Summer passed, and before we knew it, we were at the tail end of autumn, navigating through our leisurely routines.
From August to October, following the vacation, the days were much like those just before the break. I studied on my own at school about two days a week and spent the other days learning through mock exams with Heena’s help. Of course, we also made sure to enjoy our occasional dates. Moreover, it wasn’t just the two of us anymore; sometimes we mingled with my friends.
Technically, when meeting with friends, Heena would intrude unexpectedly, but it still happened.
"Did you know? Yeonho had a crush on the math teacher who came for teaching practice when he was in middle school."
"Are you nuts?! Hey! Shut your mouth..."
"Oh? That’s very interesting. Can you tell me more?"
"Heena, that’s all nonsense. You believe me, right?"
"I believe you. So? What kind of person were they?"
However, my friends’ malicious teasing made me realize that letting them meet Heena wasn’t a good choice.
The liking I had for that math teacher wasn’t romantic. Being the class president, I just had more opportunities to talk to her compared to the others, and we became somewhat friendly. Honestly, now even her name and face are becoming vague in my memory.
Anyway, when everyone gathered, it generally felt like this. It wasn't good enough to go out somewhere together; we’d just share some stories and then part ways.
Moreover, there were quite a few days when I met with Yoonjung noona as well.
Noona liked Heena, and Heena also took a considerable liking to Noona, so there was absolutely no hesitation in meeting up together. So, the three of us, or sometimes including my brother, met up quite often.
"Jeongwoo oppa. It seems like Yeonho’s eyesight is getting worse. If you see him playing games after 2 in the morning, could you please contact me?"
"If I see it, sure."
"Thank you."
"I told you, I won’t... I’ll be sleepy by then."
"Huh? Yeonho, didn’t you go on a raid with me last week?"
"Ah, hyung!! Shh! That was just that one time!"
"Yeonho?"
"I did something wrong..."
Heena didn’t care about me playing games per se, but she began to regulate me playing late into the night, perhaps worried about my eyesight. Apparently, she even occasionally chats with my brother about it.
To be honest, I did play until late on the weekends.
Ah, Jeongwoo hyung will definitely tell her everything the moment he sees it.
If I get caught again, instead of scolding me, saying "You shouldn't have done that!!", she says, "If you wanted to do it that much...it can't be helped.." and her spirit dies a little. The moment I see that, I squirm with guilt for the rest of the day.
Eventually, with tears held back, I completely gave up playing games in the middle of the night.
I can’t know how far she's implanted spies.
Unless I set my status to invisible and enjoy PC games alone, there’s bound to be someone among my acquaintances logged into the game, guaranteeing I'll get caught 100%.
Jeongwoo hyung, Yoonjung noona, and Heeseong hyung will definitely know the moment they see it, and Yoonsung and that guy Suhwang were a bit suspicious too. They also got Heena’s contact just in case.
But can I do anything about being worried?
Anyway, we have such meetings often, and before we know it, it's already November.
I was quite good at studying, and thanks to consistent efforts, my grades were improving.
I thought I might be able to aim for a university in the Seoul area, if not the same university as Heena. Not right now, but if this improvement continues until the third year.
But while trying to create a blueprint for the future and working hard,
I was pondering about the upcoming Pepero Day that was right around the corner.
"Heena doesn’t really like snacks like these... but it’s still good to get her something, right?"
"What are you saying? She’ll think we’re celebrating because WE want to eat Pepero!?"
Late in the evening, as usual, Yoonjung noona, who came to play at our house, asked me what I should do tomorrow.
"I need to ask Heeseong hyung."
"He’ll just tell you to get it. Such kids tend to remember these special occasions."
"No, surprisingly hyung objectively gives good advice about Heena."
"Really? He seems a bit too sitcom-like to be like that."
"I fully acknowledge that."
Talking behind his back, which was not really talking behind his back, I left a message for Heeseong hyung.
[Han Yeonho: Hyung, tomorrow is Pepero Day. Should I get some Pepero for Heena?]
It felt a bit insistent. While asking this, I was also looking for a suitable gift-type Pepero that could be purchased immediately from around here.
He must have been on his phone because a reply came back quickly.
[Heeseong hyung: No, don’t buy it.]
