“How do I look?”
“You’re handsome.”
“Check me over properly.”
Song Hyunsoo, sitting in the passenger seat, was focused on typing something into his Phone, likely messaging someone.
“I already asked you several times on the way here. No matter how many times you ask, you’re just handsome, so what can I do? Stop being so handsome then.”
Yoon Jooho snatched the Phone away from him. Like Monroe having a toy taken away, his gaze followed the Phone.
“You’re bringing a man home right now.”
“You’re not just any man.”
“Which is why they might dislike it even more. Aren’t you worried?”
Song Hyunsoo nodded, saying he wasn’t particularly worried.
“No, I’m not.”
At the immediate response, Yoon Jooho let out a hollow laugh.
“And honestly, it’s not like worrying amongst ourselves will change anything. We have to face it first.”
Creak.
Yoon Jooho turned his body even further toward Song Hyunsoo.
He turned off the music that had been playing at a low volume.
Resting his arm on the steering wheel, he furrowed his brow like a detective about to start an interrogation.
“You.”
“What about me?”
“On the off chance they oppose us, what are you going to do?”
“What do you mean, what am I going to do?”
“If they say meeting me—meeting a man—is absolutely out of the question, what will you do?”
Only then did Song Hyunsoo look searchingly into Yoon Jooho’s eyes.
“Are you asking that seriously?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“…No.”
Song Hyunsoo bit the Straw stuck in the Coffee cup and seemed to think for a moment.
Setting the Coffee down in the cup holder, he turned his body to face Yoon Jooho head-on.
“What about you, Sunbae?”
“……”
“If I said we should break up because my Grandmother and Grandfather oppose it, would you?”
Yoon Jooho’s eyebrows twitched, and his lips twisted.
“That’s not happening.”
“Exactly. Whether they oppose it or whatever, you have no intention of letting me go anyway, so why are you worrying so seriously?”
“……”
Song Hyunsoo’s two cold hands reached out and cupped Yoon Jooho’s cheeks.
Then, his right thumb lightly brushed Yoon Jooho’s lower lip—the spot where Song Hyunsoo’s name was etched.
“It’s fine, so just be a consistent madman.”
A dry laugh escaped Yoon Jooho’s lips, and Song Hyunsoo chuckled along with him.
Like a pair linked so that if one laughed, the other would laugh in a chain reaction.
Leaning his upper body forward, Song Hyunsoo kissed his Lover’s lower lip. Then, he beamed right in front of his face.
“Let’s make Grandmother and Grandfather our prisoners first, and then go to Hongseo.”
■
“Ah, my Grandmother is out on the ground floor again.”
A laugh filled with affection was laced in Song Hyunsoo’s voice.
Just as he said, an elderly woman was hovering in the alley of their destination. Is that her…? Without realizing it, Yoon Jooho tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
The Car came to a stop in the pilotis parking lot, and Song Hyunsoo jumped out of the passenger seat first.
“Grandmother.”
“Why are you so late?”
“I told you not to come out and wait.”
The Grandmother, clutching Song Hyunsoo’s Hand tightly with both of hers, tilted her head back to look up at him endlessly.
The Grandfather, who had also come down to the parking lot, chuckled from a few steps behind.
“Even though the arrival time passed, you weren’t here. Your Grandmother has been glued to the Window since thirty minutes ago, so I came down with her.”
“Oh, my, Grandmother, really.”
Song Hyunsoo hugged and stroked her small shoulders.
Following behind, Yoon Jooho got out of the driver’s seat with a soft smile and bowed politely.
“Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Yoon Jooho, Hyunsoo’s Sunbae.”
“Welcome. You worked hard driving such a long way.”
The Grandmother held and patted Yoon Jooho’s Hand just as she had done with Hyunsoo.
The eyes looking up at him were like those of a young child.
They were eyes of excitement and admiration, like a child meeting a Hero from a superhero movie they enjoyed watching.
“I can’t believe I’m getting to meet the Prince like this, Hyunsoo. Right?”
“He’s really cool in person, isn’t he, Grandmother?”
“He’s so tall and dashing, he looks like a young King.”
Yoon Jooho leaned down to meet her eyes more closely.
“Haha, thank you. You are very beautiful yourself, Grandmother.”
“Oh, please. How can an old woman who has only ever suffered be beautiful?”
