Five minutes before I die

10 . Carry me?

My eyes popped open.


....ha....


Did I even sleep for 4 hours....?


It’s not even my first blind date, so why am I this nervous?


I checked the clock, and it was 10 o’clock.


I think I got off work yesterday, showered, lay down, watched Reels, and fell asleep at 6 a.m....


It’s a 1 o’clock blind date, so I need to get ready fast.











For once, I even put on a full face of makeup and curled my hair into big waves with a curling iron.


I’d used a curling iron for the first time in ages and burned my middle finger, but that wasn’t important right now.


Lastly, I even put on the miniskirt Mom sent me, and seriously.....


It’s so damn small..... I feel like my belly’s about to burst out of it.


No, Mom, what kind of clothes is this-

















For real, I put on perfume one last time and left the house-


Ah, seriously, for real this is the very last time... I slung on my white handbag and really went outside.


I checked my makeup in the mirror and got into the elevator.


It had been so long since I wore heels that my feet really hurt like hell.


My waist was so tight I could barely breathe, ha...


Should I just cancel and go home to sleep?
























Oh shit, I’m screwed.


12:50?


"Um, sir, could you please drive a little faster..-"


The taxi driver heard me and started flooring it.


I nearly pitched forward, but I guess being late would be worse?




















"Thank you~"


I got to the cafe and got out at 12:59.


I opened the cafe door, my heels clicking on the floor.

Wow, why is this cafe so stylish?

I thought it was a palace or something.


In this weather, wearing a miniskirt with just one cardigan almost froze me to death, but inside the cafe the heater was blasting and it was really warm.


I looked around for the man I was meeting for the blind date, and a man by the window raised his right hand, waved, and looked at me.


Seeing his face, I figured he must be the man I was here to meet and went over.


"Hello, you must be Bae Eun?"


"Ah, yes..."
"May I ask your name...?"


"My name is Hong Seung-woo."


The man stood up and held out his hand to me.


I smiled awkwardly and took his hand.


"You’re even prettier in person than in the photo-"


"Ahㅎㅎ.. thank you."


This is so damn awkward.


The man’s looks weren’t bad, as far as I could tell. He had the kind of face that looked like he’d never told a lie, like a gentle puppy, and he seemed to be about 180 cm tall.


"What kind of work do you do, Ms. Bae Eun?"


"Ah, I’m a teacher at an academy..."


"That’s a cool job."
"Being an instructor is hard too."


"ㅎㅎ...It’s nothing special."


"What do you teach?"
"Math? Or Korean?"


"English."


"Wow, English~?"
"That’s really cool."
"I think people who are good at English are so cool-"


"Ahㅎㅎ... I’m not very good at math."


"English is just so hard for me."
"Could you give me lessons sometime?"


"I willㅎㅎ"


After talking with him, he turned out to be a better person than I expected. He listened well to what I said, and he was polite too.


"Oh, so you worked at a high school and then became an academy instructor?"


"Yes, yes..ㅎㅎ"


"High school kids are so scatterbrained."
"It must have been really hard-"


"They definitely don’t listen."


"ㅋㅋ In that sense, the academy is better, right?"


"I think each has its pros and consㅎㅎ"


"Ah~ right."
"So, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you...?"


"I’m 27."
"Born in 00..."
"Seung-woo... are you 99, right?"


"Yes."
"Then I’m older."


"Ah, you’re older than me too, so you can talk casually..!"


"No. If we’re dropping speech, let’s both drop it."


"Haha... I’m still a bit uncomfortable with that..."


"Once you feel a little more comfortable, do it."


"Okay."


The conversation went much more smoothly than I’d expected, and the way he treated me and spoke to me was kind.


But... whenever there was silence in between, it got so awkward.... I kept drinking hot coffee over and over, and I really had to go to the bathroom.


"Do you happen to be free tomorrow?"


"Ah... tomorrow...?"

Tomorrow... I was supposed to meet Choi Yeon-jun.


"Looks like you already have plans."


"Tomorrow I have academy classes.."

I managed to talk my way out of it somehow...

"That’s a shame. I wanted to eat together."
"What time do you get off work at the academy?"
"Can’t we meet after you’re done?"

Ah....

"I have a prior engagement after work tomorrow."


"Oh, then what about today..?"
"Can’t we go eat dinner tonight?"


"I’m sorry. I have work I need to finish at home today..."


Please don’t make me do this. I’m the kind of person who scored 98% introvert- I want to go home and rest right now.


I’m already so drained I feel like I’m going to die, and on top of that I feel like my bladder’s about to burst, shit.


"Eun, are you uncomfortable somewhere..?"


"Huh..??"
"Ah, no... not really.."


Damn, I guess it showed on my face.


"You looked unwell."
"If you’re not feeling well, should we just get up and leave here?"


"Yes... I’m sorry."


"No need to apologize."
"I really enjoyed today."


"ㅎㅎ I enjoyed it too.."


"Let’s meet again next time. If you give me your phone number, I’ll contact you."


The man handed me his phone.


I wrote my phone number and gave it back.


"By the way, you came dressed like that today?"
"It must be pretty cold. Want me to give you a ride?"


"Ah, no."
"I don’t really feel the cold that much..."


"Ah- I see."


"Oh, the coffee..."


"I already paid earlier."
"I’ll get going now."


"Uh... thank yo... no, sor..."
"Ah, no, take care...."


