The morning of Jiho’s birthday.

The breakfast that Yeonsu prepared for Jiho’s birthday table seemed like all three meals of the day were placed on the dining table at once.

“Wow, Mom, is this really breakfast?”

Jiho, who had only expected seaweed soup for breakfast, was amazed at the sumptuous table before him.

“Well, you said you’d only eat breakfast at home.”

Yeonsu, who had woken up at dawn and spent hours preparing, smiled brightly without showing any signs of fatigue.

“Come on, eat up.”

Soo Min and Yoo Mi also took their seats.

“If you were going to make this much, you should have woken me up. You must have had a hard time making it alone. Thanks to Jiho, we’re feasting from the morning.”

“It’s our son’s birthday, of course I should do it. Jiho, happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Mom.”

Jiho said, looking at the touching birthday spread.

After exchanging congratulations, everyone picked up their utensils.

Yoo Mi picked up her chopsticks listlessly with a gloomy face.

The birthday party for Jiho that she had been looking forward to had all gone to waste because of Yi Soo.

A long sigh escaped her without her realizing it.

“Jiho, are you leaving right after breakfast?”

“Yes.”

Jiho was already fully prepared to leave.

His upturned corners of the mouth, delighted about something, showed no signs of coming down.

“Jiho seems to be in a very good mood.”

“The seaweed soup Mom made is so delicious.”

Jiho answered with a bright smile.

“I see. I’m glad you like it.”

Yeonsu looked at Jiho contentedly, with an expression of being full without even eating.

She knew he was in a good mood from the morning because he was thinking about meeting his girlfriend.

Knowing this, love dripped from Yeonsu’s eyes as she looked at Jiho speaking like that.

**

Inside Regent’s Park.

Yi Soo, wearing a white sleeveless blouse with a deep neckline and a short white skirt, walked into the park.

She even put on makeup, which she usually didn’t do, to look pretty.

As soon as Yi Soo entered the park entrance, she saw Jiho who had arrived earlier.

“Jiho, happy birthday!”

“Thank you.”

Yi Soo tightly hugged Jiho’s waist and tilted her head back to look up at him.

Jiho looked down at Yi Soo lovingly.

Her small white face was smiling up at him, as dazzling as the summer sun.

He wanted to kiss her right away, but he just looked at her with difficulty, afraid of smudging her bright red lipstick.

“You really dressed up so prettily.”

“Really?”

“Yes, you’re so beautiful it’s blinding.”

Yi Soo didn’t entirely believe Jiho’s exaggerated words, but knowing this, she still smiled with joy.

“You look very handsome too. As always.”

This was a fact without any exaggeration.

“Haah.”

Jiho let out a hard-to-suppress sigh and brought his face to Yi Soo’s nape instead of her lips.

Even this much contact made him feel a little better.

Jiho deeply inhaled Yi Soo’s scent and lifted his head again.

“Do you really have to go home today?”

“Huh? What would we do if I don’t go home?”

He hadn’t thought about it before, but now he really didn’t want to send Yi Soo home today, she was just too pretty.

Red lips seemed to float in front of Jiho’s eyes.

“There are so many things we could do.”

Jiho pulled Yi Soo close and hugged her, smiling mischievously.

He wished this was Seoul instead, he thought.

‘If it were, I would have invited Yi Soo home by now and be kissing her to my heart’s content.’

Seeing Jiho wink, Yi Soo rolled her eyes slightly.

“Ugh. You’re naughty!”

“It’s not that I’m naughty… All men are like this with the woman they like.”

Jiho tightened his arms and pulled Yi Soo flush against his chest.

“I’m so happy just holding you like this.”

With only thin clothes between them, their upper bodies were pressed tightly together, and the curves of their chests were fully felt by each other.

Even though it wasn’t the first time, Yi Soo’s heart thumped rapidly.

“This is nice too, but there are many better things.”

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t do anything if I didn’t like it? You said that so confidently back then.”

At Yi Soo’s words, Jiho slowly unwrapped his arms and took a step back.

“Now I’m not so confident… Don’t you like it?”

Yi Soo was flustered seeing Jiho suddenly turn serious, dropping his smile.

“Huh? You don’t like it, but I do?”

Jiho held Yi Soo’s arms with both hands and bent down to meet her eyes as he asked.

His dark eyes were boring into Yi Soo, making it impossible to avoid answering.

“No.”

That was all Yi Soo could say at this point.

It was his birthday today, and more than anything, those earnest eyes made it impossible for her to say anything else.

Only after hearing the answer he wanted did Jiho straighten up and pull Yi Soo into a hug.

“This is all because of you. You make it impossible for me to hold back.”

Yi Soo laughed incredulously at Jiho’s words.

**

After finishing their last park date in London, it was lunchtime.

“Where are we going?”

“A place I wanted to go with you.”

The place they got out of the car was in front of a skyscraper that seemed to pierce the sky.

“Are we having lunch here?”

“Yes. You like views, don’t you?”

Jiho took Yi Soo’s hand and went inside.

As soon as they got on the elevator, it went straight up to the floor where the restaurant was.

The entire building was made of glass with no obstructions, so the London cityscape could be seen at a glance from any direction.

Following the staff’s guidance, Jiho and Yi Soo sat down.

After placing their order, they looked out the window while waiting for the food to arrive.

The muddy yellow Thames River flowed leisurely beneath their feet.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“Yes. It’s your birthday, so you should like it. Asking me that makes it feel like it’s my birthday.”

“I’m happy if you like it.”

Yi Soo smiled at Jiho’s words.

‘I wonder where he learned to say such pretty things.’

Even though she heard it every time, it still made her heart flutter.

“It’s so cool in here, I don’t want to go out.”

It was a dazzling midsummer noon sun outside.

