“Yes.”
Having imagined all sorts of things in that brief moment, color returned to his face at the answer that it was a child with someone I was seeing. However, the question that followed with hearty laughter was slightly a minefield.
“Wow~ that’s great, when’s the wedding?”
“……We’re in the middle of discussing it.”
The Section Chief went “hup” and closed his mouth, interpreting my brief silence—where I’d blanked out while thinking about how to answer—as something. I could see in real-time that I was becoming a tragic pregnant person in the position of being rejected by their lover, so I hurriedly corrected it.
“It’s not the kind of… bad situation you’re thinking of.”
The Section Chief nodded, but judging from the pitying look in his eyes, he seemed to think I was covering for my trash lover.
Ugh, frustrating.
But I didn’t want it to get annoying by saying we were discussing it positively when nothing had been decided, and I also couldn’t explain the whole story about how the baby came first and we’re childhood friends going “ung-aeng-ung.”
“I’m serious.”
This was the maximum I could do. I said it as firmly as possible.
Seeing the Section Chief pat my shoulder saying he understands, I’m not sure if it got through.
I swallowed a sigh and just left a request not to tell the department members yet. The Section Chief nodded vigorously, telling me to trust only him. Along with the misunderstanding, he undoubtedly thought he had to protect his subordinate’s pitiful secret.
Whatever, I’ll explain again later.
I sat back down and was boringly tapping the keyboard when a text came from Won Dogyeong.
[Won Dogyeong: Is there anything you want to eat?]
Did he go grocery shopping?
Nothing immediately came to mind, so I reflexively sent a reply saying not particularly. Just like I usually did. And paradoxically, after sending it, I started thinking about what I wanted to eat. Maybe it was because I didn’t want to work.
Something I want to eat….
Come to think of it, I kind of crave something sweet.
Even while tap-tap-tapping out emails, all sorts of sweet desserts flashed through my mind. There were still snacks left from what we bought last time at home, but I wanted something more substantial than that.
Cookies? It’s not that kind of feeling.
Chocolate… that’s not it either.
Bread? Is it bread?
Mmm… not just bread, something a bit more….
“Oh, Malgospee Cream is selling summer-limited pineapple donuts starting today.”
Donuts?
Donuts…!
I want to eat donuts!
“Sounds good.”
When I spoke while smacking my lips, the coworker next to me who’d brought up donuts asked curiously.
“Don’t you not really like sweets?”
“I suddenly have a craving.”
After that, I couldn’t get donuts out of my head the entire time I was working. Both the season-limited pineapple donuts and the original glazed donuts kept appearing before my eyes.
It was the first time in my life I’d thought about wanting to eat something like that. Malgospee Cream was the kind of food where I’d take a bite when Won Dogyeong was eating, go “ugh, sweet,” and wash it down with an Americano.
I secretly fidgeted with my hands over my belly.
Yongyong, is it you? If it’s not what you want to eat, there’s no explanation.
As quitting time approached, more and more dancing donuts filled my head.
I should ask to stop by on the way.
Who knew the day would come when I’d want to leave work early because of donuts.
I anxiously kept glancing at the clock, and as soon as quitting time approached, I kicked off from my seat and rushed out. Won Dogyeong was waiting with the car parked in the usual spot.
I opened the passenger door, slid in, and slammed it shut with a bang.
“What, why are you getting in so urgently?”
Won Dogyeong looked at me up and down with a dumbfounded expression.
“Let’s go buy donuts.”
“Donuts? What donuts?”
“I want to eat donuts.”
“Donuts? Really?”
He nodded with an unsure expression saying he understood, then stepped on the accelerator.
“Malgospee Cream! Let’s go.”
“…That’s the sweetest place though?”
“I want to eat that.”
“Okay.”
Seeing me sitting there resolutely holding my card, Won Dogyeong snickered.
“Did you feel like trying to understand my taste?”
“…At least Yongyong says so.”
“You two are in fusion mode right now.”
“I don’t know, I’m confused too. How can I want to eat donuts?”
I grumbled discontentedly while fidgeting with the card. My mouth says I want to eat it, but my brain doesn’t understand this situation.
Won Dogyeong, who’d been looking at me with interest while resting his arm on the window frame, grinned and asked.
“There probably won’t be anywhere to park. Should we leave it at home and walk?”
Is there nowhere? I frantically recalled the surrounding map, but it seemed like there really wasn’t anywhere to park.
“Mmm.”
It’s only a 5-minute walk anyway….
My spirit somewhat dampened, I pushed the card I’d been holding back into my wallet. As I fumbled to open the bag I was holding and tossed my wallet in with a thud, he laughed again like air deflating and coaxed me in a tone like soothing a child.
“Be patient a little, I’ll buy you everything you want to eat.”
