As Siwoo slowly walked while running his hand through his hair, he flinched and stiffened when Evan touched the back of his hand that was hanging down. And as Evan came closer, Siwoo moved his hand to escape from his touch, but instead ended up grabbing his hand first.
At first they just held hands facing each other, but soon Siwoo moved his fingers to interlock them and glanced sideways to look at Evan who was walking beside him. As if he knew Siwoo would look at him, Evan turned his head at just the right timing, and a faint smile lingered on his face as well.
“What else do you want to see?”
Siwoo shrugged at him as he spoke while lightly swinging their interlocked hands. There were many things to see and do, but he didn’t particularly want to. He just wanted to walk around leisurely like this with their hands interlocked.
This alpha is my alpha.
You guys don’t know, but we stamped the documents yesterday too!
He desperately wanted to brag like that, but all Siwoo could do right now was hold hands with interlocked fingers.
Even when he was active, and even while going back and forth between Korea and England afterwards, there were hardly any occasions when he held hands with Evan or stayed close to him in crowded places. Occasionally he would brush against him or grab his arm to pull him in the direction he wanted. But he never dreamed that holding hands in a place with many people would feel this ticklish and awkward.
“Ah! Can I really do whatever I want with the study?”
“Yeah. That’s your space.”
“Even if I make it pitch black?”
“It’s fine even if you make it a haunted house.”
Swinging their interlocked hands, the two walked through the shopping district. Whenever there was something they wanted to see, they stopped anytime, and talked in front of it. If they wanted to know more, they went inside the store to look around. The filming team followed in front and behind them as they moved, and security guards were mixed in around the filming team. The concept Evan chose for filming their wedding preparations and daily life was shopping.
Paparazzi who were surprised to see them suddenly come out with a filming team followed them, and the eyes of people who saw them suddenly appear at the shopping mall on a weekday afternoon were drawn to them. But all of this was buried under the thought that they must be filming something. Even when they shopped to decorate their newlywed home, honestly revealed their feelings and held hands, or when Evan placed his hand on Siwoo’s waist as if escorting him, people accepted it nonchalantly when they were with the filming team.
Filming. With just that one fact, people didn’t find any behavior strange.
Not officially disbanding was a conclusion reached after consultation with the members. They were people who had shared hardships together for several years. Even if each of them moved forward into the field they were best at, the fact that they were Ocean didn’t disappear. They would each be active under their own names, but they didn’t particularly attach the word disbandment. They wanted Ocean to remain in that place.
It might be difficult for the five of them to stand on one stage again. But still, they were Ocean.
Even the conclusion they reached like that was helping the current situation.
“Those dishes are pretty and nice, but they were heavy.”
Siwoo shook his head looking at the dishes Evan was picking up.
“Ah… they were heavy?”
At Evan’s words as he held a large wok with one hand and swished it around, Siwoo put strength in his eyes and glared at him.
A guy who has nothing but strength.
“Buy it if you want to use it. By the way, they said the interior would be done by this weekend, right?”
“I did tell them to finish it by Sunday somehow.”
“That’s why I’m asking what you’re tearing up and fixing so much?”
He had planned to live sweetly in a small house. But Siwoo, who was going to go contract a house, had to drag along Evan who had even postponed his meeting to follow him.
‘…The main bedroom seems too small.’
‘What’s small about it. And there’s no particular reason why a bedroom where you just sleep needs to be big.’
‘The dressing room is small. What are you going to do with all those clothes?’
‘……’
‘It would be nice if the kitchen was a bit bigger. Don’t you think?’
Every time Evan, who was following him around, threw out a comment, Siwoo’s lips went down little by little. Evan was nitpicking parts that Siwoo hadn’t even thought about when he was looking at houses alone. It was something he hadn’t felt in the house he was currently living in with Evan.
A long sigh flowed from Siwoo’s mouth as he watched Evan with his tall height and build moving around the narrow kitchen. So this was why the houses in England were all wide, big, and tall. Not just Evan, but the Lewises were all alphas with tall height and good builds, so the furniture and items in the places they stayed were all custom-made to fit them.
