Cha-hyeon grinned wide enough to show his teeth, a smile so open it left no doubt—he was thoroughly entertained. Se-min, suppressing another nervous cough, finally lowered the damp towel from his face.
“So, what’s it gonna be? You in? Wanna go on a date with me?”
The embarrassment must’ve scrambled his brain a bit—he’d practically blurted it like, “Go out with me or die!” Still, he kept his eyes locked on Cha-hyeon, heart thudding loud enough to echo in his ears.
Cha-hyeon bit his inner lip, trying—and failing—not to laugh, then asked, amused,
“So, what’s the plan for the date?”
That caught Se-min off guard. It was obvious Cha-hyeon had figured out what tomorrow was about, yet here he was, playing dumb like a pro.
Already on edge and feeling like his heart might explode, Se-min froze. Cha-hyeon blinked at him with deliberately exaggerated innocence—going all-in on the “I don’t know a thing” act. And he was good at it. Too good.
Se-min coughed again and turned his gaze away. He appreciated the gesture, really—but that didn’t mean he could just lay out the whole proposal itinerary like it was nothing.
“That’s… a secret.”
In the end, he offered a response so vague it was hard to tell if he was trying to build suspense or just being awkward. Pfft—Cha-hyeon finally let out a laugh, and the sound of it made Se-min’s ears burn.
“Seriously? Even I don’t get to know? Now I’m really curious. So, it’s happening tomorrow?”
Se-min was grateful for the way Cha-hyeon kept playing along like he didn’t know anything. But that damn mischievous smile of his—so amused by it all—was starting to get on his nerves just a little.
Still, it was done. The date-slash-proposal was set. Se-min could finally say everything was in place.
One major hurdle down. The tension that had been choking him eased, bit by bit. He let out a silent sigh, and just as the wave of belated embarrassment washed over him, he slipped away toward the master bathroom. Cha-hyeon’s curious gaze followed him the whole way.
“Anyway—so just be ready, okay?”
Embarrassed and flustered, Se-min tacked on the unnecessary reminder as he disappeared into the bathroom. A moment later, the hum of a hairdryer drifted softly into the room.
The smile on Cha-hyeon’s face, so full and lifted just moments ago, faded all at once—like a switch had been flipped off. His lips settled into a flat line, but the traces of amusement still lingered in his expression. He tilted his head back and ran a hand along the back of his neck.
His Adam’s apple shifted slightly above the long curve of his throat. With a quiet sigh, he closed his eyes. Only after a long stretch did his lids slowly lift again.
~Unclaimed Rewards List~
♦ …Clear Reward… (1/3)
“Ah… tomorrow…”
The quiet murmur was drowned out beneath the whir of the hairdryer. He placed the book he’d been holding down on the side table. With his eyes half-closed, the shadow of his lashes fell across his cheek.
Tomorrow.
The first step toward completing my pair guide’s Mindscape.
If it were the “Sung Cha-hyeon” you adore so much… what kind of expression would he make? What kind of voice would he use? What would he say?
He sat there in silence, lost in thought.
***
Morning broke—the day of the proposal, which had felt like it would never come. After tossing and turning all night, nerves twisting his stomach, Se-min finally managed a few hours of restless sleep. The soft buzz of his alarm had his eyes flying open at once.
It had barely gone off twice before he reached over to shut it down. He immediately turned to check whether he’d woken Cha-hyeon. Fortunately, Cha-hyeon was still fast asleep, hands gently folded over his chest like a fairytale princess under a sleeping spell.
His breathing was so quiet it was hard to tell if he was even alive. Yet even in the dark, his presence radiated—his sculpted nose, the thick lashes, tousled black hair grazing his forehead, and lips a soft, natural red.
Now that he thought about it, wasn’t Snow White supposed to be the most beautiful in the land—with black hair, pale skin, and red lips? Maybe it was just the mood of the day, but watching Cha-hyeon sleep—knowing he’d become his husband in just a few hours—had Se-min feeling uncharacteristically sentimental.
Admiring that unfairly handsome face, Se-min carefully climbed out of bed. Even though he’d only managed light sleep, the excitement and anxiety kept him sharp. He quietly opened the door and slipped out into the hallway, closing the door without a sound. Darkness reclaimed the room.
“Haa…”
In the living room, Se-min paused to take in the view. Same apartment, same morning sun—and yet today, it all looked different. Clear skies, golden light—it felt special. He stretched lightly to shake off the stiffness from his poor sleep, then headed into the kitchen.