“I have money too….”
“Should we buy two of each type and stack them up to eat?”
With how I’m feeling right now, I think I could eat all of that even if we bought that much, but.
“…It’s not good when you stack them.”
Words came out in a sulky tone without me realizing. Won Dogyeong finally burst out laughing and kept grinning until he parked the car in the parking lot.
Laugh or don’t, I could only think about donuts.
I should buy a box of six, right? Three originals… no, four, and should I try the pineapple too?
“Let’s go, to buy donuts.”
Won Dogyeong got out of the car, firmly grasped my hand, then left the parking lot swinging it back and forth. I was endlessly thinking about the arrangement inside the donut box in my head.
Since it was close to home, we arrived at Malgospee Cream quickly. The fast pace we walked at also played a part. I pushed open the store door while humming, and the bell attached to the door made a cheerful ding-.
Standing in front of the display case in a row, seriously choosing with my eyes, Won Dogyeong subtly asked from beside me.
“What flavor do you want?”
“Original, and that, pineapple flavor. It’s summer-limited. And… chocolate? Or the one with custard cream? Which should I get?”
I glared at the display case with furrowed brows, then whipped my head around, faced him, and opened my mouth dubiously.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
Won Dogyeong was looking at me fondly with a smile spreading across his face, his mouth corners ready to hook onto his ears.
That is no matter how you look at it, me… me,
“No, what… say it?”
He narrowed his eyes and shrugged.
“Don’t.”
I shook my head vigorously. If I heard it, I felt like I’d have to scream and run out, donuts or whatever. Just that expression alone was as good as already hearing it.
My face felt hot. I stiffly turned my head back to the display case and snapped at him.
“Hurry up and pick what you want to eat too.”
“I’ll have anything~.”
“No, pick properly.”
“Then what you’re eating.”
At his voice mixed with laughter, I finally bit my lips hard. I wanted to scratch myself vigorously at the feeling like my whole body was tickling.
Won Dogyeong, in a mood that anyone could see was good, pointed at various donuts in the display case making carefree sounds like “oh, that looks delicious too.” With his hand on my shoulder embracing me, I was conscious of our bodies touching every time he moved.
Why? Why does it keep feeling like I’m losing?
It was a strange sense of defeat.
“Then four originals and two each of what we just talked about….”
“You said it’s not good when you stack them. Let’s just buy what we’ll eat today. I’ll buy more and bring them tomorrow.”
At his tone that seemed indifferent but was actually overflowing with affection, my body kept tensing up.
Why does he talk like that?
Will he buy and bring new ones every day if I ask?
Pointlessly rebelling alone at the unfamiliar sensation, for a moment the thought crossed my mind that it was entirely plausible.
Ah, I shouldn’t have thought about it. If it’s Won Dogyeong these days, he’d definitely buy it even if I asked him to go to Daejeon every day to buy bread.
No, ah, I shouldn’t have thought about this either.
Even small movements like rolling my eyes or trivial actions like taking a breath felt laborious, like my muscles weren’t listening. Whatever it was, I felt uneasy.
“I’m just buying it.”
So I was stubbornly insistent for no reason, but Won Dogyeong nodded unconcernedly.
“Okay.”
I pressed my lips tightly shut and headed to the counter. He, standing next to me, was taking out a card from his wallet. A simple designed gray card was pulled out. It wasn’t the card I’d given him to use for food expenses.
Why does he keep using his own card?
Just as I was thinking I should just pay with my card and was glaring at that gray card while rummaging through my pockets, the part-timer who’d been watching me carefully opened their mouth cautiously.
“Please tell me the name.”
What name? My name? Why are they asking for my name? I thought, but obediently answered.
“……? Yeo Jeongwon.”
The part-timer desperately held back laughter while muttering quietly.
“The donut name….”
Ah, the donut name…….
My face turned bright red and I awkwardly rubbed my nose. I tapped Won Dogyeong telling him to just say it, but he’d already turned his back and was busy crouching and laughing.
I had no choice but to stare into space and list the donut names one by one in a voice crawling into a hole.
“Four originals… two pineapples… two chocolate-coated donuts and two custard cream donuts….”
Why did I pick so many. But even though I was embarrassed, I didn’t want to give up the chocolate and custard, so I forced myself to say it.
“Yes… ahem, ahem.”
I was one step away from fainting from embarrassment, but suddenly the strawberry jam-filled donut that flashed in my vision instinctively made me think I wanted to eat that too. If I add that, it’s exactly two boxes.
Hesitating whether to say it or not, I turned my face diagonally to avoid eye contact and blurted out.
“……And strawberry jam-filled donuts too. Two….”
Won Dogyeong, who’d been about to turn around, crouched down again holding his stomach and laughed.
