Go Hoon walked at a relaxed pace toward his destination, mulling over the conversation he’d had with Bae Jung-yoon the day before.
“I’d be really disappointed if you were hiding something from me.”
That was what Bae Jung-yoon had said just before they parted ways. The words lingered, leaving a nagging discomfort. It felt like Jung-yoon already knew something was being kept from him. That unsettling tone continued to weigh on Go Hoon’s mind.
With a serious expression, he replayed the moment in his head, then shook it off. He was out alone for an appointment, yet his thoughts kept circling back to Bae Jung-yoon. It was ridiculous.
Jung-yoon had classes today and had gone to campus. That’s why Go Hoon had specifically arranged to meet Woo Gun-hyung on this day—to leave the house without needing to explain himself.
If he went out while Jung-yoon wasn’t home, he’d never know Go Hoon had left. There was no need to volunteer that information. If he brought it up preemptively and Jung-yoon asked who he was meeting, it would only become awkward. Sure, he could just say he was meeting a friend, but it seemed easier to act like he’d stayed home the whole time.
Lost in thought, he kept walking until he arrived. Looking up, he was greeted by a tall building.
He had miscalculated the time and ended up arriving at the station about fifteen minutes early. When he contacted Gun-hyung, he was told the morning meetings were running long and was asked if he could wait upstairs at the office instead.
Naturally, Go Hoon’s suspicion deepened. Why insist on coming up to the office? Was he about to be dragged into something shady? As he mentally played out a horror movie scenario, he ultimately decided to comply—Gun-hyung did seem genuinely busy.
At the building’s lobby, he received a visitor badge and headed to the floor where the office was located.
When the elevator doors opened, he was greeted by a sleek company logo. Go Hoon approached the intercom at the side and pressed the call button. A woman’s voice responded shortly after.
“I’m here to see CEO Woo Gun-hyung.”
After a momentary pause and a polite request to wait, an employee soon appeared.
“Hello.”
Hearing her voice, he first assumed she might be a secretary, but her casual attire said otherwise. She wore wide-leg jeans and a cropped T-shirt. When their eyes met, she smiled brightly and gestured politely.
“The CEO told me you’d be coming. I’ll take you to the room.”
“Thank you.”
Go Hoon bowed slightly and followed her inside.
The office was spacious and comfortable.
Multiple glass-walled meeting rooms lined one side, and on the other was a wide cafeteria—more like a stylish home bar. It was stocked with coffee, drinks, and a variety of snacks.
The desks and chairs were all high-end. The overall color scheme was white and gray—every piece of furniture and structure either stark white or muted gray.
So this is what a successful company looks like. Even at a glance, it was obvious they didn’t skimp on employee benefits.
He passed through a bustling workspace filled with employees hard at work and was eventually led to the guest sofa inside the CEO’s office.
The employee even brought him refreshments and cold water. She told him the CEO would be with him shortly, then quietly stepped out.
Seated on the spacious sofa, Go Hoon looked around. The office was on a high floor and had a great view. His eyes wandered from the window back to the desk where Gun-hyung worked.
Papers and approval folders were scattered across it, oddly messy compared to the rest of the pristine room.
After glancing around the quiet space for a while, he zoned out. Maybe five minutes passed before the office door swung open.
Startled, he sat up straight just as Woo Gun-hyung walked in, flashing a wide grin.
“Sorry about that. Did you wait long?”
“Not really.”
Before he could even finish answering, another employee followed Gun-hyung into the room.
“Sir, I told you this was urgent. We really need to—”
The man, mid-rant, suddenly fell silent when he noticed Go Hoon sitting there. His eyes darted anxiously, unsure of what to do. Gun-hyung chuckled at the sight of him freezing up.
He walked over to his desk, picked up one of the approval folders, and glanced at Go Hoon.
“Just give me a second. I’ll sign this, and then we’ll go eat.”
Go Hoon had assumed he had loads of free time, given how often he messaged, but this was a surprise. Judging from the other man’s agitation, it seemed like a genuinely urgent matter. Go Hoon nodded and waited patiently.
“Thanks. Enjoy your lunch.”
The employee, looking far more relieved now, took the signed folder, bowed politely, and hurried out of the room. Go Hoon didn’t pay him much attention—his eyes were still fixed on Woo Gun-hyung. There was something he needed to ask.
“Was it really okay for you to ask me to come here?”
“Why? Worried people might get the wrong idea?”
Another direct hit. Gun-hyung had mentioned before that anyone who needed to know about his sexuality already knew. When Go Hoon simply stared at him silently, Gun-hyung shrugged.
“I told them I was having lunch with a friend’s younger brother who’s interested in IT. Don’t worry.”
Well, if the CEO said it was fine, who was going to argue? Go Hoon let it go and changed the subject.
“Your eyesight must not be that great.”