Heeseong hyung's response was unexpected. I thought he’d say to just buy a reasonable amount.
[Han Yeonho: Because Heena doesn’t eat snacks much? But it’s a special day, so getting her something…]
Even if we don’t celebrate things like our 100th day, we can’t skip over an event that all the couples in the world are enjoying together.
Originally, I wanted to strictly celebrate the 100th day, but Heena said every day is like an anniversary, so I tried not to linger on dates unnecessarily.
If we must, let’s celebrate from the second anniversary onwards.
We were skipping the first anniversary because we'll be in the third year of high school. However, in my opinion, the real reason seemed not to be that.
Should I say that she seemed to regard the second year as more important? Because it’s after we become adults?
[Heeseong hyung: You don’t need to buy it. She already has a shit-ton of Pepero.]
[Han Yeonho: Eh? Heena bought it?]
[Heeseong hyung: Yeah, she might like it if you bought it too, but I’m sincerely advising you. Don’t buy it.]
[Han Yeonho: Ah, why!!!]
[Heeseong hyung: Damn it... if I say don’t do it, just don’t, shit! Make sure you have digestive medicine ready.]
[Han Yeonho: ???]
Pepero Day is just sharing and eating that thing and it ends, right? Even if it’s a lot, how much can it be?
Moreover, rather than focusing on Pepero, I was thinking of visiting an amusement park together since it's the weekend. Finals are still about a month away, so it seemed like a good time to de-stress and then work hard until the winter break.
I paused the chat with my brother Heeseong, who couldn’t understand English, to ask Heena about our schedule. She would probably agree.
[ Han Yeonho: Knock knock ]
[ Heena: What’s up? ]
Even after dating for several months, I still couldn’t get used to Heena’s rapid responses. It seemed like she was always staring at her phone unless she was with me.
[ Han Yeonho: Want to go to the amusement park this weekend? ]
[ Heena: Yes!! Tomorrow? The day after? ]
[ Han Yeonho: I’m good whenever is convenient for you. ]
[ Heena: Then let's go the day after! Can you come to my house tomorrow? ]
[ Han Yeonho: Ok. And I heard from Heeseong hyung that you buy a lot of Pepero? ]
[ Heena: Tomorrow is Pepero Day♡ If you have some, bring it! If not, that’s fine~ ]
[ Han Yeonho: Actually, I was debating whether to buy some today. ]
[ Heena: Then just comeㅎㅎ We have plenty at my house ]
[ Han Yeonho: Ok, ok. I’ll come around our usual time, just after lunch ]
[ Heena: Yes♡ Goodnight, I love you♡♡♡♡♡ ]
[ Han Yeonho: I love you too♡ ]
Seeing Heena’s typically casual messages, I couldn’t understand why Heeseong hyung was warning me.
Even after sending a message to ask again, he didn’t give a clear answer.
I showed the chat between Heena and I to Yoonjung noona and asked her, but she said,
"Amusement park... Can’t I go too...?"
"Go gossip with Hyung."
Instead of advice, she was spouting nonsense.
Why was she trying to tag along on our date? Whenever I met Heena in the neighborhood, she always seemed ready to barge in.
"You jerk!! I haven't been going to such places lately!! And where did he go again?"
"True, where did Hyung go?"
He was here just a moment ago.
Leaving Noona, who was blowing a gasket next to me, I looked around and saw my older brother walking out of the room.
Hyung’s eyes were directed at Noona, who was flailing about on the floor next to me.
"What is she doing?"
"She's trying to tag along on our date again. Can you handle her?"
"I wanna go to the amusement park too!!"
"Amusement park? Aren’t you going to Jeju Island?"
"What?!"
Yoonjung noona, who had been thumping the floor and screaming, abruptly stood up at Hyung's words.
"You said you wanted to go last time. We don't have work, and now is a good time to go."
"Han Yeonho...!!"
"I didn’t mention it because I didn’t know how the tickets would turn out, but I managed to get some canceled ones. Go back and pack your clothes. We’re leaving early tomorrow."
"Got it!! I’ll go right now!! Yeonho-ya! Say hello to Heena for me!!"
"Will do, Noona. Have fun starting from tomorrow."
