Formatting

CI 4.11

by Springlila

<Hee-yeon. What do you want for your birthday? Please tell me specifically. Better yet, send me a purchase link.>

In the end, Son Yeo-il asked Won Hee-yeon directly. After sending it, he thought the question was so unromantic that he wondered if he should have just compromised with an adequate gift. However, Won Hee-yeon was greatly pleased by the mere fact that Son Yeo-il had mentioned his birthday gift. He raised both corners of his mouth in a wide smile and waved his hands dismissively.

Son Yeo-il spoke boldly, straightening his chest. It wasn’t just an empty boast—Son Yeo-il had started earning more since completing his apprenticeship and becoming a full-fledged attorney.

Son Yeo-il was essentially handling all operations of Attorney Bae Gi-dong’s office except for case acceptance, and he occasionally took cases too, so the salary increase was perhaps only natural.

However, even Son Yeo-il hadn’t anticipated that the catalyst for his raise would be something other than the office’s primary work. Last month, Son Yeo-il had achieved significant success in his first case as a court-appointed attorney for victims. When the police tried to perfunctorily investigate a seemingly obvious case and close it without indictment, an incensed Son Yeo-il meticulously submitted rebuttal documents and additional evidence, squeezing time out of his busy schedule.

Eventually, when an arrest warrant was issued for the suspect, the deeply moved client posted about it on various internet communities and social media. The story of the case became quite well-known, and eventually, local media outlets even requested interviews with the office. Though they declined the interview requests, the incident made everyone in the office well aware of Son Yeo-il’s accomplishments.

While outwardly praising him, Attorney Bae Gi-dong seemed inwardly concerned. For any other case, he would have been unreservedly happy, but since he had initially opposed Son Yeo-il taking on court-appointed victim advocacy work, he seemed somewhat self-conscious. Manager Kim, who was beside them, went a step further and started making a fuss.

<That’s right. I told him to do interviews and even appear on the news if possible, but he wouldn’t listen—perhaps he’s too shy. Honestly, if our Attorney Son appeared in the mass media once, he’d become a star lawyer right away.>

<No, that’s not true. You’re exaggerating…>

<Well, you can certainly compete with skill rather than looks! Boss, what if another firm tries to poach Attorney Son? Our office can’t function without him anymore.>

Manager Kim’s words made Attorney Bae Gi-dong look even more anxious. If Son Yeo-il were to leave the office, Attorney Bae Gi-dong would be the most inconvenienced. Son Yeo-il, who had become quite shrewd like Won Hee-yeon, didn’t miss the timing and added fuel to the fire.

<Actually, when I went to Seoul for that engagement cancellation lawsuit, a partner from Koo & Chang came up to me casually and asked why I had withdrawn my confirmation. He asked if I’d consider coming back to Koo & Chang.>

<Hahaha, no, I declined.>

<Hmm…who knows? I guess it was my destiny to come to Yongju city.>

Son Yeo-il smiled brightly before the fussing Manager Kim, but Attorney Bae Gi-dong could hardly hide his anxiety. He wasn’t one to focus on work anyway, but after spending the entire afternoon deep in thought without even looking at approval documents, he finally called Son Yeo-il aside quietly before leaving work and proposed a significantly increased salary.

With the condition that Son Yeo-il would also receive bonuses for cases he personally took on, he would now earn an income that even attorneys at major law firms wouldn’t scoff at.

Though Son Yeo-il occasionally worked overtime, he wasn’t subjected to the unreasonable heavy workload typical of large firms, so in terms of hourly wage, Son Yeo-il was actually earning more.

So Son Yeo-il proudly showed off his financial capability, but that was merely a cute gesture in front of Won Hee-yeon, who owned several buildings. Won Hee-yeon, amused by his lover’s proud demeanor, smiled and pretended to think.

Won Hee-yeon playfully extended his finger and poked Son Yeo-il’s side. Though it was a cute display of affection, Son Yeo-il, who wanted to resolve the gift issue quickly, urged Won Hee-yeon impatiently.

<I’m already yours. Besides that, please tell me what gift you’d like to receive.>

At Son Yeo-il’s words, Won Hee-yeon’s eyes flashed fiercely. It wasn’t an expression of anger from being reprimanded, but rather, it seemed his buttons had been pushed again by Son Yeo-il’s declaration that “I’m yours!”

By the time Son Yeo-il realized his mistake, it was already too late. He was lifted up by Won Hee-yeon and dragged to the bedroom, where he was thoroughly devoured without being able to properly resist, so that day’s “gift selection project” had to be postponed.

It was only the next day that Son Yeo-il thought of a better method. He called the department store’s personal shopper, who would best know Won Hee-yeon’s wish list, and asked for help.

She informed him that Won Hee-yeon had recently wanted a peacock-patterned silk shirt but couldn’t buy it because it wasn’t officially imported, so Son Yeo-il immediately purchased the shirt through direct overseas shopping.

