SANN | Chapter 9.1

The car Sieon had ordered finally arrived. Before heading out to pick it up, he made sure to let Gureum know in advance. Since the car would mostly be used to drive Gureum around, he prioritized comfort. On top of that, he chose a family-sized SUV, spacious enough to comfortably fit two grown men over 180 centimeters tall—and well-suited for, uh, certain activities.

After picking up the car, Sieon bought a few essential accessories for it. Once he parked it safely in the garage, he pulled out his phone and called Gureum. The call didn’t even ring a few times before Gureum answered.

“Baby, can you come down to the garage? Let’s decorate the car together.”

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“Oh, sure…!”

Their living space was connected to the garage through a hallway, so Gureum showed up in no time. Wearing those ridiculous bear-shaped slippers and equally ridiculous bear-themed socks, he looked unbearably cute. The sight made Sieon immediately hug him tightly and shower him with kisses.

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“Ta-da! This is the car we’ll be riding together from now on. What do you think?”

“Wow… It’s so big and cool…”

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“That’s a relief. Let’s unwrap it together and set it up, shall we?”

“Yes…!”

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Gureum eagerly started peeling off the protective films on the seats and other areas of the car. He seemed to really enjoy it, even leaning his upper body deep into the back seat to remove some stubborn bits of plastic. His lower body stuck out awkwardly from the car door. For a fleeting moment, Sieon imagined pinning him down in that exact position and… yeah, better not finish that thought. He licked his dry lips and chuckled, suppressing the rising heat.

“Gureum, can you stick this on too?”

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“Sure…! Is this for the door? It’s so cute.”

“Yeah, it’s a door guard and some stickers for the back. Just stick it wherever you think looks good.”

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“Okay…”

Sieon pointed to a spot below the door handle. Gureum giggled at the door guard design, a bear poking its head out as if to greet him.

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“Not as cute as you are,” Sieon mumbled softly as he tidied up the boxes. The bear motif wasn’t just limited to the door guards; Sieon had also bought a bear-themed seatbelt cover. He installed it only on the passenger seat, though, since he didn’t want to use it himself.

Gureum, having successfully placed the door guards, moved on to the stickers. He picked one up, read the words on it, and tilted his head in confusion.

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“‘A baby… is onboard…?’ Did you buy this by mistake?”

“Nope. See? My baby is right here,” Sieon replied with a cheeky grin, pinching Gureum’s cheek playfully. Caught off guard by the unexpected response, Gureum’s mouth opened and closed like a fish, unsure how to react. Seeing him freeze up, Sieon tapped him on the butt lightly and said, “Go ahead and stick it on, wherever you like.”

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“…Okay…”

In the end, Gureum had no choice but to stick the embarrassing sticker on the car himself. Meanwhile, Sieon smirked to himself and discreetly shoved a box of condoms and a bottle of lube into the console compartment. There’d definitely be a time when they’d come in handy.

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Once everything was set up, Sieon casually suggested, “Gureum, how about we celebrate our new car with a drive?”

“A drive…?”

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“Yeah, let’s go on a date. Where do you want to go? Is there anywhere you’d like to visit?”

“Huh… I-I’ll let you decide…”

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Clearly flustered, Gureum passed the decision-making back to Sieon. He hadn’t really been to many places before, so this wasn’t surprising. Pretending to think hard about it for a moment, Sieon finally snapped his fingers as if he’d just had a brilliant idea.

“How about we go see the winter sea?”

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“The sea…? Yes, that sounds great!”

“Alright. It’ll be cold, so let’s change into warmer clothes before we go. Come here.”

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Sieon gently pulled Gureum by the shoulders, leading him back inside. The thought of having a proper date with Gureum for the first time made Sieon’s steps light. Gureum, on the other hand, seemed shy about the word “date,” fiddling with his fingers awkwardly as he tried to keep pace with Sieon.

Perhaps because it was winter, the beach wasn’t crowded. The sharp winter wind they had braced for was also gentler than expected. Beside Gureum, Sieon’s steady warmth lingered, providing a comforting presence. Gureum felt at ease, fully taking in the view of the ocean.

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The endless blue sea stretched out, with sunlight scattering across its surface under the clear sky. Each crashing wave carried the salty scent of the ocean, wafting strongly through the cold air. The chill didn’t matter—his hands, clasped together with Sieon’s, were warm. So this is the sea, huh… Reflected in Gureum’s bright eyes were waves sparkling and bouncing as if alive.

“Hyung… it’s so beautiful.”

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“Yeah, it is.”

For someone who rarely found much to admire, Sieon’s eyes weren’t on the sea at all—they were glued to Gureum’s face. Perhaps it was the cold air, but Gureum’s soft cheeks and sharp nose were tinged with a rosy hue. Sieon reached out and cupped Gureum’s blushing cheeks with his hands.

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“Gureum, should we take a picture together?”

“A picture?”

