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Join the ServerThe worst of the traffic had already passed, but perhaps because it was the year-end season, there were still quite a lot of cars on the road.
The car occasionally failed to pick up speed and came to a stop.
Even so, as Han-geon gazed at the beautiful streets thoroughly steeped in an end-of-year atmosphere, a faint smile never left his face.
“Huh?
That’s you.”
While admiring the splendid tree set up in the middle of downtown and the massive electronic billboard behind it, Han-geon absentmindedly pointed ahead.
Filling the entire screen was a luxury cosmetics advertisement Eun-gyeol had recently filmed.
Eun-gyeol’s face, holding the long body of a lipstick between his lips and staring straight ahead with his head slightly tilted, dominated the display.
“Yeah.
That’s me.”
Eun-gyeol replied casually with a grin, showing no hint of embarrassment.
Unlike the expressionless figure on the billboard that instantly captured everyone’s attention, the man sitting beside him with a fresh, bright smile looked almost mischievous.
Without realizing it, Han-geon held his breath and kept watching the ad.
“You like him that much?
You can’t take your eyes off him.”
After the light changed and the car started moving again, Eun-gyeol grumbled in mock complaint.
Han-geon snorted in disbelief and laughed.
“…What are you talking about.
That’s you too.
And besides, I’ve never liked him.”
“Then like me instead.
If you’re going to like someone, make it the one sitting next to you.”
As always, his shamelessness knew no bounds.
Afraid that continuing the conversation would just pull him into more teasing, Han-geon shut his mouth.
When he adjusted the car audio, a carol began to play.
With the radio set at a pleasant volume, they drove on.
“We’re here.”
The car smoothly exited the road and slowed down.
After parking in the underground garage of a building, Eun-gyeol pulled on a hat, mask, and sunglasses.
It wasn’t like Cha Eun-gyeol’s fans wouldn’t recognize him anyway, but since it was winter and he had a long padded coat with the hood pulled up, it felt like decent enough camouflage, which eased Han-geon’s mind a little.
“There’ll be a lot of people.”
“I looked for a private place on purpose.
Don’t worry.”
He added that it was a spot celebrities frequented in particular.
Once inside the elevator, Eun-gyeol pressed the button for the top floor, and the lift shot upward at an intimidating speed.
At the entrance to the dim yet stylishly decorated restaurant, staff in suits stood waiting.
When Eun-gyeol approached and gave his name, a staff member began guiding them with polite professionalism.
After crossing the hall filled with heavy vintage jazz music, they arrived at a private room.
The room was generally dim but romantically decorated.
As Han-geon took in the flickering candlelight atop the large table, the elegant tableware, and the fresh flowers arranged throughout, he looked bewildered.
“What is this?
What kind of day is it today?”
“Christmas is just a few days away.
I thought I’d set the mood a bit.”
Seeing Eun-gyeol smiling beautifully beyond the candlelight, Han-geon blinked rapidly.
To be honest, even when he’d mentioned a date, Han-geon hadn’t expected things to be this… serious.
This kind of place was completely new to him.
Feeling awkward for no reason, he couldn’t bring himself to look Eun-gyeol straight in the eye.
Still, one thing was certain.
He didn’t dislike it at all.
If anything, his heart fluttered so hard it almost made him feel sick with excitement.
‘…I’m glad I wore this.’
Han-geon let out a sigh of relief inside.
If he’d come dressed carelessly, it would’ve been a disaster.
When Eun-gyeol removed his padded coat and mask, he too instantly blended perfectly into the romantic atmosphere.
“You really look great dressed like that.”
Resting his chin on their interlaced hands, Eun-gyeol smiled contentedly from across the table.
“…If you were bringing me somewhere like this, you should’ve told me earlier.
If I hadn’t worn this, it would’ve been a problem.”
“What problem.
I wouldn’t care even if you came in a tracksuit.”
“What are you talking about.
Forget it.”
“I’m serious.
As long as I get to go on a date with you, none of that matters.”
There was such deep sincerity in Eun-gyeol’s cheerful tone that Han-geon found himself at a loss for words.
As he sipped water from a large, transparent cup shaped like a wine glass, the door to the room opened.
“We will serve the appetizer now.”
Small, delicate dishes that looked almost like toys were beautifully arranged on the table.
Though he thought it looked a bit intimidating, Han-geon followed Eun-gyeol’s urging and tried a bite.
His eyes widened at the unique yet profound flavor he had never tasted before.
“It’s delicious.”
“Eat a lot.”
At Han-geon’s unfiltered exclamation, Eun-gyeol’s lips curved into a beautiful smile.
After savoring the food in silence for a while, Han-geon suddenly widened his eyes.
He had only just noticed the view beyond the glass window, having been completely distracted by the room’s atmosphere and the food.
