As Seheon flipped the document to the next page, he felt something foreign on his finger. A crocodile-patterned bandage was wrapped around his index finger. As soon as he had arrived at work, Yoonshin had barged into his office and changed the bandage on the spot from last night. Against the white background, the green crocodile glistened with black eyes, its mouth gaping wide at him.
Seheon stared blankly at it, feeling somehow ticklish, and was about to peel it off when a knock sounded from outside.
"Yes, come in."
When he answered softly, the door opened. The person leaning halfway inside was Mihui.
"Attorney Kang, do you have a moment?"
Seheon watched her intently from his seat. The document envelopes she held fairly in each hand were likely the reason for Mihui's visit. And they must have been quite important.
"That depends on how much time you need."
"Just a moment."
When he gestured for her to come in, she closed the door, entered, and sat on the reception sofa.
"I heard you met with the management consulting representative this morning."
"Yeah, today was the only day I had time. But what's this about? Mondays are the busiest."
"Two birds with one stone. I heard from the infirmary that Secretary Tak went to get headache medicine. All of last week, too. When I heard Tak moved, I figured the culprit was you."
Since there was no need to hide it, he nodded lightly. Mihui then put on a rather worried expression.
"You have a stubborn constitution and rarely take medicine. What's wrong? It seems like you've been like this constantly since that company dinner. Did something happen with Attorney Do? The atmosphere was unusual then."
"What could possibly happen with him? Stop meddling and talk business. What are you holding?"
"Ugh, you're killing my mood. Fine. So, there are two documents that came for you. Which one do you want to open first?"
She raised both hands high and shook the envelopes. The envelope in her left hand was very thin. The one on the other side was relatively thicker, but still thin. Seheon jerked his chin toward the left.
"That one."
"A power of attorney came directly from Do Yi-kyung. You just need to sign it."
"Directly? To Chief Song?"
"Yeah, she sent someone directly to my house yesterday evening. I was going to contact you right away, but since it was the weekend and too simple a matter to disturb you, I'm passing it on today."
Only then did Seheon rise from his seat and approach the reception sofa. He sat back leisurely on the armrest and took the document envelope Mihui held out.
There was no discernible expression on his face as he took out the contents and skimmed them. Instead, a locked vocal frequency clashed with the indoor air.
"She wants me to act as her agent when contracting for overseas artwork."
"That's Director Do's job. Artwork management."
"Is she really just purely purchasing? Everyone in the industry knows Suhan uses artwork for tax evasion. That's why I heard they have a dedicated team inside the headquarters for that, right?"
"Who knows. You'd probably have to talk to her directly to know more. There are many things a document can't convey. She asked to arrange a separate meeting for this opportunity. Yi-kyung wants to meet you."
It meant all his suspicions were correct. In that case, entrusting the matter to people who had been handling it for a long time would guarantee both efficiency and safety, so he couldn't understand why she insisted on giving it to Doguk.
"Isn't this a bit strange? Why give this to me?"
"In my opinion, it's a sign to take good care of her younger brother. She aimed precisely at Attorney Kang, and the amount is enormous. Even for me, it was the first time I've seen a retainer of that unit for an individual client. The success fee is separate, too."
Glancing toward the window to confirm Yoonshin's room was empty, Seheon pressed his lips together. Mihui followed his gaze, observing the office across the window as Seheon had done, then soon turned her eyes back to him. He was looking at the document again as if nothing had happened.
Whether he was trying to read the unseen underside based on the letters written on the paper, his forehead wrinkled after concentrating for a while. Seheon crumpled the edge of the envelope and placed the documents down on the table with a thud. Thud. The papers scattered and landed precisely in front of Mihui.
"Not doing it."
"They say the two are very affectionate. Professor Do was so busy that his sister practically raised him since childhood."
"That kid's been an adult for ages, and she's still giving bribes? Is what she's already stuck here not enough? She brought this to pay off a debt to Attorney Song. I'm not cut out for childcare, and if she demands responsibility on top of that, I have no choice but to overturn the table. If it's such a waste, pass it to another partner. Or give it to the fourth-year, to him."
"But Director Do insisted it had to be you?"
