Tell Me You Like It [R19]

Chapter 4: Not a Date

Cover

 ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ: ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴇ

The next morning.

While Anna was buying a cheap suitcase and some clothes she needed from a nearby store, Luciano drove over the car from the car rental place. They only left Madrid for Segovia at 11:30.

The car sped down the highway.

The view from the car window was different from that of Korea, which Anna was familiar with.

Fields expanded endlessly next to the highway, the rocky white mountains in the far distance a magnificent sight. The stones and soil were a different color from Korea and the cloudless sky was vast and blue, contrasting against the light red soil.

There were countless round-shaped trees around the highway Anna was seeing for the first time. The trees planted at intervals seemed to have been deliberately pruned, but there were many planted.

The exotic and beautiful scenery made her exclaim in joy.

But it was still Luciano driving next to her rather than the view outside that kept drawing her attention.

Anna, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced silently at Luciano, who was driving next to her. From the side, his clear facial structure that seemed to be carefully carved was like a work of art. She could never get enough of it.

He had taken off his coat and scarf and placed it in the back seat, and he was only wearing a dark gray knit sweater on top. Perhaps because of his clothing, his broad shoulders and thick forearms seemed to stand out more. The hand holding the wheel was also big and long, a specimen of a man’s hand.

Though he was simply seated in the driver’s seat driving, the car felt narrow due to his size. Yesterday, she blurted out that she would go with him when she was tired and the alcohol was taking a hold on her.

But she didn’t want to go back on her words now since she really did hate the idea of going back to Korea after spending only two days in Madrid. Instead, she vowed to pay back the money she borrowed to Luciano after returning.

It was Luciano who broke the awkward silence first.

“Anna, did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, what about Luciano?

“I slept well too.”

Then Anna’s stomach growled. Both of them woke up late and missed breakfast time at the hostel. They were also busy packing up and checking out in the morning so there was no time to eat.

“Oh, are you hungry?”

“Not too much.”

“There’s a chocolate bar in my coat pocket in the back seat. Eat that at least.”

“Thank you!”

As soon as she opened her eyes this morning, she went to the store and bought a suitcase and clothes in a hurry. In fact, she was nearly starving since it was past noon now.

Anna reached to the back seat and pulled on Luciano’s coat. There was one nut chocolate bar in the pocket.

“Are you not hungry?”

“A little bit, but it’s bearable.”

“Let’s eat together.”

Anna split the chocolate bar in half and put it near the mouth of the driving Luciano.

“Anna, eat first.”

“No, it must be hard to drive, so I’ll feed you first. Come on.”

He opened his mouth at Anna’s invitation. It felt strange to see him eat something handed to his lips like a child and her heart shook for no reason.

“Anna, go ahead and eat.”

“Yes.”

Anna took a bite of the chewy chocolate bar. The bar full of nuts was rich and nutritious. By the time Luciano finished eating and was fed another bite, Anna had eaten up the remainder.

“It’s sweet and delicious.”

“We’ll arrive in Segovia in about 30 more minutes. Shall we go eat once we get there?”

“Sure.”

“What should we eat? Do you like meat?”

“Of course.”

“Have you heard of Asado before?”

“I think I’ve heard of it. Something like… pork, right?”

Anna remembered seeing it on the Internet before. It was one of the most famous traditional styles in Castilla y León of northern Spain.

“That’s right. I heard there’s an old restaurant, so why don’t we have lunch there?”

“Sure! I think I saw before that you have to make a reservation to not wait. I’ll call and ask if it’s possible to slot us in for one o’clock.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Luciano, who had his head turned slightly to the right, looked at Anna and laughed. Her heart trembled when she saw him smiling.

She was a little nervous about speaking English on the phone, but she brought up the courage to call the restaurant. Fortunately, they were able to make a reservation.

“If you’re thirsty, you can take out the bottled water in my backpack and drink it.”

Luciano winked at his backpack in the back.

“Oh! There was water?”

“Yes, I took a bottle while waiting.”

“Ah… I’m sorry. I woke up a bit earlier to buy what I needed, but it took longer than I thought.”

“No, I was late from the rental car place.”

The car that was scheduled to come at 10:30 didn’t arrive until after 11:00. Thanks to that, Anna had more time to shop but she felt sorry to keep Luciano waiting.

