Kangwoo soon stood up and sat next to Heewoon. Sitting so close that their thighs touched, he gently held Heewoon’s wrist, which held the ring. He opened Heewoon’s palm and picked up the ring, saying.
“You’ll get in trouble again if you keep doing foolish things.”
“I won’t…”
Heewoon, who had retorted lightly, looked down as Kangwoo slid the ring onto his finger. Although his words sounded harsh, his touch was affectionate.
“Even if you hadn’t found the ring, I wouldn’t have said anything. We could have just bought another ring quickly.”
“…Looks like the ring must always be worn after all.”
“Yes. Now that it’s on, it looks better than I thought.”
Kangwoo replied tenderly as he examined Heewoon’s finger.
“Did you know that the shop clerk kept glancing at you earlier? She only turned away when he saw your ring.”
Heewoon looked intently at both his hand and Kangwoo’s hand, then muttered frankly.
“She was looking at you.”
“Pardon?”
“Because you smiled as you placed the order.”
Heewoon’s face quickly turned red with embarrassment as he realized his own bluntness. Kangwoo quietly observed Heewoon and asked.
“Were you jealous?”
Why would I smile while looking at the shop clerk? Kangwoo added and laughed as he found Heewoon amusing.
Heewoon briefly stared at Kangwoo’s face before turning his gaze to the quiet night streets of Rome. The scenery was reminiscent of any movie scene, and it stretched beyond the terrace railing.
“Kangwoo.”
“Yeah?”
Kangwoo replied with a voice full of laughter. Heewoon glanced at Kangwoo’s finger for a moment and then spoke hesitantly.
“Don’t take off your ring either.”
Kangwoo stopped laughing abruptly and looked at Heewoon’s side profile. Heewoon blinked a few times and added hesitantly.
“I just… wish you wouldn’t…”
There was no response for a while, so Heewoon awkwardly turned his head. Then, as if waiting, Kangwoo met his gaze.
“I won’t.”
As Kangwoo sweetly smiled, Heewoon’s slightly tense face relaxed into a gentle smile.
“But the ring seems a bit loose. It keeps slipping off.”
“Huh?”
“Look.”
Seo Kangwoo took off the ring and showed it to Heewoon. It didn’t look too loose, but Kangwoo handed the ring to Heewoon as if urging him to take a closer look.
Heewoon examined the slightly larger ring closely before grabbing Kangwoo’s hand. He slid the ring onto Kangwoo’s left ring finger, and it fit perfectly.
“It seems to fit well.”
Once he slipped the ring onto the very end of Kangwoo’s elongated ring finger and examined it, Heewoon looked up. Kangwoo was smiling inexplicably.
“Yeah, now it won’t come off.”
Kangwoo reached out his hand to hold onto Heewoon’s bewildered hand, and then lowered his head. His lips pressed softly against the cold metal.
“If you think of me whenever you see the ring, you can send me messages secretly.”
“You never do that, though.”
Kangwoo laughed at Heewoon’s words.
“If I message you every time I think of you, when will I have the time to work?”
Heewoon pondered Kangwoo’s words, then pursed his lips. It almost felt like he might sneeze. Holding Kangwoo’s hand, he glanced around.
They really had come a long way. But he realized that it was much better than what he had ever envisioned.
***
“It seems like you had a good summer vacation. Heewoon-ssi, you seem a bit tanned.”
Heewoon touched his cheek and smiled awkwardly. His manager, who couldn’t go on a vacation overseas this year, looked at Heewoon with envy, and then his eyes widened.
“What’s that on your hand?”
“Oh, this… it’s a couple ring.”
Heewoon’s words drew the attention of others. Among them was the gaze of a senior who had texted Heewoon in the middle of the night.
“It looks really expensive.”
“It looks like a wedding ring. Did you go on a honeymoon instead of a vacation?”
Someone joked and laughed. Heewoon denied it, but they seemed almost convinced that Heewoon and his partner had promised to marry.
After that, Heewoon received strange questions like, “Are you really getting married? Have you set a date?” When he told Kangwoo of this after work, the other laughed heartily with satisfaction.
Heewoon was embarrassed that people seemed to misunderstand him so much. However, when he thought that Kangwoo might also be going through such things, he felt better. Many people would be curious about Kangwoo’s ring without even being able to ask him. Thinking about it made him feel much better.
