Chapter 47

Yi-seon’s normally composed speech dissolved into an incoherent mess. He had never learned how to handle situations like this and was hopelessly clumsy at them. It was humiliating that one teasing remark from Mugyeol had forced him to expose so much of his private life.

The owner patted Yi-seon’s shoulder gently, soothing him.

“I get it, Yi-seon. Breathe.”

“…”

“I’d heard that secondary genders marry early, but it’s really true. Fascinating. I didn’t know because there aren’t any around me.”

“Yes…”

“You must be thrilled your husband-to-be looks like that.”

“…”

Whirrr. Yi-seon gritted his teeth as the grinder roared. What kind of person showed up unannounced after all this time just to embarrass him? Mugyeol had clearly come to torment him. The easy smirk he wore while lounging on the sofa and staring straight at Yi-seon confirmed it.

Even his face looks thoroughly obnoxious. I take back what I thought earlier about his looks being my type.

“Go chat with your friend for a bit. There aren’t many customers anyway.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Yi-seon plated the cake with as little care as humanly possible and carried the tray over. Thunk, thunk. He set down the Americano and two slices of cake hard enough to make the ice slosh and coffee spill over the rim.

Poking at the slice of cake that lay flopped on its side in an unsightly heap, Mugyeol remarked, “Why is this one lying down? Must be tired.”

Ignoring the remark, Yi-seon sat across from him. One of Mugyeol’s knees immediately slipped between Yi-seon’s. His legs were so long that the overlap seemed unavoidable, so Yi-seon let their thighs rest against each other.

“Yeon Mugyeol, what is seriously wrong with you?”

“Did you get in?”

“What?”

“Hankuk University. Did you pass? Today’s the announcement day.”

“How did you know? Of course I passed. It’s me. I’m your hyung.”

Grinning, Yi-seon flashed a V-sign with his fingers. But at Mugyeol’s next utterance, his expression hardened once more.

“So my darling passed too.”

“…Leave now.”

“I just sat down.”

“Eat and get out fast.”

Yi-seon shoved the cake plate toward him with blazing eyes. It was maddening how Mugyeol kept teasing him without the slightest concern for what Yi-seon was going through. After snickering for a while, Mugyeol slid a red paper shopping bag across the table.

“What’s this?”

“Grandfather told me to give it to you,” Mugyeol replied nonchalantly while shoveling cake into his mouth.

Only then did Yi-seon remember the purpose of Mugyeol’s visit. He had said he was coming because he had something to deliver.

“He really didn’t need to give me something like this. I already received pocket money last time, and…”

“Take it when it’s given. Don’t play coy.”

“I’m just saying because I’m grateful.”

Yi-seon opened the paper bag and pulled out a wooden box. The moment he saw the name engraved on the lid, he fell silent. Even someone as ignorant of luxury brands as Yi-seon recognized it.

How could he hand something like this over as if he were passing a zucchini he bought at the supermarket?

“Isn’t this worth around ten million won?”

“Don’t know. Probably more.”

“…”

Just how much was that ‘more’?

With trembling hands, Yi-seon opened the box and peeled back the delicate wrapping. Inside lay a watch with a dial as blue as the sea. One glance was enough to tell him the price had to be outrageous.

This is way too burdensome. What do I do?

Yi-seon fidgeted uneasily over the open box. He could not even bring himself to take the watch out, merely brushing the strap with one fingertip before pulling back. One of Mugyeol’s eyebrows arched.

“…You don’t like it?”

“No! I love it! It’s really gorgeous… It’s gorgeous, but it looks so expensive. I’m just wondering if it’s okay for me to accept something like this so easily.”

“It looks expensive because it is expensive.”

“Ah, right. True.”

“Don’t refuse it. Chairman Yeon will be heartbroken.”

“…”

Yi-seon considered that for a moment, then squeezed his eyes shut. The watch was expensive by his standards; to Chairman Yeon, it was probably simply a generous gift. Now that Yi-seon was Mugyeol’s fiancé, he could not keep measuring everything by the limits of his own wallet and acting intimidated by it.

Right. Let’s accept it gratefully. When I get home, I’ll even bow deeply in the direction of Chairman Yeon’s estate…!

Swallowing hard, Yi-seon fastened the watch around his wrist. He liked the cool, reassuring weight of it against his skin. The simple design was exactly to his taste, and the corners of his mouth lifted despite himself. Across from him, Mugyeol’s expression relaxed too.

