“Tell him the bruise happened when I was opening the door from inside while hyung was trying to enter the room, and I accidentally hit him with the door corner.”
That sounds quite plausible. Especially considering the location of the injury. Actually, people familiar with martial arts would know it’s not a bruise from hitting a right angle like a door, but most people would just accept it.
“You definitely have the qualities of a con artist.”
“I said I’d support you.”
His mouth said “support,” but his face clearly said “10%.”
Faced with Junghyun’s outrageous tactics, Jaehyuk shook his head in disgust and stood up.
Then he addressed Junghyun, who was standing in the direction of the bathroom.
“Move.”
Time was running tight.
He’d planned his schedule carefully, but this unexpected accident had caused too much delay.
As Jaehyuk put down the ice pack and moved toward the shower, needing to hurry to make it to work on time, Junghyun stepped aside saying “be my guest.”
Although that irritating attitude made him furious, Jaehyuk had no time to get angry and headed straight for the bathroom.
Then, something suddenly occurred to him and he stopped.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll wake up and go running with me. If you can’t hear the alarm, you need to make waking up a habit. Wake up at 6 AM. The scariest thing is habit. If the routine of waking up at 6 and exercising becomes ingrained in your body for about a year, your eyes will automatically open after that.”
“That’s somewhat logical, but I attended school for 12 years, you know?”
Junghyun immediately countered that if he couldn’t wake up in the morning after going through the entire regular education system for 12 years—and not through a high school equivalency exam—then it probably wasn’t a habit problem.
But Jaehyuk had a counter-argument ready.
“Then it wasn’t properly habituated. You probably woke up whenever you wanted.”
And Jaehyuk was certain he had attended school as he pleased as well.
He’d never seen or heard it, but he was sure that’s how it was.
After all, Junghyun was the type who lived exactly as he pleased, beyond being free-spirited.
“…Well, that’s somewhat true…”
“From now on, you have no weekends or holidays. You must get into the habit of living by a routine. At 6 AM, it’s not your body but your mind that needs to wake up.”
“Whatever you want.”
Seeing the bruise on Jaehyuk’s face, Junghyun raised both hands in surrender, as if saying “do whatever you want until you feel better.”
It was clearly a gesture of understanding, but strangely feeling like he’d been played, Jaehyuk tilted his head. As soon as Jaehyuk disappeared into the bathroom, Junghyun picked up the ice pack from the side table, tossed it up and caught it, deep in thought.
Since Jaehyuk had made such a fuss and brought an ice pack, people outside must have some idea of what happened in the bedroom.
So it would be best to voluntarily disclose information, but the question was how much to tell.
The external excuse was just an excuse, and from their brief meeting yesterday, Director Jang was not someone who would fall for clumsy lies.
Older people often have an insight that comes from experience, and she seemed particularly exceptional in this regard.
She was the type who could see right through people.
That’s probably why she worked at Hanju all her life, but it made dealing with her a bit uncomfortable.
Trying to lie poorly to someone like her would be stupid. A direct approach would be better.
Since she seemed friendly toward him, he trusted she would handle things appropriately, and left the bedroom.
Strangely, a song started flowing from his lips.
Somehow, it felt like the beginning of a good day.
* * *
“They say you should live a long life to see interesting things, and indeed, living long has shown me many fascinating sights.”
Sujin expressed her genuine amazement at seeing Jaehyuk’s increasingly darkening bruise at the breakfast table, and Jaehyuk looked at her reproachfully.
“Director…”
“I just find it remarkable how true old sayings are. Even when everyone was worried about you learning boxing, you never came home after being hit outside.”
Her gaze turned to Junghyun, implying that such a person had been hit by his partner on just the second day of marriage. Junghyun, who was spreading jam on toast, smiled.
This time, quite openly.
“I’m pretty good at sports.”
“No matter how much our director might have let his guard down, he’s not someone who would easily get hit anywhere.”
“I’m good at martial arts. I didn’t bother getting formal certification, but I’m at instructor level in special warfare techniques. I’ve done judo and quite a bit of boxing too. I don’t know about other things, but I apparently have talent in that area. I even received suggestions about making a professional debut, but I couldn’t because I don’t follow rules.”
For a moment, a look that seemed to say “is that something to brag about?” shot from Jaehyuk. But Junghyun didn’t mind that look.
A bruised face and that kind of stare wasn’t intimidating at all.
“It’s rare for an Omega to exercise like that, which is quite unusual.”
“My uncle has always made me exercise a lot since I was young, saying that an Omega should at least be able to protect themselves. It’s also because my uncle has a weak constitution. By uncle, I mean Director Han Juwon of Hanju, my father’s partner.”
