Back to the Sea

By nightfall, the snow had nearly melted. Only the dirty piles people had pushed to the road's edges before the snowplows came were still clumped here and there. The sight wasn't much different from Korea.

As arranged, Liu Weikun waited in front of a shop undergoing renovation a short distance from "Ttu." He stood beside a dull silver car, smoking, dressed in a lightweight black cashmere knit and jeans with no coat.

Yeehyeon quickened his pace, eyes fixed on him. As if he'd been watching the entrance of "Ttu" the whole time, Liu Weikun noticed Yeehyeon approaching diagonally across the narrow street, stubbed out his cigarette, opened the passenger door, and tossed the butt into the ashtray inside.

Standing in front of him, Yeehyeon glanced at the car over his shoulder and asked,

"Is this your car, Director?"

Liu Weikun paused a moment before nodding.

It was a luxury brand but a model commonly seen around Paris — not a flashy, oversized sedan that would draw attention. Knowing he could easily have chosen something higher-end, Yeehyeon felt a faint warmth rise to his face as he guessed why he hadn't.

"Then you should've waited inside. It's cold."

"I just stepped out for a cigarette."

Liu Weikun fussed with the perfectly fine collar of Yeehyeon's coat, unable to hide his smile.

"Is this him?"

"......"

Unable to wait for an introduction, the boy who had been standing a couple of steps behind Yeehyeon suddenly stepped forward and whispered near his ear.

Liu Weikun made no effort to hide his curiosity, glancing back and forth between the boy and Yeehyeon.

"Ah... this is Nicholas, from the same group. I told him my boyfriend was coming to pick me up so I had to leave early, and he got curious and asked to be introduced. He's kind of stubborn."

Unlike Yeehyeon, whose earlobes reddened and voice trailed off at the word "boyfriend," Liu Weikun's face lit up. His stiff expression dissolved as he readily offered Nick a hand and greeted him briefly in English.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Liu Weikun."

Nick glanced at him cautiously and shook his hand with some hesitation.

Liu Weikun's gaze lingered a moment on Nick's shoulder, pressed close against Yeehyeon's upper arm.

"Well... you're handsome too, hyung."

Even though Nick was clearly intimidated after seeing him in person, he tried hard to act cool. Watching him, Yeehyeon let out a small laugh.

"But hyung, this guy is suspiciously good-looking. My dad always says people like that are either scammers or womanizers."

"Nick, you said you'd be polite."

Yeehyeon lowered his voice to scold him. Watching with open curiosity, Liu Weikun naturally pulled Yeehyeon closer to his side and draped an arm over his shoulder.

"I'll take 'suspiciously good-looking' as a compliment. I can't speak for the scammer part, but I'm definitely not a womanizer, so you don't need to worry about that."

His tone and expression were playful, but Nick couldn't hide his fluster.

Nick complained with a red face that Yeehyeon should have warned him that Liu Weikun spoke French. But Yeehyeon hadn't known either, so there was nothing he could have said. Come to think of it, there were still so many things they didn't know about each other.

"You said you just wanted to see his face. That's enough now, right?"

Turning Nick by the shoulders, Yeehyeon gently nudged him back toward "Ttu." Nick tilted his head slightly while waving at Liu Weikun, who called out a cheerful "Adieu!", then disappeared through the entrance as if fleeing.

Even though Nick had been the one to overstep, Yeehyeon felt his own face growing hotter by the second.

"I'm sorry. That must've been awkward."

"He's a teenager. And... he was just worried about Seo Yeehyeon, that's all."

Liu Weikun shrugged as if it were nothing, then reached into his back jeans pocket and gently guided Yeehyeon toward the passenger door, opening it for him.

He walked around to the driver's side, got in, and buckled his seatbelt before saying,

"I've only ever known Seo Yeehyeon as the dongsaeng, as the youngest. Seeing you as the hyung felt kind of refreshing."

"I'll be twenty-four in a few days."

