“Kanyepa.”
The timing was uncanny. Just as Seon-woo opened his eyes and began smoothing down his disheveled hair, Seung-hyeon pulled back the blackout curtains in the room and spoke.
“Kalimera.”
The pronunciation was so smooth, it could’ve come straight from an educational CD. From what Seon-woo remembered, kalimera was a greeting used in the early afternoon in Greece. While it was possible that an overly excited Seung-hyeon had made a beginner’s mistake in his eagerness over the trip, it was far more likely that it had simply become noon without them noticing.
Stretching his limbs and letting out a long yawn, Seon-woo twisted his stiff body this way and that and asked, “What time is it now?”
Hearing the groggy rasp in Seon-woo’s voice, Seung-hyeon chuckled out loud and answered as he glanced out the window. “It’s twelve. Did you sleep well?”
After a quick splash of cold water on his face, Seon-woo turned his gaze in the same direction as Seung-hyeon’s. It had definitely been worth putting effort into picking the right place to stay. The sea was so vividly blue, it felt like it was right there, just outside the window. Seon-woo yawned again, slipped into his slippers, and slowly made his way toward Seung-hyeon.
He slid his arms around Seung-hyeon’s waist from the side and leaned in to look out the window. The sea looked so close that for a split second, Seon-woo entertained the absurd thought that if he broke the window and jumped, he could dive straight into the water. One look outside confirmed how ridiculous that idea was.
Seung-hyeon silently watched Seon-woo leaning into him, then extended his arms and pulled him in tight. It was a sudden, breath-stealing hug, but instead of frowning or pulling away, Seon-woo simply wrapped his arms around him in return. A moment later, when Seung-hyeon finally let go, Seon-woo straightened himself with effort and glanced back out the window.
“The sea here really is the color of a swimming pool.”
It wasn’t the most poetic thing to say in the face of such a vivid and beautiful summer view. But Seung-hyeon laughed like he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. Almost slipping into smugness without realizing it, Seon-woo quickly pulled himself together and asked, “Did you already shower?”
“Yeah. Should I make you some coffee while you get cleaned up?”
He wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but it was clear from Seung-hyeon’s expression that he really wanted Seon-woo to try the hotel’s coffee. Nodding, Seon-woo trudged slowly toward the shower.
When he came out, the mental fog had lifted considerably. It wasn’t that he was trying to judge whether it was better or worse, but there was something unfamiliar and new about the water in Greece. Last night, he’d been half-asleep while Seung-hyeon washed him, so he hadn’t noticed it then.
Either way, after hearing Seung-hyeon greet him in Greek, seeing the Aegean Sea, and now rinsing off in Greek water—it finally started to hit him that they really were in another country. Taking the coffee Seung-hyeon had brewed, Seon-woo took a sip.
Woo’s expression shifted from surprise to a relaxed smile. “Pretty good, right?”
As Seon-woo nodded and emptied his cup, Seung-hyeon was already moving briskly, packing up their things. Seeing him flit around alone, Seon-woo tried to help, but it was already too late. Everything he was about to mention was already neatly packed away in Seung-hyeon’s bag.
With preparations complete, Seung-hyeon beamed and chirped brightly, “Okay, Director. Time to head out. Just think of me as your luggage porter for the day.”
Seon-woo let out a small scoff at that. A luggage porter? This whole trip was entirely for Gwak Seung-hyeon’s sake. From A to Z, every single part of it had been meticulously crafted to make him happy.
Snatching the bag off Seung-hyeon’s shoulder and slinging it over his own, Seon-woo grabbed Seung-hyeon’s hand and gave it a tug. With a smile that said he knew resistance was pointless, Seung-hyeon quietly followed behind.
Calling it a “perfect plan” was honestly a bit of an exaggeration, but it was true that Seon-woo had done his best to put it all together in a short amount of time. He’d tried to clear as much of his schedule as possible, but all he could manage was four days. And once you factored in travel time, the actual hours they could spend together were even fewer.
Wanting to make the most of that precious time, Seon-woo had poured over travel blogs and guides, cross-referencing popular recommendations with what he knew of Seung-hyeon’s tastes to build the itinerary. Still, more than pride, what he really felt was the desperate hope that none of it would flop.
Thankfully, the trip had gotten off to a smooth start. Touring the island of Santorini, with its striking blue-roofed buildings, had been delightful. It was a place Seon-woo had longed to see in person even before he found himself inside a Gwanggong’s body, and the view had more than lived up to his expectations.
The only minor issue was that Seung-hyeon, who was trailing after him, didn’t seem entirely immersed in the scenery. He hurried behind Seon-woo, who kept forging ahead, and repeatedly said something he’d already said several times before.
“Please, Director. Let me carry it.”
