Chapter 364: Interlude - The End of Vacation

Chapter 364: Interlude - The End of Vacation

Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes glistened like someone who had just discovered an oasis in the desert. Then, he cleared his throat and shook his head.

“No, even so, we’re technically on vacation. We can’t just stay here.”

Hadn’t he just sworn minutes ago that he wouldn’t let her down? He couldn’t ruin their precious day off together just because he felt tired.

“It’s fine. Your face looks half its normal size. Where are you gonna go looking like that?” Song Ha-Eun chuckled softly and patted him on the head. She scooted up right next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Besides, I like it when we just hole up at home and laze around like this.”

Going somewhere nice together or grabbing a good meal had its charms, but doing nothing at all and just lounging lazily on the couch as time slipped away also had its own atmosphere.

“Guess you could call it a staycation, kinda like what you do at a hotel?”

“But this isn’t a hotel. It’s our house.”

“Well, isn’t it basically a hotel compared to the place we used to live?”

“I mean... yeah, I guess.” Kwon Oh-Jin snorted, recalling their old moldy one-room that wasn’t even five

pyeong

.

It felt like ages ago. He could barely remember those times. In reality, they had been living together in that cramped little space only a few years ago. Back then, every day had been a desperate struggle while caring for Song Ha-Eun, who had lost an eye and a leg.

Comparing that life to now made him realize just how much things had changed.

“Oh-Jin.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you happy right now?” she asked, almost afraid of his answer.

Kwon Oh-Jin gently pulled her waist closer and nodded with certainty. “Yeah.”

He was happy. So much so that, every night, he worried that this would all be a long dream he would wake up from. This was more than he could ever ask for.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Song Ha-Eun smiled at his firm answer. “Really?”

With a soft grunt, she raised her head from his shoulder and sat up. Then she pressed against his chest, pushing him back a little, and spread his legs apart.

“Move back a bit,” she said.

“What for?”

“If we’re gonna stay in, I’m taking the premium seat.”

Before he could even ask what she meant, she slid right between his legs and leaned her back against him. Now holding her from behind, Kwon Oh-Jin frowned at the back of her head filling his view.

“This is hella uncomfortable.”

“I’m comfortable, so it’s fine.”

“No, this only looks right if I’m taller or you’re shorter. What the hell is this? It’s not the right picture.”

Kwon Oh-Jin was slightly above average in height, but Song Ha-Eun was even taller than some fashion models. In heels, she could meet his eyes or even look down on him. With her tall frame wedged between his legs and using him like a chair, their posture felt awkward and uncomfortable.

“Alright, now wrap your arms around my waist.” Like buckling herself in, Song Ha-Eun pulled his arms around her waist and blissfully leaned back against her human chair. “

Mmm

, so soft. This is perfect,” she said, completely relaxed as if soaking in a hot spring.

Meanwhile, Kwon Oh-Jin endured the most discomfort in his life with her reddish-brown hair brushing against his cheeks.

“

Ahem

.”

He could vividly feel her back pressing against his chest and the warmth of her skin under his arms, especially since she only wore dolphin shorts and a cropped T-shirt.

“Oh? I guess not everything is soft now, is it?” she said teasingly.

“Shut up.”

How was he supposed to keep his composure like this? Kwon Oh-Jin narrowed his eyes and tickled her side.

“

Kyaaah!

S-Stop it, you jerk!”

He could feel her kicking and flailing in protest.

“

Haa... haa...

You little...” Catching her breath with watery eyes, Song Ha-Eun smacked his thigh. “How dare you? You can’t do that to someone older than you!”

“You started it.”

“Still!”

Their bickering lasted only a moment.

Once she calmed down, Song Ha-Eun grabbed his arms again and wrapped them back around her waist with a smile. “This is nice.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Happiness melted through him.

Song Ha-Eun gently placed her hand over his arm around her waist. “Oh-Jin...”

“Yeah?”

She hesitated for a moment, parting her lips, but not speaking right away. Then, she carefully asked, “What memory did you lose this time?”

A heavy silence settled between them.

Song Ha-Eun looked at him anxiously.

Kwon Oh-Jin gently took her trembling hand and bit his lip. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Yeah.”

Nothing ever felt off or missing when the Black Heaven carved away memories, so he couldn’t exactly figure out what had vanished.

“You remember that we’re dating, right?”

“Of course, I do.”

If he had forgotten that, he wouldn’t be doing something as insane as splitting his vacation into three parts to spend each day with a different lover.

Song Ha-Eun nodded. “Where did you get my eye fixed?”

“Yongsan auction house.”

“

Hmm

. And my leg?”

“With the elixir I got after fighting Deneb’s apostles.”

