DP Side Story Episode 12
by BrieDeep Pivot Side Story, Episode 12
“You can’t even see the ocean from this one.”
“So you’re the type who values an ocean view, huh, Yeon-woo…? Mmm, but staying somewhere like that would be scary at night.”
“…That’s why we’d have to stay even closer together.”
Seo-joon let out a quiet chuckle. His lover’s cute retort was followed by equally charming reasoning.
“You know the story of the Three Little Pigs, right? Which house ends up surviving in the end? The youngest pig’s house. The one made of bricks. It’s sturdy, keeps out the wolves… and even comes with breakfast.”
Tapping the hotel listing on the screen, Seo-joon made his case with questionable logic. Yeon-woo pouted, then tapped the tablet screen with a thoughtful look.
“…But the Yeon-woo pig still likes the log cabin better.”
The screen flipped back to Yeon-woo’s pick—a cozy pension with a warm-toned bedroom and a full ocean view through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Swiping through the photos, Yeon-woo glanced sideways to check Seo-joon’s reaction.
“……”
Their eyes met, and Yeon-woo’s curved eyes lit up with a sunny smile.
“It’s romantic, isn’t it?”
Seo-joon nodded helplessly, as if enchanted. What could he do? If the Yeon-woo pig wants it, then that’s where they’re going. By the time he snapped out of it, the reservation for the ocean-view pension in the forest was confirmed, and a payment alert chimed on his phone.
“Are you satisfied now?”
Yeon-woo nodded seriously. Don’t worry—if a wolf shows up, the Yeon-woo pig will handle it. Seo-joon chuckled at the silly joke and leaned in to kiss his cheek. To an outsider, it might’ve looked like an embarrassingly sweet scene straight out of a rom-com.
“Oh, Lieutenant—I looked it up. This place is apparently a photo hotspot. Super pretty, right? We can stop here first, then…”
Seo-joon gazed at Yeon-woo’s lovely face as he tapped eagerly on the tablet and chattered nonstop.
Alright. Let’s go. Do everything you want, little pig…
Somehow, he had a very good feeling that he’d spend the rest of his life losing—happily—to this adorable lover.
The warmth that the harsh sunlight had soaked into their bodies was cooled gently by the breeze. Yeon-woo suddenly leaned his chin against Seo-joon’s shoulder.
“Lieutenant, when did you take this?”
Seo-joon, seated on a terrace overlooking the ocean and sipping his Americano, took off his sunglasses and set them on the table, glancing at the phone in Yeon-woo’s hand.
Dozens of photos—all taken from a similar angle—showed Cha Yeon-woo crouched on the roadside, belly exposed, petting a sprawled-out cat.
“When do you think? Today, obviously. You completely ignored me and got so caught up playing with that cat, I swear someone could’ve scooped you up and kidnapped you, and you wouldn’t have even noticed.”
Seo-joon replied as he scooped up a small piece of cake from his plate and offered it to Yeon-woo’s mouth. They had arrived at their destination near Mukho Port by late afternoon and were now resting at a café known for its desserts.
Yeon-woo, eyes still fixed on his phone, opened his mouth to accept the bite of cake, then stared at the cat in the photo for a while. He had apparently forgotten all about the cherry blossom Seo-joon had tucked into his hair earlier as a joke—still nestled at the side of his head. Seo-joon, on purpose, said nothing and left it there.
“If you like cats that much, why don’t you get one?”
“I don’t think I can—Jeong-woo has allergies.”
“……”
“If he’s discharged, we’ll probably end up living together… And it wouldn’t be fair to either the cat or Jeong-woo.”
Seo-joon straightened his posture and looked at Yeon-woo. Whatever he saw in that gaze, Yeon-woo misunderstood it slightly and lowered his eyes with a sheepish smile.
“I know full recovery is unlikely. But… you never know…”
Maybe things really will go the way you hope, Yeon-woo. Seo-joon was only just starting to understand why people blurt things out before they’re certain. He was itching to tell Yeon-woo the good news—even though nothing was set in stone yet.
“Someday, it will happen. Dr. Yoon is incredibly talented, after all.”
Yeon-woo gave a soft smile at Seo-joon’s words. He leaned his chin back on Seo-joon’s shoulder.
“If that really happens… I don’t think I’ll need anything else.”
Just then, other patrons came out onto the terrace and began settling into their seats. Naturally, Yeon-woo raised his hood to cover his head. The cherry blossom tucked by his ear fluttered down in the breeze.
“You must really like wearing that hood,” Seo-joon said.
Seo-joon, regretful to see that pretty face hidden, tugged Yeon-woo’s hood down a little and spoke. Yeon-woo, straw from his lemonade between his lips, rested his chin on Seo-joon’s shoulder.
