Tell Me You Like It [R19]

Chapter 1.2: The Trigger

Cover

 ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ: ʙʀᴇᴇ

“Hello,” he greeted, holding the door as if inviting her to enter.

His deep and rich voice was low and resonant, sweet as if it could melt eardrums. His gentle voice felt as warm as a soft breeze, as if it could melt even ice. Anna even had the illusion that her well-placed eardrum, carefully affixed by the doctor a year ago, was starting to melt.

“Hello,” Anna greeted him just as he had.

No, did I just make a sound out loud? Anna thought, her lips still tightly sealed, nodding her head slightly in response. Was it really that difficult to say a simple word like “hello” aloud in English? It was such a basic phrase, all she had to do was open her lips…

Anna was in a daze, her mind blank as she accepted the man’s help in holding the door and pulled her suitcase inside.

“Do you need any help?” the man asked in English when he saw her struggling with her suitcase on the threshold. Anna couldn’t tell which country he was from, but his English had an exotic accent. It was so charming that she almost wanted to make a ridiculous request just to hear him speak more.

“Oh, no, I’m okay. Thank you,” Anna replied, holding onto the suitcase handle tightly. It felt like her lips were glued together, making it difficult to respond, even though it was a simple phrase.

He smiled and walked inside, gesturing for her to follow.

Seeing his smile, Anna almost screamed. Her mind went blank once again. His image seemed to change as if he had performed magic.

As his deep-set eyes rounded and revealed a neat row of teeth between his lips, he transformed from a sexy sculpture into an innocent and playful boy.

The elevator arrived at the first floor, and the man got on, heading up. Anna stood there for a moment, frozen in place. Her eyes were wide with amazement. She felt like she was possessed by a ghost. Her heart was pounding loudly.

If Pygmalion had sculpted a statue that looked exactly like him, Galatea would have undoubtedly fallen in love with this man instead. He was unrealistically handsome to the point where even someone who was heterosexual could be captivated by his appearance.

Seeing such a handsome man, it finally hit her that she had arrived in Spain and was traveling. This was a different foreign country compared to Korea.

She had to sever ties with her family, but coming here was the right choice. When she thought of her parents, her left eardrum, which had been injured last year, seemed to ache again. However, as she had done for the past year, Anna tried to ignore the pain.

Now, she was in Madrid, the capital of Spain. She thought about her current location and reality began to set in. This was a foreign country, distinctly different from Korea.

Anna entered the hostel, still feeling a bit excited, and checked in at the reception desk.

“May I see your passport, please?”

The woman at the reception spoke in English with a Spanish accent. Anna quickly retrieved her passport from her black crossbody bag and handed it to the woman. The brown-haired staff member, chewing gum indifferently, entered the information from the passport into the computer program.

“Do you prefer a bottom bunk or a top bunk?” Anna listened carefully, a bit nervous. Thanks to her preparations for this trip, including attending a conversation academy and participating in English conversation study groups, understanding what was being said wasn’t difficult.

The staff member’s reference to the “top bunk” meant a bunk bed on the upper level. The place Anna had reserved was a hostel with affordable dormitories where several people shared one room. It had a layout with multiple bunk beds in a large room.

“I’ll take the bottom bunk.”

Although Anna had never used a top bunk before, she felt it might be cumbersome to climb up and down a ladder.

“You’re in bed number 3 in room 302. The key deposit is 5 euros, which we’ll return to you when you check out.”

She handed Anna her passport and an electronic key, explaining it with a bored tone, probably feeling tired and bored due to the late hour.

Anna placed her passport deep inside her crossbody bag just in case she might lose it. She wore the red spring-shaped electronic key on her wrist, and as she did, it naturally reminded her of the key to a jjimjilbang.

<찜질방 jjimjilbang: jjimjilbang>

“You can use that key to open your room and the locker. Just use it for locker number 3.”

“Thank you.”

“We offer free churros and wine every evening, so if you want some, come to the lobby here.”

She gestured toward the lobby right in front of Anna. The lobby was filled with plastic tables and chairs.

“Oh, okay.”

It was an unexpected event. While wandering around, Anna wondered what the churros they were giving away tasted like. The chances of her missing out on the churros here were probably high, but she was curious about the taste.

“Breakfast hours are from 7 to 10 in the morning. You can have breakfast here in the lobby.”

She handed Anna a breakfast coupon and explained.

With the check-in process complete, Anna took the elevator up to the third floor. When the elevator door opened on the third floor, she was greeted by a spacious lounge right in front of her. As she was about to step out of the elevator, her eyes widened suddenly.