Those memories had been untouched by the Black Heaven and remained vivid in his mind.

“I see.” Song Ha-Eun crossed her legs, resting her chin on her hand in thought. Then, her eyes lit up, and she snapped her fingers. “What about the first time we did it after you lost your memory?”

“I remember.”

“Dang. Too bad.”

Too bad? What’s that supposed to mean?

“Well, it seems like you remember most of the important stuff.”

“Which is why I said I don’t know which memory is missing.” Kwon Oh-Jin deeply sighed.

If it had been something big like when he forgot that they were lovers, at least he would’ve felt some disconnect. However, this felt even more frustrating because he didn’t know which memory he had lost.

Just what is it?

Even tracing back to his earliest memories with her, he didn’t notice any gaps. Losing a memory without even knowing what it was felt like a noose was tightening around his neck.

What if, at this rate, all his memories vanished without him sensing that something was wrong or missing? Like sinking into a swamp, until the very existence of Kwon Oh-Jin disappeared.

“Damn. Did you shit your pants or something? Why so serious?” Song Ha-Eun flicked his forehead while he was lost in thought and biting his lip.

Thwack!

A sharp sting spread across his forehead.

“What the hell was that for?” Kwon Oh-Jin rubbed his forehead and glared at her.

She just chuckled and shrugged. “Well, it probably wasn’t anything important if we’ve been talking this long and nothing felt weird. No need to overthink it.”

“That’s...”

“I mean, hell, I can’t even remember what I ate yesterday.”

“Isn’t that basically dementia?”

“Shut up!” With a scowl, Song Ha-Eun grabbed his cheek and stretched it.

He couldn't help but chuckle. Her words weren’t necessarily the kindest, but she was clearly trying to comfort him in her own way.

“Come to think of it, I really have forgotten a lot of the old stuff. Like... where did we first meet again?”

“On the orphanage rooftop.”

“Oh, right!” She clapped and nodded. Then, cocking her head, she asked, “But what were we talking about back then?”

“That...” He reached into the back of his mind and recalled meeting her for the first time in the shabby little secret base he had made on the rooftop.

“Let’s see... If this is a secret base, you don’t just let anyone in, right?”

“Even if Mom and Dad show up... I won’t let them in either. Ever.”

He couldn’t recall her face, but what she had said with a bright smile was still crystal clear.

“Even if your mom and dad can’t come in, I can, right?”

She had pushed her way in with that nonsensical reasoning and stepped into his hideout.

“Hehe. Now that I’m in, you have to think of me as your big sis from now on, okay?”

That priceless, irreplaceable memory shone bright like a star in the night sky.

Thank goodness.

Relief spread across his face when he realized that the Black Heaven hadn’t devoured their first interaction.

Turning to Song Ha-Eun, he softly said, “I don’t really remember.”

Because Song Ha-Eun didn’t remember, he wanted to keep that memory to himself, completely sealed away.

“See? You can’t remember it either.” Failing to recall how they first met, Song Ha-Eun gave up and patted him on the shoulder. “Well, what’s the point of old memories anyway? What matters is now.”

“Yeah...”

“It’s fine, so cheer up, Oh-Jin.”

Kwon Oh-Jin smiled faintly at her words and nodded. He tightened his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Ah.

Just then, he could feel her shoulders trembling ever so slightly. She acted like nothing was wrong and pretended like it didn’t matter.

Of course, it does.

He knew she understood that losing pieces of the past wasn’t something one could casually wave off with a simple, “It’s fine.”

Even so, Song Ha-Eun smiled brightly for him. She knew that the more she hurt, the more he would hurt as well.

“Ha-Eun...”

“

Mm?

”

“Thank you,” he said softly.

“

H-Huh?

What’s there to thank me for?”

“Just for everything.”

The fact that he could hold her like this from behind made him feel like it didn’t matter what memories the Black Heaven had swallowed up.

“

Mmm

.” Song Ha-Eun groaned and blushed red. She turned around and straddled his lap. “This won’t do.”

“What won’t do?”

With her face suddenly so close that their noses almost touched, Kwon Oh-Jin cleared his throat and turned away. It had been hard enough to keep his composure while holding her from behind, but facing her like this made it nearly impossible.

Song Ha-Eun looked down at him with a sly smile, licking her lips like a predator that had caught its prey. “I was going to let you rest today... but how dare you seduce me.”

“

Huh?

”

Seduce you? When did I ever do that?

“

Hahaha!

Your mouth says no, but your body is being honest!”

“W-Wait. Hey! You’re gonna rip my clothes! It’s going to rip!”

Pop, pop, pop!

His shirt buttons scattering across the floor marked the end of their three-day vacation.