JD 76

As if things had never been tense, the atmosphere between them was now not just warm—it was downright sizzling. Hakyung clung tightly to Muheon’s arm as they browsed the hotel bakery.

“Wow, this looks delicious. I should buy some for the hyungs!”

“Should we?”

“Yes, yes!”

Hakyung, arms full of freshly baked bread and desserts, skipped along excitedly. No one knew it, but this was their little wedding treat.

He also planned to treat his grandma and younger siblings in the countryside to a nice meal soon—to let them know that Kang Hakyung was now a married man.

Married man—what a beautiful word! Humming a song about being a newlywed in his head, Hakyung’s cheeks had turned rosy pink. Muheon, watching his adorable dolphin husband, wore a soft smile that wouldn’t leave his face.

***

Just as Hakyung expected, the hyungs lit up the moment they received the bread he brought.

“Thanks to our junior, I get to try something like this!”

“Wow! I know this! It’s super popular on social media right now!”

The gathered beastmen munched happily on the bread and chattered away excitedly. Yet, there was one thing none of them asked—how exactly Hakyung had ended up at that bakery.

They’d already guessed, from the bakery’s name, what Muheon and his partner had been up to—but they made an effort not to embarrass them.

As the group shared the bread peacefully, Park Geowung joined in late and blinked his big eyes before offering a word of thanks.

“Thank you, Bachelor Hakyung.”

Hearing that, Hakyung quickly shook his head.

“Uncle Geowong! I’m not a bachelor anymore!”

“Huh?”

“Tada! See this? The boss and I are married now. So from now on, please call me ‘Hakyung the married man’!”

“Huh…?”

Hakyung held out his ring-bearing hand with a bashful smile. Muheon nodded in agreement.

All at once, the beastmen stopped chewing their flour and cream-filled goodies. They’d already heard through Sang-oh that Muheon was about to officially register his marriage—but they hadn’t expected it so soon. Let alone the matching rings!

Everyone’s eyes landed on the fourth fingers of Hakyung and Muheon. The cleanly designed rings sparkled more than ever.

“Oh my goodness, Sir Muheon! Congratulations!”

“Congratulations!”

“To see Sir Muheon’s marriage with my own eyes… sob…”

The beastmen, frozen like statues, now burst into congratulatory cheers. Some were even bawling from the sheer emotion.

Caught off guard by the intense reactions, Hakyung blinked, stunned. Sure, he and the boss wanted to share their news and show off a bit—but he hadn’t expected this level of response…

Once again, he realized how much Muheon was loved and respected among the beastmen of the West Sea.

Seeing the rough-looking hyungs weep like children, Hakyung’s eyes too began to burn.

“I’ll do my best to make sure not a single tear falls from the boss’s eyes!”

Overcome by the moment, Hakyung shouted like he was running for president. Everyone raised their voices to cheer him on. It was a sight to behold—except for Muheon, the only one still sane, who rubbed at his throbbing temple.

***

The day Hajo was supposed to arrive, Muheon stood before Hakyung with an apologetic face. He had hoped to accompany them to the academy, but a sudden urgent matter had come up.

Feeling so guilty, Muheon made it impossible for Hakyung to even pretend to be upset—so he let him go without protest. It would’ve been more reassuring to have the boss by his side during the consultation, but he was an adult. He didn’t want to make Muheon worry more by showing his nerves.

“Don’t worry. I already looked up everything online, so nothing’s hard. I’ll keep in touch often so you won’t worry.”

“Alright. Still, be careful. Be careful with humans and beastmen, okay?”

“Of course! You too, boss—be careful with men, women, beastmen, humans—especially anyone who dares smile at you—wait, no—”

Though no one was flirting with Muheon, just the thought of it filled Hakyung with rage. He nearly cursed out loud without realizing it.

There was no point getting mad at his own thoughts. Muheon found Hakyung’s sudden jealous outburst ridiculous and a little adorable. Smiling slyly, he kissed Hakyung’s cheek. Hakyung returned the gesture with a kiss to Muheon’s hand. In the midst of this farewell scene filled with smooching sounds, poor Gi Sang-oh, who was standing by to assist Muheon, had all his dignity sucked away.

