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KAP 18
“.......”
Shaking his head as if displeased, he continued to lead the way.
Even on the escalator, Kora stood a few steps below him.
In the meantime, her gaze naturally swept down Tristan's back.
‘He’s already huge, but wearing that loose hoodie makes him look even bigger.’
Despite wearing casual clothes no different from any other college student on the street, his physique was so impressive that he looked like a sports model.
Perhaps it wasn't just her; the people passing by all stole glances at him.
‘As I thought, I stand out too much when I'm with him.’
Once they arrived at the floor with the cinema, Tristan bought tickets at the kiosk. Just as he had selected the movie and was about to choose the seats, Kora spoke up abruptly.
“There are plenty of seats, so let’s sit a row apart.”
At those words, his finger, which had been hovering over the screen, came to a dead stop. He slowly turned his head and stared at her with a stiff expression, speaking coldly.
“Just in case you're wondering, I don't have a contagious disease.”
“...I just want to use both armrests.”
He made a clicking sound with his tongue and then booked seats G10 and H10. Whir, clack. Receiving the printed tickets from the machine, Kora pretended to check them meticulously for no particular reason.
He let out a deep sigh, still appearing dissatisfied.
“.......”
Deliberately keeping her distance from him was to avoid misunderstandings from those around them. To anyone watching, it was a situation perfectly primed for them to be mistaken for a couple on a movie date.
There were likely many Chatsworth students around. She absolutely hated the idea of annoying things happening because of a false rumor that she was involved with him.
After a moment, Tristan asked tentatively, as if trying to break the awkward silence.
“Do you want popcorn?”
“...Popcorn?”
Kora's eyes widened slightly at his words, and then a low laugh escaped her lips. Tristan asked, looking puzzled by her reaction.
“What’s so funny about popcorn?”
“Ah, well. I think it’s been over ten years since I last ate popcorn.”
Figure skating was a sport where weight control was essential for jump stability. Therefore, eating snacks made of carbohydrates and fats, like popcorn, was considered taboo for athletes.
Even though Kora had quit figure skating, she still maintained the eating habits of her athlete days out of habit.
Tristan stared at her silently for a moment before speaking.
“So you don't eat popcorn, but you eat marshmallows? What's the criteria?”
“What?”
“Last season, in the cafeteria, you poured marshmallows into a hockey teammate's cereal bowl. Don't you remember?”
“...Did I do that?”
As she searched her memories, a faint image she had forgotten surfaced.
A male student who had been noisily whining in the dining hall early in the morning while she was exhausted. And Tristan, standing beside him, glaring at her fiercely.
Perhaps her negative impression of him had started back then.
“Oh, right. But those marshmallows weren't for me to eat; they were for use as a garnish on cocktails at the pub. I forgot to throw them away and just kept them in my pocket.”
“So that's how it was.”
Regardless, Kora was inwardly surprised that he remembered that day. Did he have a good memory? Suddenly remembering something, Kora chuckled.
“Actually, those were past their expiration date. I wonder if he got an upset stomach?”
“Not at all. It was an important game for me too, and thanks to you, we won.”
“Really? Well, that's a relief.”
Looking down at her, Tristan asked.
“What sport was it?”
“Huh?”
“I'm asking what sport you played in high school.”
“...How do you know I played sports?”
“The way you've controlled your diet your whole life, or just by looking at your posture—it's obvious. I've played sports since I was a child too.”
He could tell just by looking at her body.
Her long neck, straight back, and a gait that never wavered were signs of a strong core.
Furthermore, compared to her slender frame, the muscles in her front thighs and glutes were exceptionally prominent.
The moment his gaze dropped to the sexy definition of her calf muscles beneath her uniform skirt, his Adam's apple bobbed heavily.
She clearly had the body of an elite athlete trained over many years.
Seeing the look in Tristan's eyes as he waited for an answer, Kora hesitated.
‘Well, it's not like the fact that I was a figure skater is a huge secret or something I have to hide. I don't know. Just saying the word "figure skating" out loud is painful for me. I don't even want to talk about it.’
Suddenly, Kora wondered why she hadn't eaten popcorn all this time.
Now that she had quit figure skating, she should be able to eat whatever she wanted.
‘Maybe I'm still harboring the vain hope that I might step onto the ice again someday.’
Her heart felt bitter for no reason.
Realizing her silence was dragging on, Kora cleared her throat and naturally changed the subject.
“Let’s get popcorn. How about caramel? Since you bought the tickets, this one's on me.”
Turning around gracefully, she headed toward the counter where the sweet scent of popcorn wafted from.
Meanwhile, Tristan watched her retreating figure with a gaze that had grown even deeper.
The theater in the evening was nearly empty.
One couple sitting in the far left corner and five solo moviegoers were the only audience members. It was because the crowd had all flocked to the blockbuster movie in the next theater.
Tristan was sitting directly behind Kora. Waiting for the movie to start, Kora felt for some reason that she had picked the wrong seat.
‘Isn't he sticking too close to my back?’
The space between the theater seats was exceptionally narrow, to the point where his knees felt like they were touching the back of Kora's seat. He was already a large man. Because of that, it felt as if he were pressed right up against her back.
The sound of Tristan's low breathing, the rustle of his clothes every time he moved, and the sound of him drinking were all clearly audible.
Moreover, whether it was just her imagination or not, she kept feeling a piercing gaze on the back of her head. It felt as if she were being observed by him.
‘It would have been better to just sit next to him.’
Soon, the Columbia Pictures opening rolled, and the curtain rose.
The movie was an independent film by a master director, depicting a woman's struggle in Hollywood as she dreamed of becoming an actress.
The protagonist worked as an aerobics instructor and a part-time employee at a cupcake shop, striving to achieve her dream, but she faced frustration in casting every time. Just as Kora was becoming quite immersed in the movie...
“You're not even touching your popcorn.”
Along with a low voice, his breath brushed against the shell of Kora's ear. It was because Tristan had leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
“You look like you barely weigh 100 pounds. Wouldn't it be better to eat a bit?”
Turning her head slightly back, Kora spoke in a blunt tone.
“Keep your voice down, you're disturbing the other viewers.”
At this, he narrowed his eyes.
His expression suggested that Kora's cold attitude, which had continued for a while, was quite irritating.
“Why are you being so prickly?”
“I don't know. Maybe because your first impression was the worst? Did you already forget about the comment about 'the price of beauty'?”
At those words, Tristan let out a scoffing laugh.
“Did what I say bother you that much? I was telling you not to waste your beauty and to utilize it well. You hold a grudge for a long time, don't you, our Kora?”
Right. From her perspective, it might have been offensive.
But from his point of view, there were many guys in the world who would approach her based on her looks, so he had said it in the sense that she should be the one utilizing them rather than being used.
At the same time, it was a subtle boast—telling her not to fall for the advances of low-level guys who wouldn't even make a million-dollar salary in the future, and instead, to associate with someone like him.
Of course, he admitted he was intentionally grating on her nerves because her attitude, which seemed to see right through his intentions, was annoying, but regardless.
Anyway, the problem with beautiful but poor women like Kora Han usually stems from their inability to properly utilize their own influence.
If they don't know their own value, they end up being used and exploited by others.
With the world full of bastards trying to shake her, shouldn't she stay sharp and develop an eye for men?
Having thought this far, Tristan brought his lips close to her ear and whispered.
“Thinking about it again, I think you're doing great. Keep building those walls. And never let that prickly personality die.”
“.......”
“Because the more you do that, the hornier it makes me.”
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