Tell Me You Like It [R19]

Chapter 2.1: What happened in Madrid

Cover

 ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ: ʙʀᴇᴇ

The next morning.

Anna woke up at seven in the morning. She carefully lowered her head to avoid hitting it against the ceiling of the bunk bed on the first floor and slipped out of her rustling sleeping bag.

Unconsciously, Anna turned her head towards bed number eight. Luciano was peacefully sleeping, breathing evenly. Anna took a deep breath without realizing it.

Her heart was pounding just as strongly as it had yesterday. Maybe it was because the dormitory was so quiet that she could hear the sound of his heartbeat in her ears.

Perhaps due to his large frame, Luciano’s single bed looked tightly packed. His blond hair glistened like gold dust in the morning sunlight streaming in through the window. Her fingertips itched to touch it for no reason, and his hair, sparkling in the sunlight, looked especially captivating.

The blond hair of the native English teacher she had seen at school didn’t shine so brilliantly, but Luciano was different.

Luciano’s face had flawless lines with no imperfections. His straight, long, and high nose and his sharp jawline were undeniably masculine.

It was hard to believe that such a different-looking person was still a human. If there had been a god of beauty in ancient Greek and Roman mythology, Luciano seemed like he should be the symbol of beauty.

Anna couldn’t take her eyes off him. As she stared blankly at Luciano, she was startled and frozen in place when he began to toss and turn. Her eyelids trembled as if she were about to wake up.

Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn’t open his eyes.

Only then could Anna move her body. Looking around in relief, she saw that other people were also sleeping. People were sleeping in the empty beds, although she didn’t know when they had come in.

“Phew.”

Anna sighed without even realizing it.

Luciano had a mesmerizing effect on people just by looking at him, as if time stood still. But she didn’t have time to linger here indefinitely. Anna prepared to leave, changed into clothes in the shower room, and went downstairs in an excited mood, holding a breakfast coupon.

Having filled her stomach with bread and yogurt, Anna headed to the Prado Museum, known as one of the world’s top three art museums. It was about a 1.5-kilometer walk from her accommodation, so she decided to walk and explore the streets along the way.

While walking and looking at the map, Anna couldn’t take her eyes off the exotic building designs. She marveled at the street scenery so different from Korea and walked with light steps as if she could fly.

On her way to the museum, she saw a woman walking two larger dogs than herself. The obedient and well-behaved large dogs were adorable.

Although it was less cold than Korea, it wasn’t exactly warm, but Anna didn’t feel the cold in her excited state. She was simply delighted by the bright sunlight, clear air, and exotic scenery. Even though she was alone, she didn’t feel scared or lonely. Joy filled Anna to the brim.

* * *

Just waiting for the Prado Museum’s doors to open and exploring the area around it made her heart swell. Even standing in line at the ticket booth was fun. Finally, with the ticket in hand, Anna entered the eagerly awaited museum and began to admire the artworks.

The Prado Museum was enormous. Watching it made her legs ache as if they were about to give out, but perhaps it was because she was listening to the audio guide in Korean that it was enjoyable and fun. She had lunch inside the museum, and it was almost five in the afternoon when she finally left the Prado Museum, feeling like she had almost melted.

Anna, who had no energy left to walk, took the subway to Sol Square this time. Sol Square could be considered the heart of Madrid, close to Anna’s accommodation, and there were plenty of shopping places and restaurants. Moreover, the Churros restaurant Anna wanted to visit was also near Sol Square.

At Sol Square, next to the iconic bear statue, which could be considered a symbol of Madrid, Anna took a selfie and then headed straight to the churros store.

At the oldest churros shop in Madrid, Anna dipped freshly fried, steaming churros into sweet hot chocolate, and it was truly heavenly. Anna hurriedly devoured the churros without any hesitation. The crispy exterior and soft inside of the churros melted gently in her mouth.

She finished her plate in no time. She wanted to eat more, but she restrained herself, leaving room for other dishes. Anna wanted to try as many different Spanish foods as possible.

As Christmas season was approaching, the streets were decorated with trees and twinkling lights everywhere. There were so many people that even Anna, who was alone, felt excited.

The San Miguel Market, with its glass walls that allowed you to see inside, shone brightly. It wasn’t so much a traditional market as a place to enjoy simple food and drinks. Everywhere you looked, the delicious-looking food made Anna’s mouth water, even though she had just eaten Churros. The olives they sold there, the tapas, and even the unnamed dishes all looked delicious.