Hakyung, holding his lingering feelings close, hurried outside. The message he’d gotten from Hajo saying he was almost there had only been half true.

How long had he been waiting at the entrance? Less than five minutes later, a familiar car appeared at the edge of his vision.

Hakyung’s lips curved up before he could stop them. For the first time, he would be introducing his family to where he lived.

There were so many places he wanted to show—like the room he now shared with the boss, the kitchen where they had breakfast and dinner together every day, and the pond where the koi had grown as big as his forearm…

He bounced on his toes, waiting for his sister to step out. Finally, the back door opened, and Hajo’s round face popped out.

“Hyung!”

“Hajo!”

The river dolphin siblings grabbed each other’s hands and spun in place, their joy spilling over into a cute little dance. Park Geowong, who had gotten out of the driver’s seat, couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

After hugging his sister tight, Hakyung turned to thank Geowong.

“Thank you, Uncle Geowong.”

“Oh, this is nothing. Bache—no, Hakyung the married man’s brother is my responsibility.”

At his gentle reply, Hakyung smiled. The boss had been right—Uncle Geowong was the most dependable choice.

Watching how Hakyung acted, Hajo bowed politely in thanks as well. Geowong waved it off with a good-natured laugh.

“Still, are you sure I don’t need to take you to the academy?”

“It’s okay! You should get going, Uncle Geowong!”

“Well… I guess so…”

“It’s really okay!”

Geowong finally left after checking the time and realizing he was more delayed than expected. Watching the car slowly exit the alley, Hajo nudged his brother’s side.

“Hyung, that guy really drives safe. I watched the whole ride here—he never once went over 80!”

“Boss said so, and I guess it’s true.”

“Yeah! Even the village chief’s 20-year-old truck goes faster than that!”

Hajo was so impressed by Geowong’s dedication to safe driving, he nodded over and over. He even added that when he got his license, he’d drive safely too.

It was a relief. You’d think he’d complain about the slow pace, but it seemed just right for him.

“There’s still time before the consultation, so I’ll show you where I live.”

“Okay! Sounds great!”

Hajo, carrying a round backpack just like his brother, sparkled with excitement. He’d been dying to see the dorm Hakyung always bragged about on the phone.

The similarly built siblings climbed the stairs hand in hand. Thanks to Hakyung’s frequent cleaning, not a single speck of dust greeted them on the steps.

Only after climbing over five flights did they finally reach the rooftop Hakyung had mentioned. Hajo gasped at the sight of the garden and the tiled house.

“This is amazing! It’s way cooler than the photos you sent! Did you take those with your feet?”

“Hey! They look exactly the same!”

At Hajo’s innocent jab, Hakyung flinched. But Hajo was already too busy running across the wide garden to care. He looked more like a puppy than a dolphin.

Hakyung, who had been just like him a few months ago, shook his head with a sigh.

After running to his heart’s content, Hajo returned panting, looking exactly like a dog after a walk—making Hakyung burst out laughing. Seeing his brother laugh, Hajo laughed too.

Then, a worry crossed Hakyung’s mind—could this sweet, innocent boy really survive among the sharp, city-slicker students of Seoul?

“Show me your room too!”

“Okay, this way.”

“Wow, it looks even bigger and cooler up close! Your boyfriend must be super rich!”

Hajo’s jaw dropped the moment he stepped into the tile-roofed house. Hakyung, standing beside her, felt his shoulders rise with pride—though it wasn’t even really his house.

Then he realized: he still hadn’t told his family that he’d officially married the boss. Flustered, he cleared his throat and poked Hajo’s back.

“Hajo, actually… a few days ago, I filed the marriage papers with the boss.”

“Wha… huh?”

“Your hyung is a married man now.”

Hakyung held up his left hand. Hajo’s eyes filled with shock as they landed on the ring on his finger.