“Now stop it! I can’t do it anymore.”

The New York Central Park was filled with leaves in red and yellow under a sky so blue that it made the eyes sting. A paper with numbers on it fluttered on the chest.

“Just a bit more. We’re almost there.”

“You said we were almost there a while ago. Ah, I don’t know. My legs are shaky, and it’s too hard.”

The two were ordinary participants in the New York Marathon held every autumn.

Seoyeon, persuaded by a friend that it would be a good memory, was diligently providing support.

However, it had been a while since her breath reached the tip of her chin while trying to keep up with her friend, who had extraordinary stamina.

“It’s really the end now. We’re here. Just a bit more. Huh?”

“Lies! You said it was the end earlier. Oh, I don’t know. You said it was the end a little while ago. It wasn’t, right?”

Smiling at Seoyeon’s petulance, her friend said, “Seoyeon, I’ll hug you…”

In an instant, Seoyeon’s eyes widened.

It was clearly Central Park with a view of ‘Bow Bridge’ but… everything changed in an instant, as if the backdrop of a play had been switched.

Puzzled, Seoyeon quickly looked around.

Her friend, who promised to buy her a hamburger if they passed the finish line, was nowhere to be found.

A large and familiar silhouette caught her eye.

Seoyeon squinted her eyes fiercely.

“Oh? How did we end up here?”

In her overwhelming joy, she quickly pretended to know Kwon Yul.

At that moment, Kwon Yul’s eyes, full of tenderness, looked down at her.

“You’re beautiful. You’re so beautiful.”

In response to his affectionate informal language, Seoyeon’s heart thumped as if crazy.

“I love you. Seoyeon.”

As if he had to hear an answer, Kwon Yul kept whispering that he loved her in Seoyeon’s ear. Unable to express her feelings in words, Seoyeon tightly hugged his shoulders, feeling the warmth of his body.

“…I love you too, Yul.”

Seoyeon, unknowingly blushing, replied informally.

Kwon Yul laughed, gently tapping her nose with a playful smile.

“Come here. Closer like this.”

Kwon Yul gradually narrowed the distance, forehead against forehead, brushing against her nose before stealing a kiss.

In a space-time where it was impossible to tell if it was a dream or reality.

Seoyeon’s body heated up as if alive, feeling Kwon Yul’s touch vividly.

“It’s warm. Seoyeon.”

His lips covered the soft shoulder generously.

“Yul. Stop…!”

At that moment, Seoyeon’s eyes opened wide.

She suddenly felt her shoulder twitch.

Puzzled, Seoyeon quickly looked around.

Her friend who promised to buy her a hamburger, where on earth had they gone?

Suddenly, a friendly voice rang above her.

“Seoyeon-ssi. Are you awake?”

Refreshing woody scent, a lively heartbeat, a firm yet warm embrace.

Seoyeon was snugly hidden in Kwon Yul’s arms, like a large hermit crab in a shell.

“…Is this a dream?”

What kind of dream is so vivid like this? Seoyeon swallowed her dry saliva while feeling her heart pounding.

“Are you okay?”

At Kwon Yul’s question, Seoyeon slowly nodded her head.

“If it’s uncomfortable, please let me know.”

His informal yet affectionate tone made her want to spend a bit more leisurely time.

Seoyeon, like a large snail with a big shell, subtly hid her body in his embrace.

“Ugh.”

Although it was just like wriggling like a caterpillar, her unused muscles seemed to have cramps. Her entire body was sore, and she shouted that it hurt here and there. But it wasn’t that she was in bad shape.

It felt similar to the pain and ecstasy after countless repetitions of CrossFit.

“Just a moment, can we stay like this?”

Seoyeon felt like she was melting in his warmth, so she closed her eyes gently.

“If you’re tired, sleep more.”

Kwon Yul gently brushed her hair back.
Kwon Yul gently brushed back Seoyeon’s hair.

A sweet smile formed as she became accustomed to the affectionate gesture.

“When Yul touches my hair, I get sleepy.”

Then, unexpectedly, memories of the previous night came rushing back.

He was a completely different person than usual, as if he had two faces.

Kwon Yul was relentless, pushing forward without hesitation.

He didn’t let go until Seoyeon, who had nowhere to retreat, declared her surrender.

But even in intense moments, he didn’t forget his warm consideration.

He was meticulous to the point of excess, constantly attuned to Seoyeon’s emotions.

He brought his lips to Seoyeon’s ear, whispering sweet nothings in an excessively affectionate manner.

Among the fierce growls of his breath, countless ‘Seoyeon-ah’ and ‘I love you’ echoed.

Seoyeon found his raw emotions both fascinating and delightful.

It was evidence that his feelings were sincere enough to set aside his composed and tidy demeanor.

“So, did I have that dream… last night?”

A laugh bubbled up.

The contrast between the bold Kwon Yul of last night and the polite Kwon Yul of this morning was amusing.

To suppress her emerging laughter, she buried her face in his chest.