By Zephyria One of the several empty rooms in Lee Do-hyeon’s house became Ryu Jeong’s dressing room. Three strong male employees carried shopping bags filled to the brim, which were then packed into Lee Do-hyeon’s car trunk and back seat. The amount they bought was so much that they eventually ran out of space. In the end, they even had to use the store’s vehicle to transport heavy items like shoes and bags.
Ryu Jeong, feeling awkward that there was nothing but clothes in a room bigger than his own, stood blankly for a long time, looking around. More than anything, he couldn’t believe that he suddenly had so many things he could call ‘his’.
Lee Do-hyeon hugged Ryu Jeong tightly from behind and whispered that they should go buy more summer clothes when the weather got warmer. He wondered if he could even wear all these clothes once before summer came. The pressure threatened to rear its head again, but he remembered Lee Do-hyeon’s words that all of this was ‘a way of expressing affection’, and he was able to calm down.
Ryu Jeong quietly mulled over the words Lee Do-hyeon had added to ease his burden. A man doesn’t skimp on money for the person he loves…
“……”
Love… Is Lee Do-hyeon’s feeling towards me really love? Or rather, is my heart for Lee Do-hyeon love? Every time he saw Lee Do-hyeon, his mouth felt parched, his heart pounded as if it would burst, and he couldn’t stay still, but he couldn’t be sure if this reaction came from the emotion of love. It wasn’t that he was confused between simple liking and serious love. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t define the emotion of ‘love’.
Perhaps that’s why he felt strangely uneasy about the words that he had given Lee Do-hyeon his time, heart, and body, as he had said. Since he wasn’t in a position to give something materially like Lee Do-hyeon, he would have to give what he had without holding back, but he himself didn’t know what that heart was.
“Did you choose what to watch?”
Lee Do-hyeon, who had come close unnoticed, suddenly spoke. Ryu Jeong, who had been lost in thought, was startled and straightened his posture.
“Ah… not yet. There are too many kinds, and… I don’t know what’s fun.”
Ryu Jeong smiled awkwardly and fiddled with the remote control in his hand. Dozens of movie posters were lined up on the television screen, which was still on the first screen.
After finishing shopping and returning home, Ryu Jeong changed into comfortable indoor clothes and sat on the living room sofa, accepting Lee Do-hyeon’s suggestion to watch a movie. The last time he went to the cinema was when he was in middle school club activities before he quit his studies, so he was excited at the thought of watching a movie.
They even prepared popcorn and drinks to eat while watching the movie and sat side by side, but Lee Do-hyeon had left his seat and returned after receiving a phone call. Ryu Jeong, who was quite concerned as he watched Lee Do-hyeon move to the master bedroom while answering the phone with an unusual expression, couldn’t bear it and carefully opened his mouth.
“Are… are you done with work?”
At the hesitant question, Lee Do-hyeon paused for a moment and nodded with a nonchalant expression.
“It’s not serious, but the place I was going to outsource to contacted me and said they couldn’t do it. That’s why the call took a little longer.”
“Isn’t that serious?”
He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he could sense that it was an unusual matter. Ryu Jeong asked back with a worried tone. Lee Do-hyeon smiled lightly and continued in a softer voice, saying that it couldn’t be helped.
“It’s okay. It’s common for plans to go awry, and not everything goes according to plan. I can look for another place.”
“Ah……”
“Were you worried that something might be wrong?”
“Yes… you didn’t look good.”
“Well, it’s common, but it’s not welcome news. Here, try this.”
As if trying to change the atmosphere, Lee Do-hyeon picked up a few pieces of popcorn that had cooled down nicely and put them in Ryu Jeong’s mouth. Ryu Jeong opened his mouth like a baby bird and accepted it, his face brightening at the savory taste spreading in his mouth. Following Lee Do-hyeon, he picked up popcorn and brought it to his mouth. Lee Do-hyeon gladly opened his mouth and ate the popcorn Ryu Jeong offered, smiling.
“I prepared it simply because we have to eat dinner later, but is there anything you want to eat?”
“Um… no. I think it’s better to eat only a little, as President said.”
“Ah. Are you hungry but holding back because of me?”
“No. That, the Team leader gave me cookies and cake earlier……”
“Ah, right, that’s right.”After finishing shopping at the editing shop, the shopper, who had shown the sense to remove the price tags from the clothes, must have noticed Ryu Jeong eating snacks and packed all the desserts that were on the table.” Not only cookies and macarons, but even a slice of cake that was brand new and uncut. The price would not have been cheap, but considering the amount Lee Do-hyeon paid, it wouldn’t even be considered a service. Ryu Jeong, who had no idea of the circumstances, was simply grateful.
“But, President.”
“Yes, Jeong.”
As he replied, imitating Ryu Jeong’s slow but affectionate tone, Ryu Jeong’s eyes widened slightly and he smiled shyly. The already affectionate atmosphere took on a slightly more cozy air.
“About the clothes… you said we should go buy summer clothes when it gets warmer.”
