The champagne he was trying for the first time in his life wasn’t as bitter as he’d thought—it was sweet.
“Seeing how well you’re drinking it, I guess it suits your taste.”
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
It was still early, just past 7 PM.
The two had finished dinner and were sitting side by side on the living room sofa, sharing champagne.
When Lee Seohee asked if he wanted more, Hyowoo shook his head slightly.
He’d sipped three glasses, so that was enough for tonight.
‘I’m glad I’m drinking at home… I didn’t even drink much, but my body’s already heating up…’
Even though he didn’t like alcohol, Hyowoo had a fairly high tolerance.
Yet today, whether it was the atmosphere or his mood, he was getting tipsy unusually quickly.
‘I can’t fall asleep too early because of the alcohol…’
Today was Hyowoo’s last day staying here.
To spend their last night together warmly before Hyowoo departed for home tomorrow morning, Lee Seohee had deliberately made an early dinner reservation.
Moreover, today marked exactly one year since the two had met through their blind date.
To commemorate this special day, the place Lee Seohee chose was a traditional French restaurant in central London. It was an upscale three-Michelin-star establishment that required reservations at least a month in advance.
He’d been slightly nervous because there was a dress code, but surprisingly, it was a comfortable place that didn’t require being too formal.
The food was also excellent. The special menu prepared by the head chef, who was acquainted with Lee Seohee, truly fit the description of melting in one’s mouth.
After finishing their satisfying meal, the two decided to walk the London streets together instead of heading straight home.
“It’s cold—will you be okay?”
“I’m fine. Compared to Seoul, it’s not that cold here.”
The London night streets sparkling with Christmas decorations looked like a painting.
Hyowoo quietly etched the scenery into his eyes and heart, not knowing when he might see it again.
‘In Korea, I was always self-conscious and careful about walking next to Seohee-ssi, worried someone might recognize him…’
Hyowoo looked down at Lee Seohee’s hand preciously clasping his own.
When they were holding hands and walking side by side like this, the fact that he was “my person” felt newly real.
While that made him happy, a faint melancholy spread through one corner of his heart.
‘Once tonight passes, I won’t be able to walk with Seohee-ssi for a while…’
The wish for time to stop like this was ultimately fleeting.
As if to soothe his overwhelming wistfulness, Hyowoo quietly tightened his grip on their clasped hands.
“That shop—isn’t that where you said the Earl Grey tea was delicious, Hyowoo-ssi? Should we stop by for a moment?”
And so the two continued their stroll, slowly visiting the shops Hyowoo had liked during their time in London.
After walking the streets for about an hour, they stopped at one more place on the way home.
It was the handmade chocolate shop where Lee Seohee had given Hyowoo a gift on their blind date.
“Since today’s our one-year blind date anniversary, choose whatever you want.”
He bought not only the same chocolates from that day but also gifts for family and friends until both hands were full.
After that, they returned home and played with Pie in the backyard for quite a while.
Not knowing Hyowoo was leaving tomorrow, Pie excitedly ran around the two of them frantically.
They’d played so intensely that even though it was still a long time before bedtime, Pie collapsed as soon as he entered the kennel.
‘I’ve gotten really attached to Pie too… I’ll miss him a lot when I go to Korea.’
So as not to wake the soundly sleeping Pie, Hyowoo gently kissed his small head and slowly descended the stairs.
When he’d nearly reached the first floor, he encountered Lee Seohee coming out of the kitchen carrying champagne and two glasses.
“Since we couldn’t drink at the restaurant because of driving, should we have a glass now?”
During the season, Lee Seohee didn’t drink a drop of alcohol to manage his condition.
Even when celebrating the victory at Rafe’s house, he’d only drunk sparkling water until the end.
But tonight, it seemed he wanted to properly celebrate his anniversary with Hyowoo.
After emptying three glasses of champagne, Hyowoo sat close to Lee Seohee and rested his head on his shoulder.
It was a small, timid act of affection rarely seen from the mature and composed Hyowoo.
‘I don’t think I want to fall asleep tonight. Because when I open my eyes in the morning, I’ll have to leave…’
As his mood gradually sank, Hyowoo’s words noticeably decreased.
As if to break the heavy atmosphere, Lee Seohee spoke playfully.
“That T-shirt—if it’s comfortable, do you want to take it to Korea and wear it?”
