My Platinum-Blond Childhood Friend Is So Pretty - My Platinum-Blond Childhood Friend Is So Pretty chapter 133

133 – 51. The Enlisted Husband, the Left-Behind Wife

It was already February in the world.

I couldn’t believe it.

Even before, when Eli and I went out together, time would fly by, but after we registered our marriage and became a married couple on paper, it felt like time was accelerating.

Of course, since we had already been living together like a married couple, nothing had changed.

We just treated our friends who had helped with Eli’s proposal to a meal, and when we went to a model shoot or the gym, Eli would casually mention,

“We’ve registered our marriage.”

And boast about it to our acquaintances while also warning them off.

“Wow, congratulations~”

The shopping mall CEO would congratulate us with a big smile, saying we did well, and even slightly teased Eli.

“When you have a kid later, how about a family photo shoot with the three of you? We’ll just make it a permanent display at our shopping mall. You, Doyun, and your kid will all be ours.”

“CEO, you’re a genius?”

“What’s with that? So you’ll keep working with us until then? You’re not that kind of person… haha, I heard rumors that you got a scouting offer from a neighboring company… yeah?”

“That’s for later.”

“Eli, yeah? We have our own style~”

“We’ll discuss it after looking at the contract.”

“…How did our treasure trove of a team grow so strong? Of course, when we sign the contract this time, we’ll do it completely anew. So…”

Eli, who usually shows a weak side to the person he cares about, responded sharply for some reason.

Later, I asked him why he did that.

“We need to save money from now on to get married, buy a house, and raise a kid. If not, when will we be able to settle down?”

“Ah… can we trust you to manage our finances from now on?”

“Yes, trust me and leave everything to me.”

That’s how it was.

Anyway, that’s how it went.

That was the extent of our outside activities.

Other than that, we stayed at home, as time was precious.

We literally stuck together 24 hours a day, resolving all our dates at home. We sang together, watched TV, drew pictures, and even had skinship and s*x.

Since I was on military leave, I didn’t have much to do outside, and Eli was 200% satisfied and happy during that time.

Before I knew it, the enlistment date approached.

And now…

“…….”

– Squeak, squeak…

The day before enlistment.

Eli was caressing my shaved head with tears in her eyes, her face red.

***

After getting my hair cut early in the morning, many guests visited our home throughout the day.

While Eli had monopolized my time, refusing to let anyone visit, today was an exception, and many people came to visit us.

My parents, who promised to accompany me to the base tomorrow, as well as Eli’s… should I say “in-laws” now? Anyway, Eli’s mother and father, as well as So-yeon and Joo-hye-ryeong, who came to console Eli.

Jung-woo, who came to give me military tips, and Bin-i, who gave me words of encouragement, saying “be careful with your body.”

There were also high school friends Jin-woo and Chae-hong, who came from far away, as well as Min-jae, who was scheduled to enlist in the air force soon.

Seong-jun, who was the only university friend to have visited our home, also came.

The guys were probably sharing their own anxieties about their upcoming enlistment, but I was grateful that they took the time to visit me.

I couldn’t leave the house because I was stuck with Eli.

– Squeak, swoosh…

“Do you like my new hair?”

“…Not really.”

“But why do you keep touching it?”

“…….”

After all the guests left, Eli hugged me from the front, pressing my face against her chest, and started caressing my hair again.

She said it was cute when she saw my hair cut at the salon, but was it really?

Honestly, I felt empty.

In my life, I had tried many hairstyles to fit Eli’s tastes, but I had never had a haircut this short before.

Thanks to that, everything felt unfamiliar, and even looking in the mirror felt strange.

But I didn’t want to worry Eli, who was already in a gloomy state, so I just pretended it was okay and hugged her back.

And Eli seemed to be thinking the same thing.

“…….”

The shadows on his face couldn’t be hidden, but he didn’t show any exaggerated sorrow or tears.

He said it was so I wouldn’t worry.

Maybe he was trying to soothe his sadness and longing by stroking my hair and playing with it.

Otherwise, this stubborn hair wouldn’t be cute at all…

-Side

“Uh… Eli?”

“…You’re really cute, though.”

“……”

Is this really Eli’s taste?

Well, if Eli likes it, I do too. To be honest, I’ve never really paid much attention to my own style or coordination.

I’ve always done what Eli wants.

So, after the guests left that evening.

Eli, who was half out of his mind, was stroking my hair, making kissy sounds, and muttering “cute” while looking at me.

When night fell, and we sat on the bed facing each other.

“……”

-Side!

He gently held my cheek and kissed me.

And the gloomy expression from lunchtime was gone, replaced by a calm face.

