The Damn Family Is Back Again

405. The Proposal (4)

The kiss ended, and Harnier collapsed weakly against me.

“Are you very tired?”

“Mmm… Yes. So many things happened today…”

Indeed, so it was.

It would be strange if she weren’t exhausted.

Just vaguely estimating the distance we’d walked under the guise of a date, it easily surpassed the size of a small town.

What’s more, the planned itinerary turned out to be longer than expected. With things constantly going awry – it seemed whatever could go wrong did – we were forced to backtrack or simply stand still for long stretches. In the worst cases, we actually moved further away from our destination, which alone must have been tiring.

And then, that interruption had to happen.

And the impromptu measures she’d taken to shake off that pest…

Rain had begun to fall from the sky, and her stamina was already depleted by moving around in that elaborate, uncomfortable dress.

…And on top of all that, we’d just become entangled, intensely, twice.

That speaks for itself.

“I’m sorry. I put you through so much trouble today.”

“I, I wouldn’t say it was hardship. I, I enjoyed it too…”

Harnie, face flushed, clutched at the blanket.

Seeing her like that, I felt an urge to tease her.

“Strange. You enjoyed it? I was just talking about what a disastrous date it was… What was there to enjoy?”

“…Huh?”

“Well, the reason it was hard was because we walked around so much, wasn’t it? And we even got caught in the rain, it must have been nothing but cold and clammy, yet you say you enjoyed it?”

“No. Th-that’s… I, I mean, I liked walking around too! Even if it was…pointless, I didn’t dislike being together… Even if it took a long time…!”

Harnie, flustered and fidgeting, was so easy to read.

Really, she’s cute enough to make me die.

“Heh heh.”

“…Ah!”

The moment I let out a laugh, Harnie realized what was happening, her face betrayed understanding.

She quickly turned sulky, puffing out her cheeks.

As punishment, my flesh was pinched sharply, and a disgruntled voice popped out.

“Teasing me about something like this, how mean!”

“Haha. I’m sorry. Seeing you so embarrassed just made me want to tease you.”

“…Hmph! I don’t care.”

“Oh, is someone upset?”

“Could you… not talk to me?”

She even turned her back to me. I guess I teased her too much.

But, even in a moment like this, she’s so pretty.

“How is it that someone like you manages to be pretty even when you’re mad?”

“…Wh-what did you say?”

Ah. What I was thinking in my head came out as spoken words.

Well… doesn’t matter, does it? It’s the truth, isn’t it?

“I wasn’t lying? I mean it.”

“…”

Still, I feel like I teased her a bit too much.

Feeling apologetic, I reached out to lightly embrace her.

But Harnie startled, jerking her body away.

“W-wait, hold on a second. Karsein!”

“…? What’s wrong?”

“Th-that’s…”

Harnie, having backed away, quickly blushed.

And then, pulling the blanket halfway over her face, she covered herself, leaving only her eyes peeking out as she spoke.

“Give me some space right now. I, I look… really awful right now, I think…”

…Making a near-delusional worry about maybe looking ugly.

Dumbfounded, I involuntarily moved closer.

“W-why are you coming closer? I told you to give me space…”

“What do you mean, awful? You’re nothing but pretty.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

“I said you’re as lovely as ever. Why would you hide it?”

“Ah…!”

He yanked the blanket down, revealing Harnia’s face completely.

Though she certainly looked startled…

“Hm. See? Just lovely.”

Where on earth did she get the idea she was ugly?

-Thump.

Then, Harnia’s little fist struck my chest.

“…Why do you have to make my heart flutter like this?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m just stating a fact, aren’t I?”

“That’s the problem! Humph.”

Growing sulky again, she got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom.

“I’m going to wash up. I can’t… smell bad…”

She left those words hanging in the air.

“Her body always smells wonderful, though.”

Just then, a clattering sound came from inside the bathroom.

Judging by the loud noise, it sounded like she fell. Hope she’s alright?

I went to the bathroom door and asked cautiously.

“Harnia? Are you okay?”

“D-don’t come in?! I’ll splash you with water if you do!”

“Ah… Alright.”

