Early spring, when languid sunlight poured down upon the earth.
The Law Firm Doguk office building rattled along chaotically, like the inside of a broken-down train. Phones ringing, printers churning, and all manner of grating noises erupted from every direction. The one surprising thing was that even amid this pandemonium, the people handling those sounds moved with extreme restraint. They appeared thoroughly accustomed to the current state of affairs, to staying glued to work until late hours.
The two co-representatives who employed them were no less aloof.
Several suited attorneys quietly followed Seheon and Mihui as they returned from a marathon meeting that had lasted for hours. Mihui waved her hand toward the rear as if telling them to disperse, then leaned closer to Seheon’s side and whispered discreetly.
“They mentioned wanting to see you soon anyway. I think they want to introduce you to their daughter.”
Seheon held his tongue until the attorneys behind them politely bid farewell and disappeared. Only when the corridor was left with just the employees working on either side did he finally open his mouth.
He looked utterly dumbfounded.
“Isn’t that family’s daughter still in law school?”
“You remember? That’s right.”
“Another favor? I suppose Representative Song still hasn’t kicked that habit.”
This time, she was the one dumbfounded. The desire to explain was blatant on her face.
“Habit? When was the last time I shoved Lawyer Do into this firm?”
“I told him since I’m not leaving, he should graduate first and join through the proper route. What strings did you pull?”
“Sorry, but this isn’t a hiring favor.”
Hearing this, he came to a complete stop and turned to face her, who had halted beside him. Beneath his biting tone and annoyed gaze lurked a disillusionment he had failed to fully hide.
“If it’s not a favor, it’s an even bigger problem. Is that old man in his right mind?”
“Powerful people pimping out their children for marriage—since when is that news?”
“Why do that business with me. I’m not merchandise.”
“Oh, right. You’re off the market now, aren’t you? I keep forgetting.”
“…….”
Seheon, about to offer some retort, instead bit his lower lip and fixed Mihui with a steady stare. She lightly gestured with her eyes toward the ring sitting on his left ring finger, as if to say I told you so. Her expression was brimming with mischief.
In truth, Seheon hated even hearing these kinds of absurd proposals, so Mihui usually took it upon herself to refuse or mediate them before they ever reached him. He suspected there must be a reason she had bothered to bring it up from the start.
He resumed walking, as if to declare he would engage no further. Mihui followed right behind him, clearly enjoying herself. These sorts of exchanges occurred very occasionally between the two representatives these days. Whenever Seheon pushed Mihui hard on business matters, she would exact petty revenge by bringing up Yunshin’s existence.
Kang Seheon, who always had a response or contingency ready for every other difficult and complicated matter, crumbled every time under that crude attack without ever managing to put up a proper fight.
“Wow, this is fun. Who knew I’d live to see the day I landed a blow on Kang Seheon. I feel so refreshed.”
“I’m the one racking up demerits in your book, senior. Let’s see how far this goes.”
“You look happy these days, that’s why.”
“I’m playing around. You must be thrilled to have something to poke at. That’s enough. Stop following me.”
As if to say this conversation ended here, he strode ahead with heavy steps. Mihui snickered.
Even after becoming representative, Seheon’s office remained exactly where it had been during his partner days. He had already been using the space with the best view and quite a generous area in the firm, so moving elsewhere had never been particularly practical. However, Mihui had wished for an expansion or at least new interior design befitting a representative’s dignity. Seheon had refused. His reason was that the current furniture arrangement was the most stable. As a result, though the title describing him had changed, only two things had changed inside and outside Seheon’s office: the doorplate and nameplate.
Representative / Attorney Kang Seheon
Walking while looking at the doorplate on the door, Seheon noticed the secretarial staff behaving unusually busily. Normally, the moment he appeared from afar, no matter what they were doing, they would snap to attention and greet him respectfully first. Today, however, roughly half of them seemed spaced out. Even Secretary Tak was flustered and fidgeting. Feeling puzzled, Seheon furrowed his brows and approached. Mihui, who had been about to turn the corner toward her own office, seemed to have the same thought and changed direction to match Seheon’s stride again. Soon, the two representatives arrived in front of the secretarial office.
Seheon was the first to speak.
“Is this a marketplace? Chief Secretary Tak, why are you too losing your composure like this?”
Secretary Tak, who had been conflicted while holding a cellphone in one hand and an internal line receiver in the other, spotted Seheon approaching and immediately put both down.
“Representative Kang! Why aren’t you answering your phone! I was just about to come get you.”
“Phone? They said they called you, Attorney Kang?”
Secretary Tak, who had given the puzzled Mihui a silent greeting, gestured toward the front as if to show both representatives something. Right at that moment, Seheon took out his phone, which he’d left on silent. In the instant he was about to check his missed call list, Mihui, standing at an angle to his right, suddenly grabbed his shoulder. She knew full well he disliked sudden physical contact, yet she had done it anyway, so Seheon turned his head questioningly.
“What are you doing, let go.”
“Representative Kang. Good heavens, look at that.”
Her gaze followed the spot Secretary Tak was pointing to. The staff seated in front of Seheon uniformly moved aside, clearing his line of sight. Finally, the moment his eyes took in the large monitor screen directly ahead, his face froze solid as ice.
