The Christmas Eve dinner had been warm, embarrassing, and joyful all at once.
“…My face just won’t cool down.”
After finishing the meal and paying the bill, I stepped into the restroom for a moment. Even under the bright fluorescent lights, my face was still flushed. More than the wine I’d had with dinner, it was likely because of the rather shocking remark I’d made during the meal.
‘I should’ve just stayed quiet instead of reacting to it…’
Kyle only tilted his head slightly and chewed his meat like a nonchalant puppy. He didn’t throw away my words or mock them, just let them be.
That somehow made it worse. I had been sincere, which only added to my embarrassment.
“Forget it, forget it. Whatever, let’s go.”
On the way back, I needed to think about Christmas presents. What should I get Kyle? It had already been hard enough picking out a birthday gift, and now Christmas was looming. Just thinking about it made my head spin.
As I stepped out of the restroom—
“Excuse me.”
Two women, who seemed about my age, were approaching Kyle. Their eyes sparkled with determination, as if they had built up the courage for this moment.
After a brief hesitation, one of them spoke up.
“Um, could you give me your phone number?”
Kyle tilted his head slightly. At the same time, a few strands of hair that had fallen forward brushed against his cheek.
His suit fit him ridiculously well. Broad shoulders, a waist and hips that were slightly slimmer in comparison, and a lean but firm build. His entire frame had smooth, flowing lines, yet he wasn’t the kind of beauty that felt intimidating. You could say he had an effortlessly attractive, approachable kind of charm. And those long, sculpted arms leading down to his perfectly fitted pants…
Dressed up like this, objectively speaking, he was a man worth coveting.
‘Not that he’s available, though.’
Kyle still hadn’t noticed me. Instead, he simply looked at the women and asked,
“My phone number?”
…Right, there was no way this man had a phone.
After our meal, I estimated that our chances of successfully fulfilling our wish were at about fifty percent. Since he’d likely return before the new year, I hadn’t bothered explaining anything about phones to him.
Without hesitation, Kyle didn’t give out a number. The woman hesitated, unsure if he was refusing or just taken aback. But rather than backing down now, she must have felt that it was a waste to give up after coming this far.
“Then… do you, um, have a girlfriend?”
At that, her friend quickly grabbed Kyle’s hand. His left ring finger was bare. Clearly, she had checked to see if he was wearing a ring, and she looked slightly hopeful.
“I don’t think he has one…”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Kyle cut off cleanly, then suddenly turned his body. He locked eyes with me immediately. Before I could even react, he took a few long strides toward me, pulled me close by the shoulders, and lowered his gaze.
“But I do have a lifelong companion, so I suppose that makes things complicated.”
The two women’s faces turned red with shock. Well, meeting a guy on the street in Korea wasn’t exactly an uncommon event… but this was basically a declaration of war.
I instinctively grabbed Kyle’s arm.
“Let’s go, Kyle!”
Kyle followed my lead without hesitation. He seemed to finally grasp that this culture was a bit more conservative compared to Meinhardt’s.
As we hurried down the stairs, practically sprinting, he spoke.
“Sorry. Did that make things awkward for you?”
It should have, given the situation. But strangely enough, I wasn’t embarrassed at all. If anything, it was refreshing, satisfying—maybe even a little thrilling.
I burst into laughter.
“You’re leaving soon anyway. What’s there to worry about?”
“…But it’s not like you can just leave this world whenever you want. I should be more careful.”
“It’s fine. That’s not what matters to me.”
It was a comforting thought. Even if I had lived without settling down anywhere, always alone, I’d grown attached to certain things. The roads I used to find boring, the city I once thought was dull—seeing them again suddenly made me happy.
Even so.
“Being with you is what matters most to me.”
The future I had chosen lay elsewhere. Even if I ended up living a more inconvenient life in that distant place, I was sure now—it would be a happier one.
“Come on, Your Highness. You know Christmas presents aren’t my thing.”
I pulled his arm closer and smiled up at him.
“And? What about it?”
It was an ambiguous question, the kind that didn’t really need an answer. But Kyle, as always, understood exactly what I meant. At the same time, he knew what he wanted as well.
His red eyes glowed. His gaze, filled with warmth and determination, sharpened.
“What’s the fastest way to get home?”
***
“…Your Highness?”
Kyle was gone.
I woke up, my throat dry, blinking groggily as I looked around. The doors were slightly open, letting in a cool breeze. Pale light seeped through the window, stinging my bleary eyes.
He was already gone. Until last night, he had been right there. But now, the spot where he had curled up was still faintly warm.
Only the lingering memories of his presence remained.
“Where did you go, Kyle…? Kyle… Kyle?”
I called out to him in my drowsy voice, but there was no response. The faint sound of a dog barking, the ‘abnormal teleportation’ message—none of it made any difference. The silence remained unbroken.
I sat up. My damp hair clung to my arms like ivy as I hastily moved and scanned the small room.
But Kyle was nowhere to be seen.
‘…What the hell?’
I was suddenly wide awake. What was this? He just disappeared? Did something happen with the system?
I quickly summoned the system.
“What kind of error occurred?!”
[No errors detected. System connection optimal! (°▽°*)b]
[Current wish fulfillment rate: 58.0%]
[Current wish fulfillment rate: 61.2%]
There were no errors, and the wish fulfillment rate was rising little by little. It was definitely because of Kyle.