"I'm not a dog raised by feeding Suhan's scraps. If it doesn't meet my eyes, I'll send back Do Yoonshin or even Do Yoonshin's grandfather. Send this back."
Wondering if there was any room for persuasion, Mihui gauged his expression by looking into Seheon's eyes and asked probingly,
"Really send it back? Without even hesitation?"
"Hesitation is for people who have time. If she wants to properly show gratitude, ask for a big case instead of this menial task. We recently recruited a tax accountant who used to be the National Tax Service Commissioner, so tax. Or international trade, which the firm has been performing well in lately. Or M&A, which I like, or foreign investment would be fine too. For something like that, I'd consider it since I'd be working and getting paid. Next."
She guessed that saying more would only make things worse and swallowed her disappointment. She had anticipated this reaction from him from the start. He already lacked for nothing when it came to money, and he must have calculated that accepting this favor would saddle him with another burden.
"But you'll probably have to do this one. It's about the construction company you've been interested in since last year."
This time, Mihui whipped the yellowed envelope in her right hand toward Seheon and sat with her legs crossed. While Seheon examined the documents meticulously, she observed him with great interest. He was always solemn when reading text. After some time had passed, only when she judged that he had roughly grasped the contents did she open her mouth again.
"Does that whet your appetite?"
Not denying it, he looked at her.
"It's an acquisition advisory request. Is Youngjin Construction finally putting the company up for sale?"
"Their overseas orders aren't doing well at all, and their domestic division has hit a wall. Rumors have been circulating, so it seems almost confirmed. You were watching it eagerly, and now it's up for grabs. Taesan Construction smelled it and sent a request saying they want to buy it, asking us to design an acquisition. They want to beat the price down as much as possible and make it dirt cheap. Should I have Secretary Tak set up a meeting with Taesan Construction?"
"Let's go through the materials first. The meeting comes after. I'll handle it."
She smiled as if satisfied and gathered the Suhan-related documents Seheon had discarded back into the envelope. Then she half-rose as if to leave.
"Okay. Then I'll relay our intention to accept the commission to Taesan for now. And I'll give more thought to how to handle Director Do's proposal. Good work, I know you're busy."
"Chief Song, wait a moment."
He blocked the path of the awkwardly rising Mihui with his hand. Naturally, Mihui sat back down on the sofa. Sensing that Seheon had something to say, she rested her chin on her hand and stared at him intently.
"What is it, grabbing someone who's about to leave? It doesn't seem like work talk."
"It's about Do Yoonshin."
The moment she heard Yoonshin's name, Mihui snapped her fingers as if she had just remembered.
"Ah, right. I almost forgot. Attorney Do went downstairs for a moment on my orders. A client came to the firm, so I told him to meet them. The conference room, consultation room, and reception room are all occupied, and the VVIP room isn't available, so he's at the first-floor cafe right now. Sorry for treating your associate like that."
"A client? I don't have a new case. I was planning to start using him for my cases gradually."
"Actually, it's my personal request. My mom's friend's youngest son seems to have caused an accident. I couldn't think of anyone but Attorney Do to handle it. It's a drunk driving accident; he hit someone at the scene. He was driving slowly, and the accident wasn't that serious. But of all people, the other party was—"
Seheon, who had been listening seriously, faintly furrowed his brow as if grasping the situation. The fact that there was no better match than Yoonshin meant it was a case that touched upon his specialized area.
"An elderly person, a pregnant woman, a person with a disability, or a child. Which one?"
"A child."
While Seheon calmly rubbed his face with his hands, Mihui added.
"Moreover, he was caught for a hit-and-run. He didn't get far before coming back, but he did flee the scene. I was thinking of making it a pro bono case if Attorney Do agrees to take it."
"You'll need to settle. An apology will be more important than money. That suits him well."
"It's not a complicated case, so he'll be able to work on your matters alongside it just fine."
"Alright, that's that. Anyway, about Do Yoonshin."
Once again glancing toward Yoonshin's empty room, his gaze was inscrutable. As if understanding yet not understanding the sentiment behind Seheon constantly looking toward the empty room, Mihui's expression also became peculiar. Sensing her amusement, he frowned, unable to hide his displeasure.
"By the way, have you heard anything about him getting married?"
