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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Ha-yeong and I left her apartment building and took a taxi to her new place.
Her new apartment, located on the top floor, was completely empty.
“It really is empty, isn’t it?”
“We’ll fill it up, one by one.”
I followed her inside, carrying the boxes she’d brought with her.
As Ha-yeong had said, the empty apartment, unlike the model unit we’d seen, felt vast, spacious enough to run around in.
The high ceilings, typical of top-floor units, created a sense of openness.
“The furniture arrives this afternoon, right?”
“Yes.”
The furniture was scheduled to arrive in the afternoon, followed by the electronics we’d picked out the next day.
“Do you like the place?”
“Yes, I love it. It’s spacious and has a great view.”
Although it was still empty, a smile spread across Ha-yeong’s face as she imagined filling it with her belongings, creating her own space.
“What’s this?”
While most of her things had been transported by truck from her previous residence, she’d brought a few boxes with her.
“Cookbooks.”
I opened the box, and it was filled with her collection of cookbooks. She could have sent them with the rest of her belongings, but she’d wanted to bring these herself. I’d insisted on carrying them after we got out of the taxi, and they were the first items to enter her new apartment, her prized possessions.
“You’ll be cooking a lot now?”
“I’ll try.”
Living alone, without a stable income, cooking every meal would be more of a burden than a convenience. But she was excited about starting her new life and full of determination, which made me hopeful for her future.
“Let’s decide where to put the furniture when it arrives.”
Now that I’d confirmed she’d brought her books, and knowing the truck with the rest of her belongings would arrive soon, followed by the furniture, we needed to double-check the layout and measurements, even though we’d already bought the furniture with the apartment dimensions in mind.
“Okay.”
Her apartment was a typical family-sized unit, with a living room, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms.
It was a bit large for a single person, but it was better than being cramped. And Ha-yeong seemed happy with it, so that was all that mattered.
As we were discussing the furniture arrangement, the truck with her belongings arrived, and the movers brought in the boxes.
After confirming her belongings had arrived, the furniture started arriving piece by piece: a wardrobe and dresser for the smaller bedroom, which she planned to use as a closet; a bookshelf and desk for the middle bedroom; and a vanity and bed for the master bedroom.
The master bedroom, her personal sanctuary, was the room we were most meticulous about. Even I felt a sense of responsibility, arranging her furniture.
The delivery service didn’t include setup, so we had to arrange everything ourselves after they left.
“Wouldn’t it be nice by the window? It gets a lot of sunlight.”
“The light might bother you when you’re sleeping.”
“Then what should we put by the window?”
“Let’s leave the window area empty. We can put the bed against the wall and the vanity next to it.”
We continued discussing the arrangement as we moved the furniture around, trying different configurations.
It was a lot of work, but we were both in high spirits, laughing as we moved the heavy pieces.
“Can you reach the top shelf of the bookshelf?”
“…I don’t think so.”
She was around 155cm tall. The top shelf of the tall bookshelf was barely within reach, even if she stood on her tiptoes.
“Did we buy too tall of a bookshelf?”
While it had seemed like a standard size in the store, it was clearly too tall for her in the actual apartment. Why hadn’t we noticed it at the store?
“You said it was fine because you could reach the top shelf at the store.”
“Oh…”
I remembered now. I’d checked the height at the store, reaching for the top shelf, and had told her it was a good height. She’d agreed after checking the color of the bookshelf I’d chosen.
It had only been two days ago, but it felt like a distant memory, with so much happening in between.
“Should we get a step stool for the kitchen, too? It might be difficult to reach the upper cabinets.”
“I only use a few things regularly, and I can use a chair for the higher shelves, so it’s okay.”
While she was on the shorter side, she wasn’t that short. It would only be a minor inconvenience, and I could always help her reach the higher shelves.
“Oh?”
I’d been unconsciously picturing myself in this apartment, a natural progression of our interactions. Ha-yeong was still calling me “honey,” seemingly unaware of it.
She’d been calling me that all day, so it was understandable, and I wondered if I should correct her.
It would be better to address it eventually, but I didn’t want to ruin her good mood, her constant smile.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Hearing my small, involuntary sound, as if realizing the current situation, Ha-yeong looked up at me and asked, and I brushed it off, pretending to be checking the apartment layout, then returned to the master bedroom. I’d placed the bed against the wall, just as I liked. Was this okay?
“Is something wrong?”
Ha-yeong, who’d been in the other bedroom, followed me, worried I’d found a problem.
“Not really, but the bed… are you okay with its placement?”
“You said this was good.”
“Yes, I like it, but…”
How should I put it? The apartment was starting to reflect my preferences.
“When are the electronics supposed to arrive?”
I quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on it.
The TV, refrigerator, washing machine… the essential appliances hadn’t arrived yet, and Ha-yeong checked her phone for updates.
“No messages yet, but they should arrive on time.”
“Should we grab some lunch then?”
We still had time before the scheduled delivery, and I suggested having lunch. Ha-yeong nodded and rolled up her sleeves.
“I’ll make something delicious.”
“Huh? You’re going to cook?”
I thought it would be too much trouble to cook on moving day, especially with all the unpacking and organizing, but Ha-yeong, ever the passionate cook, had already made up her mind.
