As Junghyun watched the door slowly open, he smiled awkwardly.
“Wow, that’s the first time I’ve ever been a little scared of you, hyung.”
“Just a little?”
“Yes.”
Exchanging this brief conversation, the two men slowly entered the elevator. They turned to face the door and pressed the buttons for the 1st and 19th floors.
Watching the door gradually close, this time Jaehyuk asked, “Why did your expression suddenly change?”
“Because it means you could crush someone like me anytime, so nothing matters.”
Jaehyuk immediately acknowledged Junghyun’s once again too-accurate prediction.
“Exactly right.”
“Useful, isn’t it?”
“Quite. Perhaps beyond my imagination.”
“Is that good?”
“Maybe.”
In the middle of their brief conversation, the elevator arrived at basement level 1 and the doors opened. As people entered, Junghyun, standing next to Jaehyuk, naturally spoke to him.
“I’m going to watch the playoffs with my friends tonight. We’ll be at Yongwoo’s place, so please call me when you’re done.”
“No drinking.”
“I’ll take my car. Take good care of your bruise. Well then.”
The moment Junghyun finished his greeting, the elevator stopped at the first floor and the doors opened.
Slipping through the gap between people waiting to enter, Junghyun stood in the hall and raised his hand to Jaehyuk.
Then he immediately turned around and headed toward the cafe in the first floor lobby.
Meanwhile, the packed elevator began to move quickly.
Since it was right after lunch time, the elevator was full of people holding drinks. It stopped at each floor, and from the 14th floor onward, Jaehyuk was alone in the elevator.
Arriving finally at the 19th floor in the quiet elevator, Jaehyuk stepped into the hallway as soon as the doors opened. He took out his phone and immediately found a familiar name in his recent call history and pressed the call button.
As he walked quickly, he waited briefly until the call connected.
– Yeah.
“It’s me.”
– Hey. Did you eat?
Though he had only had coffee and hadn’t properly eaten, he answered vaguely that he had. If he said he hadn’t eaten, they would worry and ask what was wrong.
“Sort of. Did you eat, hyung?”
– We just finished eating and are on our way out.
“Can Yeonwoo eat?”
– Yeah. He’s eating jajangmyeon.
“…Jajangmyeon?”
As he wondered why jajangmyeon, he entered the secretary’s office where an employee who had arrived earlier tried to stand up. He gestured for them to stay seated while heading straight to his office, when Suhyuk awkwardly cut off his words.
– Ah… well, when you guys mentioned Chinese food, he suddenly said he wanted some.
“…It seems Yeonwoo heard something from Junyoung. And you heard it from Yeonwoo?”
To this statement phrased as a question rather than an actual question, Suhyuk answered somewhat sheepishly:
– Yeah.
“That guy is the least concerned about his own heartbreak story, so it doesn’t matter. I called because I was worried, but he already knows everything, so there’s nothing to worry about. He even knows about Yeonwoo’s pregnancy.”
– …You told him?
“No. I must have given too many hints. He had already figured it all out. So tell Yeonwoo not to worry either.”
– But it would be difficult for him to know that much…
“He’s quick-witted. Smart. Unnecessarily so…”
Sitting down in his chair at his desk, Jaehyuk fell into thought for a moment.
Junghyun was smarter and sharper than he had anticipated. And he knew much more than expected.
It was certainly quite different from what he had assumed.
Still, it didn’t matter anyway…
– Hey, Yeonwoo is asking if Junghyun is okay? He’s worried about their earlier encounter.
Pulled from his thoughts by this sudden question, Jaehyuk asked as if confused:
“…What?”
– He thinks he might have interfered too much when they met in the hallway.
“That’s the most unnecessary worry in the world. He’s not that sensitive. He’s going to find out about our relationship anyway, so if he were the type to take such things to heart, he wouldn’t have gotten married.”
– Well, he does seem to have a strong personality. Junyoung was worried about that?
“That guy professionally doubts and worries about everything in this world.”
– Is it really okay?
“Yes. It’s hard to find someone as interesting as him. In terms of qualifications too.”
