My Ex-Girlfriend Regrets Dumping Me

50 – waver (4)

They got off the subway and each went back to their own homes.

Ha-yeon was walking with Geon-yool to the nearby bus stop.

“You seem really happy today.”

“…Really?”

Today was probably the best day she had had in a while.

The natural curve of her lips pointing upwards might have been inevitable.

Even if she didn’t try to smile, laughter naturally bubbled up.

“I had fun hanging out with you, so…”

“If that’s true, then I’m glad.”

They walked side by side like that, down the night road.

It might have been a little scary alone, but with Geon-yool next to her, she felt reassured.

It felt like she was walking on clouds.

But if she made a wrong step, it felt like she would fall from this cloud.

It felt even more precious because she didn’t know when it would end.

Ha-yeon hoped that this dream would never end.

“Sorry, I have to take this call.”

Geon-yul took out his phone from his pocket.

Ha-yeon was annoyed that their time was interrupted, but she could only nod her head.

Geon-yul put the phone to his ear and spoke.

“Yeah, Jia?”

His voice was kind and gentle, like a kindergarten teacher talking to children.

…It’s that woman again.

The good mood she had just disappeared.

Whenever she got close to Geon-yul, the girl who always interfered by saying that Jia was good somehow bothered her.

“I’m ready. Honestly, I was looking forward to it. It’s been a while since we went to the beach.”

Maybe it was the distance.

Or maybe it was the noise from the street.

Jia’s voice could not be heard properly.

But Ha-yeon could guess the conversation from Geon-yul’s voice.

“…Are they going to the beach?”

She remembered the beach trip she had with Geon-yul.

The scenes of them playing in the water and having fun, finding good restaurants, and the memories they had in the hotel room.

If Jia went to the beach alone with Geon-yul, she would probably experience the same things she had.

And they would have a chance to see each other in swimsuits.

Swimsuits.

Why did it bother her so much?

Ha-yeon tried to suppress her unpleasant feelings.

The image of Jia wearing revealing swimsuits and showing off to Geon-yul flashed through her mind.

It wasn’t something that had actually happened, but the scene was vivid in her mind.

Ha-yeon wanted to cover Geon-yul’s eyes so he couldn’t look.

“Should we change it to one night? Um… I don’t mind… Is that okay?”

One night?

Ha-yeon turned her gaze to Geon-yul after hearing strange words.

Then, does that mean they spent more than a day together, not just overnight?

The reflection of Geonyul’s face in the city lights was a hesitant one.

“No, don’t think too much. It’s just that ordinary girls are cautious about these things.”

Geonyul replied with a smile, trying to brush it off.

She didn’t even want to see him in the way he liked her anymore.

Until just now, she had been happy seeing Geonyul being happy.

But it was too unpleasant that the person who made him happy had changed from herself to someone else.

And that girl named Jia made it even worse.

“Ah, I see. Yeah. You should end it first. No, you end it first. Sleep well, Jia.”

Every action he took annoyed her.

To the point where she wanted to confront him and go home in anger.

But she couldn’t do that. She had to force herself to suppress her feelings.

“…Should we go somewhere? The beach?”

Ha-yeon asked him indirectly, hiding her boiling emotions.

Geonyul smiled as if it was no big deal and answered.

“Yeah. That’s how it turned out. It’s also summer.”

“…Just for one night?”

“The beach we’re going to is a bit far, so it seemed like it would be too tiring to make it a day trip.”

She didn’t want to believe it, but hearing it directly from his mouth made it even more certain.

Geonyul was going on an overnight trip to the sea with Jia.

That would be a completely different time from the time they spent at the amusement park today.

…It would be much more intimate, enjoyable, and profound.

Whatever happened, it wouldn’t be strange.

Especially when it’s a trip between a man and a woman.

It wouldn’t be some meaningless friendship trip.

“…Really? It sounds fun. Have a good time and come back, Yul…”

But Ha-yeon couldn’t utter the words telling him not to go.

Instead, Jia was the one taking the initiative.

