By Zephyria 
“Try smiling a bit more.”
After positioning Haon in front of the heart-shaped aquarium, In-ho pressed the camera shutter repeatedly. The clicking sound echoed incessantly, just as it had when he was photographing the sea otters.
Haon awkwardly made V-signs with both hands, waving them around, and then tried mimicking the heart shape of the aquarium. At that moment, his eyes met In-ho’s, who was holding the phone, and he instinctively turned away. He was simply too embarrassed.
“I-In-ho, come look at the jellyfish.”
He pointed toward the aquarium to change the subject. The sight of the palm-sized jellyfish swimming around was very cute.
However, because his voice was too quiet, In-ho didn’t hear him.
Click. At the sound of the consecutive shutter, Haon turned back.
In-ho was looking at the image of Haon captured in his phone with a soft smile. His rounded eyes relaxed further, as if he were very pleased with the photo he had just taken.
Haon felt his heart stop for a moment and then race again under In-ho’s gaze. It was a sensation that defied words.
“I’ll take a photo for yo—”
“Excuse me! Could you take a photo of us?”
The moment Haon swallowed hard and opened his mouth, a couple approached In-ho. They seemed to have rushed over after seeing the heart-shaped aquarium. It was the perfect photo zone for a couple.
“Yes, please give me your phone.”
In-ho readily agreed and took the phone from the couple.
The woman, genuinely surprised by a voice as stunning as his face, stared at In-ho intently. Her partner also kept glancing at In-ho.
“Thank you. We’ll take one for you too!”
The couple spoke with a smile to Haon, who was stepping aside for them. Haon gave a polite nod, telling them to take their time, and stood nearby.
If they were offering to take one… he didn’t want to refuse. He hadn’t managed to take a photo with In-ho since arriving here.
Haon watched the couple as they naturally struck various poses, then looked over at In-ho, who was leisurely pressing the shutter.
He continued taking photos until the couple stopped posing. In between, he would glance at Haon and give him a bright smile. Seeing that smile made Haon want to take a photo even more.
If he did, what pose should he strike? Just as he was pondering this, the couple in front of him shared a kiss.
It was a light kiss, but Haon was flustered and averted his eyes. Even though it was just a simple kiss.
“We’ll take plenty for you too! Hurry up and stand together!”
In-ho naturally handed his phone to the couple. We’re taking one too. Haon breathed air into his pounding chest and stepped toward the aquarium.
“What should we do?”
In-ho, who had stood in front of the aquarium first, asked Haon. Even while standing still, he exuded the aura of a model, and the sound of the shutter was already ringing out.
“I’ll follow your lead, Haon.”
Lightly draping an arm over Haon’s shoulder, he whispered softly. With cheeks flushing pink, Haon’s lips trembled as he mumbled.
“I, I don’t really know any poses…”
“Anything is fine. Just do whatever comes to mind. Anything.”
In truth, a collection of photos of the two, looking like a professional pictorial, was steadily accumulating on In-ho’s phone. The woman, ignoring her own partner, was excitedly snapping away with the shutter.
“He’s seriously so handsome…”
The tall man, clearly an Alpha, looked like a model active overseas, and the man, who was much smaller in stature, looked exactly like an idol trainee. He was the “visual genius” type. His flustered demeanor only made him more charming.
Unaware of the woman’s thoughts, Haon was deep in contemplation.
What pose should I do?
After long deliberation, Haon awkwardly raised his hand. He had intended to make a standard V-sign, but the moment he saw the couple clinging to each other, he impulsively reached out toward In-ho.
Haon formed half a heart and held it out to In-ho. Simultaneously, his pink cheeks ripened into a deep red.
Fortunately, because they were in front of the blue-lit aquarium, it wasn’t very noticeable. However, to In-ho, who was standing right next to him, Haon’s reddening cheeks were vividly clear.
In-ho pressed his lips together to stifle a smile and completed the heart shape by touching his fingertips to Haon’s. He didn’t strike any other poses after that. That alone was enough.
“Wow, you two look so good together. Do more poses, more!”
“Give each other a kiss!”
The excited couple made a fuss, but In-ho politely declined. He took his phone back from the couple and checked the photos alone.
“I’ll send all the photos this evening.”
Haon wanted to see them too, but In-ho tucked the phone into his pocket. He was curious. While rubbing his heated cheeks in disappointment, In-ho asked if he was thirsty.
“A little.”
“Then shall we sit down for a bit?”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
I think there was a cafe around here. While In-ho murmured softly and looked around, Haon’s eyes moved quietly.
Haon’s gaze landed on In-ho’s white hand. He stared intently at the empty hand, not the one holding the phone.
In-ho’s hand was open in a way that looked perfect for holding. For a moment, he stared at it like a predator eyeing its prey, until—
“Let’s head upstairs first.”
The moment In-ho looked down at him, Haon’s timid gaze quickly fled. Haon nodded, pretending he hadn’t been looking. Thus, the two headed upstairs.
Until they reached the cafe, Haon walked while remaining conscious of their empty hands.
Hoping that In-ho might hold his hand, he subtly extended his arm, but In-ho only smiled serenely while looking around.
He just seemed to be enjoying himself. He didn’t seem to have any intention of holding hands or hugging like those affectionate couples over there.
Why? Why…
“Haon.”
Sitting in the cafe, Haon answered with a loud “Yes!” when In-ho suddenly leaned in. He had been lost in thought, blankly chewing on the straw of his iced tea.
“I’m going to the restroom for a moment. Stay right here.”
“Ah, yes. Take your time.”
Haon watched In-ho walk away, leaving behind a soft smile. Whenever he passed by, the gazes of people around him followed like they were drawn by a magnet. Some openly admired how handsome he was.
