JD 15

Muheon didn’t respond to Hakyung’s comment, merely taking another look at the breakfast laid out before him. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t see any part of the side dishes that gleamed or sparkled. Then again, Kang Hakyung being weird wasn’t exactly a new development… Chalk it up to the unpredictable whims of a river dolphin, Muheon quietly picked up his chopsticks.

The chopsticks, gripped between his long fingers, moved with flawless precision and elegance. Hakyung had learned proper chopstick etiquette too, thanks to countless smacks on the back of his hand from his grandmother, but his movements didn’t carry the same grace.

Did the president also learn chopsticks under the threat of hand smacks from his parents? That silly thought crossed his mind. And once one random question about Muheon popped up, a flood of others came trailing right behind.

And Kang Hakyung was never very good at hiding his curiosity.

“Hey, did you do something weird to the rice?”

“…Huh?!”

“Why do you keep sneaking glances at me?”

Normally, the little dolphin would’ve been scarfing down his breakfast in big heaping bites. But today, he kept casting furtive looks at Muheon, which was starting to get on his nerves. Muheon set down his chopsticks with a clack and crossed his arms.

The thick muscles of his arms stretched against the grain of his thin shirt, making their presence known. And that chest beneath—looked solid enough to break your finger if you tried poking it.

Like someone admiring a Greek sculpture on display in a museum, Hakyung’s dazed eyes obsessively traced the lines of Muheon’s body.

“Tsk!”

If Muheon hadn’t given that sharp warning, Hakyung might’ve actually crawled under the table to check out his thighs.

Snapping out of it, Hakyung quickly straightened his half-slouched posture and forced a smile, trying to look as innocent as possible. But judging by the way Muheon’s frown didn’t relax in the slightest, it didn’t seem to help.

“Suspicious…”

“Not at all! But, by the way, Boss—”

Muheon always tensed a little when he heard that “By the way.” Every time Kang Hakyung used that phrase, something unexpected came flying out of his mouth. Muheon, though he didn’t show it much, subtly sat up straighter.

“How old are you? What’s your MBTI? How tall are you? Oh, you don’t have to tell me your weight! That’s a sensitive personal detail, I totally get it. But I am a little curious about your shirt and pants size.”

The nonstop barrage of questions was dizzying. Muheon wasn’t sure if he should just enjoy this sudden surge of attention or stay on high alert, convinced Hakyung was plotting something.

But unlike Muheon, Hakyung was simply filled with eager anticipation to hear his answers. There was no hidden motive at all.

Ever since last night—and even after waking up—Muheon’s face had been stuck in his mind. Naturally, that led to more and more curiosity about him. That was all.

Muheon stared at the river dolphin for a long moment but couldn’t read any hidden intentions in his expression. With a short sigh, he uncrossed his arms and tapped his fingers against the table.

“My age… thirty-six.”

“What?!”

Of course, there was another digit in front of that thirty-six, but telling a regular dolphin beastman like Hakyung wouldn’t do him any favors, so he quietly kept that part to himself.

Even now, Hakyung was freaking out, going on about how he and the president were born twelve years apart.

“Boss, were you born in the Year of the Dragon?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, that’s so cool. You’re totally like an old—”

“Tsk.”

Muheon’s quiet warning made Hakyung shut his mouth. He’d gotten a little too comfortable around Muheon lately, and things that should’ve stayed in his head kept slipping out. Gotta be careful. Hakyung gave his lips a light smack in self-scolding.

Muheon’s brow twitched at the sight. Where on those tiny lips was there even room to hit? He instinctively moved to raise a hand but stopped himself. Reaching out now would only startle the dolphin.

“But seriously, you look so young! Of all the thirty-six-year-olds I know, you look the youngest!”

“How many thirty-six-year-olds do you even know?”

“Uh…”

“Just me, huh.”

Hakyung forced another awkward smile. Most of the elders in his hometown were well into their seventies. His friends, including Kim Taeyoung, were all his age. His siblings were all younger…

Given that he’d only ever lived within a small rural community, there was no way he personally knew many people in their thirties.

“Then… out of all the adults I know?”

“That’s enough.”

It was a flimsy attempt at a compliment, but Muheon just let out a soft laugh. Being the only thirty-six-year-old Hakyung knew didn’t feel bad at all. He recalled the next question Hakyung had asked.

