“I didn’t mean that you can’t look around.”
“I can look around even while sitting like this.”
Kangwoo glanced at Heewoon and then checked the time. There were still about six hours until midnight. Could Woo Heewoon, who hadn’t even slept at all, endure until then? Kangwoo clicked his tongue internally.
To his expectation, Woo Heewoon ended up falling asleep around 11 o’clock after dinner and exploring the hotel. He fell asleep in the middle of the king-size bed. Kangwoo, watching the steady breathing, pondered for a moment.
“Woo Heewoon.”
Calling his name yielded not a slightest response. Kangwoo sat on the edge of the bed, petting Heewoon’s head before finally getting up.
An hour later, Heewoon gradually woke up from unconsciousness. It was because of the shaking of his shoulders.
“Sunbae. Sunbae, wake up.”
“Mm…”
“Wake up.”
Kangwoo forcibly sat Heewoon up. With a firm hand on Heewoon’s back, he persistently woke him up.
“Kangwoo, I just wanna sleep…”
Heewoon, still drowsy, leaned into Kangwoo’s chest. Even with his eyes closed, he pressed his head against Kangwoo’s chest.
“You’re making me weak-hearted.”
Looking down at Heewoon nestled in his embrace, Kangwoo gently kissed his forehead.
“It’s morning, why aren’t you getting up?”
“…Morning. It’s already morning?”
Heewoon, who hadn’t fully woken up, suddenly opened his eyes wide. Kangwoo chuckled in disbelief.
“Why did you sleep for so long?”
Heewoo looked around and suddenly fixed his gaze on the large window next to the bed. He soon furrowed his brows.
“It’s not morning.”
“It is early morning.”
Kangwoo casually replied as he glanced out into the darkness outside. He smoothed out Heewoon’s furrowed brow with his finger and then got up.
“Come on.”
Heewoon watched Kangwoo leave the room with a disgruntled expression and sighed deeply. Waking up a person who’s sleeping so well, really….
Rubbing his eyes and wearing slippers, Heewoon stepped out of the bedroom. As he yawned, he turned his head, and he saw Kangwoo standing in front of the table by the window.
“Hmm, what’s the cake for?”
Seeing the cake with candles, Heewoon asked, and Kangwoo chuckled.
“Are you still not in your senses? It’s your birthday, Sunbae.”
“Oh? Right….”
Heewoon stared blankly at the flickering candles. He was sure he remembered it, but it seemed like he had forgotten. Come to think of it, last year too, he unexpectedly blew out the candles on his birthday cake in Hawaii.
“Happy birthday.”
“Thanks.”
Heewoon, who blinked his stiff eyelids vigorously, bowed his head. Then, after blowing out the candles, Kangwoo gently stroked his messy hair.
“Can I go back to sleep now?”
“Not yet.”
Either sit on the chair or on my lap.
With Kangwoo’s added words, Heewoon promptly sat in the chair. Looking at the intricately decorated cake, it really hit him that they were in Italy. Something about the decoration seemed different from cakes in Korea.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
Heewoon, who had diverted his gaze from the cake, immediately made a surprised expression. Kangwoo was holding a small velvet box in his hand, and inside it was a very luxurious ring shimmering subtly.
“What’s this for…?”
“It’s your birthday present.”
Kangwoo grinned at Heewoon, who seemed very surprised.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?”
Giving a playful jab, Kangwoo grabbed Heewoon’s hand. As Heewoon unconsciously wriggled, Kangwoo firmly held it and slid the ring onto his finger.
“As I expected, it suits your fair hand.”
On Kangwoo’s left ring finger, there was also a ring of the same design as the one worn by Heewoon. As Heewoon’s gaze fixed on it, Kangwoo raised his hand and lightly chuckled.
“These are couple rings.”
“….A-Are we going to keep wearing them? Do I have to keep wearing it too?”
Heewoon, who had been frozen like a malfunctioning machine, stuttered out the question.
“Yes. Don’t take it off even when you wash. I already told you this.”
Heewoon looked at his finger in disbelief. The design was simple, but it seemed very expensive. Heewoon could guess that it wasn’t made of silver despite the color. The gemstone in the center was likely to not be a cubic zirconia either.
“People might misunderstand if we wear them together.”
