Chapter 049: So, Kangbada Made The First Move?”
“······.”
“······.”
How much time had passed?
It felt like it had been ten years, but obviously, no one can hold their breath that long.
Even with Kangbada’s lips pressed against mine, I tried to stay as rational as possible. What the hell was happening?
‘I haven’t had anything to drink.’
Had I accidentally eaten whiskey-filled chocolate like last time? That thought popped into my head but quickly vanished.
Honestly, I didn’t have the luxury to think about such things. It felt like my brain and heart had shut down simultaneously.
“Ah···.”
At that moment, Kangbada’s lips pulled away from mine. I couldn’t tell if the sound I made was an exclamation or just pure embarrassment, but it escaped on its own.
Kangbada, the one who actually made the move, turned her head in embarrassment, while I stared at her, stunned.
“Th-this, uh, I mean…”
“So, Kangbada made the first move?”
“Huh? W-what!?”
I grabbed her face and kissed her again. Kangbada’s eyes widened in shock.
But only for a moment.
She closed her eyes.
And I followed her lead.
“······.”
“······.”
Silence returned once again.
I gently pulled back and turned to face forward. Kangbada, too, looked straight ahead without a word.
Honestly, I had no idea what to say in a moment like this. My mind had gone completely blank, leaving me speechless.
‘Get it together, Kim Ha-neul!’
Even in this mess, I tried to pull myself together. Chanting “Kang Tae-yang” like a mantra in my head helped calm me down a little.
Eventually, my brain started working again. I tapped into every bit of knowledge I’d gained from dramas, movies, and novels to find a solution.
‘In moments like this, you smile and send her home…’
That’s when I realized something big. Kisses like this usually happen right before you go inside the house.
If this were a drama, Kangbada would have already dashed into her home by now. Unfortunately, we were still in her car, with a long drive ahead of us.
‘Driving right now isn’t happening.’
My heart was racing so fast I was scared I might accidentally slam on the gas. Breaking the silence felt like the only way forward.
“···Should we, uh, listen to the radio?”
“Y-yeah, sure!”
I pressed the button, and a soft voice came through the speakers. The silence started to melt away, and the awkward tension between us eased a bit.
– “We’ve got a sweet story today from Hansarang, a 17-year-old in Incheon. Hi, unnie. So, a few days ago, I had my first kiss with my boyfriend…”
Startled—
We both froze at the mention of “first kiss.” It was too awkward to change the channel, so we exchanged sheepish laughs instead.
“Kids these days are so bold!”
“Ugh, young people these days are way too spoiled.”
“Wow, you sound like a total old man just now.”
“Well, back in my day~”
Pfft—
Kangbada burst out laughing at my joke. The mood lightened instantly, and we both started listening to the story with a bit more ease.
– “So, get this—his breath reeked of garlic! That day’s school lunch was garlic-braised pork. I guess he didn’t brush his teeth or something…”
Swiftly—
I instinctively brought a hand to my mouth and blew out a breath, sneaking a quick sniff. Thankfully, no strange odors.
When I glanced over, I locked eyes with Kangbada. Judging by her similar pose, she must have had the same thought.
We exchanged awkward smiles, like kids caught lying.
“Hey, now that I think about it, we haven’t had dinner yet!”
“Yeah, right! Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
“Then let’s grab something to eat before heading home. Maybe there’s a good spot nearby…”
It was pretty late, so the only places likely open would be soup restaurants or pubs.
I was about to check my phone for nearby places when Kangbada suddenly spoke up.
“···Ha-neul-ssi.”
“Yeah?”
“I kind of want to eat something you cook, Ha-neul-ssi. It’s been a while.”
That was actually a good idea.
Since we weren’t planning to drink, going to a crowded place felt unnecessary. What was in my fridge again?
“Then let’s head to my place…”
As I spoke, I suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. Isn’t this eerily similar to the classic ‘Wanna come over for ramen?’
Is this a ‘signal’?
That thought made me pause, and I looked at Kangbada. She must have realized the implication of what she said because she quickly waved her hands.
“That’s not what I meant! I really just want to eat your cooking, that’s all!”
“Got it.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea!”
“I’m not.”
“You just did.”
“I didn’t.”
“Ha-neul-ssi’s eyebrow just twitched!”
Her face turned bright red, embarrassed by her own words. She looked so cute that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Why are you laughing?!”
“Because you’re cute.”
“Don’t say things like that so easily.”
“Don’t you like it?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it… Anyway!”
Kangbada quickly turned her head to look out the window. I quietly watched her profile.
“Why are you looking at me like that again!?”
“Because I can’t believe it.”
“What?”
“That someone this cute is my wife.”
“Stop it! Just stop!”
Slap, slap, slap!
Kangbada hit my arm with all her might. It hurt, but it only made me laugh harder because it reminded me this wasn’t a dream.
—
: Ha-neul-ssi, are you still sleeping?
: I’m heading to work now! Don’t drink too much coffee, and have a great day! You’ve got this!
: (Cheering rabbit emoticon)
The vibration of my phone woke me up, and I rubbed my sleepy eyes to check the message. Feeling this good right after waking up was a strange but nice feeling.