While it was swelteringly hot outside the building, the cool air in the restaurant quickly dried the sweat they had worked up while walking in the park.

Jiho nodded with a meaningful smile.

Just then, a staff member brought pre-meal bread and butter.

Yi Soo picked up a piece of bread, thinking she should eat lunch as slowly as possible in this cool place.

After that, picture-perfect dishes continued to come out in courses.

Jiho paid attention to whether Yi Soo was eating well, and even moved his portions to her plate for the dishes she particularly enjoyed.

As the meal was wrapping up, Yi Soo took out a small shopping bag from her purse and handed it to Jiho.

“This is your birthday present.”

“Wow.”

Jiho let out a short exclamation and chuckled at the shyly offered gift.

“Open it.”

“Not now, a little later.”

“Huh? When?”

Jiho looked down at the box inside the shopping bag and then raised his head.

“We’re done eating, so let’s go now.”

With a hurried look, Jiho took Yi Soo’s hand and stood up.

Yi Soo followed Jiho with a regretful face at the thought of having to go out into the sweltering heat.

**

Just when she thought they were going outside, Jiho took Yi Soo’s hand and went back into the building.

They entered through a different entrance this time and got on the elevator again.

“Where are we going?”

“To open the birthday present.”

While Yi Soo was bewildered, the elevator arrived and the doors opened.

The floor was shiny marble, and the walls were all glass.

Yi Soo moved further in, led by Jiho’s hand.

“Wait here for a moment.”

Jiho pointed to a comfortable sofa in the spacious area.

Yi Soo nodded as she let go of the hand she was holding.

The same view they had just seen was visible through the glass walls.

As she turned her head to look around the space, Yi Soo realized this was a hotel lobby.

Jiho, who had finished checking in, came up to Yi Soo standing there with an incredulous look and said,

“Let’s go up.”

“We’re at a hotel right now, aren’t we?”

“You said you didn’t want to go outside.”

Jiho grinned as he grabbed Yi Soo’s hand and walked back to the elevator.

“You came here because I said that?”

“You don’t like the heat, right?”

They got on the elevator with what appeared to be a Korean newlywed couple.

Next to the lovey-dovey couple, Yi Soo stood with an awkward face, keeping her mouth shut.

Thinking this is what he meant by asking her to do whatever he wanted for his birthday, she followed Jiho’s lead.

In front of the room, Jiho tapped the key to the sensor.

With a click, he pulled the handle forcefully and the door opened.

Yi Soo stepped in first through the wide open door.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the same London cityscape they had seen earlier was visible.

The only difference was that it looked even more dizzying from the increased height.

“I wanted to come here with you too.”

Jiho looked around the room with a satisfied expression.

Although they had been to each other’s homes, it was their first time at a hotel, so Yi Soo felt strange.

“Did you decide we’d sleep together today without telling me?”

Yi Soo asked what she had been curious about.

“We can stay here and go home late. It’s hot outside.”

“I never imagined we’d come to a hotel today.”

Yi Soo said, still unable to relax her expression.

It felt too awkward to be naturally in a hotel room with her boyfriend when they weren’t on a trip.

“Are you angry that I came without saying anything? I just wanted to be alone with you today.”

Jiho hugged Yi Soo from behind and buried his face in her nape, as she stood there with a displeased look.

He held her tightly so she couldn’t move, and suddenly Yi Soo’s body was lifted into the air.

With a yelp, Yi Soo wrapped her arms around Jiho’s neck to avoid falling.

Holding Yi Soo like a baby, Jiho lowered his gaze and said,

“I’ll put you down if you promise not to be angry.”

Jiho’s face came close to Yi Soo’s, who was being held with a prim expression.

“I’m not angry, I just feel weird. It’s my first time coming to a hotel with a man.”

“It’s my first time too. I’m glad it’s my first time with you.”

Jiho walked to the sofa carrying Yi Soo, who was rolling her eyes at him.

Sitting on his lap, Yi Soo’s eye level was similar to Jiho’s.

“Now I can kiss you.”

“Huh?”

Large hands cupped Yi Soo’s cheeks, and immediately lips pressed together.

Jiho’s hot breath rushed in relentlessly as he pulled Yi Soo’s waist close.

The deep, intense kiss continued for a long time.

Yi Soo exhaled a shaky breath as she looked at Jiho, who slowly parted his lips, and chuckled.

“Your lipstick smeared.”

“Your lips are smudged too.”

They laughed as they faced each other, wiping the smeared lipstick off each other’s lips with their fingers.

“Jiho, open your present now.”

“Okay.”

Yi Soo had thought long and hard about what to buy for Jiho, who seemed to already have everything he needed.

In the end, she wanted to give him something he could always carry with him.

Jiho smiled softly as he opened the small box.

Inside the box was a bracelet.

“It’s a set with your necklace.”

“I didn’t know what you’d want, so I just chose on my own.”

The letters IS&JH engraved on the inside of the bracelet were visible.

“You even engraved it. You must have bought this in Seoul in advance.”

“Yes. To have it engraved.”

“Wow, I’m touched.”

“Give me your hand. I’ll put it on for you.”

Jiho smiled and obediently held out his wrist to Yi Soo.

While Yi Soo was fastening the bracelet, Jiho playfully kissed her neck and cheeks, tilting his head.

Yi Soo managed to fasten the bracelet while squirming from the ticklish sensation, then looked up with a pleased expression.

“Thank you for the gift. But, there’s something I really want.”

“Oh, there was something you wanted? I should have asked earlier. What is it?”

Yi Soo asked with a regretful expression.

“Will you give it to me if I tell you?”

“Yes. If it’s something I can give.”

Yi Soo looked at Jiho with a truly curious face.

“Yi Soo. You.”

Jiho said with a grin.