CTL 62

“You’re still going to give me time to eat, right?”

“You won’t work if I don’t, will you.”

Yoongeon said, crushing out the cigarette he had finished in an ashtray.

“That’s right.”

“Then please, stop asking and just go take care of it.”

“Yessir!”

Secretary Lim was completely unfazed by Yoongeon’s extremely blunt reply and left. Seohwi, who had been staring blankly, thinking that man might actually be Yoongeon’s greatest adversary, went closer to Yoongeon after the door closed and touched his forehead. He gently touched the spot where the bandage was, but Yoongeon didn’t even show a hint of pain.

“Are you okay?”

“What’s there to not be okay about.”

The words came out with a coolness that could feel somewhat cold, but his voice was not. His voice was somewhat lacking in strength, and the areas around his eyes were dark.

“You look tired.”

“I’m not tired.”

He lied as if it were nothing. What reason would a person who wasn’t tired have to lose consciousness and collapse on the stairs, looking like he was on death’s door? He wanted to argue, but Yoongeon had a tendency to retort sharply the more forcefully one spoke. Seohwi suppressed his surge of anger.

“How long did you sleep?”

“I woke up around 9.”

“…”

Should I have gotten him a prescription for sleeping pills, even a small dose? A little regret set in, contrary to his resolve from the morning. It was a little after 6 o’clock when Seohwi found him, so he had only slept for just about three hours. It was astounding.

“Did Mr. Secretary Lim wake you up?”

“No.”

The question he asked, just in case, was met with a denial.

“From now on, do things in moderation.”

“What’s it to you.”

“I’m worrying about you, Yoongeon.”

“…”

Yoongeon, who had retorted sharply at the words to do things in moderation, was momentarily at a loss for words, as if struck dumb by Seohwi saying he was worried.

He knew. Yoongeon became weak whenever he acted affectionately.

“I’m worried. Sincerely.”

“…”

So instead of pushing, Seohwi spoke in a gentle, soothing tone. As expected, when Seohwi took that approach, Yoongeon hesitated, unable to answer, and lowered his head. The tips of his ears were a little red.

“…Alright.”

The answer came after a slight pause, but Seohwi kissed his cheek as if to say he did well. At that, Yoongeon’s face, which had only been slightly red at the tips of his ears, instantly flushed hot.

“…Someone will see.”

“They won’t.”

Seohwi smiled and repeatedly kissed his cheek. A warm heat could be felt every time his lips touched his face, which made him laugh. He doesn’t look the type, but he acts so cute.

“Don’t, uuumm….”

As he smiled and kissed him, Yoongeon, unable to bear it any longer, turned his head to tell him to stop, and Seohwi didn’t miss the chance, kissing him on the lips this time. When a surprised Yoongeon tried to push him away, Seohwi pulled back cleanly, sucked on his lower lip once, and said.

“Are you a little calmer now?”

“…”

Far from it, Yoongeon’s face was still bright red. He bit his lip, then, as if he couldn’t stand it any longer, he grabbed the back of Seohwi’s neck and pulled him in hard. Then he forced Seohwi’s lips open and entangled their tongues.

“Ah…”

“Do you want, to get it right here? Haa….”

As he staggered from being bound by a sudden strong force, Yoongeon held his waist firmly and whispered.

“I’m barely holding back, so don’t provoke me.”

Seohwi laughed at his words that if he provoked him any further, he would strip him naked right here, regardless of who was outside.

“Do as you please.”

He didn’t care how Yoongeon handled him. He knew that even if his words sounded fierce, he wouldn’t actually do it. When Seohwi laughed, Yoongeon glared at him, but that was all.

[Delivery’s here!]

It was then. Just as he was about to lower his head toward Yoongeon again, he heard a loud shout from outside.

“Did you order delivery?”

“No…?”

The two of them, who hadn’t even had a chance to order delivery while kissing, just blinked at each other, and at the second call for a person, Seohwi went outside. Then he came back into the executive director’s office holding a bag with a dazed look on his face.

“Why did you bring someone else’s food? Put it outside. The owner will come looking for it.”

“It’s ours. Mr. Secretary Lim ordered it before he left.”

Seohwi answered his question of why he brought it in when it wasn’t theirs. The bag had the logo of a porridge restaurant brand from near the company printed on it.

“He doesn’t seem like the type, but he’s meticulous.”