"During the pre-employment interview, he said he didn't have a girlfriend. Why?"
"I think his sister arranged a marriage meeting for him recently."
As if hearing this for the first time, she tilted her head.
"I hadn't heard... Is Attorney Do getting married?"
"He went on a blind date."
"It is about time for marriage meetings to come in. The only thing lacking about him was his affiliation, but now that he's joined a decent firm. Wait. Why do you care about that? Did you two actually... that day—"
"That's a misunderstanding. I just need to know about him."
"Hmm..."
"Yeah, I don't know anything about Attorney Do's marriage. However..."
"However?"
"Since marriage came up. Lately, there are rumors of discord in that household. About Mr. and Mrs. Do Yi-kyung."
Most couples in the business world were bound by some form of contract. However, those two were one of the rare cases who married for love, so they were treated as anomalies. The public paid quite a lot of attention to their movements. Perhaps because of that, various groundless rumors had circulated even before the wedding march finished playing. Knowing this all too well, he reacted nonchalantly.
"Haven't there always been discord rumors about that household? It's already been ten years."
She waved her hand.
"This time it's different. It came directly from Attorney Do's brother-in-law—no, from Yu Jeong-won, the CEO of Suhan Holdings. He said he finds his wife difficult to handle."
With something to think about, he slightly furrowed his brow.
"Difficult to handle... He speaks like a victim. Either he's a real victim, or he wants to become one."
"It is rather strange, isn't it? CEO Yu has packaged himself well as a good husband, but you and I both know he's a thug to the bone, thoroughly elitist through and through."
"They have two children between them, right?"
"Two sons. Neither has even started elementary school yet. I don't think things have seriously gone awry. They have children, the kids are young, and especially since Yi-kyung is so capable, she doesn't seem like someone to act rashly. It's just that since Attorney Do is at our firm now, I can't ignore rumors about that household anymore. Keep that in mind."
"I will. Alright. You can go."
Patting Seheon's shoulder lightly as if telling him good work, she left his office. Once the door closed, he, who had been sitting on the armrest, leaned his body fully back into the soft sofa. Sitting motionless like a still life while his thought process ran, sunlight poured down intensely and seeped into the office.
Lowering the blinds on the window facing outside first, he connected the internal line. Secretary Tak's voice was heard immediately.
— Yes, Attorney.
"Chief Song just came by and gave me a power of attorney. It's from Taesan Construction, related to the acquisition of Youngjin Construction, so have the senior team members gather materials. And Attorney Song assigned Do Yoonshin a pro bono case. When he comes back up, he'll have materials from the client, so make a copy and send one up to me too."
— Understood. But is your headache better? You suffered all of last week. If it weren't for Attorney Do, you might have let the headache pass without even realizing it.
The cause that had continuously clouded his head and caused a stabbing pain was Yoonshin. Recalling the deep kiss he had shared with Yoonshin last night, Seheon touched his lower lip with his finger. The moment something even softer overlaid the tender sensation was still vivid. Every time he brushed over it with his fingertip as if it had just happened, the memory revived within his body.
For a moment, he felt blood rush to his heart and furrowed his brow before answering belatedly.
"Much better. Nothing to worry about."
— Then I'll organize the materials and send them to you. Anything else?
"That's all. I'm fine."
After finishing the call, he leaned back comfortably on the sofa. Perhaps because of the information Mihui had given him, the time he had encountered Yoonshin in the second-floor library inevitably came to mind.
Back then, Yoonshin had definitely been holding a book of divorce precedents to his chest. Naturally, the image of him bursting into tears upon meeting his sister, his constantly troubled attitude since that day, and the strange impatience and sense of injustice in his eyes all combined to make Seheon feel as if the puzzle pieces were slowly falling into place.
〈I'm at a dead end right now.〉
Was the relationship between his sister and her husband so strained that he would use such an extreme expression? It was the divorce of a major corporation's second generation, and since they had cultivated an image of a loving couple externally, the social repercussions wouldn't be insignificant. But for outsiders, it was simply a matter of enduring some pain before parting ways.
Thus, it was one of two things. Either Yoonshin was bold on the outside but endlessly weak and naive on the inside, or there was another fatal problem between the couple that wasn't outwardly apparent.