At the opposite end of the lounge, on a red sofa, she saw the handsome man she had encountered in front of the door earlier, talking with two other men. They seemed to be conversing in Italian, not Spanish. Because Anna had a strong interest in Italian opera, she could easily distinguish Italian when she heard it.

As the elevator made a “ding” sound and the door opened, the three men naturally turned their gaze toward Anna. Suddenly, they stopped their conversation and began to stare at her intently.

Anna felt flustered, especially under the enchanting gaze of the handsome blond man. However, she pretended to be unfazed and calmly pulled her suitcase, stepping out of the elevator.

In Anna’s field of vision, the blond man seemed to stand out. His handsomeness appeared to shine even more under the bright lights.

It was strange. It seemed like he had a halo around him. He wasn’t Jesus or Buddha, so how could light radiate from a human being?

The blond man smiled again when he saw Anna. The corners of his lips slightly turned upwards, suggesting a mischievousness, while his eyes, which folded into gentle curves, were so seductive that Anna’s heart almost stopped.

Although she was flustered by the three men’s gazes, especially the captivating gaze of the blond man, Anna still gave a casual nod and a friendly smile. She wanted to appear nonchalant but felt her face stiffening.

She pretended to be focused on finding her room and quickly turned her head away. Even though the weather wasn’t hot, she felt sweat on her gloved hands. Although she hadn’t looked in a mirror, she was sure her expression had displayed awkwardness.

Anna made an effort to compose herself and wandered around to find Room 302. This hostel was quite spacious, and its layout was different from what she was used to in Korea. The central area of the building was left open for people to pass through, while numerous rooms lined the walls.

The conversation from the men’s room faded away, and only the sound of Anna pulling her suitcase and her footsteps echoed in her ears. Strangely, it felt like they were still looking at her. With each movement, she felt as though her joints had suddenly become problematic, making her feel like a rusty robot moving with a creaking sound. Nevertheless, she continued to search for Room 302.

As she turned to the right, she spotted a large white door with blue numbers reading ‘302.’ Anna approached Room 302 with her suitcase. Even though she had seen all the photos of the dormitory interior when making the reservation, her heart raced with anticipation upon seeing the room’s entrance.

No, in fact, the excitement that had started after seeing the handsome man didn’t seem to have stopped.

Anna placed the black key on her wrist against a square lock above it. Beep-beep. Along with a mechanical sound, a round, protruding object above the lock lit up. In an instant, it changed from green to red. Anna grabbed the handle and pushed, but the door didn’t open.

“Hmm?”

Had something gone wrong? Anna was slightly puzzled and quickly raised her head to check the room number.

‘302.’

It was the same as what the reception had mentioned. She hadn’t said ‘three hundred two’ but rather ‘Three, Zero, Two.’ Perhaps they made it simple to avoid any confusion on her part. The room number matched exactly as she had been told at the reception, and there was also a round plastic tag attached to the key with ‘302’ written on it.

With her suitcase beside her, Anna placed the round key against the lock again. Beep-beep. Once again, a mechanical sound followed, and the light changed from green to red.

…It should open now, right?

Anna grabbed the handle again and pushed. However, the door remained firmly locked. Puzzled, Anna placed the key against the lock once more, only to remove it again. However, the locked door showed no sign of opening. Bewilderment washed over Anna like a tidal wave.

Should she go back to the reception?

Anna turned around with her suitcase in tow, and she nearly screamed out loud. The handsome blond man who had been sitting on the sofa right behind her had silently approached her.

“Gasp!”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I startle you?”

As if trying to reassure her, he apologized. His low, sweet voice was like rich chocolate with a hint of sweetness lingering in her mouth.

Under the bright light, his eyes, which met hers, sparkled as brilliantly as stars in the night sky. The deep blue, dignified and elegant, strangely appeared dangerous. It was like a very deep sea, once you fell into it, there was no way out.

“Oh, no. It’s okay.”

Anna managed to move her lips as if they were coated with honey, and she replied. The man standing under the fluorescent light looked so handsome that it seemed as though her eyes might go blind when she looked at him.

“Is there some problem? It seemed like you needed help…”

“I think there might be something wrong with the key. The door won’t open.”

“Can you give it to me for a moment?”

“Yes.”

Anna’s voice trembled slightly as she replied. She took off the bracelet-like key from her wrist and handed it to him.

