Side Story 8

Just then, the sound of heels echoed, and the door opened again. The staff member from before entered, holding a velvet cushion with a ring box on it. She sat across from him and offered the cushion.

“Here it is. Would you like to check it?”  

“Sure.”

Damon answered briefly and took the ring box. When he snapped it open, a diamond ring, finely and luxuriously crafted, was revealed. It was so precise and detailed that the deposit alone had been astronomical, but Damon paid without a second thought.

He’d made plenty of money as a model, but he was born into a wealthy family to begin with. Damon stared at the ring.

The staff swallowed nervously, trying to read his expression. With that blank look, it was impossible to tell if he liked the ring or not.

After a long moment, Damon finally closed the box. The staff member spoke very cautiously.

“How is it? Are you satisfied?”  

“It’s better than I expected.”

Damon took out his wallet and handed over a black card. Seeing this, the staff smiled brightly, quickly stood up, and bowed deeply, understanding that he wanted to pay the rest of the amount.

“I’m so glad you liked it. I’ll help you with the payment outside.”

After finishing the payment, Damon emerged holding the packaged box. On his way back to the officetel, he passed by another shop and spotted a bracelet that would suit Hyemi perfectly. The small price tag below made him gasp—it was staggeringly expensive—but that hardly mattered to Damon.

His hesitation lasted only a moment. That bracelet would surely look beautiful on her pale wrist. Soon, Damon walked out with a packaged bracelet in his other hand.

Now, as he truly headed back to the officetel, a necklace caught his eye. And moments later, Damon left the shop carrying a box with the necklace inside.

He wondered if he was going overboard, but since everything suited Hyemi, he couldn’t resist buying them. He thought, since she liked pretty things even when she was Lilia, she would surely love these too.

As Damon got into his parked car, he called his manager, Jeongho. After a few rings, Jeongho picked up.

-Hello?

“The reservation?”

-It’s all set perfectly. You’re the only one who’d rent an entire yacht just to propose.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Jeongho wished him luck, hoping he wouldn’t fail, and ended the call. Hyemi probably thought they were just going to have dinner at a restaurant as usual.

But today was a very important day. Just as Jeongho had said earlier, today was the day Damon would propose to her. Even for Damon, he needed to stay sharp today. One mistake could turn this into the worst proposal ever.

While Damon was busy buying the ring and other things, Hyemi was absent-mindedly listening to her professor’s lecture.

‘Ah, I wish this would end soon…’

Luckily, today she just had one more class after lunch, then she’d be done. She wanted to hurry home, snuggle into Damon’s arms, and rest.

‘Are we eating at that restaurant again tonight? Maybe I should wear something pretty this time.’

She felt a little embarrassed about going in jeans and a shirt. She needed to dress for the occasion, so she decided to wear a dress for the first time in a while. Fortunately, Damon had taken her shopping at the department store recently and bought her some clothes he said looked good on her.

There was a dress among them, and she liked the design. Hyemi doodled in her notebook, lost in random thoughts.

Finally, class ended, and Hyemi stretched long.

“I thought I’d die of boredom.”

Yuri, who had been in the same class, felt the same.

“That professor gives good grades, but he’s so boring. His tone is like a lullaby.”

“Right.”

Hyemi giggled and nodded. Yuri packed her bag and asked,

“What do you want for lunch? Snack food?”

“Hmm… How about ramen?”

“Sure. Oh, a new ramen place opened just ahead. Want to try it?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

She welcomed anything. She’d eat lunch, attend her last class, and head home right after. The ramen at the new place was decent. Yuri thought it was really good, but Hyemi found it just average.

Then a thought struck her, and she was inwardly horrified.

‘Have I gotten so used to fine dining that food I used to enjoy now tastes bland…?’

Her tastes weren’t that different from Yuri’s. If Yuri liked something, Hyemi usually did too.

‘At this rate, I won’t be able to eat anything at regular restaurants…’

Hyemi quickly shook her head to banish the dreadful thought. Maybe tonight she should just go out for army stew instead of a restaurant.

But that resolve faded as soon as she got home.

“…Where are we going for dinner?”

