Throughout the pleasant time that lasted all day, Yoonwoo felt a pure joy and excitement he had long forgotten.
And in every moment, he realized how much comfort and happiness the presence of Dojin, who firmly stood by his side, gave him.
After the grand parade ended, as evening approached and they were walking together through a garden filled with twinkling lights, Yoonwoo stopped for a moment and took a small gift box out of his bag.
“Dojin.”
He called out to Dojin, looking a bit shy.
“I prepared a small gift to commemorate our date, I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
Dojin opened his eyes wide at the unexpected gift and took the box.
“Yes? A gift for me?”
He carefully unwrapped it, and seeing the cute golden retriever-shaped key ring inside, he smiled brightly.
With its cute puppy shape, floppy ears, and a bright, smiling expression, it looked exactly like Dojin.
“Wow! Chief, this is really cute!”
Dojin held the key ring in his hand and rejoiced like a child.
Yoonwoo smiled slightly, relieved by his reaction.
“Whenever I see you, Dojin… I always think of this puppy. You’re bright, you like people, and… sometimes you’re just as adorable and ‘puppy-like’ as a big dog.”
His voice was filled with affection for Dojin.
“Do I really seem like a puppy to you?”
Dojin’s ears turned red as he scratched his head, but the smile never left his lips.
He carefully put the key ring Yoonwoo had given him into his pocket.
Before long, the sun had set completely, and the chilly evening breeze of the amusement park began to blow.
Dojin suddenly checked his watch and said to Yoonwoo.
“Chief, it’s dinner time… are you hungry? Actually, I’ve prepared something special for today!”
He smiled mischievously, grabbed Yoonwoo’s wrist, and led him away.
“The fireworks here are really famous. Let’s watch them together!”
The place Dojin took Yoonwoo to was a secluded patch of grass near the lakeshore, known for having the best view of the fireworks.
He told Yoonwoo to wait a moment, then appeared carrying a large picnic mat, thick blankets, a pretty big cooler, and a thermos.
“Ta-da!”
Dojin first draped a thick blanket over Yoonwoo’s shoulders to make sure he wasn’t cold in the night air, spread the mat on the grass, and opened the cooler.
Inside was a bacon-cheese sandwich with crispy bacon and plenty of fresh vegetables that Yoonwoo loved, and colorful fruits, neatly cut into bite-sized pieces, all carefully prepared.
Then, he opened the thermos he had set aside and poured warm chocolate latte for him.
True to his usual culinary skills, the sandwiches looked so appetizing they made Yoonwoo’s mouth water just looking at them, and it was clear that the fruits were carefully selected, choosing only the ones Yoonwoo liked.
“I woke up at dawn and packed these myself! I don’t know if it’s to your taste.”
He blushed slightly, feeling shy.
Yoonwoo was once again moved by his devotion.
He could feel the heart that must have woken up at dawn to prepare all this, and his chest tightened with emotion.
“It smells delicious just by the scent! I already knew you were good at cooking, Dojin, but this is truly… moving. Really… thank you.”
“Aww, it’s nothing! If the Chief just eats it well, that’s enough for me!”
Dojin beamed so widely that his mouth seemed to reach his ears at Yoonwoo’s praise.
The two sat side-by-side on the mat, eating the lunch Dojin had prepared while waiting for the fireworks to begin.
Yoonwoo took a bite of the sandwich and widened his eyes in surprise.
The harmony of the fluffy bread and fresh ingredients, and the seasoning of the sauce, were perfect.
“Dojin, this is really delicious. Much better than what they sell at the store.”
At Yoonwoo’s sincere praise, Dojin shrugged his shoulders with a proud look.
“That’s a relief! Actually, I studied recipes all night because I wanted to be praised by you, haha.”
As they chatted and waited for the start of the splendid festival that would embroider the night sky, a subtle silence, mixed with excitement and anticipation, hung between them.
Yoonwoo felt Dojin’s gaze as he stared intently at his side profile.
All day today, he hadn’t taken his eyes off Yoonwoo for a single moment.
That warm, deep look in his eyes. It contained no rush or pressure, only pure affection and respect for Yoonwoo.
His consistent kindness and consideration were causing calm ripples in Yoonwoo’s heart, which had been stained with scars for the past few months.
‘If it’s this person… could it really be okay?’
After his grueling breakup with Joowon, Yoonwoo had thought he wouldn’t be able to trust anyone, especially an Alpha, again.
He had resigned himself to the thought that love was ultimately futile in front of the impassable wall of secondary genders, and that he would be alone forever.
But Dojin was different.