He thought he wouldn’t be able to get used to it, but strangely, Haon had already become somewhat accustomed to those looks. Of course, it was still flustering when people stared while they walked together.
The sight of In-ho attracting attention on his own was no longer surprising. It was because more surprising things were happening to him.
He took a sip of the sweet iced tea and rested his chin on his hand. He was clearly happy and his heart was fluttering, yet a shallow sigh kept trying to escape his lips.
“Huu…”
Rubbing his face, he looked down at his empty palm and fell back into deep thought. When on earth should I hold his hand? It was an incredibly difficult problem for Haon.
Haon was someone who had never even experienced a simple “some” relationship. After Seong-gu, the closest beings to Haon had been nature and ownerless mutts. Since he didn’t watch movies or dramas often, he had very little indirect experience.
So, it was only natural that he was flustered and overly nervous on his first date. He had no idea what words or actions to use with In-ho, who was both his first date partner and now his lover.
He wanted to hold hands, but he wasn’t sure if it was okay. Above all, it felt like In-ho had no intention of holding his hand, which made him even less courageous.
“Am I sweaty…?”
Haon wiped his lukewarm palm with a wet wipe and sneakily smelled it. He worried that his hand might have an unpleasant texture to hold.
Even before they started dating, In-ho had held his hand naturally. Whether they were going to rent bicycles at the park or moving from the kitchen to the living room, he would occasionally hold his hand.
But why was it that today, not even a fingertip brushed against another? And on their very first date, no less.
“……”
Come to think of it, when they napped on the sofa earlier today, they had really just slept. In-ho had let him use his arm as a pillow, but there was no hugging or any similar skinship at all.
Is this how it usually is? Should I act more cautiously after we start dating? Fresh question marks piled up in Haon’s head.
Then when… do we kiss?
“Cough.”
Startled by his own thoughts of wanting deeper skinship than a hug, he accidentally choked on his iced tea. The innocent voices of children chatting in the next seat made Haon even more embarrassed.
He had never had such thoughts before. But after falling for In-ho, embarrassing thoughts popped up every chance they got, leaving Haon flustered.
“I want to touch it too!”
Just then, a child’s loud voice caught Haon’s attention. Two children were sitting side-by-side, playing with each other’s plushies.
They were sea otter and penguin plushies. Naturally, the sea otter caught Haon’s eye.
The light gray sea otter plushie looked as cute and vacant as the real thing. Remembering how much In-ho liked taking photos of sea otters, he wanted to buy one for him. He regretted once again that he hadn’t brought his wallet.
As he chewed on the straw in disappointment, a thought suddenly occurred to him. It was a thought that would make In-ho burst into laughter if he heard it. But to Haon, it was a serious question.
Could he like me the same way he finds sea otters cute? Not out of romantic love, but just because I’m smaller and cuter than him…?
“Haon, are you finished with your drink?”
In-ho returned just then and approached Haon, who had a look even more vacant than the sea otter plushie.
“They say there’s a performance in five minutes. Want to go see it?”
“Ah, yes. Yes, I’d love to. Let’s go.”
Haon hurriedly tidied up his drink and left the cafe with In-ho.
“It’s over there. Right in front.”
In-ho led the way, pointing to a nearby information board. As expected, he didn’t hold his hand.
Haon’s pace slowed slightly, the corners of his mouth drooping. The image of In-ho admiring the plushie and the real sea otters flickered before his eyes. But it was only for a moment.
“What kind of performance is it?”
Haon picked up his speed and moved close to In-ho. Gathering his courage, he pressed his arm against In-ho’s and steadied his heart.
He wouldn’t ask a sea otter to date him, so he definitely likes me more than that.
He cheered himself up with a thought that would have made Tae-hwi double over with laughter. And he decided to be the one to hold hands first.
‘If you want to, just tell me.’
Recalling In-ho’s words etched in his mind, he scraped together every bit of courage he had. Yes, don’t just wait, go for it!
After wiping his palms on his trousers and taking a breath, he thrust his hand out toward In-ho. This alone was an overwhelming attempt for Haon.
“What can I give you?”
In-ho asked affectionately. He was looking at Haon, who had extended his palm in front of his own chin.
To anyone watching, Haon was in a posture of asking for something. It didn’t look like an intention to hold hands at all.
“My hand…”
Do you want to hold it? The words he couldn’t speak lingered around his stifled heart.
In-ho waited for the rest of the sentence with a languid smile. With a look of slight anticipation.
“My hand… something got on my hand…”
In the end, Haon changed the subject. He had used up all his gathered courage just by reaching out.
“Do… do you have a tissue?”
Mumbling a plausible excuse, he looked down at the floor. He fidgeted with his tense hand, imagining himself digging a hole into the ground to hide.
It was just as the courage he had managed to summon was about to vanish without a trace.
“I don’t have a tissue.”
The gentle voice that flowed out slowly fished Haon’s sinking heart back up.
“Would this work instead?”
In-ho’s smile widened as he firmly grasped the lost hand. Holding Haon’s hand preciously, In-ho walked, lightly swinging their joined arms.
The two watched the performance while holding hands tightly.
A beautiful mermaid gave a spectacular performance, but not a single scene remained in Haon’s memory.
All that remained for Haon was the sensation of their palms meeting and the pleasant grip of their fingers interlaced. And the voice that had come close to his ear, whispering only for him, was engraved in his heart.
‘I wondered when you’d tell me.’
Whenever he recalled that playful whisper, heat rushed to Haon’s earlobes. It was a memory he never wanted to forget for the rest of his life.