Swallowed - Chapter 50

“Food trip?”

Early May was a very relaxed time. Major events like midterms and the sports festival were all over, leaving only the school festival. This was completely irrelevant to Seyoung, who was in her third year, but Jaeha was a freshman and an indispensable part of the workforce, so he was often called to the student council and attended group meetings.

Still, they could take time off on public holidays. With the weekend and Children’s Day together, they had three precious days off, and Kyungdeok happened to suggest a trip.

“She said she knows a good place in Hong Kong and wants us to go together.”

“Hong Kong?”

Hong Kong. Seyoung looked at Jaeha with a dazed expression. She seemed quite surprised, the two syllables of ‘Hong, Kong?’ bouncing off her tongue. Thinking it was cute, Jaeha asked if she had been there before. Seyoung shook her head.

“I haven’t been abroad since I was very young.”

Forget going abroad, she hadn’t even been to Jeju Island. After the car accident, travel was not in Seyoung’s vocabulary.

“It’s my first time in Hong Kong too. We’re leaving Saturday morning and coming back Monday night, is that okay?”

Seyoung chuckled at his tone, as if it was already decided. Hong Kong. Daram immediately came to mind. It was where Daram had applied to go as an exchange student. But that was about it.

Hong Kong food… she didn’t know much about it, so nothing immediately came to mind.

“What’s famous there?”

“There are a lot of famous things. Egg tarts, dim sum, wonton noodles are good too. I heard there are world-class restaurants.”

“Hmm.”

“Give me your resident registration number and passport number, Sunbae.”

“Is it already confirmed that we’re going?”

“Is there any reason not to go? Kyungduk Noona is paying for everything, so we just have to enjoy ourselves.”

Seyoung’s eyes widened at the words ‘Kyungduk is paying for everything.’

“That’s a bit much. Why is she paying for everything?”

“That’s just her style. She pays for what she suggests. But there’s zero freedom in the itinerary. We have to go wherever Noona wants and do whatever she says.”

Seyoung giggled. It was so Baek Kyungduk. Seeing Seyoung smile, Jaeha added, telling her not to even mention it. Hotel, plane, itinerary, menu selection, they couldn’t offer any opinions. But everything Kyungduk arranged was always above average, so there weren’t any major complaints.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

“Great. Then I should start preparing my suitcase. Should we buy matching colors this time?”

“Wouldn’t one big one be enough?”

“Hmm… let’s go to the store and decide on something good.”

“Okay.”

Jaeha, having received a message with her resident registration number and passport number, stared intently at the screen for a moment. Seyoung burst out laughing at the sight.

“Are you trying to memorize it?”

“I already memorized it.”

Seyoung just laughed it off, finding Jaeha’s smirk endearing. Then Jaeha narrowed his eyes and meaningfully stroked her hand.

“Sunbae doesn’t know the importance of personal information. You shouldn’t just give it to anyone like that.”

“Why are you ‘anyone’?”

“…You got me there.”

He paused as if struck, after making a threatening face.

“I can give it to you, even if I don’t give it to other people. Not just personal information, but anything.”

At Seyoung’s words, Jaeha frowned deeply, then sighed. Whenever Seyoung said things like that, his heart would flutter and he would feel incredibly excited. It made him feel like he was being acknowledged as someone special.

Seyoung, looking pleased, took his hand and leaned in. Jaeha relaxed and happily accepted the deep kiss that followed naturally.

***

“Wow…”

The Hong Kong hotel that Kyungduk had booked was in a location overlooking Victoria Harbour. The skyline drawn by the skyscrapers that rose magnificently along the vast coastline was clearly visible through the lounge window.

It was the place where the laser show they had seen on TV took place. It wasn’t as beautiful during the day, but the forest of buildings was a different feeling from Seoul.

“It’s amazing.”

“I know, right? I didn’t know we’d be able to see it so clearly.”

Jaeha also exclaimed in admiration. It was a famous place, but seeing it in person was on another level.

“It’s supposed to be even more amazing if you take an evening cruise at night.”

The feeling of looking down from above and looking up from the boat was different. Seyoung’s cheeks flushed slightly as she imagined the lights embroidered on the dark sky. Jaeha kissed her cheek, finding her face beautiful.

Being outside also made Seyoung feel relaxed, so she casually kissed Jaeha on the lips. Jaeha smiled brightly, as if he was about to die of happiness. He was radiant with a bright smile. He was overjoyed just to be on a trip with Seyoung.

“Hey, save the kissing for the room. Come and sit down. We need to check in.”

Kyungduk called them over, saying they were an eyesore. They sat down, listened to the explanation, and received their key cards. There were a total of three rooms. Kyungduk had one, Youngjoon had one, and Seyoung and Jaeha would share one.

Seyoung was worried and felt burdened by how much money Kyungduk was spending, booking three rooms in a five-star hotel right in front of the harbor. But Youngjoon and Jaeha seemed used to Kyungduk spending money, and didn’t seem to mind.

