Chapter: 09
“D-Date…?”
Dana hurriedly wiped the water from her lips.
Fortunately, it hadn’t splashed onto Edwin.
Edwin’s face, smiling in circles, was hard to read.
Was he joking, or serious?
So Dana decided to treat it as a joke.
“You shouldn’t joke about things like that so lightly.”
“I’m not joking.”
“……”
“Don’t go on blind dates, sunbae.”
Dana’s eyes widened.
Edwin refilled her empty glass.
Though the corners of his lips were smiling, his gaze alone was unusually serious.
He spoke lazily, with a faint smile.
“I know it’s presumptuous of me to suddenly say this.”
So you do know. Dana nodded.
Edwin continued.
“But you said you wanted to leave your family behind.”
“……I did.”
“Rather than marrying a stranger, it would be much better to marry me.”
Where does that confidence come from?
Dumbfounded, Dana asked,
“Why?”
At that, Edwin lightly tapped the glass vase placed in the middle of the table.
The water inside rippled slightly.
The yellow flowers swayed as well.
“It looks like this flower is fulfilling its role just by being here…”
“……”
“But it actually takes more conditions than you’d think for it to bloom like this.”
“Like soil and nutrients?”
“That too. Sunlight, wind…”
“Then what else does it need?”
Edwin gestured toward the restaurant owner.
“A gaze born from affection.”
Affection…
It was something she had never received from anyone.
Looking at her, Edwin continued,
“That’s really important. The flowers here probably grew just looking at the sunlight, without any worries—blooming fully as themselves.”
“……”
“But behind that, there must have been her gaze. Checking on them every day, even the smallest details.”
Edwin was right.
The owner must have cared for the flower garden purely out of affection.
Tending to what was hurt, filling what was lacking first.
With a warm gaze, every single day.
Understanding his words, Dana smiled bitterly.
Maybe… she had been waiting for such a gaze all along.
At that moment, Edwin called her softly.
“I can give you that.”
He placed his hand over the back of Dana’s hand on the table.
A large warmth gently enveloped her trembling hand.
“You can just live looking at the sunlight, without worries. I’ll take care of everything else.”
In the eyes that always held a relaxed smile, something earnest now showed.
His crimson eyes, almost blindly devoted, burned like fire.
Staring at them as if entranced, Dana asked,
“…Why?”
Why you…? Why go this far for me?
Confusion filled her eyes as she looked at him.
Edwin smiled softly.
“Who knows.”
“……”
“That’s for you to figure out, sunbae.”
“My part?”
“Think about it. Why I’m doing this.”
Dana realized for the first time—
that thinking too much could make your mind go blank.
His sudden confession, and his words telling her to think—
everything made her dizzy.
And what bothered her most was…
‘Why am I like this?’
It was a feeling she had never experienced before.
It felt like a soft breeze brushing against her chest.
Like watching a gray world finally take on color for the first time.
Dana carefully looked ahead.
Edwin, who was always relaxed, now looked strangely tense.
Seeing the slight stiffness in his lips, she realized—
‘He’s serious.’
At that moment, Dana gulped down the water in front of her.
Then, in a trembling yet clear voice, she said,
“…One week.”
At her sudden words, Edwin leaned in to listen.
“Let’s try dating for a week. I… want to experience that gaze too.”
At that, Edwin broke into a bright smile.
Like a boy’s—pure and spotless.
His eyes, filled with joy, were directed only at Dana.
The moment she realized that, her heart began to pound.
‘Why am I like this?’
As if his tension had released, he let out a breath.
“I’m confident.”
His voice, sweet like honey, reached her.
Seeing Edwin’s radiant smile, Dana let out a small smile as well.
She knew it in her head.
What she should be doing now was getting married quickly.
And perhaps Edwin’s feelings might change.
But the reason she impulsively changed her plans was…
A gaze born from affection.
Because she wanted to feel it—
even if just for one day.
If she could receive that kind of gaze even once…
she felt like she would have no regrets.
* * *
After finishing their meal, the two wandered through the plaza.
Dana was overwhelmed by the lively atmosphere all around her.
There were so many things she was curious about, so many things she wanted to experience.
“What’s that place over there?”
“Looks like a general store. They sell all sorts of things.”
“The shop is pretty. Want to go in?”
Edwin smiled in agreement.
The entirely white shop reflected the owner’s taste, filled with ribbons and lace.
Inside the bookshelf-shaped walls were dolls, hairpins, and ornaments.
In the center stood four oval tables, displaying accessories and perfumes.
The shop owner, a middle-aged woman, was dozing off at the counter with her chin propped on her hand.
Dana unconsciously whispered,
“It looks like we can test the perfumes.”
She pointed to a sign that read ‘Testing Available’.
“Sunbae, do you like perfume?”
“To be precise, I like the scent of flowers. Soft wildflower scents.”
“It suits you.”
At that, Dana’s face flushed slightly.
Edwin had no hesitation when it came to compliments.
Hiding her embarrassment, she said,
“Perfume was a luxury for me. You can’t even see scent, and I never had the leisure to dress up.”
Then she picked a yellow-tinted perfume.
It was in a glass bottle with a clumsy drawing of a daisy.
She pressed the pump.
A fresh, sweet scent spread through the air.
Liking it, she brushed her hair to one side,
then sprayed it again on her exposed white neck.
‘I really like this.’
For the first time in a while, Dana decided to buy herself a gift.
“What do you think, Edwin? Want to smell it too?”
She held out the perfume toward him,
thinking how well the bright blond hair and daisy matched.
“Shall I?”
Edwin stepped closer.
Then he leaned down, closing the distance between them.
His face neared her shoulder.
Soon, his warm breath brushed against her slender neck.
Dana’s hand froze mid-motion.
Her stiff body remained still, fully aware of him.
“It’s true.”
His extremely low voice echoed near her ear.
“It smells really nice, sunbae.”
“……”
Then he slowly pulled away.
He gently took the perfume from her hand.
“This is today’s first date gift.”
With that, he walked straight to the counter.
At some point, the shop owner had woken up and was watching them with a pleased expression.
“W-Wait!”
Only then did Dana snap out of it and rush over, grabbing a random perfume.
“Then I’ll buy you one too!”
What she placed on the counter—
was the same daisy perfume she had chosen.
Wait… isn’t this a women’s perfume?
As she tried to pick a men’s one instead, Edwin stopped her.
“It’s the same scent as yours, sunbae?”
“Huh?”
“Did you want us to wear the same perfume?”
How did it turn into that?
Dana looked at him, dumbfounded.
Ignoring her reaction, he placed the perfume back on the counter.
“It’s not bad for couples to wear the same scent.”
What is he even saying?!
Now it just looked like Dana was desperate to show they were a couple.
“Ah, young love. How nice.”
The shop owner grinned slyly at Dana.
“No, it’s not like that—”
“Let’s go, sunbae.”
After paying, Edwin grabbed her hand and led her out.
Still flustered, Dana was dragged along, not even aware of where her hand was.
“Spray it on me too.”
Edwin placed the daisy perfume into her hand.
Then he bent down to meet her gaze.
Seeing his expectant expression, Dana let out a small laugh.
Then she sprayed the perfume on his neck.
They continued walking again.
Edwin looked down at her with satisfied eyes.
The fact that he and Dana shared the same scent—
was truly…
a pleasant feeling.
