It was the bouquet Heewoon had given Kangwoo at his graduation, and it had been moved into various vases until a few months ago when it was placed under a glass dome. Those vessels were much more expensive than the bouquet itself, and Heewoon felt embarrassed whenever Kangwoo discussed about preserving the flowers with the housekeepers. He wanted to throw the flowers away but refrained, knowing Kangwoo wouldn’t let him off easily if he did.
As Heewoon stared blankly at the intricate glass dome, a thought struck him. What if Seo Kangwoo preserved the cake like that too?
Heewoon frowned slightly at the thought.
“Hmm. What’s wrong?”
Kangwoo, noticing Heewoon’s discomfort, stroked his hair and asked gently. His gaze was tender as he tilted his head to look at Heewoon.
“Are you going to sleep?”
“Aaaah. You want to have sex again.”
Kangwoo nodded as if he understood, making Heewoon wave his hands in denial.
“No, it’s not that!”
“Really? Then what is it?”
Kangwoo asked with a smile. Heewoon stared blankly at him for a moment, then blinked quickly as Kangwoo playfully poked his cheek.
“I’m just a bit hungry. I’ll go grab something to eat.”
“Let’s go together.”
Kangwoo closed his book immediately. As Heewoon’s body got up, Kangwoo was first to climb out of bed. Feeling the chill outside the blanket, Heewoon hunched his shoulders a bit.
At that moment, Kangwoo casually slipped slippers onto Heewoon’s feet. Watching Kangwoo’s large back bending down at his feet, Heewoon suddenly felt a strange emotion and clasped his hands together.
“Are you cold?”
Kangwoo asked, glancing at Heewoon as if he felt guilty for undressing him at the entrance earlier.
“I’ll bring the food up, so do you want to stay here?”
“No. It’s because I just came out of the blanket.”
As Heewoon stood up wearing the slippers, Kangwoo reached out his hand. Heewoon bit the inside of his mouth as Kangwoo murmured something about checking for a fever and gently touched his forehead and nape.
“I said I’m fine…”
“Hmm. Seems like you are.”
Kangwoo withdrew his hand, then looked at Heewoon’s face again before giving him a quick kiss. After the brief touch, he moved away and held Heewoon’s hand.
With only the hallway light on, the rest of the house was as dim and cozy as the bedroom. As they descended the stairs, Kangwoo asked what Heewoon wanted to eat, and Heewoon pretended to ponder. Heewoon only asked after Kangwoo had opened the refrigerator door in the kitchen.
“Kangwoo, can I eat the cake?”
“Yes.”
Kangwoo’s easy agreement left Heewoon momentarily deflated. Well, Kangwoo had actually been wearing the scarf. And Seo Kangwoo wasn’t such a weird person who would preserve a cake like that, anyway.
Heewoon laughed to himself as he poured milk, feeling a bit embarrassed.
However, when he turned around and saw the large man quietly staring at the cake on the table, his heart and feelings softened completely.
As Heewoon approached with two glasses of milk, he noticed the man’s lips curl into a faint smile. Feeling his throat getting parched, Heewoon took a sip of milk. He then moved around busily, putting the cups on the table and fetching plates and forks.
“Here.”
Heewoon handed a cake-cutting knife to Kangwoo. With deliberate and careful slowness, Kangwoo cut the cake and placed each slice on a plate, sliding the slightly larger slice towards Heewoon.
The cake tasted alright. Heewoon, likely eating a slice with the side of the “HBD” letters, glanced at Kangwoo.
“How is it?”
“It’s good.”
“Is it sweet?”
Kangwoo nodded and smiled. Even though it didn’t seem to be exactly to his taste, the pleasant smile etched itself deeply into Heewoon’s eyes.
Heewoon tried to blink away his feelings and gulped down his milk. Once he finished it, a white residue was left around his lips. Kangwoo chuckled at the sight. With his tousled hair, Heewoon looked quite silly.
“I have to take a picture of this.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, I didn’t bring my phone. Let me borrow yours.”
Kangwoo picked up Heewoon’s phone, unlocked the pattern for the password easily, and took a photo. Heewoon watched Kangwoo with bewilderment, belatedly touching around his mouth.
“Why are you taking a picture of something like this?”
Heewoon wrinkled his nose as he spoke. Without responding, Seo Kangwoo laughed while looking at the photo. Then, suddenly, his thick eyebrows arched.
“Sunbae.”
“Yes?”
Heewoon, who was taking Kangwoo’s milk and drinking it, lifted his head.
“Why is my name, ‘Seo Kangwoo’?”
“Isn’t it the name your grandfather gave you?”
