His fingers froze on the keypad at the word birthday. There was no way he could forget Do-yeong’s birthday—February 13.
The day right before Valentine’s Day. A convenient excuse to express his feelings, too. Unlike him, who had to take a gap year, Do-yeong got into college on his first try and then spent a year traveling abroad.
On the first day of class, out of the sea of people on campus, only he stood out. Even though he was far away and barely the size of a child from that distance, he seemed to glow in Kang Hyeon’s eyes. The sky was gloomy, threatening rain, and he’d been too flustered trying to find his classroom to concentrate. But even amid the chaos, everyone else blurred like background extras. Only he stood out—like he was under a spotlight.
They’d met briefly back during their childhood while filming Little Science Explorers, and then lost contact. They hadn’t been particularly close, and Kang Hyeon had ended up sharing his grandfather’s old flip phone after losing his own smartphone. He thought their connection had simply faded out. Every now and then, he’d catch Do-yeong in a commercial or a drama on TV, but that was it.
He’d been staring when Do-yeong spotted him—and ran over at full speed.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
Caught off guard, he couldn’t respond.
“If your number changed, you should’ve told me. Even if things were hectic, I thought you’d at least try once. I waited. I still have the same number, you know.”
“…I lost my phone.”
“What’s your number now?”
Do-yeong suddenly shoved his smartphone toward him. As he typed in the digits, a strange sensation crept from his fingertips and mixed with the nervous fluttering in his chest.
“How’ve you been all this time?”
“…My parents passed away. I’ve been living with my grandfather.”
“What area? What does your grandfather do?”
As they walked to class, Do-yeong kept asking questions. Kang Hyeon answered them, and though he wanted to ask about Do-yeong’s life too, they reached the classroom, and Do-yeong said it like it was the most natural thing in the world:
“Let’s grab lunch at the cafeteria after class.”
“Okay.”
“Text me when you’re done.”
Do-yeong waved and disappeared after walking him to class. It wasn’t just about making a new friend—there was a confusing shock that shook him to the core. It was hard to stay calm. It had been a short conversation, and lunch at the cafeteria was a typical offer.
So why did it make his heart race like that?
When class ended and he saw Do-yeong waiting outside, he reflexively fixed his hair. Standing there with his earbuds in, eyes closed, framed by the rain-covered window, he looked like something out of a romance film. Kang Hyeon made his way through the crowd and slowly approached. As he neared, Do-yeong opened his eyes as if he’d sensed his presence.
“What’s your class schedule like?”
There was never any small talk with him. He was endlessly curious and never stopped asking questions. Though his sudden reappearance had completely disoriented Kang Hyeon, they barely saw each other due to Do-yeong’s drama filming—and then he went off to the army. Kang Hyeon received his own draft notice and enlisted too. When they met again after some sparse contact, he was finally able to define his feelings.
Do-yeong’s birthday always came after his. And being someone who always prioritized family, he would leave the country days before his birthday and only return on Valentine’s Day. Even though it was break time, campus was still busy—and on that day, people would swarm around Do-yeong. He’d even carry around several large shopping bags.
“Want one too, Hyeon?”
Even though he wasn’t as popular as Do-yeong, Kang Hyeon still received a few “friendship chocolates” and candies. But seeing him hand out shopping bags for collecting gifts stirred up a weird resentment.
“You know how obnoxious that looks, right?”
“What am I supposed to do? I can’t throw away people’s sincerity.”
“Then just don’t accept it.”
“If they gave it on a normal day, I’d refuse. But it’s Valentine’s Day. For some people, it’s a day to finally express feelings they’ve kept hidden. It’s important.”
“…You still take it knowing that?”
“Of course. I just don’t take anything from guys.”
“…Why not?”
“It makes me uncomfortable. I can’t eat that.”
He probably said it without thinking, but it carved a deep wound in Kang Hyeon’s chest. The chocolates he’d prepared in the name of friendship suddenly felt pathetic and embarrassing. They were store-bought, sure—but he’d personally bought colored paper, cut out tiny heart shapes, glued on rhinestones. It looked like a store-bought design at first glance, but it was clumsy and awkward—handmade with care after pushing through the crowd of schoolgirls at the stationery store.
He’d agonized over how to give it to him. Casually? Just slip it into his bag? Wait until they were alone? Should he pretend he bought it last-minute at the convenience store?