What Hyowoo was wearing now was only Lee Seohee’s T-shirt and underwear, just two pieces.
The clothes the cats had completely ruined were replaced the next day when Lee Seohee bought him new ones.
He’d bought everything from T-shirts to pants, coats, and even socks, but Hyowoo had firmly declined pajamas to the end.
Instead, Hyowoo went to bed every night in the “boyfriend shirt look.”
‘He was so happy when I wore his clothes, I thought he’d be disappointed if I wore pajamas again.’
Actually, that was an excuse.
While seeing his happy face was nice, more than anything, Hyowoo himself wanted to keep wearing those clothes.
“…I can’t wear it. My parents are at home too…”
“Haha, that’s true. Still, if you want to take it, take it.”
At his shamelessness suggesting Hyowoo take it and occasionally look at it while thinking of him, Hyowoo eventually burst out laughing.
“Anyway, I don’t know how I’ll manage being lonely starting tomorrow.”
Lee Seohee murmured quietly while emptying the remaining champagne in his glass. There was a sigh infused in his voice.
Only then did Hyowoo separate from Lee Seohee’s shoulder and quietly look up at him.
“Until now, I was happy because the first thing I saw when I woke up in the morning was Hyowoo-ssi’s face. Coming home after training to have you greet me at the entrance, sitting across from each other to eat, taking walks together—I really loved that daily life. After Hyowoo-ssi leaves… I think I’ll be very lonely.”
It was the same for Hyowoo.
The two weeks spent here were like walking on clouds, a time without a sense of reality.
In the mornings, he’d wake up late and take walks with Pie, then wait with an excited heart for Lee Seohee to return.
When he came home, they’d go grocery shopping together to prepare dinner or sit side by side at their regular restaurants to eat.
Then they’d hold hands and take late walks, and at night, sleep embraced in Lee Seohee’s arms in the same bed.
No wonder Gyeonwoo had teased him saying, “Did you go on a graduation trip, or are you rehearsing for your honeymoon?”
‘In the past few years, have I ever spent my days feeling this at peace…?’
There were no exam worries, no anxiety about someone recognizing him.
Days when he didn’t have to be tense and afraid every moment about being touched by unknown alphas.
Each day flowed… just peacefully, like water flowing in a spring stream.
The time spent with Lee Seohee was that precious, and the approaching tomorrow felt cruel.
‘We’re not breaking up… We’ll meet again… So why is this so hard?’
Looking at Lee Seohee’s face, which wore a gentle smile but was deeply tinged with regret, made him feel like crying.
Hyowoo unnecessarily dropped his gaze downward.
“You know the kids. Lemon and Meringue and Pie.”
“I know. Really, if I didn’t even have these guys, I would’ve been in big trouble.”
At the words that not only he but Pie would have a hard time too, Hyowoo’s heart grew even more complicated.
‘I wanted to spend the last night smiling and having fun…’
No matter how much he tried to make a bright expression, his face kept hardening with his heavy heart.
Hyowoo touched the hem of his T-shirt with lonely eyes.
Perhaps to comfort that sadness, Lee Seohee smiled brightly.
“Hyowoo-ssi, could you close your eyes for a moment?”
“My eyes… why all of a sudden?”
“Just close them once.”
“…You’re not trying to play some weird prank again, are you?”
When Hyowoo narrowed his eyes, he swore it absolutely wasn’t a prank.
At his continued urging, Hyowoo reluctantly closed his eyes.
Then—swoosh. The sound of the coffee table drawer opening.
Soon after, when he heard rustling sounds, he became tense without realizing it.
‘…Surely… it’s not “that,” is it?’
For the past few days, whenever they were holding hands, Lee Seohee had particularly been fidgeting with Hyowoo’s left ring finger.
When asked why, he’d smiled innocently and said.
‘Because this finger is the prettiest.’
‘…That’s a lie.’
‘It’s true. This ring finger is really the prettiest. The other fingers are all pretty too, though.’
Even though he’d emphasized multiple times that there was no particular meaning, Hyowoo still couldn’t hide his anxiety.
‘Is he… trying to give me a ring?’
Exchanging rings between lovers was common, but if it was a ring from Lee Seohee, it might contain more meaning than a simple gift.
‘If only Taeseo hadn’t said that back then…’
Suddenly, the events of the day he came to London surfaced vividly in Hyowoo’s mind.
