Can i love you ?

14

I walked through the crunching snow toward my house, my heart brimming with happiness. When did it all start? Now, all I wished for was to have a wonderful weekend with this incredible woman. Yet, a lingering fear nagged at me—what if she didn't need me as much as I needed her? How could I possibly go on without her? I used to know the answer, but it vanished the moment I embarked on this path. It felt like a road leading to nowhere or, perhaps, to a blissful future. But right now, I couldn't see a clear way forward.

As I made my way home, I decided to call Bora.

"So, someone finally decided to call us?" Bora greeted me playfully.

"Hey, I wasn't alone, but you better not ask," I replied, my voice filled with happiness.

"Oh, I see. Looks like your Minji took you to her place yesterday, and you've only just gotten out of bed?" Bora teased, unable to contain her excitement.

"We didn't do anything like what you're thinking," I responded, a bit more serious.

"Okay, but you won't escape sharing the details over the weekend," Bora exclaimed.

"Speaking of the weekend, what do you think if we make it a group of four instead of three?" I nervously proposed, fearing her reaction.

"Are you serious? Did you ask her? Oh wow!" Bora burst into laughter, genuinely surprised.

"Are you okay with that?" I asked, my tone tinged with gloom.

"No, quite the opposite. That's fantastic! I'll be happy to get to know her better. There's something intriguing about her," Bora reassured me.

We then discussed the logistics of our trip, including the departure time, the store we planned to visit, what we needed to bring along, and a bunch of other mundane yet important details. As I walked home, I encountered my mother on the doorstep, engrossed in a phone call, likely with my father. When she spotted me, she bid her farewell and approached me.

"Hello, my dear."

"Hi, Mom. Are you going to bombard me with questions?" I continued, my voice brimming with happiness.

"What do you think? How was it? Did you meet someone there?" my mother inquired, her thoughts focused on the topic.

"It was great, and no, I didn't meet anyone. By the way, the girls and I are heading to the base tomorrow," I steered the conversation toward the direction I desired.

"You're going tomorrow? Your father and I planned to take you to your grandmother's this weekend," Mom replied, deep in thought.

You know, there's a feeling when the ground seems to slip from beneath your feet. I froze. What? Nooo, not now.

"Mom, I can't. We've already made plans," I squeezed out, feeling a tinge of gloom.

"Okay, I understand. Yes, and I already gave my consent. But next time, will you come with us? Agreed?" My mother surprised me by taking a step back.

"Of course, that sounds good," I exclaimed, jumping with happiness.

In reality, the trip to my grandmother's had been planned for a while. It held great importance to my father, who believed that we needed to fulfill our "debt" by visiting his parents. But who could have predicted that these trips would coincide? I was surprised that my mother gave in so easily. Usually, such trips were non-negotiable, even if there was a significant holiday or banquet. It all seemed very strange. But did it really matter?

I packed my bag and went to bed, my mind filled with anticipation for the upcoming weekend.

The next morning, I woke up with a burst of excitement. It was a delightful kind of anticipation. After breakfast, I went to get dressed. The weather was freezing, particularly in the morning. Retrieving a thicker sweater from my wardrobe, I tried it on. It seemed to fit well. Half an hour later, a message arrived: