VSP 181

Perhaps because they had more to talk about than they expected, the three of them chatted nonstop over their meal.

There was also a minor incident. Just as they finished eating and were about to order coffee, a woman hesitated for a moment before cautiously approaching Sejun and handing him a pen and a piece of paper.

“Um, I’m a fan!”

“Huh?”

A fan? Could I really have one?

Sejun had heard that a fan community had been launched that very day, but he still couldn’t believe it. He felt awkward but signed the paper for the woman, worried she might feel embarrassed.

He had imagined a situation like this before, but he had never actually experienced it. He had seen someone claim to be a fan at a supermarket in the past… but that had ended on a rather sour note.

This time, however, it ended on a high note. Overjoyed by the autograph, the fan squealed with delight, promised to keep cheering him on, and even gave him handful of candies before leaving.

“Ooh~”

“Ooh~”

As Na Yookyung and Choi Yerin whistled, Sejun’s ears turned even redder. The two of them quietly watched Sejun shyly fiddling with the candies and exchanged a glance.

‘He looks pretty tough at first glance, but the more I look at him, the cuter he gets.’

‘Right? I told you this guy was cute.’

The two looked at Sejun, who was awkwardly fiddling with the pile of candy in his hand, with warm gazes, as if they were watching a cute newbie.

After finishing off the coffee and dessert that had finally arrived, Choi Yerin, who had been looking troubled the whole time, finally couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke to Sejun.

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been wondering about since earlier.”

“Huh?”

“You too? Me too. But I wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask.”

As soon as Yerin spoke up, Na Yookyung quickly chimed in. When the two women looked at him with sparkling eyes, Sejun blinked in confusion. He had no idea what was going on.

“What’s that ring? …Is this some kind of proposal?”

Na Yookyung asked, pointing at Sejun’s hand. Perhaps because there were so many people around, the name of that person was left unsaid, but there wasn’t a single person who didn’t know who she was referring to.

The ring?

Sejun shifted his gaze to the ring on his right hand, which now felt like a natural part of him.

Although his mana had become much more abundant, diminishing the perception that it was as essential an item as it once was, it was still a game-breaking item no matter who wore it, and since it was a gift from Cha Dogyeong, he hadn’t even considered taking it off.

However, as Sejun looked at the ring on his right hand, the two of them shook their heads.

“No, not that one, the one on your left.”

Left? Wondering what they meant, Sejun belatedly looked down at his left hand, and his eyes widened.

“What is this?”

A ring had somehow appeared on the ring finger of his left hand, which had always been empty. It was a sleek platinum ring set with a small diamond.

But it was an object he didn’t remember. It was completely unfamiliar.

It fit so naturally, as if it had always been there, that he hadn’t noticed it at all all morning.

Even to Sejun’s limited sense of aesthetics, the ring was elegant and beautiful.

What could this mean? How should he interpret it?

“…….”

It was obvious who had given it to him. And if obvious, the meaning was painfully obvious too.

But despite that, Sejun couldn’t come to any definite conclusion. In fact, even though there was no conclusion to be reached, his thoughts couldn’t reach any conclusion.

As Sejun stared at his own hands, Na Yookyung exclaimed “Ah!” as if she’d just realized something.

“Did you happen to be with Cha… last night?”

“Huh? Uh…”

“Wow, he’s more romantic than I thought?”

“Wow, he doesn’t seem like the type to do that.”

Choi Yerin clicked her tongue in disbelief. Judging by his reaction, Sejun was completely unaware of the ring’s existence, and since even the clumsiest person would have noticed it by now, it must mean Cha Dogyeong had done that cute surprise last night or this morning.

She knew that, being a same-sex relationship, it hadn’t started with ordinary feelings or expectations, but this was the first time she’d seen Cha Dogyeong be this sincere. It also was unlikely she’d ever see him act like this again. At this rate, she wondered if they might even end up getting married.

“I told you I knew something was off from the moment he started playing that KuXmi claw machine.”

“…….”

Sejun, still stunned, didn’t say anything. So Yerin really did notice back then.

Sejun fidgeted with the elegant ring on his left hand with trembling fingertips, and Na Yookyung, who had been watching him, let out a soft chuckle.

“Sejun.”

“…Yes?”

“You look happy.”

“I’m jealous~ I wish I had a boyfriend too~”

Na Yookyung’s teasing and Choi Yerin’s nagging –“You spend too much time on the guild, that’s why. Go meet some people” – sounded distant.

Sejun mulled over what Na Yookyung had said over and over in his mind.

I look happy? Me?

Before he received the mission, Sejun used to live his life by constantly telling himself, “I’m happy.”

He refused to acknowledge that it was just self-hypnosis, believing that as long as he had the system, he had everything he needed. Because otherwise, he’d feel lonely. Because he didn’t even want to admit that he was lonely.

But now, someone was looking at him and envying him, saying he looked happy.

Sejun wasn’t unaware of who had caused this change in him. Setting aside the mission and everything else, it was because that person was him.

System, do I look happy?

Since it was a matter he couldn’t judge objectively, Sejun asked the system out of habit to confirm, and the system replied in his usual cool tone.

[Yes.]

At the system’s emphatic reply, Sejun looked at the ring, which was slightly smudged with his fingerprints from all the fiddling.

He suddenly felt an intense urge to see someone, but since he wouldn’t see him until he got home this afternoon, Sejun forced himself to suppress the feeling.

He decided to focus on the people he was meeting today.

***

“Ta-da.”

Cha Dogyeong arrived earlier than expected. As soon as he opened the door and stepped inside, Sejun blinked at the sight of the enormous doll.

It was a life-sized doll. The jet-black, sinister face belonged to the character Sejun loved.

They make it in that size? …And Cha Dogyeong actually carried it all the way here?

Sejun, who had been about to bring up the ring the moment he saw him, was so overwhelmed by the doll’s size that he couldn’t say a word for a while.

When Sejun reflexively took the doll, Cha Dogyeong grinned from ear to ear, delighted, and took several photos of Sejun standing there awkwardly holding it.

“Hey, what’s this?”

Sejun finally asked about the ring only after Cha Dogyeong had hung up his coat, washed his hands, and put the doll away in the room.

Cha Dogyeong’s indifferent gaze shifted to Sejun’s hand.

“You just noticed it now? Since you didn’t say anything on the chat, I thought you hadn’t noticed at all.”

“How could I not notice this!”

In truth, he hadn’t noticed it until lunchtime, but Sejun, feeling a twinge of guilt, raised his voice. Cha Dogyeong, however, remained unfazed.

“It’s not an artifact this time. And since I figured I have better taste than you, I picked it out myself, don’t you like it?”

“No, it’s not that…”

For some reason, what was really getting to him was something else, but he couldn’t put it into words.

Then, belatedly, he noticed the ring of the exact same design on Cha Dogyeong’s left ring finger.

“……”

He couldn’t describe how he felt at that moment. It felt like something was exploding inside him. He couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment, shyness, affection, or all of the above.

His heart raced. Unable to hold back any longer, Sejun grabbed Dogyeong’s cheek and kissed him.

It was a sudden kiss, but Dogyeong wasn’t the least bit flustered; he naturally wrapped his arms around Sejun’s waist. Soon, the embarrassing sound of slurping echoed through the living room.

“Do you not like it?”

When their lips parted briefly, Dogyeong licked Sejun’s lips and asked. Sejun shook his head.

“No, I love it. But I don’t like that it feels like you made the first move.”

“What?”

Like I made the first move? Dogyeong laughed.

“Hyung, so you actually were thinking about matching rings? I thought you hadn’t given it a second thought.”

“Of course I was thinking about it. I just worried it might be too obvious…”

“So what if it’s obvious? We’re not celebrities or anything.”

“But…”

Since they were such famous people, if they both wore matching rings, it would definitely become a hot topic, and if people realized their rings had the same design, all hell would break loose. People are more observant than you’d think, so it wouldn’t take long.

He didn’t care if the public noticed, but what really bothered him was the others’ gaze and his parents.

“I get it. You just wear it for now.”

But Cha Dogyeong quickly backed down. He probably didn’t really want to put Sejun in an awkward position.

“Just me?”

“Yeah. That way, everyone will know Sejun has a boyfriend.”

“Wouldn’t it be more natural for you to wear it instead of me?”

After all, Cha Dogyeong had the stronger Casanova image. Since he’d been dating nonstop and suddenly stopped, there were plenty of rumors flying around, so this would be the perfect way to quell them.

But when he said that, the corners of Cha Dogyeong’s mouth twisted.

“Seo Sejun is so popular that it makes me a little anxious.”

“……Huh?”

“So just behave yourself. Got it?”

As he said that, Cha Dogyeong kissed Sejun again.

Sejun’s heart raced. Cha Dogyeong was essentially saying he’d given him this ring guard him from the people around Sejun.