“Look at that smile. Happy?”

“Yeah. It’s really beautiful. Thank you. It’s totally my style.”

Now that he had decided to accept it, Yi-seon let himself enjoy it openly. Grinning, he tilted his wrist back and forth in the sunlight. Each time the dial caught the light, the blue beneath the crystal seemed to ripple like a tiny trapped sea.

“Suits you well.”

“Take a picture for me. Hurry. So I can send it to Grandfather.”

When Mugyeol lifted his phone, Yi-seon considered how to pose, then raised his forearm to show off the watch and pointed to it with his other hand. Mugyeol snapped several pictures and sent them over immediately.

“Your grandfather must be busy, right? Would calling make him uncomfortable? Should I text him first? Would that look too thoughtless?”

“Do whatever. As long as it’s from you, he’ll love anything.”

After some thought, Yi-seon decided to text first rather than risk interrupting such a busy man. The moment he sent the photo with a heartfelt thank-you, Chairman Yeon called him back. On video, no less.

“Grandfather! Hello!”

— “Yi-seon-ah. Do you like the watch?”

“Yes! Thank you so much. I’m so happy you gave me such a precious gift. Every time I look at this watch, I’ll think of you, Grandfather, and treasure my time!”

Pleased with Yi-seon’s reply, Chairman Yeon chuckled heartily from across the screen.

— “Good, good. You always know how to speak so sweetly.”

“Thank you!”

— “No need to thank me. Mugyeol picked that out himself to give to you. You have no idea how much he badgered this old man, insisting we had to go buy it right away.”

“Pardon?”

Across the table, a blob of whipped cream slid from Mugyeol’s fork. Apparently he had not expected Chairman Yeon to reveal that much; for once, a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face.

But before Yi-seon could react in any way, Chairman Yeon went on without giving him an opening.

— “By the way, what’s with those clothes? Why are you wearing an apron?”

“Ah, I got a part-time job before school starts. I’m working at a cafe.”

— “So diligent. It’s not too hard on you?”

“Not at all. Learning something new is a lot of fun.”

That answer pleased Chairman Yeon too. He smiled, said he would not keep Yi-seon from work any longer, and ended the call looking thoroughly satisfied. Mugyeol, who had listened from across the table, gave Yi-seon a thumbs-up. “Well, look at you. You’re good.”

“At what?”

“Good with Grandfather. I thought you had ten tails wagging.”

“Would I do this for just anyone? It’s because he’s your grandfather.”

“…”

Replying casually, Yi-seon tidied the table, picked up the tray, and rose to his feet. “Anyway, thanks for badgering your grandfather to buy me a gift. Yeon Mugyeol really is the best.”

“If you know, treat me well.”

“I’ll serve you flawlessly from now on.”

At Yi-seon’s cheeky remark, Mugyeol let out a quiet snort.

Mugyeol stayed in the cafe until closing.

He drank three more coffees while he waited, enough that Yi-seon started wondering whether Mugyeol would sleep at all that night. The face Yi-seon had found unbearably obnoxious only a little earlier looked handsome again, and now he was even worrying about the bastard’s health. It was all the watch’s fault.

Of course, it was absolutely not because it was an expensive luxury item.

“Mugyeol picked that out himself to give to you. You have no idea how much he badgered this old man, insisting we had to go buy it right away.”

Because Mugyeol had chosen the watch himself. After hearing Chairman Yeon’s explanation, Yi-seon could not help seeing it as a kind of peace offering. There was something painfully endearing about Mugyeol trying to ease the tension with a gift.

Yi-seon toyed with the watch strap, now warm from his skin. It fit his wrist perfectly, as though Mugyeol had known the exact size beforehand.

Did Yeon Mugyeol take care of this detail too?

He’s seriously cute.

Just when on earth will I ever stop liking him?

Having finished organizing the refrigerator, Yi-seon grabbed his phone and turned to the owner. “I’ll be heading out then. Mugyeol, let’s go.”

The owner waved to Yi-seon and bowed politely to Mugyeol, who had come to pick him up. “Right. Get home safe. And Yi-seon’s friend… groom… husband-to-be… you get home safely too.”

The owner hesitated over every title, clearly unsure what to call him. Yi-seon rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment while Mugyeol nodded without a shred of shame. He flashed a grin, said he would see the owner next time, and stepped outside.

