Couldn’t help but wonder—was this how our dads felt coming home with fried chicken in hand? That strangely sentimental, guilty vibe. With that useless thought spinning in his head, Seon-woo stopped by a bakery near his place and picked out the biggest cake on display. He figured since he was already running late, maybe bringing something sweet home would help lighten Seung-hyeon’s mood a bit. There wasn’t any special occasion, but just the act of lighting candles and setting a festive tone might create a somewhat romantic atmosphere.
Trying to cover for this with a cake… Man, what kind of trashy guy am I…
Feeling like a bit of a scumbag, Seon-woo hurried home, punching in the code and opening the door.
At the sound of the door unlocking, Seung-hyeon shot up from his seat in surprise. “I’m home,” Seon-woo greeted, quickly scanning his face. Seung-hyeon was fully dressed, like he’d been ready to leave at any moment. It seemed he’d been waiting for Seon-woo to finish and call him to come over. Or maybe he’d been preparing to head to the airport right away…
Seon-woo’s chest ached with unbearable guilt as he set the large cake box down on the table.
Seung-hyeon stepped closer, glanced at the box, and said, “You should’ve called… You must’ve been exhausted.”
Instead of getting angry, Seung-hyeon sounded genuinely concerned. That only deepened the gloom on Seon-woo’s face, like a storm cloud hanging over him. Seung-hyeon glanced at the cake and remarked casually, “A cake?”
Then, after noticing Seon-woo’s expression, he asked, “Why do you look so down? Did something happen at work?”
Was he really unaware? Or was he just pretending not to know so he could let it slide?
Seon-woo stared at him, trying to read his face, then murmured, “No…”
It came with a soft sigh. He couldn’t exactly say nothing had happened at work. The day had been flooded with tasks, and a few mishaps along the way. But none of that was the reason he looked like death warmed over.
“It’s because I feel bad.”
Seon-woo admitted it plainly, and Seung-hyeon responded with a warm, neat smile.
“You don’t need to feel bad. We can just spend time together here at home.”
He said it like he truly didn’t mind. But was that really possible? Seung-hyeon was the one who had taken on all the work of planning their trip, covering for Seon-woo’s packed schedule. And Seon-woo, in all his busyness, hadn’t even had the time to hear the full details of the itinerary Seung-hyeon had prepared.
Saying more to someone who said they were fine wouldn’t really be for Seung-hyeon’s sake—it would be more about easing his own guilt and disappointment. Seon-woo knew that, and for a moment considered keeping his mouth shut.
But in the end, he couldn’t hold it in.
“…You even used up your vacation days.”
Maybe he hadn’t realized it, but he just wanted to be a little needy. Maybe he wanted Seung-hyeon to know—whether or not he showed it clearly—that he was just as disappointed. Maybe even more so.
Seung-hyeon looked at him with those soft, gently curved eyes. The kind you’d give someone younger you found endearing. The look on his face made Seon-woo feel just a little ridiculous and caught off guard.
Normally, he would’ve tossed out a half-joking line like, “You dare talk to your hyung like that?” feigning sternness. But today, burdened with guilt, he didn’t even have the heart to play around like that—and he kind of regretted it.
Watching Seon-woo clear his throat awkwardly, trying to shake off the discomfort, Seung-hyeon spoke gently, as if to soothe him.
“What does it matter? It’s not like I’ve got much use for vacation days unless I’m spending them with you anyway. Honestly, I got a lot done around the house. Finally rearranged the furniture like I’d been meaning to. Even had time to do some shopping.”
“You remember how I said I wanted that chair and the audio system? I went ahead and bought them.”
Seung-hyeon spoke proudly, almost showing off, and Seon-woo’s brow involuntarily twitched. He had promised himself not to argue with anything Seung-hyeon said today, but hearing that… it poked at something inside him. Sure, it wasn’t like he had the right to complain—he was the one in the wrong here—but still, he couldn’t help feeling a bit ruffled.
Lifting a brow, Seon-woo reached out and pressed his hand over Seung-hyeon’s mouth.
“Are you seriously that clueless?”
His voice held a mock-serious tone, but Seung-hyeon’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. Maybe Seon-woo, the one responsible for all this in the first place, didn’t have the right to say such things. Still, every time Seung-hyeon acted like his own feelings didn’t matter—as if he was happy just tailoring himself to Seon-woo’s needs—Seon-woo felt something twist deep in his gut.