“Wow…
The view here is amazing.”
“Right?”
So that was why they’d come near the amusement park.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass forming one side of the wall was a breathtakingly fantastic sight.
The sparkling lights of the rides in the distance and their vivid illumination adorned the nightscape beautifully.
The course that had seemed like it would go on endlessly, as in dramas or movies, ended surprisingly simply.
Still, everything had been delicious, and the key dishes had been served at just the right timing, so Han-geon actually preferred it this way.
It was a little regrettable to leave such a beautiful place so soon, but—
“Thank you.
I really enjoyed the meal.
And thank you for being so thoughtful.”
At Han-geon’s words, Eun-gyeol smiled with satisfaction.
“You liked it?”
“Yeah.
It was really good.”
“That’s a relief.
Then shall we go now?”
“…Where are we going?
Already?
The scenery is so pretty.”
Without thinking, he added that they could at least have some coffee.
It seemed he felt reluctant to leave after such a nice meal in such a lovely place.
Only after speaking did Han-geon realize he might sound like he was insisting too much, and he felt a bit embarrassed.
Eun-gyeol, however, tilted his head slightly and smiled.
“There’s somewhere I really want to go with you.
Will you come with me?”
As if enchanted, Han-geon nodded.
He’d wondered why Eun-gyeol seemed in such a hurry to leave after dinner, but hearing there was another destination made his heart race for no reason.
After leaving the restaurant, Eun-gyeol moved decisively.
The car came to a stop unexpectedly close by.
Parking in the amusement park lot, Eun-gyeol led the bewildered Han-geon out of the car.
“…An amusement park?
Now?”
“Yeah.
You said you wanted to see pretty scenery.
It’s prettier here.”
Eun-gyeol grinned and pulled a large baseball cap down over his head.
Once he put on a big mask, Han-geon took a scarf from the car and wrapped it around Eun-gyeol’s neck.
With the long padded coat covering him as well, aside from his suspiciously tall height, it would be hard to identify him.
Following Eun-gyeol’s lead, Han-geon also pulled on a hat and mask.
After fully gearing up, Eun-gyeol took Han-geon’s hand.
“Let’s go.”
“…Okay.”
An amusement park.
How many years had it been since he’d last come here?
This was only the second time he’d come here with Eun-gyeol.
The memory of spending an entire day here together back in high school held a particularly precious place among Han-geon’s countless memories with him.
As the beautiful scenery unfolded before his eyes, Han-geon felt his chest swell.
Though it was a late weekday night, the crowd was large, likely because the year-end was near.
Even as he worried someone might recognize Eun-gyeol, his heart couldn’t help but pound while he admired the Christmas decorations and listened to the cheerful carols.
“It’s been a while since we came here, hasn’t it?”
Under the sparkling lights, Eun-gyeol’s sweet voice tickled his ear.
Han-geon nodded, his face warming.
“Yeah.
It’s nice to be back.”
“Right.
Han-geon, should we take a picture?”
Eun-gyeol pointed toward the carousel, a popular photo spot.
Boldly, he asked two passing women to take their picture.
Han-geon barely had time to stop him.
The woman took the phone with a dazed expression and began giving them directions.
She told them to stand closer together and to pull their masks down.
“Thank you.”
Despite her instructions, Eun-gyeol kept his mask on and smiled slightly as he took the phone back.
As the woman absentmindedly handed it over and turned to leave, she froze when she heard Eun-gyeol’s voice.
Her eyes widened dramatically.
“Um…
Are you Cha Eun-gyeol?”
Thankfully, she didn’t scream.
She hurried closer and whispered at a volume only the two of them could hear.
Eun-gyeol gave her a sweet eye-smile and lifted a finger to his mask in a shushing gesture.
The woman covered her mouth with both hands, bouncing on her feet as she nodded.
“Could I please take just one photo with you?
I’m a huge fan…”
In response to her whispered plea, Eun-gyeol willingly took a photo with her.
Before more people could recognize him, he quickly pulled Han-geon away.
Dragged along almost at a run, Han-geon widened his eyes.
“…This is…”
They had stopped in front of the Ferris wheel line.
Perhaps because a parade had just begun, the wait wasn’t long.
As he looked at the beautifully decorated Ferris wheel slowly turning, Han-geon’s heart felt like it might burst.
The memory of riding it together back when they wore school uniforms.
Back then, he’d thought his heart would melt completely.
He’d been afraid Eun-gyeol might remember what he’d written in the class anthology.
He hadn’t been good at hiding his feelings or his expressions, and he feared being found out.
“Enjoy your ride.”
A staff member wearing a Santa hat waved cheerfully as the two of them boarded.
Han-geon struggled desperately to calm his racing heart.