“Dear god, what crazy bastard,” Mihui muttered, swallowing her breath in shock.
Until then, Seheon hadn’t blinked once, meticulously committing to memory the video and lower-third captions of the news report.
Beneath the footage, believed to be black box video provided by an informant, these words floated:
[Attorney affiliated with Law Firm Doguk]
[Attacked on Gangnam-daero while exiting Seoul Family Court]
The footage showed a large SUV violently rear-ending a black mid-size sedan. Because the incident occurred on the road in front of the family court, several reporters seemed to have witnessed the scene in real time. The reporting journalist concluded the segment by stating that police were currently investigating the exact circumstances of the accident. Seheon, who until then had not extinguished the faint positive ember of *it might not be Do Yunshin,* swallowed dryly. But Secretary Tak, slowly turning to him, shattered that hope to pieces. The man’s voice, uttering words difficult to speak, was especially cautious.
“It’s Lawyer Do’s assigned company vehicle. The police contacted the firm.”
At that moment.
Crack. Veins rose darkly on the back of Seheon’s hand as he gripped his phone with the force to crush it. His complexion grew unspeakably cold. His frozen eyes sank deep into a dark hue. In contrast to Mihui, who was making a fuss beside him, his refined demeanor aroused even more tension. He seemed strangely fearful somewhere, yet because no one had ever seen Seheon sink to this degree, they couldn’t readily guess he was frightened. He was not someone who confused anger with fear.
While everyone stood frozen, only Secretary Tak, intuiting that Seheon was in his most dangerous state ever, moved agilely. He approached his superior’s side closely and whispered quietly.
“You may display anger. Just to the extent that a senior is shocked to see his cherished junior hurt. Everyone knows you two are close.”
*To the extent that a senior is shocked to see his cherished junior hurt.*
Seheon had no way of gauging what degree that was. He had no such thing as a cherished junior. To him, there had been, was, and would only ever be Do Yunshin.
Mihui, who had been watching the situation while feigning anger to the appropriate degree, seemed to decide she needed to step in and handle things. She opened her mouth in a rather agitated voice.
“How is Lawyer Do’s condition? What exactly happened? The reporter said he was clearly conscious before being loaded into the ambulance? What crazy bastard would do that to our kid…!”
Journalists had to write articles based on facts. There had to be a reason why those who had witnessed the scene on-site definitively reported it as an “attack,” despite the victim being an attorney from a large law firm. At the very least, it was no simple accident. While Mihui raised her voice searching for someone to answer, Seheon brushed around his mouth with a trembling hand and kept his words to an extreme minimum. Even though he knew it couldn’t be, he looked down at his phone screen again, wondering if he had checked incorrectly. There were no messages, just as before. Only the traces of Secretary Tak frantically trying to reach him filled the missed call log.
He couldn’t believe he had learned of this incident—of all people, he himself—through the news.
As Seheon remained silent, Mihui finally grabbed him and snapped her fingers sharply in front of his eyes.
“Attorney Kang, Representative Kang! Didn’t you get any contact? You two are close. He didn’t update you?”
As if he had never expected to say such words, he spat them out in a very low voice. He looked as though it pained him immensely to utter a mere two-syllable word.
“None.”
Even Mihui looked quite flustered at this curt reply.
“…Why? Shouldn’t… he have contacted you?”
He desperately wanted to know. Do Yunshin had gone to work, been attacked in his car, and had been clearly conscious during the accident—so what on earth was the reason his lover had been completely unaware of the situation until it came out on the news? Taking a heavy breath, he held out his hand toward Secretary Tak instead of answering Mihui.
“Car keys.”
Secretary Tak, who had been waiting poised for his reaction, quickly slipped out from beside the partition.
“Representative, the police said he was transported directly to Korea University Hospital and taken into surgery. We’ll need to verify the exact details, but they said it wasn’t a life-threatening injury, so please don’t worry too—”
“Car keys!”
The room fell as silent as if water had been dashed upon them, because Seheon had finally raised his voice.
Originally, Seheon tended to scold not by raising his voice but by cornering and pressing upon his opponent’s most painful spot. This inability to find composure was a sight unfamiliar to everyone’s eyes. The secretarial office, which had already been in an uproar over the unexpected accident news, as well as the employees in each team office across the corridor, watched the situation here closely. The quick-witted Secretary Tak quickly took out a smart key from a desk drawer to turn the mood around.
“Representative, it will take at least ten minutes to assign a driver to you. Wouldn’t it be better if I drove you personally?”
After assuming the position of representative, he had sharply reduced commuting by driving himself as he used to. While this was partly a measure to save even a single second wasted on the road, Mihui’s earnest request that he not be seen personally driving in public had been a greater factor. Whether he could take the wheel now. Whether he could arrive safely at Korea University Hospital without crashing into a guardrail. Honestly lacking confidence, Seheon turned on his heel and strode ahead. Watching this, Secretary Tak took a tablet PC handed over by another secretary and chased after him as he moved toward the elevator. Mihui, who had been observing the series of events carefully from the side, hid her worry as much as possible and called out to the two.
