Love Me More Side Story 10
Si-yul was suddenly seized by an impulse to reveal everything honestly. The words that had risen to his throat were so intense that he felt he couldn’t hold them back. “Hyung,” he called, and Woo Hyun-se turned his head.
“You’re all of my firsts.”
Was it out of the blue? Hyun-se just looked at Si-yul without saying anything. The light that stained Si-yul’s cheeks was the same color that dyed Hyun-se. Feeling that this moment of sharing the same space was precious and sweet, Si-yul smiled broadly and gently pressed his forehead against Hyun-se’s.
“First love, first kiss, first experience, even the first overseas trip. All of it.”
“…”
“You’ll be my last too.”
After revealing this, he felt completely relieved. Hyun-se’s eyes widened as if surprised or in disbelief, and then he reached out and took Si-yul’s hand. Rubbing his nose against Si-yul’s reddened cheek, he whispered.
“From now on, everything of mine is yours. Take my life too, Kwon Si-yul. It’s not much compared to what I’ve received.”
It was excessive for a response to a confession. Still, a beaming smile bloomed on Si-yul’s face. Deeper and more radiant than the dawning horizon.
“I love you.”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Si-yul couldn’t return the answer. Instead, he kissed Hyun-se. Even with just a light kiss, the answer was enough. A smile identical to Si-yul’s was spreading across Hyun-se’s lips and his entire face.
* * *
Woo Hyun-se sat in his chair, lost in thought. On the desk was a box that had been bothering his pocket for days. Opening the red leather box, a pair of dazzling rings shone.
If he had his way, he would have wanted to make a ring with a large blue diamond, but knowing Kwon Si-yul’s personality, he probably wouldn’t wear it even if given. So he chose a design that was simple but not too plain.
It’s a bit much to be considered a couple ring, and by Hyun-se’s standards, too weak to be a wedding ring. It was neither here nor there, but he bought it thinking he must put a mark of his ownership on Si-yul’s long fingers before anyone else dared to covet him.
He should have given it before the trip.
“…”
Although he had deliberately chosen a resort famous for couples, there were unexpected obstacles even there. Taking advantage of a moment when he stepped away, some smelly white man had clung to Si-yul. The layers of fat were on his neck rather than his belly.
Why was Si-yul always so popular with pigs? The pig who had bothered Si-yul at the bar before had been sent back to his herd. More precisely, into the bellies of the boars.
‘You know how voracious their appetite is. It’ll be over in 10 minutes.’
The young, curly-haired farm owner had gladly opened the farm gate for Hyun-se. They had become acquainted through Ju Shindo.
When he returned, the pig was clearly not just asking for directions. Although he was babbling in English, Si-yul couldn’t understand a word.
“What’s going on?”
Si-yul, looking around for him, was pitiful and lovable, but the guy flirting in front of him was trash to be removed. He asked while gripping Si-yul’s shoulder. Si-yul turned to him with a “Hyung,” his face brighter than the sun. When the pig asked who he was, he proudly declared:
“Husband.”
Although they hadn’t officially registered their marriage yet, he would become his husband and was no different from a husband now. After going this far, one would think the pig would back off on his own, but contrary to his appearance, he had keen eyes.
“Liar. You don’t even have rings.”
“Left them behind.”
He calmly lied while pulling Si-yul closer. Seeing that words alone weren’t getting through, he was considering whether to drown the pig in the sea, but just before that, the pig grumbled and backed off. Fortunately, there was no bloodshed. He didn’t want to show such a violent side in front of Si-yul.
Even thinking back, it made his blood boil. If he had put a ring on Si-yul’s finger, could he have prevented such incidents? He wanted to gather everyone he knew and didn’t know and have a grand wedding ceremony, but Si-yul’s age was somewhat of a concern.
There was an 8-year age gap. The fact that when he was drowning in alcohol at university, Si-yul would have been carrying an elementary school backpack pricked his hairy conscience.
While wondering if he was putting shackles on a young person with a bright future, on the other hand, he believed that no one but him would stand by Kwon Si-yul’s side in the future. He would do his best to ensure that – even if it meant crossing the line set by law.
If age had been a concern from the beginning, he wouldn’t have come this far. It’s a bit ridiculous to find conscience now when he had bitten, sucked, chewed, and planned to continue savoring deliciously. When did he ever develop such a thing?
Once again, he couldn’t make a decision. Hyun-se idly put the box back in his pocket. He always carried it on him so he could give it anytime, but it was a box that never found its way to its rightful owner.