“It’s our first meal in the new apartment. Is there anything you want to eat, honey?”
I couldn’t think of anything specific. Something simple would be nice.
“Anything is fine with me. Do you have anything in mind, honey?”
I immediately regretted my words. Having been called “honey” by her all day, I’d unconsciously used it myself. While I didn’t show it, I was slightly flustered. Was I getting too used to the charade we’d started at the furniture store?
“…”
Ha-yeong’s face suddenly flushed crimson. She seemed to have finally realized she’d been calling me “honey” all day.
“Let’s go grocery shopping and decide then.”
“Uh, o-okay!”
Sensing the awkwardness, we decided to go to the supermarket downstairs and buy some ingredients for a simple meal. While she didn’t have a rice cooker yet, she’d brought some cooking utensils, so making a simple meal wouldn’t be a problem.
We went downstairs, grabbed a shopping cart, and discussed meal options as we browsed the aisles.
“You’re not planning to make a feast, are you?”
“No, I want to cook, but we have a lot to do today.”
I’d been worried she’d get carried away with cooking and forget about unpacking, but thankfully, she seemed to be planning a simple meal.
“We don’t have any side dishes, so how about doenjang jjigae and rice?”
“Sounds good.”
I was happy with any suggestion. I hadn’t developed the habit of cooking during my long bachelor life, take-out being my usual meal, so a home-cooked meal was always welcome.
We finished our grocery shopping and returned to the apartment, and Ha-yeong started cooking. I hovered around the kitchen, wondering if she needed any help, and she smiled at me.
“You can just sit and wait.”
“Just in case…”
“It’s okay. Waiting is helping me right now.”
She made me sit down, and I decided to do as she said.
The aroma of doenjang jjigae filled the air.
I wondered when I’d last smelled this at home, and Ha-yeong, who’d been checking the pot, finally turned her attention to me.
“Can you taste this?”
“I’m good at that.”
She came over with a spoonful of the soup, let it cool slightly, and offered it to me. I took a sip and savored the flavor. Despite her limited experience, her passion for cooking had clearly paid off; she was a good cook, as I’d noticed during our trip.
“It’s delicious.”
Her anxious expression brightened at my compliment.
We had a late lunch of rice and doenjang jjigae.
After we finished eating and cleaning up, the electronics arrived. The large refrigerator and washing machine were brought in first, followed by the other appliances, and we discussed their placement, our conversation flowing easily.
Unlike with the furniture, we talked about practical matters, like what to store in the refrigerator and the most efficient laundry routine.
Ha-yeong continued to call me “honey,” and being a creature of habit, I was getting used to it.
After setting up the appliances, we started cleaning. The apartment, now filled with furniture and appliances, felt complete, unlike the empty space from this morning, and we were both excited.
The empty apartment was now furnished, and we’d cleaned every nook and cranny, transforming the space. We sat down on the sofa in the sparkling clean living room.
“All done.”
“It is. It’s already evening.”
It felt like we’d just had lunch, but looking out the window, the city lights had replaced the daylight.
“We should have dinner, but I’m too tired.”
I glanced at Ha-yeong as she leaned against my shoulder on the sofa, and she looked up at me, our eyes meeting. The sweet illusion of domestic bliss, of creating a home together, faded, replaced by a wave of awkwardness.
“Ah! We need to put the bedding in the bedroom.”
“Right! We do!”
Ha-yeong broke the silence, as if suddenly remembering, and I agreed, getting the summer bedding from the closet and making the bed in the master bedroom.
The light blue bedding and pillows created a cozy, almost honeymoon-like, atmosphere.
Ha-yeong, seemingly pleased with the made bed, lay down, enjoying the soft mattress.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes. Try it.”
I sat down on the bed, wanting to see the finished product, since I’d chosen the bed frame. What wasn’t to like about it today? The mattress, the bedding… everything was perfect.
I smiled, satisfied, and my eyes met Ha-yeong’s. I smiled again, our hands touching.
I’d lost count of how many times I’d drifted into and out of the fantasy today.
But it was time to return to reality.
“Then, since we’re done, I should get going.”
This was her home now, her personal space.
I didn’t belong here anymore, and as I stood up to leave,
Ha-yeong took my hand.
Blue thought as she heard A say he was leaving.
‘Is it over?’
She, too, had enjoyed the fantasy of domestic bliss, of creating a home together, and now felt the inevitable return to reality. But she’d cherished those moments, wishing they could last forever.
She liked A. He was a good person, someone she could see herself being with. He was special, and she wanted to spend more time with him.
Blue, who’d always lived a life defined by others, had finally created a space for herself, driven by a newfound desire for independence. Of course, A’s help had been instrumental, which made him even more special.
And she thought,
‘Could I… be a little more selfish?’
She didn’t want this to end. A was special, a good person, someone she liked.
She wanted to spend more time with him, to turn this fantasy into reality.
Having made up her mind, emboldened by a surge of courage, Blue spoke to A, her voice trembling slightly,
“…Have dinner… before you go.”
“Okay…”
His agreement made her happy, but her heart pounded in her chest.
The memories of their time together made her blush, a shy smile spreading across her face.
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Sooo close too.
it’s peak…
Peak