LM 124

Kwon Siyul suddenly felt an urge to reveal everything honestly. The words that had risen above his Adam’s apple were so intense that he felt like he couldn’t bear not to spit them out. When he called out, “Hyung,” Woo Hyunse turned his head.

“My every first is with you, hyung.”

Was this too out of the blue? Woo Hyunse looked at Kwon Siyul without saying a word. The light that soaked his cheeks was the same color that dyed Kwon Siyul. This time, sharing the same space, was precious and sweet, so Kwon Siyul smiled bashfully and gently pressed his forehead against his.

“First love, first kiss, first experience, even my first overseas trip. Everything.”

“…”

“My last will also be with you, hyung.”

He felt relieved after revealing everything. Woo Hyunse, his eyes wide as if surprised and disbelieving, soon reached out and took Kwon Siyul’s hand in his. He rubbed the tip of his nose against his reddened cheek and whispered.

“From now on, everything I have is yours. Kwon Siyul can even take my life. It’s insignificant compared to what I’ve received.”

The response to his confession was excessive. Still, a broad smile bloomed on Kwon Siyul’s face. More intense and brighter than the sun peeking out over the horizon.

“I love you.”

His heart was so full that Kwon Siyul couldn’t return the answer. Instead, he kissed him. A light kiss was enough of an answer. A smile that resembled Kwon Siyul’s was spreading across Woo Hyunse’s lips and face.

°❀•°❀°•❀°

Woo Hyunse sat in his chair, while deep in thought. On the desk was a box that had been bothering his pocket for days. When he opened the red leather box, a pair of sparkling rings shone.

He wanted to have rings made with huge blue diamonds, but he didn’t think Kwon Siyul would wear them even if he gave them to him. So he chose a design that was simple but not too boring.

It was a bit too much to be called a couple ring, and too weak to be called a wedding ring by Woo Hyunse’s standards. It was neither one nor the other, but he bought it because he had to put a mark on Kwon Siyul’s long fingers before others dared to covet them.

He should have given it to him before the trip.

“…”

He had deliberately chosen a resort famous for only couples coming, but there was a hidden danger there too. While he was away for a while, a smelly white man clung to Kwon Siyul. Several layers of fat were attached to his neck instead of his stomach.

Why is Kwon Siyul so consistently popular with pigs? The pig that had hit on Kwon Siyul at the bar before had been returned to his pack. More precisely, into the bellies of the boars.

Their appetite is so voracious. It’ll be over in 10 minutes.

The owner of the farm, who had curly hair and was quite young, readily opened the gates of the farm to Woo Hyunse. He had become acquainted with him through his connection with Joo Shindo.

When he came back, the pig clearly wasn’t just asking for directions. Kwon Siyul couldn’t understand a word he was saying in English.

“What’s wrong?”

Kwon Siyul, looking around for him, was pitiful and lovely, but the guy flirting with him in front of him was trash that needed to be removed right away. He wrapped his arm around Kwon Siyul’s shoulder and asked him that. The look on his face as he turned to him, calling him “hyung,” was brighter than the sunlight. When the other man asked who he was, Woo Hyunse proudly revealed.

“Husband.”

He hadn’t officially registered their marriage yet, but he would be his husband and was no different from a husband now. He thought he would back off if he went this far, but the pig had a good eye, unlike his overall appearance.

“Liar. You don’t have a ring.”

“I left it behind.”

He lied nonchalantly and pulled Kwon Siyul closer. He seemed like he wouldn’t understand if he just talked, so he was wondering if he should bury him in the sea, but the pig grumbled and backed off right before that. He was glad there was no bloodshed. He didn’t want to show such a fierce side in front of Kwon Siyul.

Looking back now, he was still furious. Could he have prevented such a thing if he had put on a ring? He wanted to gather all the people he knew and didn’t know and have a grand wedding, but Kwon Siyul’s age was a bit of a concern.

There was a difference of eight years. When he was drowning in alcohol at university, the age difference that Kwon Siyul was still carrying his elementary school backpack pricked his hairy conscience.

He wondered if he was unfairly shackling a young child with a bright future, but on the other hand, he believed that no one other than him should be by Kwon Siyul’s side in the future. He would do his best to make that happen—even if it crossed the line set by the law.

If he was worried about his age from the beginning, he wouldn’t have come this far. It was a bit ridiculous to be looking for a conscience now when he was going to keep sucking, licking, and chewing on this man. When did he even develop such a habit?

He couldn’t make a decision this time either. Woo Hyunse listlessly put the box in his pocket. He carried it with him always, ready to give it at any given moment, but the box had yet to find its owner.

He had been watching for an opportunity, but he had failed many times. He tried to draw on his past experiences, thinking about how he had done it before, but it was absolutely no use now. In truth, he had never placed much significance on rings before. They were just gifts given because the other person wanted them, nothing more.