He started talking to me.

“I doyoon, remember.”

“Yes.”

“If you get hurt, you’ll die. If you’re in pain, you’ll die.”

“I’ll absolutely never get hurt or be in pain.”

“And when you make the first call…”

“I’ll definitely call you first.”

“No, call your mom first. She’ll worry a lot.”

“Can I do that?”

“It’s not like you can do that; it’s only natural. You’ll be with your mom all day on your first and second weekends off. That’s when you’ll make the first call, probably.”

“Got it. I’ll do that.”

Unlike before, Eli showed an extremely calm demeanor.

I couldn’t even be sure if this was just an act or if he had truly calmed down inside.

With a straight gaze and blue eyes, he continued speaking.

“I’ll check on you again tomorrow morning, so take your time getting up. I’ll drive you there, so don’t worry.”

“Thanks. Please do.”

“Since we can’t wear accessories, let’s just take our couple’s items separately. Don’t lose them.”

“I absolutely won’t lose them. I’ll be careful.”

I gave a kiss to this lovely prince who was devoting himself to me and said…

-Side

“Wait for me here. I’ll be back soon.”

“Come back quickly. Go to the Yongsan department store, or if not, Gyeonggi Province. Not Daegu.”

“That’s completely a matter of luck… I’ll do my best.”

With a playful tone mixed in, we ended up kissing passionately. Afterwards, we lay on the bed, embracing each other.

Tonight, we didn’t even touch each other’s bodies.

Considering my condition for entering the training institute tomorrow, and Eli’s condition after driving for a long time, we didn’t want to exhaust ourselves.

We simply felt each other’s body temperature and warmth, closing our eyes.

For a while, we couldn’t bear the fact that we wouldn’t be able to sleep together like this, but we didn’t say it out loud.

I stroked Eli’s beautiful platinum hair, thinking about how it would be right in front of me starting tomorrow night.

***

The morning of the entrance day.

We woke up early.

To avoid burdening our bodies, we quickly ate some cereal and took a shower together in the bathroom one last time. After checking our luggage again, we left the house.

“Ah, Mom. We’re leaving soon. Yeah, see you.”

We called our families, who had promised to see us off, before getting in the car.

“We’re here!”

“How’s your condition?”

Isoryun and Juhwalyeong, who had promised to see me off, sat in the backseat as we headed towards Nonsan.

The atmosphere on the road trip wasn’t too heavy.

Eli drove with a peaceful expression, chatting lively with the two people in the backseat.

“There’s a restaurant near Nonsan that’s supposed to be bad.”

“Ah! I heard that too! What about your meal? Did you bring a lunchbox?”

“Our moms and aunts are going to prepare lunchboxes for us. We’ll eat those when we arrive.”

Eli looked more composed and refreshed than yesterday.

Last summer, Eli had been willing to have a baby just to keep me from leaving, but yesterday evening, Eli had a slightly gloomy face.

Now that the day of departure had arrived, Eli was smiling brightly, as if having shaken off the worries.

On the other hand, I had a stiffened face from the moment I woke up, trying to manage my expression.

I was trying to smile, but it was hard to control my facial muscles.

It was a big deal that we were entering the training institute, and the thought of not being able to see Eli until the training was over kept hitting me every second.

Until yesterday, I was fine, but now that the day had arrived, my mind was in a mess, and I couldn’t calm down.

It felt like my insides were empty due to anxiety.

‘…Is it true that I won’t be able to go out or see my family for five weeks?’

Having always lived in a greenhouse-like environment surrounded by family and Eli’s love, I couldn’t believe that I wouldn’t be able to see the people I loved.

When I tried to believe it, fear overwhelmed me.

Thanks to that, I didn’t say a word for over two hours on the car ride to Nonsan.

“Should we get a Ray? It’s cute, and the backseat is comfortable enough.”

“It’s okay, but… um…”

“I like Ray, but if we’re going to travel locally like us, it might be difficult, so let’s consider that. Like I said before, we took ten hours to get to Busan, and it was fine, but long-distance highways can be tiring.”

“Can’t we travel as comfortably as you guys do?”

“…No. I don’t think we’ll take ten hours like them. We need to think about it more.”

The three of them seemed to have noticed that I wasn’t in the right state of mind to chat, so they didn’t try to talk to me and instead chatted among themselves.

Their consideration was truly touching.

As I arrived at the training camp and got out of the car,

Countless fellow trainees and their families passed by, glancing at us.

Even Eli and Lee So-yeon, who were quite eye-catching, received similar gazes.

I was used to such attention, but now I couldn’t shake it off.

“Ido-yun, hold my hand and follow me.”

“…Okay.”