He took the key and glanced down at it. As soon as his gaze left her, she felt a sudden sense of loss. It was as if something inexplicable had connected her to the man when they locked eyes, but strangely, it seemed to disconnect when he averted his gaze.

The man’s actions of taking the key and placing it in the automatic lock seemed to play out in slow motion, like a scene from a movie. His eyes, which were focused on the key and the lock, lazily lowered. His long, golden eyelashes were as thick as if they were drawn with a brush, and even his lower lashes, as if artificial extensions had been added, were long and lush.

Anna couldn’t help but wonder how his eyelashes could be longer and fuller than her own. Was it due to differences in race? Nevertheless, this blond handsome man had a beauty that was in a different league compared to the other foreigners she had seen until now.

The straight nose that extended from his forehead was perfectly proportioned, as if a sculptor had meticulously carved it. When they kissed, their cheeks would naturally come into contact with his high nose bridge…

Anna found herself involuntarily beginning to imagine passionately kissing him. As his sapphire eyes disappeared between the golden eyelashes and his thick, red lips devoured hers, she thought her heart might beat so violently that it would burst.

She felt an overwhelming sensation of breathlessness. It wasn’t like she had been running, but Anna’s breath seemed to quicken without making a sound.

Then it happened.

Beep.

The door opened with an automated sound. Anna, who had been lost in her fantasy of kissing the man with the striking appearance, was startled by the mechanical noise and snapped back to reality.

‘Am I crazy? I’ve never even kissed a man, and I’m having these thoughts!’

In reality, she was tired from a long flight, her hair, body, and face all felt greasy.

Anna suddenly wanted to turn off all the lights in the room. She wished she could create a power outage with a punch if she had to. She wanted to hide if there was even a mouse hole.

“Did you see that?”

“Yes, yes? See what?”

“You should hold the key like this for a moment before removing it. That way, the door will open more easily.”

“Oh… I see. Thank you for your help.”

“You’re welcome.”

Seeing the man smile while drawing shapes on the floor made Anna dizzy up close. It was only then that Anna noticed that his well-shaped lips were slightly split vertically under his chin. His chin was divided in half like a baby’s bottom, making him appear more masculine.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, extending his hand suddenly. Anna, taken aback, reached out her hand but then realized she was still wearing gloves. She quickly removed her gloves and extended her hand, and her small hand was firmly grasped by his large hand.

An invisible electric charge seemed to spread from their joined hands throughout her body. It felt like static electricity was rising from their clasped hands. His hand, much larger and thicker with longer fingers than Anna’s, was much warmer than her own body temperature.

Her heart raced. The warm sensation that passed from her fingertips seemed to heat her entire body, making it feel as if her heart was pounding loudly. Was it because her hand was enveloped in his large hand? Strangely, the word “contact” seemed to fit this handshake better than any other.

Anna shook the held hand, feeling a tingling sensation at the tips of her fingers.

“Me too.”

“Where are you from?”

“I’m from Korea.”

“Ah, the South? Or the North?”

Is he seriously asking because he doesn’t know?

From Anna’s perspective, it was obvious that she was from the South, but when she saw the man asking which side she was from, she suddenly felt mischievous. So she intentionally hesitated in her response.

“Well, what do you think?”

A wrinkle appeared on the handsome face. He seemed surprised that she didn’t answer with “South” right away.

“It depends on your attitude…”

Seeing his increasingly serious expression, Anna almost burst into laughter but tried to maintain a serious demeanor.

Come on, you don’t think it’s North Korea, do you?

“It’s just a joke, a joke! Of course, I’m from South Korea,” Anna couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. As she burst into laughter, the tension on his face disappeared, and he smiled. His beautiful smile, like a spring flower, had an innocent charm to it, like that of a boy.

“You didn’t really think I was from North Korea, did you?”

“I was genuinely surprised, though. Seeing someone from North Korea in real life after only seeing them on the news.”

“Overseas, it seems like North Korea is more famous than South Korea.”

In response to her comment, Luciano also burst into laughter.

“That seems to be true.”

Anna finally stopped laughing out loud, but her face still radiated with a smile.

“I’m Luciano Mastronanni. I’m from Rome, Italy.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“So, what’s the name of the lady from South Korea?”

Thanks to Luciano’s gestures emphasizing the South, Anna laughed once again. Indeed, Italians seemed to use their hands a lot when they spoke, just as she had heard.

Once again, he flashed a beautiful smile, as innocent as that of a boy.

“I’m Anna, Sunwoo Anna.”

“Anna. It’s a pretty and easy-to-pronounce name.”