The problem was that it would take at least two weeks for the shirt to arrive at Won Hee-yeon’s house from across the sea. He would only be able to give the gift a week after Won Hee-yeon’s birthday had passed.

This is absurd. It’s the first birthday gift I’m giving him! But I’ve already emphasized that I’ve placed the order, so maybe it’s okay? At least I’ve reserved the restaurant…

Son Yeo-il hadn’t just planned to buy a gift; he had also set up the entire date course for the day before the birthday. Though the local food restaurants Won Hee-yeon took him to were good, he thought it would be nice to go to a fancy restaurant for once, so he searched diligently.

Fortunately, he found a restaurant a bit away from Yongju city that had both a nice atmosphere and good food, attracting customers even from Seoul. He had secured a window seat with a beautiful night view and had meticulously arranged for a whole cake to be served as dessert after the meal, which should create quite a birthday eve atmosphere.

Having completed all these preparations, an unexpected variable arose yesterday afternoon. Attorney Bae Gi-dong, who had rarely come to the office, approached Son Yeo-il and abruptly started clapping.

“Attorney Son, from today, you’re not a trainee anymore, but a formal lawyer, right? Congratulations. You’re doing well now, so I have high expectations for how much better you’ll do in the future.”

Son Yeo-il was surprised by those words. Yesterday was exactly six months since Son Yeo-il started his practical training. He had been so immersed in Won Hee-yeon’s birthday that he had forgotten how much time had passed. Manager Kim also came over to congratulate him, and Son Yeo-il was embarrassed but inwardly touched.

“Thank you for your congratulations.”

“Our Attorney Son is so humble. I’m always grateful! Oh, that’s why I’m saying this, but you have a trial date for the drunk driving refusal case tomorrow afternoon, right? Attorney Son, you can go alone. Right?”

“Yes? Uh, but…is that okay?”

“Of course, it is. Now Attorney Son can argue independently. Think of it as gaining experience and give it a try!”

Son Yeo-il wondered why he was suddenly clapping, but Head Attorney Bae Gi-dong had an ulterior motive. It turned out that he had forgotten that the trial date was set for tomorrow and had made a golf reservation in Jeju Island. Son Yeo-il was annoyed that even the congratulations were a build-up to pass on the work, but he tried to think positively.

Well, it doesn’t matter whether I go alone or with someone. I wrote all the opinions anyway, so it’s not like the work is increasing. It’ll be more comfortable because I don’t have to attend to the head attorney.

He had clearly come to that conclusion in his head, but as time went on, he felt more and more nervous about having to attend the trial and argue alone as a formal lawyer for the first time in his life.

In the end, Son Yeo-il stayed up late last night simulating all the unexpected situations that could happen in court. This morning, he came to work early and was busy perfectly organizing the order of the trial and the oral arguments.

As a result, Son Yeo-il momentarily forgot that tomorrow was Won Hee-yeon’s birthday and even that he had made a reservation at a restaurant to celebrate Won Hee-yeon’s birthday. Feeling pathetic and embarrassed by his ridiculous mistake, Son Yeo-il rolled his eyes while sitting in the passenger seat.

Did Hee-yeon notice my expression just now? He’s so quick-witted, there’s no way he wouldn’t know, right? Is he feeling disappointed right now? He doesn’t think I don’t care about his birthday, does he?

He was already worried about only having dinner without a gift, but he felt even more sorry. Son Yeo-il, wanting to make up for his mistake somehow, secretly accessed a dawn delivery app on the way to the restaurant.

I can’t do this. I have to make seaweed soup tomorrow. If I wake up earlier than Hee-yeon and set up a birthday table in the morning, he’ll like it, right? But can I do it? Do I really want to cook?

In fact, when he decided to celebrate Won Hee-yeon’s birthday, the first thing he thought of was seaweed soup. He even put a full set of seaweed soup ingredients and bulgogi meal kit in his shopping cart, but he was afraid that he would ruin it, since he had never done it before, and eventually gave up on the idea.

Son Yeo-il, who had to take care of himself from a young age due to his mother’s long illness, was skilled at cleaning and laundry and was also good at ironing. However, cooking was not one of Son Yeo-il’s expertise at all.

From high school to law school, he studied late into the night almost every day, so he didn’t have time to cook at home. Moreover, until he met Won Hee-yeon, he wasn’t interested in eating, so he thought it was enough if the food could fill his stomach.

He had recently opened his eyes to gourmet food, but he was still far from being a good cook. He mainly ate out with Won Hee-yeon, and even on days when they ate at home, Won Hee-yeon was the one who cooked. Even when he tried to help, Won Hee-yeon always shouted, “What if your little pecker falls off when a big shot like you comes into the kitchen!” and chased Son Yeo-il away.

He knew that he wanted to let Son Yeo-il rest, but he was so dumbfounded that he once retorted, “Then doesn’t yours fall off too?” Then he suddenly made a serious expression and said, “Honey, I think something hot is falling off my lower body, please examine it,” and pulled down his pants and approached Son Yeo-il. Of course, that day, he couldn’t even come out of the bedroom for a few hours, let alone cook.