Going around with such an Evan, he ended up buying a bigger house than he initially thought. Having contracted a house at a price much higher than the expected price, Siwoo scanned the contract with a restless feeling. Siwoo’s own name was written on the contract, and as he saw the final amount, the corners of Siwoo’s mouth went down a bit more. I’m going to spend all the money I worked hard to save while doing Ocean activities here.
If I do some interior work here, fill it with furniture too. While tapping a calculator in his head and filling out the contract by hand, Siwoo’s eyes caught Evan fidgeting restlessly.
He was sitting comfortably on the plush sofa with his legs crossed, watching what he was doing. It was a posture that one might think looked very comfortable and relaxed, but Siwoo twitched his eyebrows at the pheromones full of dissatisfaction that he could clearly feel emanating from him.
What are you so dissatisfied about? You were in the middle of purchasing a house much bigger by Siwoo’s standards, even including the conditions you wanted. Why does the house need to have a swimming pool… Though when he recalled the wide pond at the castle, the swimming pool attached to this house now looked quite modest.
‘Why?’
Siwoo, who was about to write his name and sign at the end, looked at Evan who was holding his hand.
‘I really don’t think this is right, can’t I just buy the house?’
‘Uh. No.’
‘Then. I’ll buy this house and that one you saw first, that house too.’
‘Hey. Evan Lewis. What are you thinking right now? This is my house. My house that I’m buying with money I earned with my name on it proudly. You’re a cohabitant and partner living here together. You buying a house is also nice, but I want us to live together in my house that I bought.’
He just wanted to do that, as he had just told Evan. It was nice to enter his space, but he had no way to explain his feeling of wanting him to enter his space.
Before the bickering could get longer, Siwoo hurriedly put his stylish signature in the last signature line.
‘Then. Can I do the interior?’
‘…. Well. Do whatever.’
While waiting for the realtor to check the documents he had filled out, Siwoo answered indifferently as if it was nothing. After contracting the house like that, Siwoo was planning to have a simple dinner with Evan in a quiet place. But two hours later, Siwoo was in the living room of the house he bought, drinking cola with a hamburger together with Evan.
‘No. I want the kitchen to be bigger, so let’s knock down the utility room next to it too. I’d like to put in big windows so we can see the backyard well.’
Who would have thought he’d be talking right away with the interior contractor who appeared with the blueprints of this house.
‘Coco, are you going to connect the dressing room directly to the bedroom side? Or should we put a small dressing room just for loungewear in the bedroom and make a separate dressing room for the main clothes?’
He didn’t say, wouldn’t it be better to just build a new house at this point? Because if he did, it seemed like that would really happen. Anyway, the newlywed home where they were thinking of changing almost everything except the framework, where perhaps the interior costs would be more than the money he spent purchasing the house, was still under construction even now.
“We need to decide on our ceremonial robes too, right?”
Siwoo only nodded at Evan’s words as he touched the corner of his mouth. He really didn’t know what they were going to do filming this, but the filming team didn’t demand anything. They had walked around for about two hours, but they hadn’t actually purchased anything.
Literally, this was for show. As soon as the interior construction began, Siwoo had to have quite a long meeting with several interior designers who came with tremendous portfolios.
Since Evan had said “everything except the study is up to you,” he left all decisions to Siwoo, so that night Siwoo had a big fight with Evan.
‘Hey! It’s a house we’re living in together.’
‘I just need you.’
‘…Should I kick you out?’
‘Let me do the study however I want. Then even if you use newspaper for the bedroom wallpaper, I’m fine with it.’
‘……I’m removing the bed.’
Although bed life was comfortable, Siwoo, who had suffered a lot while regressing, slept well even on bare floors. On the other hand, Evan was someone who was uncomfortable even sitting cross-legged on bare floors.
‘They say standing goes in deeper and is better, so then today……’
‘You crazy bastard!’
