After a brief silence, Yuho’s phone started ringing repeatedly. Yuho carefully checked the replies from Inhan.
Inhan – [You will?????] [I’m good] [Should I just go first? I’ll tell you the password] [Ah but if I go over it’ll be around 10, is it too early to go now] [Just come whenever you want, hyung] [Anytime is fine] [Fine]
Inhan sent messages nonstop, showing how excited he was. The content was disorganized and full of typos.
Yuho chuckled and replied to Inhan.
Yuho – [Then I’ll go to your house first]
Inhan – [Yes yes okay] [Aren’t you hungry?] [Should I order something to eat?]
Yuho – [What about you? Is there anything you want to eat?]
Inhan – [Anything is fine with me] [What about hyung?]
Yuho – [Then I’ll prepare it myself]
At Yuho’s message, Inhan paused before replying again. Then, as if he had come to his senses, he sent a message that seemed calm.
Inhan – [Okay hyung] [Let’s meet later]
Yuho – [Yeah see you later]
Yuho put his phone in his pocket and swallowed his laughter.
After leaving the audition venue, Yuho immediately caught a taxi and headed to the apartment complex where Inhan lived.
Then he stopped by a nearby mart, did a lot of shopping, and also picked out and purchased several eye-catching interior accessories. As he selected this and that, the luggage became considerable, so he chose to have the items delivered to the house.
After organizing the purchased items and finishing cooking preparations, it quickly became 6 PM. Yuho hurriedly turned on the TV.
The MCs were just doing their introduction comments.
‘Hello, I’m Dowoong from Triple One, who will be the MC for the KNC Music Festival.’
‘Choeun from Vibrant.’
‘I’m Inhan from 7SPOT.’
There were three music awards ceremony MCs. One was Dowoong, a member of the first-tier boy idol group ‘Triple One’ and Taylor’s best friend, and another was Choeun, a member of the girl idol group ‘Vibrant’ who recently became hot through an OTT drama.
It was a combination that made sense why it became a hot topic as a visual feast as soon as the MC lineup was revealed in articles.
Among them, Inhan and Choeun happened to match even in outfit color with white, making them look like a couple holding an engagement ceremony in a way.
Yuho tried to ignore that fact with as blurred eyes as possible.
‘Then we’ll introduce the singers who will shine on the KNC Music Festival stage today.’
Yuho only watched TV during the MC comments, and when the singers’ stages continued, he continued wrestling with cooking ingredients.
He was busy in various ways, but he couldn’t miss anything.
Inhan – [I’m done and heading over now]
Yuho – [ㅇㅇ good work, come carefully]
Inhan sent a message as soon as the awards ceremony ended. Yuho waited for Inhan with a fluttering heart.
The doorbell rang later than expected, and Yuho immediately checked the wall pad screen. Inhan was standing outside the front door.
Yuho found Inhan’s action of ringing the doorbell to enter his own house absurd, but he smiled without realizing it.
Soon Yuho opened the front door and greeted Inhan.
“I’m back.”
“Yeah. Welcome.”
It was somehow a situation where the homeowner had been reversed, but Yuho didn’t mind and welcomed Inhan in.
“It smells delicious.”
Inhan looked around the living room while smelling the food smell spreading throughout the house. Next to the sofa were a stand lamp and a large plant pot he hadn’t seen before.
Inhan’s heart swelled at the house that felt warm with human presence. He had been achingly longing for a home where someone welcomed him.
“I decorated a bit, but if it’s not your taste, I can put it back.”
“What’s all this? Is today some special day?”
“It’s me doing now what I promised to do for your birthday but couldn’t.”
Yuho really had prepared a cake and dishes on the dining table like the promise from the past and filled various places in the house with gifts.
Inhan found such a Yuho so lovable that it was hard to bear. He hadn’t thought he would return what was lost due to his own mistake in this way.
“Go sit down quickly.”
Inhan obediently headed to the dining table chair following Yuho’s suggestion. Yuho also sat in the seat across from Inhan.
“Today I’m seeing you before midnight at least.”
“Right. I only remember you always coming late and sleeping over.”
“I don’t have a schedule tomorrow morning though.”
“I have a drama meeting tomorrow.”
“Ah.”
Inhan’s swollen dream deflated slightly. With timing not matching like this, he couldn’t gauge when they could spend time together comfortably. It seemed it would have to be after the year-end and new year passed.
“I watched the Music Festival well. You weren’t nervous at all and did well.”
“I made a small mistake though.”
“Really? I didn’t notice at all?”
“Next to me, Choeun-ssi was so nervous that I got nervous too.”
“Ah. Right. Choeun-ssi? I didn’t know.”
At Yuho’s uncomfortable-looking reaction, Inhan thought ‘oops.’
It was a comment that overlooked the fact that all past incidents and accidents happened when he got involved with women. Inhan hurriedly started damage control.
