“Kim Dohyun, is there nothing you want to eat?”
“I said I’m fine.”
“You should repay your debt of gratitude, shouldn’t you?”
At some point, Choi Dabin, who seemed to have regained her energy, was persistently clinging to me.
She had been repeating the same thing for hours.
Next to her, Seo Yuna chuckled.
“That’s just how Dabin is. You should give up.”
‘Ah, so she’s that type of person.’
I hadn’t done anything with an ulterior motive, nor was I planning to take advantage of these kids’ money.
“It’s fine. What kind of money do students even have?”
Hearing my words, Choi Dabin held out her arm toward me.
“Don’t you see this?”
A thin bracelet hung on her wrist.
The logo on it looked oddly familiar.
‘Cartier?’
An expensive brand hardly appropriate for a student.
Beside me, Jinyoung nudged my side.
“Hey, she’s a trust fund kid. Just let her treat you. Count me in, too.”
‘Choi Dabin is a trust fund kid?’
I had no clue about supporting characters who weren’t directly involved with the protagonist.
Seeing me staring at her bracelet, Dabin tilted her head and stepped closer.
“It’d feel wrong to just leave things as they are.”
Jinyoung, who had been quietly listening, suddenly leaned in and joined the conversation.
“Hey, Dabin. Isn’t it weird for just the two of you to go? You should treat me too.”
“Why you?”
“I’m serious! I ran to the security guard to ask for help, remember?”
Dabin replied nonchalantly.
“Fine, do what you want.”
Jinyoung nudged my side again, egging me on.
“Hey, Dohyun. This is your chance to get treated properly. You’re her lifesaver, after all!”
A perceptive guy, aligning himself with Dabin to convince me.
I felt like I was being ganged up on, two against one.
“It’s fine. You don’t have to go that far.”
I shook my head in refusal, but there was no way my words would work on Choi Dabin.
With her bold demeanor, she stared at me confidently and declared, “That’s for me to decide. You just have to sit and eat.”
Jinyoung burst out laughing beside us.
“Wow, Dabin, you’re amazing. Haven’t you been going at this for over two hours now?”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Yeah. This is the first time I’ve seen Kim Dohyun being so stubbornly persuaded.”
Dabin smirked and let out a cool laugh.
This personality of hers was why she was so popular among her classmates.
Confident, outspoken, and to top it off, beautiful.
‘They say like attracts like.’
If Seo Yuna had a playful, devilish charm, Choi Dabin exuded a cool and sophisticated vibe.
Suddenly, Dabin began striding ahead.
“This is getting frustrating. I’m going to order a ton of food, and if you don’t come, it’ll all go to waste.”
Jinyoung chuckled beside me.
“Dohyun, it’d be rude to refuse at this point.”
“Sigh…”
Watching Dabin walk confidently ahead, I eventually resigned myself to being dragged along.
***
The place Dabin led us to was on the main street by the beach.
The sign featured a huge tuna face.
“Sea Treasures.”
The restaurant oozed luxury at first glance.
As we stepped inside, the crystal decorations sparkling under the lights and the ocean-themed trinkets caught my eye.
“Wow… Are we really eating here?”
Jinyoung gaped in amazement.
Dabin nodded casually.
“Yeah. This place is famous for its king crab and assorted sashimi.”
I looked around, slightly overwhelmed by the upscale atmosphere.
The elegant tableware and blue lighting that evoked the ocean made it clear this wasn’t a cheap place.
“This must be super expensive,” I said cautiously.
Dabin replied calmly, “Don’t worry. Today’s on me.”
She followed the staff to a table and sat down naturally.
The servers quickly began setting the table.
Small salads, sushi, and a variety of side dishes adorned the plates.
“Wow, this is legit,” Jinyoung said, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the food.
Dabin opened the menu and ordered without hesitation.
“Two king crabs, one assorted sashimi platter, and steamed shrimp, please.”
I looked up in surprise.
‘Is she seriously ordering that much for just four people?’
Dabin smiled casually.
“Don’t worry. It’s better to have too much than too little.”
‘Is this what being a trust fund kid is like?’
After ordering, we nibbled on the side dishes while waiting.
Soon, the warm steamed shrimp arrived at the table.
The neatly arranged shrimp drew an exclamation from Jinyoung.
“Wow, this is amazing. Having a friend like this is a blessing.”
Jinyoung eagerly began peeling shrimp, and I reached out for one as well.
Carefully removing the shell, the plump white flesh was revealed.
Just as I was about to take a bite, I felt a strong gaze.
“Thanks!”
Yuna snatched the shrimp from my hand, grinning playfully as she popped it into her mouth.
“Is this fun for you?” I glared at her, annoyed.
I had worked hard to peel that.
Yuna laughed gleefully, savoring the shrimp.
