reproachful look to the bad guy who had messed up her hairstyle, let out a soft huff, and began tasting the food with a skewer.

As the savory and spicy flavor of the tteokbokki spread through her mouth, the girl cast a sneaky glance at the boy beside her, narrowed her eyes playfully, and softly rested her head against his chest.

Sensing the girl's small movement, the man smiled without leaving a trace, then shifted slightly toward her side.

The winter breeze brushed past the young man and woman, stirring the stray hairs at her temples. The girl hugged her coat tighter and shivered slightly.

Using the chill as an excuse, someone unzipped his jacket and pulled her straight into his embrace...

Yu Ji-min raised her eyes and met that pair of guilty-looking eyes. She smiled, a smile that made the man's heart race and caused him to unconsciously lick his lips.

The sensation of a fluttering heart... Perhaps this was what they called love?