Watching from the side, the Grandfather urged the three of them with a smile.
“The weather is chilly. Let’s go up and talk.”
“Ah, right. The kids must be cold. Let’s do that.”
As the two were about to start walking, Yoon Jooho spoke.
“Please go up first. We have some bags to carry.”
“Yeah, Grandmother. There are some things we need to take out of the Car.”
“What is there so much of?”
“Don’t worry and go on up. The Elbe is small anyway, so we can’t all fit with the luggage.”
After sending the two of them up first, Song Hyunsoo and Yoon Jooho opened the trunk.
The amount of Gifts they had prepared was not small.
“Well, I’ve met them. How was it?”
“Right now, my head is just spinning.”
Exhaling a long breath, Yoon Jooho shook his head several times to gather his thoughts.
With their hands full of Gifts, they moved inside the building.
The two of them were reflected side-by-side in the unusually shiny Elevator doors.
To Song Hyunsoo’s eyes, it was a quite bizarre sight.
Hyunsoo was certain that anyone who discovered Yoon Jooho in a small villa on the outskirts of the countryside like this would think the same thing.
To Song Hyunsoo, Yoon Jooho was still a Star.
Most of the time, he seemed like his own private Lover, but there were moments when he reverted to the public’s perspective and saw him as the Actor Yoon Jooho, and right now was one of those times.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because it’s been a while.”
“What has?”
The feeling of seeing Seo Tae-woong crashing into the Jjang-gu universe.
But instead of confessing honestly, Song Hyunsoo changed the subject.
“I really felt like nothing until a moment ago, you know?”
“……”
“But suddenly, I’m nervous.”
“Only now?”
Song Hyunsoo’s eyes stared intently at the reflection of himself and Yoon Jooho in the Elevator.
It was as if he had suddenly caught a strange, new scent in a scenery that had become so familiar he could no longer feel any emotion from it.
“Really… something about it… it kind of feels like I’ve come to ask for permission to get married…”
The doors opened, and Song Hyunsoo hurried into the Elevator as if running away.
He was pretending to be unfazed, but he couldn’t hide his bright red earlobes.
As he followed him into the Elevator, Yoon Jooho’s lips twitched as he suppressed a laugh.
However, instead of teasing Song Hyunsoo, he chose to kiss his cheek inside the empty, narrow Elevator.
All while holding both hands full of luggage.
As soon as they got off on the second floor and entered through the Entrance, the table in the Living Room was already half-set.
Before he could even finish taking off his shoes, Yoon Jooho said with a smile,
“It smells delicious.”
“I did what I could, but I don’t know if the seasoning will suit your palate.”
Worry was written all over the Grandmother’s face as she scurried around to finish setting the table.
“The Kalbijjim you sent last time was also delicious. I really enjoyed it.”
“You must have lived only eating much better things.”
“No. I live a busy life, so I’ve eaten Gimbap the most.”
The Grandfather, who was portioning Japchae onto a plate with hands wearing plastic Gloves, looked back at Yoon Jooho over his shoulder.
“Since the two of us have been grocery shopping, prepping, and putting in effort for days because the Prince was coming, please eat a lot and enjoy yourself.”
The two of them, having set their bags down in a corner of the Living Room, washed their hands and helped set the table.
Since almost everything was ready, there wasn’t much to do, but they couldn’t just sit there, so they laid out the cutlery and moved the Water Cups.
The large folding table was filled without a single gap.
In honor of Song Hyunsoo’s Birthday, Seaweed soup also took a place.
It was a tremendous welcome.
In truth, he didn’t even feel hungry due to the tension, but Yoon Jooho diligently moved his utensils.
“You eat well without being picky.”
“It’s because everything is delicious.”
“How can he be so pretty?”
“Thank you.”
“Not just his face, but his words and actions are all so pretty.”
*Hmp.* Trying to hold back his laughter, a strange sound escaped Song Hyunsoo’s lips.
Setting aside his face, to think there was someone praising Yoon Jooho for having “pretty” words and actions.
He couldn’t help but laugh. But Yoon Jooho asked nonchalantly, with a face that looked like he truly didn’t know why he was doing that.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, I… something went down the wrong pipe.”
“Here, have some water.”
He handed the Water Cup to Song Hyunsoo, pretending not to know until the very end.