He’s such a funny person, really. Ah, no, this is not the time to reminisce. I have to create a wonderful birthday spread and impress Hee-yeon. Sigh…Okay. Let’s do it. It’ll be okay. When I searched it up back then, everyone said seaweed soup is an easy dish.

He was nervous, but since things had turned out this way, he had no other choice but to proceed. Son Yeo-il ordered the ingredients he had secretly put in his shopping cart as if he were preparing a forbidden secret technique.

In the meantime, the two arrived at the restaurant that Son Yeo-il had reserved. Son Yeo-il entered the restaurant with a nervous feeling, wondering if Won Hee-yeon would like the place he had found. Won Hee-yeon looked around the restaurant with its high ceilings and immediately began to compliment him.

“Wow, how did you find such a good place? Our husband can do everything.”

Just as Son Yeo-il was feeling a little proud, an employee approached and politely guided the two to their reserved seats. Won Hee-yeon didn’t forget to make a fuss even while sitting down.

“Look at the night view here. It’s like a painting. Huh? What is this? The forks and knives are lined up. Is a lot of delicious food going to come out?”

In fact, Won Hee-yeon, who had gone through thick and thin and had tried all sorts of good food, was quite familiar with fine dining course meals, but he was even more exaggerated in his reaction because he was happy that Son Yeo-il was paying attention to his birthday.

As exclamations like “Kheu-eu-eu” and “Iyaa” burst out one after another, a sense of relief bloomed in Son Yeo-il’s heart, which had been frozen with worry earlier. Son Yeo-il unfolded the wine list on the table with a much brighter expression.

“Do you like it? I’m glad. I’ve already ordered the dinner menu for today, so we just need to choose a drink. They say they have a lot of good wine here. You’re familiar with fine wine, right, Hee-yeon?”

“Huh. Are you going to drink?”

“It’s not just me who’s going to drink, you have to drink too, Hee-yeon. You’re the main character. You haven’t been able to drink because you’re worried about driving. On a day like today, just think of calling a designated driver and have a drink.”

Won Hee-yeon, who seemed to like Son Yeo-il smiling brightly, blushed slightly and received the wine list.

“Then, since it’s a good day, shall we pop a bottle of champagne first?”

Won Hee-yeon seemed to be knowledgeable about wine. He skillfully looked at the list and ordered a champagne that was not too sweet and had a refreshing scent to suit Son Yeo-il’s taste.

Champagne was served in a long glass with the first course menu. The transparent and yellowish alcohol shimmered refreshingly. The bubbles rising up made Son Yeo-il’s heart tickle. Before taking the first sip, Son Yeo-il shyly whispered to Won Hee-yeon.

“Happy birthday, Hee-yeon.”

“Yeah. Aigoo. I was really born well. I even met our Yeo-il.”

Son Yeo-il was almost moved to tears by Won Hee-yeon’s answer. Not wanting to cry on a good day, Son Yeo-il emptied a glass of champagne to hide his expression. After that, even the little bit of anxiety and tension that remained disappeared completely.

Dinner went very smoothly. As it was a place known for its delicious food, all the menus that made up the course were both visually pleasing and tasted excellent. Won Hee-yeon ordered a couple more bottles of wine to match the menu, and each one was such a perfect combination that the food and alcohol went down smoothly.

As the night deepened, the night view became more brilliant, the music in the restaurant was more mellow, and across the table, a handsome lover was smiling with a suit that perfectly suited Son Yeo-il’s taste, shining brighter than the lights of the city at night.

It’s a perfect night. Is it okay for me to enjoy this so much when it’s not even my birthday?

The more excited he felt, the better the alcohol and food tasted, so Son Yeo-il ate and drank a lot. It was a fact he had forgotten for a while, but Won Hee-yeon was a person who could drink a scary amount. Without even realizing it, he ended up drinking too much wine to keep up with Won Hee-yeon’s pace.

Wine glasses were emptied one after another, Son Yeo-il’s cheeks became more and more flushed, and the gazes exchanged between the two across the table became hotter and hotter, and as a result…

Gasp!

Son Yeo-il was startled awake by the buzzing of his cell phone. At some point, Son Yeo-il was lying in the master bedroom, and brilliant sunlight was pouring in through the window. It seemed that the night had passed and the morning of Won Hee-yeon’s birthday had dawned. Son Yeo-il, who had planned to wake up early and prepare a surprise birthday table, felt his heart sink.

I must be crazy! When did I fall asleep? What time is it?

The moment he quickly raised his body, his temples throbbed as if holes had been drilled in them. It seemed that the hangover from the wine was coming up. Son Yeo-il checked the time while holding his head with one hand. Fortunately, it was still early in the morning, and Won Hee-yeon was lying next to Son Yeo-il, fast asleep.

Haa…I’m not late. I can start now.