All that thought—over a single piece of chocolate—felt utterly ridiculous. Do-yeong’s comment about being uncomfortable with confessions from guys made him feel even more pathetic. Still, he wanted to give it to him. He pulled the chocolate from his pocket and tossed it into one of Do-yeong’s shopping bags.
“Don’t eat it. Just keep it somewhere safe.”
He tossed the words out indifferently and walked out of the classroom. But after just a few steps, Do-yeong came after him, already unwrapping the chocolate and popping a piece into his mouth.
“Basic chocolate really is the best.”
He added that with his mouth full, savoring it.
“You know how all those fancy chocolates have stuff inside? Nuts are okay, but caramel and weird syrups? They ruin the taste.”
Not a single “thank you.” He just swallowed his feelings like it was expected—just like he accepted all the others. Among the many people who gave chocolates to Do-yeong, some were guys too. He still remembered one of them—expression stiff, lips twitching with a hesitant smile as he reached out with trembling hands. Do-yeong made no effort to hide his discomfort and gave a perfunctory thank-you.
Most of the chocolates Do-yeong took, he didn’t even eat. Especially the homemade ones—he’d keep them as decoration for about three months. The rest were eaten by the staff.
If Do-yeong hadn’t had that aversion to men, Kang Hyeon might’ve confessed back then. He wouldn’t have stopped at a palm-sized piece of chocolate—he would’ve filled an entire basket and handed it over. On his birthday, he wanted to take him to a fancy restaurant, rent out a whole theater, and watch a movie—just the two of them. That was the best he could’ve offered at the time. But for someone like Do-yeong, whose family was on another financial level, what Kang Hyeon considered a “fancy restaurant” was just a place to casually grab steak whenever he wanted.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a message notification.
[Can’t do it?]
Since Kang Hyeon hadn’t responded, Do-yeong sent a follow-up. He stared at the message and typed.
[You always spend your birthday with family, don’t you?]
[I’m traveling now.]
[For work.]
[It’s technically a family trip too. But I’m feeling kind of suffocated—I really want to see the ocean.]
A wave of emotion crashed over him. Was it because of obsessive fans? Maybe all the attention from the drama’s success was wearing him down?
He remembered how, during their argument about the gifts last night, Do-yeong had said he couldn’t even get a coffee at a café anymore.
[Is there something you want to do?]
[I want to go somewhere with no one around.]
[I’ll look into it.]
[Somewhere we can stay one night would be nice.]
If they were going to stay overnight, it didn’t matter if it was far. Even though traveling alone with him made his heart race, he was ready to use several months’ worth of living expenses to make it memorable. As he pondered where to go, his eyes fell on the watch on his wrist. If he had anything more to give, he would’ve given it all.
Then, a few photos came through along with another message.
[This place looks nice. You can do a barbecue there, and the pool is heated—still usable even now.]
The images showed a traditional Korean hanok-style pension nestled in the woods, with a charming, cozy interior. After staring at it for a while, he texted back.
[What’s the name of this pension?]
[It’s a friend’s vacation home.]
[Where is it?]
[About two hours away.]
[I asked what area.]
[I’ll check and let you know.]
[Okay.]
Just as he sent his agreement to spend Do-yeong’s birthday together, another message came.
[Promise me. No backing out.]
[I won’t.]
He did feel a little guilty about skipping work at the café, but what did that matter on Do-yeong’s birthday? Still, since Valentine’s Day fell on the 14th, the café would probably be busy starting from the 13th. Couples would flood in. Even if he went in at dawn and prepped everything, it’d be tough for Noona to handle it all alone until another employee came.
Plus, he had to take Do-yeong to the beach on the day he came back. They were planning to watch the sunset, so he’d have to leave the café early that day too.
[When exactly are you flying back?]
[January 31.]
As soon as the reply came, Kang Hyeon’s fingers froze. His eyes stared blankly at the screen, and even started to tremble.
“…Haa… Do-yeong.”
The name slipped out in a breathy whisper, heavy with longing. His fingers danced over the keys with a rhythm that matched his pounding heart.
[What time?]
[I’ll probably arrive early in the morning.]
The thought that it might be too early to meet dulled his excitement a little. But the next message from Do-yeong made his heart explode.
[I want to be the very first to wish you happy birthday.]
