JD 23

Buffet. Because of Hakyung, who kept singing about the buffet, they headed straight to the restaurant after a short break. The hotel’s dinner restaurant was located on the top floor, where one could watch the sunset. It had already become a hotspot, constantly drawing in guests.

But rather than the beautiful sunset, Hakyung was mesmerized by the dazzling array of unfamiliar foods. He darted through the restaurant with small, quick steps.

The way he slipped so nimbly through the crowd—it felt less like a river dolphin and more like watching a squirrel beastman.

“Boss! Look at this—it’s as big as my face!”

“It really is.”

Hakyung, having waited in line to get a lobster, held it up next to his face and laughed softly. Back in the countryside, he had only ever eaten crab. The fact that he could now eat such a huge lobster made him break into laughter again and again.

He carefully scraped the meat from the claws and placed it on Muheon’s plate. Just as even cold water has its boundaries, he added to it all the affection he felt—soon, the plate was piled high with lobster meat.

Muheon looked at the plate, now heaped with lobster meat, and let out a bewildered laugh. Hakyung had been the one begging to go to the buffet, but somehow only Muheon’s plate was overflowing.

Muheon switched their plates. Hakyung’s cheeks puffed out in protest.

“What’s with that look? You’re the one who wanted to come to the buffet.”

“But I gave that to you, Boss.”

“Don’t mind me. Eat as much as you want.”

Even if he didn’t understand his feelings, how could he be so completely oblivious? Hakyung, inwardly grumbling about his clueless boss, stuffed a whole clawful of meat into his mouth. Then his eyes widened like marbles, and his shoulders gave a little shake.

My goodness—this was… real, wild-caught crab stick! The claw meat he had lovingly offered to the boss vanished into his own mouth in the blink of an eye.

Across from him, Muheon, who had been quietly watching Hakyung’s ever-changing expressions, covered his mouth with his hand to hide the smile tugging at his lips. Hakyung’s eating spree went on for quite some time after that. If Muheon hadn’t switched their plates, he might’ve been resented for it forever.

“Are you full now?”

“Huh? Oh—yes. It was delicious.”

Muheon asked as he brought dessert for Hakyung. Embarrassed, Hakyung gave a sheepish smile. He’d probably eaten at least three full plates all on his own.

Still, now that he was full, he finally had the presence of mind to look around outside. Earlier, he’d been too taken in by the magnificent lobster to spare a glance out the window.

The sky, once filled with a brilliant red sunset, had now turned completely black. Even the night sky, after the sun had set, was breathtaking. Hakyung stared at it intently, as if he might be pulled into its depths—the sky so similar to the boss’s dark, well-kept hair. Deep down, he harbored a bold little wish: that one day, he too might be completely steeped in his boss.

It was while he was gazing out the window that he caught a snippet of conversation from the next table. Those guests, having finished their meals, were now enjoying dessert—the table was covered in cakes and cookies.

“Hey, did you see this? You know that building next door, the one with the concert hall? There’s a private party-slash-concert going on there right now. Look at the lineup.”

“What? No way. That’s insane!”

A party…? It must’ve been the same one the boss’s friend mentioned earlier today. Judging by the way the guests were talking, it sounded like a major celebrity was involved. Was that why the boss had been invited? Because there would be famous stars?

Before he realized it, Hakyung was nodding along, completely drawn into their conversation. And then—

“Taeyoung’s performing too. Wow. Isn’t this the guy who only ever posted on social media?”

“Seriously? No way! I love Taeyoung’s songs! Should we go hang around near the building? We might be able to hear the music!”

“Let’s do it. Seems like other people are already gathering—look at all the location tags.”

The guests looked so excited they seemed ready to bolt from their seats at any moment.

Hakyung, who had been enjoying their chatter, suddenly froze in place. That name—Taeyoung—rang in his ears like a bell, weighing heavily on his chest.

His head filled with questions. Why was Taeyoung here? And why hadn’t he contacted him, not even once, on the way here? What was he thinking, revealing himself like this?

There was no one to answer the flood of questions surging inside him. The very person who owed him answers had vanished without a word, leaving him in this mess.

Meanwhile, the guests at the next table had left their desserts behind and rushed off toward the concert hall. The now-empty table was strewn with beautiful, sweet treats that no one remained to eat.