It was fortunate that he had set an alarm in advance while ordering the ingredients the night before. Son Yeo-il, who was sneaking out of bed, gasped in pain as soon as he put his foot on the floor.

The pelvic bone and spine near his waist throbbed as if they were shattered, and his buttocks were also numb. No matter how strong the wine was, this couldn’t be a hangover symptom, so the cause of the pain was separate.

I feel terrible. How much sex did we have yesterday?

It had been a long time since the aftereffects were this intense. It had been several months since he met Won Hee-yeon, and they had rolled around together countless times, so he was more familiar with it than before, but it seemed like the sex had been more intense yesterday.

There were clear handprints on his wrist, and his nipples were sore from brushing against his pajamas. Even without looking in the mirror, he could guess that his whole body was covered in bite and suck marks.

He knew that he had had an amazing sex, but he had no idea how he had done it specifically. He didn’t even remember how he finished dinner at the restaurant or how he had gotten home.

Did we finish dinner? I vaguely remember putting candles on the cake. What did I do after that? I didn’t make any big mistakes, did I?

He had shown Won Hee-yeon a lot of unsightly things, so there was nothing new to be ashamed of, but for some reason, he felt like he was missing something important. Son Yeo-il grabbed his throbbing head and tried to recall.

He seemed to remember Won Hee-yeon running at him like a crazy person, but that was always the case. He also remembered being held tightly by Won Hee-yeon and wailing in pleasure and pain, but that was also a recurring process.

Hmm…I don’t know. I have to proceed for now.

Either way, he didn’t have much time to worry about it now. He had to finish cooking before Won Hee-yeon woke up. Son Yeo-il grabbed his aching waist and moved diligently. When he checked the box delivered outside the house, all the ordered ingredients had arrived safely.

After washing the rice and putting it on the cooker, it was time to start cooking in earnest. Son Yeo-il opened the seaweed soup recipe page that he had bookmarked in advance. Like a model student, he read the recipe with a serious expression on his face.

Fortunately, seaweed soup didn’t have many ingredients, and the difficulty level at the top of the recipe was also marked as ‘low.’ The wine he had drunk yesterday was slooshing around in his head, making it difficult to see the letters, but he was able to understand the contents without difficulty.

The bulgogi was a meal kit product, so all he had to do was stir-fry it according to the instructions, and if he took out kimchi and a couple of side dishes from the refrigerator, he could complete something similar to a birthday table.

It looks easy?

The only problem was that Son Yeo-il was not completely sober. Normally, he would never underestimate even the easiest task, but when he was drunk, Son Yeo-il tended to be ten times more frivolous than usual.

Filled with unfounded confidence, Son Yeo-il rolled up his pajama sleeves. Since the recipe said to soak the seaweed first, he picked up the seaweed bag from among the ingredients that were lined up first.

But something was strange. Son Yeo-il had clearly ordered the smallest size of seaweed, and the amount of seaweed in the bag didn’t seem to be much, but the outside of the bag said ‘for 20-30 servings.’

30 servings? This?

30 servings were enough to feed all the children in one class when Son Yeo-il was in elementary school. Recalling the large soup container he saw every lunchtime, Son Yeo-il was convinced that something was wrong.

It’s 2-3 servings, but there must be a typo.

Reaching a reasonable conclusion, Son Yeo-il took out a not-so-large bowl, poured water into it, and dumped the entire bag of seaweed into it. One step of the recipe had already been solved, so he felt even more confident.

After soaking the beef in another bowl to remove the blood, he even felt like he had some time to spare. It seemed like it would be good to take care of the bulgogi while soaking the seaweed and removing the blood from the meat.

Son Yeo-il diligently read the instructions on the outside of the bulgogi meal kit. The explanation said, ‘It tastes better with some vegetables,’ so Son Yeo-il decided to stir-fry the onions and green onions first.

Son Yeo-il, who took out the onions and green onions from the refrigerator, started cutting them awkwardly. Focusing on the unfamiliar task, Son Yeo-il didn’t notice what was happening in the kitchen.

The shape is a bit weird. It won’t show if I stir-fry it, right? Where’s the frying pan…?

After cutting the crooked green onions and onions, he put them in a frying pan with oil, and a delicious smell was already rising. Contrary to his worries, everything seemed to be going smoothly. Feeling proud like he was a cooking king, Son Yeo-il turned his head to bring the bulgogi meal kit box over.

At that moment, a strange object on the floor caught his eye. It was about the size of his palm, and it was something black and slippery. At first, he was startled, thinking that a bug had appeared, but when he looked again, it turned out to be soaked seaweed.

He must have dropped it by mistake, he thought casually, and reached out to the floor to pick up the seaweed lump, but at that moment, another lump of seaweed fell to the floor with a thud. Feeling puzzled, Son Yeo-il raised his gaze toward the counter and witnessed a shocking scene.

Oh my god. What is that? Is all of that really seaweed?

The seaweed, which was clearly a handful, was overflowing, unable to fill the stainless steel bowl. Seaweed was scattered everywhere on the counter.

