My late father used to say this. The key to victory and defeat, he said, is “who makes the other side want it more.”
“It’s about time.”
Recalling his father’s advice, Yoonshin sat in his office, resting his chin on one hand. Around this time, Seheon should be returning from the executive meeting, so he looked out past the window.
Sure enough, a familiar silhouette was drawing closer.
It was Kang Seheon.
Approaching the executive office hallway with two senior attorneys, Seheon today too maintained his usual immaculate appearance in a three-piece suit. His handsome face, listening to his team members, was rather cold.
The thought that he was his made Yoonshin’s heart flutter. That white dress shirt Seheon wore, and the taupe silk tie with its faint stripe pattern—he had picked out that exact outfit last night, and Seheon had worn it to work exactly as chosen. The fact that no one else would know this made him flutter even more.
Seheon gestured for the seniors to pause their report for a moment, then was seen giving instructions to the secretarial staff. Yoonshin, resting his face in both palms, stared intently at that sight. But Seheon didn’t so much as glance toward his office. That made him even more impatient.
*Maybe I should spread the word about who agonized over picking that tie.* Imagining slipping his own lips and tongue between those articulate lips as Seheon gave commands, he felt a tightness in his lower abdomen.
It had been exactly one month since the last time they had penetrative sex. Of course, there had been sweet kisses in between, but that was it. Afraid things would get out of hand if they went further, Yoonshin had voluntarily given up all intimate physical contact with him from a certain point onward. He had done it under the pretense of considering Seheon’s situation, but from the moment the first week passed until now, it had been nothing but a tedious succession of regrets.
In truth, there had been good reason for him to do so. Seheon had been unusually busy since starting this project. The workload was higher than anything Yoonshin had seen from him in recent years. Coming in at dawn and leaving again at dawn. The corporate team was in a state of emergency, walking on thin ice.
When Dookuk took on advisory work for a certain foreign company’s merger along with several other law firms, Kang Seheon became the overall project leader. But of all things, that country’s government got involved—not quite involved—in the deal, complicating matters. M&A specialists representing several legal entities were on high alert, all looking only to him.
Possessed by the compulsion to be the best at all times and places, he traveled back and forth abroad, working like a madman. That was why Yoonshin had made such a drastic move to avoid becoming a hindrance.
Kang Seheon, devoted to his work, was magnificent. Yoonshin loved him like that.
It’s just…
*I want to have sex with my Senior….*
He wanted to devour him, wanted to hear Seheon’s rough breath pouring into his ear in excitement—it was unbearable. Even so, he hadn’t complained or pestered him, obediently waiting only for today, the final stages of the project. Perhaps finding that admirable, Seheon had offered him a condition as payment for keeping himself in solitary confinement for the past month: he would grant three wishes without a single word of complaint.
There was a time difference with the local site, and he understood the most urgent situation had already concluded early this morning. Minor practical matters were for the subordinates, and it seemed all that remained for Seheon was to organize their position, so he only had to endure a little longer.
Today marked the end of quarantine. From this point, Kang Seheon was his again—not the firm’s, not work’s. Yoonshin intended to use this wish very carefully when the time came. Before that, wanting to make eye contact first, he stared tirelessly and intently outside, but instead of Seheon looking back, Secretary Tak, who had heard instructions and turned away, glanced this way.
Startled, Yoonshin quickly lowered his head and buried his eyes in documents. Despite his efforts, a knock sounded from outside.
Knock, knock.
“I’m not okay at all. Don’t come in.”
But cruelly, the door opened carefully. Secretary Tak poked his head inside. Yoonshin laughed awkwardly and continued, “Secretary Tak, I said I’m not okay…”
“Come on, between us. I know you were waiting for the project results. Now we just need the overseas article to come out. Everyone’s on standby to see it. Real-time news should be up soon, so check it out.”
“Why to me…”
Had he been that obvious?
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know? You’ve been asking the office manager when the project would wrap up since a few days ago.”
“Does Chief Kang know I’m interested in the corporate team’s work?”
As if asking what kind of question was that, Secretary Tak’s expression turned sly.
“There’s nothing he doesn’t know. You want to come back to corporate, don’t you? Attorney Kang is right outside, and he’s in a great mood after a total victory, so appeal to him now.”
He was truly grateful for the helping hand, but in truth, what Yoonshin wanted to pester Kang Seheon about right now wasn’t that. It was something more secretive, personal, and sexual.
Fortunately or unfortunately, because Secretary Tak was meddling, Seheon’s gaze, which had been dismissing the senior attorneys and heading toward his own office, finally turned this way.
Yoonshin moistened his dry lower lip slightly with his tongue, then stood up with pretend reluctance, as if accepting. At that, Seheon rested one arm on the partition and twitched two fingers, beckoning him out.
When he soon stepped outside, Seheon tilted his chin as if asking if he had something to say.
“Speak.”
“Well… congratulations. You won again.”
Seheon, listening quietly, lightly furrowed his brow.
“When exactly is your brain going to activate?”
Choked up, Yoonshin glared at him as if shooting beams from his eyes. Then Seheon twitched one eyebrow as if physically embodying the words *how insolent*. Seeing that, Yoonshin breathed in deeply and responded.
“You clearly taught me never to celebrate prematurely until the results are certain.”
“If you remember that, it must be hanging somewhere in there.”
As he replied, Seheon’s gaze sweeping over Yoonshin’s pale face was particularly sticky today. He was a little different from the usual Seheon, who was especially nitpicky and scornful toward Yoonshin when people were watching inside the firm. It was because he was extremely sensitive right now due to various issues.
The reason included the massive merger he was currently handling, but there was clearly also a thirst for Yoonshin himself, whom he had left alone while immersed in the work. When he came home at dawn, he would often trap Yoonshin in his arms while he slept, unable to contain his desire to hold him. Yoonshin had woken from his light sleep countless times during those moments.
But he couldn’t let on that he had woken because he knew Seheon had barely slept for an hour or two and had to go out again. Now, Yoonshin wanted to properly let Seheon know that he too was so desperate to touch every twitching muscle of his body.
“Are you still very busy?”
“The urgent matters are sorted, but that doesn’t mean I’m free. If this is going to take long, come into my office.”
To him, who was trying to turn away coolly, Yoonshin hastily replied.
“No. Right here, please. Chief, I’ll use my first wish now.”
The secretarial staff, who had been pretending not to listen while hanging on every word of their conversation, flinched. The word “wish” must have sounded quite alien coming from Seheon, if not from Yoonshin.
He knew they would whisper behind their backs about what had happened between them, but he wanted it to be right now. He was impatient. Perhaps Seheon didn’t entirely miss this impatience either, as he looked steadily at him and asked back as if confirming clearly.
“Now?”
“Yes. It’s not a very difficult request.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Glancing at the fascinated gazes of Secretary Tak and the other staff, Yoonshin approached Seheon. Then he replied low, as if it were quite an important matter.
“First, let’s move somewhere else—somewhere quiet, not the office.”
Looking down at Yoonshin with narrowed eyes, he checked his wristwatch. Then, seeming to think he had time, he walked ahead in the opposite direction of the office. Yoonshin, about to follow, whispered to Secretary Tak.
“Just one hour exactly. I’ll be