“I met Choeun-ssi for the first time today……”
“Next time you meet, you’ll be acquaintances.”
“You know I only have hyung, right?”
“Well.”
“From now on, I’ll continue to only have hyung.”
At Inhan’s reaction of dealing seriously with a joke, Yuho quickly relaxed his expression and smiled. And he continued speaking to reassure Inhan.
“I’m joking.”
“I’m not joking.”
“Huh?”
“Now I really only have hyung.”
“……Yeah. Okay.”
Yuho’s joke that started to tease Inhan ended up only making himself embarrassed. Inhan didn’t stop there and asked Yuho the question he had been holding onto all along.
“Can I ask how things ended up with Seonchan hyung?”
Yuho pondered briefly what answer would be appropriate, then soon gave an answer.
“He confessed to me.”
“And?”
“I rejected him saying I liked someone else.”
“On Christmas Eve?”
“Yeah.”
At Yuho’s answer, Inhan let out a sigh of relief. It felt like his anxious heart wondering if he had been one step late was being resolved.
“Aren’t you curious who the person you like is?”
“Tell me that when hyung wants to tell me.”
Inhan answered Yuho while hiding his impatient heart. He was more worried that Yuho might run away because of his excessive greed.
However, Yuho opened his mouth as if he had decided.
“Inhan.”
“Yes?”
“I like you.”
“……”
At Yuho’s sudden words, Inhan made a dumbfounded expression for a moment.
“I like you.”
Yuho thought it didn’t matter anymore. Whether Inhan’s feelings were love or not, he wanted to convey his heart honestly at least once. It took such a long time to properly say these words.
“I’ve liked you for a very long time.”
“……Hyung.”
“And even now, I like you.”
Yuho continued to convey his sincerity while looking into Inhan’s eyes. It felt clearer after saying it out loud.
At Yuho’s repeated confession, Inhan closed his eyes tightly and calmed his swelling chest. Then he barely spoke to Yuho.
“Thank you, hyung. ……Really thank you.”
Inhan caught his breath for a moment, got up from his seat, and walked steadily toward Yuho. Then he lowered himself to sit in front of Yuho and grasped one of his hands.
Yuho waited tensely for Inhan’s next action. Soon Inhan carefully opened his mouth.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“We decided not to be sorry or resentful anymore, right?”
“……Yeah. We did.”
“Then from today, shall we meet as people who like each other?”
At Inhan’s words, Yuho choked up and bit his lower lip tightly. Something he had never even wished for in his dreams was really becoming reality. This time it was an undoubtable situation.
“Yeah.”
Yuho nodded without hesitation. Inhan embraced Yuho, moved.
“I like you, hyung. I’ll really do well. I’ll really cherish you a lot. You can trust me this time. I’m sincere.”
Inhan continued to whisper love while holding Yuho in his arms. For quite a while.
“You’re going to sleep over, right?”
“No.”
At Inhan’s question delivered around the time the meal ended, Yuho answered immediately. Because he really had no intention of sleeping over.
“Huh?”
“I’m going to the dorm.”
“At this hour?”
“Yeah. Yeomin will be upset again.”
“Yeomin hyung isn’t going to the dorm today.”
“Huh?”
At Inhan’s words, Yuho was at a loss for words. He couldn’t think of a proper excuse for why he should return to the dorm. Instead, Yuho decided to choose another option.
“Then this time I’ll take the sofa……”
“Shall we sleep together?”
“Ah. That……”
“I’ll just hold your hand and sleep.”
“……Okay.”
Yuho answered helplessly. It was because he didn’t want to push Inhan away anymore, and it was also difficult for him to hold back his own desire to continue being together.
“Then wash up and come out. I’ll do the cleanup.”
“Okay.”
Yuho quickly got up and headed to the bathroom. He needed to cool his flushed face.
Yuho, who finished preparing for bed, first went to lie down on the bed in the big room. It was because he thought it would be better to fall asleep before Inhan came. However, his heart that was pounding as if it would jump out kept preventing Yuho from falling asleep.
Inhan, who entered the bedroom late, went to lie down on the opposite side from Yuho. Then he pulled and held one of Yuho’s hands tightly. At that action, Yuho’s eyes flinched without realizing it.
“Hyung.”
“……”
“Look at me.”
Yuho obediently opened his eyes. At the same time, Inhan’s face slowly came closer. Yuho closed his eyes tightly again. Soon Inhan’s lips touched Yuho’s forehead and fell away. Yuho drew in a breath from tension.
“Sleep well.”
“……Yeah. You too.”
After that, Yuho continued trying to sleep, but heat rose to his face and he couldn’t fall asleep for a while. Inhan was the same.
The two fell asleep only after quite a while, feeling the fact that they were by each other’s side. All the while holding hands.