Because of Evan who was trying to talk about the interior but ended up going to a strange place again, Siwoo ended up yelling out loud. Maybe because of his outburst, Evan helped make the final decisions, and that night Siwoo had to cry out loud while sandwiched between the wall and Evan.
Since the interior design team proposed everything down to small accessories, there wasn’t really anything for Siwoo and Evan to buy. But they said they’d show the appearance of preparing for marriage, so they were filming like this, and Evan had even boldly submitted a vacation request to the company using this as an excuse.
If you’re going to use vacation and whatever like this, why didn’t you just go on a honeymoon instead?
“Should we go look at ceremonial robes after eating this? Or do you have something to do?”
Siwoo operated his phone with one hand without caring whether Evan was touching the corner of his mouth or pushing something in front of him.
“……They’re asking me to decide on the wedding concept. A bunch of portfolios came yesterday but I didn’t check because it was annoying. They’re asking why I’m not confirming even though it’s the wedding concept.”
Getting married in a month isn’t an easy thing. I’ve regressed countless times, but this is my first time dating and getting married.
Siwoo poked a salad with his fork and pushed it into his mouth while checking the message from the wedding team.
“What did they say?”
As Evan wrapped around Siwoo’s hand holding the phone and tried to look at the screen together, Siwoo bent his wrist slightly so he could see comfortably too.
“About the point color. Pink is nice too, but since it’s fall, don’t you think navy blue would be good?”
“Everything is goo—”
As expected, Evan, who was about to say I like whatever you like, closed his mouth at Siwoo’s cold gaze.
# Extra Story 2-7
“What are you two really?”
Siwoo made an awkward smile at Chan’s words as he sat down next to him, immediately covering his mouth with the catalog he was holding and whispering. But soon he erased that expression and put on a calm face, taking off the cardigan he was wearing and placing it neatly on his crossed legs.
“What do you mean?”
“What do you mean? What do you mean? Can you say that now? Wow. When I heard that story this morning, I was so dumbfounded. Really.”
Since there was still time before the fashion show started, the overall disorderly atmosphere and noise appropriately covered Siwoo and Chan’s conversation.
“It happened like that.”
“It happened like that?”
Siwoo ended up letting out a small laugh when what he said came back as a question with the tone completely changed. Since it was a fashion show venue by a famous designer, the surroundings were full of reporters and celebrities. Flashes were going off here and there, so Siwoo was paying attention to the surrounding situation as well as the current conversation. Surely one or two of those many cameras would be pointed this way.
“Don’t tell me hyung really didn’t know? Suddenly Yechan getting selected as the main model for a fashion show held in England, why you’re shooting a CF in England. Plus Sangjun hyung has been staying in England for several weeks saying he’s working.”
Siwoo also leaned his body slightly toward him like Chan was doing and spoke quickly while covering his face with the catalog.
“Do I have to live thinking about all that? Say it with your own mouth. Are you two really getting married?”
“Yes. Tomorrow evening, just as hyung heard. Your and Yechan’s flight to Korea is Sunday afternoon, right? Sangjun hyung says he’ll stay about a month longer to finish working on songs.”
“I really don’t know. Then. Were all these schedules planned? Does Jabe know?”
Yechan shook his head from side to side and sat up straight.
“These schedules are something I asked Taehoon hyung for. I asked him to adjust Ocean members’ schedules so they’d be in England at the right time. It would be too obvious if suddenly a chartered plane took off or the members all entered England at the same time and even our parents came to England at the same time. And Yechan doesn’t know yet. I have to tell him after the fashion show is over, if he knows now he might cause a scene and ruin the stage.”
When Siwoo, who had been whispering, adjusted his clothes and sat up straight, turning his gaze toward the stage, Chan let out a small sigh.
Chan had known for a long time that Siwoo and Evan weren’t in an ordinary relationship. Because it was a secret relationship done openly. And it wasn’t a situation where he could step forward and say this and that to them.
But marriage.