Son Yeo-il, who had no idea how much dried seaweed expands when it absorbs water, couldn’t figure out what was going on. Did the seaweed go bad? While he was in a daze, the seaweed swelled even more.

“Uh, uh-oh.”

The seaweed mass, which had been slowly oozing out, began to erupt like popcorn popping. Before Son Yeo-il could react, it poured out incessantly, covering the counter and kitchen floor in a thick layer of dark brown and black seaweed.

As he frantically tried to gather the seaweed, he suddenly smelled something burning. Oh no, Son Yeo-il remembered the green onions and onions he had put in the frying pan.

“Ah, ugh, aah…!”

Startled, Son Yeo-il quickly veered to turn off the stove, but he stepped on the seaweed on the floor and slipped badly. His staggering body was about to fall headfirst into the seaweed mass.

“Aigo. Husband. Are you alright?”

Won Hee-yeon, who had woken up in the meantime, rushed over and grabbed Son Yeo-il. He quickly steadied Son Yeo-il and reached out to turn off the frying pan.

Although Son Yeo-il narrowly avoided rolling in seaweed or starting a fire, the kitchen was already a mess. Coming from the frying pan, which had charcoal lumps that were once green onions and onions, there was a burning smell and smoke everywhere, and most terribly, an enormous amount of seaweed was strewn on every spare surface of the kitchen counter.

“Th-This is…”

It felt like he was instantly sobering up. Though he didn’t properly understand why this had happened, he had to explain the situation anyway. Son Yeo-il mumbled in a small voice.

“I’m sorry for making a mess. Um, since it’s your birthday, I wanted to…make you seaweed soup.”

As he was just fidgeting with his fingertips out of embarrassment, a few seconds later, Won Hee-yeon spoke teasingly with a voice full of amusement.

“Yes. How thoughtful of you to consider even this. Seaweed soup! Our baby has such a generous heart. We won’t have to worry about seaweed until your 60th birthday celebration.”

Won Hee-yeon was merely laughing because he found Son Yeo-il’s unusual behavior cute and endearing, but Son Yeo-il, who was already dying of embarrassment, felt tears welling up at those words.

Are you crazy? Don’t you dare cry. Crying now would be even more embarrassing. And what have you done to deserve these tears?

Though he tried to suppress his emotions, his tear ducts wouldn’t listen. The more he tried to hold back, the more his nose stung and his palate burned. When Son Yeo-il remained silent with his head bowed, Won Hee-yeon, who had been chuckling, belatedly realized the situation and began to panic.

“H-Honey…? What’s wrong? Hmm?”

“…”

“Oh my, this mouth of mine is being thoughtless again. That’s the problem with people from Chungcheong Province. They think they’ll be struck by lightning if they ever pass up an opportunity for a joke, so they’re always making inappropriate remarks. I was being mean. Right? When I should be saying my Yeo-il is pretty, butI’m busy trying to tease him.”

Won Hee-yeon comforted Son Yeo-il with utmost sincerity, as if soothing an upset child. Those words made Son Yeo-il even more emotional. Today was Won Hee-yeon’s birthday, a day when he should be treating Won Hee-yeon well.

“That’s not it.”

“Huh? Um, t-then…”

“I’m not upset with you; I’m upset because I feel so pathetic. I couldn’t even buy a gift in time for your birthday, and yesterday I was distracted by work. Everyone said seaweed soup was really simple, but I can’t even do this properly.”

“…”

“Since it’s the first time we’re celebrating your birthday, I wanted to do it well. I’m really, so sorry…”

After pouring out his words rapidly, he ended up shedding tears. Not wanting to show his crying face, Son Yeo-il turned his back to Won Hee-yeon with his hands covering his face. So he didn’t get to see Won Hee-yeon’s beaming broad smile due to the fact that the other man fing even this aspect of him cute, while his eyes gazed at him warmly with sympathy and affection.

Won Heeyeon waited for Son Yeo-il to calm down a bit, then carefully approached him, avoiding the seaweed scattered on the floor, and hugged him tightly from behind.

“Yeo-il-ah.”

“…”

“It makes me so sad when you call our Yeo-il pathetic. Where can we find someone as amazing as our Yeo-il? Hmm? You work so hard and take such good care of this spouse of yours. And that shirt, how did you manage to find and order exactly what I wanted from across the ocean?”

Whenever he treated him this kindly, Son Yeo-il felt extremely awkward and embarrassed, yet also incredibly reassured.

Son Yeo-il, who had stubbornly continued his studies while being unable to properly care for his ill mother due to difficult financial circumstances, was always anxious. Children from well-off families could take a breather even if they slipped up a bit, and could turn back even if the path they chose was wrong, but Son Yeo-il was different.

Son Yeo-il, who always had to prove that his choices were right and wanted to prove it, tried desperately to accomplish everything without making mistakes. He lived in fear that everything would collapse the moment a gap appeared.