Seheon tilted his head back, looked around the immaculate interior, and slowly closed his eyes.
* * *
Yoonshin, having met the client at the first-floor cafe of the law firm building, carefully went through the evidence materials the man had brought. Though he had come down in a daze because of Mihui's earnest request, he wasn't at all inclined to take the case.
Seheon often compared their work to shopping. Because legal representation was a type of service industry. Thus, it was easy to mistakenly believe that the buyer had absolute authority, but that wasn't actually the case. The sellers could simply decide not to sell. And this type of case the man had requested was one he would never have accepted if it were from outside.
Honestly, Yoonshin felt the urge to storm out of this meeting and go back upstairs. He flipped through the papers and then soon made eye contact with the man in front of him.
"I only received word of this as I was coming down, so I haven't fully grasped the details yet. So, um... first, you hit a child on the road while driving under the influence, and then you fled. Leaving the child hit by your car. You also damaged the scene."
Perhaps sensing the force in his words, the man made excuses in a cowering tone.
"I was so startled. It was dark... but I went back and reported it. I have a transcript of the call."
The man flipped through a few more pages and showed him the back. Yoonshin fixed his gaze on it. The contents of the call with the 119 responder had been documented in writing. It seemed the claim of being surprised was true; his words were so incoherent that the circumstances of the responder repeatedly asking questions were laid bare on the document.
"What about CCTV at the time? Why isn't it on the evidence list? It's usually available these days."
"It was a national highway on the outskirts of Gyeonggi-do. The police said there wasn't any because it's a remote area."
"I see. Do you have any photos taken at the scene? Or videos?"
"There was no time. But there is a dashcam. Here. I came to give you the original. But Attorney Song said it probably won't be entirely favorable to me."
Having received the memory card, Yoonshin placed it in the document envelope for now. Then he scanned through the documents again. He photographed with his phone camera the section containing the witness's name and contact information, as well as the contact information of the injured child's mother.
"This witness saw the fleeing scene?"
"Yes. They also saw me returning to the accident scene."
"You've kept the witness's name and contact information well."
Yoonshin took out the child's photo clipped in the binder and stared blankly at it.
"And the patient has an eight-week recovery period... there's a fracture. The condition isn't good."
"The child is so young. Even a light hit seems to have broken bones easily."
Upon hearing that answer, he looked coldly at the man.
"Did you say that in front of the child's parents too? That the bones broke relatively easily because it's a child?"
"No, that's just the truth."
"Fault clearly lies with you. Though it was a minute amount, you were definitely drinking, and you also took several actions that could be mistaken for a hit-and-run. At this point, you have already lost the client's trust. Traffic accidents are a matter of personal legal interest, so settlement is unconditionally the best option. You should be desperately apologizing... you must not act like this."
This wasn't a civil case, and a criminal settlement agreement couldn't be achieved with money alone. Sincerity was needed. And perhaps if it were himself from about a year ago, he would have been acting as the agent for the injured child and comforting the family. Attorney Song seemed to have reached out to him rather than asking other prominent lawyers or taking the case herself because she knew all of this.
"I have unfair parts too. The drinking was really minimal, and I was driving slowly. Also, I went back and reported it with my own hands and supported the child."
"In front of the injured child's parents, such things aren't heard and aren't seen. Don't feel wronged. A person was injured because of your mistake. The child's future is at a crossroads. Their body has been damaged."
"I'll pay as much settlement money as they want. Within reason. Their family seems to be struggling financially?"
Yoonshin quietly bristled and fell silent, so the man added.
"Tell them I'll give double the amount I thought of. No one hates money."
However, Yoonshin remained silent.
"Attorney?"
As a lawyer affiliated with a law firm, he had already learned from Seheon that he couldn't always accept only pure-white clients. Recalling those low voices, he barely composed himself and answered belatedly.
"Anyway, I'll handle this side. They may want a direct apology. If a situation arises where you must face the victim's family, absolutely do as I say. Let them vent their anger. If they hit you, take it. If they pull your hair, endure it. That will give some room for leniency."
"Do I have to go that far?"
"You drove under the influence and committed a hit-and-run, and you won't even do that much? We'll set the settlement amount generously, accounting for aftereffects, so keep that in mind."
