JD 42

Hakyung had no idea that Muheon and Gi Sang-oh were conspiring behind his back—he was too busy enjoying a café tour.

“What do you think, Hakyung? This salted vanilla latte’s good too, right?”

“Yes! Hyung, it’s the perfect sweet-and-salty combo!”

Every day after lunch, Hakyung and his official office latte mate, Bu Geunrim, would head out to a nearby café for a vanilla latte. Today, they’d tried a new spot that served a salted vanilla version, and it was excellent.

With his lips puckered tightly, Hakyung slurped the latte nonstop. Now that the temperature climbed past noon, cold drinks went down even smoother.

“We’ve gotta add this place to the list.”

“Definitely. Our café list is getting pretty long.”

“Right? Stuff like this is what makes working at a company fun! Just looking at the list you made fills me up even if I don’t eat anything!”

Bu Geunrim praised him enthusiastically, humming a little tune. His red hair bobbed with the rhythm, and Hakyung followed along, singing silently in his head.

He was glad he had a way to show off his polished Excel skills. They were just starting to enjoy the last moments of their pleasant lunch break when his phone started vibrating non-stop in his pocket.

It wasn’t a message—someone was calling. Who would be calling at this hour? He checked the screen and saw his younger sibling’s name.

Kang Hajo

Hakyung tilted his head.

“Hyung, I’m gonna take this call real quick before heading back in.”

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll head in first.”

He waved to Bu Geunrim, who waved back, and then Hakyung tapped the answer button.

“Hey, Hajo. What’s going on? Don’t you have class right now?”

— “H-Hyung…!”

The voice on the other end was trembling. Hakyung’s eyes widened in alarm.

“What’s wrong? Are you crying?”

— “Grandma’s sick…!”

“Grandma? What happened? What’s wrong with her?”

The moment he heard the words, his heart dropped. She’d sounded fine on the phone just two days ago—how bad could it be if his little brother was calling in tears?

His own voice started shaking. Grandma wasn’t just family—she was their foundation, the eternal protector of the Kang dolphin siblings.

And now she was sick… Hakyung’s eyes welled up.

— “She fell working in the field yesterday, and now her knee and ankle are super swollen. She says she can’t even stand up… and she won’t go to the hospital, won’t let us call you either… sob…”

Still just students, the younger siblings must’ve been panicking all day under their grandmother’s stubborn refusal to go to the hospital or tell Hakyung.

How hard must she have fallen? She always acted like she’d die if she missed a single day of fieldwork. And now she couldn’t even stand?

Why wouldn’t she go to the hospital? Why didn’t she tell him?

Hakyung slapped his forehead hard, trying to pull himself together. But his hands and feet were trembling.

“Hajo, keep putting ice on Grandma’s leg, okay? I’m coming down right now. Don’t tell her I’m coming, or she’ll just get mad.”

— “Okay. Can you really come? What about work…?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll be there. Call me if anything else happens, alright?”

— “Mhm… okay…”

“Don’t cry, alright? Dry those tears.”

He soothed his sniffling brother and rushed back to the office. The atmosphere was a bit chaotic as everyone returned from lunch break.

A few co-workers called out to him, asking if he’d had a good lunch, and Hakyung responded vaguely as he strode straight to the CEO’s office. He didn’t even stop to knock.

“Kang Hakyung?”

One of Muheon’s eyebrows lifted at the sudden intrusion. At his call, Hakyung blurted out,

“I—I need to leave early!”

“What? Why? What’s with your face?”

Hakyung looked pale—paler than pale. Alarmed, Muheon rose and gently took his cheek in his hand.

Hakyung was barely holding back tears; his cheek trembled in Muheon’s palm.

“Kang Hakyung. Tell me what’s going on, okay?”

“Boss…”

“I’m right here.”

Muheon’s calm voice cracked the dam. Hakyung’s brows twisted and his eyes shimmered with tears about to fall.

