Stranger Who Found Spring

After two weeks passed, Cho-seung left the company feeling refreshed. Finally, he didn’t have to feel nervous when he was away from Ha-hyun. He climbed into the car with light steps and called Ha-hyun.

And today, Ha-hyun, who was buried in the nest and fell asleep as always, barely opened his eyes to the repeated vibration and answered the phone.

“Why…”

Ha-hyun, who asked the other person about the matter without checking the phone he received, rubbed his heavy eyelids when the familiar voice returned.

[You’ve been frustrated, right? Shall we go for a walk for a while?]

Cho-seung, who asked Ha-hyun to stay at home because he was worried about sending him out alone, asked with an apologetic heart.

Ha-hyun, who didn’t enjoy going out of the house, didn’t even care, but he looked out the window where the sun was still shining and expressed his affirmation.

Cho-seung seemed to have been a bit frustrated since he has been repeating his daily routine of going to the park in front of his house to get some fresh air after work.

[How about a movie?]

“The movie is good. But I’m still in bed.”

It meant he wanted to linger in bed more. Cho-seung smiled softly at Ha-hyun’s words. He still had 20 minutes to go home and was in no hurry.

[I’ll go home first. Lie down for a while.]

“Ung.”

Cho-seung almost burst out in laughter after Ha-hyun didn’t hesitate to answer immediately.

* * *

Ha-hyun, who was wandering around in bed until Cho-seung arrived, got out of bed as if he was being dragged out.

“Uung. My nest…”

“You don’t need a nest because I’m here.”

It was true that the owner of the pheromone buried in the nest was Cho-seung, but there was a stark difference between the comfort of the nest and the comfort of Cho-seung’s pheromone. If there were Cho-seung and a nest at the same time, it felt like a fortress for him had been completed.

“Now wash up and come out.”

“Ung.”

Still, since it had been a long time since he went out, Ha-hyun didn’t procrastinate anymore and went straight into the bathroom, hugging the outerwear that Cho-seung gave him.

Washing his hands mechanically, he put on damp clothes and went out while wiping his hair with a towel.

“Are you ready?”

Cho-seung, who was sitting on the sofa looking at his phone after changing into casual clothes, raised his head when he heard someone being there.

“Reservations? Haven’t you done that yet?”

“Ung, I haven’t done it yet. Shall we watch the horror movie?”

It wasn’t summer yet, so there were almost no horror movies released, but there were thriller movies similar to it. He really thought he would be scared, but since Ha-hyun’s favourite genre is horror, he couldn’t help it. As it was an outing for him, he wanted to suit his taste.

“Let’s go to the theatre that has recliner seats. I will book.”

Thinking of going to the movie theater with the recliner seats he always went to, Ha-hyun took off his excited steps and headed for the front door.

He gestured toward Cho-seung, who was still sitting on the sofa and urged him to come quickly, but suddenly realized that his hand was too light and turned around.

“What’s the matter?”

Ha-hyun, who showed empty hands toward Cho-seung, who seemed to have caught up with him at some point, appealed that he hadn’t packed anything, including his wallet and cell phone.

“I got it.”

“Take mine, too.”

Um.

Not having a cell phone might be a bit of a problem. There was no intention of being apart, but the word “if” didn’t exist for no reason. Cho-seung, who told him to stay here, quickly went inside and picked up Ha-hyun’s wallet and cell phone.

“Is this right?”

“How did you know?”

“I have that kind of keen eye.”

Let’s go now.

Cho-seung wrapped his arm around his waist and walked carefully along him. Sitting in the now familiar passenger seat, Ha-hyun picked up a chocolate bar and ate it.

* * *

“Are you not going to eat popcorn?”

“Eat.”

Hearing the words that came out without hesitation, he headed to the theater thinking that he should buy several flavours.

Thanks to making a reservation for the closest time slot, it was time to enter the theater after a short wait. Ha-hyun sat on the chair scattered here and there and grabbed the hem of Cho-seung’s clothes as he was about to go to the concession stand.

“What flavour?”

Ha-hyun raised the corner of his mouth at the question as if it was natural now.

“Original and caramel flavour.”

“Okay.”

Ha-hyun, who saw off Cho-seung after receiving a light kiss he was used to by now, took a posture in earnest and looked into his cell phone.

He said he would be back soon, but it couldn’t be possible. Looking at the crowd of people in front of the concession stand, he exhaled and turned on the game. Ha-hyun, who was tapping the screen repeatedly without thinking, turned his head when an unfamiliar voice called him.

“Hey, do you have time?”

Faced with his familiar pattern, Ha-hyun forcibly swallowed the sigh that came out of his stomach. It was very rude to sigh in a person’s face.

“No. I don’t.”

Pheromone control went well these days, so why did this happen?

Outwardly, his bone was thinner than beta or alpha males as much as he was born with the characteristics of an omega, but he was usually approached confidently with pheromones. Of course, there were people who thought it was okay if he wasn’t an omega.

“Then my business card…”

“Honey?” (Jagiya)

Ah.

Ha-hyun’s eyes lit up at the appearance of the saviour. When he was alone, he had a hard time letting someone like this go peacefully. But now, Cho-seung was by his side.