"Ah, alright. Please help me settle this as cleanly as possible. I'm someone who will do great things."
"You already seem to have done something great."
"Pardon?"
"Let's do our best."
Yoonshin, who had fixed his gaze on the man's face for a moment, quietly swallowed a heavy sigh inwardly. Then he took out a document file as if to have him sign the power of attorney and held it out to the man.
* * *
Hugging the materials to his chest like a bundle, Yoonshin stood by the window on the office floor and called someone. Perhaps because it was an unknown number, the other party only let their voice be heard after making him wait for a long while. With a relieved expression, he carefully opened his mouth.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Attorney Do Yoonshin from the law firm Doguk. I'm the representative of the perpetrator in the traffic accident. I contacted you because I was hoping to visit you as soon as possible."
Listening to the other party silently and cautiously, Yoonshin answered as if such a thing were unthinkable.
"Not at all. I'm not suggesting we rush into a settlement. The priority is that your child receives treatment safely. Is he doing a bit better? I'm so worried because a still-growing child has sustained a fracture."
Wedging his phone between his shoulder and ear, he stood in an awkward posture and stretched out one hand. When he barely managed to open the window by touching the frame with a creaking sound, the chilly winter wind rushed in as if it had been waiting.
"Of course. I won't bring any documents with me. Yes, today would be fine for me. Ah... would that time work? Thank you. I'll call you before I leave. Yes, please go inside."
After hanging up politely, he quietly gazed beyond the half-open window. Inhaling the clear air deep into his lungs, he then closed the window with a gesture full of regret and took a step forward.
Walking down the hallway for some time, he soon found himself in front of the secretarial office. Secretary Tak greeted him as if waiting and stood up, holding out his hand.
"Attorney Do, please hand over all the materials here. I'll copy them and return them to you right away."
Yoonshin obediently handed the envelope over to him, hiding his exhaustion as he replied.
"There's a dashcam memory card inside, so please make a video copy too. Please keep the power of attorney in storage. And could you look into the profiles of both the victim child's parents? I'm trying to see if there's anything I can use among school ties, regional ties, or blood ties."
"I will."
"Thank you."
Buzz—the copier started running. Leaning his arm on the partition while listening to the sound, he instinctively looked toward Seheon's room. Its owner was no different than usual.
With impeccable attire and posture, he appeared quite serious, busy concentrating on documents while twirling his pen. That figure was flawlessly convincing. The combination of innate dominant genes that could never be acquired through effort was fascinating.
Resting his chin on one arm, Yoonshin stared fixedly at Seheon, and his long eyelashes suddenly fluttered.
'Are we dating?'
He tilted his head a little further onto his palm and opened his eyes narrowly.
'Not yet?'
They had kissed, but he hadn't heard specific confessions of liking or formal proposals to date. He himself hadn't done so either, still lacking certainty in his own heart. They weren't minors; as two adults with full mental capacity, physical contact was entirely possible even without defining the relationship, so the equation held either way.
'Does he like me?'
He was curious about Seheon's thoughts, but since his own impression was already quite brazen from staring so impolitely, he didn't dare ask and add to it.
'How do I make him ask me out on a date?'
He still wasn't sure if Kang Seheon was someone capable of a passionate romance. Before that, it was unclear whether he even had time for such things. Though they had encountered each other almost daily within the building over the past few months, they had hardly had time to properly get to know each other seriously. They had merely observed each other from their respective positions. The perspective formed in such a way was merely a personal opinion and couldn't be the correct answer.
Still, one thing was certain. Regardless of what kind of person Seheon was, and regardless of his feelings, he was instinctively drawn to Seheon. It was perhaps because they were so opposite.
Yoonshin did not enjoy fighting. He had become a lawyer simply because he liked untying knots. When dealing with someone completely incompatible with whom conversation was impossible, he would rather smile perfunctorily and avoid the situation rather than accumulate conflict. He had never doggedly followed and confronted someone as he did with Seheon.
Looking at it that way, the discomfort he had constantly felt toward Seheon from the very beginning might have been some animalistic instinct that emotions could conduct to unimaginable places.
'Strangely, I find you reliable.'
