Early July, on an ordinary weekday.
Do Jihoon and I were in the middle of a heated back-and-forth in front of a hanbok rental shop. I thrust the women’s hanbok I was holding closer to Do Jihoon. He scrunched up his face as if it were about to crack, clearly conveying exactly how he felt.
“I don’t want to.”
“Ah. Why!”
“I clearly said I don’t want to.”
He answered with absolute stubbornness.
“Aw, come on, why. If we both wear men’s clothes it’ll be boring. I’ll wear the king’s dragon robe, so you be the queen.”
“I don’t want to.”
“If you don’t want to be the queen, there are lots of other skirts. How about something else?”
“I said I don’t want to.”
I grabbed Do Jihoon’s arm and whined. Usually he gave in to my requests, but seeing him refuse this strongly, it seemed like he genuinely hated the idea.
“Fine.”
In the end, I was the one who backed down this time. Yeah. Do Jihoon was always the one humoring my stubbornness, so once in a while I should show him some consideration too. I let out a deep sigh and hung the hanbok I’d been holding back in its place.
“Then I’ll wear it!”
“…What?”
An exasperated sigh escaped Do Jihoon. I looked at him and spoke clearly.
“Listen. If we both wear the king’s outfit, it won’t look cool. But if only one person wears it, it won’t look like we’re dating.”
“….”
He opened and closed his mouth like he had a lot to say.
“So I’ll be the queen. You be the king. Your hyung is making a big concession here.”
A deep sigh flowed out of Do Jihoon. But I had no intention of reversing the king-and-queen roles.
I looked into the large mirror hanging in the shop. Hmm. With a face like this, even a women’s hanbok would probably suit me well. The same was true for Do Jihoon, of course…
Dragging along my lingering regret, I headed into the fitting room to change. The clothes were harder to put on than I expected. I fumbled around, trying to get the hanbok on.
After a fierce battle with the outfit, I finally came out—and right in front of me stood Do Jihoon, dressed in an elegant red dragon robe and wearing an ikseongwan crown.
“……”
His slightly narrow eyes and pale skin matched the vivid red robe perfectly. With that straight, upright posture, I would’ve believed it if someone said he’d stepped right out of a painting as an actual Joseon-era king.
My mouth fell open.
Holy shit, he’s insanely handsome.
Do Jihoon turned toward me with his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes gradually widened. Somehow it felt embarrassing. I walked over and lightly smacked his arm.
“So? The queen’s outfit suits me pretty well too, right?”
“…Yeah. It suits you fairly well.”
“…Thaanks a lot. Really. You look fucking handsome too. You weren’t a king in your past life or something, were you?”
Exchanging compliments, we left the rental shop.
Since it was still early July, the weather was only lukewarm. Honestly it was a little hot, but not hot enough to roast us alive.
“Hey. Look at that guy. He’s seriously handsome.”
“I know, right? Is he a celebrity?”
Compliments aimed at Do Jihoon poured in from all around us. I felt extremely proud—but also jealous. Seriously, being unnecessarily handsome and drawing everyone’s attention like that.
I was just starting to think about how I could naturally show people that Do Jihoon was my alpha—
when Do Jihoon extended the hand that had been behind his back and firmly grabbed mine.
“…Doji?”
What? What’s this?
As I looked at him in confusion, Do Jihoon suddenly stiffened and turned his gaze toward me.
“What is it, what is it?”
“….”
“Doji?”
He didn’t continue. What was it that made him so curious like this? Of course, that didn’t mean I had any intention of letting go of his hand. Do Jihoon’s hand was cool and dry, and holding it felt nice.
After we walked like that for a while, he finally opened his heavy mouth.
“…Earlier.”
“Yeah. Earlier?”
“I didn’t like how other people kept looking at you.”
“……”
What is he saying right now?
I looked up at him in shock. Do Jihoon looked fairly serious.
“…Wow, that’s crazy.”
“What is?”
“I felt the same way! See, husband and wife really are one body.”
Do Jihoon only smiled prettily.
It felt like just yesterday when he’d said something else when I made that joke at the department store. Seeing his smile made the change in our relationship—from friends to lovers—suddenly hit me all over again.
Realizing that made my face burn hot.
“Yuri. Are you hot?”
“…Why?”
“Your face is cooking right now.”
“Ah. Maybe it is a little hot.”
Thankfully, the king of perceptiveness, Do Jihoon, was strangely unperceptive today. I casually started fanning myself with my hand.