Leaving the bustling San Miguel Market behind, Anna headed to the restaurant she had marked. On the first floor, there were sausages and hamon, like a butcher shop, with lots of dried pork legs hanging, and people were ordering and eating food there as well.

Perhaps it was dinner time, as all places were bustling with customers.

Anna, whose legs were in pain, couldn’t stand up anymore. Just like in the San Miguel restaurant earlier, it seemed that Spaniards enjoyed eating while standing. Holding a glass of wine in one hand, they chatted with their companions while enjoying tapas.

‘If this were Korea, people would be shocked at how we eat standing up without chairs. It’s fascinating.’

Even in the restaurant, cultural differences were clear. If her legs weren’t hurting, Anna might have tried standing and eating among the Spanish people, but she couldn’t stand any longer.

‘But sitting down to eat is better.’

Calling herself a helpless Korean, Anna climbed the stairs to the second floor to find a seat.

The second floor was filled with round tables covered with white tablecloths, and it was equally packed. However, there was something familiar about the back view of three men waiting for a seat right in front.

“Huh?”

The blond man who had been facing sideways turned his head towards Anna’s direction. It was Luciano. When their eyes met, his big eyes momentarily widened and then quickly formed into a round shape. Anna’s previously calm heart began to flutter at his smile.

In the crowded restaurant, Luciano’s presence felt very prominent and distinct. It wasn’t just because of his large build; it felt like all time and space disappeared, and the only thing in Anna’s field of vision was Luciano, smiling at her.

“Hola, Anna,” Luciano greeted in a refined voice. Even though she had heard it several times, his deep voice, which seemed like it would never become familiar, sweetly resonated in Anna’s ears.

“Hola, Luciano,” Anna responded to Luciano’s greeting, which was a Spanish way of greeting meaning “Hello.” She had become accustomed to it in just one day. She concentrated all her nerves to respond to Luciano’s greeting, fearing her voice might tremble, but thankfully, her voice came out normally.

Luciano introduced his friends who were standing beside him. It was only then that Anna realized there were people standing next to Luciano; he wasn’t alone.

“This is Marco, and this is Fabio. You saw them in the hallway yesterday, right?”

“Nice to meet you, Anna.”

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

Anna shook hands with Marco, who had a black beard, and Fabio, who was short in stature. As she held hands with them, she remembered the handshake she had with Luciano yesterday. Strangely, the handshake with Luciano had felt oddly different. The handshake with Marco and Fabio felt completely different from the one with Luciano.

Anna felt a strong attraction to Luciano, but she was clueless about the nature of their relationship. She was just internally nervous and tense.

At that moment, an older waiter approached them and indicated that there was an available table. Anna had seen older people working as servers even in the Churros shop earlier, which seemed unusual since in Korea, it’s mostly young people who serve. It felt unique in Spain.

“Are you all part of the same group?”

“No? No.”

Anna denied it first, and then the waiter spoke again.

“There’s a table available for two. What would you like to do?”

Upon this, Luciano naturally extended his arm as if it was obvious, indicating that Anna should go first.

“Lady first.”

Marco and Fabio nodded in agreement.

“Anna, please take a seat.”

“But I arrived later…”

Anna hesitated and apologized, “I’m sorry…”

“We can wait a bit longer; it’s okay, Anna,” Luciano reassured her.

“Or we can eat downstairs,” Fabio added.

“Besides, that table can only seat two people,” Marco explained.

The crowded tables didn’t seem like they would become vacant easily. Marco gestured to Luciano and Fabio, and they quickly turned as if they were about to go downstairs.

“Enjoy your meal, Anna. See you later, ciao,” Luciano said.

“Thank you,” Anna replied.

As Luciano and his group said their goodbyes and headed downstairs, Anna, sitting in the chair the waiter had shown her to, couldn’t help but feel a deep sigh of regret.

If Luciano had been alone, maybe the two of them could have used this table…

‘What am I thinking!’

Anna was taken aback by her own thoughts, realizing that she was feeling more regret than she had thought.

Anna placed her order and waited for her food while observing the people and reviewing her plans for the next day.

However, deep in her mind, the memory of her brief encounter with Luciano remained vivid. When she saw the table for four become available, she couldn’t help but think that if it had been vacant a little earlier, they could have all dined together.

* * *