“It’s so fun. And delicious, too.”
“You’re like a child,” I muttered, grabbing another shrimp to peel.
This time, Dabin was staring at me intently.
“Aren’t you going to give me one?”
I glanced at her.
It wasn’t playful; she seemed genuinely serious.
Honestly, it caught me off guard.
‘Since I’m the one being treated.’
I peeled a shrimp and handed it to her.
“Happy now?”
Dabin smiled lightly as she accepted the shrimp.
“Thanks. You’re surprisingly considerate.”
She put the shrimp in her mouth, looking at me with a playful gaze.
Jinyoung cut in.
“Dabin, if you treat us again next time, I’ll peel your shrimp for you!”
Dabin ignored his comment and turned her head back toward me.
“Hmm… I kind of want another one.”
‘Damn it, why is she only like this with me?’
I picked up another shrimp, sighing internally as I peeled it.
‘The capitalist world is as cold as ever.’
Next to us, Yuna was watching with a peculiar expression.
“Stop peeling for her. Shouldn’t you eat something, Dohyun? You must be hungry.”
At Yuna’s words, Dabin smiled faintly and replied, “It’s just so good. I couldn’t resist having one more. I’m not great at peeling shrimp, you know.”
As I finished peeling another shrimp, the atmosphere at the table felt slightly tense.
I handed the shrimp to Dabin.
“From now on, you peel your own.”
Dabin took the shrimp from my hand and gave a short laugh.
“Wow! Thanks. I’ll enjoy it!”
She slowly ate the shrimp, savoring it.
Breaking the awkward silence, Jinyoung pointed at me.
“You could work as a shrimp peeler here, Dohyun.”
“Shut up and just eat.”
My curt reply made Jinyoung nod as he burst into laughter.
***
After filling ourselves at the seafood restaurant, we stepped outside to find the sky already dark.
Laughter and the sea breeze mingled in the air, creating the perfect summer night atmosphere.
Jinyoung patted his round belly and said, “Isn’t it a rule to do fireworks after dinner?”
“Not interested,” I replied flatly.
Jinyoung laughed energetically.
“Let’s buy fireworks! Rock-paper-scissors, two people go!”
“I’m not interested, so count me out.”
At my firm response, Yuna and Dabin simultaneously shouted,
“No way! We need to upload this to Instagram!”
Almost forced into playing, we ended up with Yuna and Jinyoung losing at rock-paper-scissors.
“It’s always the ones who suggest it that end up losing.”
“Exactly. We should’ve just all gone together.”
Grumbling, the two headed to a nearby store to buy fireworks.
I stayed behind with Dabin by the shoreline.
The sound of waves gently reached our ears, and groups of people on picnic mats laughed and chatted along the sandy beach.
“Dohyun, can you take a picture of me?”
Dabin suddenly handed me her phone.
“What?”
“If you’re out, you have to update Instagram.”
She pressed the phone into my hand, almost forcing me to take it.
The phone case was covered with illustrations of a teddy bear character.
It was Mochikun, a character Kim Harin liked.
‘Does she like this kind of thing too?’
Women’s tastes are so… hard to understand.
“Make sure it looks good!”
Dabin’s voice called out.
She had already walked onto the sand and was striking a pose.
Her black bobbed hair swayed in the breeze, giving her a sharp and cool look.
‘Sigh, what a hassle.’
I grumbled but framed her in the shot.
Her chic, sophisticated style blended with the night beach backdrop, creating a mysterious vibe.
“Did it turn out okay?”
“Not sure.”
I handed the phone back to her casually.
Dabin looked at the photos and smiled, clearly satisfied.
“Surprisingly, you’ve got a good eye.”
“Well, that’s good, then.”
Her compliment wasn’t unwelcome.
“Guys!”
Jinyoung and Yuna approached, holding bags filled with fireworks.
Inside were all sorts of colorful firecrackers.
Before they reached us, Dabin whispered softly, “What do you think of Yuna?”
‘What do I think? She’s a standard heroine who gets special treatment.’
“She’s just a friend.”
Dabin nodded and looked out at the ocean.
“I see. I was just curious.”
Unable to wait, Jinyoung came running up.
“Hey, everyone ready?”
He lit the first firework, holding it proudly.
“Check this out! This one’s a big one!”
It launched into the dark sky.
“Whoa!”
The lights shot upward, forming a cluster of tiny stars in the sky.
While everyone enjoyed the fireworks in their own way, Yuna approached with sparklers in both hands.
She handed me one.
“Not bad, right? Fireworks are more fun than you’d think.”
I took the sparkler from her.
As the bright flames slowly fizzled out at my fingertips, I replied, “Yeah. Not bad at all.”
At that moment, everyone here could feel that summer was coming to an end.