He had been waiting for the right opportunity, but kept coming up empty-handed several times. Even trying to draw on past experiences of how he had done it before was useless. In fact, he had never placed much importance on rings before. It was just a gift given because the other person wanted it, nothing more.
But Kwon Si-yul was different. Because the meaning was so significant, whenever he tried to give the ring, his mind went blank. Acting uncharacteristically hesitant, he felt like he had become a dazed fool.
He had made restaurant reservations to set the mood, but abandoned the idea as it seemed to only highlight their age difference. He thought about giving it during an evening walk, but it seemed too casual, so he postponed it again. Thus, he wasted two weeks without even taking the box out of his pocket.
“Hyung, look at this.”
Si-yul, lying with his head on Hyun-se’s thigh while looking at his phone, held up the screen. Hyun-se, who had been watching TV while his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the ring, lowered his gaze. Si-yul was smiling brightly. Just looking at him made Hyun-se’s own lips relax.
“It’s a review that was posted. This person is a regular at our cafe. But I think they made a mistake.”
He took the phone. A short review was posted along with a photo.
The part-timer is delicious and the coffee is friendly. Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu morning face big blessing
It was the days Si-yul worked. “They say I’m delicious,” Si-yul said, laughing cheerfully, but Hyun-se’s lips instantly formed a straight line.
“A regular, you say?”
His voice was chilly too. He managed to hide his cold pheromones so as not to startle Si-yul.
“Yes. They come every morning. Oh, yesterday they bought macarons too.”
“I’ll sue them for solicitation.”
Before returning the phone to Si-yul, Hyun-se personally reported the review as pornography. It wasn’t a mistake at all, it was clearly written with intent.
It seemed that Kwon Si-yul not only shone in his eyes but in the eyes of others as well. This wouldn’t do at all. This was all his fault for not putting his mark on Kwon Si-yul. Such impure individuals would only increase, not decrease, in the future.
He couldn’t just stand by and allow such a serious situation. What did mood or style matter? There was no more time to hesitate.
Hyun-se carefully moved Si-yul’s head and came down from the sofa, kneeling on one knee. Si-yul sat up abruptly.
“Hyung?”
He had imagined this scene so many times, but when it came to actually presenting it, his fingertips froze. He clenched and unclenched his fist to drive away the tension and took out the box.
Si-yul stared blankly at the ring. Hyun-se took out one of the two and put down the box. He took Si-yul’s left hand and slid the ring onto his long, beautiful ring finger. Having secretly measured Si-yul’s size while he was sleeping, it slipped on smoothly without any obstruction.
“I should have given this to you earlier.”
“Is this for me?”
As if unable to believe it, Si-yul spread his fingers and looked down at the ring. Hyun-se lightly kissed the back of Si-yul’s hand where the ring was. His “Yes” was muffled between his lips and Si-yul’s hand.
He quickly looked up. He had been worried about what to do if Si-yul refused, but fortunately, there was no rejection. Rather, Si-yul’s eyes were slightly reddened.
“Is it okay for me to just receive this? I don’t have anything to give you.”
“Just stay by my side from now on, don’t go anywhere. That’s enough.”
The gift he had received from Kwon Si-yul – even just a pair of shoes – was more than enough. It was a gift he never wanted to receive again. As before, he would never wear them in the future. The moment he put his foot in those shoes, the mistakes he had committed and the sight of Kwon Si-yul turning his back would unfold before his eyes.
That’s why Hyun-se promised himself that he would only give to Si-yul in the future. Whether it was a simple item, love, or something even greater, it was okay even if Si-yul fell backward from the weight of receiving – he would support him. In this way, he wanted to be Si-yul’s sturdy support while also restraining him from running away anywhere.
Hyun-se would gladly become Kwon Si-yul’s fence and family. Just as Si-yul was to him, he wanted to become a deeply rooted presence in Si-yul’s life that could never be removed.
“You put this one on me.”
Hiding his pitch-black, tar-like sticky inner thoughts, Hyun-se held out the remaining ring and his left hand to Si-yul. Despite his rather brazen attitude, Si-yul smiled brightly as he slipped the ring onto Hyun-se’s finger.
“Now that you’re wearing the ring, you’re mine too.”
Quite an audacious statement, isn’t it? Nevertheless, this was what he had desperately wanted. Unable to hold back any longer, he hugged Si-yul tightly. The laughter echoing in his ears rolled into his ear canal like the waves they had seen on the island.
From Si-yul’s cheek, neck, and over his shoulder blades, the scent of wisteria flowers drenched in honey blossomed. It was a scent like new sprouts, a signal of spring. Kwon Si-yul was the peaceful spring day that had come to Hyun-se, who had always been in a harsh winter.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