“Attorney Kang, Lawyer Do will be fine. I’ll come too once I sort things out here. Secretary Tak, keep me updated on the situation!”
While the remaining people organized their surroundings, Seheon strode across the corridor. Employees on both sides of the corridor spotted him and came out one by one to greet him quietly. He ignored all the signals sent by the lined-up staff and went straight ahead.
Could it be that when you’re too angry, laughter comes out?
Right now, he was exactly like that.
Letting out a hollow laugh, he boarded the executive elevator without hesitation. He heard the sound of Secretary Tak quickly following aboard and pressing the button. He looked straight ahead, indifferent. He had to somehow squeeze out the patience to be able to think and judge rationally. Sensing the elevator descending, Seheon took a deep breath and asked in a grim voice.
“Who can we contact immediately among the people at Korea University Hospital?”
“Both the hospital director and the chairman are possible, but the chairman would be easier to speak with. He specially consulted for us during the last medical foundation property tax lawsuit at our professor’s recommendation.”
“Call him right now. I’ll speak to him personally.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And if it’s an attack, there must be someone behind it. Find out what vermin is responsible faster than the police.”
Secretary Tak, who had been diligently searching for the contact on his phone, momentarily faltered. Glancing at the side profile of Seheon, who was thoroughly riled up, he chose to approach this matter very carefully.
“Um… what do you intend to do? If someone has enough of a grudge against Lawyer Do to do this, they’re at least connected to our firm, and especially if they’re a big-money client, they’ll easily evade police investigation. Physically intervening at this timing is dangerous.”
“That’s why I’m telling you to find out before I track him down and tear him apart. You need to buy me time so I can figure out how to kill that bastard legally in the meantime. I’m on the verge of exploding, so just answer ‘Yes.’”
“…Yes, sir. I’ll find out as quickly as possible.”
Seheon gritted his teeth, as if not even satisfied with this faithful response.
* * *
Ding. The elevator doors opened again, having reached the parking garage at some point. His back as he strode out of the elevator looked incongruously precarious. Secretary Tak, chewing his lips quietly in worry, hurriedly followed after him.
* * *
Seheon, who had been on the phone outside the hospital room, pressed firmly on his stiff neck with straight fingertips. Having spent the entire day in a frenzy, his answering voice was unusually low and subdued.
“Yeah, check and call me back. No. I probably won’t be sleeping. Any time is fine. Yeah.”
Across the corridor, it was already pitch-black dawn outside the window. Letting out a long sigh, he ended the call, gazed briefly at the lonely city nightscape, then soon opened the nearby hospital room door as quietly as possible.
Passing through the anteroom and entering, he immediately saw Yunshin sleeping quietly in the hospital room. He approached the sickbed carefully and seated himself beside the sleeping man.
The events of a few hours ago, when it had felt as though his reason would completely fly away, now felt like a tedious nightmare. That was how lacking in reality it still felt. Looking back on how he’d gotten here, what measures he’d taken for Yunshin upon arrival, and what his state of mind had been, he marveled that he’d somehow endured it all.
He hadn’t taken his temperature, but he felt it clearly. Since hearing the news of the accident, his own body temperature had likely been a few degrees lower than usual. Belatedly, overwhelming fatigue washed over him.
*Sleeping so comfortably. And here I am, going out of my mind.*
Fortunately, Yunshin’s injuries weren’t that severe. He’d had surgery for fractures in his fingers and leg, and while he complained of back pain, he’d been told it wasn’t severe enough to require surgery. It couldn’t be called a minor injury, but it didn’t seem life-threatening, so he breathed a sigh of relief. Since they said Yunshin needed stability for the time being, he’d deliberately moved him to the room with the best view in the VVIP exclusive ward.
It was still unknown whether the perpetrator had intentionally inflicted this degree of injury. If they’d truly wanted to kill him, they wouldn’t have done it from behind in the middle of a busy road where everyone could see. No connection, public or private, had been revealed between the driver who caused the accident and Yunshin. In other words, the possibility that it was someone’s order was high. It was safe to assume someone behind the scenes had sent a warning or threatening message.
Seheon’s eyes, which had been staring blankly at Yunshin as he slept like the dead, momentarily flooded with anxiety. Unable to hide his impatience, he hurriedly lowered his head and placed his ear near Yunshin’s heart. The rising and falling pulse and faint breath transmitted through his senses.
He’s alive.
Not dead… he was definitely alive.
Clenching his fist tightly, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
*Do Yunshin….*
Why had he foolishly assumed this idiot would stay by his side forever? He had never once seriously considered that he might lose Yunshin. They had been living in the present, and Yunshin was more faithful to that present than anyone Seheon knew. He never did anything to make Seheon starve for affection, nor anything to make him doubt the relationship. So earlier, it had truly felt like his whole body was freezing. It had been terrifying. That sensation was a first in his life.
The heavy, boundless trust Do Yunshin had given him had apparently not been something shallow that ended with “I love you.”
Relaxing his rigidly frozen expression, he slowly straightened up. Then he discovered the couple ring Yunshin had removed during surgery sitting neatly on the bedside table next to the headboard.
“You should wear it properly. Who said you could act single?”
