Chapter 96: Ladybugs and Cream-Sauced Promises

“Wha—what?”

I was so startled I felt like my heart had skipped a beat. Was he mad because I’d unilaterally rejected a chance for him to have coffee with Ji-an? But Do-yun said something entirely different.

“You told me you don’t let just anyone into your house, yet you said okay to him so easily?”

“Huh?”

Do-yun looked genuinely hurt.

“I know you’re still mad at me, Hyung…. But it’s too much to call me ‘anyone’ while Hwang Yeon-seok is treated like someone special.”

I stared at him blankly for a moment before finally realizing what he was getting at.

“Is this about me telling him he could come over?”

He didn’t answer. Given his dark expression, I was clearly right. Finding out he wasn’t upset about missing out on Ji-an brought me an indescribable sense of relief, and my first instinct was to soothe him.

“I only said that because he was being so chaotic. I’m not actually going to invite him. What would I even do with Yeon-seok at my place? And I’m not mad at you.”

At that, the tension in Do-yun’s face eased ever so slightly.

It seemed he placed an enormous amount of weight on the act of entering my home. Not that it didn’t have meaning, of course.

But back when I used the “just anyone” line, it was right after he’d returned to Korea without a word of explanation; I had been much angrier then. My emotions were far more volatile. Do-yun looked at me and asked:

“Then what about me?”

“You’re….”

As I hesitated, Do-yun looked at me with a slightly pitiable expression.

“Can’t we eat today’s meal at your place? We already bought all the ingredients.”

His determination to seize the opportunity today was palpable. After a second of intense internal debate, I gave a silent nod. A flower-like smile slowly spread across Do-yun’s face. He grabbed my hand and peered into my eyes, seeking confirmation.

“Really?”

“…Yeah.”

“Thank you, Hyung!”

Do-yun beamed like sunshine. I stared at his face, dazed. I didn’t know why this made him so happy. A crazy thought crossed my mind: if I could keep seeing Do-yun smile like that, I might just tear down the front door entirely. Do-yun started the car and spoke.

“Let’s stop by my place for a second. You don’t have to get out, Hyung. I have something to pick up.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a secret.”

He started humming as he drove. I didn’t know what it was, but it seemed important. I had seasonings at my place, but since he insisted on getting something, I didn’t push it.

Since the mart was close to his house, it didn’t take long for him to run in and come back out with a shopping bag. Furthermore, while it usually took forty minutes to get from his place to mine, it was as if the world was conspiring to help the happy male lead—there wasn’t a single traffic jam. We arrived faster than ever.

Do-yun insisted on carrying all the groceries we’d bought earlier, plus the shopping bag from his house. I offered to help, but he flatly refused, saying he could handle it.

The moment I opened my front door, Do-yun let out a soft “Whoa.” I felt a bit embarrassed.

“I… I didn’t know you were coming, so I didn’t get to tidy up properly.”

It wasn’t filthy, but it wasn’t exactly sparkling either. We used to roll around and play here all the time, but now it felt like I was hosting a guest, making me feel awkward and shy.

“It’s a bit… messy.”

But Do-yun wasn’t listening. He scanned the house with a wistful look, as if seeing something precious and familiar. Then, like someone who had just been here yesterday, he naturally walked into the kitchen and set the groceries on the table. He immediately headed into the room he used to stay in. Everything there—every object and piece of furniture—was exactly where he’d left it. I followed behind him, offering a clumsy excuse.

“You start cooking, and I’ll do some cleaning.”

Suddenly, Do-yun turned around and pulled me into a crushing hug, his face full of emotion. I let out a surprised “Oof” at the rib-cracking assault. His pillar-like arms locked me firmly in his embrace.

“Thank you….”

“For what?”

“I thought you would have thrown all my things away, Hyung.”

My face flushed instantly. Memories of the past days—of me sweeping and dusting his room every day so he could return at any time—flashed through my mind like a film strip. Having that longing exposed so starkly to the person himself made me incredibly bashful. I thought about denying it, but in the end, I just spoke briefly from the heart.

“If you know that… then treat me well.”

“I will.”