An alpha and beta getting married.
It was a case that would cause a lot of talk even if ordinary people did it, but these guys are doing it. Not just them, but thinking of the reporters who would rush at him with fire in their eyes after the marriage news was announced, his vision went white.
Since he couldn’t get words from them, they’d be in a frenzy trying to get even a little more information from Jabe, himself, Yechan, and Sangjun who were closest to them.
“Why is my head so complicated when you two are getting married. So where are your parents now?”
“They’ve been traveling around Europe for a week. Right now they’re in France. They’ll come to England tomorrow afternoon. You know my older sister is studying abroad in England, right?”
“Scary. It’s scary. Is this all Evan’s idea?”
“He’s pretty thorough. Ah. And don’t look at the 4 o’clock direction.”
“Huh? 4 o’clock? Why there?”
“They’re filming.”
“What?”
“Ah~ really, this hyung, I said don’t look. Since there’ll probably be a fuss when the marriage news comes out, they’re filming in advance. When it’s revealed to the media after our wedding is over, a video will be posted on the agency’s homepage at that time, so don’t worry too much.”
Siwoo lightly pulled Chan’s arm who was trying to look that way.
“Wow… Wow, really speechless. Even the wedding is for broadcast?”
“No. The wedding is private. They’re just filming how Evan and I are living in England. It’s the ‘Ocean Story’ filming team, so you don’t need to worry. The wedding is tomorrow, but no one has caught on. Even the really persistent British paparazzi don’t know.”
“The only words that come out are that you’re both amazing. So are you happy? Happy?”
“Mm… Well. It’s been a while since we became family on paper…”
At Chan’s dazed expression, Siwoo playfully stuck out his tongue and teased him. Saying this wasn’t the place to talk about it and they should talk separately later, he teased Chan more saying there was nothing to talk about separately anyway.
“By the way, you and Yechan are doing well, right?”
“No.”
When the fashion show started and Siwoo, who was watching the models cover the stage, threw out a comment, he quickly turned his head to look at Chan when he heard an unexpected answer.
“Huh?”
“The question you asked wasn’t just asking if we’re doing well. Because of you there’s going to be more of a fuss, so don’t ask.”
Siwoo blinked looking at Chan who was whispering small and fast like rapping without even looking at him. But soon at Chan’s touch that poked him as if telling him to look ahead, he moved his gaze back to the stage.
Siwoo, who had been lost in thought for a moment, turned his head that way when he felt a presence along with familiar pheromones. To deceive people’s eyes until the end, Evan had also decided to come here.
“Sorry I’m late. Hyung, have you been well?”
It was to show that the Ocean members were doing well by showing their faces at Yechan’s fashion show venue. A short article would come out about Evan, Siwoo, and Chan who appeared at Yechan’s fashion show venue. When Evan appeared, flashes went off rapidly toward this direction. Evan, who lowered his body, exchanged a simple handshake with Chan and looked at Siwoo.
“Our Coco is pretty today too.”
While he exchanged a simple handshake with Chan, Siwoo deliberately frowned exaggeratedly at Evan’s action of lightly touching his chin.
“I was originally pretty. Did the meeting run late today too?”
When Evan’s expression changed as he was about to sit down at his words, Siwoo tried to pull his body back slightly. But Evan moved faster than Siwoo, and this time it didn’t end with just touching his chin.
Evan’s lips, which had lightly grabbed his chin so he couldn’t avoid it, landed on Siwoo’s lips and then lifted, and as if the incident that happened in that brief moment was no big deal, Evan sat down comfortably in his seat.
“Since I cleared out all of tomorrow’s schedule at someone’s orders, it can’t be helped.”
Not yet! Unlike Siwoo who was screaming internally, Evan calmly answered Siwoo’s question and smoothly took away the catalog Siwoo was holding.
“You two, take it easy.”
Chan, who had clearly seen the outrage Evan was committing due to the crime of being closest, shook his head from side to side and turned his gaze to the stage.