"That's right. Twenty-four."

Before starting the engine, he turned his body to look at Yeehyeon. Reaching out, he carefully smoothed the bangs from Yeehyeon's forehead with his fingertips, murmuring "twenty-four..." once more under his breath.

"Because a foolish me threw away the chance to be with Seo Yeehyeon at twenty-three."

"......"

Catching himself as if waking from a dream, he looked at Yeehyeon and seemed to regret the words that had slipped out. Thinking he'd made Yeehyeon feel heavy-hearted, he deliberately switched topics in a brighter tone as he started the engine.

"Nicholas — he's a model, right? The third piece in the Colorful Ghosts series."

"Ah... um. Yes."

Turning the steering wheel to make two quick right turns in succession, Liu Weikun glanced over briefly.

"Even if I couldn't buy them, I kept track of every piece you released."

Yeehyeon had steadied himself believing that Liu Weikun was watching him from somewhere, but as with everything, he couldn't be one hundred percent sure. Still, Liu Weikun really had been watching.

Fidgeting with the strap of the bag on his lap, Yeehyeon bit his lower lip.

"He must've had a difficult time after manifesting as an Omega. He's still young, and he joined a group like that."

"You could tell he was an Omega right away?"

At Yeehyeon's question, Liu Weikun didn't answer directly, only smiling faintly as he looked ahead.

In the past, Inwu had once said that Liu Weikun was a more accurate Omega detector than genetic analysis. And now, with Yeehyeon having gained solid knowledge about Alphas and Omegas, he also knew that a Golden Alpha like Liu Weikun could almost never mistake someone's type, even without pheromones.

He now understood why Liu Weikun had continued to suspect that he himself was an Omega, despite being a Beta. The scents Liu Weikun had once revealed to him, back when his words were still so stiff — those scents had been expressions of interest and attraction all along.

All the models in the Colorful Ghosts series were people Yeehyeon had met through "Late Bloom." People who had once seen themselves as monsters and had stood at the edge of despair.

Last early autumn, Nick had finally told his family about his manifestation. After remaining estranged from his father for a long time, change had only recently begun. Beau Beau's considerable efforts had played a big role in that process. Nick's stubborn father had been slowly trying to learn about Alphas and Omegas. And as a small fruit of both sides' efforts, Nick had attended today's party with his whole family.

Nick's father had looked tense throughout the party, but after meeting male Omegas who fit his idea of "normal men," he seemed somewhat reassured.

For someone who had lived his entire life in an environment that classified people strictly as male or female, even in a world where Alphas and Omegas clearly existed, and that rigidly defined masculinity and femininity within those categories, this might have been the best acceptance he could manage.

Finding comfort in the fact that his son could at least continue to appear male on the surface, resigning himself to the present state.

Still, in hopes that in a few years, in the next generation, things might improve even a little, organizations like "Late Bloom" and individuals quietly and steadily continued to do what they had to do, holding their ground.

As Yeehyeon calmly explained all this, the car had already left the Marais behind and was driving alongside a canal on the left.

"I stayed around you after arriving here, but I never asked Yuni about you or followed you. I had no idea you were attending a group like that."

Liu Weikun had only heard a brief explanation from Yeehyeon that morning, and he tried not to show it, but he seemed deeply impressed. He had likely guessed, to some extent, why Yeehyeon had joined "Late Bloom."

"Beau Beau helped me a lot, not just with adapting to the group — with Parisian life overall. When I said Kun had come from Seoul so I had to leave a bit early... actually, Beau Beau wanted to see you too. He asked why I didn't bring you along."

"I see. You should've invited me."

"I thought it might make you uncomfortable.... And today, your eyes were like that too."

"Well, my eyes couldn't be helped... but still, being introduced to the people who have relationships with the current Seo Yeehyeon and influence each other — that would be an honor for me."

Liu Weikun didn't seem to be saying that just for form's sake, even though he still looked a bit dazed.