Anna pulled the backpack from the back seat and took out a small bottle of water to quench her thirst. She admired how meticulous and well-prepared Luciano was. It was so hectic this morning she didn’t even remember to buy any water.

“Luciano?”

“What is it, Anna?”

Luciano’s voice in response to her call was soft. The low voice pronouncing her name was as sweet as the chocolate she had just eaten. Strangely, there was something different from when others called her Anna.

“Do you happen to know what that round tree is? I’ve been searching for a while.”

“Those are olive trees.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen an olive tree before. It’s cute that it’s round, like a giant broccoli!”

Luciano laughed loudly at her words.

“Broccoli tree… that’s interesting.”

When Anna found out that it was an olive tree, she discovered that the area around the highway was an olive heaven. Olive fields, olive hills, olive forests spanned across the whole expanse. No matter how far they drove, there were olives all over.

“I’ve never seen so many olives before.”

“It’s said that 50% of the world’s olives are produced in Spain.”

“Really?”

Anna asked back in surprise.

“But in terms of quality, Italian olives are the best.”

“Haha, is that so?”

Luciano’s voice was full of pride. It was a bit childish to say he liked his own country’s better, but also somehow cute. Anna burst into laughter.

“Of course.”

“Luciano, do you know what that tree is?”

She pointed to a field with many short trees. It seemed to be some kind of crop looking at the well-managed soil that had no weeds at all.

“That’s a grape tree.”

It was the first time Anna, who had grown up in the city, had seen a grape tree.

“Ah, I see. Then maybe…”

“By any chance?”

“Would you say Italian wine is the best?”

“Without a doubt.”

He glanced sideways at her and smiled. A pleasant curve grew at the corner of his mouth.

“Not France? France is famous for wine.”

“You haven’t tried Italian wine, have you?”

“No.”

“If you drink it, you’ll definitely think so. France’s wines are overrated and Italy’s is much more delicious. The French did a good job marketing it, but Italian wines taste better.”

“Haha, I see.”

Anna kept laughing at the bragging Luciano. It wasn’t anything big, but it was funny to see Luciano defend it so proudly.

“I hope to have a chance to try it sometime.”

“Come to Italy later on, I’ll show you what real wine is. My family owns a small farm and the wine they produce there is really delicious.”

“Wow, a farm?”

“Yes, it’s not big, but it tastes good because it’s located in Veneto.”

“Where is Veneto? Is it close to Rome?”

“It’s in northeast Italy, closer to Venezia than Rome.”

He habitually uttered Venice in Italian without much thought.”

“Are you talking about Ve-ni-ce?”

“Oh, that’s right. Venice in English.”

“Does everyone in Italy have vineyards?”

“No, not everyone.”

“That’s amazing.”

“There’s nothing amazing about it. It’s a really small one. If you come, you might be disappointed since it’s so tiny. Definitely reach out to me if you come to Italy though.”

“Should I?”

“Absolutely.”

The invitation was just verbal, but Anna felt good about the future promise.

“Do you work in the wine industry?”

Speaking of the family-owned farm, Anna thought of a winery.

“It’s not like that, but I did drink a lot.”

Luciano laughed at Anna’s question as if it was cute.

“What do you do then, Luciano?”

“I’m a designer. What about Anna?”

“Just… I work for a very small advertising company.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“A designer sounds more interesting.”

“Really? I’m actually quite stressed out. It’s okay when the response to the design is good, but when it’s not, I feel like I have failed.”

“Ah… is that so?”

Last winter, Luciano felt bitter when people came with sharp criticism about his sports car design. He was in a slump for a while due to the criticism that dubbed it as the worst design of the 21st century.

If it weren’t for his loyal customers, the sales rate would’ve hit a new low. And if it wasn’t for his family, he might’ve been kicked out of the company. Luciano’s pride was shattered, though his family sincerely consoled him.

This was a trip to get out of his slump, as well as to think of new inspirations for car designs to be released after this.

That was why he was trying a different way of travel.

He stayed in cheap hostels and dormitories instead of luxury hotels on purpose, deciding to meet ordinary strangers and their lifestyles. He didn’t plan the trip in detail and was planning to travel freely to take a break with a few places in mind.

“It may be stressful to be judged by people, but it still sounds like a great job.”