Ryu Jeong, who had missed the timing to ask because he was smiling, asked a few beats late. He looked very suspicious, unable to continue easily and hesitating about what he was going to say. Lee Do-hyeon narrowed his eyes as if trying to figure out his intentions and nodded as if telling him to speak.
“What happens if… I can’t wear them all before then?”
“Um?”
“There are too many clothes you bought me today… I don’t think I can wear them all.”
As he spoke, Ryu Jeong glanced at Lee Do-hyeon and dropped his gaze down. Anxiousness was evident in the way he fiddled with the remote control for no reason.
“……”
Instead of answering, Lee Do-hyeon lowered his gaze and took in his white hands. The question, which he must have carefully chosen several times, must have contained some concern. Just as Ryu Jeong didn’t understand him, he wouldn’t be able to understand Ryu Jeong completely either. In the end, Lee Do-hyeon misinterpreted what he had said, turning it into a question of whether he had bought too much than he needed, and gave a serious answer.
“You can wear them next spring.”
Ryu Jeong raised his eyes again. As if it wasn’t a difficult question, Lee Do-hyeon continued as if asking something obvious.
“Spring doesn’t only come once, it’s every year. You can wear the clothes you couldn’t wear this year next spring, and the spring after next.”
“Ah……”
That’s not what I meant… Ryu Jeong was flustered and tried to say it again, but the end of his words blurred at Lee Do-hyeon’s attitude of naturally talking about the future together like this. The calm answer, without any exaggeration or hesitation, touched Ryu Jeong’s heart. His heart became complicated, but strangely, it was warm, and he couldn’t add anything other than saying he understood.
“Oh… I didn’t say it earlier, but you can throw away any clothes you don’t like, Jeong.”
“…No. I like them all.”
Ryu Jeong shook his head in surprise. Lee Do-hyeon smiled, saying that was good, and lightly ruffled Ryu Jeong’s hair. The hair, which had grown longer than when they first met, flowed smoothly between Lee Do-hyeon’s thick knuckles. He thought about cutting it, but he liked the feeling of touching it like this, so he didn’t say anything.
While stroking his hair, his fingertips lightly touched and fell on Ryu Jeong’s ears and nape. Knowing that Ryu Jeong was flinching his shoulders as if ticklish, Lee Do-hyeon pretended not to know and didn’t take his hand away. Then he looked at Ryu Jeong’s cheeks, chin, and nape. The longer his gaze lingered, the redder his round earlobes became.
“Oh… come to think of it, I didn’t buy the most important thing.”
“The most important… thing?”
Is there anything else to buy? Tops and bottoms, outerwear that he wouldn’t be able to wear when the weather warmed up soon, and shoes and bags that he could change every day and still have leftovers. Even comfortable indoor clothes in generous amounts. It was more than enough, but he tilted his head. Lee Do-hyeon, who was staring intently at Ryu Jeong, who couldn’t get a grasp of it, pulled up the corners of his lips. Just as he was about to lose his mind at the picturesque smile, Lee Do-hyeon only moved his hand to put down the popcorn bucket and pulled Ryu Jeong’s waist close.
“Ah……!”
A short exclamation burst from Ryu Jeong’s mouth as he was helplessly pulled in. His body, which had lost its balance as he was suddenly lifted up, staggered and collapsed. Heek, Ryu Jeong, who was horrified, dropped the remote control he was holding and instinctively waved his hands. His fingertips, groping in the air for something to grab, eventually touched Lee Do-hyeon’s shoulder.
They had been sitting side by side with their thighs touching, but before he knew it, Ryu Jeong was sitting on Lee Do-hyeon’s lap, looking down at him. Ryu Jeong, who was embarrassed to be looking down at Lee Do-hyeon, whom he always looked up to, from such a close distance, hesitated and tried to get down, but he couldn’t because of the hand that was firmly holding his waist.
“P, President……”
“The most important thing.”
“…Yes?”
Ryu Jeong, who suddenly looked like he was about to cry, looked down at the arm wrapped around his waist with a troubled look, but Lee Do-hyeon, who was alone, didn’t seem to care and tried to continue the conversation that had been interrupted with a calm face.
What does that have to do with this situation? Lee Do-hyeon, who was staring silently at Ryu Jeong, who was blinking his eyes without knowing why, moved his hand and dug into his pants.
Thanks to the fact that he had ordered the indoor clothes that he could wear ‘comfortably’ at home, the elastic waistband of the pajamas that Ryu Jeong was wearing stretched endlessly, so there was no need to go through the hassle of unbuckling them. Lee Do-hyeon lifted up his underwear at once and grabbed his soft butt, which was off guard.
Ryu Jeong bounced up as if surprised. Lee Do-hyeon gently stroked his smooth waist, lifting up his loose T-shirt with his other hand that wasn’t holding his buttocks.
“I didn’t buy the most important underwear.”
“Ah… that……”
“I saw it before, and it was clean, but it looked a little old.”