Fortunately, after a long spell of overcast days with nothing but dark clouds, the sky finally cleared up. A blue expanse unfolded.
The weather was so lovely that more than half the people strolling along the streets were taking pictures of the sky. Haon was one of them.
“Would you like to pull over for a moment to take some pictures?”
Inho asked Haon, who was in the passenger seat, continuously exclaiming in admiration and snapping photos of the sky. Even to him, the current sky was unbelievably beautiful. There was a reason why people stopped in their tracks to capture it.
Magnificent clouds floated in the deep blue sky, as if they had been painted there. Even if one tried to draw it, it felt like it would be impossible to capture such beauty.
“I’ll park nearby, so you can get out and take pictures for a bit.”
The two had decided to have lunch in the vicinity. They hadn’t chosen a restaurant yet, so they had deliberately come to a street with many dining options. It was because Haon had wanted to see the places in person before deciding.
“No, I’d rather look with Inho ssi.”
Haon smiled prettily, saying words as lovely as he was. Inho, after giving Haon’s lips a deep kiss, which always seemed to utter pleasantries, gently turned the steering wheel.
Just like the clear weather, Haon and Inho’s expressions were bright. They seemed to be illuminated as if a spotlight was shining only on them.
Haon held Inho’s free hand, the one not on the steering wheel, preciously, and continued to admire the sky.
They were planning to see a musical that evening. Before that, they had decided to go out for an early dinner.
“I’m looking forward to the musical.”
Haon, who had never been to a theater before, was very excited. He had recently seen a musical film that had stayed with him, and he had wanted to see a live performance at least once. Inho, knowing this, had suggested they go see a musical. It was because Haon had been constantly humming wordless tunes.
“It’ll be fun.”
“Have you seen this show before, Inho ssi?”
“A long time ago. In America.”
Inho tapped the steering wheel lightly with his fingers and replied with a smile. Haon gazed intently at Inho’s profile as he looked for a place to park.
“How long did you live in America?”
He knew that Inho had lived abroad, but this was the first time he had asked for details. Inho hadn’t brought it up first, so he hadn’t asked any questions until now.
“I lived there for quite a while. I went when I was young and came back after I became an adult.”
He lived there much longer than I thought. Haon gained another piece of information about Inho with a curious expression.
“Then you must be very good at English.”
Inho chuckled lightly at the simple question and shrugged one shoulder. It was a gesture he often made, yet it felt oddly like a foreigner’s mannerism. Haon secretly admired him, engraving in his mind the image of Inho, whose very breathing seemed sophisticated.
A scene of him speaking in English would be incredibly cool. As he thought this, Inho murmured as if it just passed his lips.
“It’s average. I didn’t speak much.”
He wanted to ask in more detail, but for some reason, the words wouldn’t come out. Haon simply nodded his head, understanding.
Inho, wearing a deep smile, naturally changed the subject, asking how hungry he was.
“I think I could eat a lot. What about you, Inho ssi?”
“Me too.”
After parking the car in the public parking lot, they smiled at each other and shared a light kiss. Just as it seemed like it would lead to a deeper kiss, a gurgling sound came from Haon’s stomach. It was the sound of the food he had eaten in the morning digesting.
Inho looked lovingly at Haon, who was rubbing his stomach in embarrassment, and suggested they go. The two then walked hand in hand down the street bathed in bright sunlight. The beautiful sky and the cool breeze tickled the corners of their lips.
They laughed even without exchanging any particular words. They would laugh just by making eye contact, and Haon would giggle even if he playfully squeezed Inho’s hand. Haon and Inho, walking side by side, looked very happy.
“Shall we eat outside?”
“To go?”
“No, at an outdoor table.”
Inho, leading Haon into a fancy restaurant, pointed to a table outside the glass window. Naturally, Haon said he would like that. It was a waste of such beautiful weather to stay indoors.
The two were guided by a server and sat at a table outside. Among the long row of restaurants, they chose a Western-style place that looked the cleanest and least crowded.
And the moment he opened the menu, Haon immediately realized why there weren’t many people there. It wasn’t the kind of price range for a light lunch. No wonder the atmosphere was nice.
“We still have some time, how about a course meal?”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
Haon, who had been glancing at the menu with items he couldn’t quite decipher, quickly nodded. Then, he subtly put down the menu and left the ordering to Inho.
Inho changed some parts of the course menu, occasionally asking Haon whether he preferred seafood or meat. Instead of habitually saying he liked everything, Haon tried to choose one. Because of this, it took a little longer.