“That wouldn’t be a misunderstanding. Besides, are you embarrassed of me, Sunbae?”
At Kangwoo’s teasing remark, Heewoon shook his head. Well… It wasn’t really a big deal for people to find out that he’s gay.
Heewoon stared at the ring quietly, then narrowed his eyes at a sudden thought. Anyone would be able to tell that the ring was expensive, so it might seem like a wedding ring.
“People at work might think it’s a wedding ring when they see it.”
“Is that so? What to do then…”
Heewoon absentmindedly raised his head and realized Kangwoo was smiling knowingly. So this was his real intention.
“Never take the ring off.”
“…Okay.”
There was no way he could take off the ring, when he was even too scared to even ask how much it cost. Heewoon alternated between looking at his hand and Kangwoo’s hand before shifting his gaze to the cake.
There had been times when his birthday didn’t feel important before. But this year, just like last year, Seo Kangwoo made this ordinary day feel special.
“Kangwoo, thank you for celebrating my birthday.”
Seo Kangwoo’s eyes widened in surprise at Heewoon’s words, then he lightly smiled.
“Then, let’s sleep now.”
“I’m all awake.”
At Heewoon’s weak reply, Kangwoo burst into laughter. He planted a kiss on Heewoon’s cheek and brought wine.
“Have a glass, it’ll help you sleep.”
While they ate cake and drank wine, Kangwoo kept annoying Heewoon by playing with his hand, stroking it or pulling it close to steal kisses.
Heewoon thought it would turn into a big problem if he lost the ring.
***
The time they spent on Sardinia Island was full of leisure and happiness. In the mornings, they went to the beach where there were relatively few tourists, allowing them to swim freely. They ate pizza or pasta for every meal and snacked frequently.
“It was really nice.”
Even as they headed towards Rome, Heewoon murmured with a hint of regret. Kangwoo looked down at Heewoon, who was walking closely beside him in the crowded airport. His cheeks were slightly red. It was probably because he had been under the hot sun all morning swimming.
Not only his cheeks, but his arms and legs were also red. How hard must he have played? Kangwoo draped his arm over Heewoon’s shoulder and asked.
“Shall we go back? It’s okay.”
“No. We have to see Rome.”
Although he sounded disappointed, he responded firmly. Kangwoo looked at Heewoon’s face closely and the corners of his mouth raised up. He often did that.
After checking into the hotel, they headed to Piazza Navona in Rome. From that moment on, Heewoon no longer felt nostalgic for Sardinia Island. He was captivated by Rome, which he had only seen on TV or in pictures. The old buildings were all magnificent, and the shops lining the narrow alleys were charming.
“Walk close to me.”
“Yeah.”
As Heewoon’s excited pace quickened, Kangwoo grabbed his waist and pulled him closer. As a result, the gelato he was eating lightly bumped against his lips, but it didn’t bother him. Heewoon licked his sweetened lips and looked around. A soft laugh came from behind.
After exploring the square, they ate pizza at a restaurant they had looked up in advance. It felt like it was the most delicious pizza he had ever eaten. Of course, all the pizzas they had in Italy were delicious.
After eating one pan of pizza each and feeling full, Heewoon felt more relaxed than before. He shared information he had looked up previously with Kangwoo and gave advice.
“I heard there are many pickpockets. Be careful, Kangwoo.”
“You, yourself…”
Kangwoo muttered as he looked at Heewoon’s defenseless face, but Heewoon didn’t hear him as he greeted a child he met eyes with. With a wry smile, Kangwoo grabbed Heewoon’s hand.
“Don’t get distracted.”
“It’s just a child…”
“I really can’t take my eyes off you.”
Kangwoo sighed as he watched the child at the age of starting to walk. Seeing Heewoon’s puzzled expression, Kangwoo chuckled and ruffled Heewoon’s hair.
Facing that mischievous smile, Heewoon suddenly realized that he and Kangwoo were stepping on unfamiliar foreign soil. It felt strange to joke around with him, to think of his smile as a ray of sunshine. It felt like they had spent a very long time together before coming to this place.
“You probably won’t notice it if someone steals your wallet.”
“…No.”
Heewoon snapped out of his thoughts at Kangwoo’s words. He checked the fanny pack he had prepared for this trip and made sure his passport and wallet were safe.
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