He felt that Seheon would remain there in his seat with a detached attitude, as always—arrogant, sometimes difficult, yet on the other hand listening to him once in a while, giving hints as he did.
Yoonshin's cheek twitched as he surveyed Seheon's delicate and distinct features. Then his gaze ended on Seheon's red lips, which were quietly biting down as if on something bothersome.
It was his first time kissing another man. Yet far from disliking it or feeling repulsed, it was exhilarating.
The moment he thought this, a flush gradually rose on his smooth cheek.
At that very moment, Secretary Tak turned back toward the partition at some point, perhaps having finished copying, and returned both the materials and a copy to Yoonshin.
"Attorney Do, here you go."
Taking them, Yoonshin leaned forward and whispered.
"Thank you. By the way, did Attorney Kang say anything about assigning me work? I've reviewed all the team cases, and he told me to attend meetings for those he personally directs. He said to wait, but I'm getting anxious."
"He gave the order this morning anyway. This seems to be a new case, not something ongoing. You'll probably be assigned to an acquisition advisory soon."
"Acquisition? Who's selling what?"
"Youngjin Construction. Taesan Construction heard rumors it was for sale and wants to acquire it, so they requested that we draw up the process as naturally as possible. The chief is good at structuring deals. Since it's an M&A for a publicly listed company, many experts are needed, so he's recruiting players from other teams right now."
"Players? Aren't we taking this on our team?"
Secretary Tak shook his head as if that were absurd.
"There are so many specialized fields needed. It's proceeding on such a massive scale that our team couldn't handle it even if we all threw ourselves into it. Especially taxes—acquisition tax, transfer tax, registration tax, all sorts of taxes are involved, so there's a mountain of work. It's much better to pull people from each team."
"So it's a kind of special task force?"
"Yes. That's how M&As are usually done. Sometimes they do it together with other law firms. That's where you'll be assigned, Attorney Do. You're a labor law specialist, right? I'll send the materials by email soon."
Until now, what he had done was mostly individual work, or at most group work requiring a few lawyers, so such large-scale collaboration was unfamiliar. It finally felt like he had become a true member of Doguk. With half anticipation and half worry, he met Secretary Tak's eyes and took the opportunity to ask one more thing.
"I have a feeling you might know. December 31st. Do you know what day that is?"
"December 31st? It's the end of the year. It's not a weekend this year, so no day off."
"There was an X marked on the desk calendar in Chief Kang's room. It's not his birthday. Is it the first trial date or something? Or perhaps his parents' death anniversary?"
"Ah, Chief Kang. As far as I know, it's neither. It's just a holiday."
Yoonshin, unable to readily interpret this, opened his eyes wide.
"He marked a day off that far in advance, just like that?"
"Well, to be honest, I don't know the exact reason. Every year, no matter what happens on that day, he takes it off. I don't know more than that. Maybe he wants to rest thoroughly for that one day after working hard all year? And prepare mentally for the next year."
"There's something Secretary Tak doesn't know?"
"I suppose so. I can't tell you anything more than that. To be honest, he only talks to me about work. Since Chief Song is quite close with him personally, why don't you ask her?"
Then there was no reason for him to linger here any longer. Waving the document copies as if to say thanks for the advice, Yoonshin moved toward his room. But then, feeling somehow reluctant, he immediately turned around. When he knocked on Seheon's door, a muffled voice answered "Yes" from inside.
Opening the door very politely, Yoonshin poked his head inside. Seheon, who had been burying his eyes in documents, finally raised his head when the visitor showed no sign of speaking even after opening the door. Then he leaned his back against the chair backrest until it creaked, adjusting his posture.
"Well? Keep standing there straddling the doorway. It suits your life perfectly."
"Are you saying I'm ambiguous?"
"Why, feeling guilty?"
"Honestly, yes."
While he let out a hollow laugh, Yoonshin strode inside, closed the door, and moved toward Seheon's desk. Hugging the documents to his chest, he stood beside Seheon and stole glances at the documents Seheon was looking at. Seheon crossed his arms, crossed his legs too, and observed this impertinently seated figure intently.
"If you've entered my space, state your business first. Don't steal."
"Who said I was stealing?"
"Don't you like taking things?"