It’s disturbing, disturbing.
As if planning to make his already complicated head even more tangled, with good timing Yechan appeared on the stage. The young Yechan who followed behind like a baby chick during trainee days and the man on stage now overlapped. Looking at him like this, he seemed like a completely different person. Chan, who placed his gaze on Yechan dressed properly in a suit, sank his body deeper into the chair.
‘What’s so complicated? What’s the problem this time? I have no problem, but why is everything a problem to you, hyung?’
‘I’m not saying it’s a problem. Since our lifestyle patterns are different from each other.’
‘If it’s not a problem, what is it? You’re preparing to end it again. Do you not know I go crazy every time you do this when we’re doing well? What excuse are you going to make this time? At first you said I was young. Next we had a big fight about secondary gender.’
‘Kang Yechan!’
‘I’m leaving because if I stay together I might go crazy again and do something, so don’t think strange thoughts. This time you come. Think carefully and you decide. You think we got this far because I’m the one who clung and got dragged around, because I insisted and insisted, right? Run away or avoid it, do whatever you want.’
The wrist Chan was holding tight hurt, but he couldn’t say so. Though they’d spent a long time together, it was the first time seeing such cold eyes. It would have been better if he had smoothly passed it over like usual. He didn’t even play around with pheromones to lighten the mood as he always did.
If he had yelled or gotten angry, he wouldn’t have agonized like this. Yechan, who used to rudely shoot warning comments in banmal, was calm. With cold eyes and a frozen face, he ended his words in a blunt voice without emotion, then turned around as he was and left the house.
That was two weeks ago and there had been no chance to meet Yechan since. He found out through his manager that Yechan, who had left the house they lived in together, was staying at his parents’ house. Yechan, who used to send messages at all times and call whenever there was a gap, had really cut off all those contacts.
Since there were no overlapping schedules, there was no chance to meet. Then the England shoot was set, and he heard the schedule that he’d stop by there since Yechan’s fashion show was at the same time. Surely Yechan knew too. That he was coming here.
But as expected, no contact came from Yechan. Chan crossed his legs and folded his arms, looking at Yechan as if glaring at him. He’s four years younger than me. He’s the guy who jumped around saying he wanted to drink alcohol as soon as he turned twenty. He recalled supporting and dragging out from the club the guy who got excited not knowing his alcohol tolerance and attacked the drinks, becoming dead drunk.
He always looked down at him, but one day when he looked, their eye level matched. But now he was looking up at him. On the day they drank alcohol alone, somehow their lips met. He thought it was the young guy’s drunkenness. He thought it was because of the environment where they couldn’t easily meet outsiders except staff and members.
He thought it would be like that for a moment and then stop, and he thought he was going along with Yechan’s rhythm. Even when he pushed away and refused, he smiled with a glib tongue.
When a fine guy pushes his fine face forward saying he likes you and makes a fuss, how can you not fall for it?
When he cries saying he has no one but hyung, how can you coldly push him away?
The things he ignored when they were mixed together as members started catching his eye when they each walked their own paths. He thought if they stayed apart, Yechan would also see other things, and then he would realize that their current relationship wasn’t normal.
That’s why he said to separate the space they were living in together.
It seemed like the guy who seemed dull about other things had brilliantly seen through the inner thoughts he harbored. If he had acted as usual, he would have pushed more cruelly. Yechan’s cold appearance didn’t leave his mind.
“……”
The moment his eyes met with Yechan’s, Chan bit down hard on his molars. It suddenly felt like his heart sank down. Instead of the eyes that sparkled whenever he looked at him, cold and indifferent eyes pierced his chest. Yechan, who had never looked away first, turned his head first.
Whatever happened, he had to face Yechan tomorrow. Chan, who belatedly turned his head, looked at the two who were putting their heads together looking at the catalog and whispering, seeming so happy.
“I don’t know either.”
Just as tomorrow would be the start of a new day for this couple, tomorrow seemed like it would be quite an important day in his life too.
