Seo Jeongun smiled with his eyes curved. His grayish brown irises, shaped like crescents, glinted with a strange light.
The place Seo Jeongun took Doh Yihyun to was a quiet traditional restaurant tucked away in a secluded area. The table was filled to the point it looked like it might collapse, but among all the dishes, the pot rice packed with abalone suited Doh Yihyun’s taste perfectly.
“Since when did you—”
Seo Jeongun tried to make conversation from time to time during the meal, but Doh Yihyun, whose stamina was completely drained, only half listened and focused on eating. After dragging him all the way out here by force, Seo Jeongun had no right to complain anyway.
The more he clashed with him, the bolder he felt becoming.
“Chew properly.”
Seo Jeongun watched Doh Yihyun eat with satisfaction, smiling faintly.
Doh Yihyun neatly finished even the yakgwa and cinnamon punch served as dessert.
It had been a long time since his stomach didn’t feel bloated, and he felt slightly uplifted.
“Glad you came along, right?”
Seo Jeongun smiled with his eyes as he personally opened the car door.
“No.”
Doh Yihyun cut off his nonsense cleanly and got into the car.
The refreshed mood he had been in sank the moment they checked into the hotel.
“Do I have to share a room with you?”
It seemed Seo Jeongun had only booked one room. Since he thought Doh Yihyun was an Alpha, it might make sense to him, but for Doh Yihyun, it was uncomfortable in many ways. Above all, he didn’t want to be bothered by him even at the accommodation.
Doh Yihyun, unlike his usual indifferent self, made his displeasure obvious, but Seo Jeongun didn’t even blink, simply waving a black card key.
“There are multiple rooms, but if you want, we can share—”
“I don’t.”
Judging by the fact that there was more than one room, it didn’t seem to be a standard hotel room.
Doh Yihyun irritably rubbed the back of his neck. Regardless, he still didn’t want that.
“…Executive.”
Stepping cautiously into the room, Doh Yihyun frowned and turned to look at Seo Jeongun.
The hotel room Seo Jeongun had booked was almost at the level of a penthouse.
“I paid for it myself. Don’t worry.”
Seo Jeongun chuckled and lightly pushed Doh Yihyun forward.
“This is the living room, and that’s the meeting room.”
As if he had been to this hotel many times, Seo Jeongun moved around freely, explaining the layout.
“You can wear these starting tomorrow.”
He pointed to several suits hanging on the right side of the dressing room. There were three in total—black, navy, and gray. Thankfully, they weren’t the flashy colors Seo Jeongun usually wore.
Doh Yihyun took one out with a suspicious expression. Somehow, the size seemed to fit him almost perfectly.
“Which room do you want, Yihyun? Pick first.”
“The one farthest from yours.”
Without a moment of hesitation, Doh Yihyun answered.
“…Alright.”
Seo Jeongun looked at him with mild dissatisfaction for a moment before tilting his head slightly. Then he gave the largest and best room to Doh Yihyun.
“How about this one? Do you like it?”
Doh Yihyun’s bedroom had a large window covering one wall. It was too dark to see clearly, but judging from the dark clouds and the wide shadows stretching out, it seemed to face the sea.
Doh Yihyun stared blankly at the night sea, invisible as it blended into the darkness.
“You worked hard coming all the way to Busan. Get some rest.”
Seo Jeongun watched his back for a moment before closing the door and leaving. It was unexpectedly considerate, considering he had seemed like the type to keep talking and bothering him.
After sitting in the soft chair for a while, Doh Yihyun stepped out to get some water. Looking around for the refrigerator, he suddenly froze when he saw Seo Jeongun drinking wine.
“Yihyun. What are you looking for?”
It seemed Seo Jeongun had already taken a shower. His damp hair curled more than usual, and his flawless skin looked even smoother.
The problem was that he was sitting at the table wearing nothing but a loosely draped bathrobe. The gap in the robe exposed everything from his chest down to his upper abdomen.
Even if he thought Doh Yihyun was an Alpha, it was far too casual a state to be in front of a subordinate. At least his lower body was properly covered.
Doh Yihyun made a sour expression, yet out of habit, his gaze swept over Seo Jeongun’s physique.
He had thought he was well built, but Seo Jeongun’s body was far more muscular than expected. His proportions, the shape of his muscles—it all looked perfectly formed, as if he had been born that way.
For some reason, his silhouette felt oddly familiar. Doh Yihyun frowned without realizing it.
“Why are you staring like that? Want to touch?”
Seo Jeongun smiled suggestively and slightly pulled open his bathrobe. The loose fabric slid down his right arm, fully exposing his defined collarbone and solid shoulder line. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Doh Yihyun, who had frozen for a moment, quickly shook his head. For a second, he had almost mistaken it for seduction.
‘That can’t be it.’
He abruptly turned his gaze away and swallowed dryly. His throat felt parched for no reason.
“You don’t need to worry about me.”
Doh Yihyun walked to the refrigerator, touching his side. He hadn’t been eating properly lately, and exercising was out of the question, so instead of gaining fat, he had lost quite a bit of muscle. It felt like a waste.
“Want a drink? This one’s pretty good.”
Seo Jeongun lifted his wine glass. The deep ruby liquid swirled gently.
Ever since they arrived in Busan, Seo Jeongun seemed unusually relaxed. Like a cat playing with a mouse trapped in a cage.
“No.”
“Then how about we enjoy the night view in the living room?”
Seo Jeongun strode over, placing his hand on the table next to the refrigerator and leaning forward.
Sssrk.
Because he had loosened the front of his robe and hadn’t tied it again, it slipped down further. At this point, Seo Jeongun was practically half naked.
He didn’t seem like the careless type, yet for some reason, he kept showing this unguarded side only in front of him.
‘Does he just think I’m easy?’
Doh Yihyun took out a bottle of water and drank, then drank again. But the thirst wouldn’t go away. If anything, the more he drank, the more his throat burned.
He gripped the water glass tightly.
At the same time, Seo Jeongun’s smile deepened even further.
Doh Yihyun stared straight into his eyes and pressed his lips together. He couldn’t tell whether Seo Jeongun was overflowing with confidence or simply had no sense of shame.
As the distance between them closed, that deep floral scent drifted over again. Even though he should be going to bed soon, it seemed Seo Jeongun had applied fragrance right after showering.
“What fragrance are you wearing?”
The question slipped out impulsively. It had been a long time since Doh Yihyun had asked someone something unrelated to work.
“Fragrance?”
Seo Jeongun narrowed his eyes with an ambiguous expression, as if trying to gauge his intent.