At the comment that he looked like he would just goof off and play around based on his words, but his work was perfect and he was even meticulous, Yoongeon simply sat down in his seat with an indifferent look.

“He’s also annoyingly sharp. He’s always ripping me off.”

“You were aware that you were being ripped off?”

“Everyone seems to misunderstand, but I have a brain too.”

At his words that it was therefore quite annoying, Seohwi let out a smirk. It was because he thought Yoongeon was putting up with it quite well for someone with his personality.

“Seems like we’re benefiting from his sharpness right now, though.”

Truthfully, eating out was the best, but wasn’t it more comfortable for the two of them to be alone? Yoongeon seemed to agree with Seohwi’s words, as no complaints came out this time.

After placing the easy-to-digest chicken porridge in front of Yoongeon, Seohwi sat down, and this time Yoongeon handed him a spoon. Seohwi took a spoonful of the porridge in front of him and spoke.

“The thing this morning, do you remember it?”

“No.”

At his straightforward answer, Seohwi let out a small sigh.

“I was scared.”

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Don’t say something so absurd.”

Losing consciousness and collapsing isn’t something one can control at will. But with Yoongeon, it felt like he might actually be able to do it, and feeling a little anxious, Seohwi deliberately responded coldly.

“What is it that you have to do. Tell me.”

“What I have to do?”

He had no intention of nagging him about taking a break anymore, something that wasn’t even working. He knew that if he truly wanted him to rest, he shouldn’t hold him back and make him sit down, but run alongside him on the path he was running.

“First, I’ll have to find Ko Yoonchul.”

“And when you find him?”

“I have to get him out of my sight.”

“Is the reason you want to get rid of him to take the vice president position?”

Yoongeon nodded at the question. Seohwi thought for a moment before continuing.

“Then this project must succeed as well.”

He didn’t know anything about the world of conglomerates, but he knew enough that to climb to a high position, one needed experience, achievements, and a justification.

“I understand.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Yoongeon frowned, as if he knew what Seohwi meant by his words.

“There’s no need for you to struggle just because of my work.”

“This is my work too, Yoongeon.”

But Seohwi shook his head.

“So it’s our work.”

“…”

Of course, for now, Seohwi also had a desire to see the car he designed actually get produced. But right now, his feelings for Yoongeon were greater than that.

“You do your work. I’ll do what I can do.”

“…”

Even if they were apart for now, there was no reason not to do it if it would ultimately help Yoongeon. That’s what Seohwi thought.

Yoongeon said nothing at his words, but he seemed to have properly felt Seohwi’s sincerity. Without any sarcastic remarks or telling him not to, Yoongeon looked at Seohwi for a moment before nodding his head and muttering.

“Our work….”

The words that your work and my work, that it is our work, seemed to have reached his heart.

“…Alright.”

Finally, Yoongeon accepted without drawing a line. He didn’t add any pros or cons to the matter he had accepted, simply complying, but somehow, a corner of his frozen heart seemed to have melted a little.

After that last word, the two ate their meal in silence without exchanging a single word. Then, Yoongeon suddenly said he needed to watch the news and turned on the TV, where an anchor was just reporting new information.

“Someone else died.”

“I know.”

The anchor was reporting that an unidentified man in his 30s was found as a burned corpse inside a car near the Musadae Pier in Incheon. Charcoal briquettes, which seemed to be for an extreme choice, were found inside the car, and it appeared the man had accidentally started a fire while trying to light the briquettes.

[…In response, the police have submitted a request to the National Forensic Service to identify the man.]

It was a sad piece of news. But it wasn’t news that Yoongeon would care about, and since it was someone else’s business, it didn’t particularly resonate with Seohwi either. The only thought he had was something along the lines of, that’s too bad.

“I’m moving to the design team after lunch.”

Seohwi said when he had finished about half of his porridge.

“I decided to work there until Tuesday. In the morning, I changed the interior design of the handle, and for now, Chief Ha and Jia said it’s okay, but you’ll probably have to give the final confirmation.”

Yoongeon’s eyes, which had been watching to see what Seohwi was about to say, curved slightly. He had a look on his face as if he were doing something cute.

“Are you reporting to me right now?”

“No.”

Seohwi replied with an indifferent face.

“I’m not reporting, I’m talking. To my boyfriend.”

“…”

It was just something he said casually, but Yoongeon’s face turned bright red again. There was no change in his expression, but he looked up at him with wide, surprised eyes, and for some reason, his expression was easy to read today.