“Thanks for saying that. Oh, we’re in Segovia now. Can you map the location on the navigation?”

“Sure, wait a minute.”

The restaurant was right in front of the Acueducto de Segovia (Aqueduct of Segovia) built by the Romans a long time ago. They parked their car in a nearby parking lot and entered.

The three-story building that resembled an old tree was small on the outside but big on the inside. Wooden, pale-colored bars supported the ceiling, and the walls were decorated with photographs and paintings.

Inside, a cheerful Spanish song was being played.

The waiter who took their reservation showed them to a window seat on the second floor. When she sat down, she felt like she was in a painting. It was a great location to enjoy the bridge inside a restaurant packed with customers. The huge arches were clearly visible from where they were sitting.

“Wow, the Aqueduct is huge. How did they make this back then?”

“The Romans were quite smart.”

“Are you proud that they’re your ancestors?”

“Haha, did I get caught? Also, Anna’s quite lucky.”

After joking, Luciano suddenly said something out of the blue.

“Me?”

She had just lost all of her luggage yesterday, but when she asked back, Luciano smiled brightly and pointed to the view outside.

“We got a window table even though there were so many customers.”

He joked with his eyebrows arched.

“From what I see.”

Anna nodded with a smile.

“And I met you too.”

He said meaningfully with his shining sapphire eyes. Anna choked and stuttered since it seemed ambiguous, and the subtle way of speaking was like…

No, she must be mistaken.

She took his words at face value and nodded, quickly erasing the strange thoughts that came to mind. There was no way a man like Luciano would be interested in her, an ordinary Asian. Saying that she looked prettier smiling than crying yesterday was simply consolation.

There was no need for meaning. If you put meaning into things, you’ll be the only one overthinking it.

“I see.”

She was very lucky to meet him. If Luciano hadn’t offered to help, she would’ve been running back to Korea in tears and snot at this time.

While chatting, a waiter dressed in a black suit brought them the menu. It seemed that all of the staff was dressed neatly.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Sparkling water, please.”

“I’ll have a lemon Fanta.”

At the waiter’s question, the two ordered their drinks. Soon the staff brought sparkling water in a green bottle and a lemon Fanta in a can, pouring it into their cups.

“Does Anna not like alcohol?”

“I just don’t think you should drink at lunch. I don’t care about dinner though.’

It didn’t matter whether she was traveling or not. Lemon Fanta was also something she had wanted to try since it wasn’t available in Korea.

“Do you only drink at night in Korea?{“

“Not necessarily, but sometimes I grab a drink after work. It’s not part of our culture to drink at lunch. Do you drink at lunch in Italy?”

“I don’t mind a glass or two of wine. I also drink before meals.”

“Did you order water since it’s not Italian wine right now?”

Anna whispered to Luciano in a quiet voice after the waiter left. It was a small voice that couldn’t be overheard by others and was only audible to Luciano.

He looked at Anna, who wiggled her eyebrows and winked at his glass of water as if he was cute.

“Not exactly… I have to drive today.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“I wouldn’t be drunk off one glass, but alcohol is alcohol.”

Anna, who wasn’t used to renting a car on travels, forgot that Luciano had to drive for a moment. While applauding him for his conviction, Anna sympathized with him.

“Anna.”

“What?”

“If we go to Toledo in the evening, let’s drink together then. Wouldn’t you have to taste Spanish wine first before you know the true glory of Italian wine?”

“Haha, you’re right. I must try Spanish wine then.”

She laughed out loud at his playfulness.

When they ordered appetizers, main courses, and desserts, the food came out quickly. There was salad sprinkled with olive oil and the staff made a performance of cutting grilled piglets on a plate while customers looked on.

“Did you know?”

“No, I have no idea.”

Luciano responded by shaking his head at her habit of asking questions without a topic. Anna burst into laughter at his exaggerated expression.

After she finished laughing, she finally explained.

“In the past, I heard that after they finished cutting up the grilled piglet, they would throw the plate onto the floor. That was to prove they don’t reuse plates that are used to cut meat and to emphasize that it was hygienic. These days, they don’t do that anymore.”

Luciano’s eyes shone with admiration as he listened attentively to Anna’s explanation, though it might’ve been a boring topic.

