If You Want Me - Episode 101
<Episode 101>
“Seo-won.”
“Yes, yes…?”
“You’ve seemed spaced out for a while. Are you feeling sick somewhere?”
At Do-gyeom’s question, Seo-won, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned his gaze toward the driver’s seat. Do-gyeom was looking at him with a worried gaze, slightly leaning on the steering wheel, taking advantage of the red light.
Why is he looking at me like that? Blankly looking at the rearview mirror in front of me, I saw that I had a face full of worries. Seo-won, who didn’t even know he was making this expression, hurriedly loosened his expression.
“Ah, no.”
“Do you have something on your mind?”
“I was thinking about something. I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“I asked because I was worried, so there’s no need to apologize.”
When Seo-won apologized, Do-gyeom laughed awkwardly. He seemed to imply that there was no need to apologize for such a thing.
Actually, Seo-won had been feeling complicated lately. It was because he had met Madam a few days ago.
That day, I knew that it was the best I could do and that I handled it well. However, when I lay down to sleep at night, I regretted that I could have persuaded her better. Above all, her last words that she would solve it her way sounded like a declaration of war, which bothered me.
When I was alone, it was just a thought that occasionally came to mind, but when I met Do-gyeom, the burden doubled. It felt like her sharp gaze was chasing me.
I should manage my expression well so she won’t find out I met Madam… As I made a secret resolution in my heart, the traffic light turned green. Do-gyeom turned his gaze forward and spoke.
“It’s a relief that you’re not sick, but aren’t you going to ask where we’re going today?”
Come to think of it, when he told me to get in the car, I just got in blankly without even knowing where we were going. It’s a bit late to ask now, but now that I hear it, I’m curious.
“…Where are we going?”
“Aquarium.”
“Aquarium? Why there all of a sudden?”
I’ve never talked about the aquarium with him. We’ve never been there together either.
Tilting my head at the unexpected course, Do-gyeom opened his mouth with a somewhat proud look.
“You’ve been busy moving recently. I feel like I stubbornly insisted on moving, so as a sign of reflection.”
“What? No, you and Mom helped a lot, and you arranged people for me, so I wasn’t busy at all. I didn’t have much luggage either.”
Seo-won said with a faint smile. I was busy moving suddenly, but I left the furniture as it was. There was hardly any work moving large furniture.
Do-gyeom and Mom helped a lot with moving small luggage, and especially thanks to Do-gyeom preparing all the people, there was no work or stress for Seo-won at all. When moving, there are often setbacks when looking into it, but it was just surprising how he found and called such expert-like people.
I didn’t do much, but if I still looked tired, it’s probably because I couldn’t sleep well due to meeting Madam.
I tried not to show it, but did it all show? As Seo-won rubbed under his eyes with his hand in embarrassment, Do-gyeom continued as if that wasn’t the only reason for going to the aquarium.
“And every time we met, we only ate and slept. It feels like nothing has changed from when we were partners, and I want to do something couple-like too.”
“Ah…”
Seo-won opened his mouth blankly at the unexpected reason. I was happy just eating and sleeping with him, so I never felt that way… It seems Do-gyeom pondered how to have a more date-like date.
Come to think of it, doing couple-like things. Is it because I’ve never had a lover before? I thought what we had been doing was enough for a couple’s date, but when he said he’d do something more date-like, I wondered what it would be like.
I couldn’t concentrate at all when I met him because of Madam’s issue, but today, for the first time, my mind became clear. I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from rising because my mood became sweet.
Is it okay to be this happy even though we haven’t done anything yet? Seo-won thought he might be too simple.
They say the bigger the expectation, the bigger the disappointment, so I tried not to expect much, but Do-gyeom must have already seen that I liked it, so he opened his mouth with a small smile.
“Do you like fish?”
“I’ve never thought about liking them… Actually, I don’t know well because I haven’t been there many times. I’ve only been a few times when I was in school.”
I vaguely remember feeling a sense of mystery every time I went, but after becoming an adult, I had never been there since I went a few times as a student. I had only been a few times as a child that I could count on one hand, so only the feeling that it was just a bit amazing remained.
However, what I could clearly know was that it would be different from then and now. And that it would be better now.
When Seo-won answered shyly, saying he wasn’t sure, Do-gyeom must have read the positive reaction and raised one corner of his mouth. He lowered one hand that was holding the steering wheel and placed his hand on top of Seo-won’s.
“I hope you like it.”
“…Me too.”
Seo-won answered softly and ended up smiling brightly. Do-gyeom was so warm that he couldn’t pretend otherwise and hide anything.
I’m still worried about Madam’s issue, but now I want to focus on the precious moments.