She was in the position of a challenger, while Geonyul was an uncertain target.

Ha-yeon silently looked up at the night sky.

Today, the moonlight felt particularly poignant.

The time I spent with Geon-yul today felt like a distant moonlight, ethereal and unreal.

It was supposed to be a joyful day.

But with just one phone call, all the good feelings vanished.

Everything felt like meaningless fantasies.

…No matter how fast I run, what’s the point? There’s already someone at the finish line.

“Yeah. Thanks. I’ll come back after having fun.”

Does Geon-yul know what’s going on inside him?

No matter how he said we should be friends first, now I resented him.

Looking at his smiling face made me feel exposed.

*

It has been a few days since my date with Ha-yeon.

I lay in bed, fidgeting with my phone, then checked the time and got up.

Honestly, I couldn’t sleep properly because I was slightly nervous.

A trip to the beach with Jia.

I hastily got dressed, still half-asleep, and went out of the house.

I couldn’t afford to be late to our meeting place.

I had reserved a train ticket, so I had to arrive on time.

As I took the bus and arrived at the station, I noticed Jia in the distance.

She recognized me from afar and smiled brightly.

I walked slowly towards her.

“You came all ready for a beach concept, huh?”

“It’s a beach trip, so it’s only fitting.”

She wore a cool and refreshing floral dress.

And she had a blue suitcase that matched her perfectly.

It was the epitome of a beach travel look.

“You look beautiful. You might attract some attention at the beach.”

“…Then you have to protect me. Understand?”

“Of course. That’s what I’m here for.”

We joked around as we entered the subway station together.

After transferring stations, I boarded the train and settled into my reserved seat. “I’ll take your luggage. I’ll put it on top,” I said.

“Oh, okay. Thank you,” she replied.

I hoisted our bags, making sure they were properly secured. Then, I seated Ji-ah by the window and took the seat next to her.

“What are we going to do when we get there?” she asked.

“Well, I’ve looked into it a little, but we can decide spur of the moment,” I replied. I didn’t want our trip to be too planned or stressful. After all, this was Ji-ah’s first time going out with me. I just wanted it to be a casual trip to the beach.

I shared some options on my phone, “How about this one? It’s a hotel, but it’s really close to the beach.”

As we made our way there, we chatted about what we could do. Before we knew it, the small talk had turned into a lively conversation. Soon, the train had started moving.

“By the way, Ji-ah, are you cold?” I asked.

“Yes, a little bit,” she replied, rubbing her arms.

Her outfit consisted of a thin dress and a short-sleeved shirt, so she must have been feeling the chill of the air conditioner.

“It’s probably because I have low body temperature,” Ji-ah said, displaying goosebumps on her arms.

I didn’t have a jacket to offer her, and adjusting the aircon temperature for just one person would cause conflict. I was at a loss, but Ji-ah looked at me with a smile.

“Oppa, I like watching observation programs,” she said.

“Okay.”

“Do you know what to do if our temperature drops and we can’t start a fire on this deserted island?”

“…What should we do then?”

Jia softly hung onto my arm.

And embraced me to the extent that I could feel her chest.

“Stay close to others to maintain your body temperature. Like this.”

“…I see.”

In a sense, it was the most primeval yet most excellent solution.

Since there was nothing as warm as the human body heat.

Jia leans her head on my shoulder while holding onto my arm, looking pleased.

“What’s so good about it?”

Hanging like a sunbathing cat with an uplifted head, Jia muttered.

As I listen to her words, I came up with a good idea.

“Well, maybe we need to stick closer to keep ourselves warmer?”

“…Yes, maybe we should?”

Jia looked up at me with her head on my shoulder.

I raised and put aside the handlebar that separated us.

Then, I tightly held onto Jia’s shoulder and pulled her close towards myself.

“How’s that? Is this cozier?”

For a moment, Jia shuddered in surprise, then looked up at my face and smiled.

And she wrapped her arms around my waist, cuddling up even closer to me.

“…Yes. This is much better than before.”