Although his carefully planned line landed far more lamely than all the agonizing he’d put into it, Se-min tried not to feel embarrassed, because Cha-hyeon was grinning ear to ear. If there’d been a mouse hole in sight, he would’ve crawled right in…
“Ah, that was fun. And cute.”
At Cha-hyeon’s offhand murmur—like it just slipped out—Se-min’s ears flushed an even deeper red. Fiddling with the pairing list and snickering, Cha-hyeon eventually accepted Se-min’s thoughtfulness.
Dinner—Zero Cola with wine on the side—was excellent. He’d trawled every last review of that famous fine-dining spot, and the effort paid off.
On top of that, the way Cha-hyeon kept beaming and acting like an outrageously affectionate boyfriend the whole meal made the payoff even sweeter for Se-min.
Cha-hyeon photographed each dish as it arrived and even filmed the performance-style plating of the main. Considering Hyung’s personality—how he hadn’t been the type to take many pictures either before the memory loss or after—it was astonishing.
“I’m so happy because of my lover. Thanks for making me happy.”
The way Cha-hyeon smiled with his eyes to buoy him up was almost shockingly heady. He’d never realized Hyung could play the fox this much. Through Se-min’s thick, Cha-hyeon-only rose-tinted glasses, Hyung looked practically like a peerless enchantress.
It’s in a man’s nature to show off in front of a beauty. More ruled by bravado than ever, Se-min dropped his voice for no reason and put on his best gentlemanly air.
“I’ll take you to lots more places.”
At that, Cha-hyeon’s lips thinned for a beat, as if stifling a laugh, then he nodded and let out a cute, “Waa.” The thrill and pride switched his sleep-deprived brain fully on; even without a drop of alcohol, he felt floaty, almost tipsy.
By the time they finished the courses, an hour and a half had flown by. After paying, Se-min released a deep breath, careful not to let Cha-hyeon notice.
Next came the move to the proposal spot at last. The plan was to lift Hyung’s mood with good food, pour him a bit more wine, and, while he was riding high, ask him to marry him.
As he replayed the plan, a sudden ache jabbed his solar plexus. The nerves made him feel on the verge of indigestion, but forcing his face to stay calm, Se-min slid into the driver’s seat.
“Hey, Se-min.”
Tugging the seat belt in the passenger seat, Cha-hyeon spoke in a soft, friendly tone.
“Instead of having a drink at the bar, can we just order wine through room service?”
“H-Huh?”
An abrupt change of plans. When the tightly wound Se-min answered blankly, Cha-hyeon snorted and went on.
“We’re staying the night anyway, right?”
Well, true. The whole “wine at the hotel bar” thing had just been a pretext to escort him up to the room.
If that wasn’t what Hyung wanted, there was no point pushing it. In his mental itinerary, Se-min deleted “have a drink at a nice bar,” and in its place added “order wine via room service”—exactly as Hyung preferred.
Which also meant the proposal time had leapt forward. A current tingled from head to toe, and his heart squeezed tight with nerves. He was admittedly antsy about proposing earlier than planned, but he steadied himself and started the car.
Everything was ready anyway. If anything, getting to be married a bit sooner sounded even better. Swallowing dryly again and again, Se-min tried to calm his quivering heart.
So tense that his words dried up, Se-min didn’t even notice his own silence. The amused glances Cha-hyeon sent over now and then made his cheeks itch. Even though weekend traffic had the roads badly clogged, the drive to the hotel felt strangely short.
Once you set out, you eventually arrive. After parking in the hotel garage, Se-min finally exhaled a long, nervous breath—whether Hyung heard it or not.
A low chuckle came from Cha-hyeon. Se-min closed his eyes slowly, then opened them wide; his gaze had steadied. He was more nervous than ever, yet now that it was go time, he felt bolder.
“Let’s go, Hyung.”
The smile in Cha-hyeon’s eyes deepened.
Se-min grabbed his bag and car key. Even when the room key came out of the wallet—he’d checked in the day before—Cha-hyeon merely lifted an eyebrow and said nothing.
The elevator rode straight up without stopping. When it reached their floor, a soft chime sounded. Having scouted the place yesterday, Se-min walked on without hesitation.
