On the day they departed for London, while waiting for boarding time, Taeseo dragged Hyowoo into the duty-free shop, asking him to help her choose a gift for her boyfriend.
While browsing various items, she spotted a pair of sunglasses she liked and gestured to Hyowoo.
“What about these?”
“They’re nice? The design is simple and safe, so I think they’re good.”
“Then, will you try them on for me?”
“What good will it do if I wear them?”
“Just try them on once. Our boyfriend has a similar face shape to yours.”
After staring at her friend for 3 seconds with an incredulous expression as she added the little brag, ‘By the way, our boyfriend is just as pretty as you,’ Hyowoo silently put on the sunglasses.
“Mm, they’re really nice. They suit you well too.”
“…So what if they suit me well…?”
“If you like them, should I buy you one too?”
“N-no. It’s okay.”
Hyowoo waved his hands at Taeseo, who was already taking out her wallet from her bag.
It was clearly an expensive brand product. He couldn’t accept something this expensive from a friend.
“Don’t decline. If you feel burdened by me buying it, you can get the money from oppa when you go to London.”
“Haven’t you thought that would be even more burdensome?”
As the two bickered lightly over a pair of sunglasses, a duty-free shop employee approached them.
“You have good taste. That’s the most popular design right now. They really suit you well.”
“Right? They suit him well, right?”
“Perhaps because your boyfriend is so handsome, they seem to suit him even better.”
“Huh?”
At Hyowoo’s startled reaction, the employee belatedly asked if the two were a couple.
When he smiled awkwardly and said no, realizing her mistake, she bowed and apologized.
“I’m truly sorry. You two looked so good together that I made such a faux pas…”
“N-no… you don’t need to apologize…”
It was understandable to mistake them for lovers seeing a man and woman choosing items together.
Since he wasn’t the least bit offended, he was about to let it pass when…
Taeseo, who had been carefully examining the sunglasses design once more, said casually.
“He’s my brother-in-law. Cousin’s brother-in-law.”
At her unexpected statement, Hyowoo nearly dropped the glasses he was about to put back on.
‘Br-brother-in-law…?’
Unlike Hyowoo, who couldn’t hide his bewilderment at Taeseo’s shamelessness, the employee, who didn’t notice this, repeatedly apologized.
“Oh my, I see. Since he’s your brother-in-law, I really made a big mistake without knowing.”
“It’s okay. It can happen. Ah, and I’ll take this. Give me two.”
Taeseo’s appearance as she calmly handed the sunglasses to the employee was far too confident.
Only after the employee went inside the store to get new products did Hyowoo grab her arm and quietly protest.
“Hey, why am I your brother-in-law?”
“Right. It’s really funny, isn’t it?”
“…What?”
What kind of non-answer was this?
While Hyowoo was at a loss for words, Taeseo began spewing even more absurd talk.
“It’s been over 10 years since same-sex Alpha-Omega marriage was legalized, but do you think it makes sense that they still haven’t sorted out the family titles?”
“Huh?”
“The marriage registration is filed as ‘husband,’ but Omegas are forced to use female titles without exception. Daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law’s wife, sister-in-law… like this.”
“…So?”
“Then that means oppa has to call your older sister and younger sibling brother-in-law’s wife and brother-in-law. What kind of titles are those for a husband’s siblings? Anyway, nothing this country does is to my liking from one to ten.”
At Taeseo’s denunciation, which had escalated to complaints about the country and its systems, Hyowoo finally interjected.
“That’s not it—why am I your brother-in-law? Seohee-ssi and I aren’t even married.”
Taeseo looked at the bewildered Hyowoo with a rather strange gaze.
“You just haven’t done it yet, but you’re going to in the future.”
“Wh-what marriage…?”
“What? You’re not going to marry oppa?”
“…I haven’t thought about it.”
At Hyowoo’s honest answer, Taeseo placed her hand on her slender face and quietly muttered.
“This is serious. Oppa wants to marry you.”
“Huh?”
“I asked oppa how it went on the day of the blind date. Then he said, ‘Would I be crazy to ask someone to marry me after meeting them once?'”
Hyowoo’s eyes widened. This was the first he’d heard of it.
“Wh-what does that mean?”