Do Jihoon quietly looked at me, then shifted his body toward the side where the sunlight was coming from. His shadow fell over me, shielding me from the sun a little.
“What’s this, Doji Doji? Are you blocking the sunlight for me?”
“…You said you were hot.”
“I’m touched. Our Doji has become so kind. Wow.”
Bickering with each other, we walked around the area surrounding Gyeongbokgung. Soon Gwanghwamun came into view. We passed through the gate and entered the palace grounds.
The vast palace scenery filled our view—
yeah, right.
It was nothing but an endless flood of people.
It felt like a cold gust of wind blew past. With a drained expression, I spoke to Do Jihoon.
“…Doji. Isn’t today a weekday?”
“Yeah. There are a lot of people.”
“But wait. Are those school uniforms?”
“Yeah. Looks like a school trip.”
“…In July?”
“Maybe it’s a school that values individuality.”
There were tons of students. We quickly passed Geunjeongjeon to escape the festival of little brats and headed further back. After walking for quite a while while holding Do Jihoon’s hand, the crowd gradually thinned. Looking around, we could barely see one or two people.
“As expected. Hating to walk must be universal among students.”
Poor things. Coming on a school trip in awkward July and touring an old palace with their friends. Just thinking about it gave off a faint scent of pity.
“Hey. Since there’s no one here, doesn’t it kind of feel like we’re actually the king and queen?”
“…What nonsense are you about to say this time?”
“Ahem.”
When Do Jihoon was expecting nonsense, it wouldn’t be Yeon Yuri if I didn’t deliver.
I glared at him with the most pitiful expression I could manage. He raised one eyebrow at me.
“Your Majesty. Why have you not summoned your humble consort?”
“So the bullshit begins.”
“I know that an omega must not dare harbor jealousy.”
“….”
Do Jihoon looked at me like he was watching two flies kissing.
His face gradually crumpled like a newspaper. Of course, I didn’t let that stop my method acting.
“However, this humble consort simply could not endure it. That brazen creature, not knowing her place, dared to smear her pheromones upon Your Majesty’s sacred body!”
“….”
“Please also understand the heart of this consort, who discovered another omega’s scent upon her husband’s body.”
“Yeah, yeah, I was wrong. So stop.”
“Good. I forgive you for apologizing so quickly. I hold grudges, you know. Be careful from now on.”
Do Jihoon rubbed his arm as if he had goosebumps and readily admitted fault. I immediately stopped my ridiculous acting too. It was cute and funny watching him apologize, but I didn’t want to think about that damned Ha guy while we were on a date.
“Doji. Then let’s go with a new concept this time.”
“…Fine. Let’s hear it.”
Even while sighing tiredly, Do Jihoon listened attentively.
“We’re madly in love with each other.”
“…Madly in love.”
“Yeah. Who was it again—let’s go with King Sejo and Queen Jeonghui.”
Sejo, huh. Saying it out loud made it fit Do Jihoon so well that I burst out laughing.
Do Jihoon nodded while looking at me giggling like a pigeon.
Like that, I strolled through the palace while flirting with Do Jihoon. Following the course recommended by the Cultural Heritage Administration, we toured the majestic Sajeongjeon and the elegant Gyeonghoeru.
I’d only ever seen it in photos before, so I thought it would be small. But seeing it in person made Do Jihoon and me look like ants—it was incredibly magnificent and grand.
“This feels really nice…”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. How should I put it… when you go to a temple or a cathedral, your mind feels calm, right?”
“Does it?”
“Yeah. I always get this strangely stable feeling. The palace feels like that too.”
Holding Do Jihoon’s hand, I stood in front of Gyeonghoeru.
Sunlight shone brightly over the calm surface of the water. The surface shimmered like heat haze rising from it.
It looked like stars were scattered across the lake.
It’s really beautiful.
Royalty in the past must have seen scenery like this every day. Thinking that made me feel extremely envious.
I glanced at Do Jihoon. His expression was calm.
I raised my hand and touched my face.
I was smiling brightly.
A sudden worry crept in—maybe Do Jihoon wasn’t enjoying this very much.
Carefully, I asked him.
“Do Jihoon… are you not really into this…?”
Do Jihoon rolled his eyes away from the lake of Gyeonghoeru and looked at me. His expression twisted as if the question was absurd.
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“Wow. Hello again, Doji Doji Bullshit? Nice to see you!”
“Stop joking around. What do you mean by that?”
His voice sounded noticeably prickly.
So I lowered the energy I’d been keeping up and began speaking hesitantly.