Still in my half-buttoned shirt, I hurriedly checked the desk. There was a small note left behind.
“I’ll be back soon.”
So nothing had happened—he had just stepped out for a bit.
“…What the…?”
That made it even weirder. He didn’t know anyone here. And more importantly, what condition was he in right now? Even if he was back in human form, wasn’t he still pretty much naked?
A wave of unease hit me. I quickly reached out to him through the connection.
“Kyle, are you there? Where are you right now?”
Was there some kind of distance limit to the ‘abnormal teleportation’ function? Did he leave because he felt uneasy?
Fortunately, Kyle’s voice rang clearly in my head.
“You’re contacting me just to ask that? Relax. I didn’t vanish into thin air. Just tell me where you are. Wait—Shu, what time is it?”
“You’re quite the early riser… It’s about 11:30 AM. Why?”
“At around two this afternoon, if I call you, will you be able to step outside?” Kyle chuckled. “Just wait until then.”
***
I decided to prepare a Christmas present.
For two people who never really paid attention to anniversaries, opportunities like this were rarer than expected.
Kyle found himself surprisingly excited as he planned his outing, and for the first time, he regretted not paying attention to these small gestures sooner.
The black dog carefully made its way down the snow-covered hill.
As he skillfully weaved through the alleys, avoiding the bustling crowd, Kyle picked up bits of information about this world—like how a snowy Christmas was called a “White Christmas” and how people greeted each other with “Merry Christmas” on this day.
“I’ll be up before noon, so it makes sense to head out early.”
Fortunately, Shu didn’t wake up while he was washing up and getting ready. His efforts to thoroughly wear him out until midnight the night before had paid off.
Feeling quite satisfied with himself, Kyle puffed out his chest, curled up in a shaded spot, and waited for noon.
As expected, his beloved partner came looking for him before the clock even struck twelve. His voice, resonating in Kyle’s mind, carried a trace of confusion, making Kyle feel a little guilty. But instead of explaining, he simply told Shu to meet him at two and set off again.
The moment noon arrived, the black dog became a man.
He hadn’t neatly slicked back his hair like yesterday, but he was still impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, complete with polished shoes. After ensuring his tie was perfectly straight, Kyle quickened his pace.
His destination was a small pawnshop nestled in the corner of a three-way intersection. In this world, where he was as good as penniless, money was necessary to get anything done. The fastest way to get cash was to sell something.
He exchanged the pendant he always carried for cash. It was an exquisite piece—delicately crafted, adorned with a brilliant sapphire, and an elegant luxury item. It was also the only keepsake he had from his mother.
Recognizing the unique design, exceptional craftsmanship, and the sheer value of the gold itself, the pawnshop owner offered him a generous price. When Kyle added a few pure gold buttons he had secretly sewn into the lining of his armor as travel funds, the owner’s attitude turned even more favorable.
It wasn’t the full value. Kyle knew that. But he didn’t care. He had no time to waste haggling over such details.
With that money, Kyle bought a ring.
Looking back, he wasn’t sure why he had never thought to get matching rings with Shu. Maybe it was because Shu was always by his side—he had never felt the need for one.
“This isn’t so bad.”
A symbol of their connection. Something that proved their bond was unbreakable, a tangible object that said no one in this world could come between them.
Kyle gazed at the ring with satisfaction. The white band, set with a brilliant blue gemstone, was breathtakingly beautiful—almost chilling in its clarity. Since he held Shu’s hands every day, he was confident the size would be a perfect fit.
He then asked for directions and found a flower shop.
Despite it being the wrong season, there were plenty of flowers. When he asked if it was some kind of magic keeping them alive in this freezing weather, the shopkeeper let out a hearty laugh.
“They grow just fine in a greenhouse!”
A bouquet of deep red roses, a ring, and the feelings he wanted to express.
Around two in the afternoon, Kyle climbed the hill leading home. Snow fell in thick, silent layers, covering the world in white. At the top of the hill, his lover stood, gazing down at him from a distance.
They were too far apart for their voices to reach each other. Through the flurry of falling snow, only the faint outline of the person he loved was visible.
But even with that distance, it was fine. Their hearts would always be in sync.
“Shu.”
His voice trembled slightly.
Kyle chuckled softly as he answered.
“I had a feeling this was what you wanted.”
Shu frowned.
“I never said I wanted flowers!”
“I didn’t just bring flowers.”
“Oh? Then what else did you bring? You’ve been out since morning—let’s see what was so important.”
“A ring.”
“Did you actually find one in the right size? If not, you’ll have to get it custom-made.”
“I happened to find one. Impressive, isn’t it?”
“A miracle, really…”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“And? What else did you prepare?”
Kyle strode forward with purpose.
As he climbed the steps, closing the distance between them, he finally came close enough for their voices to carry. And then, without hesitation, he dropped to one knee.
“Shu.”
“……”
“I give you my life. In return, will you give me yours?”
“…Your Highness.”
Their eyes met. Shu gazed down at him, his expression unreadable—like he was holding back the urge to cry.
Kyle smiled and, in a voice only his lover could hear, whispered—
“Merry Christmas, Shu.”
“……”
“Marry me when we go back.”