“Hey.”

“Yeah.”

“Get in.”

“Alright.”

A strange sense of déjà vu struck Yi-seon as he climbed into Mugyeol’s car. It took only a moment for him to remember where he had heard almost the exact same exchange before.

Ah. At the park.

Back when Yi-seon had ridden his bicycle to win Mugyeol over, they had said almost the same thing. He had called out to Mugyeol and urged him to hop on the back, desperate to become close again after years apart. Somehow, that desperate attempt had worked. They had grown this close, and then…

Yeon Mugyeol raised hell demanding they get married, and he had accepted.

All the way to an actual marriage.

The whole thing suddenly felt surreal again, and Yi-seon chuckled under his breath. What kind of insane plot twist was this? Even a soap opera would hesitate.

“Why are you laughing by yourself again?”

“Just because.”

“Did your anger cool down?”

“Huh?”

“About our fight last time.”

“…Why make a big deal out of it? It’s not like this is the first time we’ve fought,” Yi-seon muttered, hoping to smooth things over without reopening the argument.

He was wary that nitpicking words here would lead to another round of screaming and cursing at each other like last time. But Mugyeol clearly had no intention of letting it slide.

“Even if you were mad, don’t you think you went way too long without contacting me? I’m your fiancé, aren’t I?”

“You didn’t contact me either.”

“Wow… Hey, give me your phone. The last one to send a text was me, you know?”

Mugyeol immediately reached across the center console, and Yi-seon threw up both hands to block him. The last thing Mugyeol had sent was only a tiny laugh—hardly a real message—but technically, Mugyeol had still been the last one to text. Yi-seon conceded the point.

“Alright! Let’s make up right now! I’m sorry, Yeon Mugyeol! For throwing a fit!”

“Don’t ignore my messages. Even if we fight, stay in touch while fighting. Haven’t you ever heard that couples’ fights are like slicing water with a blade?”

“We aren’t married yet.”

“Fuck, you overly rational bastard!”

Legally speaking, they were only engaged. But the glare Mugyeol shot him for stating that perfectly ordinary fact was so venomous that Yi-seon decided not to press his luck. “Alright. I’ll keep in touch.”

At that, Mugyeol regained his composure.

“Yeah. I’m sorry too. From now on, I’ll make sure to get permission before kissing you.”

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

With a provisional truce established, the two drove on in silence until Yi-seon suddenly remembered something. “Ah, right. You need a different address for the GPS. I forgot to tell you, but I moved.” Yi-seon fiddled with the car’s navigation system, but finding it too complicated, he typed the destination into his phone map. “We should go here.”

Mugyeol continued driving as if it wasn’t even surprising. “By the way, did Auntie—no, mother-in-law… anyway, did she give permission for you to live on your own?”

“Yeah. She gave permission. School is far, after all.”

“It’s only thirty minutes by car from home.”

“Thirty minutes in your car. Taking the bus, walking, and transferring takes over an hour. It’s exhausting.”

“You could just commute with me in my car.”

“We each have our own schedules, how could I ride with you every single day? It’d wear you out too.”

At that, Mugyeol clamped his mouth shut. He looked thoroughly displeased.

With the roads relatively clear at night, they reached Yi-seon’s new place quickly. Finding both a room and a part-time job near the university had definitely been the right move.

Renting a room before his admission was official had felt a little premature, but his score had been safely above the cutoff, and he had been desperate to become independent from his parents as soon as possible.

Mugyeol pulled the car over at a dead-end alley. “Why the hell is there no road here?”

“Cars can’t pass beyond that point at all. That’s why deliveries rarely come up here too. Anyway, thanks for the ride.”

Grabbing his bag, Yi-seon went to get out of the car. But the door wouldn’t open. About to say “Unlock the door,” he turned his head to see Mugyeol sitting with his arms tightly crossed, looking disgruntled. “I came all this way and you’re not even going to treat your guest?”

“I don’t have anything to give you at home yet. Sorry.”

“Don’t care. I’m sleeping over,” Mugyeol demanded abruptly.

It was the shameless tone of an elementary school kid throwing a tantrum to sleep over at a friend’s house. Having no particular reason to refuse, Yi-seon agreed, “Alright. I’ll only hold your hand while we sleep.”

“…”