But when he was with Won Hee-yeon, who only knew how to say pretty things no matter what he did, Son Yeo-il could become a little looser from the thoughts that bound him tightly. Could he make mistakes? Could he still be understood even if he made them? That was how he felt.

Even now, Son Yeo-il’s mood was already improved by his kind voice. But wanting to be a little more petulant, he pouted his lips and retorted.

“But I couldn’t even get the date right. What kind of birthday has no gift?”

“The important thing is that you placed the order! And look at this. Your face is half-gone from fatigue, yet you woke up at dawn and worked busily to make seaweed soup. Our baby’s heart is like silk, I tell you.”

“What’s the use? The seaweed soup is ruined anyway.”

“Come on, it’s not ruined when we haven’t even put it on the stove yet. If there’s not enough seaweed, that’s a problem, but having too much isn’t an issue at all. We’ll cook just what we need for soup now, and freeze the rest to eat over time.”

“…Can seaweed be frozen and eaten later?”

“Oh my. Of course. If you gather it all up, wash it clean, and freeze it, it’s perfect. Shall we gather and wash it together?”

Intrigued, Son Yeo-il nodded his head. The two began to amicably pick up the seaweed strewn around the kitchen. With his waist in tatters, Son Yeo-il couldn’t possibly squat down, so he picked up the ones on the countertop, while Won Hee-yeon gathered those on the floor.

Won Hee-yeon, with his refrigerator-sized back hunched small, crawling around, looked adorable. Earlier, with the feeling that everything had gone wrong and with the influence of alcohol added to the equation, his emotions had exploded momentarily, but now that his mood had settled with Won Hee-yeon’s comfort, Son Yeo-il realized how funny this situation was.

It was funny how there was no end to picking up the seaweed because there was so much of it, and it was also amusing to see two grown men doing this from the morning until late. When he let out a small chuckle, his temples throbbed painfully. It seemed he had indeed drunk himself silly yesterday, as Won Hee-yeon had said.

“Um, Hee-yeon. Did I make any drunken scenes yesterday? I don’t remember well because I was so drunk.”

Standing side by side washing the seaweed, Son Yeo-il carefully brought up the question, thinking that since he was already embarrassed, he might as well clear everything from his mind. Though it wasn’t that funny, for some reason, this time Won Hee-yeon started chuckling. Son Yeo-il looked at him with eyes mixed with half curiosity and half anxiety.

“Don’t worry about it. Our baby didn’t make any mistakes last night. But I think you’re using the wrong form of address right now.”

“What…?”

“And there’s something our baby is misunderstanding; I received a very good gift yesterday.”

Son Yeo-il had no idea what he was talking about. Won Hee-yeon, who couldn’t stop smiling, seemingly pleased about something, put the washed seaweed in an airtight container and rushed to the bedroom. A moment later, as he ran back toward Son Yeo-il, there was a fluttering white paper in his hand.

Uh…?

At that moment, an ominous premonition suddenly dawned on Son Yeo-il, and a chill ran up and down his spine. A scene from last night vaguely flashed through his mind.

<Gift. Gifft…I’m sorry. For not being able to give you. Gift, what should I dooo…>

Looking at the seaweed tumbling out of the bowl and the strange piece of paper, Son Yeo-il suddenly remembered what happened last night.

It was when the two of them were coming home after finishing dinner. Completely drunk, Son Yeo-il was staggering with his legs half giving way, and Won Hee-yeon was supporting him as they crossed the garden.

He had managed to maintain his senses until they finished their meal at the restaurant, but as they got closer to home, Son Yeo-il’s tension eased and he rapidly sank into an intoxicated state.

Even if he had lost his senses, he could have at least come in quietly, but Son Yeo-il kept repeating a mantra about gifts with his heavily slurred tongue. Even in the car driven by the substitute driver, he had been muttering something, and it turned out he had been saying such things continuously.

Won Hee-yeon laughed as if incredulous and seated Son Yeo-il on the living room sofa. He brought Son Yeo-il cold water, watched him gulp it down, and then spoke in a voice that seemed to swell with satisfaction from the pit of his stomach.

<Aigoo. Did our husband forget everything? I’m sorry that I’m the only one who remembers that good day. Do you know what the best thing I’ve ever done is? It’s bringing our Yeo-il to this spot and sitting him down like this.>

Won Hee-yeon cupped Son Yeo-il’s cheeks and gently stroked them as if he were handling something very precious, but on the other hand, he made a sinister expression as if he were plotting something.

<So, you were upset that you couldn’t give me a present, our Yeo-il?>

Son Yeo-il, who had been passively letting Won Hee-yeon touch his cheeks, made a sullen expression as soon as he heard the word ‘present.’ Won Hee-yeon made a seemingly benevolent expression and patted his chest as if to tell him to leave it to him.

<Don’t worry. I have a very good idea.>

Son Yeo-il frowned deeply as he recalled the situation up to that point. It sounded suspicious to anyone who heard it. Did he nod his head in agreement? What happened after that?

