“Winnie!”
Winnie?
At the unexpected pet name, Yu-jin’s eyes widened even more, but that wasn’t the end of it. The woman named Evelyn beamed brightly before suddenly throwing her arms around Winston’s neck. Yu-jin froze on the spot, utterly stunned. His vision blurred in shock as he watched Winston not only make no attempt to push her away but instead laugh out loud. And to make matters worse, he even embraced her back as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Yu-jin felt like he was going to faint right then and there. His breathing turned rough, his chest tightening with unease. But Winston, completely oblivious to Yu-jin’s state, went on to press his cheeks against Evelyn’s in turn, exchanging a light kiss on each side in a typical European greeting. Yu-jin took in the entire scene, unable to tear his eyes away.
“How did you know? That I was here, I mean.”
Only after all those overly friendly gestures did Winston finally step back and ask the question first.
“You left the garage door open. I saw your car,” Evelyn responded playfully, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.
“And you? What about you? What brings you here?”
At her return question, Winston gave a simple reply.
“Vacation, obviously.”
“Alone?”
“As if.”
Winston chuckled, then turned around. The moment he did, his gaze met Yu-jin’s. Unlike Yu-jin, who flinched in surprise, Winston looked delighted.
“Come here, baby. Why are you just standing there?”
Evelyn looked up at Winston, visibly startled for some reason. That reaction stung Yu-jin all over again. What, am I not good enough to be with Winston?
Fueled by a sudden rebellious urge, Yu-jin hurriedly strode forward and wrapped his arms around Winston’s waist from behind. As if finding him utterly adorable, Winston grinned down at him, his face full of amusement. Evelyn, still looking baffled, glanced between the two of them before finally fixing her gaze on Winston.
“Did you just say… baby?”
As her attention returned to Yu-jin, Winston answered without hesitation.
“Yeah.”
Yu-jin, still clinging to Winston, met Evelyn’s gaze head-on. His heart was pounding like crazy, but he refused to back down. Sensing his stubbornness, Winston pulled him even closer and spoke.
“Yu-jin, say hello. This is Evelyn, my childhood friend. We grew up together—like siblings.”
Like siblings? Yeah, right. Yu-jin shot Winston a subtle glare, feeling petty all of a sudden. But Winston, paying him no mind, continued speaking to Evelyn.
“And this—” He turned his attention back to Yu-jin with a warm smile. “This is Yu-jin, my lover.”
Evelyn’s eyes grew even rounder. Winston’s arm tightened around Yu-jin, pulling him firmly against his chest. Yu-jin, in turn, pressed himself even closer. With just that one simple declaration, all the sulking and frustration from earlier melted away in an instant. A giddy warmth spread through him, and with his face flushing red, he couldn’t help but break into a soft, bashful smile.
As soon as Evelyn left and they were finally alone, Winston wasted no time pulling Yu-jin into his arms, pressing a kiss against his lips.
“You were surprised by the sudden visitor, weren’t you? It’s all fine now.”
“Uh… yeah.”
Yu-jin answered absentmindedly, but then, belatedly, he remembered something he had almost forgotten. Just as Winston leaned in for another kiss, Yu-jin turned his head to the side, avoiding him, and grumbled in a voice full of dissatisfaction.
“What was that? She just showed up out of nowhere and hugged you like that…”
At the time, he had been too caught up in the moment to react, but thinking about it now, he felt more and more annoyed. Without realizing it, he pouted, and Winston burst into laughter at the sight. His reaction only made Yu-jin even more irritated, and he shot him a glare.
“What? What’s so funny?”
“Don’t be jealous, baby. Evelyn isn’t even worth it.”
“Not worth it?”
Yu-jin protested at Winston’s dismissive tone, but Winston softened his voice, coaxing him gently.
“Baby, I’ve known her literally since birth. Even if she stripped naked in front of me, I wouldn’t feel a thing. Evelyn, to me, is no different than a man without a dick.”
Would she think the same? The look on her face when Winston called him “baby” earlier kept nagging at him. But still, with how firmly Winston was denying any possibility, Yu-jin couldn’t exactly keep pushing the matter. Winston insisted he was innocent, after all.