Special Side Story 3.
Scratching the tip of his tingling nose, Heewoon entered the department store. After craning his neck up to briefly admire the entirety of the enormous Christmas tree, he headed straight for the luxury goods section. Walking alone among the lavish stores without Kangwoo felt a bit awkward, but he straightened his posture and continued to walk.
Heewoon quickly found the brand he had researched a few days ago and took a deep breath before entering. As he stood at the entrance for a moment, a friendly staff member approached with a warm expression. Her warm tone and friendly demeanor made Heewoon feel at ease.
“I’m looking for a scarf… for a male office worker.”
“Are you buying it as a gift?”
“Yes.”
“He’s tall and likes neutral colors,” Heewoon added.
He was currently looking to buy a birthday present for Kangwoo. He had considered this present for months, because in their three years together, he’d never gotten Kangwoo a proper gift.
In fact, he only learnt of Kangwoo’s birthday last year. That time, Kangwoo brought home a birthday cake from work, and he received a lot of gifts on his birthday.
Heewoon realized that he received all kinds of expensive gifts on his birthday, but he couldn’t give Kangwoo anything worthy. Heewoon couldn’t buy a present for him using Kangwoo’s money.
On the other hand, he received a lot from Kangwoo. Last year, they spent his birthday in Hawaii, and this year, they spent it in Italy and got a ring.
This year, Heewoon got a job, so he planned to treat Kangwoo’s birthday properly.
“How old is the recipient of the gift?”
“Uh, he’s in the mid-to-late 20s.”
He forgot to tell this crucial piece of information earlier. Heewoon hid his slightly flushed cheeks inside his scarf.
The staff member showed Heewoon several scarves, and he chose the simplest one. Paying the price of the scarf, which was more expensive than his monthly salary, made him feel a bit strange. He often wore luxury brands because Kangwoo bought them for him, but this was his first time buying something himself.
He was sure Kangwoo would like it anyway. Despite making a significant purchase, Heewoon left the store feeling happy. Since he had told Kangwoo he was going shopping today, he planned to buy another thing to fool Kangwoo. Gloves or socks would do the job.
“Excuse me.”
Just then, someone approached Heewoon. He looked up from the branded paper bag he was holding.
***
At the same time, Kangwoo passed by the store where Heewoon had just come out. He was carrying several paper bags, all of which was for Heewoon.
Woo Heewoon, who was prone to feeling cold, had already started wearing layers of clothes. While it was amusing to see him waddle around, it was inconvenient as it took so long to take off all the layers. So Kangwoo bought a few warm coats that wouldn’t even need to be closed up. He planned to meet Heewoon after finishing his shopping and take him home.
Kangwoo wondered what Heewoon bought today. Woo Heewoon himself thought he had become quite extravagant with his spending, but it wasn’t the case at all. Kangwoo found it amusing that Heewoon felt happy with just getting limited edition sneakers from a sports brand. The image of a flushed Heewoon walking with his new shoes on his feet flashed in Kangwoo’s mind, prompting him to take out his phone.
He gathered the shopping bags in one hand and held his phone to his ear with the other. As he listened to the signal tone, Kangwoo’s eyes widened. It was because he spotted a thin man with a scarf wrapped tightly around his neck from a considerable distance. It was impressive how he had spotted Woo Heewoon from such a distance, prompting himself to chuckle softly.
He must have been wearing quite a lot of clothes not to feel the phone vibration. Tsk. Kangwoo clicked his tongue and quickened his pace a bit.
Then, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Woo Heewoon was talking to a young woman. Seo Kangwoo tilted his head slightly and stared at them intently.
“He’s smiling…”
Kangwoo muttered as he looked at the smiling faces in the distance. He stood there for a moment watching them before calling Heewoon again. This time, Heewoon took his phone out of his pocket, as if he had sensed the vibrations.
Kangwoo felt annoyed at the sight of Heewoon excusing himself from the woman next to him. When Heewoon answered the call, Kangwoo spoke.
“What are you doing?”
– I’m shopping.
“I’m also at the department store.”
– Huh?
Kangwoo frowned slightly at the clear confusion in Heewoon’s voice. It seemed like he was up to something after all.
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