Hearing her voice, it seems she didn’t hurt herself anywhere.

That was a relief.

Turning around, my gaze fell upon the window.

“…Night already?”

The sky was already dark.

The rain hadn’t stopped yet.

Falling steadily, it looked like it would make us spend the night here.

“It’s late. I have no choice but to stay here for the night. While Harnia’s washing up, I should clean up a bit.”

Looking at the traces of us scattered here and there, it was quite a mess.

As I was tidying up the disarrayed room,

Something clattered to the floor.

“…Ah.”

Seeing it, I could only let out a sigh along with a small exclamation.

“…I’m ruined.”

…Yeah. All I could say was that I was ruined.

This was the answer I’d extracted after endless consideration and sleepless nights for today.

It was a day of utmost care and painstaking deliberation.

It was a schedule I’d prepared and reviewed with zero margin for error.

This day, it was to be the most crucial hour of my life.

For Ji-eun, for Harnié, the woman who’d become the turning point of my existence.

I had intended to propose.

Showing her what was inside this box.

-Tick-tock.

The clock hand moved.

With its movement, this hour entered the last phase I had so carefully planned.

Originally, according to my design.

Everything would have concluded by this point.

Presenting her with a perfect itinerary.

Etching this day into her memory as one she could never forget.

I would have spent the day hoping it would be the happiest time not only of my life, but of hers as well.

Having tailored the perfect date, leading us to this very moment.

I, showing her the contents of this box, would have concluded with a proposal.

But… upon opening my eyes, all my plans lay twisted.

A date? What a joke.

Everything was ruined. Not a single thing went as it should have.

Unforgettable memories? Hardly.

Wasn’t it just a series of annoyances brought about by unwanted interlopers?

But…

The biggest problem isn’t even that.

“Kim Min-hyeok, you idiot…”

Even if terrible thoughts seeped into my mind, I should have resisted.

Even if Harnié was pulling me in, I should have kept my wits about me.

Naturally, the proposal should have come first.

I should have overcome these trials and proposed, that was the proper order!

…But what’s the reality?

I intended to propose, but instead I was helplessly swept up by Harnié, succumbing to her allure.

Her charms crept closer and closer, relentlessly gnawing away at my reason, until finally, every tether snapped.

And so, the sequence was all wrong.

I ruined the grand culmination of my plan with my own two hands.

Because I gave in to that temptation, and tangled ourselves together, body and soul.

“Ha… what do I do?”

I can’t gather up what’s already spilled.

What do I really do?

A time of contemplation descends.

*

The bathroom is humid.

The heat rising from the tub steams the walls, where droplets gather in abundance.

Yet, even with all these droplets clinging to the tile, they are nothing compared to the moisture within one man’s heart.

“You… you idiot. To play with a person’s heart like that…!”

The humidity of this bath, at least, couldn’t be any more stifling than the inside of a woman’s chest, having been struck three times in a row by the man she loved.

“If you keep doing that, I just might fall for you. How can you say things like that so casually…”

Harnier, huddled in the tub, grumbled, face flushed.

Though she grumbled, she didn’t seem to truly dislike it.

Her heart still fluttered within her chest.

She’d heard she was pretty enough times to be sick of it, and it had often led to less-than-ideal outcomes, even breeding resentment.

But, when *he* said it, it was dangerous to her heart in so many ways.

She had strong defenses against base come-ons and sophisticated flirting, but she was defenseless against his straightforward sincerity, born of pure feeling.

Sometimes, it made her heart leap.

Sometimes, it shrunk back as if crumpled.

Sometimes, her pulse raced as if she had just sprinted a marathon.

Dangerous.

These blows were dangerous.

“Haa… He couldn’t possibly have planned this out in his head. How does he even say such things…?”

Harnier, grumbling, suddenly turned serious.

*Planned.*

She latched onto that word.

“…”

*Blub, blub, blub.*

Harnier submerged half her head into the tub.

Bubbles of contemplation rose before her.

“Karsein, for me…”

Today was, truly, a day overflowing with happiness.

Karsein had planned the entire date for her.

The more she looked, the more she realized the effort and the careful consideration that went into each and every detail.