I simply followed Eli, dazed.

Later, we joined the families who had arrived late.

“Son, aren’t you hungry? Want to eat now?”

“I prepared something easy to digest, so don’t worry. We can eat when our son-in-law is more comfortable.”

“Um… I don’t think I can eat now. I might get sick.”

“Then let’s eat later. If you’re really struggling, just don’t eat. Don’t force yourself.”

“But I’m really hungry…”

Both my mom and mother-in-law, who usually had high energy, looked worried and concerned, fussing over me.

Up until this point, I was still okay. Reality hadn’t set in yet.

From noble mtl dot net

I was in a somewhat dissociated state, surrounded by everyone’s worried and encouraging words.

I responded dazedly.

Soon, the announcement to begin the entrance ceremony came through the speaker.

At that moment, I felt a lump in my throat.

My neck felt constricted, but I forced a smile.

“Our son will do well… just take care of your body…”

“Black… our son-in-law… our son… if you get hurt, be sure to go to the hospital… if you’re struggling, you can always come back… got it?”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

My mom’s eyes turned red, and Ye-rin, who was like another mother to me, shed tears.

“Take care and come back. Don’t think about anything else, just listen to your mom and take care of your body.”

“Doyun, if you want to take Eli with you, you can’t get hurt. No injuries allowed. Eli will cry.”

“Yes, I won’t get hurt and will come back well.”

Dad and Mark ajusshi patted my shoulder, encouraging me.

“What’s wrong… I think I might cry… Doyun, don’t get hurt and come back well…”

“…Like your parents said, be careful not to get hurt. If you get hurt, Eli will cry and make a scene… I’ll be angry too.”

“I know. Thanks for coming this far. Take care of Eli while I’m away.”

I bid farewell to my friends who had come to see me off all the way to Nonsan.

Finally,

Until now, my beloved Baekgeum’s wife had quietly held my hand, standing one step behind me.

“El… yes…!”

“Shh…”

She pulled me into a tight hug and gave me a deep kiss.

Surrounded by family, friends, and other trainees and their families, who were all watching, with Eli’s platinum hair catching everyone’s attention.

With confidence.

As I held Eli’s waist, our lips met in a kiss that was neither too short nor too long, overflowing with love.

After that, Eli placed a hand on my cheek, pressed their forehead against mine, and said,

“Don’t cry, and take care. I’ll wait for you at home. We’ll meet again during the visitation, and when you’re on leave, I’ll prepare all the events you like. Hang in there.”

The clear, calm voice resonated from Eli’s red lips, captivating my ears.

At this moment, no other noise around us was audible, and only Eli’s voice reached me.

At the same time, my heart felt at ease. The anxious, racing heart calmed down.

The thought that my girlfriend was sending me off with a smile gave me the strength to respond with a genuine smile, not a forced one.

“I’ll be back. I love you, Eli.”

“I love you too. See you later.”

“Okay.”

–

One more kiss from Eli followed.

Eli’s blue eyes and beautiful platinum hair were etched in my memory once again, vividly.

Even if five years, not five weeks, had passed, it would be impossible to forget.

With that, I picked up my luggage and headed down to the training ground.

As I entered, I was surrounded by the loud cheers and guidance announcements, proceeding with the initiation ceremony alongside numerous trainees.

During that time, my gaze was fixed solely on Eli.

Even under the shade of the stands, Eli’s platinum hair shone brightly, making it easy to find.

But that was only for a moment.

As the initiation ceremony ended, I was led inside, leaving behind Eli’s figure, waving goodbye with a resolute face.

I had become a trainee.

“I miss Eli already.”

Just one second after being unable to see Eli, I began to miss them.

But what’s the point?

Later…

I have to hang in there, no matter what.

Eli had sent me off with a determined face, so as a boyfriend, I couldn’t continue to act foolishly.

With that determination, the beautiful smile Eli had shown me before we parted ways resurfaced in my mind.

– Heh

At that moment, laughter burst out, and strength flowed into my body.

Yes.

If it meant I could see that again…

I felt like I could do anything.

***

Among the countless trainees dressed similarly, it wasn’t difficult for Eli to find my figure.

Until the very end, we gazed at each other, never taking our eyes off, and etching each other into our sights.

But in the end.

The moment the short entrance ceremony ended, and the trainees, including her family, bowed to each other and went inside.

The moment Idoyun’s figure disappeared from sight.

The moment she couldn’t see her beloved childhood friend, boyfriend, and husband for the next five weeks.

Eli, who had seen him off with a smiling face until the end, couldn’t hold back her tears anymore.

-Sniffling…

Tears began to flow down her cheeks like a stream.