“Isn’t this the watch you wear often, Seohee-ssi?”
At Hyowoo’s words, Lee Seohee smiled with satisfaction as if he’d been waiting for this.
“I told you I collect watches, didn’t I?”
Perhaps because he grew up in an affluent environment, he was someone with almost no material desires.
While he actively invested in real estate and stocks and donated large sums to various charities every year, he had little interest in personal consumption.
If there was one major expense in his daily life, it was this house he’d purchased a few years ago. Even that was for investment purposes.
Unlike other Premier League players who owned multiple supercars, he’d been driving the same Korean mid-sized SUV for eight years.
Most of the luxury brands filling his closet were also gifts he’d received from friends, family, or brands.
He only visited high-end restaurants on special occasions, usually enjoying the meal plans provided by the club.
His one and only hobby that could be called a “luxury” was watch collecting.
From rare vintage pieces to collections released annually. Thanks to owning numerous watches, one corner of his dressing room even housed a dedicated watch safe.
The watch he’d given Hyowoo was also the model he’d been wearing most frequently lately.
Hyowoo stared at him for a while, unable to hide his joy at their couple look.
“It’s really cool and beautiful, but… I think it’s too extravagant for me.”
A small confusion rose on his hesitant face.
“I already received a smartwatch for my birthday, and I’m not sure if it’s okay to receive such an expensive watch again…”
While he was grateful for Seohee’s thoughtfulness, the succession of expensive gifts was somewhat burdensome.
To Hyowoo, who was hesitating not knowing what to do, Lee Seohee shook his head telling him not to be like that.
“Once you start your career, there will often be formal occasions. It’s not bad to have a watch like this prepared for those times.”
“That’s true, but…”
“And you keep forgetting, Hyowoo-ssi, but I make good money, you know? Should I show you my bank balance?”
Even at his words to accept it comfortably, Hyowoo still hesitated.
‘I’ve already received several luxury clothes…’
Wouldn’t it seem too shameless if he received a watch on top of that?
After hesitating for a while, Hyowoo finally quietly made up his mind.
‘He chose this carefully for me, so if I keep saying it’s too expensive or too much, it’ll only hurt Seohee-ssi’s feelings.’
Besides, even if he tried to return it, there was no way he’d accept it obediently.
Anyway, with his financial power, this level was like buying a bag of snacks. Feeling burdened might have been an unnecessary worry from the start.
Hyowoo touched the watch preciously with his fingertips and smiled faintly.
“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
Perhaps grateful that he accepted it willingly without refusing further, Lee Seohee smiled brightly and gently took Hyowoo’s left hand.
“I thought for quite a while about what to give you for Christmas. Then suddenly, I thought it would be nice if Hyowoo-ssi also had what I have.”
Saying that, he quietly caressed Hyowoo’s ring finger.
“Actually, I wanted to give you something else too… but I don’t think Hyowoo-ssi is mentally prepared for that yet.”
The moment their eyes met, Hyowoo’s heart began to pound.
Even without saying it in words, he could tell that the “something else” he was talking about was a ring.
“…Seohee-ssi, do you have mind-reading abilities?”
“Haha, no way. I don’t.”
“You don’t have mind-reading abilities, but how do you read people’s minds so well?”
“I don’t have supernatural powers like that, but I do often hear that I’m annoyingly perceptive.”
“…You’re right. You really are annoying…”
Hyowoo pouted his lips.
Though his tone seemed slightly angry, there wasn’t a trace of criticism in it.
Finding that appearance utterly adorable, Lee Seohee burst into laughter.
Then he stroked the back of Hyowoo’s hand and fingers with his thumb.
It was just an ordinary touch, yet it felt strangely good.
It felt like his body was floating into the sky, his neck tingling with excitement.
Worried his increasingly flushed cheeks would be noticed, Hyowoo pulled his hand away and jumped up from the sofa.
“I… I also have a Christmas present.”
After telling him to wait just a moment so he couldn’t follow, Hyowoo scurried up the stairs.
He headed straight to the third-floor guest room and took out a box he’d hidden in the dresser.
It was the Christmas present he’d prepared for him in Korea.
Holding the box beautifully wrapped with ribbon in his arms, Hyowoo came back down to the living room.
‘Will this… be okay?’