While he was lost in questions, Won Hee-yeon, who had come right up to Son Yeo-il’s nose, held the paper in question in front of his eyes. At the very top of the white paper, written in handwriting, was the word ‘Contract.’ The contents below were even more absurd.

‘I, Son Yeo-il, will call Won Hee-yeon “hyung” from now on.’ The moment he read that sentence, Son Yeo-il was startled and widened his eyes. He wondered what this was all about, but even though the handwriting was crooked, it looked like Son Yeo-il’s handwriting, and at the bottom was the date and Son Yeo-il’s signature.

“No, this is…”

While lost in bewilderment, Son Yeo-il recalled another memory from last night.

<That’s right, that’s right. Write the date and your name. Should we get a stamp for this?>

Even while writing the contract exactly as Won Hee-yeon called out to him, Son Yeo-il, who was completely drunk, answered clearly about his area of expertise. When Son Yeo-il scribbled his signature, Won Hee-yeon looked at the small piece of paper with a look of delight.

<Aigoo. I’ve never seen such a good present in my life.>

<Uung…If I really write this for you, is it okay?>

<Well, the shirt that my husband bought me is coming diligently from across the sea. And just writing it isn’t enough. It’s a contract, so you have to keep it, right?>

Son Yeo-il quietly pondered Won Hee-yeon’s words and let out a light exclamation. Then, he looked at Won Hee-yeon with languid eyes and said this.

<Hyung…?>

Clearly, there were no more words between the two of them after that one word, but Son Yeo-il felt a delusion as if he could hear something collapsing, even though he was drunk. That was because a truly terrifying whirlwind was raging in Won Hee-yeon’s eyes as he looked at Son Yeo-il.

<Haa. Yeo-il-ah.>

<Uh, yes?>

He didn’t know why he was saying those words when he had just done as he was told, so Son Yeo-il blinked a few more times. He wondered if he hadn’t heard the words he had just said, so he moved his lips to say ‘hyung’ again, but Won Hee-yeon’s lips covered Son Yeo-il like a fierce wave.

<Gasp, ah, aah…!>

Before he could even resist, Son Yeo-il’s body was laid down on the sofa, and his clothes were thrown all over the living room. He didn’t know why, but Son Yeo-il waved his frail hands, thinking that something big was going to happen.

<Ugh, haa, hyung, slowly, ah, aah!>

Son Yeo-il recalled what happened afterward, but they were scenes too difficult to describe. If forced to express it, it would be something like “After that, they had tremendous sex.”

Even normally, their sex often turned rough, and Won Hee-yeon engaged in perverted acts as naturally as breathing, but last night was especially excessive. They tumbled once on the sofa, and then had a second round standing against the bare wall on their way to the bedroom before finally reaching the bed.

Won Hee-yeon was as persistent as the day Son Yeo-il had absent-mindedly called him “honey,” and Son Yeo-il repeatedly cried out “Hyung, aah, stop!” only to find the situation getting more intense, nearly sobbing “You said you’d stop if I called you hyung!”

As Son Yeo-il’s cheeks turned red at these obscene and desperate memories, Won Hee-yeon confidently tapped the “will call him hyung” part of the pledge.

“Now then, how should our husband address me?”

Son Yeo-il was speechless. Clearly, something was wrong with the situation, but like a monk unable to shave his own head, he was confused about how to summarize the unfairness of this situation. Diminished capacity? That’s a criminal law term. Then what should this be called? False indication of intention? Or a mistake?

While Son Yeo-il circled through civil code provisions in his mind, Won Hee-yeon continued to present the pledge to him, grinning round and round like someone waiting for the promised “hyung.” Son Yeo-il finally attempted his secret weapon: “changing the subject.”

“Hmmm, hmmm. I’d better make some seaweed soup first, or it’ll be time for lunch.”

“Ah, seaweed soup. Draw it. Seaweed soup for birthdays. So whose birthday is it today?”

At Won Hee-yeon’s words, Son Yeo-il muttered in a low voice, feeling unnecessarily stubborn.

The seaweed lump that had been slowly pushing out of the bowl began to explode like popcorn bursting. In an instant, it poured down continuously, covering the countertop and kitchen floor entirely with dark brown and black seaweed.

“…your birthday. Ah, I should start stir-frying the seaweed first.”

Your birthday? Neither “honey” nor “spouse” but “your”? Won Hee-yeon raised one eyebrow, but Son Yeo-il pretended not to notice and focused on the recipe again. The term “appropriate amount” was still an unknown territory to him, but he put about half of the seaweed from the bowl into the pot and lightly stir-fried it in sesame oil.

Even a quarter of the soaked seaweed was still a large amount, and he couldn’t tell whether it was all properly fried or not. As Son Yeo-il tilted his head in confusion in front of the pot, Won Hee-yeon also approached the stove.

“This bulgogi, I just need to stir-fry it in the pan like this?”

