And just before falling asleep, he remembered kissing Alexander on the forehead. The memory tormented him. He didn’t want to believe what he’d done while drunk. No, he hadn’t just been drunk—he was half-asleep, too. Still, no excuse could justify that kind of behavior.
“Don’t be scared. I’m here with you.”
He had even gone so far as to say that. What gave him the right to say something like that? Even if Alexander was afraid of thunder and lightning, there were probably a hundred ways he outshined Yeon Yiseo without even trying. And yet, he had the nerve to act like he was comforting him, pretending to be the better person. The memory made his skin crawl. There were lines that just shouldn’t be crossed.
He’d done the one thing Alexander clearly wanted to keep hidden—dragged it into the open himself. What if Alexander had taken offense? Of course, he’d apologize. But the issue wasn’t whether he should apologize—it was whether Alexander would accept it.
“…Mm. You’re awake.”
While Yeon Yiseo was lost in his tangled thoughts, Alexander had woken up.
“Good morning, sir.”
“…Did I just wake up?”
It was an odd question—something Alexander would never normally ask. Asking someone else to confirm his own state? That wasn’t like him at all.
“If you think you’ve just woken up, then yes, you’ve just woken up.”
Yeon Yiseo responded politely, instinctively slipping back into secretary mode. But even as the words left his mouth, he realized how strange they sounded. That made no sense. Embarrassed by his own answer, he tried to rephrase—
“I see.”
—but Alexander responded before he could. As if he hadn’t noticed anything strange at all.
“Sir… are you feeling unwell?”
“No. I’m fine.”
Alexander checked the time, his eyes drifting toward the empty air.
“It’s been ages since I slept this long.”
He placed a hand on his forehead as though searching his memory.
“Is that so…”
Yeon Yiseo didn’t know what else to say, so that was all he could offer. It didn’t feel right to say that’s great or congratulations. Alexander, who had been staring off into space, slowly turned to face Yeon Yiseo. He held his gaze for about two seconds. Did he want to say something? Or… was there something weird about Yeon Yiseo’s face?
Just as Yeon Yiseo started to grow uneasy under the scrutiny, Alexander’s expression shifted back to his usual, gentle smile.
“What would you like for breakfast?”
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Alexander stood up, clearly intending to prepare breakfast himself. Yeon Yiseo followed his lead and stood up as well.
“Maybe just something light… scrambled eggs and bacon?”
“Ah… yes.”
He’d been about to respond with a reflexive I’m fine, but changed it to yes instead. Alexander stood up leisurely.
“Then go ahead and use the inner bathroom to freshen up. There’s a spare toothbrush behind the mirror. I’ll use the outer one.”
With that, Alexander stepped out. Left alone, Yeon Yiseo hesitated. Was it really okay for him to use the bathroom Alexander personally used? But since the homeowner himself had told him to, it was probably fine.
The spotless bathroom seemed to reflect Alexander’s personality. Yeon Yiseo picked one of the spare toothbrushes and washed his face.
Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he could swear he looked healthier than he had yesterday. Maybe it was thanks to the pheromones Alexander had given him. After drying his face, he stepped out of the room.
Alexander had just started cooking, whisking a bowl of eggs.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
Yeon Yiseo asked as he approached, but Alexander smiled and shook his head.
“I can at least do something.”
Spotting the bacon that had been taken out, Yeon Yiseo moved toward it—but Alexander stepped in swiftly to block him. They were just shy of touching, standing so close that Yeon Yiseo instinctively stepped back. He couldn’t get any closer like this.
They were so near that Yeon Yiseo could smell the lingering scent of Alexander’s shaving cream. Just as he was wondering how to handle the awkward situation, Alexander spoke.
“Then would you mind sitting there and keeping me company while I cook?”
“Keep you company…?”
“It hardly counts as cooking, but making it alone feels surprisingly lonely.”
Dressed up nicely in words, but really, wasn’t that just a polite way of saying go sit down?
After glancing between Alexander and the ingredients, Yeon Yiseo gave up and crossed to the island counter, taking a seat.