Going up the stairs had been at the speed of light, but his steps coming down were slow as a turtle.
It was because he felt so inadequate compared to the gift he’d received, making him shrink.
After letting out an involuntary sigh, Hyowoo soon lifted his head properly.
‘It can’t be helped. He’s someone who earns hundreds of billions of won a year. I couldn’t choose a gift matching Seohee-ssi’s level from the start.’
Just hoping he would like it, Hyowoo slowly descended the stairs toward the first floor.
Then he carefully held out the box to him waiting in the living room.
“Um… Merry Christmas. It’s a bit early, but…”
Lee Seohee’s eyes sparkled brilliantly as he received the box.
“Can I open it now?”
His voice full of anticipation made Hyowoo unnecessarily embarrassed.
When Hyowoo hesitantly nodded, he untied the ribbon with quick hand movements.
An even brighter smile spread across Lee Seohee’s face as he opened the lid and looked inside.
“It’s the same one Hyowoo-ssi wears every day.”
Inside the box was a scarf.
It was the same design as the one Hyowoo had dropped on their blind date and Lee Seohee had picked up for him.
“It would be terrible if a professional player caught a cold. This is thin but extremely warm…”
He explained enthusiastically that one should keep the neck warm in winter, but there was a separate meaning contained in this gift.
‘Because I was thinking the same thing as Seohee-ssi…’
Hyowoo also wished for his lover to wear the same item on his body.
So a month ago, he’d asked his noona in Finland to prepare it in advance.
“I never imagined such a wonderful gift, thank you so much!”
Holding just a scarf, Lee Seohee smiled as brightly as if he’d gained the whole world.
Just as he was about to take it out of the box and wrap it around his neck right away—
His hands suddenly stopped. Then, as if discovering something, Lee Seohee stared down at the scarf intently.
“What’s wrong?”
Had a thread come loose? Or was there some other defect?
To Hyowoo’s worried question, he pointed with his finger to the middle part of the scarf.
“Is this on yours too, Hyowoo-ssi?”
Following his fingertip, there was embroidery that wasn’t on Hyowoo’s or Gyeonwoo’s scarves.
The moment he saw it, Hyowoo’s face stiffened.
‘…A… rabbit…?’
What was embroidered on the scarf was a pure white, cute rabbit wearing glasses.
It was the work of his noona, who’d heard from Gyeonwoo and teased Hyowoo by calling him “bunny” whenever she got the chance.
‘Noona, are you crazy?!’
This damn rabbit that popped up somewhere every time he thought he’d forgotten about it.
Moreover, the position of the embroidery was exactly where it would touch Lee Seohee’s skin directly when he wore the scarf.
‘What on earth was she thinking committing such an atrocity?!’
No, he could roughly guess what his noona, who was thrilled about her younger brother and her favorite’s romance, was thinking, but right now dealing with that rabbit embroidery was urgent.
“Seohee-ssi, give me the scarf for a moment.”
“Why?”
“If there’s embroidery there, it’ll touch you when you wear the scarf and be uncomfortable. I’ll remove it for you right away.”
It was a small embroidery about the size of a 500-won coin, so it should come off quickly.
However, before Hyowoo could even reach out his hand, Lee Seohee hid the scarf behind his back.
“It’s fine. I don’t think it’ll be very uncomfortable.”
“B-but… what if other people see such childish embroidery?”
“I don’t care. I really like it.”
Hyowoo reached out trying to snatch it away somehow, but Lee Seohee didn’t seem to have any intention of giving it up easily either.
The more Hyowoo struggled, the more he skillfully dodged this way and that as if dribbling a soccer ball, trying not to let it be taken.
“Stop playing around and give it here.”
“I told you I like this rabbit. If you really want to remove it that badly, try to take it from me by force, Hyowoo-ssi.”
At this point, his competitive spirit arose.
With the determination to remove that embroidery no matter what, Hyowoo lunged at him and finally succeeded in snatching the scarf from his hands.
‘Got it! Now I just need to remove this damn rabbit embroidery…’
However, the joy of victory was brief—Hyowoo belatedly realized the discomfort he felt beneath his bottom.
‘W-wait… where am I sitting right now?’
When he came to his senses, the place Hyowoo was sitting wasn’t the soft sofa, but on top of Lee Seohee’s firm, muscular thighs.
