Perhaps because it was a weekday afternoon, the department store was quite quiet even though it was summer vacation.
Hyowoo, who had arrived long before the appointment time as always, checked the restaurant’s location in advance and then headed to the bathroom.
Avoiding people’s eyes, he entered an empty stall and carefully took his temperature.
‘36.3 degrees. It’s okay… It’s a normal temperature…’
He let out a small sigh of relief, telling himself he didn’t need to worry about heat.
He’d been avoiding crowded places since the baseball stadium, but today couldn’t be helped. It was the day they’d agreed to choose a birthday present together for Lee Seohee’s father, whose birthday was coming up soon.
As he stared blankly at the thermometer numbers, he recalled the conversation they’d had in the car a few days ago.
“Mother’s present is easy to prepare, but Father’s is always a dilemma. Even when I ask if there’s anything he needs, he always says no. He just tells me to buy some pork belly for dinner.”
Hyowoo smiled in sympathy at the complaint that it was an annual ordeal.
“I guess fathers in every household are similar. My father also says he doesn’t need anything and to save my money.”
“Haha, they’re really exactly the same. My father says, ‘How much do you even earn to do that? Save it up and use it when you get married.'”
Watching his face laugh pleasantly, Hyowoo made an ambiguous expression.
Lee Seohee’s basic weekly wage was 370,000 pounds, over 600 million won in Korean currency.
Adding goal bonuses, advertising revenue, and sponsorships on top of that, he earned tens of billions every year, and besides his income as a player, he also received L Group stock dividends every quarter.
This season, prize money for winning would be added as well, so he must be earning an amount difficult for ordinary people to even imagine.
For him to hear ‘How much do you even earn.’
It was truly a statement befitting Chairman Lee Jinhyuk, South Korea’s greatest, one of the world’s top 50 conglomerates.
However, what stuck in Hyowoo’s mind more than those words was the word ‘married.’
‘He’s still in his early thirties, so he won’t rush into marriage. But… that person is the eldest grandson and only son…’
He was pathetic for being shaken by trivial words that came up in conversation, but it kept circling in his head.
‘Seohee-ssi… what kind of person will he end up marrying?’
He thought it would surely be someone beautiful enough to suit him, smart, and with impeccable conditions.
‘…At least, it won’t be me…’
Perhaps noticing the sadness that had begun to hover on his face, Lee Seohee immediately continued speaking.
“He won’t accept pocket money even if I give it to him, but it feels like being unfilial to really not prepare anything at all. How about we have lunch together at the department store that day, while shopping for a gift?”
“That day is your father’s birthday. Won’t you be too busy if you meet me too?”
“Father’s planning to go to work as usual anyway. There’s plenty of time until he gets off work.”
For Hyowoo, who didn’t like shopping itself and mainly handled necessary purchases online, department stores were an uncomfortable space.
‘It’s still vacation period, so there will be a lot of people too…’
When he didn’t readily answer, Lee Seohee brought out a ‘sweet’ condition.
“I heard there’s a famous Belgian chocolate store there. If you come to the department store with me, I’ll buy you one as a reward.”
“…I’m not some little kid, are you trying to lure me with food?”
“You are a little kid. You’re still a student, and much younger than me. On top of that, you’re small and cute.”
“Really, stop teasing me. And I’m not small, okay? I’m 181cm.”
“You’re small, what can I say.”
“…Have you never thought that it’s not that I’m small, but that Seohee-ssi is excessively tall?”
“Haha, that’s true. Anyway, you’ll come with me, right?”
He didn’t seem to have any intention of giving up until Hyowoo said he’d go.
If he said one more word, only more strange things would come back, so he eventually accepted the promise.
Hyowoo leaned against the bathroom stall door and fiddled with the thermometer for no reason.
The reality that he had to accept the separation that would come soon approached painfully.
‘The more we meet, the harder it will be later, but… at least for now, I want to be together a little more…’
Knock knock—. Only when he heard the sound of someone knocking on the door did Hyowoo awaken from his lengthy thoughts.
When he checked the time, 15 minutes had already passed.
He hurriedly put away the thermometer and opened the door. After washing his hands, he stood in front of the mirror.
He stopped fixing his disheveled bangs and stared intently at his white forehead reflected in the mirror.
‘So, what Seohee-ssi did on my forehead yesterday… that was a kiss, right…?’