There was a reason he’d gotten up an hour earlier than usual. This was it—his one and only proposal. And he wanted to make it perfect. If he could, he wanted to give Cha-hyeon a day so memorable it’d be impossible to forget.
First up: the ingredients he’d ordered for overnight delivery, which had arrived while he was drying his hair last night. Usually, breakfast was a casual affair, sometimes even skipped. On weekends, they ate more of a brunch. So today, he figured a hearty meal was just right.
The key was timing: enough food to hold Cha-hyeon until their 5 PM fine-dining reservation, but not so much that he felt too full. He needed Cha-hyeon at that just-right empty stomach state.
“Let’s do this.”
Laying everything out on the counter, Se-min muttered to himself with resolve. He wasn’t bad at cooking, especially with a recipe, but he didn’t like fuss—so he usually stuck to simple dishes. The housekeeper’s meals suited his taste anyway, so he hadn’t had much reason to experiment.
But today was different. This was proposal day. It wasn’t about taste—it was about effort. About sincerity. About doing it himself.
He soaked the seaweed, got the rice going in the cooker, prepped the marinade for the spicy pork, chopped the vegetables, and set everything to marinate. Every time he added an ingredient, he checked the recipe on his phone like twenty times.
But still—he did it. He made seaweed soup, rolled omelets, braised tofu, and stir-fried pork. All with his own two hands.
He did end up spending more time on the dishes than expected—he’d used way too many tools—but that didn’t matter. He’d done it all, just as planned.
“The time—oh crap.”
Se-min looked at the clock and gasped. He’d thought it’d take an hour. It had already been well over an hour and forty minutes. At this rate, it was barely brunch—it was practically lunchtime.
Is Hyung still not up?
He’d been so absorbed in cooking he hadn’t noticed. Normally, Cha-hyeon would’ve been awake by now.
Se-min plated the food, set the table, and headed to check on him.
He gently opened the bedroom door. Inside, still dark, Cha-hyeon lay with his eyes closed, breathing softly. Se-min approached and whispered:
“Hyung… you awake?”
Slowly, Cha-hyeon’s lids lifted. His eyes, clear and focused, locked onto Se-min immediately. There wasn’t a trace of sleep in them. But instead of responding, he simply closed them again.
Huh? A little confused, Se-min moved closer.
“Hyung. Wake up. Time for breakfast.”
He nudged his shoulder, then gave it a light shake, but Cha-hyeon didn’t move—just stayed perfectly still, eyes closed.
What’s with this guy?
Getting a weird feeling, Se-min glanced down at him. He looked like… like Snow White. And the thought suddenly struck him:
“……”
He swallowed hard, then leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to Cha-hyeon’s pale cheek.
A soft smooch.
“Hyung, wake up…”
“Not the cheek. The lips.”
Cha-hyeon’s voice murmured out, eyes still closed.
So he had been awake. That cheeky bastard.
Se-min couldn’t help twitching a smile. Seriously—he’s not a baby… But damn it, he was cute.
He leaned in again and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
Another soft smooch. Was this his way of acting cute? What, trying to be protected or something? Se-min felt oddly proud.
“Wake up, Princess.”
“Princess?”
At that, Cha-hyeon finally opened his eyes. Judging by the way he sat up without hesitation, he’d clearly been awake for a while.
“When did you wake up?”
“About an hour ago?”
That was even earlier than he’d expected. Se-min blinked, surprised, as he opened the door wider and glanced back.
“You could’ve come out. Weren’t you bored?”
“You were puttering around so earnestly—I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. I just played on my phone… and waited.”
As his eyes fell on the meal spread across the table, both his brows lifted. Clearly impressed.
Se-min, pretending not to care, forced his lips into a firm line and said casually,
“Hungry? I kept it simple.”
It had taken him 1 hour and 40 minutes plus multiple recipe videos, but right now? He was channeling peak kitchen confidence. It was human instinct—to puff up like a peacock in front of someone you love.
“Whoa. What’s the occasion? My birthday or something? What’s going on today?”
Cha-hyeon’s voice was playful as he feigned ignorance. Even though he obviously knew, he still acted surprised—and that made Se-min’s cheeks flush.
“T-There’s nothing wrong with doing this once in a while…”
Unlike Cha-hyeon, Se-min sucked at playing dumb. His clumsy delivery only made Cha-hyeon laugh under his breath, and that warm chuckle made Se-min’s ears burn.
“True. Could be just one of those days… But I’ve got a feeling today’s gonna be a good one. Right, Se-min?”
Cha-hyeon met his eyes as he said it, voice light but unshakably sincere. Se-min, unable to hold the gaze, ducked his head and turned away.
“…Let’s just eat already!”
