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Jongin flipped to the next page of his novel, hanging onto every word. By the time he reached the end of the chapter, he couldn’t do anything but breathe out a deep sigh of wonder. Though years had passed since he last read it, memory a little splotchy, Higashino Keigo’s The Devotion of Suspect X never failed to evoke the same emotions he experienced upon reading it for the first time.
Jongin cleaned his glasses on the hem of his shirt and darted a glance out the café window. Sehun sent a text fifteen minutes ago that he might arrive late. Jongin continued reading when a delicate scent reached his nose. The corners of his mouth immediately tugged upward even before hearing footsteps approach.
“You’re smiling.” Sehun mimicked him and handed Jongin a bouquet of roses. They were ruby red, fresh, and absolutely beautiful. “It’s because of me, isn’t it?”
Jongin snorted and smelled the roses, hiding his grin behind them. Sehun had never let a date gone by without giving him a rose bouquet. He used to do it in their youth, and Sehun was doing it again at present. “There are many reasons to smile in a day, Mr. Oh.” He initiated eye contact. “And you’re my favorite.”
Sehun scrunched up his nose, ear tips red, a blush dusting his cheeks. “Your sweet-talking is undefeated.” His grimace soon gave way to a tiny smile. “Well, as long as you know I should be your favorite.”
Jongin chuckled, endeared that even at sixty-one, Sehun’s seeming allergy for cheesiness remained incurable. The marked difference was that he took Jongin’s compliments more gracefully, now. The Sehun from forty years ago would’ve rolled his eyes or visibly shuddered, albeit innocuously.
Shreds of whispered conversation from neighboring tables soon floated to Jongin’s ears. Curious eyes stared at the bouquet; an obvious restraint in their enthusiasm as they watched them before minding their own business again. Initially, the attention bothered Jongin; however, he came to understand that he and Sehun were probably an odd sight to behold. A middle-aged couple like them being openly sweet and affectionate—either by word or gesture—was deemed rare, if not surprising. Society’s deep conditioning of only expecting teenagers and young adults to act lovestruck in public was a big contributing factor, too.
(Sehun had told him not to lose sleep over it. “So what if we act like lovestruck fools? We’ve been there once. We can do it again. Preferably not like fools, though. I believe we’ve wised up since.”)
Sehun’s gaze landed on Jongin’s cup. A worried frown creased his forehead. “Tea?”
“My stomach reacted badly to the cake I ate yesterday. I suspect it’s the milk Rahee used to bake.”
Concern shone in Sehun’s eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay. I’ll need to watch my dairy intake for the next few days, if not completely avoid it.” Jongin couldn’t exactly pinpoint when his lactose intolerance began, but he’d undergone similar episodes in the past decade in varied degrees of severity. Although it wasn’t a pressing health issue, Jongin needed to take special care. His job required demonstrating sequences to aspiring ballet dancers, and he couldn’t do that with a bad stomach. “If you’re in the mood for ice cream today, sorry, I can’t save your sensitive teeth.”
Sehun clucked his tongue but didn’t seem too upset. “We’ll eat something else for dessert later, if you want.”
Today’s date was an art exhibit Jongin had been planning to see since its announcement. The gallery where it showed was a seven-minute walk from the café. Jongin couldn’t be more relieved they wouldn’t need to climb or descend any stairs to reach their destination. His knees had been a little achy since yesterday. Even if the pain was manageable, he wished to only walk on straight paths until they felt better.
Spring was in full swing, sidewalks painted pink by the cherry blossom petals. Sehun’s face noticeably brightened as they walked past.
“The cherry blossom trees near my house are in full bloom, too. I want to plant one in my backyard.”
Jongin was well-acquainted with that backyard. It hosted many of their impromptu dinners under the stars when Sehun’s back pain restricted his mobility and going to a restaurant was impossible. “Your backyard is big enough for it.”
Sehun looked thrilled by Jongin’s agreement. “I should start now, shouldn’t I? Once it grows big enough, we can have picnics under it on springs. You like blankets better than benches, right? We can also nap under its shade on summers. Maybe I should plant two? You can tie your hammock between them.”
Jongin chuckled. “Are you decorating your backyard for me?”
“It’s going to be your backyard soon, too.”
“That’s only valid if I live with you.”
“Exactly. So move in with me.”
Jongin abruptly stopped in his tracks, unable to do anything but stare.
Sehun followed suit, unfazed. “It was going to happen sooner or later. Like you said, we’re way past dancing around important topics related to our relationship. A year of dating has helped us get closer, adjust to each other, and proved that long-dormant sparks can not only be recaptured but blaze brighter. I’d never impose anything on you, though. The choice is always yours.”
Jongin answered him when they resumed walking. “Actually, I was going to ask you to move in with me, instead.”
“No problem! I’ll bring myself to your house tonight.” Sehun’s easy agreement had Jongin laughing. “A lot of my belongings are already staying with you, anyway. They might miss me if I don’t show up soon.”
Jongin laughed some more, sidling close to Sehun’s side, twining their fingers together. “What if I like your house better?”
“I know you do.” Sehun’s expression lost its smugness when his face was softened by a tender smile. “It really doesn’t matter where we live together for the rest of our lives. Anywhere is home to me as long as you’re there.”