“You seem to have a good relationship with Director Han Juwon?”
“He’s my only family member not related by blood, but we get along the best. He’s also someone who has taken good care of me since I was young. He’s a kind and good person.”
“He certainly seems that way.”
After pouring freshly brewed coffee and making small talk with Junghyun, Sujin turned back to Jaehyuk.
“I’ll report today’s incident directly to the Honorary Chairman. Since you’ll be receiving a report at the company as soon as you arrive, it would be better if I report it first.”
“Please do. Grandfather will be reassured if you explain it to him.”
“Then, let me know if you need anything else.”
As she quietly withdrew from the dining room with her final greeting, Junghyun watched her leave, then turned his gaze back to Jaehyuk.
“The bruise is getting worse. What are you going to do? Should I buy you some makeup that matches your skin tone?”
Junghyun mentioned that convenience stores now sell things like foundation, which earned him a “shut up” look from Jaehyuk.
“Alright, I’ll stop. It would be more embarrassing if it gets rubbed off anyway. Strange rumors might spread that the director wears makeup.”
“Eat.”
After Jaehyuk’s one-word command to stop talking and eat, Junghyun closed his mouth.
Still with a smile on his face.
And so, with a bit of commotion, the second day of newlywed life began.
Chapter 6
From birth until now, Jaehyuk’s life had been a continuous series of attention.
Both physically and existentially, his position inevitably demanded it.
Admiration, jealousy, envy, or curiosity, and pure liking—all these complex emotions were contained in the gazes directed at him, and he was familiar with all of them.
Whether malicious or benevolent, whether liking or jealousy, looking at him wherever he went was like an instinct for people, and their gazes were like air to him.
But he could confidently say that he had never received such fervent looks filled with questions and curiosity as today.
Especially from the guy standing in front of him now.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
Jaehyuk immediately scolded Junyoung, who had come to his office saying he’d bring some documents, with his lively gaze.
Telling him to stop that unpleasant look.
But Junyoung wasn’t one to back down so easily.
“What happened? Wow, amazing. Is there someone brave enough to hit you? No, you actually got hit? You, who can dodge a baseball flying from behind?”
Knowing Jaehyuk well—who not only exercised a lot but also had excellent innate vision and athletic abilities that would rarely if ever lead to accidental injuries—Junyoung was genuinely amazed, wondering what kind of monster had hit him.
Junyoung was extremely excited about the appearance of an excellent drinking story material that could easily be used for a year.
Under Junyoung’s sparkling gaze, which was almost burdensome, Jaehyuk deliberately avoided looking at him and answered indifferently while staring at the tablet screen.
“I was bitten.”
“…Bitten?”
“By a Chihuahua.”
At this series of brief hints, delivered as if playing a guessing game, Junyoung desperately racked his brain.
But he couldn’t guess anything.
“…Do you have a dog? I thought you said you’d never have another one after sending Dongdong away?”
“I got one two days ago.”
“…Two days ago was your wedding day… Did you pick one up on the way home? Is it a foster?”
“…It is a foster, in a way.”
At the comment “in the strict sense,” Junyoung tilted his head.
“It’s natural for Chihuahuas to bite… but that doesn’t look like a bite mark?”
“Because it’s not a dog.”
With the conversation becoming increasingly confusing, Junyoung leaned on the desk with both hands and asked seriously.
“You said it was a Chihuahua?”
“The species is Megalodon.”
Just as Junyoung was about to ask what a Chihuahua with Megalodon species meant, he suddenly realized who it was.
“…Junghyun?”
At Junyoung’s skeptical question, Jaehyuk finished signing an electronic document and turned his gaze toward the laptop. Finally understanding the situation, Junyoung’s cheeks rose high with excitement.
Sensing the obvious joy without even looking, Jaehyuk warned first again.
“Don’t laugh.”
At those words, Junyoung, who was about to laugh, pressed his lips tightly. And when he tried to open his mouth again after a while, Jaehyuk beat him to it once more.
“And don’t ask how it happened.”
After seeing illusions of the words “Why?” “How?” “Oh my!” and “Wow!” floating above people’s heads all morning on his way to work, Jaehyuk’s demand to just shut up made Junyoung change the subject.
“Did he hit you?”
At that direct question, Jaehyuk closed his laptop with a bang and looked at Junyoung standing in front of him.
That gaze was challenging him to say one more word.
Faced with the fierce gaze and atmosphere filled with killing intent, Junyoung hastily took a step back.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