“That’s interesting. Anna is really smart.”

“I just read it off of the Internet.”

“You have a really good memory.”

“Everyone could do this much.”

“No, I couldn’t. I think Anna’s amazing. I didn’t even think to look it up.”

It wasn’t a special story, but she felt embarrassed and itchy since Luciano kept complimenting her. Anna hadn’t completely escaped the shock of having her things stolen, but she was able to forget briefly thanks to Luciano, who constantly made her laugh and praised her.

While they were talking, the waiter serving the other tables finally reached Anna’s table, bringing the barbecued meat.

Anna cut the meat into bite-sized pieces with a knife and put it in her mouth. The skin of the asado was thin but crispy and the lean meat wasn’t tough.

“It’s delicious! I think it tastes better since the skin is crispy!”

Anna ate the brown, well-cooked thin skin with admiration.

“I’ve never had anything like this before. Wow!”

Even though it was pork, it tasted similar to chicken. However, it was softer and more savory, melting gently in the mouth.

“Is it that good?”

“Yes, thank you very much, Luciano. For asking me to come with you yesterday.”

Her black pupils shone and the corners of Luciano’s mouth curled upwards as he watched her eat happily. The feeling of looking at her smiling face was gratifying.

He put some more pieces onto Anna’s plate.

“Here, I didn’t touch these. Eat more, Anna.”

“What? This is enough, Luciano should eat it.”

“It’s alright. I can eat this anytime even if it’s not here. There’s something similar in Italy.”

“But…”

“So Anna, eat it.”

Anna was delighted by Luciano handing over more of the delicious parts. Whenever she ate with her family, Minseok always ate the delicious food alone, so she often didn’t even get to taste it…

He was so considerate…

‘You fix that appetite of yours first. Who on earth do you take after?’

She would hear the sharp voice of her mother just by touching her chopsticks against the plate containing delicious food. When the sad memory came to mind, Anna suddenly choked up for no reason. She was moved because of Luciano, who took care of her so kindly.

“Thank you… whoa.”

“Anna, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

When he saw Anna looking like she was about to cry, Luciano grew flustered. But Anna couldn’t say that she was touched by his consideration that even her family didn’t do for her. It was such a miserable past that she couldn’t tell him, so she said what she could.

“The food is so delicious that I don’t want to go back…”

“Oh my…”

There was silence between the two. Seeing Anna’s eyes tear up, Luciano moved his tongue.

“I can’t do this. Maybe I should take back what I gave to Anna and eat it all.”

“…What?”

Anna, who was mired in her emotions, belatedly understood what Luciano said and asked back.

“No, not only what I gave you, I’ll have to eat all of Anna’s portion too.”

“What?”

Anna’s eyes quickly dried up like the Sahara desert. Luciano stared at her face full of confusion.

“It’s a bad food that made Anna cry, so isn’t it reasonable for me to punish it in your stead? Give me the plate, please. I’ll gobble it up.”

As he spoke, he reached out to her plate. The two looked at each other silently, facing each other. There was silence at the table, and Luciano’s eyes shone mischievously, his lips twitching to suppress his laughter.

After a while, Anna and Luciano burst into laughter together.

“Anna should ban all delicious food in the future. Please tell me if the food is too good in advance from now on. I can’t make you cry, so I’ll eat it for you.”

“What are you talking about? Luciano is… so silly.”

“Don’t you see my eyes? I’m dead serious. Promise me, come on.”

His blue eyes shone with ridiculous mischief.

“What promise should I make?”

“That you wouldn’t eat anything delicious from now on.”

“What? Hahaha.”

“If you eat something too delicious, stop chewing and give it to me no matter what.”

Anna couldn’t stop laughing. She felt both grateful and funny that Luciano made such an outlandish joke to change the atmosphere.

“Come on, promise me. Why are you laughing at my seriousness?”

“Haha, I see. I promise you.”

Anna chuckled at his playful banter. Contrary to his promise, Luciano did not take her plate and simply stopped eating, looking at Anna with a deep look. His blue eyes shone softly.

“As expected… Anna is prettier when she’s smiling.”

Her heart thumped. It was something she’d heard already but her heart fell when she heard it again and her face flared up. Maybe because those eyes were too seductive.

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Combining the two parts of Chapter 4