In the end, Seon-woo and Seung-hyeon wandered around for a while before giving up on the explosion site and settling on a different pizza place.
Seung-hyeon, putting on an impressively composed face, said things like, “I’m glad we got to look around a bit more,” and, “I think the view here is even nicer than the last place.” But that didn’t mean Seon-woo’s mood had recovered in the slightest.
He’d wanted to carry out the perfect plan perfectly. Who would’ve thought the kitchen of the restaurant he reserved would explode, leaving them without dinner?
To make matters worse, the new pizza joint they ended up in was utterly terrible. The sauce looked like a toddler had smeared leftover tomato paste on the dough as a prank—it was that half-assed. There wasn’t much cheese either, and what little there was came in wildly uneven portions, to the point that you could use the slices for some kind of punishment game.
Seon-woo deliberately picked a slice with almost no cheese and tried to hide his gloomy expression while eating it. He figured that if he openly showed how much of a disaster this was, he’d just end up ruining Seung-hyeon’s mood too.
“…How is it?”
It was a routine sort of question, but Seon-woo regretted asking it the moment the words left his mouth. If Seung-hyeon said it tasted good, it would be a lie said for Seon-woo’s sake. But if he gave an honest answer and said it tasted bad, it would kill the mood at the table—or worse, start a pointless argument. He was about to wave it off and say he didn’t need to answer when Seung-hyeon gave a playful smile.
“When I try to cut corners and squeeze out too much profit in my pizza game, this is exactly the result I get.”
Even someone who didn’t play that game could instantly get the metaphor. Thanks to that lighthearted comment, the mood eased a little, and the two of them were able to leave the restaurant with at least somewhat cheerful faces.
Compared to earlier, though, Seon-woo felt even more pressure. The place he had carefully booked exploded, and the backup option was a total bust. So for the next part of the date, he was determined to make up for all the parts that had gone sideways.
The pizza was a disaster… but as long as the jazz bar goes well, we’ll be okay.
The evening plan was to visit a jazz bar in Greece that had been highly recommended online—a place where you could sip drinks while listening to live performances from jazz singers.
With some time to kill before then, Seon-woo and Seung-hyeon strolled around, browsed souvenir shops, snacked at a park, and visited a fairly famous fountain. Judging by the sheer number of coins resting at the bottom, it seemed to be one of those wish-granting fountains you hear about. Amid the sea of foreign coins, Seung-hyeon tossed in a 100-won coin he happened to have on him and made a small wish.
They were having such a good time that before long, night had fallen.
With a cooperative smile, Seon-woo led the way as Seung-hyeon asked what the next destination was. They arrived at the jazz bar he had scouted ahead of time.
Thankfully, it was just as he had hoped. Dimly lit, but not sleazy—an atmosphere that struck just the right balance. A jazz singer with a beautiful voice was performing a song that perfectly matched the mood. A soft smile bloomed across Seung-hyeon’s face as he sipped his whiskey on the rocks, looking content and excited. This part of the date, at least, seemed to be a success.
Thank god.
Seon-woo let out another silent sigh of relief and was about to call over the bartender to order another drink—
When suddenly, BANG!
The door flew open with a loud crash, and a man with a flushed, beet-red face burst inside.
“HEY! Where’s Andreas? ANDREAS, GET OUT HERE!”
Is he drunk? And of all times, now? Seon-woo stared toward the entrance, desperately hoping the man would say something like, “Ah, I came to the wrong place. My apologies,” and walk right back out.
Unfortunately, the man seemed to have spotted the Andreas he’d been so desperately searching for inside the bar. With heavy, stomping steps, he marched straight toward the jazz singer’s table. Now that Seon-woo thought about it, the singer had gone completely silent since the man barged in.
“If you borrowed money, you should pay it back!”
The red-faced man shouted as he grabbed a fistful of Andreas’s hair. Andreas let out a blood-curdling scream as his hair was yanked—but the real problem was that his mouth was still right up against the mic.
The once atmospheric jazz bar now rang with a shriek so sharp and loud that people started covering their ears, grumbling as they got up to leave.