This wasn’t the time to sit here—he needed to go to the concert hall and see Taeyoung’s face for himself. If it really was that Taeyoung, the one he knew, then he had to ask why—what he was thinking, how he could do this.

But his whole body trembled. He didn’t even have the strength to move a single finger.

“…Kyung. Kang Hakyung! What’s wrong?”

Hakyung, who had been spacing out for quite a while, finally came to his senses at the low voice calling his name. That’s right—he wasn’t alone. Muheon was beside him, and he couldn’t just move on his own, leaving the boss behind.

His heart pounded at the thought that the concert might end and Taeyoung might disappear before he got the chance to see him. Growing increasingly anxious, Hakyung bit down hard on his lip.

“You’ll hurt yourself like that.”

Muheon, who had been quietly observing Hakyung’s changes from across the table, reached out his hand. Hakyung looked so fragile, like he might vanish any moment. With a careful touch, Muheon brushed the area near his lips.

Though his hand was cold—surprisingly cold—it comforted Hakyung more than any warmth could. It was encouragement, a quiet kind of support. Hakyung grasped the boss’s hand tightly and declared,

“Boss, I want to go see that party and concert!”

“Hm?”

“Would you go with me?”

Muheon’s eyes widened at Hakyung’s sudden shift in mood. He was more unpredictable than the midsummer monsoon. But even so, no words of refusal came to mind. There was no reason to say no to something Hakyung so clearly wanted.

Muheon stood up without hesitation, and Hakyung rose along with him.

***

Because it was a private party combined with a concert, the venue wasn’t crowded. Muheon and Hakyung, through means unknown, were able to enter the concert hall without any obstacles.

Due to the dazzling lights and elaborate stage setup, the hall was hot enough to break a sweat despite the lingering chill of early spring.

Hakyung took off the cardigan he wore and hung it over his arm, holding tightly to Muheon’s jacket. If he got lost here, he felt like he’d never find his boss again.

“B-Boss. You have to stay right next to me. You can’t get lost!”

“Got it.”

“You won’t let go of my hand, right?”

“Right.”

Hakyung’s voice trembled. Muheon answered curtly, but he held Hakyung’s hand firmly—the small hand wrapped snugly in his large one. His hand was colder than Hakyung’s, but the warmth of his gesture made Hakyung’s heart pound in a different way.

Even small acts of kindness done without meaning always left Hakyung shaken. Songs about one-sided love, which he usually listened to without much thought, played on loop in his mind, stirring his emotions.

Letting out a small sigh hidden from the boss, Hakyung gripped his hand tighter. Now that it had come to this, he had no intention of being the fool who let go first.

He thought he heard a quiet chuckle nearby, but Hakyung, on edge from head to toe, was too tense to pay attention to it.

Following Muheon stiffly like a creaky robot, Hakyung came to a stop right in front of the stage. In one of the plush seats sat Huang Lin—Muheon’s friend—surrounded by several people.

They all stared at Huang Lin with hazy, intoxicated eyes, as if mesmerized by something. Despite the openness of the space, their appearance was borderline indecent. Feeling his face flush for no reason, Hakyung let out a small noise in his throat—and at that sound, Huang Lin’s red eyes turned toward them.

“Well, if it isn’t Muheon. I thought you had no interest in parties—what brings you here?”

Feigning surprise, Huang Lin’s gaze slowly dropped from Hakyung’s frozen face to the hands he and the boss had clasped together. A lazy smile curled on his lips.

“Ah, little one. It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one who wanted to come?”

“Y-Yes…”

“Well done. A good little one deserves a reward… though if I do, Muheon’s eyes might skewer my forehead.”

Huang Lin joked darkly and smiled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. With a flick of his hand, men—who had gone unnoticed—suddenly appeared and swiftly arranged seats for Muheon and Hakyung.

It was like magic at the tip of his finger—proof of Huang Lin’s overwhelming influence. The gaze he kept locked on Hakyung sent chills down his spine. Shivering, Hakyung stepped closer to Muheon. It wasn’t until his shoulder brushed against the boss’s solid arm that he felt the least bit reassured.

Not long after the two sat on the sofa, the prelude to the first performance began to play.