The man smiled at me softly.


....


Damn, I really need to pee.


















We’d definitely met at 1, but it was already almost 3:30. I guess time just flew by while we were talking about this and that.


After I stopped by the bathroom and stepped out of the cafe, it was way colder than I expected.


Shit, well, who wears clothes like this in March-


No, but I can’t even get a taxi. Ha....


I’d have to walk 15 minutes to the bus stop, but it was so cold I felt like I’d collapse halfway there....


I was standing in front of the cafe unable to do anything when a KakaoTalk message came in.








Pfft....

When I talk with Choi Yeon-jun or text him, I can’t help but let out a little laugh.

He said he’d talk casually, so why is he moving this fast?

I’m not even his sister, I’m just Bae Eun, right?

Still... I almost froze to death, so it’s a relief he said he’d come get me..

Maybe about 10 minutes passed, and I was shivering from the cold.

No, shit, when the hell is this bastard coming...

At this point I couldn’t even go to the bus stop now... I just kept waiting for Choi Yeon-jun and nothing else.

Five minutes later, a black sedan stopped in front of me.

Choi Yeon-jun rolled down the window, rested his arm on the frame, and swept his eyes over me from top to bottom.

"What are you looking at?"

"What kind of outfit is that?"

"Are you trying to freeze to death?"

"Hey, and why are you so late!"

"I thought I was going to freeze to death-"

"Then who told you to go around dressed like that?"

"And what, am I your taxi?"

"Tch, you said you’d pick me up yourself."

"If you didn’t want to drive me, then just leave."

"I’d just take the bus."

"Get in, hurry up."

"So we can go."

Getting into Choi Yeon-jun’s car made me feel a whole lot better.

"No, but. Since you said you’d talk casually, I thought you were just saying that, but you’re really quick to act, huh, to an older woman 5 years your senior?"

"You said you hated being called noona."

"Did I say I liked it?"

"I’ve already gotten used to it, so I can’t change now."

"Yeah, right-"

"Did the blind date go well?"

"Out of nowhere?"

"...I mean, just curious."

"It was fine."

"Really?"

"Not some guy like that bastard last time?" (=ㅇㄷㅎ...)

"Hey, he’s not that kind of person."

"Once I talked to him, he seemed like a good guy, whatever."

"...Well, then that’s a relief."

Ah... my feet hurt.

I wore heels just to dress up, and look what happened. Suffering on my own, that’s me.

"Oh, right, that..."

In the quiet atmosphere, when I spoke up, Choi Yeon-jun glanced at me.

As I hesitated, Choi Yeon-jun said to me

"Just say it."

"That... the time before, you got hurt because of me..."

"I wanted to say sorry-..."

"I kept wanting to apologize, but I never got the timing right."

"When."

"No- you got hit by Lee Dong-hyung last time."

"Because of me..."

"How is that because of you?"

"And that bastard was big, sure, but he wasn’t that strong."

"The place he hit doesn’t even hurt much."

"Hah, acting all smug."

"He’s a gym trainer."

"These days, everyone and their dog seems to be a gym trainer."

Ah, I want to go home already.

My shoes were uncomfortable, and my skirt was way too uncomfortable too.

Still seated, I kept pulling my useless skirt down.

But then, Choi Yeon-jun took off the jacket he was wearing and gave it to me.

"Uh... thanks."

"Dress more decently."

"When do you ever see me dressed like this normally?"

"What am I supposed to do when Mom sent me this and told me to wear it like this."

"Exactly."

"You don’t dress like that in front of me."

"...Why would I dress like this in front of you..."

"Then is it okay to dress like that in front of that guy?"

"Is he the same as the person you’re meeting for your blind date?"

...Why is he really acting like this lately?

"C...cough, w-where are you going tomorrow?"

"I’ll pick you up after work."

"Then let’s go eat."

"I’m asking where you’re going-"

"Since it’s Friday, how about some drinks?"

"Wow, our Choi Yeon-jun can drink too?"

"How old do you think I am?"

"Do I still look like a high schooler?"

"Yeahㅋㅋ."

"You do look a lot like you did back in high school-"

"Hah, seriously."

"So are you going or not."

"Hmm... okay."

"Might as well drink after a long time."

"What, are we going to some hunting bar?"

"Am I crazy enough to take a woman I met on a blind date to a hunting bar?"

"Just follow me."

By the time we’d talked that much, we’d already arrived in front of my house.

"Thanks, I saved on taxi fare, sweet deal-"

I handed Choi Yeon-jun his jacket back.

"Keep it on."

"It’s cold outside."

"...Got it-"

"I’ll wash it and bring it back tomorrow."

When I got out of the car, a cold wind was blowing.

Wow... so damn cold. Even after stealing, uh, wearing Choi Yeon-jun’s jacket, I was still cold. So damn much.

My feet hurt so badly that I honestly wanted to take off my heels and walk barefoot instead.

"Do your feet hurt?"

"You’ve been looking uncomfortable since earlier."

"Uh... a little?"

"It’s bearable."

"It’s just because I haven’t worn them in a while."

"Carry me?"

"...No, I said no, okay?"

Phew... it’s definitely cold out, but I’m hot...

I pretended to be nonchalant and went into the house.

The reason Eun’s blind date man’s name is Seung-woo..... is....

Because I like Jeonbuk FC’s Lee Seung-woo...♡

Haha sorry please just ignore this.