“Thank you.”

“Easy to remember too.”

Anna finally learned the origin of her name.

Her name had no meaning. When Anna was born, her disappointed father, who had hoped for a son, went to register her birth while drunk. The name was chosen from an ice cream brand name that a child at the local community center had begged her mother for.

So, Anna’s name had no real significance. Her existence within her family was no different. When she was younger and attended school, her friends would tease her about her name, just as they did with the ice cream. As she grew older, people didn’t pay much attention to the name Anna either.

So, this man was the first person to compliment her name as beautiful.

An unknown ripple spread from the center of her chest. It was soft and gently warm, with an inexplicable ticklish sensation. If only she could scratch her heart to relieve this feeling.

“In fact, I’ll be using this room too.”

“Oh?”

“Think of me as your temporary roommate. Nice to meet you.”

Luciano released her hand, opened the door, and gestured for Anna to enter first. Just like before, Luciano held the door open for her. Until now, no one had shown Anna such small but considerate gestures.

The only person who received such consideration and care was always her younger brother Min-seok.

Her palm felt strangely ticklish. Anna unconsciously brushed her fingertips against her palm, as if trying to feel the warmth of Luciano’s hand.

Sighing with an inexplicable sense of regret, she replied, “Ah… Yes.”

As Anna entered the room, Luciano followed. The sound of the heavy door closing made Anna’s heart skip a beat. The room was quite large, with about nine bunk beds. However, it was empty.

The realization that she was alone in such a big room with Luciano made her feel strangely uneasy. Since Luciano seemed to be on a trip with friends, they might also be sharing this room, right?

Although she had booked this place because it was the cheapest co-ed dormitory, she couldn’t help but feel her heart pounding as she realized she would be sharing a room with a man.

In reality, ever since she saw Luciano, her heart had been beating rapidly as if it were malfunctioning. However, Anna approached her bed as if nothing was wrong. But her ears were burning red.

Even the simple act of taking off her scarf and thick padding, and placing them on the bed with white sheets, made her body feel stiff with tension. From the other side, Luciano’s voice could be heard.

“What number is it?”

“Oh?”

Anna absentmindedly turned her head to look at Luciano standing in front of the lockers. And for a moment, she was speechless.

He was truly tall, with broad shoulders. While his head was small, his neck was thick and his shoulders were wide, giving him a masculine appearance. Luciano had taken off his outerwear and was only wearing a sweater, revealing his thick torso. His physique was completely different from hers, and she could clearly sense the presence of adult male hormones.

“Which bed number do you have, Anna?” Luciano asked as he opened his luggage locker and took out his shower essentials. Startled by the question, Anna tried to calm her racing heart and turned her head nonchalantly. She opened her suitcase and took out her pajamas, toiletries, and a small blue sleeping bag as she answered Luciano’s question.

She had brought the sleeping bag because she didn’t trust the cleanliness of the dormitory bedding, where many people came and went.

“I have bed number 3.”

“Ah, locker number 3 is over there,” Luciano pointed with his index finger toward the metal cabinet to the right of her bed. “If you need any more help, just let me know. Oh, and the women’s shower room is on the left when you go out, while the right side is for men.”

“Thank you, Luciano.”

“It’s nothing. Of course, I should tell you.”

Luciano, with a towel around his neck and shower products in hand, closed his locker. The clinking sound of the locker door closing strangely sounded louder than usual.

“Well then, see you later,” he said.

“Sure,” Anna replied.

As Luciano left the dormitory with his closed suitcase, he made eye contact with Anna. Suddenly, he winked at her. It was a scene straight out of a movie, with one of his long eyelashes fluttering. With confident steps, Luciano opened the door and exited the dormitory.

Anna found herself smiling, her mouth curling upwards. Unaware that she was smiling, she closed her suitcase with a contented expression. She considered placing the locked suitcase inside the cabinet but decided against it due to its weight, leaving it by the side of her bed.

Like Luciano, Anna also entered the communal shower room. It was shared, but there were plenty of shower stalls, and it was clean and spacious. The water pressure was good. After thoroughly washing herself in the warm water, she used one of the dryers in the shower room to blow-dry her hair. Feeling refreshed, she entered her sleeping bag.

Suddenly, she glanced in the direction of Luciano’s bed, but bed number 8 was still empty. It was already past midnight, and Luciano, along with his friends and other people, had not entered the room yet.

In the vast room, Anna lay alone and quickly drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow, she had a schedule that required the energy of ten people to accomplish as planned.