Unlike when using public transportation, it took less than twenty minutes to get from "Ttu" to "The Hands." The shrinking distance felt regrettable.

It was late, and the road in front of The Hands was already packed with parked cars. Even after temporarily stopping at the entrance of the nearest alley, neither of them readily got out of the car.

After lingering, turning toward each other and fiddling with each other's hands, Yeehyeon realized that Liu Weikun would have a hard time being the first to suggest anything.

"Do you... want to come up for a bit?"

Liu Weikun's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Is that okay? Aren't you tired?"

"Are you tired?"

"...No."

At Yeehyeon's question, Liu Weikun laughed and shook his head. As long as they were together, there was no room to feel tired.

About ten minutes later, they stepped out of the car. Liu Weikun put on his coat and walked toward the sidewalk where Yeehyeon stood. Compared to the Marais alley where "Ttu" was, this area was quieter, with more snow remaining on the ground — the narrow street blocked most of the sunlight.

Stopping in front of Yeehyeon, Liu Weikun took both of his bare hands and gently rubbed the backs of them.

"You never wear a scarf or gloves. That always made my heart ache."

"......"

Realizing he was talking about watching him from afar, Yeehyeon lowered his gaze and smiled.

"Winters here aren't that cold. I was fine."

He could almost see the time Liu Weikun had spent suffering, blaming himself even for the cold Yeehyeon had felt.

When Yeehyeon lifted his head again, Liu Weikun gently pulled him closer. Their noses brushed first, then their lips met carefully. Having just been in the car, both were warm. When Yeehyeon gripped his hand tightly, Liu Weikun tilted his head, deepening the kiss. A shiver ran through Yeehyeon's shoulders at the soft, ticklish friction of their lips sliding together.

At the low moan that slipped from his throat without thinking, Yeehyeon felt Liu Weikun's pheromones flare sharply for an instant.

At the same time, Liu Weikun's body went rigid. He pressed their lips together once more like stamping a seal, then straightened and brushed his thumb across Yeehyeon's lips.

"Hm. Shall we go?"

Covering his mouth with a loosely clenched fist as he cleared his throat, his face looked oddly awkward — cautious, like an inexperienced boy trying to hide his arousal. It was unfamiliar and strangely endearing.

When Yeehyeon stared up at him a beat too long, Liu Weikun pulled him toward The Hands, biting his lower lip as if to hide his embarrassment. Even the smile trapped between his lips reminded Yeehyeon more of an unripe boy than a grown man.

A small laugh slipped out of Yeehyeon too.

"Why, why are you laughing?"

Liu Weikun suddenly pulled him close and wrapped an arm around his waist as if to tickle him.

"Because... you laughed first."

Twisting away, Yeehyeon grabbed Liu Weikun's shoulder. It tickled. Biting his lip to keep from laughing too loudly in the late-night street, he finally slipped free, adjusted the strap of his fallen bag, then tugged Liu Weikun's hand and walked backward toward The Hands. Liu Weikun followed willingly. They didn't take their eyes off each other for even a moment.

"Seo Yeehyeon! Director!"

"......"

It was a familiar voice, and an unexpected situation. Yeehyeon stopped and turned toward The Hands. Yuni was at the top of the stairs, waving. Michelle was with her.

Yeehyeon's thoughts immediately tangled, and he glanced back at Liu Weikun. Trying to hide it seemed... impossible at this point. Instinctively, he tried to let go of the hand he was holding, but Liu Weikun only tightened his grip, pressing their palms more firmly together, and stepped forward, taking the lead.

It wasn't that they'd done anything wrong, nor was it that Yuni knew nothing about their past. But the story that needed explaining was far too long.

Liu Weikun had been clear that no one knew he'd been traveling between Paris and Seoul. And Yuni surely believed that their relationship had, at least temporarily, ended.

So how was Yeehyeon supposed to explain this — standing hand in hand with him on a night street, laughing together, something that could only look one way to anyone watching?

"Did you come back from Ttu?"

