My Girlfriend Is Very Good to Me

As soon as I woke up in the morning, I calmed my heart. Last night, I did have some trouble falling asleep for a while, but when I opened my eyes, I was surprised by how clear my mind was.

Since it was early, I could hear the chirping of sparrows outside the window, and the sunlight seeping in was so refreshing.

Yes, it was a good morning.

Perfect for going out to have fun.

At my girlfriend's house!

The moment I heard her say "Do you want to come over and hang out at my house tomorrow?" all sorts of imaginations filled my 18-year-old healthy high school boy brain.

Of course, it's not like that, but I guess it's natural for some thoughts like that to pop up unintentionally, right?

With light steps as if I was floating, I finished washing up. Even though I don't usually eat breakfast, today I took out some cereal and filled myself up properly.

There was no deep meaning to it.

I just didn't want my stomach to rumble and ruin the mood.

After washing the bowl I ate from and brushing my teeth again, I came out to see my mom in the living room, glancing at me while watching TV on and off.

Since I usually don't get up until past 12 on weekends, it's very rare for us to run into each other this early.

"Going out?"

"Yeah."

"To see your friend?"

"Yeah, I'll probably be back in the evening."

"Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah. You saw the picture right?"

It comes out of nowhere. But I expected that my mom had already found out, so I wasn't surprised.

I regularly send my mom Kakaotalk messages to let her know when I'll be back late or if something comes up, so there's no way she hasn't seen my profile picture.

It's not like my mom and I don't send each other Kakaotalk messages like I do with my older brother. Just less often with my dad.

"What's her name?"

"Lee Heena."

"Same age?"

"Yeah."

"I see. Bring her over sometime."

"Okay, when I get the chance."

"Drive safely."

"Yes, mom."

And with that, my mother focuses back on the TV. I guess you can see our family's laidback style.

Do most moms not usually care this much about their son's girlfriend? Or is it because I'm the youngest? She's probably kept a close eye on my brothers' relationships too.

Well, I guess this kind of appropriate indifference suits our family. It's always been like this.

To be honest, I often find this kind of feeling more comfortable. Not interfering too much.

-Drrrrlrrring

Just then, my phone buzzes and I quickly take it out to check.

[Heena: You up?]

[Yeonho: Yep, all ready.]

[Heena: Can you come now then?]

[Yeonho: Really? Is that okay?]

[Heena: Yeah, my parents just left!]

Oh geez. I thought you asked me to come when your parents would be home?

But I didn't cluelessly ask.

[Yeonho: Then I'll head out right away.]

[Heena: Okay! Let me know again when you get off the bus!]

[Yeonho: Got it (cat running emoji)]

I could feel the horses in my mind galloping. Of course I don't have any desire to miss an opportunity that comes my way.

But separate from those feelings, we haven't been dating very long, and if you exclude childhood play dating, she's my first girlfriend, so I kind of wanted to take it slowly and enjoy the process.

That's why I've buried my greed and desires in a corner of my heart as much as possible.

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Raei  Translations

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Despite those feelings, we hadn't been dating for long, and excluding the playful relationships from our younger days, this was my first real romance. I wanted to savor the various emotions and proceed at a comfortable pace.

So, I tried my best to bury my desires and passions deep within my heart.

As I stepped off the bus, I looked around. I had texted Heena before getting off, so I believed she would arrive soon. As if to prove my belief right, I soon saw her figure approaching from the distance.

I had suspicions she might've already been outside when I sent the text. Heena was coming towards me with what seemed like a light jog, waving. Her attire clearly indicated she wasn’t out for a walk but was planning to stay indoors.

She wore black leggings that covered up to her ankles, an oversized long-sleeve t-shirt, and white sneakers.

If her all-out outfits for dates were strikingly beautiful, this casual get-up made her look irresistibly cute. But honestly, she always looked adorable, even in a school uniform.

"Heena!"

"Yeonho!"

Without slowing down, Heena rushed into my arms, throwing herself at me.

Perhaps because of her light clothing, I could distinctly feel the contours of her slightly curved body pressed against my chest. Suppressing my internal reactions, I hugged her back tightly.

"You're crazy, Heena. Why are you so beautiful?"

"You like this style?"

"I love it."

Genuinely.

After hugging tightly for a moment, I gently pushed her away, fearing we might be drawing too much attention. Heena seemed slightly reluctant to let go but soon took the lead and started walking.

"It’s very close from here, just a minute."

"Really?"

"Yes, so don't worry too much even if I come home late. It's less than a 5-minute walk from the bus stop."

"I'd still worry even if it was just a minute away."

"Well, can't help that!"