“You’re here?”

Unlike usual, Ha-hyun, who welcomed Cho-seung with a bright smile, jumped up and headed towards him with quick steps. Seeing the two of them together, the opponent immediately backed away, but Cho-seung’s momentum was strange.

“What’s the matter?”

“Honey.”

“Ung.”

It was a nickname he didn’t really like and it was the first he had heard of it since he decided not to call it the other day, but he was glad he did it. Very much too.

Thanks to that nickname, it was a word that would be quite welcome outside.

“Shall we go get our rings?”

“Rings?”

Come to think of it, there was a time when he thought that he should get the rings. But all of a sudden? Cho-seung looked pouty as he tilted his head and made a puzzled expression.

“Aren’t you too popular?”

“Me?”

“Ung. It was the same at the hotel.”

He, who was at the hotel that day, was also one of the people who wanted to spend time with Ha-hyun, but even though he was popular, there were too many of them.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t guess what it was for, but that didn’t mean that his grievance would disappear, and Cho-seung pressed his forehead while him making a sound of pain.

“I’ll bring the popcorn back first. No, do you want to go with me?”

Leave him alone and someone else would stick to him.

Ha-hyun nodded when Cho-seung, who didn’t want to see it twice, offered him.

“But when it comes to wedding rings, Tifa—”

“Isn’t that too expensive?”

Before he could finish naming the famous brands, Cho-seung shook his head in fright. A ring of that brand might be fine for Ha-hyun, but it was too much for him.

It wasn’t impossible for him to buy it, but when he was unemployed now to buy a ring that exceeded his annual salary when he had a job. He was also unemployed with significantly less wealthy than his partner.

In addition, Cho-seung, who lived frugally and thriftily without paying attention to luxury goods, felt burdened when it came to the expensive products.

“Then where do you buy them?”

It was a brand he knew because it was famous for its rings and because of that, he didn’t know much about other brands. Even the person who developed deep enough to get the rings was the last time in the past, so he couldn’t even remember where they would get the rings.

Besides, he was quite old unlike back then, so wouldn’t it be okay to buy rings they were expensive?

“I don’t know either. Just a brand with a lower price than there?”

“Let’s just go where we know.”

While talking about where and when to buy the ring, the two of them headed to the theater with popcorn. There were quite a few eyes following the two of them, but neither Ha-hyun nor Cho-seung cared.

* * *

After watching the movie and having an early dinner, they continued to discuss where to buy the rings, but the difference didn’t close. Cho-seung tended to buy things carefully while Ha-hyun tended to buy products from the most famous brands when necessary.

“I’ve been thinking about it.”

“Ung.”

Ha-hyun bit the straw stuck in the ade once and let it go. It was a habit that came out when he was frustrated, but it was something that Cho-seung still didn’t know.

Ha-hyun seriously opened the preface with a mysterious face as Cho-seung, who just placed the cut steak to make it easier for him to eat, tilted his head in confusion.

“About a wedding ring.”

“Yeah?”

“Isn’t that what you pass on to your children when they grow up?”

Ha-hyun didn’t know if it was true, but he spat it out and looked at it. Persuading Cho-seung is the priority.

“…right?”

He didn’t know what to say, but Cho-seung had a prediction of defeat in his heart at what Ha-hyun said.

“My pride won’t allow me to choose a mediocre brand for the ring I will pass on to my children.”

In the first place, he didn’t want to compromise on an accessory with such a grand meaning as a wedding ring, according to Cho-seung’s opinion. It wasn’t that he didn’t have money, so why?

At the appearance of pride that he had never mentioned before, Cho-seung licked his lips and calmed down his confusion.

“Honey, you don’t drive a cheap car for that, right?”

Ha-hyun blinked when he asked, thinking of himself, who usually rode the line just for newcomers to society.

“I have three cars. Didn’t I tell you?”

“…you didn’t tell me.”

“Indeed. The other two are for decoration.”

They were just extra cars, one famous because it was sturdy and one sports car for refreshment. Actually, it was no different from an impulse purchase to relieve stress. As a result, he mostly drove with the vehicle he was most familiar with.

“And I can’t hand over the car. When they grow up, that will be old-fashioned.”

“Will you give them a new car as soon as they get their license? What if they get an accident?”

“I can buy it again, right?”

The more he listened, the more Cho-seung touched his forehead with a dazed expression at the words that he couldn’t handle. It seemed that his first priority is to follow Ha-hyun’s economic ideas.

“Don’t think too hard.”

“Am I taking it hard, or are you taking it easy…”

“You’re thinking hard.”

Ha-hyun, who said it as if it was natural, sucked the ade down and drank it. Judging from Cho-seung’s atmosphere, it was clear that this was his victory.

“Let’s go get it tomorrow.”

“We should go to Cheongdam-dong.”

Since it was a place where luxury flagship stores were gathered, it seemed that the brand Ha-hyun mentioned might be there as well. If they didn’t have it, they had to look for it. While naturally planning it, he was mesmerized by the price of the ring.

“I want more steak.”

“Ah, ung.”

At Ha-hyun’s words, Cho-seung mechanically moved his hand and put the leftover food in his mouth.

Really, there seemed no need to worry about money when raising children.