"Uh... y-yeah."

But the way Yuni smiled at Yeehyeon, warmly and knowingly, suggested she already understood everything and was simply glad about it. She showed no surprise at Liu Weikun's sudden appearance, reacting as naturally as if he'd often walked Yeehyeon to The Hands before, just as she and Michelle did.

"You're Michelle, right?"

"Yes, hello."

"I wanted to arrange a proper meeting, but meeting like this isn't so bad either. Nice to meet you."

Without needing introductions, Liu Weikun and Michelle found their footing quickly, sharing a few jokes about Yuni and laughing together. The teasing wasn't malicious. But perhaps worried that Liu Weikun's playful side might surface and reveal things she wanted hidden, Yuni pushed him by the shoulder, turning him toward the stairs.

"Alright, let's not interrupt each other's dates. Go on in."

Watching them with a quiet smile, Yeehyeon exchanged bisous with Michelle and headed up the stairs. He was still a bit dazed by how things had unfolded, but at least he was relieved they'd gotten through it without things becoming more awkward.

Liu Weikun stood beside him as he unlocked the door, waving down at Michelle below. While many old Parisian apartments were starting to install electronic locks on their ground-floor entrances, The Hands still insisted on keys.

Pushing the heavy ground-floor door inward and holding it open with his back, Yeehyeon gestured for Liu Weikun to come in. He entered the lobby with a slightly tense expression, slowly walking toward the center of the dimly lit hall and looking around carefully. It was late, so all the exhibition rooms were locked, and the narrow lobby didn't offer much to look at.

Yeehyeon tugged at Liu Weikun's elbow as he stood staring at the closed door of the main exhibition room, hands in his coat pockets.

"There's nothing to drink in my room. There's a shared kitchen on the second floor. Let's stop by."

Because the space had been expanded by combining two rooms, the unheated kitchen was as cold as outdoors.

As Yeehyeon turned on the light and took out a post-it and pen from his bag to write "Ben, borrowing two beers," Liu Weikun carefully looked around the simple kitchen.

After finishing the note, Yeehyeon took two cold beers from the fridge and stuck the post-it beside the handle.

"You seem close with people."

Liu Weikun had come up beside him at some point and was scanning the note while reading the kitchen rules posted on the wall.

"I am. I've been here over a year."

"Hmm."

Perhaps he'd even worried about Yeehyeon's unsociable nature. Even if Yuni had come with him, she couldn't follow him around like a guardian the entire time. He might have suffered more, imagining Yeehyeon unable to blend in, unable to be absorbed by the city, left alone on the fringes.

Those worries were just worries. Seeing that Yeehyeon was doing well enough to leave a note and borrow beers like this seemed to reassure him greatly. The old Yeehyeon would have chosen not to drink anything at all. That much was true.

Still, Liu Weikun lingered over the note far longer than expected, his expression somewhat complicated — not because it was bitter that Yeehyeon had adapted well on his own, but because he hadn't been there to share that time.

Despite the long gap, the emotions they felt toward each other came through more clearly than before. Because of that, Yeehyeon didn't try to comfort him out loud.

"Let's go up."

Pulling gently at the sleeve of Liu Weikun's coat, Yeehyeon whispered.

The apartment was quieter than usual. While Yeehyeon unlocked the door, Liu Weikun stood close beside him, holding both beers in one hand and resting the other on Yeehyeon's shoulder. It felt like sneaking a date into a dorm room — except somehow more nerve-wracking than that, because it was him.

"It's shabby and small. Nothing like the studio you prepared in Seoul."

"......"

"But it has everything I need, and I've done just fine here.... So don't feel heartbroken after you see it."

Holding the doorknob pulled slightly forward, Yeehyeon looked up at him, asking for reassurance in advance. Liu Weikun parted his lips as if to make an excuse, then relaxed his shoulders and nodded.

As they stepped inside together, the wooden floor creaked under their combined weight. The long, narrow rectangular room stretched from the door straight to the window, small enough to take in entirely from the entrance.