Seheon picked up the ring and carefully lifted Yunshin’s left hand, sliding it back onto his ring finger. It still fit perfectly. Unable to restrain some surge of longing in that instant, he bent down and kissed the ring. At this movement, Yunshin awoke and slowly lifted his heavy eyelids.
For a moment, he seemed to gauge what was happening. A quiet silence followed. Reacting to Seheon’s gaze, which simply waited and stared fixedly, Yunshin barely managed to speak.
“…Senior?”
His voice was completely hoarse at the edges. Though Seheon had clearly heard, he gave no response, deep in thought. What’s more, he was expressionless. Unlike his usual clarity in all matters, he seemed unable to decide what expression to make. The one certain thing was that his nerves were on edge.
Yunshin looked up at him while lying down for a moment, then moved his upper body left and right, thinking it would be better to talk face to face. But he couldn’t possibly lift himself on his own. Seheon, who had been watching the patient wriggle his whole body, finally let out a long breath. He soon helped Yunshin, who kept grunting, settle into a comfortable position. Just as he seemed to support him so his back rested stably against the headboard, the warmth of his clean fingertips was quite cold as they quickly pulled away the moment their purpose was achieved.
Once finally able to face the man before him, a troubled voice flowed from Yunshin’s parted lips.
“They said it’s not a major injury. The car was sturdy, so it must have helped protect my body….”
Though it was somewhat subdued compared to usual, the clear tone and gentle cadence were unmistakably Yunshin’s. Seheon chewed over the few syllables Yunshin had uttered for a long while, staring fixedly at the flawless face before his eyes. Meeting those bright eyes steadily, he slowly opened his mouth. For someone who had hesitated, his tone was surprisingly dry.
“I see. I heard from the attending physician too. You must have been very surprised.”
“It was a shock. I don’t usually feel such great malice wishing to harm me… It’s the nature of our work, I suppose. We have to be the villain to someone.”
Yunshin’s expression as he firmly accepted the current situation was not particularly dark. To some extent, he intended to soften the complexion of the man who had been keeping his face hardened before him. But it didn’t seem to have much effect on Seheon. He spoke with the same demeanor as before.
“I looked things over while you were asleep. The swelling at the surgical site is still severe. How is the pain?”
“Maybe because I just woke up. I’m still fine. My head is quite clear too.”
“Traffic accidents commonly have aftereffects. You need to watch for even minor physical changes, so examine your condition closely for the time being, and consult the doctor about anything abnormal with your condition….”
Seheon, who had been speaking calmly, suddenly clamped his mouth shut. He couldn’t even complete the sentence properly.
The last bit of patience consumed in pretending to be composed seemed finally exhausted. He twitched his lips several times, thinking he needed to say something more so Yunshin wouldn’t worry too much. But despite repeated attempts, producing a proper voice was impossible. He could only let out a faint sigh instead of sound. Within that heavy breath, tangled emotions indistinguishable as worry or relief were intertwined.
He had thought he had almost calmed down, but that seemed to have been a delusion. The dread he’d felt upon hearing the news was still strangling his breath—he felt it, belatedly and vividly. The realization that Do Yunshin, sitting there soundly, meeting his eyes, and speaking in his ever-affectionate voice, was real made his breath crumble with relief.
“…Senior? Are you okay?”
To be honest, Seheon was not very okay right now.
He fixed his gaze on Yunshin clearly, conveying a request for him to speak more in his place.
Yunshin, who always paid attention to him, couldn’t fail to catch this message.
“Somehow you seem more surprised than me. I’m here talking to you just fine. I’m okay.”
Unable to respond even to the gentle comfort, Seheon merely gripped his fist tightly. Judging that it would be good to change the mood, Yunshin deliberately asked in a brighter voice.
“What about your sister? I think I saw her before losing consciousness. I needed someone to sign the surgical consent form, so I asked her to come.”
Fortunately, Seheon seemed to recognize that effort. Having caught his breath for quite a long time, he responded in a low voice.
“…She went back earlier because she needs to put your nephews to bed. She said she called someone to watch them for a few days, so she’ll come back in the morning after handing them over.”
“What will you do, Senior?”
“I will….”
“You will?”
“….”
On Yunshin’s face waiting for an answer was clearly written what he wanted right now. Even seeing it plainly with his eyes, Seheon didn’t comply easily.
The questions he’d suppressed while struggling in the abyss of unfamiliar emotions like worry and anxiety burst out sporadically the moment he became certain Yunshin was safe. The voice he finally spat out was the lowest register among all the voices he had let out inside this room.
“Are you even curious where I’ll be tonight?”
Hearing those words, Yunshin bit his slightly moist lower lip. Because he felt the inevitable had arrived. From the moment their eyes met inside this hospital room, he’d noticed Seheon’s attitude was different from usual. They were close enough that Yunshin could easily tell there was much he was curious about but was suppressing out of consideration for him.
Unperturbed, Yunshin extended his uncast left hand toward Seheon. Because Seheon was so close yet unable to lay a single fingertip on him, Yunshin tried to offer his warmth first. That it was okay to touch him. That he wouldn’t disappear. He intended to substitute those words with action.