In a situation he’d never imagined, the glittering scenery and the man beside him were unrealistically beautiful.
The Ferris wheel began to move slowly.
Below their gradually rising view spread a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
He wasn’t a child riding an attraction for the first time, yet his chest fluttered as if it were.
“…It’s so beautiful.”
Han-geon finally managed to speak.
Though his gaze was fixed as if enchanted on the view outside, his attention was actually entirely on Eun-gyeol sitting across from him.
When no response came, he turned his eyes back inside.
In the next moment, Han-geon flinched.
Eun-gyeol’s gaze directed at him was far too intense.
“Han-geon.
There’s something… I want to say.”
His voice, calm until now, was unmistakably trembling.
Han-geon slowly nodded with widened eyes.
“I’ve lost you once before.
That’s why this chance you’ve given me is so precious, but sometimes it feels like a dream.”
Meeting Eun-gyeol’s steady gaze, Han-geon held his breath and waited.
“Even now.
Naming our child together, taking care of him, eating with you, going on drives like this.
Sometimes I just can’t believe I’m allowed to have this time with you.
Sometimes I’m scared it’s a dream I’ll wake up from at any moment.”
“…..”
“But when I wake from nightmares of losing you, and I hear Eunhan crying in the living room at dawn, or I see the three pairs of sneakers by the desk…
I feel so happy I don’t know what to do.”
A faint smile spread across his lips.
Listening to him, Han-geon felt a little surprised.
He’d thought he was the only one who felt that way.
Waking to the sound of their child, hearing Eun-gyeol’s quiet voice soothing him in the living room, brought a sense of relief beyond words.
The fact that they had finally become a family of three was a comfort far greater than even the perfectly balanced pheromones Eun-gyeol provided.
“I’m so grateful to you for allowing me that happiness.
So I’ll do better from now on.
I won’t waste this chance you gave me.
Never.
You don’t have to accept me as anything more than Eunhan’s dad… that’s okay.
I’ll keep trying.
Until the day your heart opens completely.”
“…..”
“The things you did alone for seventeen years…
I’ll do them now.”
At some point, resting in Eun-gyeol’s palm was a small ring.
Two simple rings.
Biting his lip to hide his wildly pounding heart, Han-geon couldn’t conceal the heat rising to his face.
“Give me the chance to love you unrequitedly.
Forever.
I’ll do it happily.”
Eun-gyeol’s hand moved.
He gently lifted Han-geon’s hand resting on his knee and slowly pressed his lips to the back of it.
The soft, warm touch settled like a butterfly.
Soon after, catching the glow of the night lights, the ring slid slowly onto his finger.
New colors were being layered over Eun-gyeol’s hand, once stained with pain and suffering.
They were dazzling and brilliant, as radiant as the fireworks bursting outside the window.
To reach this point, Eun-gyeol must have agonized over countless moments.
Wondering if it was too soon, if he was allowed to say these words, weighing it over and over again.
That careful consideration had continued ever since they reunited.
Steady and unwavering.
It was a pace and a way shaped by consideration for Han-geon, so he wouldn’t retreat.
What began as seeing each other only once a week naturally increased, until Eun-gyeol was coming home to the family house every day.
To the warm, lively place filled with parents, a child, and Han-geon waiting for him.
And at some point, Han-geon found himself waiting for Eun-gyeol to come home.
There were weekends when he went to Eun-gyeol’s place and spent time together with the baby as a family of three.
Those sweet, warm changes arrived quietly, just like Eun-gyeol’s careful pace, and slowly colored Han-geon’s world.
In that way, Eun-gyeol gradually dismantled the wall Han-geon had built around himself and Podo.
Through the cracks, he stepped in very slowly so neither of them would be startled.
The baby who had once been Podo became Eunhan, no longer Han-geon’s child alone but theirs together.
The new family that had begun with pain, tears, and resolve finally took on a gentle shape.
He held it in his eyes.
The boy he had once loved enough to die for.
The man he still loved with the same, undiminished weight.
“…The Ferris wheel is almost over.”
Facing the dark eyes that looked at him in confusion, Han-geon gathered his courage and spoke.
“You saw it too…
The class anthology.”
The question in Eun-gyeol’s eyes slowly cleared.
In its place, joy surged like a rising tide.
With a vitality like a flower bursting into bloom, a large body hurriedly pulled Han-geon into an embrace.
Their trembling gazes met briefly.
Then soft yet burning warmth covered his lips.
Feeling an uncharacteristic shyness in the gentle contact, Han-geon smiled without realizing it.
The memory of their first kiss in that dark room, stained with pain and despair, was something he would now let go.
From now on, this kiss was their first kiss, and the beginning of something new.
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read The Moon Reflected In The Water! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : The Moon Reflected In The Water
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