30I replied with a simple emoticon and a “You too!” message, then buried my face in the pillow. After about 30 seconds, I started to feel suffocated.
“···Guess I should get up.”
Groaning sounds escaped me as I stretched lightly, shaking off the remnants of sleep.
I quickly sat up straight and stretched lightly. Bit by bit, the drowsiness faded, and today’s tasks began forming in my mind.
‘Let’s start with some exercise.’
My daily routine didn’t change much.
I’d wake up, do some quick stretches and a home workout, grab a light meal, shower, and then get to work.
After finishing the earlier tasks smoothly, I sat down at my desk. So far, everything felt just like any other day.
“Hmm…”
I placed my hands on the keyboard, ready to type, but I just couldn’t focus. Last night’s events kept replaying in my mind.
A memorable kiss, untainted by alcohol. Nothing special had happened afterward, but who could say it would stay that way?
‘Maybe I should buy some new underwear.’
Not for any strange reason. I’d been earning well lately, and it seemed practical to start upgrading the item I wore most—my underwear.
‘They say looking good makes you feel good.’
I wasn’t sure if that analogy fit, but a quick internet search said wearing designer underwear could boost your confidence.
Still, my hands trembled a bit seeing some underwear priced in the tens of thousands of won. But I could afford it now.
51After all, I was the writer who held the Munpia Golden Best top spot for five weeks in a row. It’s just a few chickens’ worth, right?
“Money is definitely a nice thing.”
I used to not even dare window shopping for things like this. Now, it felt amazing knowing I could buy anything with a firm enough decision.
‘Come to think of it, this might be my first purchase for myself.’
After my first paycheck, I’d bought gifts for my family and the orphanage, but nothing just for me—unless you count some simple workout gear.
I figured I’d look for something to buy for myself and browsed a shopping mall, but aside from cars, nothing caught my attention.
‘···But buying a car right now feels premature.’
Being a web novel writer is an unstable job.
I had no idea how long this income would last, and buying a car I wouldn’t even use often felt wasteful.
‘I’ll just settle for a model.’
In the end, I went to a figure sales site. Every time I finished a story, I treated myself to a palm-sized car model instead of a real one.
Even for models, the prices were surprisingly steep, ranging from tens of thousands to several million won.
ZR1’Until now, I’d only gone for the cheaper options, but today I finally ordered the ‘Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’ that had been sitting in my cart.
Just imagining it proudly sitting on my shelf in a few days made me smile.
“My life has really changed so much.”
Ever since I met Kangbada, it felt like nothing but good things had been happening—almost too good to be true.
Looking back, my novel’s popularity really took off after Kangbada helped move my father to a better hospital, giving me the time and peace of mind to write.
‘I’ve already ordered a gift for Bada-ssi.’
It was an overseas item, so it would take a while to arrive. I hoped she’d like it, considering the effort I put into finding it.
‘I’m still debating what to get for Yena.’
If it weren’t for Yena, getting close to Kangbada like this would have been hard—if not impossible. At best, it would’ve taken a lot more time.
I wanted to thank her for the drawing she made for me, but I hadn’t found anything that felt right yet.
“Hmm…”
Since all she seemed to care about was drawing—and she hadn’t paid any attention to her favorite magical girl series since discovering it—I couldn’t think of anything else to get her.
‘She probably already owns most of the art supplies.’
‘Kangbyeol had already given her a full set, so there wasn’t much left for me to add in that department.’
After thinking it over for a long time, I finally closed the internet browser. Yena had given us the best gift she could, so I wanted to do the same for her.
‘The most valuable thing I can give her…’
‘That could only mean my writing.’
I wanted to give Yena something more meaningful than anything money could buy.
Given her age, a web novel seemed too advanced. A simple fairy tale might be more fitting.
I decided to write a story just for Yena. With that in mind, I sat down at the keyboard again.
That evening, I met up with Kangbada again. It was a bit awkward seeing her, but the atmosphere felt lighter than before.
You said you wanted to write a fairy tale for Yena?”
“Yeah, but it’s harder than I thought. I’ve been trying to figure it out on my own, but…”
“I shared my struggles with Kangbada honestly. I had spent the whole day staring at my keyboard, but nothing had come to me.
‘Maybe I underestimated fairy tales.’
Even though they weren’t very long and were focused on illustrations, I had assumed coming up with the story would be easy.
But modern fairy tales were different from the ones I grew up with, like Little Red Riding Hood, The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, or Beauty and the Beast.
‘Maybe my perspective is just too outdated for this.’
No matter how many new fairy tales I read, I couldn’t figure out what made them interesting.
And on top of that, I realized I didn’t know much about Yena herself.
So, what does Yena mean to you, Bada-ssi?”
“Yena?”
“Yeah. I think that’s where I need to start.”
“Just like Yena had reached out to us through her drawings, I wanted to connect with her honestly through my writing.
What does Yena mean to us? How much do we care about her?
Sensing my intentions, Kangbada thought for a while before finally speaking.
To me… Yena is like a little fox.”
“Her unexpected comparison left me speechless for a moment. Seeing my reaction, Kangbada chuckled softly and continued.