He lightly touched his forehead with his fingertips.
His face flushed red at the vivid sensation that still seemed to remain.
It was something he couldn’t have even imagined just half a year ago.
If it was an Alpha, he’d been too scared to even make proper eye contact. Now he was going on dates every day with a Dominant Alpha and even allowing skinship.
‘It’s like we’re taking steps. First holding hands, then hugging… Then, next is…’
He unconsciously touched his lips, then was startled and hastily withdrew his hand.
‘Wh… what am I thinking?!’
Hyowoo shook his head vigorously. He shook it so hard that the person next to him glanced over.
He stopped the hand that had been fixing his hair and hurriedly left the bathroom.
Covering his burning face with a mask, he hurried his steps toward the meeting place.
‘He tells me not to come out early but always comes first and waits. He’s definitely already arrived.’
Sure enough, Lee Seohee was standing in front of the restaurant.
‘Just as I thought.’
As his figure came into view, a smile naturally bloomed on Hyowoo’s lips.
He adjusted his mask and slowly approached him.
But something was strange.
He was kneeling on one knee as if proposing or something.
‘…What is he doing?’
The moment he approached right next to him, a cheerful voice was heard.
“So, so! When ahjussi kicked the ball like this, Dad screamed!”
“Wow, really? Then what did Seoyeon do?”
“I screamed together with Dad too.”
“Oh, really?”
Only then did Hyowoo notice the little girl standing in front of him.
Was she about four or five years old? The child wearing a colorful dress continued her story excitedly, mixing in hand gestures.
“Yeah! So Dad hugged me!”
“Haha, that must have been nice~”
He too seemed genuinely happy as he played along with and laughed with the child.
‘…Who is this kid? Why is she with Seohee-ssi?’
Flustered, Hyowoo closed his mouth and blankly looked back and forth between him and the child.
“Ah, you’re here?”
Noticing Hyowoo’s arrival right away, he greeted him with a bright smile as always.
“Seoyeon-ah, ahjussi’s friend is here.”
“Is this ahjussi ahjussi’s friend?”
“Yeah. But he’s not an ahjussi here, he’s an oppa who’s still in school.”
“No, he’s an ahjussi. He’s tall so he’s an ahjussi.”
“Ah, is that how it works?”
He stroked the curious child’s head and slowly stood up.
“Now that my friend is here too, ahjussi has to go in to eat.”
The child pouted, saying no.
“I don’t want to. Keep playing with Seoyeon.”
“Ahjussi wants to do that too, but I’m really hungry. My friend must be hungry too, so I have to go eat.”
As the child clung to his clothes and acted spoiled, the child’s mother, who had been watching from a step away, approached.
“Seoyeon-ah, ahjussi’s friend is here too, so let’s let him go now. Grandma is waiting for us at home too.”
Only after her mother scolded her did Seoyeon quietly let go.
“I’m sorry, Player Lee Seohee. You must be busy, I hope my daughter didn’t bother you…”
“Not at all. I had fun thanks to Seoyeon.”
“Thank you so much for taking a picture with her too. My husband will be so happy.”
“Don’t mention it. Please tell your husband thank you for his support.”
She repeatedly bowed as she greeted him.
The child also followed her mother and put her two small hands together neatly in a bow.
“Goodbye, Seoyeon. As promised, you have to listen well to Mom and Dad, okay?”
“Yeah! Bye-bye, ahjussi! Friend ahjussi too, bye-bye~!”
The child, who answered with a bright smile, held her mother’s hand tightly and walked toward the escalator.
Even as they were leaving, she looked back several times and waved. The two of them also smiled and waved back.
“Was she a fan by any chance?”
“Yes, her husband is apparently a fan. She asked if I could take just one picture with her daughter, so I chatted with them for a bit before Hyowoo-ssi arrived.”
He laughed out loud, saying the child was really cute.
‘He really must like children…’
The attitude of matching the child’s eye level, calling her by name, and reacting to every single word. It wasn’t simple kindness but actions that came from sincerity.
As the image of him laughing happily with the child with exaggerated expressions just moments ago came to mind, a smile quietly spread on Hyowoo’s lips too.
‘I guess because he’s like a kid himself, he gets along well with children.’
But that smile didn’t last long.
Hyowoo’s expression gradually sank.
And in the place where the smile disappeared, a shadow slowly descended.
