HWAMB — Chapter 70

13. The Rainy Season Ends

“Huh… huh?”

“Kang Eun-jae, you’re insane…”

The message from an unfamiliar number was long. Out of the lengthy content, what stood out the most was the word “Grand Prize.”

Grand Prize meant first place.

It was the result of the contest I had stayed up all night writing for.

The prizes were divided into Grand Prize, Gold, Silver, and Participation, and this meant I had received the very best result.

I let out a silent scream and checked the message again.

Hyun-woo, also excited, spoke to me.

“Hey, this is huge. Isn’t this the piece you stayed up all night writing?”

“Y-yeah, but… still, isn’t this result way too fast?”

I thought the earliest the results would come out was about a week later, so I hurried to the homepage.

It’s not a prank, right? They’re not messing with me?

Maybe it was harder to believe because the result felt too good to be true.

With trembling hands, I clicked the announcement and carefully checked the details.

[Kang Eun-X. Last four digits 8975. Grand Prize.]

Amazingly, the message wasn’t a lie. I couldn’t close my mouth as I stared blankly at the screen.

Hyun-woo, standing beside me, rejoiced loudly and pulled me into a hug. He was even happier than I was, practically jumping with excitement. His flushed cheeks stood out against the moment, making the whole scene feel even more vivid.

I, on the other hand, still couldn’t believe it and just stood there, dazed, unable to even smile.

“This isn’t the time to just stand around. Let’s throw a party to celebrate!”

Thrilled, Hyun-woo grabbed my hand and dragged me to the nearby convenience store. There, he bought a box of Choco Pies and a single candle.

Joy was contagious. Instead of heading straight home, we walked, grinning from ear to ear, to the pavilion in the park near Hyun-woo’s house.

Hyun-woo sat down at the pavilion, pulled the Choco Pies out of the box, and started stacking them up neatly like a birthday cake.

Then he stuck a candle into the top.

There was no flame, but it looked just like a real cake. The ticklish, unreal feeling started to sink in little by little.

Every time the cold wind brushed against my cheeks, I realized again that this wasn’t a dream, but real.

“…What song are you supposed to sing in times like this?”

“You idiot. You don’t have to sing a song.”

I burst out laughing at Hyun-woo’s serious question as he stared at the Choco Pies.

Everything about this was great, but what I loved most of all was how purely happy Hyun-woo was for me, for my happiness.

He took the one on top and held it to my mouth.

“Good work.”

“Mmpphh.”

It was meant to be a “thank you,” but with my mouth full, the words didn’t come out right. Hyun-woo nodded anyway, as if he understood, and took a bite himself.

“So what happens if you win the Grand Prize? Do you get money?”

“They give prize money and publish the book. If sales go well after publishing, they even say it can be made into a movie, though I’m not really expecting that far.”

“You never know with life.”

I just smiled at his words. Honestly, even winning the Grand Prize didn’t feel real, so just this alone was more than enough for me.

Caught up in the mood, the two of us devoured the entire box of Choco Pies right there. Rubbing our stuffed bellies, we threw the paper box into the park trash bin.

The walk toward Hyun-woo’s house felt unbelievably light.

My brother would be thrilled too when he heard. I’d tell him tomorrow when I visited him at the hospital.

When we opened the door and stepped into the house, no one was there. Hyun-woo slipped off his shoes, turned on the living room light, and pointed toward the bathroom.

“I’ll tidy up your room, so go wash up first.”

“Oh right. I didn’t bring a change of clothes… Should I go home and grab some?”

“You can just wear mine.”

Hyun-woo handed me a change of clothes with such a casual expression that I accepted it without thinking.

“Aren’t they going to be too big?”

I suddenly remembered the sight of Hyun-woo cramming himself into my clothes before.

Surely the pants wouldn’t just slide right off me.

Sensing my worry, Hyun-woo said they were a pair of pants he’d worn two years ago, so they should fit me fine.

It bruised my pride a little, but… yeah. If they were pants Hyun-woo had worn two years ago, of course they’d fit me now.