“It’s a habit. I get a lot of stares because I’m tall.”
“……”
Is it really just because of the height? Seo-joon, fully aware that his lover was stunning by any standard, didn’t bother voicing his doubts.
“After my awakening, people started staring even more because of my hair color, so I end up covering up a lot.”
…Was it really just the hair color? Seo-joon glanced at the other tables, confirming they were too far away to see them. Still, for some reason, he suddenly felt possessive about Yeon-woo’s exposure and quickly put sunglasses on him.
Even with his eyes covered, that beauty was impossible to hide.
Cha Yeon-woo was so pretty, Seo-joon figured he had to be careful whether it was men or women. There wasn’t a single unappealing feature on him, from head to toe. It was almost uncanny.
A jawline as flawless as if sculpted by an artist, lips plump and red as pomegranate juice, skin smooth as pearls, cheeks soft and pillowy…
Yeon-woo, not used to having things on his face, soon took off the sunglasses and gave Seo-joon a puzzled look in response to his insistent gaze. A soft breeze ruffled his hair, and Seo-joon gently brushed it aside, taking in that beautiful face.
“You remind me of a character,” Seo-joon said.
“Who?”
“Boorrroo Puppy.”
“What’s that?”
“You don’t know? It was really popular when I was a kid.”
Was the age gap really that wide?
“…Is it a cool character?”
Seo-joon couldn’t help but laugh. What was Yeon-woo expecting, when the name literally meant “Puppy”? Meanwhile, Yeon-woo must have looked it up, because his lips jutted out in a pout.
“What is this…? I look nothing like that.”
“What are you talking about? Your crying face in bed looks exactly like that.”
“……”
“I’ll take a picture next time and show you.”
Yeon-woo shot him a glare from the corner of his eye. Lieutenant, you really are weird… It was a phrase Seo-joon had been hearing a lot from Yeon-woo lately, and he just leaned against him again, feeling satisfied.
Just then, both their phones rang at the same time. Lieutenant Hong Young-gyo and Captain Jin Cheong-oh—it was hardly surprising to see their digital wedding invitation.
Ding, ding. Annoyed by the constant notifications, Seo-joon tapped on the message and scrolled to the newly-invited SAU group chat, frowning slightly. Yeon-woo, chin still on Seo-joon’s shoulder, leaned in to look at the phone with him.
[Hey, you two]
[Stop leaving the group chat]
[I have to send the invitation twice every time]
3:41 PM
[Seo-joon-ah]
[S]
[S]
[S]
[S]
[Baby]
[Kang Chae-won has sent ₩100 to Cha Yeon-woo!]
[G]
[aah]
[Why aren’t you answering the chat]
3:42 PM
They always somehow knew when Seo-joon and Yeon-woo were having a good time—and ruined it like clockwork. Seo-joon turned on his camera, snapped a photo of the two of them, and sent it to the group chat.
[Photo]
3:43 PM
[Ugh… this is seriously annoying..?]
[What do you even want us to do with this]
[Neither of you even look like you’re trying]
[Where’s the effort? The emotion?]
3:44 PM
[Come on, guys]
[Read the room]
[They said don’t bother them, lol]
3:45 PM
SAU—though at this point, “unemployed club” was probably more accurate—was enjoying what could only generously be called extended leave.
Since the gates had closed, every awakened special forces member was now in a similar situation to SAU: floating in limbo. Soon, a major restructuring of the military system was expected, but for now, they were just highly skilled personnel without a defined role.
[A new announcement has been posted.]
[Meeting scheduled regarding NASA field deployment
Date: May 1, 1:00 PM
Location: map.url
Anyone who doesn’t attend will be excluded from this trip]
3:46 PM
An official assignment at last: Ji Seo-joon and Cha Yeon-woo had been selected for a security mission accompanying a NASA visit. Unlike Seo-joon’s previous covert trip with Hee-min, disguised as a researcher, this one was a public and formal deployment.
Truthfully, NASA didn’t require this many escorts—their arrangements for the two had already been meticulous. But this surplus in security personnel was a small concession from Hee-min, done for SAU’s benefit.
For awakened individuals still under the international travel ban, this was a rare opportunity. In other words, it was a legal chance to travel abroad.
The chat exploded with dozens of messages. Seo-joon, having already muted the group, simply accepted the piece of cake being fed to him. Yeon-woo, after slipping in another two bites, tapped the phone screen and stared quietly at the photo they had just taken.
“You really don’t photograph well, Lieutenant.”
“I think it looks fine.”
Seo-joon’s reply was casual, but Yeon-woo responded with a small pout and studied his face closely.