I watched Noona, who was showing a 180-degree change in attitude from 10 seconds ago, rush out of the house for a moment, and then turned my gaze back, meeting eyes with my savior.
"Perfect timing."
"You're going to the amusement park?"
"Yeah. Need to have some fun before focusing on exams again."
"Hmm."
He pondered my words for a moment, then took something out of his wallet and handed it to me.
"What's this?"
"My card."
"Why your card all of a sudden?"
"There's a big discount if you pay for the unlimited pass with it. Use it."
"Really?"
Is this the card discount I'd only heard about?!
"How about the money? Should I transfer it to your account?"
"Forget it. Even if you get two passes, it’s just 30,000 or 40,000 won. Go have fun with your girlfriend."
"Insane... thank you, thank you so much..."
"I’ll be out tomorrow and then I'll be back on Monday, so take care."
"Thanks! Have a great time with your sister!"
As my brother turned and walked back to his room, he exuded a coolness that was nothing short of iconic.
My brother is the best! Not only handling my annoying sister but also lending me his card!
Since Heena already bought the Pepero, even if I use my brother’s card for the passes, it would be perfect to pay for the meals with my money.
I’d earned a bit from helping at Yoonsung’s snack bar a few days ago.
For Sunday, I need to recharge my energy by munching on snacks with Heena tomorrow.
There was a time when I thought this.
---
Raei Translations
---
The next day.
Pepero Day, November 11th, Saturday.
I woke up leisurely and prepared in a relaxed manner, arriving at Heena’s house in the afternoon.
Entering her room, which had now become as comfortable as my own home, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
"...That's really a lot."
Even though Heeseong hyung said it was a lot yesterday, I thought light-heartedly - how much could she possibly buy?
But seeing the variety of Pepero piled high on her desk, my mind seemed to blur.
Heena, sitting on the floor, noticed my stupor from the doorway, and with a bubbly smile on her face, she tore into a box.
Then, taking out a Pepero stick and holding it in one hand,
"Shall we play the Pepero game?"
Seeing her put one end in her mouth, I realized why Heeseong hyung warned me yesterday.
She's not planning to play until all of this is gone, is she?
Summer passed, and before we knew it, we were at the tail end of autumn, navigating through our leisurely routines.
From August to October, following the vacation, the days were much like those just before the break. I studied on my own at school about two days a week and spent the other days learning through mock exams with Heena’s help. Of course, we also made sure to enjoy our occasional dates. Moreover, it wasn’t just the two of us anymore; sometimes we mingled with my friends.
Technically, when meeting with friends, Heena would intrude unexpectedly, but it still happened.
"Did you know? Yeonho had a crush on the math teacher who came for teaching practice when he was in middle school."
"Are you nuts?! Hey! Shut your mouth..."
"Oh? That’s very interesting. Can you tell me more?"
"Heena, that’s all nonsense. You believe me, right?"
"I believe you. So? What kind of person were they?"
However, my friends’ malicious teasing made me realize that letting them meet Heena wasn’t a good choice.
The liking I had for that math teacher wasn’t romantic. Being the class president, I just had more opportunities to talk to her compared to the others, and we became somewhat friendly. Honestly, now even her name and face are becoming vague in my memory.
Anyway, when everyone gathered, it generally felt like this. It wasn't good enough to go out somewhere together; we’d just share some stories and then part ways.
Moreover, there were quite a few days when I met with Yoonjung noona as well.
Noona liked Heena, and Heena also took a considerable liking to Noona, so there was absolutely no hesitation in meeting up together. So, the three of us, or sometimes including my brother, met up quite often.
"Jeongwoo oppa. It seems like Yeonho’s eyesight is getting worse. If you see him playing games after 2 in the morning, could you please contact me?"
"If I see it, sure."
"Thank you."
"I told you, I won’t... I’ll be sleepy by then."
"Huh? Yeonho, didn’t you go on a raid with me last week?"
"Ah, hyung!! Shh! That was just that one time!"
"Yeonho?"
"I did something wrong..."
Heena didn’t care about me playing games per se, but she began to regulate me playing late into the night, perhaps worried about my eyesight. Apparently, she even occasionally chats with my brother about it.
To be honest, I did play until late on the weekends.