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“Yeah. Let me see your phone for a second?”

“Oh, sure…”

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Gureum pulled his phone out of his pocket. Taking it, Sieon immediately opened the camera app. Noticing that the gallery preview in the bottom-left corner was completely empty, Sieon realized Gureum hadn’t taken any photos since getting the phone. It was one of those endearing, unintentional quirks of his.

Switching to selfie mode, Sieon slung an arm around Gureum’s shoulders. With the sea as their backdrop, he snapped a quick picture before Gureum could even properly pose. The result? A photo capturing Gureum with an awkward expression and stance. Sieon couldn’t help but laugh.

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“Gureum, look at your face. Isn’t it so cute?”

“Hyuuuung… I look weird!”

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Gureum pouted as he stared at the screen.

“Weird? No way, it’s just cute.”

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“Take it again, please…”

“Of course. We’ll take plenty.”

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Sieon raised the phone again. While Sieon smiled effortlessly with his arm still around Gureum, the latter’s expression was stiff as he stared straight at the camera. Sieon tilted his head, questioning if Gureum really thought this looked better than before. But Gureum seemed genuinely confident, so Sieon quickly hit the shutter before losing the chance. Then he burst into laughter.

“Hyung…?”

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“Gureum, look at this. Did I kidnap you or something?”

“Huh… does it look strange?”

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“No, it’s just too cute.”

Sieon pinched one of Gureum’s cheeks and gave the other a quick kiss. Startled, Gureum’s eyes widened like saucers, worried that someone might have seen. Sieon, of course, didn’t miss this adorable moment and snapped another picture. When he checked the result, he thought to himself that this one was absurdly cute.

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“How did my Gureum end up being born this cute…?”

“Umm… It just looks weird to me.”

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“Well, it only looks lovable to me.”

Sieon cheekily retorted as he continued snapping photos—pinching Gureum’s cheeks, pressing kisses here and there. The gallery quickly filled up with pictures of the two. Among them, Sieon chose the one where he had kissed Gureum on the cheek and set it as Gureum’s phone wallpaper. It wasn’t just to show off how cute Gureum was; it was also a warning for anyone who might see the phone: This guy has a ridiculously amazing partner, so back off.

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“Later, send all the pictures to me on messenger.”

“Okay…”

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“And don’t change the wallpaper.”

“Uh… Okay…”

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Gureum nodded meekly. When Sieon handed the phone back, suggesting he take pictures of the ocean, Gureum awkwardly pointed the camera at the waves. Sieon followed behind him at a leisurely pace, watching as Gureum wandered along, snapping photos here and there. At one point, Gureum stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on something. Curious, Sieon followed his line of sight to a food stall.

“Do you want to eat something?”

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“Oh, no. It just… reminded me of my childhood…”

“Your childhood?”

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“Yeah… I’ve been to a place like that before… It just came to mind.”

Gureum naturally recalled memories of his mother. She would often take his hand and leave the house whenever the walls of their home felt too confining. They didn’t have a particular destination; they’d simply wander aimlessly, walking without any purpose.

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When Gureum was still a child, long walks were never easy for him. His frail legs often ached from overexertion, the soreness creeping up slowly. But Gureum endured it without complaint. Not once did he whine or ask his mother to carry him. He simply held her hand tightly and followed along in silence.

What Ayoung, his mother, felt toward Gureum during those walks, he couldn’t say. However, before heading back home, she would always stop by a food stall to buy him some fish cake. It was her way of signaling the end of their long outing. Whether she did it to stall for time or as a small way of rewarding her son amidst their hardships, Gureum never knew.

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The food stall owner, however, was clearly unwelcoming. The mother and son would only ever buy one or two skewers of fish cake, yet they would occupy a table for an extended period. This habit didn’t sit well with the owner.

From an early age, Gureum had developed a habit of being mindful of others’ reactions. He was acutely aware of the stall owner’s disapproving glances. To deflect the blame from his mother, he would eat his fish cake deliberately slowly, as if to suggest that they had to stay longer because of him.

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On the way back home after their visits, his heart would always pound nervously. His father was certain to lash out, demanding to know where they had been. Gureum understood why his mother never went out alone. She needed an excuse to pacify his father.

“The child felt cooped up. The child had an upset stomach, so I took him for a walk to help him digest. The child wanted fish cake.” She always used excuses involving Gureum, and that would usually cool his father’s fiery temper—if only a little. But the brunt of his father’s displeasure, the glares and muttered accusations, always fell squarely on Gureum.

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“I see,” Sieon said, pulling Gureum into a hug from behind. He playfully blew at Gureum’s hair as it fluttered from the movement, grinning mischievously. “I’ve never been to a food stall before.”

“Shall we warm up with something hot, then?” he suggested, his voice gentle.

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“…Maybe just two skewers of fish cake?” Gureum hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Eat as much as you like, Gureum. Let’s go.”

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