“Don’t be nervous. I’m embarrassed.”
Noticing Yuho’s state, Seonchan shifted the atmosphere with unnecessary words. Yuho felt awkward and immediately denied Seonchan’s words.
“I’m not nervous.”
“Then that’s good.”
“Really.”
That’s a problem in itself though. Seonchan thought to himself, but he didn’t bother expressing that thought outwardly. Instead, he hurriedly changed the topic.
“What do you have tomorrow? An audition?”
At Seonchan’s question, Yuho hesitated with his answer for a moment. Bringing up Inhan in front of Seonchan was awkward after all. Still, since he couldn’t lie, he honestly revealed things as they were.
“It’s Inhan’s birthday, so we decided to have a party together with all the members. We do it every year.”
“Ah. It’s Inhan’s birthday tomorrow. I should send him a congratulatory message.”
“Yeah. Then Inhan will like it.”
Seonchan didn’t continue the conversation further. At that moment, Yuho noticed that Seonchan clearly knew who his unrequited love was. At the same time, he felt the need to be more careful with his words.
“What should we eat for dinner later? Should we go eat sashimi?”
This time Yuho changed the subject and decided to decide on the dinner menu first. Seonchan answered right away.
“Yuho, you don’t like seafood.”
“I eat it if it’s there.”
Watching Yuho’s reaction, unable to say he liked it, Seonchan swallowed his laughter. And revealed what he’d planned in advance.
“Let’s go eat beef. I found a good restaurant.”
“No. Let’s eat what you like today. We came all the way to the ocean.”
“I like watching you eat deliciously more though?”
“Me too.”
“Huh?”
“……Huh?”
At Yuho’s complexion becoming colored with embarrassment after carelessly spitting out those words, Seonchan’s lips naturally rose. He even felt that ticklish feeling of wondering if this is why people like someone, to feel moments like this.
“Then should we do that?”
“……Yeah.”
“But the place I found is really famous. The meat apparently just melts in your mouth.”
“Really?”
“Look at this. Isn’t it crazy?”
Seonchan was persuading Yuho again, even showing SNS photos. Before he knew it, Yuho was looking at the phone screen with a serious face, his brow furrowed.
“How is it? Should we still go eat sashimi?”
“But you must have worked hard looking this up.”
“That’s right.”
“Then should we go here today and go eat sashimi next time?”
At the sight of Yuho stepping forward first to make plans, Seonchan thought his chest felt full.
Thinking of the past Yuho who showed difficulty even at words suggesting they meet often as friends, it really was tremendous progress. Seonchan suddenly felt deeply moved.
“Should we?”
“Yeah.”
Yuho nodded with a bright smile. To Seonchan, that sight felt like a more meaningful scene than the ocean outside the window. It still felt like a fierce wind was blowing inside him.
After that, the two drove around nearby tourist spots and headed to the restaurant in time for dinner.
And they ended up facing an unexpected situation.
“Today must really be some kind of special day.”
Seonchan sighed and spoke, looking at the people filling every table. Their wait number was eleventh and the expected wait time was at least an hour. At that moment, Seonchan thought choosing a restaurant that didn’t even take reservations was a mistake to begin with.
“What should we do?”
Seonchan first asked for Yuho’s opinion. Yuho actively showed that he was fine so Seonchan wouldn’t be troubled.
“I don’t mind. We can wait and eat or go somewhere else. We can really go eat sashimi too.”
“Are you very hungry now?”
“No. It’s bearable.”
“Then should we wait a bit and eat?”
“Yeah. Let’s do that. I’m good with it.”
While waiting for their turn, the two decided to stop by the nearby fish market and buy seafood to take home.
“Are you buying shrimp?”
Seonchan asked toward Yuho who was looking closely at the shrimp, and Yuho answered right away.
“Yeah. To share with the members.”
“Right. You can eat them together at the birthday party.”
“Yeah. The members like shrimp.”
Yuho couldn’t bring himself to say he was buying them because Inhan liked them. Still, he thought it was fine to take care of him since it was his birthday and they were members.
But Seonchan vaguely guessed that fact.
After that, the two spent time in the car just the two of them, then headed to the restaurant after receiving a call.
Although their meal was interrupted here and there by people who recognized them, they continued a satisfying dinner meal, worth the long wait.
The time when they finished eating was 7:30, and Seonchan instinctively felt they should start heading out soon. But it was difficult to suppress the greed of wanting to be with Yuho just a little longer.
Just then, something caught Seonchan’s eye.
“They’re doing a fireworks show here at 8.”
“Oh really?”
“Why? Do you want to see it?”
“Yeah. I want to see it.”
At Yuho’s reaction, eyes sparkling with anticipation, Seonchan unknowingly smiled. So even though he knew the schedule was tight, he suggested to Yuho.
“Then should we just watch this and go?”
“Yeah!”