Seemingly pleased with my comment, she smiled and led the way to an apartment complex.

She lives in an apartment. There seemed to be some sort of management office nearby.

The complex wasn’t particularly large, so I doubted I’d get confused if I visited again. Indeed, it was a short 5-minute walk from the bus stop.

Following Heena silently, I soon found myself at her doorstep. I swallowed nervously, watching her punch in the code to unlock the door.

-Thump

"We're here."

"Wow..."

The interior of the home I glimpsed from the shoe rack was incredibly neat and quite spacious. I wasn't sure how to describe the interior style - maybe modern?

"Take off your shoes and come this way."

"Okay, where to?"

"The bathroom. Let's wash our hands!"

We stood side by side at the bathroom sink. At my house, we have a dispenser-type hand sanitizer, so I usually use that. I hesitated, wondering what to use here, wetting my hands and looking at Heena for a cue.

Seeing this, she squeezed something similar from a dispenser onto her hands. As I reached out to do the same, Heena swiftly took both my hands into hers.

Before I could say anything, our hands rubbed together, transferring a mass of foam from her hands to mine.

Even when holding hands, the vast area of contact because of the interlaced fingers felt quite intimate. However, the slippery sensation from the soap made it feel a bit provocative.

"How is it? The scent of our soap is nice, right?"

"It's really nice."

Though the scent was the least of my concerns right now.

She consistently started physical interactions with an unchanging smile.

"Hehe, being like this feels like we're living together."

"......"

Hearing Heena say that made me think today wouldn't be easy.

Especially for my self control.

However, it seemed Heena didn't consider that at all, which felt quite cheeky.

Even when drying my hands with a towel, she would come right next to me and help.

Without saying a word, I accepted her help, and finally, we headed to Heena's room.

"You're not hungry, are you?"

"No, I had breakfast."

"Let's eat a bit later then! Oh, this is my room."

"Ah, okay."

A sudden rush of nervousness hit me as I entered my girlfriend's room for the first time.

Upon entering, her room looked ordinary at first glance.

The overall vibe of the house was exceptionally neat, with everything in its place, and the room was slightly larger than mine.

Between all the neatness, I noticed cute bedding and stuffed animals, and next to them stood a rather large wardrobe. There were no clothes scattered nearby, indicating she kept it well-organized. It's somewhat disappointing.

On the other wall, there was a desk lined with various books and reference materials. Above it hung a corkboard with various photos pinned to it.

I approached, thinking there might be family photos, but to my surprise, there was not a single family picture. Most of them were couple photos of Heena and me, with only two solo pictures of myself.

I remembered posing for those photos, but seeing them displayed made me blush.

My god, had she printed these out and decorated her room with them?

As I stared blankly at the pictures, Heena began to boast with pride.

"They turned out great, didn't they? There's a place nearby that does this kind of printing, so I get them made as soon as we take them."

"There's a place that does that?"

"Yes! It's not as expensive as you'd think, and this way, even without my phone, I can see your face anytime."

"That's really sweet of you."

Her direct comments never fail to surprise and delight me.

However, setting my feelings aside, this kind of decoration looked quite good.

Of course, it might be difficult to decorate as extensively as Heena did, but printing one or two photos to place on a desk seems like a nice idea.

Moreover, it was fortunate that the photos weren't printed on fragile paper but on thicker material. After all, it's a paid service.

"Maybe I should print a few photos too."

"Really? I'll tell you where later. Let's print them today! It'll be quick!"

"Alright, let's stop by later."

Heena's overwhelming excitement at my suggestion was palpable.

"Ah! Then I should print some with you."

"Do you have ones you haven’t printed yet?"

If my memory serves right, it seems like all the good photos are already up.

"I've printed everything I have, but I want to take and print some new ones today!"

Heena said with a thoughtful frown.

I guessed she was pondering how to pose for the photo, so I leaned against the wall, waiting for her. Soon, she seemed to have an idea and clapped with delight.

"Yeonho, want to sit here?"

"On the bed?"

"Yes!"

Following her suggestion, I casually sat down on the bed.

I thought she'd sit next to me for the photo, but to my surprise, Heena approached and sat on my lap, gracefully crossing her legs to the side.

"Hee... Heena?"

"Just wait, I’m turning on the camera."

After a moment with her phone, she handed me the smartphone with the camera app open, wrapped her arms around my neck, and drew her face close to mine.

Truly, I felt Heena's presence with every fiber of my being.

"Yeonho, say cheese~"

"Cheese..."

I managed to retain my composure and snapped a series of photos.

In that moment, a realization hit me.

Heena intended to "overwhelm" me today.