Kangwoo, looking at Heewoon’s tilted head and perplexed expression, burst into a small laugh. The disgruntled frown on his face also smoothed out with that laugh.
“No, I mean, why did you save my name as Seo Kangwoo in your phone?”
Heewoon glanced at his phone in Kangwoo’s hand. He didn’t understand what else he was supposed to save Seo Kangwoo’s name as other than Seo Kangwoo. Heewoon then lowered his head again and continued eating the cake. Haa. Kangwoo let out a chuckle.
“You’re not answering.”
Heewoon glanced at Kangwoo but didn’t pay much attention. Kangwoo’s tone was filled with laughter. It was clear that his earlier question was just a way to pick on Heewoon and he wasn’t actually bothered by it.
“Do you want another slice?”
Heewoon pushed his plate towards Kangwoo, who cut another slice of cake for him. After noticing Heewoon’s empty cup, Kangwoo fetched more milk, filling the cup and sitting back down.
“By the way, Secretary Choi said the scarf looks good on me.”
“Really?”
Although Heewoon asked back indifferently, Kangwoo noticed the momentary sparkle in his eyes.
“Yes.”
Kangwoo answered with a small smile. He watched Heewoon’s stern facade for a moment before getting up and sitting next to Heewoon. Heewoon wasn’t surprised as it was something he was used to. Kangwoo pulled Heewoon into an embrace, rubbing his face against Heewoon’s shoulder.
Rubbing his cheek against Heewoon’s neck, which smelled good, Kangwoo sighed contentedly.
“Ah, this is nice…”
Heewoon stopped chewing. He blinked his eyes and then bit his lip tightly. Kangwoo’s drowsy, husky voice reminded Heewoon of the sensations he had felt earlier.
“I…”
Just as he started to speak, Heewoon became unsure of what he wanted to say. He closed his mouth again, and Kangwoo lifted his head.
Kangwoo, who had been wiping Heewoon’s cheek, smiled faintly when their eyes met. He gently touched below Heewoon’s eyelashes and then casually blurted out.
“You always look at people like this.”
When Heewoon blinked awkwardly, Kangwoo playfully brushed Heewoon’s cheek. Do you want to go to the beach tomorrow? Is there any specific place you want to go? They exchanged a few affectionate words before Kangwoo looked at Heewoon with a slightly heavier gaze.
In deep thoughts, Kangwoo’s eyes gradually sank. Even his thumb slowed as it brushed Heewoon’s cheek.
“Why?”
Heewoon asked, prompting Kangwoo to slowly open his mouth.
“Sunbae, at first, there was a time when you tried everything to avoid me.”
“…”
“Back then, scaring you a little and keeping you by my side was enough…”
Kangwoo’s gaze passed the ugly cake and landed on Heewoon’s face.
“Now, I don’t feel that way anymore.”
Seo Kangwoo lowered his gaze and let out a breath-like laugh. Heewoon suddenly felt a warm pain in his chest.
“What if, later on, you try to run away again, Sunbae? What should I do then?”
“…I won’t run away.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Seo Kangwoo replied as if it was an obvious answer. Seeing Heewoon’s ambiguous expression, Kangwoo spoke teasingly as usual.
“How can someone with so many fears find the courage to run away?”
He chuckled and tapped Heewoon’s chin lightly. Heewoon pursed his lips for a moment before nodding naturally. He couldn’t even imagine living without Seo Kangwoo right now, so running away seemed like such a foreign concept.
“Even if you ever find that courage, don’t go.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll take care of you.”
“…”
“I’ll really take care of you.”
Seo Kangwoo seemed to be earnestly pleading for it, which felt strange. Heewoon stared blankly at Kangwoo’s smiling face.
“Later, if you actually try to run, you’ll really get that courage.”
Kangwoo murmured, chuckling as if he found that amusable.
Heewoon thought what Kangwoo said was impossible. But when the large hand grasped his left hand, a strange current started from there and flowed through Heewoon’s entire body. Seeing the two rings on their interlaced fingers, Heewoon spoke up.
“I will never go away.”
“Alright.”
“So, you can’t go away either.”
Heewoon stared directly at Kangwoo. Kangwoo’s eyes widened, then he let out a long breath. After exhaling his breath, he licked his lips and spoke softly.
“I won’t go.”
Looking at Kangwoo’s affectionate smile, Heewoon silently laughed, seeming like he had just remembered something. It was just like when he realized he liked his junior, Seo Kangwoo. It had been years, but that feeling was still vivid. So vivid that it was hard to distinguish whether it was just a memory or this present moment.
<Formless> Special Side Story THE END
