Defective Banana - Chapter 15
A line of gondolas steadily ascended toward the mountain peak.
Seohyuk gazed at the scene, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“Are we heading for the cable car?” he asked, voice brimming with excitement.
“Yes. Have you been on one before?”
“No, it’s my first time.”
“You sure have a lot of firsts,” Ara replied with a faint smirk.
At that, Seohyuk subtly stepped closer to her and murmured just loud enough for her to hear, “I think I’ve been waiting for this moment—just to ride it with you.”
Ara shot him a sharp glare, and with an exaggerated show of innocence, Seohyuk avoided her gaze and hurried to the ticket booth to purchase their passes.
Following the staff’s instructions, they waited for the next car, and when it glided up to the platform, they stepped inside.
Ara settled into one side of the small cabin, while Seohyuk took the seat across from her, his eyes lingering on her face.
As the door slid shut and the gondola began its quiet ascent, he pulled off his mask and bucket hat, ruffling his flattened hair into place.
Ara, watching him quietly, found herself once again struck by how handsome he was. Like stumbling upon a rare masterpiece that had fallen into her lap—it was hard not to feel giddy.
Her heart swelled with joy.
Had her life ever been this exciting? This thrilling?
Inside the tight space, the two sat silently for a while, eyes locked, cautiously studying one another.
Eventually, Ara spoke, her voice calm, but the words laced with challenge.
“So, you’re really spending the night with me today?”
It was more a provocation than a question.
Seohyuk responded in his usual composed tone, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Yes. I plan to spend the whole night having fun with you.”
It was an impressively bold declaration.
“You’re seriously insane, aren’t you?”
The question, half in jest and half in truth, didn’t rattle him in the slightest. Instead, he looked at her with sincere conviction.
“You’re free to think that. But I know exactly what matters most to me right now. You might see me as reckless or obsessed, but to me, this means everything.”
Though he spoke with passionate certainty, his eyes shimmered with a quiet, desperate longing.
When they reached the top, Ara exited the gondola first, and Seohyuk followed closely behind. He trailed after her like an oversized, loyal dog—his heavy footsteps thudding steadily behind her.
His shadow stretched long in the angled sunlight as she strolled leisurely along the ridge, the blue sea painting a vivid backdrop behind them.
The path led upward toward a crest where green grass met the boundless sky. Standing at the edge, she held onto the wooden fence and stared out over the vast, glittering ocean.
As the wind tangled her hair, she calmly brushed it back. She could sense Seohyuk stepping closer, his large frame casting a warm shadow over her. She turned her head slightly to glance at him.
With his tall frame and small face, he had the striking proportions of a model. Passersby couldn’t help but glance at him, though none dared to approach—perhaps thanks to his covered face.
Their eyes met again. Between the brim of his hat and the mask, his dark gaze peeked out—soft and steady, like the midnight sky on that rooftop not long ago.
Ara spoke first.
“I come here sometimes. I used to visit often with my parents. It’s become a kind of ritual.”
“I see…”
Seohyuk, already aware that her parents had passed, kept his expression neutral, waiting for her to speak of it on her own. He simply watched her, etching the image of her against the horizon into his memory.
She turned to face him, offering a faint smile.
“I’ve been here so many times, but for some reason, today feels different. Maybe it’s the ocean, or maybe… it’s because someone came with me for the first time.”
“Then let’s come together next time too.”
His voice, muffled through the mask, sounded like a line from a classic melodrama.
It was such a lovely thing to say. And the warm crinkle of his eyes beneath the hat and mask made it even better. His clumsy sincerity was endearing—and Ara couldn’t help but smile and nod.
***
On the gondola ride back down, Ara tilted her head and looked at him with a curious smile.
“So, tell me. How important am I to you? You said it means a lot. Would you give up everything for me? Your family? Your pride? Your money? All of it?”
Her question was deliberately extreme. Seohyuk fell silent, imagining a life without her—a future filled with empty, monotonous days, pleasuring himself alone until he died, unfulfilled.
There was no hesitation. He’d decided long ago.
He would love her. He would learn real love and transform into someone new—a different Kang Seohyuk.
In fact, having such clarity about what he wanted made him feel nothing but gratitude.
Meeting her gaze, he opened his mouth slowly, his voice steady.
“That night on the rooftop, when I knelt and begged… I already knew. I would have to risk everything—whatever that meant.”
The calm depth of his voice rang true. Then, without warning, Seohyuk stood.
He was so tall, Ara had to tilt her head back just to see his face. When he stepped toward her, the gondola swayed under his weight, but he didn’t flinch.
He dropped to one knee in front of her.
His eyes, filled with sincerity and resolve, didn’t waver.
“I felt real emotion for the first time because of you. Romantic feelings. Love. You gave me that. I’ll be loyal. I swear on everything I am. So please… go out with me.”
Then, as if perfectly rehearsed, he pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it.
Inside lay a silver necklace with a large, intricately cut diamond pendant that glimmered in the light.
To anyone watching, it would’ve looked like a marriage proposal—utterly overwhelming.
Ara’s soft brown eyes traced over his face before settling on the box. She studied him carefully, as if trying to see straight through to the truth behind his offer.
Then, with a subtle smile, she replied calmly.
“You’re seriously insane… but fine. Okay. Let’s date.”
Seohyuk blinked in disbelief.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. Now get up already. You’re huge—how are your knees that quick to hit the ground?”
Flustered, he fumbled with the necklace, clearly eager to fasten it around her neck like a binding token.
“Let me put it on you.”
Ara raised a brow.
“When did you even get this necklace?”
“The day you touched me in the car. I prepared it then.”
“That day? Wow. You’re really… something else.”
“Thank you.”
He leaned in, arms circling her gently, struggling to clasp the necklace behind her neck. But his hands, overwhelmed by joy, kept fumbling with the tiny latch.
He tried to stay calm, but his breath came out unevenly—hot against her ear.
Ara frowned.
“What’s with the breathing? Are you seriously getting excited just from hugging me?”
“No! It’s just… the clasp won’t go in.”
After days of silence, she’d suddenly agreed to date him. Was this real? Or would she pull away again tomorrow and tell him to disappear?
Finally managing to secure the necklace, Seohyuk lowered himself again and held out his pinky.
“Promise me you’ll keep your word. That we’re really dating.”
Ara stared at his outstretched pinky, then burst out laughing.
“Wait. Are you seriously asking for a pinky swear right now?”
Completely serious, he nodded.
“Yes. It’s the only way I’ll feel better. Please. Promise me.”
“Alright. I promise. And let’s sit down and talk sometime soon—like, really talk—about what this relationship is going to be.”
Of course, she didn’t mean that kind of relationship, but the implication was enough to send a flush of heat rushing through Seohyuk.
“Absolutely. I’m ready for anything,” he said enthusiastically.
Watching his intense expression, Ara bit her lip in disbelief.
He was a top model, a successful actor—and yet here he was, kneeling in front of her, pledging everything.
It was surreal.
So absurd and unfamiliar, she couldn’t even laugh. His expression was so sincere, his eyes shining as if he’d just struck gold.
Ara suppressed the smile trying to sneak onto her lips and met his gaze steadily—composed, calm, and quietly overwhelmed.