There wasn’t really anything suspicious, anyway…
After running through various thoughts in his mind, Yu-jin finally muttered, somewhat reluctantly, “She called you Winnie.”
That kind of pet name never even crossed his mind. No matter what, it was undeniable that Evelyn and Winston had a relationship close enough for something like that to be natural. It felt like the last piece of evidence, and yet, Winston brushed it aside so effortlessly.
“You can call me that too.”
Yu-jin stared up at him blankly. Winston only looked back with that easy smile, as if he didn’t understand what the issue was.
Am I being petty?
The thought suddenly struck Yu-jin. Was he the only one getting this upset over something so trivial? Were other people not like this?
“Baby.”
Sensing Yu-jin’s turmoil, Winston spoke to him in a soothing voice.
“If something’s bothering you, tell me. It’s okay. I can explain everything—so don’t keep things bottled up.”
As he said that, Winston placed a soft kiss on Yu-jin’s cheek.
“If you keep things to yourself, it’ll pile up, and then we’ll start having problems. I don’t want that.”
The tenderness in his words, the sincerity behind them, slowly eased the tension in Yu-jin’s heart. After hesitating for a moment, he finally admitted in a small voice,
“I… don’t like just anyone calling you Winnie…”
Once Yu-jin finally managed to get the words out, the rest came a little easier. He took a deep breath and continued.
“You told me I could call you that, but… if anyone can, then it feels like I’m just anyone too. But at the same time, I don’t want other people calling you Winnie either…”
His voice trailed off naturally, tangled in his own roundabout explanation. Even he wasn’t sure what exactly he was trying to say. Did Winston understand how he felt? Anxiety crept in as he hesitated, but then Winston spoke.
“Got it. From now on, no one else will call me that.”
“Huh?”
Yu-jin looked up in surprise, and Winston smiled as he continued.
“From now on, you’re the only one who can call me Winnie. I won’t let Evelyn use it either—no one else will be allowed to.”
He cupped Yu-jin’s cheek and met his gaze. Yu-jin could only stare blankly into Winston’s violet eyes. Just like that? So easily?
Seeing his disbelief, Winston asked, “Feeling better now?”
If Yu-jin had said no, Winston looked like he would have done anything—absolutely anything—to change that. Somehow, just knowing that melted away the last of the irritation that had been stubbornly clinging to his heart. Winston noticed the shift in his expression and urged him with a teasing smile.
“Come on, say it. Call me Winnie.”
Winnie.
Just thinking the name made Yu-jin’s heart feel like it would explode. He opened his mouth, hesitated, and after several failed attempts, finally whispered softly,
“Winnie…”
“Yeah, baby,” Winston responded instantly.
Yu-jin gasped, overwhelmed, covering his mouth with both hands. Seeing his reaction, Winston laughed again before pulling him into a tight embrace. Yu-jin, no longer hesitating, hugged him back and took a deep breath. Winston’s scent, sweet and intoxicating, filled his lungs. As warmth and happiness spread through his body—
…Huh?
A faint sting registered somewhere on his body. It was barely noticeable, but distinct enough to catch his attention. Yu-jin blinked and tilted his head in confusion.
What was that…?
The sensation disappeared before he could identify it, leaving him uncertain. He was still dazed when Winston spoke first.
“Shall we head out? Let’s pick up a few more outfits while we’re here.”
“Outfits?”
Yu-jin blinked in surprise. Since he had brought the clothes Winston had already bought him, he hadn’t even thought about shopping for more. When he looked up at Winston in shock, the man answered casually.
“Yeah. If we’re on vacation, you should dress for it.”
Winston gently separated from Yu-jin and, with natural ease, wrapped an arm around his waist before taking the first step. Yu-jin followed suit, falling into stride beside him.
“Let’s check out some restaurants on the way. We can have dinner somewhere nice.”
“Mm, sounds good.”
Yu-jin grinned and, feeling lighter, wrapped his arms around Winston’s waist in return.
Winnie.
Muttering the pet name softly to himself, Yu-jin flushed red with embarrassment.
I love you, Winnie.
His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst. Taking several deep breaths to calm his excitement, Yu-jin finally climbed into the passenger seat of the car.