Ah, Jeongwoo hyung will definitely tell her everything the moment he sees it.
If I get caught again, instead of scolding me, saying "You shouldn't have done that!!", she says, "If you wanted to do it that much...it can't be helped.." and her spirit dies a little. The moment I see that, I squirm with guilt for the rest of the day.
Eventually, with tears held back, I completely gave up playing games in the middle of the night.
I can’t know how far she's implanted spies.
Unless I set my status to invisible and enjoy PC games alone, there’s bound to be someone among my acquaintances logged into the game, guaranteeing I'll get caught 100%.
Jeongwoo hyung, Yoonjung noona, and Heeseong hyung will definitely know the moment they see it, and Yoonsung and that guy Suhwang were a bit suspicious too. They also got Heena’s contact just in case.
But can I do anything about being worried?
Anyway, we have such meetings often, and before we know it, it's already November.
I was quite good at studying, and thanks to consistent efforts, my grades were improving.
I thought I might be able to aim for a university in the Seoul area, if not the same university as Heena. Not right now, but if this improvement continues until the third year.
But while trying to create a blueprint for the future and working hard,
I was pondering about the upcoming Pepero Day that was right around the corner.
"Heena doesn’t really like snacks like these... but it’s still good to get her something, right?"
"What are you saying? She’ll think we’re celebrating because WE want to eat Pepero!?"
Late in the evening, as usual, Yoonjung noona, who came to play at our house, asked me what I should do tomorrow.
"I need to ask Heeseong hyung."
"He’ll just tell you to get it. Such kids tend to remember these special occasions."
"No, surprisingly hyung objectively gives good advice about Heena."
"Really? He seems a bit too sitcom-like to be like that."
"I fully acknowledge that."
Talking behind his back, which was not really talking behind his back, I left a message for Heeseong hyung.
[Han Yeonho: Hyung, tomorrow is Pepero Day. Should I get some Pepero for Heena?]
It felt a bit insistent. While asking this, I was also looking for a suitable gift-type Pepero that could be purchased immediately from around here.
He must have been on his phone because a reply came back quickly.
[Heeseong hyung: No, don’t buy it.]
Heeseong hyung's response was unexpected. I thought he’d say to just buy a reasonable amount.
[Han Yeonho: Because Heena doesn’t eat snacks much? But it’s a special day, so getting her something…]
Even if we don’t celebrate things like our 100th day, we can’t skip over an event that all the couples in the world are enjoying together.
Originally, I wanted to strictly celebrate the 100th day, but Heena said every day is like an anniversary, so I tried not to linger on dates unnecessarily.
If we must, let’s celebrate from the second anniversary onwards.
We were skipping the first anniversary because we'll be in the third year of high school. However, in my opinion, the real reason seemed not to be that.
Should I say that she seemed to regard the second year as more important? Because it’s after we become adults?
[Heeseong hyung: You don’t need to buy it. She already has a shit-ton of Pepero.]
[Han Yeonho: Eh? Heena bought it?]
[Heeseong hyung: Yeah, she might like it if you bought it too, but I’m sincerely advising you. Don’t buy it.]
[Han Yeonho: Ah, why!!!]
[Heeseong hyung: Damn it... if I say don’t do it, just don’t, shit! Make sure you have digestive medicine ready.]
[Han Yeonho: ???]
Pepero Day is just sharing and eating that thing and it ends, right? Even if it’s a lot, how much can it be?
Moreover, rather than focusing on Pepero, I was thinking of visiting an amusement park together since it's the weekend. Finals are still about a month away, so it seemed like a good time to de-stress and then work hard until the winter break.
I paused the chat with my brother Heeseong, who couldn’t understand English, to ask Heena about our schedule. She would probably agree.
[ Han Yeonho: Knock knock ]
[ Heena: What’s up? ]
Even after dating for several months, I still couldn’t get used to Heena’s rapid responses. It seemed like she was always staring at her phone unless she was with me.
