“Smile a little more.”
Inho positioned Haon in front of the heart-shaped aquarium and continuously pressed the camera shutter. The click sound echoed incessantly, as if he were photographing the sun and the moon.
Haon awkwardly made a V-sign with both hands and waved it, then even formed a heart shape following the outline of the aquarium. Just then, Haon’s eyes met Inho’s, who was holding his phone, causing him to subconsciously turn around, utterly embarrassed.
“I, Inho-ssi, come look at the jellyfish.”
Haon pointed at the aquarium to change the subject. The palm-sized jellyfish swimming around looked very cute.
However, Inho didn’t hear Haon’s words because his voice was too small.
Click, the continuous sound of the shutter made Haon turn back.
Inho was looking at Haon captured in his phone with a gentle smile. His round eyes softened even more, as if he was pleased with the photo he had just taken.
Haon felt his heart stop and then race again at Inho’s gaze upon him. It was an indescribable sensation.
“I can take a picture for you too—”
“Excuse me! Could you please take a picture for us?”
The moment Haon, who had swallowed hard, opened his mouth, a couple approached Inho. They seemed to have run over after seeing the heart-shaped aquarium. It was a perfect photo spot for couples.
“Yes, please give me your phone.”
Inho readily agreed and took the phone from the couple.
The woman, genuinely surprised by his voice, which was as wonderful as his face, stared intently at Inho. Her boyfriend also kept glancing at Inho.
“Thank you. We’ll take one for you too!”
The couple smiled and spoke to Haon, who had stepped aside for them. Haon nodded politely, telling them to take their time, and stood nearby.
If they were offering to take a picture… Haon didn’t want to refuse. He hadn’t taken a picture with Inho since coming here.
Haon watched the couple naturally striking various poses and looked at Inho leisurely pressing the shutter.
He continued to take pictures until the couple stopped posing. In between, he would glance at Haon and give a soft smile. Seeing that smile made Haon want to take a picture even more.
What pose should he take if they did take a picture? Just as he was pondering this, the couple in front of him kissed.
It was a light kiss, but Haon was flustered and avoided looking. Even though it was just a kiss.
“We’ll take a lot of pictures for you too! Hurry and stand together!”
Inho naturally handed his phone to the couple. We’re taking a picture too. Haon took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart and walked towards the aquarium.
“What should we do?”
Inho, who stood in front of the aquarium first, asked Haon. Because he exuded a model-like aura even when still, the sound of the shutter already echoed.
“I’ll follow Haon-ssi’s lead.”
He gently placed his arm around Haon’s shoulders and whispered softly. Haon’s cheeks flushed, and he stammered, moving his lips.
“I, I’m not very good with poses…”
“It’s all good. Just do whatever comes to mind. Anything.”
In fact, Inho’s phone was steadily filling up with pictures of the two of them that looked like a photoshoot. The woman, having completely set aside her boyfriend, excitedly pressed the camera shutter.
“He’s really handsome…”
The tall man, clearly an alpha, looked like a model working overseas, and the man much smaller than him looked exactly like an idol trainee. He was the visual type, a face genius who pushed forward with his looks. His flustered appearance was even more charming.
Unaware of what the woman was thinking, Haon was deep in thought.
What pose should I do?
After a long deliberation, Haon awkwardly raised his hand. He had intended to make a simple V-sign, but the moment he saw the closely attached couple, he suddenly reached his hand out towards Inho.
Haon made a half-heart and held it out to Inho. At the same time, his pink cheeks instantly turned red.
Fortunately, it wasn’t noticeable in front of the blue-glowing aquarium. However, Inho, standing right next to him, clearly saw Haon’s reddening cheeks.
Inho pressed strength into his lips and completed the heart shape by touching fingertips with Haon. After that, they didn’t take any other poses. That was enough.
“Wow, you two look so good together. More poses, more!”
“Give each other a kiss!”
The excited couple made a fuss, but Inho politely declined, saying it was alright. He took his phone back from the couple and checked the photos by himself.
“I’ll send you all the pictures tonight.”
Haon wanted to see them too, but Inho put his phone in his pocket. He was curious. While rubbing his flushed cheeks with a disappointed feeling, Inho asked if he was thirsty.
“A little.”
“Then shall we sit down somewhere for a bit?”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
I think there was a cafe somewhere around here. While Inho muttered to himself and looked around, Haon’s eyes quietly moved.
Haon’s gaze rested on Inho’s white hand. He stared intently at the empty hand, not the one holding the phone.
Inho’s hand was spread out in a shape that looked just right to hold. He stared at it for a moment, like a predator eyeing its prey, before,
“Let’s go upstairs first.”
The moment Inho looked down at Haon, his timid gaze quickly fled. Haon nodded, pretending he hadn’t been looking at him. And so, the two headed upstairs.
Haon walked, consciously aware of their empty hands, until they arrived at the cafe.
He subtly extended his arm, half-expecting Inho to take his hand, but Inho simply smiled gently as he looked around.
He simply looked happy. He didn’t seem to have any thoughts of holding hands or hugging, like the affectionate couples over there.
Why? Why…
“Haon-ssi.”
Haon, who was sitting at the cafe, looked up at Inho’s face suddenly approaching and replied loudly, “Yes!” He had been lost in thought, blankly chewing on the straw of his iced tea.
“I’ll be right back from the restroom. Don’t go anywhere.”
“Ah, yes. Take your time.”
Haon watched Inho walk away, leaving behind a soft smile. Every time he passed by, the gazes around them followed as if drawn by a magnet. Someone even openly exclaimed how handsome he was.