I was still growing fast too, and compared to two years ago, I had shot up quite a bit.

Without much worry, I showered first. The scent of the body wash was the same fragrance that always lingered on Hyun-woo.

I squeezed it onto the body towel twice. The pleasant fragrance rose into the warm steam.

I glanced once at the locked door. After confirming it was completely shut, I sniffed the towel again.

“…….”

Soft and mellow.

The delightful scent filled my senses. Separate from Hyun-woo’s pheromones, I really liked this fragrance.

As I covered every part of my body with the foam, a strange sensation bloomed like flowers. It even felt a little exciting.

I hurried to wash it off with water. If I lingered, it felt like something small in me would rise up healthy and strong.

With my face completely flushed, I cooled my heat by splashing it with cold water.

After washing, I put on the clothes Hyun-woo had given me and looked at myself in the full-length mirror. Without realizing it, I frowned.

“They’re too big…”

The t-shirt fit well enough aside from being a little long, but the shorts were way too loose and baggy.

If I didn’t hold them up, they’d just slide down.

Smaller than Hyun-woo was two years ago… humiliating.

“At least it has an adjustment string. I guess…”

Muttering to myself, I pulled the white string to tighten it, tied it into a bow, and then pulled the shirt down to cover it.

“Maybe a little loose?”

I jumped a few times and spun in place. Seeing that it stayed on, I was satisfied and looked back into the mirror.

Tightening too much would only be inconvenient when going to the bathroom anyway. As long as it didn’t slip off, it was fine.

Besides, the shirt was long enough to perfectly hide the tied ribbon.

“Do the clothes fit?”

Hyun-woo asked just then. I confidently opened the door, showed him, and flashed an OK sign.

Hyun-woo’s face turned red the moment he saw me. Tilting my head, I asked curiously,

“Why are you blushing?”

“…Because you look cute.”

“In what way…?”

“Just… something about it. Seeing you in my clothes from two years ago feels strange.”

And the fact that they looked a little big on me.

At his muttered words, I smacked his back. Hyun-woo chuckled and suddenly lifted me up in his arms.

When my feet left the ground, I panicked and flailed.

“W-what the heck, all of a sudden!”

“You did amazing today, so this is a service.”

Like handling a kid, Hyun-woo kissed my cheek as he spoke. More than being treated like a child, what made me angrier was how effortlessly he picked me up, without the slightest hint of struggle.

“Am I… that light to you?”

“Why? Do you want me to help you build muscle?”

“Seriously! No matter how much I work out, it never sticks!”

“You don’t need to. Soft and cute is just right.”

“That’s exactly what I don’t like…”

Pouting, I grumbled. Hyun-woo leaned closer and sniffed my neck, then smacked his lips.

“You smell like me.”

“Why? Does it turn you on?”

“Yeah. More than I expected, actually.”

“Hmph. Guess even your own smell excites you?”

I shot him a glare and muttered bitterly. He just grinned and rubbed my fingers.

“Yeah. Especially the way my scent mixes subtly with yours—it feels insanely erotic.”

His low voice reignited the heat I’d just cooled down.

“What… what’s supposed to be erotic about that?”

I wanted to know, but I didn’t dare ask. Instead, I pushed Hyun-woo’s face away and slipped out of his arms.

Hyun-woo looked reluctant but let me go. At the same time, my shorts slid straight down.

“Ah.”

“…….”

Hyun-woo stared blankly as the shorts slipped from my waist and fell.

Silently, I pulled them back up. They slid back down again.

“…….”

“…….”

The loosened shorts couldn’t stay up anymore. I must’ve undone the bow while struggling earlier.

As a result, the new underwear Hyun-woo had given me—with cute little seals printed all over—was revealed in plain sight.

My face turned beet red. Redder than a chili, redder than a strawberry. I rubbed my cheeks, certain they’d burst from embarrassment.

I sneaked a glance at Hyun-woo. Strangely enough, even though I was the one embarrassed, his face was just as flushed.

Frustrated, I vented by kicking him repeatedly.

“You! Why are you! So tall!”