– He did seem that way. He’s the first person I’ve seen who doesn’t watch your mood, except for grandfather. You don’t like people who are too cautious around you.
“That guy should be a little more cautious.”
– Why? It looked good seeing you talk so comfortably with someone.
“Not at all good. He’s so unpredictable that I’m the one who has to be cautious around him.”
– That’s not bad, is it?
With a playful tone suggesting that Jaehyuk should experience being cautious around others at least once in his life, Jaehyuk sighed as if to say “really?” Then he heard a soft laugh.
Very slight, but clearly recognizable.
It was Yeonwoo’s laughter.
“You two are having fun?”
– Junyoung was enjoying it too.
“Everyone seems to enjoy seeing me suffer?”
– A little bit?
“Hyung…”
– It’s refreshing to see you like this for the first time. You never had a cute side despite being the youngest, but now you look a bit cute. Getting angry, being irritated. We’ve always been careful around you, so I’m sorry, but today you looked comfortable.
At Suhyuk’s sudden confession, Jaehyuk fell silent.
He certainly acknowledged that aspect.
Besides their complicated family circumstances, from the moment he was born and became the successor, not only his brothers but even his parents became cautious around him. After that, due to his position and temperament, even his friends and teachers fussed to please him.
Naturally, people who weren’t cautious around him became rare.
One of them was Junyoung, who had been the person least cautious around him until now, but Junghyun had surpassed that record.
Junghyun didn’t just avoid being cautious – he treated Jaehyuk roughly.
Whether it was his natural disposition or because he thought he had the upper hand in this contract, Jaehyuk wasn’t sure.
“…It’s certainly not boring. He doesn’t get intimidated or become cautious when I get angry or scold him. The problem is that he occasionally makes me want to kill him.”
– Well, that can’t be helped. Being an Alpha naturally intimidates people.
“Then why isn’t he intimidated?”
– You should probably ask Junghyun about that?
“Even if I ask, I’ll never get a good answer.”
– Have you asked?
“Something similar.”
– What did he say?
“He asked why he should be intimidated.”
There was a moment of silence.
Suhyuk also seemed a bit taken aback.
– Well… that’s true in a way. Partners should be equals after all.
“That’s true, but…”
– Oh, by the way, how’s your sleep? Director Jang says you sleep better than when you lived alone, but I’m still worried. You’re not taking medication, are you?
“I’m sleeping well. Really, to an unusual degree…”
– …What?
“Whether it’s because I’m tired because of him or what, these days I’m so overwhelmingly sleepy as soon as I lie in bed that sometimes I fall asleep without even properly drying my hair.”
When he gave his brother the same explanation he had given to Junyoung, his brother responded with surprise:
– …Really?
“Yes.”
– Well… anyway, that’s good news. I was worried because you couldn’t sleep even if someone was just on the same floor as you.
Come to think of it, Suhyuk had been the biggest victim of his sensitive sleeping habits. Their oldest brother, Junhyuk, had already moved to a separate building so it didn’t matter to him, but Suhyuk, who noticed around 4th grade that Jaehyuk couldn’t sleep well at night if he sensed someone’s presence, voluntarily moved his bedroom to a separate building.
So the second floor of the main house was used by him alone. For nearly 10 years.
“I sleep very well, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
– Yes. That’s a relief. You and Junghyun must really be compatible.
“More or less…”
– Anyway, now that everything about our family situation seems sorted out, I can be at ease too.
“Sure.”
– Alright then, get back to work. See you later.
“Yes.”
After ending the call with this final greeting, Jaehyuk leaned back at his desk and stared at his phone.
Today’s incident had been resolved for now.
Of course, the fundamental issue remained the same, but the answer to it was also already determined.
As Junghyun said, whatever Junghyun’s intentions or thoughts were, it didn’t matter. If he became bothersome, Jaehyuk could just deal with him.
Having reached this conclusion, Jaehyuk opened his laptop again and checked the screen.
As always, calmly and composedly.
But strangely, that day he couldn’t concentrate on his work.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