But Kwon Siyul was different. Because of the meaning behind it, his mind went blank whenever he tried to give him the ring. He was acting uncharacteristically hesitant, like a dazed fool.

He had even reserved a restaurant, trying to create the right atmosphere, but he gave up, feeling like it only emphasized their age difference. He had considered giving it to him while taking a walk at night, but that seemed too insincere, so he postponed it again. He wasted two weeks like that, without even taking the box out of his pocket.

“Hyung, look at this.”

Kwon Siyul, who was lying with his head on his thigh and looking at his phone, held the screen up to him. Woo Hyunse, who had been watching TV but thinking about the ring, lowered his gaze. Kwon Siyul was beaming. Just looking at him made his own lips loosen up into a smile.

“This is a review, and this person is a regular at our cafe. But I think they wrote it wrong.”

He took the phone. There was a short review with a photo.

[The part-timer is delicious and the coffee is friendly. Mon Tue Wed Thu AM facebigblessing]

It was the days Kwon Siyul worked. “They say I’m delicious,” Kwon Siyul said, laughing cheerfully, but Woo Hyunse’s lips immediately formed a straight line.

“A regular?”

His voice was also chilling. He managed to hide his cold aura, afraid Kwon Siyul would be surprised.

“Yes. He comes every morning. Oh, he even bought a macaron before we left. I remember.”

Before returning the phone to Kwon Siyul, Woo Hyunse personally reported the review as obscene. Mistake my ass, it was clearly intentional.

It seemed Kwon Siyul shone brightly not only in his eyes but in the eyes of others as well. This wouldn’t do. It was all his fault for not stamping Kwon Siyul as his. If he allowed it to go on any further, these impure people would only increase, not decrease.

He couldn’t just stand by and condone such a serious situation. What did atmosphere or style matter? He couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer.

Woo Hyunse carefully moved Kwon Siyul’s head and got down from the sofa, kneeling on one knee. Kwon Siyul sat up abruptly.

“Hyung?”

He had imagined this scene so many times, but now that he was about to hand it over, his fingertips stiffened. He clenched and unclenched his fist to chase away the tension and took out the box.

Kwon Siyul stared blankly at the ring for a long time. Woo Hyunse took one of the two out and put the box down. He took Kwon Siyul’s left hand and slid the ring onto his long, slender ring finger. He had secretly measured Kwon Siyul’s finger while he was sleeping, so it went on smoothly.

“I should have given it to you sooner.”

“Is this mine?”

Kwon Siyul looked down at the ring, spreading his fingers as if he couldn’t believe it. Woo Hyunse lightly kissed the back of Kwon Siyul’s hand with the ring on it. “Yeah,” he mumbled, the answer muffled between his hand and lips.

Kwon Siyul quickly looked up. He was worried Kwon Siyul might refuse, but thankfully, he didn’t. Kwon Siyul’s eyes looked rather wet right then.

“Is it okay for me to just receive like this? I have nothing to give hyung.”

“Just stay by my side and don’t go anywhere. That’s enough.”

The pair of shoes he had received from Kwon Siyul was more than enough. It was a gift he never wanted to receive again. He hadn’t worn them before, and he would never wear them in the future. The moment he put his feet in those shoes, the mistakes he had made and Kwon Siyul’s back facing him would appear before his eyes.

Therefore, Woo Hyunse promised himself that he would only give to Kwon Siyul from now on. Whether it was a simple item, love, or something even greater, it was okay even if the other man fell backward from the weight of it, because he would support him. In this way, he wanted to be Kwon Siyul’s reliable support and, at the same time, bind him so that he couldn’t run away anywhere.

Woo Hyunse would gladly become Kwon Siyul’s fence and family. Just as Kwon Siyul was to him, he wanted to become a deeply rooted existence in his life that could never be removed.

“Kwon Siyul-ssi, you put this one on for me.”

Hiding his dark, tar-like intentions, Woo Hyunse held out the remaining ring and his left hand to Kwon Siyul. Despite his brazen attitude, Kwon Siyul smiled brightly and put the ring on Woo Hyunse’s finger.

“Now that you have a ring, hyung is mine too.”

Wasn’t that quite a bold statement? Nevertheless, this was what he desperately wanted. Unable to bear it any longer, he hugged Kwon Siyul tightly. The laughter echoing in his ear rolled into his ear like the waves he had seen on the island.

From Kwon Siyul’s cheek, neck, and shoulder blades, the scent of wisteria flowers, soaked with honey, bloomed. It was a sprout-like scent, a signal announcing spring was here. Kwon Siyul was a warm spring day that had come to Woo Hyunse, who had previously  lived all his days in a harsh winter.