But the other person’s reaction was somehow strange. He only stared silently, not returning the gesture in any way, and even seemed to be avoiding contact. Yunshin was used to rejections made without genuine ill will. Because they stemmed from unfamiliarity. But he was not used to rejections charged with emotion. Kang Seheon was someone who always returned the affection sent to him with interest. The form wasn’t uniform, but he could always feel Seheon’s affection.
“Senior, you’re really angry that I got hurt.”
“Is that what’s important to you?”
“How could you say that. What could be more important to me than you? Can’t you put everything else aside and hug me for a bit? I missed you.”
Hoo. Taking a deep breath, Seheon lost his words thanks to Yunshin, who honestly threw his heart at him even in such a moment. He unfolded his stubbornly crossed arms and wiped his face tiredly. Letting out another short, sigh-like breath, he pulled his large hands down from his face and faced Yunshin with a sensitive gaze.
“Am I important to you?”
“You call that a question? Of course.”
“Then what about you. What do you think you are to me?”
“Of course there’s nothing more important to you than me. Wow, making me say this out loud. Even to Kang Seheon.”
He’d tried to melt the frozen air with a joke, but it failed. Because Seheon had cruelly cut it off like a blade.
“Is that so? You run your mouth, but it doesn’t seem like your head actually thinks that way.”
“What on earth are you saying. Why would you say that all of a sudden….”
"Right after the accident, you contacted Director Do Igyeong, not me. Saying you needed surgery and asking him to come as your guardian. The hospital contacted Do Igyeong, and the police contacted the firm’s secretarial office. Meanwhile? I heard the news about you from the news. Do you understand this situation? I simply cannot accept it. Can you make me understand?"
Was this resentment? No, rather than that, it was a less uncomfortable raising of a question. Or perhaps a complaint. It must have been an expression of intent even stronger than that. Whatever it was, the reply in that heavy voice, which seemed to sink endlessly downward, was laden with clear displeasure.
Having heard that far, Yunshin, who had good intuition, could not help but understand why the situation was unfolding this way.
Ever since becoming co-CEO of Doguk, Kang Seheon’s schedule had made one wonder, "Is it physically possible to get busier than this?" Yet he had managed it with ease. From the position of someone who could only watch from the sidelines without being able to do much, the best he could do was be considerate so as not to become a burden. That he had excluded him from his life was absolutely, truly, by no means the case. The misunderstanding had to be cleared up.
Yunshin, who had something to say in his defense, immediately tried to persuade him.
"Senior, you had an important meeting today."
"...Meeting?"
"Yes. I checked your schedule before going out on business. I was wondering if we could have dinner together today."
"If you wanted to eat dinner together, you should have asked me, not my schedule."
"Well, it looked like it wouldn’t work..."
"So why did you judge that on your own and give up prematurely? What does my schedule matter? If you want to eat with me, you should insist on it. If I say I’m busy, you should have pressed me, asking if I can’t even do that much. Who’s going to seek out the rights you’re giving up? I’m yours. Did you forget?"
Perhaps.
In the moment of checking the CEO office schedule and giving up on dinner with Seheon, he seemed to have momentarily forgotten that fact. He had judged that he must not become even the smallest obstacle in Seheon’s path.
When he could not answer at all, Seheon added.
"To sum it up. Because I was in an important meeting, you didn’t even tell me that you were ambushed in the middle of the road. Because I was working, you didn’t want to disturb me."
Yunshin obediently nodded his head. Seheon, who had been watching that quietly, was dumbfounded.
It seemed that the reasonable excuse he had given only made Seheon angrier. How should he put it? As if he had heard an answer at the exact opposite pole of the one he wanted, his face, which had been rigid the whole time, briefly furrowed.
"Ah, disturbance. Right, I shouldn’t do things like disturb you. If you died while I was on a business trip, I should find out after the funeral too. Hearing news that you died while I’m working would disturb my work, wouldn’t it? Isn’t that right?"
"What do you expect me to do, telling a busy person every little thing? How could I bother you with something trivial? You’ve become someone who has too much to take responsibility for to whine about small things."
Having listened silently, Seheon gritted his teeth for a moment and raised his voice for the first time since entering the room.
It was a very, very, very irritable tone.
"Trivial...!"
Having shouted, he instead showed a troubled expression and sprang up from his seat. Unable to grasp what more he should say, he walked around the perimeter of the bed, then seemed to judge that being close to each other wouldn’t help much, and sat on the window frame where moonlight was seeping in.
To make matters worse, the fear from the moment the car had hit him still remained in his memory, making things difficult. With both body and heart injured, and now even Seheon, whom he had wanted to be comforted by most, pushing him, Yunshin too gradually began to feel hurt. So he deliberately bit his lower lip as if to show him. Even though he expressed so blatantly that he wanted to be comforted, Seheon did not approach him. The will to still keep his distance was clearly conveyed.
Eventually, the deflated Yunshin gripped the thin blanket with his hand. When he glanced down, the ring on his left ring finger was properly back in place, perhaps having been put back on by Seheon, and he choked up inwardly. Seeing this, he thought he could well understand why that man was so angry now, and it saddened him. When he quietly raised his head and stole a glance at him by the window, it was immediately revealed that the man with the pale complexion was watching him.