At the suggestive tone, Yoonshin's cheek flushed faintly for a moment. It sounded as if Seheon knew about the time he had secretly entered this room before. Though late, the desire to come clean now and the thought that the atmosphere between them was softer than ever and he didn't want to ruin it—the conflict between the two scattered his honest heart.
"Um, Chief."
He opened his mouth to reveal the truth after much deliberation, but Seheon abruptly cut off the topic.
"What were you going to say? Since you've interrupted my work, it had better be something of corresponding importance."
It was the first time he had met someone to whom such an overbearing tone suited so well. Actually, he had received a similar impression from his brother-in-law long ago. But if his brother-in-law's arrogance was based on delegated power he had held since birth, Seheon's differed in that it was confidence built solely on his own abilities. Neither could be said to be right or wrong, but to Yoonshin's eyes, Seheon's seemed more rational.
Obediently removing his eyes from the documents, Yoonshin now stared fixedly at Seheon. Whether enjoying the gaze or finding it uncomfortable, Seheon responded by staring back just as intensely. They exchanged only glances without words, and Yoonshin didn't know why it felt so embarrassing. In the end, Yoonshin raised the white flag first.
"I'm going to leave work a bit early today to go to the hospital."
As soon as he cut the preamble and got straight to the point, Seheon's brow furrowed slightly.
"Are you the one who's sick, or someone else?"
"If I'm sick, would you be worried?"
"So it's someone else."
His shallow trick completely read, Yoonshin shot him a look.
"Why doesn't my offense work?"
"Because we're in different weight classes."
Since he couldn't deny it, changing the subject was the best option.
"Um, since you never say it first, I'm doing this again this time. Will you meet me for a bit at night? I'll buy you coffee."
"Where do you get off being so impertinent. 'Will you meet me'?"
Chewing over the words to grasp the problem with what he had said, Yoonshin repeated the question with an expression of utter uncertainty.
"Will you... meet with me?"
"Busy."
Answering immediately, he took on an attitude of concentrating on his documents again as if he had nothing more to hear or say.
Flustered, Yoonshin placed the documents he had been hugging on the desk and rested both arms on top of them, chin on his hands, drawing Seheon's attention to himself.
He had said he hated greedy people, yet last night he had kissed Yoonshin ravenously like someone who had been starving for days. Thanks to that, Yoonshin still had the illusion that Seheon's tongue was inside his mouth. A tingly sensation filled the narrow space. The papillae on their tongues collided repeatedly, grinding down the rough surfaces until only a slick texture seemed to remain.
Even after making him like this, Seheon was shamelessly indifferent.
"You know you're number one at stirring up pointless stubbornness, don't you?"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Are you really not going to see me? Aren't we going to do something like a date?"
"Why would I go on a date with you?"
"Wow..."
At the answer even more extreme than he had expected, Yoonshin let out an exclamation as if truly speechless. Of course, Seheon's words had a point. If one were to find a reason for a date, it was true that everything between the two of them wasn't clearly defined.
However, he had felt that late last night, some part of his heart had connected with Seheon's, as if an electric current were flowing. They hadn't had such a deep conversation. It might not have been a grand emotion. Even so, something that had clearly existed couldn't be treated as if it never had.
"Do you dislike talking to me?"
"No. I like it."
"..."
"Do you have some complaint?"
"No."
Like.
Because it was a word he had never guessed or imagined would come from Seheon's mouth, Yoonshin's lips clamped shut tightly. His face also seemed to burn. His thought process hardened like a frozen drain, and he couldn't think at all of what the right response would be. While struggling to hide his bewilderment, Seheon flicked his finger and pointed at the remote on the reception table.
"Fourth-year. Lower those blinds, lock the door, and come here."
Just as he often did against Seheon, Yoonshin tried to resist for a moment, but when he came to his senses, he found himself moving as if bewitched, picking up the remote. Before lowering the blinds, Yoonshin peeked beyond the window in case he looked suspicious. Fortunately, the employees were each absorbed in their work and paying no attention to this side.
Soon he locked the door and finally lowered the blinds. Meanwhile, he sensed movement behind him.
It was Seheon.
Before he knew it, Seheon had approached and embraced Yoonshin's slender body from behind. Then he tilted his face and gently pressed his lips to Yoonshin's long neck. Yoonshin tilted his head back, resting his weight on Seheon's shoulder, and reached both arms back to hold him in return.