Only then did Woo Gun-hyung seem to realize he was still wearing his glasses. Letting out a soft “ah,” he gave a small shake of his head.
“They don’t have a prescription. I had eye surgery ages ago, but I still wear them out of habit when I work. I don’t know why, but I feel like I can focus better with them on.”
As he said that, Gun-hyung reached up as if to take them off—but then stopped halfway.
“What do you think? Do I look better like this? Should I keep them on?”
There was something playfully mischievous in his tone, and Go Hoon couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“You’re fine.”
Shaking his head in amused dismissal, he replied. Gun-hyung smiled, lips curling up at the corners, and finally took the glasses off.
A few minutes later, the two left the CEO’s office. The bustling office floor from earlier was now empty—everyone had apparently gone to lunch.
“Have you decided what you want to eat?” Gun-hyung asked, pressing the elevator button.
“How about pork cutlet?” Go Hoon replied with a nod.
“That didn’t sound like a suggestion—it sounded like a decision.”
“I heard men love pork cutlets no matter how old they get.”
“Wow. Was that your way of calling me old? For the record, we’re only five years apart.”
Despite the jab, there wasn’t a hint of annoyance in his voice.
“And I’ve been told I look young for my age.”
As the elevator doors opened, Gun-hyung stepped inside with a grin. Following behind, Go Hoon glanced over at him.
He didn’t seem to carry any kind of inferiority complex. He had that aura some people are just born with—the kind that comes from having everything from the start. Woo Gun-hyung exuded the kind of relaxed confidence that only people who had always had enough seemed to possess.
And honestly, he did look young. If he weren’t dressed in business attire, he could’ve easily passed for a college student. Shaking off the thought, Go Hoon spoke up.
“Anyway, lunch is on me today.”
“Why? I was the one who invited you out.”
“Well, you helped me last time. And I was the one who brought up lunch in the first place.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s not every day I offer to pay. Don’t turn me down.”
“Well then, I suppose I can let you treat me this once.”
Go Hoon had been worried Gun-hyung might insist, but thankfully, he was easygoing.
The ride down to the first floor continued in a comfortable, natural silence. There was no awkwardness between them—it felt like they’d known each other for a long time.
That ease likely came from Gun-hyung’s mellow, affable nature. Throughout the conversation, he looked at Go Hoon with a soft smile, like he was genuinely enjoying himself. And yet they hadn’t even talked about anything particularly interesting.
“Why do you keep contacting me?”
They were walking side by side when the red light at a crosswalk brought them to a stop. Go Hoon used the moment to ask directly.
That was the real reason he’d agreed to meet today—to find out why Gun-hyung kept reaching out to him.
His blunt question only seemed to amuse Gun-hyung, who smiled and answered with equal honesty.
“Because I like you. Like I said—your face is my type.”
It was clear he didn’t care in the slightest about what other people might think.
“I don’t have anything to offer.”
Go Hoon glanced around for a moment before replying. Gun-hyung just shrugged.
“Do I look like the kind of guy who only chases people who have something?”
“I’m not looking to be someone’s cute little keychain or whatever.”
“Who said anything about that? You’ve got quite the imagination.”
He laughed and looked straight at Go Hoon. The more they talked, the less sense this man made.
Weren’t people like him supposed to date and marry others from the same world? You could tell just by looking at his clothes—Gun-hyung clearly came from money.
Sure, he liked men, so marriage might not be on the table, but still. He could easily find someone from a similar background. Why was he lingering around someone like Go Hoon?
Go Hoon gave him a skeptical look, and Gun-hyung spoke again.
“You have really good eyes, Go Hoon.”
Eyes? What kind of line was that? He sounded like one of those religious recruiters. Was this some kind of weird conversion attempt? That would be a twist. Go Hoon began seriously wondering if it was time to wrap up this meeting.
“They’re strong.”
Still unconvinced, Go Hoon replied dryly.
“Probably because I had to deal with life too early.”
“Going through hardship doesn’t always make people stronger. Sometimes it makes them soft. Fragile. People who crumble the moment they’re touched.”
As he said that, Gun-hyung looked at Go Hoon with steady eyes. Just then, the crosswalk signal turned green, and they started walking again.
“So, what made you start your company? You were pretty young when you launched it, right?”
Trying to shift the conversation, Go Hoon tossed him a question. Gun-hyung chuckled.
“What, you did some background research on me?”
“I knew from the start—ever since you handed me your business card.”
“Didn’t expect that. How’d you know?”
“I saw an article about you. Something about being the youngest CEO.”
“And now that you’ve met me in person? Do I look better than I do in the pictures?”
Another playful tease. Go Hoon looked at him with a straight face, then nodded without hesitation.
“You look a bit better in person.”
Gun-hyung paused, eyes fixed on him. And then his smile deepened.
“Are you flirting with me right now?”