"What did you do so well to be pouting right now?"
"Even if you just say you love me, I’m smart enough to understand how worried you were."
"Surely you’re not showing off your intelligence in front of me? It’s something you couldn’t do if you had intelligence."
"...Should I apologize? Beg for forgiveness saying I was wrong?"
"Just you dare do that."
"Then come here? As you can see, I can’t go."
Tap, tap. When he lightly tapped the bed with one free hand, Seheon, gripping the window frame where he sat with his arms stretched to both sides of his thighs, slowly raised his body. He narrowed the distance he had created and approached the bed. Reaching close proximity quickly, he sat at the bedside. Then, with one hand, he took Yunshin’s soft cheek and fixed the position of his head so that he would look straight at him.
Yunshin’s trembling pupils willingly faced him. Seheon could have comforted his sulking lover to his heart’s content right away, but he deliberately did not. He wanted to make sure this part was clearly addressed before they moved on. He called Yunshin in a much calmer voice.
"Do Yunshin."
"Yes, Senior."
"It seems you still don’t know well, so I’ll teach you. You are not trivial."
"..."
"Nothing about you is trivial to me. So..."
He could not bear to finish his words. How many worries were hidden within those trailing words, Yunshin could not easily gauge. When his stubborn expressionless mask crumbled, his true expression was revealed. His gaze, imbued with clear conviction in his own emotions, showed no sign of wavering whatsoever. Naturally, this confession lodged precisely into Yunshin’s heart and was gently buried in the deepest, coziest place.
As always, Yunshin noticed the important message hidden beneath Seheon’s words. That nothing else was more important than him, that even very small things were precious, that therefore this kind of consideration was not truly for his own sake. He realized his clumsily approaching silent voice all too simply.
The reason he was shaken was that Yunshin had treated his own existence lightly in Kang Seheon’s life.
Yunshin, who had grown too fond of this man, tilted his head further toward his palm. As more surface area of his skin touched him, great stability washed over him.
"Were you that upset? That you couldn’t be with me when I was scared?"
Seheon did not answer this question. But Yunshin knew well that he sometimes spoke through silence. He must have worried about all manner of things while Yunshin was asleep. He, who kept learning things that were frightening, unfamiliar, and anxious, had worried a great deal about him. He wanted to keep them hidden if possible, but the fact that Seheon was learning of these things through him stirred complicated feelings.
With an expression that said he could see right through what Yunshin was thinking at this moment, he gently continued the words he had failed to finish just moments ago.
"I’ll handle my own work somehow. You can be as selfish as you want. I’ll let myself be swayed as much as you like. When you’re hurt or sad, don’t make me leave you alone. This isn’t a warning."
"Then is it a threat?"
"I’m asking you."
"..."
"So I really wish you’d keep that promise. In my current state of mind, I feel like I could kneel before you and beg."
Words like order or command suited him far better than request. Even Yunshin, who had been dating him for several years, had never seen Seheon ask someone for a favor. Because since becoming an adult, he had always lived in a position where he had no need to do such things. Even what he had done to Representative Song regarding matters with his sister had strictly speaking been a kind of transaction, so this might perhaps be the first time he had come out in such a manner. Not knowing at all how to react, Yunshin became incoherent.
"I will. Let’s do everything you want, and if anything happens to me, I’ll tell you first, and I’ll definitely keep it all... but do you have to ask? Can’t you not ask?"
Having asked it lightly, it felt insufficient. Yunshin quickly removed the hand placed on his cheek. Then, as if making a firm promise, he placed Seheon’s left hand on the bed and put his own on top. Their fingers naturally overlapped. The differently shaped rings located in the same position rubbed against each other with a small friction sound. At that moment, seeing Seheon make a comfortable expression as if answering that he understood, Yunshin’s heart melted softly. As if it were a time for them to comfort each other, these words came out naturally.
"Hold me now."
Brushing back the soft hair and kissing both eyelids evenly, he carefully embraced the lover in a patient gown who could not throw himself into his arms because of his injured waist. Afraid he would fly away if let go, break if held too tightly, he couldn’t hug him tightly and only gently pulled the back of his head to rest against his chest.
Seheon lightly kissed the stray hairs that had scattered from the movement, then turned his head as if that wasn’t enough, kissing all over his temple, cheek, above his eyebrow, and so on. Then, thanks to Yunshin suddenly lifting his head, their two moist lips collided squarely.
But it was still not enough. Eventually, Yunshin pushed the tip of his tongue into Seheon’s mouth as if wanting to taste beyond his lips. Seheon sucked the tongue that had entered for a moment, then turned his chin slightly to push it away and shook his head sternly.
"No. Stop. Don’t seduce me."
"Why?"
"Because you can’t have sex for the time being."
"I think it would be fine... if we’re just careful about the position. And if you just don’t insert roughly..."
"You know well the reason why you can’t."
"..."
"Even if you’re Do Yunshin, it’s natural to be shocked after nearly dying. For now, sleep more tonight."