"Maybe because there isn't much furniture or stuff. It feels bigger than I expected."

He wandered around without taking off his coat, speaking in a deliberately cheerful voice. But Yeehyeon could tell he was upset.

"So this was the room."

Standing at the desk, he bent forward to look down through the window, murmuring to himself. Perhaps, standing hidden in the alley while looking up at this building, he had once tried to guess which window was Yeehyeon's.

He pulled over one of the backless auxiliary stools leaned against the wall, and the two of them sat side by side using the desk as a table. Since there were no coasters, circular water marks from the beer bottles quickly appeared on the wooden surface.

"Actually, before I went to pick you up in the Marais, I met Yuni first."

"Ah...."

"I thought you might get flustered if a situation like earlier came up, so I wanted to tell you in advance. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon."

He smiled as he looked at Yeehyeon, took a sip of beer, and cleared his throat. Watching his long, neat fingers trace the condensation on the bottle, Yeehyeon waited.

"When she saw me after a year, she skipped the greetings entirely and immediately asked what on earth had happened between you and me."

Holding the beer bottle loosely, he rubbed the neck with his thumb and let out a short, self-mocking laugh.

"She probably couldn't ask you anything directly. She must've been afraid of reopening wounds. Even when we talked on the phone sometimes, she only asked indirectly whether I really wasn't coming to Paris. She never dug straight into what our relationship was."

That was exactly as Yeehyeon had expected.

"I didn't go into detail... about the Changing. I thought that was something I should only talk about after getting your consent. I just told her briefly that I'd committed a very serious mistake toward you, and that I didn't have the right to come see you."

Yeehyeon nodded heavily. He understood why Liu Weikun had corrected himself from the vague "details" to the precise word "Changing" — a resolve not to downplay his own wrongdoing.

Liu Weikun let go of the bottle and roughly rubbed his face with his damp palm. Then he sighed and let his hand fall.

"She asked... whether we were getting back together."

"......"

"And that question... made my heart flutter."

He scoffed softly, as if he felt guilty even for that flutter of excitement.

His inner conflict came through vividly at such close range. After hesitating, Yeehyeon finally spoke.

"This might sound a bit... like I'm flattering myself, but...."

"......"

"I know how badly you wanted to come see me."

Liu Weikun turned toward Yeehyeon and leaned in slightly.

"I know you wanted to see my paintings in person and own them. Even before you were someone who loved me... you were the person who understood my work more deeply than anyone."

Staring at the water stains left on the desk, Yeehyeon pressed his lower lip gently between his teeth. He couldn't help but recall the days he'd sat at this same desk, smoking the same cigarettes Liu Weikun smoked, trying to ease his longing even a little.

"You would've wanted to come see me, look at my face, apologize over and over, and beg for forgiveness. And because of that...."

He could feel Liu Weikun's gaze fixed on him, but the emotions swelling too fast inside him made it impossible to look back.

"Not being able to ask for forgiveness, not being able to say you loved me, letting go of every chance to persuade me to start over, and having no choice but to wait... I know that time, for you, wasn't just time. For you, that was a kind of punishment."

When he finished speaking, Yeehyeon inhaled and exhaled deeply, like someone who had just made it past a hard trial.

Until the shock and sorrow that had clouded his inner self slowly settled, until he could clearly see the future he truly wanted, he had thought about it for a long time.

What allowed him to endure that time, ironically enough, was the certainty and belief that Liu Weikun was passing through the same time while longing for him with the same heart.

As if firming his resolve, Yeehyeon pressed his lips together once, then lifted his head toward him.

Like someone who had always been there, Liu Weikun's familiar blue eyes, returned to their usual calm, were fixed solely on him. He hadn't rushed him, saying he was dying without him. He hadn't pressed him with declarations of love.

"Thank you... for waiting."

"......"

There was no change in Liu Weikun's expression. Not because he felt nothing, but precisely because he felt too much.