Though he had told him to come, Seheon's impatience was evident in how he couldn't endure even the brief interval before their bodies overlapped. Thanks to that, Yoonshin felt smug. Even so, he felt a bit at a loss because he still hadn't heard Seheon's exact thoughts about him.
"I want to see your face."
Just as Yoonshin, having swallowed a ragged breath, tried to turn his head back, Seheon grabbed his nape and fixed it to face forward. Soon after, long fingers probed inside his shirt collar. He felt the places Seheon touched burning up in real time. While flustered Yoonshin barely suppressed his rising excitement, Seheon's low, resonant voice scattered near his ear.
"Who do you think will speak first?"
He didn't specify exactly what situation he meant, but the context made it immediately clear. He was asking who would be the first to express liking, or an even deeper emotion. Even after having kissed, he still seemed to be weighing and calculating. It was so like him. Anxious on Seheon's behalf as well, Yoonshin ended up asking the question he hadn't intended to.
"Um, are we actually dating? I think I need you to make that clear before I can answer."
He slightly furrowed his brow as if wondering why Yoonshin would suddenly ask this.
"Did I not say we should?"
"You didn't."
"Then you do it. I'll count that as having heard it."
"But I haven't done it yet either?"
"That's why I'm saying I'll just count it as heard. I know what you're thinking. You want to date me."
The desire to deny it burned fiercely, but he couldn't because it wasn't untrue. Seheon was right. He wanted to define the relationship. And if possible, he had wanted it to be in the way Seheon had phrased it.
It seemed he had deliberately made the other party speak first. Since Yoonshin had ended up blurting out the proposal to date first, and it was as if Seheon had accepted him, Yoonshin hid his vexation and declared resolutely.
"I'll never like you first even if I die and come back to life, Chief."
"Say that again. Slowly and clearly."
His declaration seemed to have properly struck Seheon's nerves. His sleek features hardened like a roughly carved wooden statue. Checking this from the corner of his vision, Yoonshin hunched his shoulders and opened his mouth, but Seheon pushed his body firmly forward.
"I'll never like you first, Ch—urk!"
Seheon's gloomy voice pierced Yoonshin's ear as he let out a cry.
"You said you'd never sleep with me. You spouted that from your own mouth, remember?"
That had been part of a conversation they had during their first meal together. And back then, he had simply expressed his resolve never to slip up at Doguk in such a manner.
"Of course I remember. But what I said back then—!"
"You seem to have a lot you don't want to do with me, huh? Then are we dating but not liking each other yet?"
To deal with someone like Kang Seheon, who considered every possibility and ultimately neutralized his opponent, Yoonshin knew his own heart needed to be smaller. He also had to learn to cleverly utilize their relationship. If he lost the balance of emotions, from that point on he would be completely caught up in Seheon's pace and suffer torment one by one. Yoonshin didn't want to ruin things in that manner.
"As for saying I like you, Attorney, you'll be the one to say it first."
"I'll return those words exactly. I have a strong competitive drive. I'll definitely make you say it first."
Having declared definitively, Seheon seized Yoonshin's hair without hesitation. Then he gripped and pulled so that Yoonshin could turn his head toward him. Feeling pain, Yoonshin turned his face to the side and took a deep breath.
At the same time, his eyes gleaming darkly, Seheon kissed him.
"Ngh! Mm."
His tongue, waging civil war in the depths of Yoonshin's mouth, entangled messily with Yoonshin's. The tips of their tongues overlapped fiercely, like rough sparks flying.
Hot air seized and enveloped their bodies. As if quietly sinking together, or as if surfacing above the water together, their tightly pressed bodies continuously rubbed against each other while maintaining contact.
Yoonshin gripped his elastic waist even harder. The more he did so, the more strength went into his hand. He moved his body to match Seheon's as much as possible. The kiss deepened gradually.
He had already instinctively sensed well enough that the fastidious and arrogant Kang Seheon would be a difficult opponent both as a superior and as a lover. Thus, he had already gone too far to turn back.
If a sudden sunshower came, he, having no umbrella, would have to stand in the rain.