“The yacht on the lake. It’ll just be the two of us, so no need to worry about others.”

Dinner on a yacht, just the two of them. It sounded like a dream. Hyemi quickly forgot about army stew and dashed to the closet.

“Hyemi?”

“Damon, which outfit looks prettiest?”

“You look beautiful in anything.”

He really meant it. Hyemi rolled her eyes at Damon and rummaged through her closet.

“That dress you bought me last time was pretty. Should I wear it? I bought it then but haven’t worn it yet.”

“Hmm, was it the ivory one?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

Hyemi nodded, scanning through her clothes. Finally, she spotted the dress.

“Found it.”

It wasn’t tight-fitting, but it had a waistline to highlight her slim waist.

“I’ll wear this today.”

“Sounds good.”

Damon thought Hyemi would look beautiful even in rags. It wasn’t just infatuation—she was genuinely beautiful.

“Can I take pictures and brag on SNS?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Most likely, what she’d show off wouldn’t be the dinner on the yacht, but something else. Damon smiled and hugged her from behind, kissing her neck.

* * *

“Wow, it’s huge…”

The yacht was bigger and shinier than Hyemi had imagined. Looking around, she saw they were the only ones at the dock.

“Do you know how to drive a yacht?”

“I can do the basics.”

Damon boarded first and reached out to her. Hyemi gripped his hand and carefully stepped aboard. Dinner was already prepared on the yacht.

The yacht set off and stopped in the middle of the lake.

“Damon, come sit down. The food’s going to get cold.”

“Okay.”

He smiled and sat across from her. Luckily, it wasn’t cold, so the food was still warm. Hyemi took out her phone and started snapping photos.

Damon watched her with a pleased smile. Feeling his gaze, Hyemi looked up at him.

“Why are you staring?”

“Because you’re beautiful. Finished taking pictures?”

“Yes.”

She wanted more, but hunger won, so she nodded and put her phone away. Hyemi picked up a fork and knife, cut into the steak, and took a bite.

“How is it?”

“It’s delicious! Really delicious.”

It was the best steak she’d ever had. Seeing her eyes sparkle, Damon secretly sighed in relief. The expensive price and hiring a famous chef had paid off.

The steak, pasta, salad—everything was delicious. Hyemi ate happily, her cheeks puffed out like a baby squirrel. When her plate was clean, she let out a satisfied breath.

“Ah, I’m so full…”

Damon quickly tidied up and led Hyemi to the front of the yacht. Together, they sat side by side and watched the sunset.

“It’s so beautiful…”

The sun setting beyond the lake was reflected on the water, creating a stunning scene. It felt as if the whole lake was bathed in twilight. Hyemi was mesmerized by the sunset. Then, Damon’s low voice reached her ear.

“Hyemi.”

“Yes?”

She turned her head without thinking and saw him looking at her with a serious expression. Meeting his violet eyes, Hyemi’s heart began to race.

Damon, who had been watching her, took a small box out of his pocket. Hyemi’s eyes widened. If her guess was right, that was definitely…

Damon stood up, knelt on one knee before her, and opened the box with a click, revealing a sparkling diamond ring.

“Damon, is this…”

“Sorry the proposal took so long.”

She’d thought he’d propose someday, but didn’t expect it to be now. Damon cleared his throat and spoke again.

“Hyemi, will you marry me?”

Hyemi blinked, staring at the ring, then broke into a bright smile. She reached out her hand and answered,

“Of course.”

Damon immediately took the ring and slipped it onto her finger. It fit perfectly, without a hint of error. Overjoyed, Hyemi jumped up and threw herself into Damon’s arms.

He caught her, collapsing back. Hyemi buried her face in Damon’s neck and said,

“I’m really so happy.”

“I feel the same.”

Hyemi looked up and gazed at Damon. Their eyes met, and without knowing who started first, their lips met.

After a long while, their lips parted. Hyemi smiled with tearful, shining eyes.

“I love you, Damon.”

“I love you too.”

Between the sunset, their lips met again. No one would ever separate them, in this life and the next. Forever.

〈Duke, Is It Really Your First Time? Side Story END〉