BXBX NOVEL Chapter 48 - Perfume
Chapter 48: Perfume
“Hmm, I wonder. Maybe it’s because I cleaned after a long time?”
“…Cleaning?”
“Yes! I tidied up some trash and did some recycling. It really clears my mind, you know?”
Heh-
From her tone and expression, to the way she was now openly humming, it seemed something had made her extremely happy.
I doubted it was really the cleaning, but I felt like I shouldn’t ask further.
So, I decided to cast aside my random thoughts and focus on the situation in front of me.
“But are you really okay with this?”
“With what?”
“Meeting my parents all of a sudden. Well… I mean, honestly, I wonder if there’s really a need for it.”
“Hmm. Are you perhaps embarrassed of me?”
“No, not at all.”
Kim Eun-ha raised the corners of her mouth in satisfaction at my immediate response, which hadn’t even taken 0.1 seconds.
I sighed in relief internally, but I still wasn’t sure if it was really okay to have my parents and Kim Eun-ha meet.
‘It’s something that has to be done eventually…’
But with my father’s surgery imminent, I wasn’t sure if now was the right time.
Tap tap-
As if she read my mind, Kim Eun-ha lightly tapped my nose with her finger. With a broad smile, she said,
“There are many reasons why I asked to meet your parents at this time, but the biggest reason is because of you.”
“Because of me?”
“Yes.”
Kim Eun-ha nodded firmly. Seeing my puzzled expression, she continued,
“Your father’s surgery is tomorrow, right?”
“That’s right.”
I couldn’t not know since my mother called me every day. She must have told me over a hundred times, exaggerating a little.
– Son! Do you remember the lady who lived on the 5th floor where we used to live when you were little? She contacted me today, saying how wonderful you look now…
Most of the calls were from relatives or acquaintances after the pre-released trailer videos were out.
It wasn’t pleasant to have people who ignored us when we were struggling now contacting us.
‘…Mother must feel differently though.’
How many parents in the world would dislike someone praising their child?
She’d been looking forward to having something to brag about after always having to ask for favors from others.
I could vaguely guess how happy she must be. So I just told her to be careful of strange requests like asking to borrow money or to meet me.
– This child, you’re worried about everything. Oh, and your father keeps talking about you, it’s getting quite annoying. Maybe…
– I’m sorry. I’m busy with filming.
– I see… I understand. Always take care of yourself.
– Sure. I’ll come by when I have time.
Our conversations always ended this way. Just filming the drama took up all my time, not to mention studying economics, politics, and more to perfectly act as Kim Eun-ha’s boyfriend.
‘…What help would it be if I went?’
Every time I heard my mother’s disappointed voice, I felt suffocated. I knew how my parents felt, but what could I do with no time to spare?
That’s what I thought.
At least, until today.
“It might be a bit uncomfortable for you, Woo-ju ssi, but from my perspective, it looks like you’re making excuses to avoid meeting your parents.”
“What? Me?”
“What do you think of your parents, Woo-ju ssi?”
“Well… hmm.”
I instinctively stopped myself from answering and pressed my lips together. Kim Eun-ha’s eyes, facing me directly, were unusually serious.
I love and respect them.
That wasn’t the kind of clichéd answer she wanted to hear.
As if to prove this, Kim Eun-ha didn’t rush me for a response. Thanks to this, I was able to deeply contemplate the question she posed.
‘…Is it really like that?’
If someone asked me about my relationship with my parents, I would answer without hesitation, “It’s not bad.”
We talk on the phone regularly.
We don’t have arguments where we get visibly angry.
Literally, our relationship isn’t bad.
But saying we’re close would be a bit ambiguous. We don’t go on family trips together or act like friends without boundaries.
‘I think our family is just average.’
We weren’t well-off enough like silver spoons or golden spoons, but it’s not like they didn’t do their best for their children.
There were things they couldn’t provide, but nothing they didn’t try to give.
‘We just grew up in different times.’
South Korea.
A country that experienced both colonization and civil war, transforming barren land into a miraculous success.
The only country in the world to go from a developing country to a developed one in just over 50 years.
This is a remarkable achievement, but such rapid development didn’t only bring positive impacts.
Especially, the generational gap due to age became severe, and this wasn’t an exception between parents and their children.
‘Come to think of it, maybe Eun-ha ssi is right…’
Honestly, the existence of parents isn’t always comfortable. As a kid, there were many days I cried because of their strict discipline.
Of course, it was their first time being parents, and it was a time when child-rearing methods weren’t well established. I fully understand this intellectually.
‘People don’t always act rationally.’
Rather, we often act irrationally based on instinct. In this sense, there might be latent traumas within me that I’m not even aware of.
