WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

◈ My Platinum-Blonde Childhood Friend is Too Pretty

Chapter 31: Finally, Our Beginning (2)

It took about three hours by KTX to Gwangju. Though it might seem long, the time flew by as Elli and I chatted away, holding hands.

"Is there anything you want to ride there?"

"I'm not planning on riding anything."

"Not even once? There's even a train that just goes around in a circle."

"No, thanks. Just get the entrance tickets."

"Wait, only entrance tickets? What about the Ferr..."

Before I could finish asking about the Ferris wheel, Elli gave me a sharp look and cut in.

"You buy tickets for that separately. How do you not know this when you're taking me there?"

"Ah, right."

I hadn't known that. I thought a free pass would cover everything. I only checked that there was a Ferris wheel, how big it was, and the operating hours.

"Ah? You're asking for it..."

"Want a Mentos? Here, I'll give you one."

"...Ah."

I fed Elli a Mentos, not one I had brought but one she had packed in her bag.

Elli chewed on the Mentos with a pout, but her cute expression made me lean in close.

"...Chu."

She lightly pressed her lips to mine and then quickly pulled away. I leaned in further, not wanting the moment to end, and gently pecked her bulging cheek where the Mentos had been.

-Peck

Her cheeks were incredibly soft, not just to the touch but almost meltingly tender, like cotton candy.

Then, with a smile, I urged her.

"Feed me one, too."

Blushing, Elli shot me a glare but eventually complied.

"Ah..."

She took a Mentos from my hand and placed it in my mouth.

It was sweet.

Not as sweet as Elli's lips, but still pleasantly so. As I rolled the candy around in my mouth, storing it in my cheek for a moment, Elli made her move.

-Peck

She kissed the bulge in my cheek where the Mentos was.

I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at her kiss. With joy bubbling up from deep within, I caught Elli's gaze and smiled.

-Chu…

We naturally came together for another kiss.

It all happened in an instant.

The journey to Gwangju Station felt like the blink of an eye with these small exchanges of kisses interspersed throughout our conversation.

***

Arriving at Gwangju Songjeong Station by KTX was not the end of our journey. We transferred to a bus and spent another hour or so on the road.

"Wow... she's gorgeous."

Though there was some murmuring on the bus, similar to what we'd experienced in Seoul, it was nothing new to us.

"Should we have taken a taxi?"

"What a waste of money for a taxi. Just go."

"Amazing. She speaks Korean so well."

Elli's fluent Korean, far surpassing that of her peers, drew some attention, but we ignored it as we made our way to Familyland around 5 p.m.

Familyland closed at 9 p.m., and if we had planned on using a free pass to enjoy the rides, we would have had about three and a half hours.

While it might seem like a lot of effort to come all this way for just a few hours of fun, Elli didn't seem to mind.

Though we never explicitly discussed it, we both knew the main goal was the Ferris wheel. We hadn't been big on rides during our last amusement park visit either.

And the time we spent chatting, sharing Mentos, and stealing kisses on the train was also part of our date.

As we stepped off the bus and saw Familyland before us, I made a suggestion.

"I'd like to ride the Ferris wheel after 8. Shall we just stroll around until then?"

Confidently, I suggested we ride the Ferris wheel while enjoying the night view.

Elli checked the time and, as if familiar with the place, took my hand and led the way.

"Let's eat first. There's a cafe inside the zoo."

"Oh, that place. You looked it up too?"

"Just follow me."

After a few steps, she glanced back and asked,

"Do you want something else to eat? Are you very hungry?"

"No, not at all. Let's just share a cake and a latte there."

"Okay."

Elli seemed to have memorized the map, leading the way without hesitation. She probably suggested the cafe because she wasn't very hungry, just like me.

The thought of giving her the ring on the Ferris wheel had my stomach in knots, overshadowing any hunger.

We entered the zoo, which was free to enter, and headed straight for the cafe.

There, we ordered a small slice of cake and an Americano, settling down at a table with two straws and one fork.

"Mommy, look! A foreigner!"

"Shh, don't point like that."

"She looks like Elsa!"

The weekend crowd, especially in the zoo within the amusement park, included many children with their parents.

These innocent kids saw Elli and were reminded of the same thing I was.

Though her hairstyle was different, her hair color and beauty did resemble Elsa's.

I chuckled at the children's comments as I sat down.

Elli then leaned on the table, resting her chin on one hand and pouting.

"Don't laugh."

"But you said I should always smile when we make eye contact."

"Who said to laugh like that?"

"Ahem."

It was a bit much to have even my laughter regulated, but I didn't want to upset the princess. So, I composed myself and picked up the fork.

Then, I cut a small piece of cake and brought it to Elli's mouth.

"Ah..."

Just as I was about to feed her, I swiftly changed direction and popped it into my own mouth instead.

The cake was just a standard frozen chocolate cake. Not particularly delicious, but not bad as a palate cleanser.

"......"

"I just wanted to taste it to see if it was okay for you. You know that, right?"

Elli didn't get mad at my prank. Though she looked a bit sulky, the corners of her mouth twitched as if she found it amusing.

"Ah."

She opened her mouth wide again, making it clear she wanted another piece. I felt like playing a trick again, but knew better than to push my luck.

