Jiseok Short Story Collection

The strawberry shampoo scent beyond the screen

Finally, the day had come. Finally, I was going to meet her in person. I wanted to make sure she would never regret buying that plane ticket, but at the same time I knew very well how much she loved simple, small things. The moment I confirmed who it was and opened the front door, I couldn’t hide the rush of excitement flooding over me. Like a kid seeing Disneyland for the first time, I was so thrilled that I held her hand tightly and led her to my car.

After 45 minutes of the best car karaoke time of my life, we headed to the park near my cousin’s house. It wasn’t just any ordinary park. It was a place with a tradition my cousin and I had every summer. The so-called “park speedrun.” No matter how old we got, we always bet on who could finish the park route faster, then sprinted all the way home for dinner. I wanted to share these precious memories and places with someone special... with the most special person to me.

This time it was a race to the car. A thrill even deeper than what I felt as a kid pierced my heart. I shyly reached out and took her hand, looking straight into her eyes.

"So, go through between those swings, then up the stairs, then slide down the slide, cross those stepping stones over there, and run back to the car. Ready?"

She nodded with a bright smile spread across her face. Just seeing how excited she already was put my mind at ease.

"Three, two... one!" I shouted and charged forward with all my might.

'Should I just let her win? Or should I win and ask for a victory kiss? Would she like that too?'

I was so busy thinking of all sorts of things in my head that I didn’t notice she had already reached the last obstacle. I hurried after her, but she touched the car body first by a hair. She bounced in place, giggling, then soon seemed to run out of breath and sat down by the roadside, leaning against the car and panting. I burst out laughing and sat down beside her.

"What would you like as your winner’s prize?"

"Food. I’m hungry." she said with a laugh. "That plane ride was really long."

"I was so excited to show you this that I totally forgot to feed you! Sorry." I whined with a look almost on the verge of tears.

"It’s okay. Want to go to my place and order delivery? Let’s pick something to eat on the way back."

I smiled brightly and nodded, taking her hand and helping her up.

The delivery app was packed with food options, and choosing just one for her, since she hadn’t had much Korean food before, was no easy task. She kept scrolling through my phone screen, weighing her options. Every time something delicious caught her eye, her voice would rise a notch, only for her to change her mind again, saying it wasn’t what she was craving right now.

When we finally got home, she made her final decision: jajangmyeon, a familiar food she hadn’t eaten in a long time. She said she’d try the other dishes starting tomorrow.

I smiled as I watched her bounce with excitement at every bite. She looked tired, but even that was unbearably adorable. There’s no doubt about it—I’m totally hooked on this girl.

"Can I have some more drink? I don’t really know where it is." she asked, her mouth still full of jajangmyeon.

I nodded, took the cup, and got up from my seat. But in the process, I twisted my body wrong and ended up spilling all the sauce and noodles on the table over her white shirt. The two of us froze in shock. As I panicked helplessly and scrambled around, she burst out laughing instead.

"That’s why you shouldn’t wear white. My luggage is still at the hotel, so I don’t even have anything to change into right away."

I hurriedly handed her some tissues, then sprinted to my room to look for something she could change into.

"I put a shirt on my bed, so change into that for now! I’ll clean up the mess I made here."

She nodded in the direction I pointed and walked over.

"What about this shirt?" A moment later, when I turned around, she was standing there holding up the stained shirt with both hands.

The moment I was about to answer, my voice disappeared. She looked so small and yet so big wearing my shirt. It was already a roomy oversized shirt on me, and seeing her in it made me realize all over again just how huge it really was. When she stared back at me with a puzzled smile, I could feel my cheeks heating up fast. I wordlessly took the wet shirt from her hands and headed to the laundry room. She was so cute my mouth wouldn’t stop curling up, and I let out silent little chuckles to myself.

When I came back to the living room, she was stretching and yawning. It seemed like the exhaustion from the long flight and jet lag were hitting her all at once. I moved closer to her, who was sitting on the sofa, inching my way in. I was timing it so I could casually and smoothly put my arm around her shoulders, when she let out a soft snort of laughter.

"If you want to hug me, you can just hug me. You don’t have to act like you’re not."

I let out an awkward laugh because even I thought I looked ridiculous, then gently pulled her into my arms and settled back comfortably on the sofa. This was the first time we were seeing each other face-to-face in the same space, not through a screen. The faint strawberry shampoo scent from her hair, the softness of it, the pleasant weight of her body as she nestled more comfortably into my arms, and her breathing gradually growing calmer... it was heaven itself. I thought I never wanted this moment to end. I pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, and closed my eyes too, settling into an even more comfortable position.

"I love you."

"I love you too."