The weight of two sets of footsteps sank into the carpet. Moving down the quiet hallway, Se-min could hear his own heartbeat. And finally, they reached the room door.
“……”
Se-min glanced sideways at Hyung trailing behind. He wore a look that might have been a smile, expectation, or cool appraisal as he watched him. Turning back, Se-min touched the key to the door lock.
He felt the vibration of the latch release through his hand. Gripping the handle, he swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed the heavy door open. He pressed himself to the lobby wall so Hyung could go in first, and Cha-hyeon stepped inside at an unhurried pace.
For a moment, time stretched; the sight of Cha-hyeon crossing the threshold played in slow motion.
“Oh.”
At that small exclamation, time snapped back into place. Blinking once, resolute, Se-min followed him in. A dazzling sight unfurled before his eyes.
Wow. The word nearly burst out, but he held it back. He’d planned this proposal himself and even received final photos from the vendor, but seeing it in person was different.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, Namsan Tower glittered against the night and seized the eye first. Drawn as if bewitched, he walked forward; when he looked down, electronic candles stretched from the hallway to the sitting room like a wedding aisle.
Flowers filled the sitting room; balloons, placed just right, added a special touch; and on the sitting room table, shopping bags and a wristwatch were displayed like a boutique showcase.
Could there be a place more fitting than this for asking the person you love to marry you? Heart brimming with anticipation, Se-min gazed at Hyung’s back as he took in the scene he’d prepared.
His heart hammered. The instant Cha-hyeon turned toward him, Se-min heard an imagined snap of fingers, like the moment itself whispered, Right now!
“Hyung.”
His voice came out steady and firm, with no tremor at all. Framed by the glittering Seoul nightscape, Cha-hyeon smiled gently.
Se-min took two steps forward. From the table beautifully dressed with flowers and petals, he picked up the carefully chosen watch and held it like a ring box.
“…There’s one thing I can promise you, even if I can’t promise anything else.”
Under the romantic lights, the silver watch shone as brilliantly as a diamond. The love, joy, and rapture swarming in his chest turned into words and flowed out in a resolute tone.
“I’ll make loving the person named Sung Cha-hyeon the top priority of my life.”
Still smiling, Cha-hyeon tilted his head slightly. In that romantic room where the electronic candles flickered, his smile looked even sweeter. Adam’s apple bobbing, Se-min finally asked the question he’d been aching to ask.
“So… will you marry me?”
The corners of Cha-hyeon’s mouth slowly lifted until his cheeks rounded with a bright grin. The way his eyes folded was adorable.
“Yeah. Gladly.”
Something in his chest went click and came loose. Warm, sugary relief spread to his fingertips and toes. A joy more unreal than any before surged over him, fierce and overwhelming.
Only then did the hand holding the watch case start to tremble. Feeling oddly on the verge of tears, Se-min hurriedly fumbled out the wristwatch. A small laugh slipped from Cha-hyeon.
“Instead of a ring?”
“Ah, not exactly. I figured we could pick our wedding bands together later to match our tastes…. For now, instead of a diamond ring, I got you a watch you like.”
“Mhm.”
With a low hum, Cha-hyeon offered his left wrist. The bone that jutted just so, the blue veins standing out over the back of his hand, those long, straight fingers—hands that could make anyone sigh, like a model’s. Se-min fastened the watch he’d agonized over onto that wrist.
The watch sparkled there. It was exactly as he’d imagined—no, even more beautiful. Clamping his lips and dimpling his chin for a second, Se-min looked at him, overcome.
At last, this man is mine. Memories with Cha-hyeon flickered past like a spinning lantern.
From an endless, hopeless crush to lovers, and now to spouses.
Overwhelmed, Se-min closed his eyes slowly and opened them again. However Hyung read that, he asked, playful:
“Is it time for the kiss of oath?”
He hadn’t been especially thinking of a kiss, but that was the kind of thing he’d rather not ask about—just do it. Reading his expression, Hyung chuckled and dipped his head.
“Mm…”
The left hand wearing the watch cupped the back of Se-min’s neck. Watching Hyung come closer, Se-min let his eyes fall shut. In the room softly lit by the night view and the electronic candles, their lips met.
He could feel the curve of the other’s smiling mouth. His must’ve been the same. Surely, the happiest person in the world right now was Ji Se-min himself…