Seon-woo glanced over to check Seung-hyeon’s face. He was watching the confrontation between the singer and the angry debtor with a stiff expression. If he had looked even remotely intrigued, Seon-woo might’ve been willing to sit and see how it played out. But Seung-hyeon’s expression didn’t show any hint of amusement or interest.
And honestly, who knew if that angry guy might come back with even more people to cause a scene?
Seon-woo reached out and tapped two fingers lightly on the back of Seung-hyeon’s hand. Seung-hyeon turned to him, the tension in his face melting into a gentle smile.
Seon-woo whispered quietly, “Should we head out too?”
Without a moment of hesitation, Seung-hyeon stood up.
After settling the bill, they slipped out through a door opposite the one they had entered from. The night air felt a little colder than it had on the way in—maybe because they had alcohol in their systems now.
As they walked, Seung-hyeon silently reached out and laced his fingers through Seon-woo’s. In a soft voice, he asked, “Then… shall we go back to the hotel?”
Seon-woo let out a sigh in his mind, one that flickered like a candle about to die out.
Of all people, the jazz singer Andreas had to be a bastard who borrowed money and didn’t pay it back. And of all days, the debt collector just had to storm into the bar tonight. Once again, they’d ended up in a miserable situation.
Seung-hyeon seemed to be pretending to stay calm—maybe even trying to comfort him. Seon-woo could practically hear how he’d respond if he asked whether he was okay. He’d probably say something like, “What matters isn’t where we go, but who we’re with,” and assure Seon-woo that just being together was enough.
And of course, for Seon-woo, being with Seung-hyeon was enough too.
If it weren’t for Seung-hyeon, Seon-woo wouldn’t have gone out of his way to find famous restaurants or planned anything at all—he’d have just ducked into the nearest place that didn’t look terrible and grabbed something quick to eat.
But to Seon-woo, being okay and being disappointed were two separate things.
And now Seung-hyeon was suggesting they just head straight back to the hotel. It seemed like he was emotionally drained too.
Seon-woo forced himself to mask his heavy expression and nodded.
I wonder if he’s disappointed too.
After all, they’d come all this way, only to face one disaster after another.
Seon-woo mentally went over the last item on today’s itinerary. He couldn’t tell if sticking to the plan was the right thing to do anymore. The thought consumed him so much that he barely said a word on the way back to the hotel.
“Do you want to shower first? Or should I?”
Once they arrived, Seung-hyeon asked the usual question. Normally, Seon-woo let Seung-hyeon go first, but tonight he shook his head and said he’d go in first.
His plan was to set things up while Seung-hyeon was in the shower—whatever was left of today’s plan would be executed during that window.
But honestly, he wasn’t sure anymore if he’d get the reaction he’d been hoping for.
With a heavy heart, Seon-woo finished his shower… and with that same heaviness, gently pushed Seung-hyeon into the shower booth.
Then, he took out what he had prepared from his bag.
It didn’t take long before Seung-hyeon finished his shower. As he stepped out in a bathrobe, Seon-woo, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, kept fidgeting with the object hidden behind his back.
How should I bring this up? “I have something for you”? Is that too cliché?
Still caught in hesitation, Seon-woo finally made up his mind. As Seung-hyeon approached, he put on the calmest face he could manage and spoke.
“I brought something with me.”
Seung-hyeon responded with a fresh, bright smile and a quick “Yeah,” immediately closing the distance between them.
Seon-woo furrowed his brow slightly. What’s with this reaction? It was as if he had been expecting it. Could it be… he already knew?
He definitely looked pleased, but the vibe wasn’t quite what Seon-woo had anticipated. Before he could ask anything, Seung-hyeon, now just a breath away, leaned down toward Seon-woo, who was still seated.
Droplets from his damp hair fell onto Seon-woo’s dark clothes, soaking the fabric.
Then, without warning, Seung-hyeon wrapped his arms around him and sank onto the bed, his knees straddling either side in a way that made him practically collapse on top of Seon-woo.
Caught off guard, Seon-woo nearly fell backward with the item still clutched behind him. He managed to brace himself with one hand and avoid tumbling onto his back.