* * *
Not long after, the car stopped in front of a building.
Seo-won unfastened his seat belt at the words that they had arrived and got out, but his eyes widened at the sight of the building in front of him.
“There was a place like this?”
As soon as I got out of the car, I saw a building several stories high with colorful drawings of fish, sharks, and whales on the blue exterior walls. It looked as if the entire building was an aquarium.
Isn’t it famous if there’s such a large aquarium in Seoul? As I had that thought for a moment, Do-gyeom explained as if it was natural not to know.
“It hasn’t officially opened yet.”
“What? Then why are we here? Ah, is it your affiliate or something like that?”
“It’s similar, but they said the interior is all ready since it’s opening next week. I thought it would be nice for the two of us to come before it gets crowded.”
“Aha…”
Seo-won nodded blankly at Do-gyeom’s explanation. I don’t know exactly, but it seemed he had the authority to go in and inspect or appreciate it before the official opening. I wondered if it was okay for me, who had nothing to do with the company, to come, but I thought it would be fine since he brought me.
Following him inside, two people who looked like staff were guarding the entrance. The staff must have recognized Do-gyeom, as they politely greeted us as Do-gyeom and I approached the entrance.
“Enjoy your visit.”
When I was Do-gyeom’s pheromone partner before, I was often treated as if I had become a VIP. It felt similar to that. They smiled at Seo-won too and didn’t stop us from going in, saying we couldn’t enter.
The aquarium wasn’t structured to unfold as soon as you entered, but you had to pass through a corridor with a blue glow to come out. It seemed to be to prevent the white light from outside from coming in.
As we went further inside, the white light faded away and the surroundings gradually darkened and turned blue like deep water. When I looked down, there was an effect of water rippling on the floor as if reflected on the surface. Seo-won stared down as if being sucked in and asked him in a small voice.
“But… if it’s before the opening, there won’t be anyone inside, right?”
“There are only the minimum number of guards and management personnel. Why? Did you want some people?”
“It’s a bit… scary.”
The interior had an eerie atmosphere. I don’t remember being scared when I went to the aquarium as a child, but it seemed to be because the structure here was made too much like being underwater. It’s better than other places, but that’s why it was even more scary. It would have been less scary if there were people.
As Seo-won reflexively moved closer to Do-gyeom’s side, hesitating, he reached out his hand in front of Seo-won. Why the hand? When Seo-won looked blankly, he spoke.
“Let’s hold hands while walking.”
“H-hands?”
“There’s no one to see anyway. And there are no guide staff here, so it’ll be big trouble if we get lost.”
“…”
I’m an adult, not directionally challenged, so I don’t think I’ll get lost…
However, it would be scary to be left alone in a dark aquarium with only blue lights. Seo-won stopped hesitating and held Do-gyeom’s hand.
As we held hands tightly and went inside like in the car, the corridor ended. Soon, Seo-won’s eyes widened like a surprised rabbit at the sight unfolding before him.
“Wow…!”
Seo-won let out an exclamation without realizing it, seeing the colorful fish swimming inside the glass tank.
Even though I had definitely been to an aquarium before, maybe because it had been a long time, or because the scale and magnificence of this place was incomparable to the place I had been to then, I felt an emotion I had never felt before. My heart fluttered like a child going on a picnic for the first time.
Wanting to see the fish up close, I approached the glass tank, and a stingray suddenly appeared from somewhere, blocking Seo-won’s view.
The stingray had a smiley-looking face and was bouncing up and down, moving its short, blunt legs. It was so cute that I couldn’t help but smile.
“This guy is really cute…”
“Should I tell you something about stingrays?”
“Like what?”
“This guy has two genitals.”
“…Pardon?”
Seo-won was answering without taking his eyes off the stingray, but when he heard something he never imagined, he creaked like a broken toy and turned his head to Do-gyeom.
What are you suddenly saying… Really? As I looked at him with a shocked face, Do-gyeom pointed at the stingray and said.
“The things that look like legs are that.”
“…”
…How did he know I thought those were legs? Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of stingrays having legs. I’ve definitely never heard of them having two genitals either.
Seo-won was so flustered that he lost his words and didn’t know what to say in response. Thank you for letting me know? That’s interesting? No, more than that…
“Hyung… Why do you know such things?”
“I just happened to know.”
I asked, curious about the source of his knowledge, but Do-gyeom answered nonchalantly.
I felt scared, amazed, and beautiful when I entered the aquarium, but now it’s shocking… I thought I didn’t know how many emotions I was feeling even though I had just entered the entrance.
So this is what a real date is like… Seo-won ended up acquiring the wrong knowledge.