“That’s right, but um, you…this is preparing your birthday meal. I think I should prepare it by myself.”

Won Hee-yeon chuckled as if finding both Son Yeo-il’s use of “you” and his prim refusal amusing, then picked up the green onions and onions that Son Yeo-il had cut and left earlier.

“It’s not like I have anything else to do, and I can’t just sit here sucking my thumb. If we help each other, we can finish faster. Well, if you really feel unfair, you can help prepare together on our husband’s birthday too. That would be quite intimate and nice.”

Normally, he would have refused, but after the chaotic scene, Son Yeo-il had lost much of his confidence in cooking. Pretending to give in reluctantly, he let Won Hee-yeon take over, who quickly completed the bulgogi with green onions and onions, and even made rolled egg omelets as well, seemingly wanting to keep his hands busy.

Meanwhile, the rice was cooked to a warm, glossy perfection, and with the soup and side dishes, a modest but heartfelt meal was prepared. Won Hee-yeon and Son Yeo-il sat facing each other, sharing this eventful breakfast.

Though he had followed the recipe exactly, Son Yeo-il’s seaweed soup had a subtle taste that seemed empty in one corner. Startled after taking just one spoonful, Son Yeo-il carefully warned Won Hee-yeon.

“I-If the seaweed soup doesn’t taste good, you don’t have to eat it. Have some egg rolls. They’re delicious.”

“What? Not delicious, what nonsense are you talking about? It’s better than most seaweed soups I’ve had.”

Won Hee-yeon praised it without changing his expression and quickly emptied a heaping bowl of rice as if it were the most delicious side dish in the world. After finishing, he even said with a deeply satisfied smile, “My goodness, that was good. I’m really living well thanks to our Yeo-il. This is the first time I’ve had such a pleasant birthday since I grew hair on my head.”

It felt like he genuinely meant it, and not just making conversation. That was fortunate. It was fortunate that he could somehow celebrate his birthday after all the ups and downs, but more than that, it was truly fortunate for him to have met Won Hee-yeon.

“By the way. We should eat cake. Would you like a piece now?”

“Huh? Didn’t we eat it at the restaurant yesterday?”

“Don’t you remember? We put candles on it and blew them out, and were even cutting it, but while waiting for them to bring small plates, our baby started nodding off, probably because you were drunk. I thought, no big deal, we can eat cake today, and immediately called a substitute driver to come home.”

Hearing that, Son Yeo-il remembered too. After the dinner course had ended, the tension that had built up suddenly released upon thinking that the carefully prepared dinner had concluded well, and sleep had overwhelmed him.

I’m really funny. No matter how nervous I was, to fall asleep at the table…

But history repeats itself, and humans repeat the same mistakes. Having made seaweed soup, albeit with an ambiguous taste, and having received a satisfied review from the birthday person, Son Yeo-il once again felt all his tension release. Moreover, after being tormented by Won Hee-yeon until the early morning, then waking up early and causing a commotion trying to cook something he’d never done before, he couldn’t help but feel sleepy.

Still, he managed to keep his eyes wide open until Won Hee-yeon took the cake out of the refrigerator and served him a slice, but after that, his eyelids became incredibly heavy, and Son Yeo-il began to doze off with a fork in his mouth.

With a start, he dropped his head into the drowsiness that enveloped his consciousness, then opened his eyes in surprise to find Won Hee-yeon trying to suppress his laughter as if finding it hilarious, his mouth corners twitching. Son Yeo-il made a pathetic excuse like a drunkard who would insist to the death that he wasn’t drunk.

“I wasn’t dozing off.”

“Oh my, that’s right, that’s right. But it’s certainly time for you to be tired. Go in and take a nap quickly.”

Won Hee-yeon finally giggled and got up from his seat, trying to support Son Yeo-il. Son Yeo-il struggled again like a drunk.

“No, I need to do the dishes.”

“Leave it. I’ll do it.”

“But it’s your birthday, I should do it…”

“Then do the dishes on Yeo-il’s birthday. Or you can do them on my birthday next year.”

Hearing these dissuading words, Son Yeo-il thought to himself. That’s right, we’ll still be together for the upcoming birthday, and Hee-yeon’s birthday after that, and many more days to come. With that thought, he felt even more at ease and could no longer resist the overwhelming drowsiness.

Son Yeo-il headed to the bedroom as Won Hee-yeon led him. Won Hee-yeon kissed Son Yeo-il’s forehead with a smooch, then ushered him into the room and closed the door so he could sleep well. In the very next moment, Son Yeo-il went “ah!” and opened the door again, poking his head out.

“Go in and sleep quickly. I said I’ll do the dishes.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Son Yeo-il added with a shy smile.

“Happy birthday, hyung.”

And closing the door with a thump, Son Yeo-il entered the room and headed to the bed without a worry or concern. He drifted into a happy dreamland, completely unaware that outside the bedroom, Won Hee-yeon was stomping his feet, unable to contain his overflowing joy.

-The End-