It felt like he was saying let’s talk about the rest slowly; his consideration was felt. But "for the time being." He didn’t know exactly how long that was. Yunshin inwardly vowed to recover completely as soon as even a day earlier, and acted spoiled by rubbing the places where Seheon had touched him.
"I woke up because of you. So put me back to sleep."
"I will. Hand."
"...What am I, a child?"
"A child, of course. You’re so young and pale. Hand."
Perhaps Yunshin didn’t entirely dislike being treated like a child, as he clumsily raised one free hand into the air. Seheon pulled it as if to wrap it around his own neck, but instead helped Yunshin lie down comfortably. He laid Yunshin’s body, which could not move freely, gently on the large bed and pulled out a chair to sit beside him. Since the injured areas were his legs and waist, Yunshin could only lie straight, so he turned his head toward where Seheon was, then glanced sideways, tried to figure out the easiest way to gaze at him a few times, and soon grumbled.
"Somehow I feel like I’m being tortured."
Seheon burst into a short laugh and reached out to push Yunshin’s bangs in the direction of his hair. When he pressed his lips long enough to make a smack on the pale forehead that was soon revealed, the sight of his face gradually flushing was so immediate and cute. His upper body, which had inevitably leaned down slightly, tilted further down as Yunshin gently pulled his necktie.
The atmosphere grew sweetly heated. Without either going first, they naturally locked lips. Instead of inserting their tongues in a vulgar way, they sucked on the outer lips as if calmly savoring the soft skin, and exhaled slow breaths onto each other’s wet surfaces.
Suppressing the urge to dig deeper inside Yunshin, he slowly separated their skin. Yunshin, growing frustrated, pouted his lips as if begging. Since Seheon, having straightened his posture, was looking down at him with a firm gaze that said it wouldn’t do, Yunshin changed the subject in disappointment.
"When you heard I was injured, you didn’t get incredibly agitated, or take out your anger on someone else, or panic, did you?"
Suddenly, all the chaotic moments from earlier flashed through Seheon’s mind. He had been very agitated, taken out his anger on the innocent Secretary Tak, and secretly panicked for a moment; recalling these fragments of memory, he was dumbfounded that Do Yunshin had described exactly everything he had done. However, he made an expression that seemed to have much to say for an instant, but quickly erased such signs from his countenance. A nonchalant answer was added on top.
"I handled it very composedly. Extremely calmly."
"...What, really? That’s too much."
"Why? Are you disappointed?"
"Honestly I am disappointed, but I’m not in a position to show it today. I’m going to sulk in a few days."
He snickered and began to pat Yunshin’s chest with a languid hand.
"Sleep for real now. I want to see you sleeping well."
"How long will you stay here?"
"As long as I can."
The night sky visible outside the window was unusually ashen. Seheon pressed his body closer so Yunshin’s gaze wouldn’t reach there, and placed his hand over Yunshin’s eyelids to help him lower them.
The conversation did not continue further. Yunshin, desperately wanting to do what this man wished, obediently hid his eyes away into the darkness.
Slowly, comfortable and languid breathing filled every corner of the hospital room. The silence hovering between the two was as peaceful as the air they breathed in and out every day.
Though not frequent, Seheon enjoyed observing Yunshin’s sleeping figure whenever he had the chance. But he suddenly recalled that he had hardly had such chances recently. How long had it been since he watched this sight so leisurely? During that blank time, Do Yunshin must have had many thoughts watching himself grow busier without limit. That must have led to today’s events. So if one were to strictly assign responsibility, Yunshin had simply been considerate, and the bad one was himself.
He kissed the tip of the pert nose affectionately and refrained from action so his lover could fall into deeper sleep.
Moonlight seeping through the window softly illuminated the two.
Then, a long message arrived on his phone.
[Found the perpetrator]
Seheon read the sentences from the subject line to the content with sharp eyes and bit his lip tightly. Soon he flipped the screen over, placed it on the bedside table, and quietly watched Yunshin’s sleeping figure again.
* * *
The sun was still hiding its true form behind the veil.
Seheon checked the time on his wristwatch and raised his body.
'Five minutes to five...'
Because he had rushed to the hospital immediately after yesterday’s meeting and stayed all night, there were quite a few tasks he hadn’t been able to finish. He had handled important matters through Secretary Tak, but there were also items for which he had put off approval.
Putting off today’s work until tomorrow? Even having done it himself, he couldn’t believe it. Whatever the case, he would have to go to work earlier than usual to resolve it. Considering the time to stop by his residence to wash and go out, this was the maximum. Do Igyeong had said he would come after six, so he couldn’t stay any longer.
As he turned to leave, he paused for a moment. Conflicted about whether to kiss Yunshin, who was sleeping deeply like a child, but cautious that he might wake if touched, he couldn’t bring himself to do it and resignedly slipped out of the room quietly.
Creak.
Having exited while keeping the sound to a minimum, he tidied his disheveled attire and walked with heavy steps. Because it was the ambiguous hour of dawn, not even an ant was visible in the hallway. As he walked toward the elevator, as if by some trick of fate, someone had arrived on the very elevator he had been about to take.
With the arrival chime, the double doors opened, and the figure trying to exit faced Seheon. He, who was about to board the elevator, couldn’t help but stop when he saw the woman in front.
