After driving for quite a while, the road stretched endlessly. The initial excitent had already faded, and Yujin fell silent. Though he looked bored, he didn’t complain to Winston. Winston glanced briefly at his wristwatch, spotted a gas station in the distance, and spoke.
“Shall we stop for dinner? That place—does it look okay?”
Yujin’s eyes widened as he followed Winston’s gaze. The dining area next to the gas station looked exactly like the one he’d seen in the illustrations. No words were needed to know the answer. Winston calmly parked the car, took Yujin’s hand, and they entered the restaurant.
“It looks like the restaurant from that book I saw before.”
Yujin, still glancing around, finally sat down and whispered excitedly.
“What book did you read?”
Winston smiled and quietly asked back, and Yujin almost spoke but hesitated. He glanced furtively toward the owner and whispered even softer.
“The owner wouldn’t like it if they heard. A man who dealt drugs was shot dead. The place got wrecked too.”
“Oh dear.”
Winston barely stifled a laugh. Unaware of this, Yujin added seriously.
“The owner must have been so sad to have their precious place ruined.”
“Maybe they had insurance?”
Winston’s smile crept onto his lips despite himself, and Yujin’s eyes suddenly widened. Surprised by the unexpected remark, he quickly asked excitedly.
“So what happens then? Is the place okay?”
“Of course. Maybe they got even richer if they had expensive insurance.”
Actually, Winston didn’t care about that at all. But if it made Yujin happy, fabricating such a story was fine. Seeing Yujin smile brightly and sigh in relief, Winston confird again that his choice was right.
“They’re just characters in a book anyway, so you don’t have to think that far.”
Pointing lightly at the nu on the table and joking, Winston got a reply from Yujin.
“But it’s sad if they lose their ho.”
When Winston looked up, Yujin was studying the nu. After a mont of silence, he murmured,
“How can you live if you’re that soft-hearted?”
“Huh?”
Yujin looked at him in confusion, but Winston laughed lightly and changed the subject.
“I’ll have the classic sandwich with extra patty. What about you?”
“Uh, well... I’ll have this, the avocado sandwich.”
“Do you know what this is? Want to try it?”
Pointing at an item on the nu, Winston asked. Yujin’s eyes sparkled as he looked at him.
“I actually saw this in the book too, but I thought ordering that along with everything else would be too much... I wouldn’t be able to finish it.”
“You can leave leftovers. What about drinks? How about this?”
After getting recomndations for the rest of the nu and placing the order, Yujin’s heart pounded as he waited.
“Where are we going?”
Taking a sip of the first drink that arrived, he curiously sucked through the straw a couple more tis before speaking again. Winston answered casually.
“There’s a sumr villa. Since we won’t need it for a while, if we go now, it’ll be just the two of us.”
“Villa? Just the two of us?”
Repeating Winston’s words, Yujin’s face quickly flushed red. Winston wanted to kiss him but was blocked by the table, so he pinched Yujin’s cheek gently instead. Soon the al arrived, and Winston smiled all the while, watching Yujin nibble the food while expressing delight.
After driving for quite so ti, they arrived at the destination well after sunset. Yujin was already dozing off, and Winston closed the convertible top before darkness fell, so Yujin wouldn’t get cold.
Passing several quiet mansions spaced apart, Winston slowed the car as they neared a familiar path. Pressing a remote fixed to the sun visor, the parking gate clattered open. He drove in and quickly got out, returning to the passenger seat.
Yujin was still asleep. Winston smiled bitterly, carefully picked him up, and entered the house. The villa was extrely quiet. Thanks to earlier notice, the interior was clean, though faint dust still lingered. Carrying Yujin, Winston climbed two or three stairs at a ti and headed straight for the bedroom.
Yujin didn’t open his eyes even when laid on the bed. Winston brushed Yujin’s hair back, gazed at his sleeping face a while, kissed his lips briefly, then quietly left the room.
Alright then.
Returning to the living room, he straightened his shoulders and looked around the house.
Let’s check the fridge first.
“Whaaa!”
Yujin scread and then sank. Winston quickly grabbed his waist and pulled him up above the water. Panting roughly, Yujin clung to Winston, who embraced him gently.
“It’s okay, Yujin. You can learn slowly. Don’t be too scared.”
“Bu-but...”
Soaked through, Yujin breathed heavily through his shoulders. It was the third day since they ca to the villa. Winston had suggested teaching him to swim, and Yujin accepted without much thought.
But floating on the water turned out to be the first hurdle.
“Once you float, it’s all over.”
Winston said kindly, encouraging him.
“You don’t have to push too hard. Let’s just learn to float while we’re here, okay?”
It was too late to say he couldn’t do it now. Yujin had no choice but to nod in agreent. And for nearly thirty minutes, the training continued.
“Haah.”
Completely exhausted, Yujin lay on a sunbed and exhaled deeply. Winston followed and kissed his cheek with a smile.
“You did well. Tired?”
Too tired to answer, Yujin just blinked. Winston stroked his hair as if he knew everything, then straightened his back and said,
“I’ll make you sothing to drink. Let’s rest a bit, then go eat dinner.”
Yujin watched Winston whistle as he walked away, still dazed. Though days had passed since arriving here, it still felt unreal. He had left the annex and was now living so freely in this completely new place. And just the two of them, with Winston.
Looking away, he saw the endless ocean spreading out. He had never imagined the villa would be by the sea, so learning that for the first ti surprised him again.
“When you get used to the water, let’s go to the beach.”
Winston said swimming in the sea would ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) be easier, but Yujin was still too scared to even try. He heard this was the Campbell family’s private beach. Since they weren’t mbers of the Campbell family, no one would visit, and they wouldn’t co here either. So for now, this place was perfectly theirs alone.
Whatever the reason...
Yujin guessed it might be related to why Harold couldn’t co, but he couldn’t ask deeply. Even if Winston told him, he thought he wouldn’t understand, and fear that maybe he wasn’t supposed to know made him reluctant to ask.
If it were sothing I needed to know, Winston would have told first.
Thinking this, Yujin decided to focus on the present mont. This might be a chance that would never co again.
Never again...?
That thought made his heart suddenly sink. He blinked hurriedly without thinking.
Could we be breaking up...?
Soday, probably. It felt like a cold splash of water suddenly hit him. What will happen to us in the future? Is there a future for us? Obviously not. Winston and I are just dating, and no one knows what cos next.
He might marry soone else...
Such a natural thought. When the pain in his chest felt like it was tearing apart, suddenly the doorbell rang. Startled, Yujin reflexively looked back but saw no one around. Where had Winston gone? He grew anxious, but the ringing continued relentlessly. The pressure to answer was unbearable. Hesitantly rising, Yujin carefully opened the connecting door and stepped into the living room, where he saw Winston crossing toward the front door. Breathing a sigh of relief and relaxing his shoulders, the door opened, and a tall beauty with beautifully styled long hair appeared in view. Winston froze for a mont and then spoke.
“Evelyn, what’s the matter?”
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