It wasn’t that Seung-hyeon lacked self-esteem, nor was he someone without his own opinions. He was just a man who genuinely found joy in aligning everything with Seon-woo. Normally, Seon-woo could balance things out by matching that devotion with his own thoughtful actions. But not this time. This time, he’d messed up. And despite having done nothing to make up for it yet, here Seung-hyeon was—comforting him.
To put it plainly, it upset Seon-woo that Seung-hyeon could act so unaffected.
Beneath Seon-woo’s hand, Seung-hyeon’s lips moved slightly, trying to speak. Seon-woo slowly removed his hand, giving a subtle nod for him to answer, but still held on to Seung-hyeon’s wrist. Instead of looking him in the eye, he stared at his hand, gently rubbing his palm. Firm yet soft. A familiar texture, and yet it felt strangely new—maybe because he hadn’t held it in a while, thanks to his recent busyness.
Seung-hyeon looked down at Seon-woo fiddling with his hand, then finally replied in a calm, almost detached tone, just a second too late.
“I don’t do that kind of thing for the Director.”
Just as expected. It was the kind of answer that pleased Seon-woo, and irritated him at the same time. He narrowed his eyes and glared slightly at Seung-hyeon.
“You really don’t get it, do you? Every time you act like it doesn’t matter, it just makes me feel worse…”
He muttered the words coldly, like talking to himself. The chill in his tone and expression carried enough pressure to make anyone flinch. If the employees who had fled the meeting room earlier that day after getting chewed out by Seon-woo had seen him now, they’d probably feel a fresh wave of the same fear and stress wash over them.
But Seung-hyeon, whose wrist was still in Seon-woo’s grasp, looked… happy. Not scared. If anything, he seemed excited—maybe even hopeful.
This wasn’t their first day as lovers. Seon-woo knew that look all too well. Knew exactly what it implied. A short, breathy laugh escaped him.
“Hah…”
It would’ve been a lie to say he didn’t feel like it. Seon-woo moved without hesitation, using Seung-hyeon’s anticipation as an excuse to act. He shifted their positions and gently pushed Seung-hyeon onto the dining table. Because Seung-hyeon didn’t resist at all, his body eased down beside the cake box. Seon-woo supported the back of his head to keep it from hitting the marble surface and asked quietly,
“What are you thinking about? In the middle of the day, no less.”
“Mm… I mean, I don’t think the guy who’s pinning his boyfriend to the table in broad daylight is really in a position to ask that…”
Seung-hyeon trailed off, deliberately playing coy. Seon-woo braced one hand beside his face, gazing down at him. The air between them felt thick, as though something was about to happen, but Seon-woo didn’t move right away. Instead, he reached out and gently brushed back Seung-hyeon’s tousled hair, murmuring softly,
“We missed the place we were originally going to… but should we go somewhere else? We could still grab a flight. Was there anywhere else you wanted to go?”
Seung-hyeon’s lips curled faintly, and he let out a hum as though mulling it over.
“If we rush the trip, both our bodies and minds will end up exhausted… It’s a rare vacation. Rest should be the priority, right?”
He didn’t specify who needed the rest, so it could’ve sounded like he was talking about himself. But Seon-woo already knew what he really meant: that he wanted Seon-woo to take it easy.
“Even that play… It wasn’t about wanting to see the performance. I just needed an excuse to spend time together…”
Seung-hyeon continued in that calm, unbothered tone. And while he murmured those words, his hand had naturally slipped up to rest on Seon-woo’s waist. If this had been early in their relationship, Seon-woo might’ve gotten swept up in that touch immediately. But now, he placed his hand firmly over Seung-hyeon’s and replied in a resolute tone.
“Didn’t I tell you to stop being so damn selfless?”
Seung-hyeon gave him a sheepish smile. The way his hand lightly caressed Seon-woo’s waist clearly held a certain intent—but the voice that came from his lips was light and teasing.
“You’ll go with me anywhere? I do have a place in mind.”
“Yeah. Let’s go right now.”
Seon-woo didn’t even pause before answering. Seung-hyeon held back for a moment, his expression unreadable.
“What, is something holding you back?”
“Before we go…”
“Yeah? Before we go, what?”
“Just once. Let’s do it—once.”