Seung-hyeon, now holding him close with a puzzled look, pressed his lips gently to the corner of Seon-woo’s eye—an unmistakably intimate gesture.
At this point, even Seon-woo, who had been too tense to think straight, couldn’t ignore that something was off.
He lifted a hand to stop Seung-hyeon and saw that same look of mild confusion cross his face.
Seon-woo cautiously asked, “What… exactly are you trying to do right now?”
The moment the question was out, Seung-hyeon seemed to realize something was wrong too. His lips parted, then closed again. Finally, he gently sat Seon-woo upright and spoke.
“At the bar, you…”
“The bar?”
“You were touching the back of my hand and asked if we should go.”
Seon-woo’s lips parted in surprise.
Thinking back on what Seung-hyeon had said, it started to make sense.
‘Shall we go back to the hotel?’
So Seung-hyeon had interpreted Seon-woo’s subtle gesture in the bar as something with a very different implication. Meanwhile, Seon-woo had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn’t picked up on any of it.
The tension dissolved, and a laugh escaped him.
Seung-hyeon, still standing awkwardly, avoided Seon-woo’s eyes. He looked… embarrassed.
After a pause, he finally asked in a hesitant voice,
“…The thing you brought…”
Had he really thought Seon-woo brought some kind of adult toy? That would explain why he looked pleased but didn’t try to immediately open it.
Seon-woo fumbled behind his back for the small case that had caused the misunderstanding, then made up his mind and gently guided Seung-hyeon to sit down on the bed.
Should I kneel… ?
But he quickly decided against it.
Instead, he carefully sat beside Seung-hyeon and looked him in the eye. Then, bringing the item out from behind his back, he opened the lid of the case.
Seung-hyeon’s gaze stayed locked on the ring inside the case. Anyone who saw the design of the case and the shape of the ring would instantly recognize it for what it was—a wedding ring.
Feeling awkward and slightly self-conscious, Seon-woo dipped his head just a bit, trying not to show how flustered he actually was.
“Originally, I wanted to wrap up today’s plans perfectly and give you this… and then spend tomorrow going around like we’re on our honeymoon.”
“Maybe… we pulled off half of that.”
Instead of answering Seon-woo’s careful statement directly, Seung-hyeon raised a hand and covered his face. Alarmed, Seon-woo leaned in, trying to see his expression.
And a few seconds later, he silently thanked himself for not stupidly asking, ‘Did something get in your eye?’
“Seung-hyeon.”
Seon-woo’s voice came out soft and gentle.
He carefully reached out and lowered the hand covering Seung-hyeon’s face—Confirming what he already suspected.
Seung-hyeon was crying.
There was a helpless smile trembling at the corner of his lips, tears clinging to his lashes—And somehow, he looked happier than ever.
“Ah… Director… I mean, Hyung…”
The words tumbled out twice in a row. Seung-hyeon reached out and cupped Seon-woo’s cheek in his hand.
His face, now so close, was streaked with crystal-clear tears that shimmered like something out of a drama—unreal, fragile, and… beautiful.
In a voice still laced with tears, Seung-hyeon whispered, “I wonder if I’m allowed to be this happy.”
With that, he turned his head and closed his eyes.
Seon-woo closed his own eyes in return, gently feeling along his fingers until he found Seung-hyeon’s left ring finger—And slipped the ring on.
Just before their lips met, Seon-woo spoke, his voice barely audible.
“You still need to answer.”
“This is a real proposal, you know.”
Then he opened his eyes.
Wet lashes, right in front of him, met his gaze.
Seung-hyeon smiled through his tear-streaked face and spoke in a voice that was small, unsteady— Yet unmistakably certain and firm.
“I love you.”
“Me too.”
“I’m yours, Director.”
Their lips met.
And as he swallowed that whispered confession, Seon-woo suddenly thought—That maybe every terrible thing that happened today had led up to this one perfect moment.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Even now, Gwak Seon-woo’s was receiving another silent confession—passed from mouth to mouth.
And because of that…
This was the most perfect honeymoon imaginable.