Seriously, the overprotectiveness was excessive. It wasn’t like his sturdy body was going to snap in half from carrying one measly bag. Yet Seung-hyeon acted like it would be the end of the world if Seon-woo kept holding onto it.
Finally deciding it was time to set things straight once and for all, Seon-woo spoke firmly, “I’m carrying the bag for the entire trip. If you try to take it from me one more time, I swear I’ll leave you behind in Greece.”
Seung-hyeon stared at him, utterly stunned. Of course, he knew Seon-woo wasn’t serious, but the expression on his face still tugged at Seon-woo’s conscience. His heart clenched with guilt, and he instinctively turned his head away to avoid Seung-hyeon’s gaze.
“I’ll take a picture of you,” he said, trying to change the subject. “Stand over there.”
Seung-hyeon finally seemed to accept that Seon-woo would be the one holding the bag and walked over to the railing with a resigned smile. Seon-woo opened his phone camera and skillfully adjusted the angle.
Watching with fascination as Seon-woo searched for the perfect frame, Seung-hyeon remarked, “I thought if you were the one taking the picture, you’d make me look half my height…”
“Tch. Keep it up and I just might do exactly that.”
Responding with calm indifference, Seung-hyeon leaned slightly against the railing and burst into laughter. Seon-woo didn’t miss the moment—he hit the shutter button right then and there. With a loud, theatrical flash, a shot of Seung-hyeon grinning brightly was captured in the phone. Smirking slightly in satisfaction, Seon-woo spoke again in a businesslike tone.
“Let’s try a different pose now.”
“Am I here for a photoshoot or something?”
Despite the joke, Seung-hyeon followed Seon-woo’s instructions without hesitation. He posed naturally without a hint of self-consciousness in front of the camera, and Seon-woo, completely immersed, kept pressing the shutter button.
Before they realized it, a small group of onlookers had gathered nearby to watch them. But even in front of the curious crowd, Seung-hyeon showed no sign of embarrassment or awkwardness as he leaned against the wall, striking model-like poses. The sight awakened the shamelessly proud fanboy inside Seon-woo.
Even as Seon-woo kept insisting, “Just one more,” Seung-hyeon would come up with a new pose without fail. Eventually, though, he stopped posing and started walking toward Seon-woo. Just as Seon-woo was about to tease him about running out of creativity, Seung-hyeon flashed a playful grin and didn’t give him the chance.
Yanking Seon-woo by the shoulder, Seung-hyeon snatched the phone from his hand, quickly switched it to selfie mode, and aligned the screen so both of their faces were visible.
[Kimchi.]
Unfortunately, the shutter sound had been set to that cheesy voice effect. With a loud, echoing “Kimchi!”, the phone clicked and captured the moment. On screen, Seung-hyeon looked perfect—flawless angle, flawless smile. Meanwhile, Seon-woo wore a deadpan, icy expression beside him. His looks still saved the photo from being ruined, but the contrast between their expressions was hilarious.
Pictures are what remain, sure—but Seon-woo only cared about taking pictures of Seung-hyeon, not preserving awkward shots of himself. And with that face? Honestly, it would be better if the photo didn’t exist at all. He was already planning to delete it as soon as Seung-hyeon returned the phone, but as if reading his mind, Seung-hyeon swiftly hit a button and sent the picture to his own phone.
“You look so cute.”
He said it with such heartfelt sincerity, it was clear the rose-tinted glasses were firmly in place and objectivity had long since gone out the window. Seon-woo shook his head, exasperated, but a gentle smile tugged at his lips as they headed to their next stop.
…Unaware of what was about to unfold.
“What?”
The words came out in Korean, pure reflex from the sheer absurdity of what he’d just heard. He hadn’t meant to speak his native language to a Greek local, but it slipped out before he could stop himself. The other person might now be under the impression Seon-woo had just cursed at them in some foreign tongue.
Their next destination was a restaurant Seon-woo had made a reservation at in advance. It was supposed to be a scenic spot with a view of the beautiful street and traditional Greek pizza served hot at the table. He’d even received multiple confirmations that the reservation had gone through without issue.
Yet what greeted them now was a situation that defied belief.
“So, I’m really sorry, but… we’re in a bit of a mess right now. The kitchen kind of exploded a few hours ago…”
“Do you have any idea when you’ll be able to reopen for service?”
It was Seung-hyeon who asked the question—his Greek was far better than Seon-woo’s, who could barely manage basic conversational phrases.
The restaurant owner simply shook his head in response. That alone said it all.
Seung-hyeon turned back toward Seon-woo with an apologetic look. “Looks like there’s no hope.”
“Wait… what…?”
Seon-woo mumbled, stunned, his dazed eyes drifting to the paper posted on the front door.
[Closed due to kitchen explosion.]
“…An explosion?”
And just a few hours ago, at that?
He couldn’t believe how unlucky they were. What were the odds? Seon-woo pressed his palm to his forehead in dismay.