I Gyeong, the visitor at dawn, was the first to acknowledge him.
"Oh, CEO Kang, you’re still... here?"
Her surprised expression also contained bewilderment. It was only natural. For someone so fatally busy to kill time in a junior’s hospital room from evening until the dawn of the next day was truly nonsensical.
Even yesterday when they had run into each other at the hospital, she had shown signs of thinking it excessive attention when the CEO personally came regarding a single senior employee’s injury, called in both the hospital director and the chairman to check the patient’s condition, and took care of everything from the hospital room to the attending physician. He had hoped that she, who knew well how their relationship had grown deep and tenacious through various storms, would think of it as consideration for a close senior and let it go.
But running into him here at this time was certainly suspicious.
Seheon read the signs of I Gyeong’s suspicion clearly but responded calmly.
"Didn’t you say you’d come after six?"
Seeing him show no signs of fluster despite the unexpected meeting, she too was puzzled.
"Yes, but the person who was going to watch the kids arrived early. I had some free time... How is Yunshin?"
"He fell back asleep not long ago. If he wakes now he won’t be able to sleep again, so please don’t make noise."
"Ah, yes. Understood. But have you been here until this time?"
"Isn’t that why we’re running into each other right now?"
"Of course that’s true, but..."
"Do you have business with me?"
"...No. Not particularly."
"Good. I have things to do. Then."
Seheon bowed his head slightly in silent greeting and passed I Gyeong. Though his actions had the pretext of asking her opinion, they were merely a formality; ultimately, the attitude he showed was a refusal to converse. Because he had been too adept, she who had exchanged greetings in a daze quickly ran through their conversation in her head. Even after thinking hard, an answer didn’t readily come to her. Seheon’s presence remaining here until this time was strange, but even more absurd was his confident advice that seemed to know well that Yunshin was not a heavy sleeper.
Unable to let him go like this, I Gyeong hurriedly pressed the elevator button that was about to close and stopped Seheon with words.
"Excuse me, CEO Kang?"
He, who had been adjusting his sleeves, slightly raised his gaze.
"What is it?"
She had a great deal to say. It felt as if words were packed full in her mouth. It would be more accurate to say she had many things she was curious about. Mostly, no, entirely about Yunshin.
But having stopped him who was leaving, she simply couldn’t open her mouth. I Gyeong, who had forcibly stuffed several questions that made her head want to burst back into their box, put into her mouth only the one thing that Seheon could answer immediately and that she too could hear the answer to.
"I heard the police took the accident perpetrator, and that there might be a separate mastermind. That it doesn’t seem like something the driver did simply out of spite toward Yunshin. That he doesn’t even seem to know who it is."
"Well. The police are investigating, so something should come out."
"The firm work... it isn’t dangerous, right? After going through this incident, I’m worried. It’s a situation on a different level from the novelist terror incident last time, so I’m being a worrywart... Someone ramming with a car is something that only happens in movies. If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know."
His countenance, which had been listening indifferently, momentarily took on a complicated cast. He wanted to give some response meaning, "Don’t think of taking Do Yunshin away from me using danger as an excuse." He also wanted to give a warning that all the efforts to make up for today’s incident would be his. The urge to deliver a warning condensed to "Do Yunshin is mine, so I’d like you to stop prying" surged strongly. But cautious as he was, instead of spitting out what came to mind raw, he responded calmly.
"Though rare, there are occasionally cases where personal safety is at risk, so I can’t say for certain. That’s why we operate a security team. If necessary, we tend to utilize such terrorist acts in public opinion warfare as well."
"CEO, Yunshin is an employee who respects you greatly. For you to speak so coldly..."
"The one who forced Do Yunshin into Doguk was Director Do, wasn’t it?"
At those words implying her responsibility as well, I Gyeong couldn’t refute. Because it was the truth. As Seheon showed an uncooperative attitude, finding it difficult to detain him for long, she responded with a kind smile and self-reflection.
"Blaming others is the easiest thing in the world. I’m embarrassed."
"Do you have anything else to say?"
"Take care. I’ll see you again. Thank you so much for yesterday and today."
He responded with a look and pressed the close button. She on the opposite side watched the elevator doors close while bowing politely. When the double doors had completely closed again, she fell into thought looking at her reflection in the glass.
She had received a consolation call from Representative Song Mihui, and heard grateful offers to make various special arrangements for Yunshin on her behalf. The head and deputy head of the household team had also come to find her directly to express their regrets and stayed for a while. Secretary Tak had also come and gone until late at night, working hard. But why did Kang Seheon’s consideration alone remain so uncomfortably in her mind, refusing to fade?
Because it was none other than "Kang Seheon," all the suspicions she had kept buried despite the circumstances were, ironically, all explained precisely because it was "Kang Seheon."
Like a thorn pricking her throat, the afterimage of the splendid silhouette the man left behind tormented her.
But today as well, I Gyeong buried her intense curiosity and the desire to dig it up deep in her heart.
"No. Let’s not suspect. Close seniors and juniors can be like that."
This was Pandora’s box.
The one she had suppressed for years, along with all the uncomfortable and unpleasant imaginings, ultimately never opening.