Do-yun held me for a long time, burying his face in my shoulder. I slowly raised my hand and patted his back. It was a gesture I hadn’t made in so long. Do-yun let out a happy “Hehe.” I smiled a little, too. I was glad my face was hidden while we were hugging.

A moment later, my stomach let out a loud growl. Do-yun realized the time and finally let me go, looking a bit apologetic. I felt a slight pang of disappointment at the loss of contact. He looked like he was about to head to the kitchen, but then he handed me the shopping bag he’d brought from his house.

“This is a housewarming gift. Open it.”

“…When did you prepare this?”

“I originally planned to give it to you if you came to my place today, but giving it to you here makes it more meaningful.”

With a mix of confusion and excitement, I opened the bag. But what came out was something I never could have imagined. My eyes widened.

“You, this….”

“You said you wanted it back then, Hyung.”

What he gave me was the ladybug-shaped robot vacuum we’d picked out together when we first moved into this house. I stared at it for a long time. It was so absurd yet so touching that a breathless laugh escaped me.

“How did you find this? It must be discontinued. They don’t sell these in stores anymore.”

“I had to pull a few strings.”

Suddenly, I remembered Ji-an and Do-yun talking harmoniously after the athletic meet, and Ji-an bragging about how she’d sold a robot vacuum for a record price on the ‘Carrot Market’ app. I looked at Do-yun, eyes wide.

“You don’t mean… at the athletic meet…?”

“…I paid a fair price for it. Don’t worry.”

No, you definitely paid way more than a ‘fair’ price.

Realizing that Do-yun was Ji-an’s “sucker” buyer made me feel very strange. It was a contradictory mix of wanting to scold him and wanting to praise him.

“…For me?”

“Because you said you wanted it.”

He hesitated for a moment before adding, “And there’s one more thing inside. Look all the way to the bottom.”

I reached into the bag and pulled out a small, antique-style jewelry box—the kind you’d see in a marriage proposal. I opened it with a puzzled look, only to be blinded by something sparkling inside.

It was a small ladybug-shaped jewel, about the size of a thumb joint. A separate leather strap was packaged with it. My eyes nearly bulged out.

“What is this?”

“A car keychain.”

No, I’m not asking because I don’t know what it is. What on earth was this made of? Why was it so translucent and brilliantly sparkling?

“I asked someone I know to make it. It took a while to source the red and black diamonds and do the custom work, but it wasn’t that expensive, so please just accept it as a token of my sincerity.”

My face went blank. Made of what?

Isn’t he spending money way too recklessly? I’d have to sell several of my cars sitting at the main house just to break even on this. A keychain more expensive than the car itself…. I looked at him, stunned.

“Isn’t this too much?”

“I actually held back.”

Do-yun said it with a laugh. But as I remained dazed, he started looking at me anxiously, searching for my reaction.

“Do you not like the design?”

“No? No, I love it. it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. Thank you.”

I’d just received something worth millions; of course it was beautiful. From this moment on, my favorite animal is the ladybug.

“I know material gifts don’t mean much to you, Hyung, but I wanted to express my feelings as best as I could.”

Actually, it means a lot…. So much that I’ve already forgotten how hungry I was. Do-yun smiled shyly and said:

“Actually, I wanted to buy a ring.”

He subtly checked my reaction. Not knowing how to respond, I pretended I hadn’t heard him.

“Th-thanks. I’ll use it well. But should we get to eating now?”

Do-yun looked a little disappointed but immediately nodded. I tried to help him in the kitchen, but he earnestly asked me to just stay seated, saying that was the best help I could give. I felt a bit bashful.

By the time the meal was ready, it was past 2:00 PM. I thought I was going to die of hunger. Do-yun brought out a cream pasta topped with Grade 1++ Hanwoo striploin, decorated like a hotel chef’s creation. It looked like 5-star cuisine. The freshly made pasta, with steam rising from it, was truly delicious. I marveled at it with a serious face.

“I think you’ve gotten even better at cooking.”

“Is it good?”

“It’s incredible.”

Do-yun watched me eat with a happy expression before saying, “It’s even better with some red wine.”

I instinctively said, “Oh, that sounds good,” and started to get up to grab a bottle when it hit me.

“Wait… you drove here.”

Do-yun looked at me for a moment, then spoke with a bit of hesitation.

“Can I… stay the night here?”