“I was really shocked too. I thought oppa was against marriage. I never imagined the word ‘marriage’ would come out of his mouth. I thought I’d misheard at first.”
The more she went on, the more she casually dropped bombshells—she was unmistakably ‘Lee Seohee’s cousin.’
Even with Hyowoo standing there with his mouth open, at a loss, Taeseo continued without a care.
“I stopped oppa then. You hate Alphas, and you only went to the blind date reluctantly at my request. But now you two are officially dating. And yet oppa still hasn’t brought up marriage?”
Taeseo, who usually had as few words as Hyowoo, was strangely chatty today.
Moreover, she even seemed oddly excited.
“…I haven’t heard it. Those words…”
“Then he’ll do it soon. Ah, wait. Did I ruin a proposal oppa was preparing? What should I do, I feel so bad?”
Those were just words—she didn’t look sorry at all.
Hyowoo could only stare blankly at his friend as she smiled brightly and headed to the register.
‘I thought what Taeseo said that day was just a joke… Marriage, with Seohee-ssi… me…?’
Although he truly liked Lee Seohee, he had really never once thought about marriage.
‘I’m already satisfied with how things are now…’
The deeper his love grew, the more Hyowoo tried not to picture a future with him.
‘It’s better not to think about an uncertain future.’
Vastly different circumstances.
The opposition from both families that was obvious without even seeing it.
And his dark past and damaged body that would hold him back.
There were only things that couldn’t possibly be handled with feelings of affection alone.
‘In this situation, what if I actually receive a ring?’
But soon Hyowoo comforted himself, saying that wouldn’t happen.
‘Right. This is all Taeseo’s calculated prank. Seohee-ssi isn’t someone who acts irresponsibly either, so he won’t just give me a ring rashly…’
Just as he was anxiously waiting obediently for his next move…
Lee Seohee gently took Hyowoo’s left hand.
‘C-could it be…?’
* * *
At the cold sensation touching his skin, Hyowoo’s body trembled slightly.
This was unmistakably the unique feel of metal.
However, the place the coldness touched wasn’t the expected ring finger.
“Open your eyes now.”
Slowly opening his eyes, Hyowoo looked down at his left hand.
‘…A watch?’
On his left wrist was a finely crafted watch.
The moment he saw it sparkling in the light, Hyowoo’s eyes widened.
“It’s a Christmas present.”
Without raising his head, Hyowoo carefully moved his wrist while looking at the watch.
Each movement was extremely cautious, lest it get scratched.
Thin lines. Tiny screws. As he carefully examined even the small parts, the logo clearly engraved on the watch face suddenly caught his eye.
‘This is… a famous Swiss luxury brand?’
This brand was mainly known for wedding gifts or ‘gold badge watches’ worn by the wealthy.
‘I didn’t know they had such casual designs.’
Hyowoo stared at the watch silently for a while.
He was just dazed in front of the unexpected gift.
“Normally Christmas presents should be given on the morning of the day itself, but you’ll be in Korea then.”
Lee Seohee said with a gentle smile.
“It’s also our first Christmas present… I wanted to put it on you myself.”
After finishing speaking, he checked Hyowoo’s reaction.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
“Ah, yes. It’s pretty…”
“But why is your expression like that?”
“My expression… what about it…?”
“How should I say it, you look a bit disappointed.”
At those words, Hyowoo was startled and rubbed his cheeks with both hands.
He definitely liked the watch.
Nevertheless, a corner of his heart felt empty.
‘Could it be… I’m disappointed because it’s not a ring?’
Just moments ago, he’d thought it would be troublesome to receive a ring.
But in reality, it seemed he’d been secretly expecting it.
‘Are you showing your inexperience in dating, Ji Hyowoo? What kind of stupid delusion are you having by yourself…’
He felt ridiculous and embarrassed at the same time.
He wanted to run to the second-floor bedroom right away and bury himself under the blanket, but first he urgently needed to clear up Seohee’s misunderstanding.
“No. I like it.”
“It’s okay to be honest. If you don’t like this design, we can exchange it for a different model even when we get to Korea.”
“Really. It’s really pretty. The strange expression I made was… because I was briefly lost in other thoughts…”
Looking at his wrist again, Hyowoo finally realized the watch wasn’t unfamiliar.
