Please, Confess to Me

Chapter 34 : You're Jerk

After dinner, Hanni settled onto the carpet beneath the Christmas tree, cradling a warm mug in her hands. Leaning against the sofa, she gazed up at the twinkling lights and colorful ornaments hanging from the lush green pine needles. A smile spread across her face as she turned to the woman beside her. "You asked Mrs. Jung to decorate it?"

Minji instinctively wanted to deny it but realized she no longer needed to hide such things. She had already confessed. Feeling a bit awkward, her ears flushed red as she nodded. "I did it."

Hanni's heart swelled with affection, and she chuckled softly at Minji's bashful demeanor. "Come sit down." She patted the empty spot next to her.

Minji bent down, crossing her legs as she settled beside Hanni. The space between them felt minuscule, and she sensed that if she moved just a little, she could brush against her wife's clothes.

"Back in that small town, there was something you didn't explain properly. You should talk about it now," Hanni suddenly said.

"What did you want to know?" Minji asked, curiosity lacing her voice.

"Do you remember what you said to me yesterday?" Hanni prompted.

"I... I..." Minji hesitated, glancing at Hanni before lowering her gaze. After a moment, she summoned the courage to meet her wife's eyes and confessed, "I like you."

Hanni had never realized that Minji possessed such a pure and innocent heart. It seemed so obvious now, especially as Minji stole shy glances at her. Suppressing a chuckle, Hanni asked, "When did you start liking me?"

Minji hadn't anticipated the question. Nervously, she picked at the carpet, pondering her response. Finally, she decided to be honest. "A long time ago."

Hanni nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"To be honest, we've met before," Minji began. "Although you might not remember it."

"Really? When?" Hanni was intrigued; it was clear her wife must have had feelings for her long before their marriage. But when could they have possibly met? She strained to recall, but the memories eluded her.

"You were in primary school, maybe grade two or three. I was walking near your school, collecting mineral water bottles," Minji explained.

Hanni blinked, struggling to remember. She had no recollection of her primary school days or any connection to mineral water bottles.

"At that time, I didn't have an ID card and couldn't get a proper job. I could only pick up garbage for money," Minji continued. "Your school is pretty elite, and all the students come from good families, so your school's trash had a lot of good things."

"I picked up plenty of brand new pencil cases, school bags, dolls, and a football with a little scratch on the side. I would take them out of the trash and give them to the younger kids in my orphanage."

"But the security at your school must be top-notch. How did you get in?" Hanni inquired, genuinely curious.

Minji grinned. "Over the wall. The security guards change shifts at 3:00 p.m. every day. That's when I would climb the wall."

"Then how did we meet?" Hanni leaned in, her interest piqued.

"Once, while I was rummaging through a trash bin, you suddenly ran over to throw something away. I panicked and climbed back up the wall to escape, but I got too flustered and accidentally fell down." Minji chuckled at the memory.

"Were you alright? Did you get hurt?" Hanni asked, concern evident in her voice.

Minji met her wife's gaze, and for a moment, the image of the little girl she had been ten years ago merged with the woman sitting beside her now.