This time, I earnestly cut a small piece and placed it in her mouth.

Then, Elli took the fork in her mouth and chewed.

"Chew, chew..."

After pretending to chew for a moment, she handed the fork back to me, now coated with her saliva.

"......"

"What are you waiting for? Eat."

Elli urged me to continue eating, pointing at the fork. She also removed one of the straws from the Americano, leaving only one behind.

"Why did you take out a straw?"

"One is enough, isn't it?"

"...Right."

"Are you not going to eat more cake? I'm done, so you can have the rest."

"Okay."

I cut another small piece of cake and ate it.

Elli watched, a smile playing on her lips.

I thought the cake was just average before, but tasting it again, it seemed sweeter.

Whether that was due to the cake or something else, I couldn't tell.

But it was definitely sweet.

"Isn't there a white tiger around here?"

"If there is and you say it looks like me again, I'm throwing you in with it."

"I said it because it's cool..."

"Forget it, just drink your coffee."

"Here."

We playfully teased each other as we finished our cake, then took the remaining Americano in hand and left the café.

We decided to visit the zoo first.

With the Americano in one hand and Elli's hand in the other, I presented the drink to her lips whenever she mentioned wanting a sip, sharing it back and forth between us.

Of course, through the single straw we shared.

After a brief stroll, we only managed to see a few of the larger animals near the entrance before heading out, as the zoo closed at 6 p.m.

We then made our way into Familyland.

Upon entering, we were greeted by the quaint yet surprisingly well-equipped amusement park interior and the vibrant flowers planted all around, which delighted our eyes.

It made me wish we had come a bit earlier.

"If we had come just a week or two earlier, we could have seen the cherry blossoms. They're all gone now."

"Plan around that next time."

"Exams made it impossible this time..."

"What's more important, exams or cherry blossoms?"

"...Cherry blossoms, of course! I'll consider everything next time."

"Hmph."

"Though we did get our fill near our school..."

"Is it the same as coming all the way here to see them?"

"Different, sorry."

Although the walkways were beautifully decorated with a variety of flowers, it was just past cherry blossom season, which was a bit disappointing.

Nonetheless, we simply enjoyed walking along the flower-lined paths. To be honest, as an amusement park, there wasn't much to see.

We were content to just leisurely stroll until, at a mini clock tower designed for photo ops near the entrance, Elli grabbed a passing staff member and asked for a favor.

"Could you take a photo for us?"

"Ah, so, sorry! I can't speak Engli...eh?"

"Could you take our picture, please?"

"Oh, yes, of course! I'll take it for you!"

With the staff's help, we took a photo together, hand in hand.

Watching the staff member walk away as if enchanted after taking our photo, I had to cover my mouth to stifle my laughter.

"Pffft..."

"Lee Do-yoon."

"Cough... Ah, I wonder what their reaction would be if they knew about your Korean grade."

"Want to die?"

As evening approached, the excitement and nerves ebbed and flowed. Roaming around and enjoying these small moments with Elli made the time fly by, and soon, the sky began to darken.

Noticing more people heading towards the Ferris wheel, we naturally followed.

The night view Ferris wheel ride was understandably popular, so there was a long line just to get tickets from the vending machine.

"It's really crowded because it's the weekend. We might not get to ride it twice."

"One ride is enough, why twice?"

After waiting our turn and purchasing tickets, we chose a regular Ferris wheel car over options like a glass-bottom car, karaoke car, or VR car.

-Crunch

We grabbed our tickets and joined another line at the Ferris wheel entrance. I could feel a slight sweat forming on our interlocked hands, unsure whose it was.

From that moment until we boarded the Ferris wheel, neither of us spoke.

We simply waited in silence for our turn to get on.

"Have a great time!"

Following the staff's instruction, we stepped into the Ferris wheel.

Once inside the confined space, where we'd be stuck for the next 15 minutes, we let go of each other's hands and sat across from one another. As we started to ascend, the sensation of leaving the ground became apparent.

...

We gazed into each other's eyes without blinking.

Though no words were exchanged, Elli's flushed face seemed to urge me on.

At that moment, I thought,

'How should I say it when I give it to her?'

Despite having planned this, my mind went blank with nerves. I couldn't remember any of the heartfelt words I had rehearsed.

However, soon after,

...

Gazing at Elli's platinum blonde hair shining even in the dark, against the backdrop of the gradually brightening city lights,

I was compelled to reach into my pocket and pull out the ring case, kneeling slightly before her.

Elli's gaze shifted to the ring case in my hand, and a soft gasp escaped her lips.

"Ah..."

She must have anticipated my confession today, here in this place.

But the ring seemed to catch her off guard, her blue eyes widening and her cheeks flushing deeper.

Before that beautiful, adorable, and somewhat surprised face,

Feeling a sense of achievement at the surprise, I found myself calming down, a smile spreading across my lips.

"Alicia."

I called her by her full name, something I hadn't done in a while, instead of her nickname.

And then, to my childhood friend, whom I've liked from the moment we met and still do, and will continue to like forever,

"I like you. Will you go out with me?"

Without any fancy words,

Just plainly and sincerely, I confessed.

Footnotes:

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