Since all three rooms had ocean views, they were far apart. Youngjoon’s room was even on a different floor. The four of them set a meeting time and parted ways in the elevator.

“Make sure you wear loose-fitting clothes. I won’t let you off if you say you can’t eat because your stomach is too tight.”

This was the part that Kyungduk had emphasized before they parted. She had emphasized it so much that all the clothes Seyoung had packed for this trip were loose-fitting. Seyoung had just tried to pack any clothes, but Jaeha wouldn’t let her. Because they had to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and desserts in between, there was no time for her stomach to empty.

Seyoung realized that she was serious after visiting the first restaurant. It was a hot pot restaurant, and beef, lamb, and seafood were piled up like mountains. They ate fried flower buns dipped in condensed milk for dessert, and then went straight to eat mango shaved ice. On the way out of the shaved ice place, Kyungduk suggested buying egg bread right away, and Seyoung surrendered. Of course, her surrender was not accepted.

It was the weekend, so Hong Kong was crowded with people. It was amazing how so many people poured out from such a small land. It was a bit tiring to move around in the humid weather and being jostled by people.

Jaeha had told her to prepare comfortable shoes in advance, but her feet still hurt, and as if Kyungduk knew that would happen, she suggested going for a foot massage. Seyoung dozed off for a while while getting a foot massage, and then the next course was stir-fried beef noodles. The noodles served with congee had their own charm, and she kept eating them even though she was still full. But it was really the limit.

Seyoung didn’t usually eat a lot. Jaeha was eating most of Seyoung’s share, but she had still eaten three or four times as much as usual, so her stomach was as bloated as a balloon full of air.

“Are you having a hard time?”

Jaeha, seeing Seyoung panting with chopsticks in her hand, took out a digestive medicine from his pocket. He had prepared it in advance, knowing this would happen. Kyungduk burst out laughing, seeing him take care of her.

“Seyoung’s stomach is so small. How can you be like this with just this much?”

“If Noona saw Sunbae eating normally, she’d say she eats like a bird.”

“She didn’t eat much when I saw her last time either.”

“She ate more that day because she was trying to be considerate. She usually eats very little.”

“That’s why she’s so skinny. What have you been doing by her side? You should have made sure she ate well.”

“Don’t you think Noona eats too much?”

Jaeha handed Seyoung water and gestured with his chin at the empty dishes in front of Kyungduk. Kyungduk exercised, so she really ate well. She burned a lot of calories, so she had a hard time if she didn’t eat a lot.

“That’s why I’m paying for everything with my money. You guys have to eat with me so it doesn’t look like I’m the only one eating a lot.”

Kyungduk glared and laughed, then picked up a shrimp rice noodle roll. Meanwhile, Seyoung, who had taken the digestive medicine, took a deep breath and leaned on Jaeha’s arm. She was amazed at Kyungduk’s seemingly endless stomach. Besides, she ate so deliciously that Seyoung would pick up her chopsticks even though her stomach hurt too much. That’s how she got to this point.

Jaeha took Seyoung’s hand and pressed between her thumb and forefinger. It was painful but refreshing, so Seyoung stayed still.

It was strange to be in a foreign country with this group. Youngjoon kept bickering with his sister, but he followed her words well without complaining. Their sibling bond was really amazing. Seyoung was an only child, so she found that kind of relationship amazing and envious. She felt like she would never experience it.

The last course of the first day was beer. The four of them went up to the hotel lounge to enjoy the night view and drink unlimited beer.

Kyungduk was not only a big eater but also a heavy drinker. She wasn’t satisfied with just beer, so she mixed it with vodka. Youngjoon also drank as much as he wanted and volunteered to be his sister’s drinking partner. Meanwhile, Jaeha and Seyoung looked down at the skyscrapers below the window and spent time together.

“How is it now that you’re here? Did we do well to come?”

Seyoung, looking at the dark streets and tracing the places they had visited today with her eyes, nodded. Following Kyungduk’s schedule was not easy, but it was a lot of fun. She was so busy eating that she was completely exhausted. She would have regretted it if she hadn’t come. Of course, she wouldn’t have known it was this good if she hadn’t come.

“It’s like a dream to be looking at this night view with you.”

“…How can Sunbae only say such pretty things? It drives me crazy.”

Jaeha took Seyoung’s hand, which was clasped with his, brought it to his mouth, bit the tip of her finger, and let go. Seyoung turned her gaze from the night view with its beautiful lights back to Jaeha. His face looked somehow more handsome with the Hong Kong night view in the background.

The words she had just said were not just to be nice. It really felt like a dream to be seeing this night view with Jaeha. The boats going back and forth between Hong Kong Island and Tsim Sha Tsui drew beautiful lines on the black water, and the golden lights illuminating the shopping malls shone brilliantly. The silhouettes of herself and Jaeha, faintly reflected in the window showing that night view, were telling her that it was not a dream but reality.