MBTI, huh… It wasn’t something he was even remotely curious about—and probably never would be. So he gave an honest answer.

“Never taken it. Don’t plan to.”

“What? Why not? Is it because the test is too long? It’s really not that hard… Want me to help you do it?”

“Don’t go treating me like some old man.”

At Muheon’s reproach, Hakyung pouted. Treating him like an old man? That wasn’t it—he just thought maybe Muheon had trouble with the test and wanted to help him.

Hakyung looked up the MBTI test and showed it to him, but the president firmly shook his head. Apparently, you could even check compatibility between MBTI types… It was such a shame, but it looked like he’d have to drop it.

“My height… in today’s terms, it’s a little over 190 cm.”

“Knew it…! I figured you’d be super tall!”

Hakyung’s head, which had drooped in disappointment, suddenly sprang up. Another topic had sparked the river dolphin’s interest.

Compared to other whale tribes, the rivers dolphins were generally much smaller. The average height for men was under 170 cm, and women were even shorter. Hakyung stood at 174 cm, which was considered tall for his kind.

Because of that, he’d always thought of his height as a point of pride—but clearly, the world was full of people much taller. In this company alone, there wasn’t a single employee shorter than him. Of course, given the physically demanding nature of the work, that was understandable.

Still, hearing the exact number from Muheon’s own mouth made the gap between them feel more real. No wonder his neck hurt every time he looked up at the guy.

“That’s enough questions for now. Kang Hakyung, come to my office after lunch.”

Muheon picked up his chopsticks again. Hakyung, giving a brief reply, followed suit and resumed eating breakfast.

***

Having helped with all the week’s urgent paperwork by yesterday, Hakyung had been loitering near Bu Geunrim since early morning. Seeing him pacing in circles like a puppy needing to poop, Bu Geunrim stood up from his seat.

After checking for watchful eyes from their seniors, he looked at Hakyung and pointed to the door. Hakyung, understanding immediately, slipped outside first to wait. A short while later, Bugeunrim followed him out.

“Hakyung, what’s up? Why’re you so antsy?”

By now, Bu Geunrim treated Hakyung like a real little brother. Among all the staff, Hakyung found talking to him the easiest—likely because they were both the youngest. Bu Geunrim’s easygoing nature as a Red Grouper elite helped, too.

In response to his question, Hakyung raised his index finger to his lips and walked toward a corner. Seeing his suspicious behavior, Bu Geunrim lowered his footsteps and followed.

“Hyung, I figured it out.”

“Huh? Figured out what?”

Hakyung whispered in a voice barely audible. Bu Geunrim lowered his own voice in response. After checking again to make sure no one was nearby, Hakyung finally opened his mouth.

“The president’s species.”

At those seven words, Bu Geunrim jolted like he’d been shocked. He trembled like someone who’d just heard a ghost story. His reaction was so dramatic, it startled Hakyung.

Was the president’s identity some kind of top-secret classified matter…? Was it not just an embarrassing thing about being a shark or a whale but actually being an eel…?

Just as Hakyung’s head was filling up with question marks, Bu Geunrim—still gasping for breath—asked,

“H-How did you find out?”

“Ah… I saw it myself!”

“What?!”

Bu Geunrim jumped again. Even though Hakyung had already checked the surroundings, he looked around once more, clearly afraid someone might overhear.

Grabbing Hakyung’s shoulders with both hands, Bu Geunrim asked seriously,

“Wh-What did you see?”

“On the president’s arm… a black—mmph!”

Suddenly, Bu Geunrim clamped a hand over his mouth, cutting him off. Hakyung’s round eyes darted nervously, startled by the sudden action.

Bu Geunrim slowly removed his hand and warned him in a low voice.

“Don’t go around telling people you saw that.”

“Huh…?”

“Did you peek at Mr. Muheon without him knowing?”

“N-No! I didn’t peek, really… I just happened to see it while I was coming out of the dorms. I swear! The boss knows I saw it too!”

The way he was reacting made it feel like he’d done something terribly wrong. Frozen in place, Hakyung rushed to explain. The longer he spoke, the wider Bu Geunrim’s mouth fell open.