He slowly, carefully looked into each of Yeehyeon's eyes, one at a time, just as he used to.

Swallowing dryly as if forcing down several pills at once, he parted his parched lips.

"When I manifested as an Alpha, I was almost simultaneously identified as a Ghost. Training began right away — to learn how to control myself, to suppress my urges. Being not just an Alpha but also a Ghost meant I could be a threat to others. No matter how lovingly the adults around me treated me, growing up focused only on suppressing myself and shrinking my desires... I couldn't help but start doubting the value of my own existence, even unconsciously."

His voice carried no inflection, as if recounting something unremarkable, but Yeehyeon listened without even breathing.

"Even if I had no intention of harming anyone... if people knew what I really was, they'd have no choice but to want to avoid me...."

Staring vaguely through the translucent green bottle, as if looking back at a past where he'd had to isolate himself from the world because of an ability he never wanted, he shifted his posture and continued.

"I'm not saying that training was unfair or unnecessary. It was essential — there was no other choice. In reality... the ability to turn a Beta into an Omega can pose a serious threat to the other person."

From the moment he was identified as a Ghost, he had moved homes, quit school, maintained only minimal contact with a handful of trusted people... yet the thing he had feared most and tried hardest to avoid had ultimately happened anyway.

For a moment, Yeehyeon wondered whether he himself might represent proof of a failure Liu Weikun didn't want to face. He knew Liu Weikun would never truly think that way. But with just a touch of selfishness, that kind of reasoning was entirely possible.

"It's just that... as all that time kept flowing in one direction and piling up inside me... eventually, instead of the world, I started to see myself... as a ghost. That's all."

He gave a faint, bitter smile and took three or four long swallows of beer. Heavy droplets slid down the bottle and fell onto his jeans. Somewhere far away, a siren with an ominous aftertaste emerged and faded again into greater silence.

Yeehyeon looked down at the dark stain the droplets left on his thigh.

"I know how Awi feels about giving in to pheromones. I know how strictly you controlled yourself from childhood just so it wouldn't happen."

Back when Inwu had said something like that during drinks at the Spanish bar, Yeehyeon hadn't understood what it really meant. An Alpha suppressing pheromones. He'd had no idea how much endurance that required. He might even have thought it was as simple as flipping a switch.

Now he knew it was more like enduring extreme drowsiness or hunger. Some scholars had compared it to the agony of holding back an urgent bowel movement during a bout of stomach pain.

For Alphas and Omegas, pheromones weren't a secondary desire like wanting more money or better looks — they were matters of instinct and survival.

"Because I know you're someone who has fought desperately against pheromones to protect the humanity you believe in. That's why... I was able to forgive Awi's mistake."

Liu Weikun's eyes, fixed on Yeehyeon, shook violently — as if he were witnessing something unbelievable unfolding right in front of him.

"That what changed me wasn't your true nature, but a mistake made when you were blinded and had lost your way.... As time passed and I looked back calmly, I could see the situation more clearly. Someone who uses pheromones as a weapon or an excuse... Liu Weikun was never that kind of person."

Now he shook his head slowly, eyes narrowing.

"What you told me in Boston... the reason you're different from others. The reason you've lived with a loneliness that felt like it could never be accepted by anyone.... It wasn't just because you're an Alpha, but because you're a Ghost...."

Thinking about the loneliness the man he loved must have carried his entire life, separate from the mistake he'd made, Yeehyeon's voice trembled slightly. Still, he didn't want his decision to seem like it came from softening out of sentiment. That wasn't the truth.

Yeehyeon lowered his head.

"......"

Liu Weikun pulled his chair closer. He gently placed his hand over Yeehyeon's hand resting on the table. Sliding his fingers lightly into the loose space between thumb and index finger, he covered Yeehyeon's hand with his damp palm.

Afraid he wouldn't be able to hold back his tears if he looked at his face, Yeehyeon focused only on the two overlapping hands.