He had poured his heart into it.

He had dedicated his time with utmost sincerity.

He had probably stayed up all night preparing for this day.

Normally, he wouldn’t want to waste a single second of it.

There wouldn’t have been a moment where joy wasn’t in her grasp.

Wasn’t that a happy thing in itself?

Even if the plan hadn’t been perfect, the fact that he had thought of her so much.

“*Pfft-heh.* You probably thought it was the worst day ever, right?”

That’s probably what Karsein thought.

He would be lamenting, repeating how nothing had gone right.

He probably wanted to clutch the back of his neck, regretting that even his carefully prepared sub-plans had fallen apart.

“But, even if your plans all fell apart, I didn’t hate it.”

No. It was even better that they had fallen apart.

This momentous occasion was only possible because all the plans had gone awry.

A strange satisfaction lingers in my lower abdomen, still thrumming softly.

The inner ache, the thirst I couldn’t quench no matter how I tried, has been soothed, leaving me with a sense of blissful relief.

Today, in a different way, was the happiest day.

“Karsein stepped up like that, I can’t just stand idly by, can I?”

More courage than ever needs to bloom within me.

And if it doesn’t, I’ll just have to conjure it from thin air.

After receiving so much, I can’t simply collapse in place.

Our engagement ends here.

Our romance ends here too.

This vague relationship of ‘girlfriend’ ends here as well.

From now on, I want to be the only woman, the woman for the man I love.

“I’ll have to make the plans for what comes next.”

-Drip.

“Ah. How cold.”

A cold drop of water landed straight on the crown of her head.

Harnie, shaken, finally snapped back to reality and looked around.

“Look at me, lost in thought. I’ve been in here far too long.”

How long had she been soaking in the bath?

At this point, Karsein must be tired of waiting.

Harnie hurriedly washed herself and stepped out.

She wasn’t even sure if she’d rinsed properly.

Or if the lingering scents had completely faded.

She needed to quickly throw on her robe and get out there.

“Ah, Karsein!”

Thankfully, Karsein was awake.

“I’m sorry. Did you have to wait long? I’ll take care of everything—”

But then.

Karsein’s face was terribly serious.

“Harnie. Um. Would you sit here for a moment?”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

Sensing the unsettling atmosphere, Harnie found herself sitting on the impeccably made bed.

And then.

-Click.

“…!”

Before her eyes, Karsein knelt, revealing an open box.

A box holding a ring adorned with a beautiful amethyst.

*

The date was ruined.

All the plans she’d made for this time had fallen apart.

She had even given in to her base desires, maybe it will be worse than if they hadn’t happened at all.

Still, after much deliberation, I arrived at a decision.

To offer it, regardless.

“What… is this?”

Harnier looked at me, her eyes filled with bewilderment.

“I already have a ring…”

Ah, she wasn’t asking out of ignorance.

Harnier seemed quite taken aback.

Good.

“The ring we already have is an engagement ring, isn’t it?”

“…!”

Only now did she grasp the significance of this ring, and she covered her mouth with both hands.

Composing myself again.

I said to her with a serious face.

“Will you marry me?”

Tears that had been welling up in Harnier’s eyes now streamed down her face in torrents.

“Yes.”

With that one word.

Harnier embraced me in her robe, without a moment’s hesitation.

“That’s… unfair.”

“Pardon?”

“Unfair. How, how do you manage to only choose the things that make me fall for you even more…”

Her voice was drenched with emotion.

“And it’s even cruel. I was going to prepare… I was going to ask you to marry me… I was going to prepare everything so meticulously, and yet, here you are again…”

“Originally… this isn’t how I wanted to present it either. In a robe, inside the clothing store that isn’t even open for business yet, right after we were just passionately entangled. I wanted to give it to you in a more magnificent, more romantic way.”

“…Fool. No matter where, no matter what clothes I’m wearing, no matter how I receive it, just the fact that I’m marrying you makes me happy.”

– *Chup.*

Soft lips found mine.

The place, the atmosphere, the attire.

None of it was perfect.

And yet, this proposal seemed to be a success.