[ Han Yeonho: Want to go to the amusement park this weekend? ]
[ Heena: Yes!! Tomorrow? The day after? ]
[ Han Yeonho: I’m good whenever is convenient for you. ]
[ Heena: Then let's go the day after! Can you come to my house tomorrow? ]
[ Han Yeonho: Ok. And I heard from Heeseong hyung that you buy a lot of Pepero? ]
[ Heena: Tomorrow is Pepero Day♡ If you have some, bring it! If not, that’s fine~ ]
[ Han Yeonho: Actually, I was debating whether to buy some today. ]
[ Heena: Then just comeㅎㅎ We have plenty at my house ]
[ Han Yeonho: Ok, ok. I’ll come around our usual time, just after lunch ]
[ Heena: Yes♡ Goodnight, I love you♡♡♡♡♡ ]
[ Han Yeonho: I love you too♡ ]
Seeing Heena’s typically casual messages, I couldn’t understand why Heeseong hyung was warning me.
Even after sending a message to ask again, he didn’t give a clear answer.
I showed the chat between Heena and I to Yoonjung noona and asked her, but she said,
"Amusement park... Can’t I go too...?"
"Go gossip with Hyung."
Instead of advice, she was spouting nonsense.
Why was she trying to tag along on our date? Whenever I met Heena in the neighborhood, she always seemed ready to barge in.
"You jerk!! I haven't been going to such places lately!! And where did he go again?"
"True, where did Hyung go?"
He was here just a moment ago.
Leaving Noona, who was blowing a gasket next to me, I looked around and saw my older brother walking out of the room.
Hyung’s eyes were directed at Noona, who was flailing about on the floor next to me.
"What is she doing?"
"She's trying to tag along on our date again. Can you handle her?"
"I wanna go to the amusement park too!!"
"Amusement park? Aren’t you going to Jeju Island?"
"What?!"
Yoonjung noona, who had been thumping the floor and screaming, abruptly stood up at Hyung's words.
"You said you wanted to go last time. We don't have work, and now is a good time to go."
"Han Yeonho...!!"
"I didn’t mention it because I didn’t know how the tickets would turn out, but I managed to get some canceled ones. Go back and pack your clothes. We’re leaving early tomorrow."
"Got it!! I’ll go right now!! Yeonho-ya! Say hello to Heena for me!!"
"Will do, Noona. Have fun starting from tomorrow."
I watched Noona, who was showing a 180-degree change in attitude from 10 seconds ago, rush out of the house for a moment, and then turned my gaze back, meeting eyes with my savior.
"Perfect timing."
"You're going to the amusement park?"
"Yeah. Need to have some fun before focusing on exams again."
"Hmm."
He pondered my words for a moment, then took something out of his wallet and handed it to me.
"What's this?"
"My card."
"Why your card all of a sudden?"
"There's a big discount if you pay for the unlimited pass with it. Use it."
"Really?"
Is this the card discount I'd only heard about?!
"How about the money? Should I transfer it to your account?"
"Forget it. Even if you get two passes, it’s just 30,000 or 40,000 won. Go have fun with your girlfriend."
"Insane... thank you, thank you so much..."
"I’ll be out tomorrow and then I'll be back on Monday, so take care."
"Thanks! Have a great time with your sister!"
As my brother turned and walked back to his room, he exuded a coolness that was nothing short of iconic.
My brother is the best! Not only handling my annoying sister but also lending me his card!
Since Heena already bought the Pepero, even if I use my brother’s card for the passes, it would be perfect to pay for the meals with my money.
I’d earned a bit from helping at Yoonsung’s snack bar a few days ago.
For Sunday, I need to recharge my energy by munching on snacks with Heena tomorrow.
There was a time when I thought this.
---
Raei Translations
---
The next day.
Pepero Day, November 11th, Saturday.
I woke up leisurely and prepared in a relaxed manner, arriving at Heena’s house in the afternoon.
Entering her room, which had now become as comfortable as my own home, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
"...That's really a lot."
Even though Heeseong hyung said it was a lot yesterday, I thought light-heartedly - how much could she possibly buy?
But seeing the variety of Pepero piled high on her desk, my mind seemed to blur.
Heena, sitting on the floor, noticed my stupor from the doorway, and with a bubbly smile on her face, she tore into a box.
Then, taking out a Pepero stick and holding it in one hand,
"Shall we play the Pepero game?"
Seeing her put one end in her mouth, I realized why Heeseong hyung warned me yesterday.
She's not planning to play until all of this is gone, is she?