"To be honest... when Yuni asked whether we were getting back together, my heart fluttered. But that wasn't all."

"......"

The unexpected direction of his words made Yeehyeon tense.

"At the same time, there was an uncomfortable sensation rattling around in my chest."

The hand covering Yeehyeon's tightened slightly. He felt Liu Weikun's breath swell deeply, then slowly deflate with a tremor.

"I had braced myself to wait much longer. Even what happened last night, even the fact that I'm here with you right now — it still doesn't quite feel real. But that doesn't mean I spent all that time without ever imagining a future with you. Even if you didn't accept me, the certainty that I belong to you has become firmer inside me than before. And my love for you has become even clearer to me as something completely unrelated to the tricks of pheromones."

As if asking him to look, Liu Weikun lifted his free left arm and placed his hand on Yeehyeon's shoulder. With the slight inward pull, Yeehyeon tensed his body and slowly raised his gaze.

"You know that once we've connected properly, Changing can't be suppressed by sheer will — that between you and me, it's impossible. Knowing that, the resolve it took for you to decide to restore our relationship... I can't even begin to measure its weight. This isn't just about forgiving me or pretending the past never happened. To call a relationship like that merely 'dating'... doesn't that feel insufficient?"

Despite his effort to stay calm, a strange excitement seemed to layer itself around him. He paused briefly to steady his breathing.

His right shoulder overlapped behind Yeehyeon's left. He was close enough that his uneven breath brushed Yeehyeon's left temple. The hand on his shoulder softly stroked the tip of his chin. Yeehyeon's heart was pounding hard.

"It's like calling a boyfriend 'just a friend.' That word... didn't feel like it fit us."

With the same hand that had touched his chin, Liu Weikun brushed aside Yeehyeon's bangs, then idly played with the hand he was still holding on the table.

"This might sound selfish, but if my Didi had been someone other than you — if I'd had to watch myself fall apart over someone I didn't love and who wasn't worth loving — I wouldn't have been able to endure it. If everything I'd devoted myself to since manifestation had been reduced to scraps by someone meaningless...."

He shook his head with his chin lowered, then looked back at Yeehyeon.

"The fact that the person who dismantles my defenses is you... I'm truly grateful. There are far too many reasons why it has to be you."

The weight of someone whose presence couldn't be contained in a simple "I love you" was something beyond mere emotion. There had been mistakes. There had been disappointment. But the fact that they desperately needed each other for fundamental fulfillment and happiness was also undeniable.

Unlike people who claimed to love without reason, there were too many reasons they loved each other, too many reasons they couldn't help but love.

Yeehyeon firmly grasped Liu Weikun's hand where it traced the back of his own. He understood what he meant by saying that merely "dating" felt insufficient. He hadn't chosen to restore their relationship with the thought that he could always end it completely later if it still didn't work out.

Looking back, Liu Weikun had never once failed to understand his heart.

"Before I met the Director, my answer to my father's silence was silence. If I now have the strength to face things properly, even from a distance... that's because you were there."

Being able to paint again was no different from being allowed to live again. The person who had gently lifted the silence surrounding him, who helped him stand up and walk back into the world with things he wanted to draw and say, was Liu Weikun.

A strange person. Someone who gave him the hardest task — forgiving the unforgivable — yet also gave him the gift he had needed most.

Perhaps he was the same kind of presence to Liu Weikun.

An invincible beast living alone within tall, impregnable walls, ensuring no connection with anyone.

Imagining that beast floundering in a cold sweat at the sudden appearance of an intruder who casually crumbled one side of the world's strongest fortress like a sandcastle, Yeehyeon let out a quiet laugh.

At the sudden laughter, Liu Weikun leaned in with a curious expression. Perhaps because Yeehyeon was laughing, Liu Weikun began to smile too, without knowing why. Yeehyeon cupped his cheek and shook his head.

They were intruders from strange lands to each other, each carrying the gift the other had needed most.