The Textbook of a Lover - Chapter 35

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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35.
“Yes? Sir, we haven’t even had dessert yet…….”
“The bill’s already settled, so take your time and enjoy.”
“Yes? Sir? I…….”
Cha Gyeong rose from his seat without glancing back. Today, he simply couldn’t bring himself to play along with Do A’s revenge scheme.
* * *
— How am I supposed to act naturally in front of our grandmother and my mother this way? Come out right now.
It came out of the blue.
After work, Do A was sprawled on the sofa watching television when Cha Gyeong’s call came through suddenly.
At first, she’d thought about refusing—indignation rising at the presumption that she’d come or go at his command.
But then the image of Na Hui’s retreating form came back to her, the way she’d rushed from work with such eagerness, saying she’d made dinner plans with Cha Gyeong.
Do A had assumed they’d spend much more of the evening together, so his sudden summons confused her. In the end, curiosity won out, and she dashed outside.
“I’m late.”
Cha Gyeong was standing in the vacant lot in front of Do A’s apartment building.
Do A found herself momentarily stunned by the sight of him in his Summer Suit before she finally snapped back to herself and demanded answers.
“What? Sir—Cha Gyeong! Who drags someone out at this hour with no warning and just orders them around? And then you say I’m late!”
She looked down at herself: a plain sweatshirt and joggers, no makeup, disheveled.
He, by contrast, was dressed immaculately enough to make passersby wonder if they were looking at a model or an actor.
“Are you still confusing me with that manager? And here you are complaining when I’m asking you to come practice dating with me.”
“That’s not what I’m upset about. It’s that you called out of nowhere without warning.”
Do A remained self-conscious about her appearance, her eyes constantly drifting over her clothes.
‘This won’t do. How can I go on a date looking like this?’
She spoke up quickly.
“Wait here just a moment. Let me go change and I’ll be right back.”
She turned to leave, but Cha Gyeong suddenly seized her delicate wrist with firm resolve.
“Let’s go.”
Do A shook her head vigorously.
“No. You’re dressed so well, but I look like I just rolled out of bed at home…….”
“I don’t see any problem with how you look.”
“Really? Well, sir, you don’t care how I appear to other people anyway.”
Cha Gyeong let out a short sigh.
“You look beautiful. You’re more than beautiful enough to me, so let’s go.”
At those words, the wrist he was holding seemed to burn crimson.
* * *
Cha Gyeong and Do A had arrived at a cramped, weathered alley not far from Do A’s home.
At the end of the alley, where the streetlight flickered uncertainly, hung a crude sign reading “Grandma’s Tteokbokki.”
‘He’s definitely making a fool of me.’
Do A stared at her own wrist, the one he’d seized. When he’d suddenly grabbed it, she’d felt her heart burst through her ribs.
And on top of that, he called this look beautiful—this shabby sweatshirt, these ripped joggers, this bare face.
They weren’t real lovers; they were only pretending to be.
When they were alone, there was no need for words like that.
‘He must say things like that so casually to everyone that the words just slip out without thought. Not that it matters who he says them to, but… he shouldn’t say them to me.’
A careless stone, thrown without meaning, could still kill a frog.
When it struck her that his thoughtless words and actions had hit her like that frog, anger flared up suddenly.
So she’d chosen this tteokbokki shop as their dating practice venue. A way of saying: now it’s your turn to take a hit.
The sharp aroma of oil and spicy red chili powder hung thick in the air, and the slightly sticky vinyl tablecloth paired with hard plastic chairs clashed brutally with his pristine suit.
“W-what would you like to order?”
The part-time worker’s hand trembled slightly as she held the menu.
At a tteokbokki shop where most customers came in casual clothes, a man who looked like a Greek sculpture had appeared in a flawless suit, and the girl stared at him as though she were watching a celebrity.
Then she glanced at Do A and her expression turned puzzled. The contrast in their appearances was stark.
What was funny was that most of the other customers were dressed similarly to Do A, yet everyone stared at Do A as though something were wrong with her, not him.
‘But people come to tteokbokki shops dressed like this!’
Even as Do A cried this silently, the stares didn’t change.
More irritated than ever, Do A decided to get back at Cha Gyeong with a bit of mischief when placing the order.
“I’ll have the tteokbokki at the third spice level, extra hot. All varieties of fried items. And odeng with liver, and all the organ meat. Extra lungs, please!”
‘Just you wait till you try to eat this! I’m going to laugh so hard.’
With grim determination, Do A poured water into a worn plastic cup and slid it toward him.
When Cha Gyeong only stared at the water, she spoke with barely concealed glee.
“They don’t sell bottled water here, so you’ll have to drink this.”
A moment later, the part-time worker returned carrying a tray: tteokbokki that smelled fiery with spice, various fried items, and odeng heaped around organ meat.
“Looks delicious, doesn’t it? Tteokbokki, odeng, and fried food are my soul food, after all. This is the odeng, and next to it is the liver, this is the spleen, and that’s the lungs. You’re not squeamish about it, are you? Even elementary schoolers at the Welfare Center eat it just fine.”
While Do A launched proudly into her explanation, Cha Gyeong quietly picked up his chopsticks.
‘Please don’t vomit this back up.’
And yet the first thing he reached for was the spleen.
“No, why start with that? That’s the highest difficulty level!”
Instead of answering, Cha Gyeong dipped it in salt and put it in his mouth. A steady crunching sound followed.
He didn’t bat an eye, and spoke matter-of-factly.
“It tastes good.”
“What?”
“The texture is excellent. I might order just this separately next time.”
Next time? He’s planning to come back here?
Do A asked, bewildered.
“……Have you been to a place like this before?”
“Why?”
“You’re too natural about it. That’s not how someone reacts on their first visit.”
Cha Gyeong picked up a piece of tteokbokki and answered.
“When I studied abroad, there was a place like this in the Korean neighborhood near where I lived. I used to go there during exam periods until two in the morning.”
Do A opened her mouth slightly, then closed it.
But he was sitting here in a suit, and the image of Cha Gyeong as a student eating tteokbokki at two in the morning—she couldn’t even conjure it.
‘Wait. Does that mean my whole plan to make fun of him by bringing him here was a complete waste?’
Worse still, Cha Gyeong was now casually dipping the odeng into the tteokbokki broth and eating it.
“Why did you think I couldn’t eat this?”
“Chaebol usually can’t handle this kind of food. They can’t eat spicy things, so they drink three glasses of water, and they won’t even look at organ meat, let alone eat it. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”
“Who told you that? You’ve been watching too many dramas.”
Cha Gyeong picked up another piece of tteokbokki and added teasingly.
“Sorry I didn’t live up to your expectations. Should I pretend I can’t eat next time?”
“Never mind!”
Do A pouted and looked at the tteokbokki, already half gone.
‘Of course he eats like this—he probably only has foie gras in his liver. And he already had dinner with Na Hui, so how is he eating so much?’
Thinking these thoughts, Do A asked him carefully.
“How was your dinner with Na Hui? Do you think she’ll leave Gyeong Jun for you?”
Do A was wondering if the question was premature when Cha Gyeong answered with an arrogant expression.
“Well, of course. I’ve never met a woman who didn’t like me.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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