I thought I wouldn’t get used to it. Surprisingly, Haon was already a little accustomed to those gazes. Of course, it was still embarrassing when people stared while they walked together.
The sight of Inho being the sole focus of attention, like now, was no longer surprising. It was because more astonishing things were happening to him.
Haon took a sip of his sweet iced tea and rested his chin on his hand. He was clearly happy and his heart fluttered with excitement, but shallow sighs kept trying to escape his lips.
“Hmm.”
He rubbed his face and looked down at his empty palms, falling into deep thought again. When on earth should I hold his hand? It was a very difficult question for Haon.
Haon had never even experienced a typical date. After Seong-gu hyung, his closest companions were nature and stray dogs without owners. He didn’t watch movies or dramas often, so he had little indirect experience either.
So, it was no wonder that he was flustered and overly nervous on his first date. He had no idea what words and actions he should take with Inho, his first date and now boyfriend.
He wanted to hold his hand, but he wasn’t sure if it was okay. More than anything, he didn’t feel brave enough because Inho didn’t seem to have any intention of holding hands.
“Am I sweating…?”
Haon wiped his lukewarm palms with a wet wipe and cautiously smelled them. He worried that his hands might feel unpleasant to hold.
Inho had naturally held his hand even before they started dating. When they went to rent bicycles at the park, or when moving from the kitchen to the living room, he would sometimes hold his hand and walk together.
But why wasn’t there even a brush of fingertips today? And it was their first date.
Come to think of it, earlier today, when they dozed off on the sofa, they really just slept. He had only given him a pillow arm, without any hugging or similar physical contact.
Is this how it usually is? Do I need to act more carefully after we start dating? Fresh question marks piled up in Haon’s head.
Then, when do we… kiss?
“Cough.”
Haon was startled by his own thoughts of wanting deeper skinship than a hug and accidentally swallowed his iced tea the wrong way. The innocent voices of the children chattering at the next table made Haon even more embarrassed.
He had never had such thoughts before. Ever since he fell in love with Inho, embarrassing thoughts popped into his head whenever he had a moment, flustering Haon.
“I want to touch it too!”
Just then, a loud child’s voice caught Haon’s attention. Two children sat side by side, playing with each other’s dolls.
They were a sea otter and a penguin doll. Naturally, the sea otter caught Haon’s eye.
The light gray sea otter doll looked as cute and dopey as the real thing. It reminded Haon of Inho, who had liked taking pictures of sea otters, and he wanted to buy the doll for him. He regretted again not bringing his wallet.
He chewed on the straw again with disappointment, when suddenly a thought struck him. It was a thought that would make Inho burst into laughter if he heard it. But for Haon, it was a serious question.
Could it be that he likes me the way he finds sea otters cute? Not romantic feelings, but just because I’m smaller and cuter than him…?
“Haon-ssi, are you done with your drink?”
Just then, Inho, who had returned, approached Haon, who had an even dumber look on his face than the sea otter doll.
“They’re saying there’s a performance in five minutes. Do you want to go see it?”
“Ah, yes. Yes, good. Let’s go see it.”
Haon quickly tidied up his drink and left the cafe with Inho.
“It’s over there. Right in front.”
Inho pointed at a nearby sign and led the way. He still didn’t hold his hand.
Haon’s pace slowed for a moment, his lips drooping. Inho, who had found the sea otter doll and the real sea otters so cute, flickered before his eyes. But it was only for a moment.
“What kind of performance is it?”
Haon, picking up his pace energetically, moved closer to Inho. He mustered his courage and pressed his arm close to Inho’s, mentally preparing himself.
He wouldn’t ask a sea otter to date him, so he must like me more than that.
He cheered himself up with a thought that would make Tae-hwi clutch his stomach laughing. And he even decided to take the initiative and hold Inho’s hand first.
‘Tell me if you ever want to.’
Recalling Inho’s words etched in his heart, he gathered his nonexistent courage. That’s right, instead of just waiting, let’s approach him first!
He wiped his palms on his pants, swallowed his breath, and then boldly held out his hand towards Inho. This alone was an overwhelming attempt for Haon.
“What should I give you?”
Then Inho asked kindly, looking at Haon’s palm extended towards his chin.
Haon was clearly in a position asking for something. He absolutely didn’t look like he was trying to hold hands.
“This hand…”
Would you like to hold it? The words he couldn’t bring himself to say circled around his tight heart.
Inho waited for the next words with a languid smile, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
“There’s… something on my hand…”
Haon ended up changing the subject. He had already used up all the courage he had mustered just by reaching out his hand.
“Do… do you have any tissues?”
He mumbled a plausible excuse and looked down at the ground. He wiggled his stiff hands, imagining them digging into the earth.
Just when the courage he had barely mustered was about to vanish without a trace.
“I don’t have any tissues.”
The slowly uttered, gentle voice lifted Haon’s sinking heart.
“Would this not work?”
He clasped Haon’s lost hand tightly and broadened his smile. Inho held Haon’s outstretched hand preciously and walked, gently swinging their interlocked arms.
The two watched the performance with their hands clasped tightly like that.
The beautiful Little Mermaid put on a splendid performance, but no scene remained in Haon’s memory.
What remained for Haon was the sensation of Inho’s palm touching his, and the pleasant grip of their fingers intertwined. And the voice that had come close to his ear and whispered so only he could hear it was also engraved in his heart.
“I was wondering when you’d tell me.”
Every time his playful whisper came to mind, Haon’s earlobes flushed. It was a memory he never wanted to forget in his entire life.