“Grandma… Grandma fell yesterday. She can’t stand up. I think she needs to go to the hospital. My siblings are too young, so I have to go…”

Even though the words spilled out in pieces, Muheon quickly grasped the situation and gently stroked his cheek.

The clumsy yet careful gesture made Hakyung’s brow twist again. It felt like if he didn’t leave right this second, he’d burst into tears.

Muheon pulled him into a hug.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“G-go?”

“Yeah. I’ll go with you.”

This wasn’t a quick trip to the next neighborhood—it would be a four-hour drive, one way.

“It’s too far. I’ll just go quickly and come back.”

“No. I’ll worry too much to let you go alone. And I can’t stand being without you.”

“Wha…?”

Every time his boss suddenly said things like this, Hakyung was always thrown off. His eyes darted around, unsure how to respond. Muheon didn’t wait—he laced their fingers together and headed for the door.

Most employees, by now familiar with their relationship, only glanced over without reacting, quietly seeing them off.

“Geowong, call me if anything comes up.”

“Yes, sir.”

With Geowong’s slow reply behind him, Muheon tightened his grip and led Hakyung to the parking lot.

“Get in.”

“You’re driving yourself, boss?”

“Yeah. Enter the address.”

Seated at the wheel, Muheon pointed at the navigation screen.

“You must be tired…”

“I’m not tired enough for this to matter. Come on.”

Hakyung hesitated but typed in the address to his countryside home. On top of worrying his boyfriend, he felt guilty for making him go through all this.

Seeing Hakyung’s gloomy expression, Muheon reached out and gently rubbed his hat-covered head.

“She’ll be okay. Don’t worry too much.”

“…Thank you.”

Pressing his head into Muheon’s hand, Hakyung mumbled his thanks, his voice heavy with guilt. Normally, when it was just the two of them, he’d talk non-stop, but now he was silent. That silence made Muheon speak even more.

He asked if Hakyung wanted anything from the rest stop, if he wanted to hear a song, if he was tired.

Hakyung just kept shaking his head. The mood in the car grew heavier and heavier.

Eventually, they arrived.

“Grandma!”

Hakyung flew out of the car and shouted loudly.

“What the—Hakyung?!”

“Grandma, Hyung’s here!”

Hearing her eldest grandson’s voice, Grandma lifted her head in surprise. Hajo, who’d been massaging her leg, ran outside.

“Hyung!”

“Hajo, how’s Grandma?”

Kicking off his shoes, Hakyung rushed to her side. Just as Hajo said, her right knee and ankle were badly swollen, and her elbows and palms were scraped up.

He was half-shocked by the injury and half-upset she hadn’t gone to the hospital.

“Why didn’t you go to the hospital?!”

Hakyung yelled. Grandma, unfazed, smacked Hajo’s back.

“You brat! Didn’t I say not to tell your Hyung I was hurt?! Huh?!”

“Ow! But you’re really hurt! Of course he had to know!”

“Oh, listen to this mouthy little—!”

Grandma and the younger brother started bickering. Seeing she still had energy to scold them was oddly comforting.

But the swelling was too much—it was probably a fracture. Hakyung clutched her frail shoulder, overwhelmed.

“Grandma, please. You have to go to the hospital. You can’t stay home like this!”

“I said no! What do I need a hospital for? A little pain relief patch will do. You shouldn’t have left work to come here!”

“Work doesn’t matter right now!”

“Well, what does matter, huh?! What if they fire you?!”

The fight had shifted to Hakyung and Grandma. Poor Hajo stood between them, unsure what to do. Trying to break it up would probably get him scolded.

As he shuffled nervously, a large figure approached behind him.

“I’m the boss, and I have no intention of firing Hakyung over something like this. Ma’am, please let us take you to the hospital.”

It was Muheon—Hakyung’s boss, the man he always gushed about on the phone—finally appearing in person.