Not once did he show any prejudice or disappointment at the fact that Yoonwoo was a Beta.
On the contrary, he was always cautious, afraid of reopening his scars or touching his pain, and he silently stood by his side, offering warm comfort.
His existence itself felt like a great comfort and the last tether of hope for the world to Yoonwoo.
“It looks like it’s going to start soon.”
Dojin whispered in a low voice.
At the same time as his words, the first firework soared toward the night sky with a ‘pop!’ sound.
Yoonwoo held his breath without realizing it.
Giant golden fireworks burst and fell across the black sky, scattering into thousands of star clusters.
Yoonwoo’s eyes widened at the brilliant spectacle.
The fireworks that went off in succession embroidered the night sky beautifully like a painting.
Red rose petals bloomed and faded, and blue stars crossed the night sky like the Milky Way.
When the giant heart-shaped firework burst, all the couples around them gasped in admiration.
Yoonwoo, too, wore a faint smile on his lips without realizing it.
He was lost in the ecstasy of the fireworks, when he suddenly felt Dojin’s gaze on him from beside him.
It was a gaze more intense and deeper than the fireworks.
The moment he met those eyes, Yoonwoo’s heart began to beat wildly.
‘Beautiful….’
Yoonwoo thought that the look in this man’s eyes as he watched him now was more beautiful than the feast of fireworks filling the night sky.
And at that moment, he realized.
From their first meeting in Jeju, to working at Studio Yeon, the resolution of the plagiarism case, and today’s date.
The unwavering trust and devotion Dojin had shown him, his unadorned kindness, and his pure love solely for him.
How great and deep an emotion it was.
The anxiety he had always felt after breaking up with Joowon, the emptiness that couldn’t be filled, and the feeling of shame he had to endure in front of the wall of secondary genders had long since disappeared because of Dojin.
Strangely, he felt comfortable by Dojin’s side, and he felt it would be okay to reveal his true self.
His sincerity, which looked at the person named ‘Seo Yoonwoo’ itself, without any conditions or calculations.
‘If it’s this person… it might be okay. No, it will be okay. If so, wouldn’t it be okay… if I mustered up the courage first?’
Thus, the shell of fear that had bound him for so long broke, and a very small but firm courage lifted its head from within.
Finally, the highlight of the fireworks that had filled the night sky, the biggest and most splendid firework, burst out.
A dazzling stream of light, as if tens of thousands of diamonds were pouring down.
In that brilliant light, Yoonwoo slowly turned his head toward Dojin.
“Dojin….”
And he called his name in a trembling voice.
“…Thank you so much, today.”
Yoonwoo stopped speaking for a moment because his throat was choked up, then gathered his courage and continued.
“And… thank you so much… for staying by my side from Jeju until now.”
He took a deep breath.
His heart was beating as if it would burst, but he didn’t want to hide his feelings any longer.
“I… I think I like you, Dojin.”
Yoonwoo’s voice was still trembling.
But it contained a clear conviction.
“No, I like you. A lot.”
Dojin’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He couldn’t say anything, waiting for Yoonwoo’s next words.
“Alpha or not, it doesn’t matter. I just like the person named Kim Dojin.”
Yoonwoo returned the words he had said in Jeju in the past, responding to his sincerity.
“But… I’m still scared. It’s not that I don’t trust you, Dojin, but I’m too afraid… that if I put everything on the line again, nothing will be left, and my heart won’t be able to handle it. So… I can’t promise to date you right away. I’m sorry. But I want you to know that this feeling toward you is sincere. Could you wait for me just a little, just a little bit more? Until the fear in my heart disappears completely, at my own pace.”
Yoonwoo’s sincere confession and the cautious request contained within it.
His tear-filled eyes were shining brighter and more beautifully than any firework in the night sky.
Dojin couldn’t handle the overwhelming emotions and gently wrapped his hands around Yoonwoo’s cheeks with trembling hands.
Hot tears also flowed from his eyes.
The moment he had been waiting for silently.
He couldn’t believe this miraculous moment where Yoonwoo had opened his heart to him.
“…I know. I know everything, Yoonwoo.”
He said in a voice choked with emotion.
“I’ll wait. I can wait forever. As long as I have the assurance that you will come to me. Thank you. Thank you so much for saying that.”
He slowly approached Yoonwoo and gently wrapped his arms around his trembling shoulders.
It was a hug that contained warmer comfort and a promise than any words.
Yoonwoo buried his face in his wide, solid chest and closed his eyes quietly.
The sound of Dojin’s heartbeat echoed calmly in his ears.
The last fireworks of the night sky burst above the two, as if quietly blessing their new beginning.