“Is here okay?”
“Perfect.”
Alexander resumed cooking as he answered. It was simple—pour the whisked eggs into a pan for scrambled eggs, then fry the bacon.
“Do you prefer it crispy or lightly cooked?”
“I prefer it lightly cooked.”
“Hmm. Same as me, then.”
Alexander chuckled as he placed long strips of bacon into the pan.
Just as he finished plating the food, the toaster popped with a cheerful ding, launching two slices of perfectly golden toast.
At least he didn’t stop Yeon Yiseo from setting the table, which made things feel a bit more comfortable. Alexander placed a large plate in front of him like a proper server and took the seat across from him.
“There’s jam, too.”
He handed Yeon Yiseo small, single-use portions of blueberry and strawberry jam—both from a brand known for not using added sugar. Alexander poured orange juice into the glass Yeon Yiseo had placed on the table.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.”
Using fork and knife, Yeon Yiseo took a bite of the freshly cooked food. Warm, high-quality ingredients made for an incredibly tasty meal.
“It’s really delicious.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Alexander replied with a calm smile, and Yeon Yiseo continued eating.
“Who are you meeting today?”
“Just someone I know.”
He wasn’t sure if he should call Hugo someone he knew, but it was close enough. It wasn’t like he owed Alexander a detailed explanation.
“I see. Is the meeting far?”
“No, I can get there on my own.”
Knowing where this was headed, Yeon Yiseo answered preemptively. Alexander let out a faint, amused sigh.
“Quick rejection. You knew what I was going to say.”
“You should get some rest too, sir.”
Yeon Yiseo said sincerely. Alexander said nothing, smiling quietly as he popped a piece of bacon into his mouth.
Cleanup didn’t take long—just loading the dishes into the machine.
“The clothes you wore yesterday aren’t back from the wash yet. Take them next time.”
“Alright, I will.”
The word next time gave him a strange, fluttery feeling. But considering he’d need to receive more pheromones from Alexander to stabilize, it was probably fine.
As Yeon Yiseo stood up, Alexander spoke.
“You can’t go out in the same clothes you wore yesterday. There should be some new ones in the room you stayed in before. Change into those.”
“Huh?”
He heard what Alexander said but couldn’t immediately process it.
“Clothes?”
“Yes. I’ve only ever seen you in suits, so I prepared a few things that might be more comfortable.”
“Wait, what…”
Alexander tilted his head, gesturing.
“Go take a look.”
Following his lead, Yeon Yiseo entered the room he had stayed in previously and opened the wardrobe.
As soon as the door opened, a pleasant scent—like freshly laundered clothes—wafted out to greet him.
And then he saw it. The wardrobe was packed full of brand-new clothes.
The fabrics felt luxurious to the touch. Though the labels and styles were all different, they had one thing in common: every single piece was high-end. And every single one was perfectly tailored to Yeon Yiseo’s size.
If he totaled the cost of everything inside this wardrobe, it would easily surpass half a year of his salary.
Was this a gift? It had to be something along those lines.
“Do you see anything you like?”
Alexander’s voice came from behind. Before Yeon Yiseo could even turn around, Alexander stepped up beside him and began flipping through the clothes from right to left.
“You wear suits comfortably, so slacks suit you well. Jeans, too—they looked surprisingly good. And—”
“I can’t accept this.”
At Yeon Yiseo’s interruption, Alexander froze mid-motion, smile still on his face. Slowly, that smile faded.
“Are you angry?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Didn’t I lend you clothes before when you needed to change? I don’t see how this is any different.”
He had a point. Back then, Alexander had lent him clothes he’d worn himself. Even the ones Yeon Yiseo was wearing now, though they were new, didn’t feel too heavy or burdensome.
That was true. These clothes had been purchased and given to him by Alexander just like before. Yesterday had caught him off guard, sure, but he hadn’t felt uncomfortable accepting them.
Maybe it was because, between people who knew each other, it didn’t feel so overwhelming to accept such things.