Yuho answered excitedly. Even then, he should have judged that the traffic would be worse when going up, but he was blinded by the fireworks and couldn’t.
“It’s really been a long time since I’ve seen fireworks up close.”
The fireworks soaring up cutting through the night sky were enough to make Yuho’s heart swell.
This was the first time Yuho had experienced something like this since debut. So everything felt good.
“Our Yuho is excited.”
Instead of the sky beautifully embroidered with fireworks, Seonchan was looking at Yuho’s face full of excitement. Then he called Yuho’s name in a low voice.
“Yuho.”
“Yeah?”
“I like you.”
At that moment, Seonchan thought. He thought this moment, when there’s a roar loud enough to shake his heart, when sparkling things fill his vision, when he even wishes time would stop—this timing is good for confessing love. He conveyed his heart to Yuho, wondering how nice it would be if love could be fulfilled even by relying on that backdrop.
“I like you a lot.”
“………”
Even knowing an answer wouldn’t come back from Yuho, Seonchan wanted to say it. He wanted to keep telling him continuously and endlessly. That someone who loves you is here, so you don’t have to be afraid of anything. He wanted to be able to say that anytime. He’d been waiting all along for that moment when he could convey his whole heart like that.
“Just know that.”
“……Yeah.”
Even knowing how good a person Seonchan was, Yuho couldn’t readily open his mouth. Because he knew better than anyone that he shouldn’t confuse someone with a half-hearted heart. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help feeling guilty.
“Are you okay? Aren’t you cold?”
Seonchan hurriedly changed the subject and worried about Yuho. Yuho answered right away.
“Yeah. It’s bearable. What about you?”
“I’m not cold at all.”
On Seonchan’s face saying that, the light of fireworks occasionally cast sparkling reflections. Looking at that sight, Yuho thought he didn’t know if his loudly pounding chest was because of the fireworks or because of the suddenly conveyed confession.
It was a memory of the night sea that wouldn’t be forgotten for a while.
“It’s already nine o’clock.”
Seonchan spoke to Yuho while starting the car. Yuho asked Seonchan without much concern.
“We can arrive before 11, right?”
“Since it’s night, I think it’ll be less congested.”
Seonchan answered while reassuring Yuho.
But unfortunately, Seonchan’s premonition was perfectly wrong.
Looking at the situation on the completely jammed highway, Yuho unknowingly bit his fingertips. The time was already past 10:30, and the expected arrival time displayed on the navigation had long since changed from 11 o’clock to 12 o’clock. At this rate, they had to be prepared to be even later.
“Sorry. I should have calculated the time properly.”
“No. What do you have to be sorry for? I’m the one who didn’t pay attention.”
At Seonchan’s apology, Yuho immediately responded and appealed that it was okay.
“All the members will be together, so it’ll be okay if I’m the only one late.”
Yuho added words while reassuring Seonchan. But the truth was he was anxious inside.
Inhan surely would have wanted to celebrate his birthday with all the members together, so the situation of being the only one missing felt both sorry and awkward.
But since he couldn’t be late without saying anything, Yuho immediately called Yeomin. Yeomin answered the phone right away.
– Yes. Yuho hyung.
“Yeomin. Where are you? At Inhan’s place?”
– Huh? I’m at the dorm though?
“Why are you still at the dorm? Weren’t we having Inhan’s birthday party today?”
– Huh. No? We decided to have Inhan’s birthday party tomorrow evening at the dorm.
“Huh?”
– He said he has another appointment today? Hyung got the date confused.
“……Ah. I guess so.”
– Where are you now, hyung? Why aren’t you coming?
“I met a friend and I’m on my way to the dorm now, but I think I’ll be late. Go to sleep first.”
– Got it. Come back safely.
At Yeomin’s words, Yuho hung up in doubt. Checking the 7SPOT group chat, the party time was really set for the 6th at 7 PM.
Yuho belatedly regretted roughly checking the schedule notice Raulie had posted a week ago. At the same time, he tried to send a message to Inhan, hoping he’d gotten the date confused.
However, a call from Inhan came first. Yuho answered the phone right away.
“Yeah. Inhan.”
– Hyung, you’re on your way, right? It’s almost 11.
Only after hearing Inhan’s words did Yuho realize something was going wrong. At the same time, an ominous premonition that he might be the only person invited to today’s birthday party flashed through his head.
Yuho wanted to ask outright, but he was conscious of Seonchan next to him and couldn’t bring himself to ask the question.
“Sorry, Inhan. I think I’ll be a bit late. I’m on my way now but the traffic is really bad.”
– How long?
“I think I’ll arrive around 1 o’clock, is that okay? Or should we just do it tomorrow……”
– I’m okay. It doesn’t matter how late you are, as long as you come, hyung.
At Inhan’s firm answer, Yuho couldn’t continue what he was going to say.