The experienced server maintained a smile and skillfully took their order. If it had been a regular restaurant where turnover was important, they might have shown some impatience, but that wasn’t the case here.
“Then I’ll prepare it right away.”
The server, after bowing their head, went back inside the restaurant. Haon sipped his sparkling water with lemon and whispered to Inho.
“I’m sorry. I was too slow.”
He hadn’t shown it, but the man who took their order must have felt frustrated.
“There’s no need to rush. Take your time, Haon ssi.”
Inho, lowering his voice to match Haon’s, whispered that there was no need to feel sorry at all. Then, with a gentle voice, he soothed Haon and held his hand.
Feeling happy at the firm grip that filled the spaces between his fingers, Haon beamed. Seeing this, Inho’s lips also curved into an effortless smile.
“I think it was a good idea to eat outside. It’ll get cold soon.”
Inho stroked the back of Haon’s hand as he spoke about the approaching winter.
“Does Haon ssi feel the cold easily?”
“I think I do. But I like winter.”
When he asked Inho the same question, the reply came a little late. He said he felt the cold easily and didn’t particularly like winter.
“But I think I’ll like it more from now on.”
Inho, speaking in a soft voice, playfully shook their clasped hands. Haon held Inho’s hand with both of his, smiling. Haon, too, was starting to like the slowly approaching winter more. It felt like this winter wouldn’t be cold.
“Shall we go on a trip for Haon-ssi’s birthday? Is there any country you want to visit?”
“Country?”
Haon hesitated, saying, “Uh…” and just blinked. He had never even thought about going abroad. Of course, he didn’t have a passport either.
“Think about it slowly. Anywhere is fine with me.”
Inho’s fingertips brushed over Haon’s delicate hand. He said there was no need to answer right away. There was plenty of time.
So, it could be a little late. Inho hoped that Haon would enjoy his leisurely time to the fullest, playing or resting as much as he wanted. Only with him.
Their hands, which had been inseparable for a moment, parted briefly as the appetizer arrived. Haon seemed very happy as he slowly savored the appetizing dish.
Haon ate well again today. It took him a long time because he chewed the food until it was almost liquid, but he finished all the dishes that were served.
Inho, who watched this with a pleased expression, asked the server to bring the food slowly, matching Haon’s pace. He also specifically asked them to reduce the portion sizes appropriately.
Others might see him as a demanding customer, but he didn’t care at all. All that mattered was Haon being comfortable.
As they were in the middle of enjoying their dessert, Inho’s phone screen lit up. It seemed like he had a call. He always kept his phone on silent when he was with Haon.
Inho checked the illuminated screen and casually flipped his phone over. It looked like he wasn’t going to answer it.
Seeing this, Haon, who was melting a chocolate mousse cake in his mouth, suddenly took out his own phone. Then he called out to him, “Inho-ssi.” Inho replied with an eye smile.
“Please send me the pictures we took at the aquarium.”
“Ah, I haven’t sent them yet.”
Haon remembered something Inho had forgotten.
Inho smiled brightly and immediately sent the photos. It was a picture he hadn’t seen in a while either. The smile on Inho’s face deepened as he looked at his phone. He chuckled, saying he thought he looked strange in them.
“No way.”
Haon said there was no way that could be true and looked at each picture intently. As expected, he looked handsome as ever.
“This one.”
Haon stared at the last photo for a long time before handing his phone to Inho. It was a picture of them making a finger heart together. He liked this one the most.
“I want to make this my wallpaper.”
That was his way of asking him to do it. Haon had no idea how to operate a phone.
Inho rested his chin on his hand, chuckled, and nodded. He placed Haon’s phone and his own side by side and changed both of their wallpapers to the same photo. He also set the lock screen to the same picture. Now, he would be able to see Haon every time he turned on his phone.
Inho smiled pleasantly, but as he looked at his own image in the photo, he slightly raised one eyebrow.
“Do you really like it?”
“Yes!”
Inho didn’t think it was a particularly good photo of himself. Of course, Haon looked cute and lovely as always, but he thought he was smiling a bit too much. He didn’t usually smile this broadly, but in the photo, he was laughing especially brightly.
“The heart is pretty, and it’s even better because Inho ssi is smiling so brightly.”
Haon, who had been gazing intently at the phone screen, smiled as radiantly as Inho did in the picture. It was a smile that seemed to hold all the sunlight of the sky within it.
Inho, rubbing the corner of his mouth, looked back and forth between Haon and the photo and replied that he liked it too. This time, he meant it sincerely.