‘Moreover, Eun-ha ssi lost her parents early.’
For her, it might be uncomfortable to see the distant relationship between my parents and me.
With this thought, I slowly nodded. I somewhat agreed with Kim Eun-ha’s point that I was avoiding facing my parents.
“…Certainly. There’s some truth in that. No matter how busy I am, I could have at least dropped by the hospital to show my face.”
“Hmm. If you had denied it, I had about 17 examples prepared to counter, but you accepted it faster than I thought.”
“Of course, I should. It’s something you pointed out, Eun-ha ssi.”
“What?”
Kim Eun-ha tilted her head as if she didn’t understand. I then briefly explained my usual thoughts about her.
“To me, Eun-ha ssi is an incredibly amazing person. It’s hard to believe we’re the same age given how deep your thoughts are, and how vast your knowledge and experiences are.”
“…”
“Of course, a lot comes from the material and mental wealth gained from being born into the Mirae Group. But not everyone in the same environment turns out like you.”
For instance, within the Mirae Group itself, there were people who faced public backlash for abusing their power.
The reason she contracted with me in the first place was because her relatives were trying to force her into marriage.
Given she grew up in such a harsh environment, Kim Eun-ha could easily act like other chaebols, but she had many unexpectedly delicate sides.
‘…Maybe it’s more accurate to say she’s rational?’
The distinction is a bit ambiguous, but at least from what I know, Kim Eun-ha never wielded power without reason.
Rather, she frequently did things that reminded me of “noblesse oblige”, like consistently volunteering at orphanages.
Even if it was for image management, I genuinely respected Kim Eun-ha.
After I briefly shared this, she looked at me with a somewhat pouty expression.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“The fact that you don’t know is the biggest problem.”
“If you tell me what it is, I’ll try to fix it.”
“…It’s not necessary. Anyway, let’s stop talking and head up, shall we? Your parents must be eagerly waiting.”
Kim Eun-ha blatantly changed the subject.
However, there was no benefit in prying further, so I nodded silently.
After parking the car, we tidied each other’s appearances while facing one another.
‘…Now that I think about it, Eun-ha ssi’s outfit is different from usual.’
It was quite refreshing to see Kim Eun-ha, who usually stuck to office attire, wearing a dress.
Of course, it was still elegant and neat, making her look more feminine than usual. Even her makeup seemed lighter.
I was also different. From the early morning, I had been dragged around to a hair salon and department store by Kim Eun-ha.
‘Who would have thought I’d be wearing a couple look.’
A couple look isn’t just matching clothes but coordinating materials, colors, and patterns.
Thanks to this, it was neither plain nor childish, creating an obvious couple vibe.
‘…I’m getting nervous.’
Even though I wasn’t introducing a real girlfriend, the thought of presenting Kim Eun-ha to my parents felt strange.
‘Well, it’s not entirely wrong.’
If Kim Eun-ha achieves her goal sooner than expected or fails and no longer needs me, the chances of us getting married could increase.
Though I might unintentionally deceive my parents, I couldn’t tell them the truth either.
To my parents, Kim Eun-ha would be remembered as my real girlfriend and future daughter-in-law.
“Why do you look like that?”
“Just… a bit nervous.”
“Hehe. It’s not like you, Woo-ju ssi. Don’t act like that in front of your parents. Let’s practice beforehand.”
“…!?”
Kim Eun-ha suddenly linked arms with me. Though our skin didn’t touch, the sensation through our clothes was noticeable.
With the reduced distance, her subtle fragrance hit my nose.
At first, it was fresh and cool like fruit, catching my attention.
Then, a calm woody base followed, giving a deep sense of stability.
‘…Impressive.’
I usually didn’t like perfume. Strong scents gave me headaches.
No matter how good the perfume, mixed with shampoo or body scent, it felt overwhelming.
I’d never met anyone who cared about these details. Thus, I had a negative image of perfume.
‘So this is why people wear perfume.’
Kim Eun-ha’s perfume was on another level. Knowing her, it was likely customized to her natural scent.
It was a pleasant scent, so much so that I regretted how my nose quickly grew accustomed to it and the fragrance gradually faded.
“Woo-ju ssi, are you ready?”
“Ah, yes.”
I snapped out of my daze at Kim Eun-ha’s call. When I looked up, we were in front of my father’s hospital room.
Interestingly, the VVIP room of this hospital was on the first floor, so we didn’t need to use the elevator or stairs.
Anyway, it was time to go in.
“Phew…”
Knock knock-
After taking a deep breath, I slowly knocked on the door. Then, I heard someone quickly get up and rush over from inside.
Click-!
The door soon opened, revealing my mother’s familiar yet unfamiliar face, blooming with a bright smile, welcoming us.
*****