Lee Han-seo lay sprawled out on the mattress, his limbs heavy as lead. Even his eyelids, already drooping more than halfway, weighed him down like anchors. He was so exhausted he didn’t even have the will to fight it. His blurry vision barely held as he forced his eyes open, just enough to register the steady rush of water from the bathroom. The sound of Park Woo-jun rinsing off after bathing Han-seo from head to toe, drying him carefully, and placing him gently on the bed before cleaning himself up.
If he let his guard down even a little, he’d be out like a light. To keep himself from drifting off, Han-seo bit the inside of his cheek, clenched his fists, and did anything he could to stay awake—though his mind kept threatening to sink beneath the surface of sleep.
“If you’re tired, just go ahead and sleep.”
Just before the crushing weight of sleep could swallow him whole, a strong arm slipped under his neck. Han-seo yawned deeply, rubbing his head against Woo-jun’s bicep until he settled into a familiar, comfortable position. Seeing how stubbornly Han-seo had resisted the urge to pass out, Woo-jun gave him a fond smile, like he was proud of a kid holding out, and offered his arm as a pillow. With his free hand, he gave Han-seo’s butt a few gentle pats.
“You did well today. Sleep tight, Han-seo.”
“Mmm… you too… night…”
Swaddled in the soft comforter, Han-seo mumbled back in a sleepy voice so faint it could barely be heard. The sight was ridiculously cute. Afraid to wake him, Woo-jun stifled his laughter, only his throat moving slightly with the effort. His breathing was slow and peaceful. When he peppered Han-seo’s forehead with little kisses, Han-seo groaned in protest and turned his head, clearly bothered but already sliding into deeper sleep.
Watching him closely, Woo-jun cautiously opened his mouth. It was something Han-seo would have to know sooner or later, and while he didn’t want to stir up stress right now, giving him a little warning might soften the blow. That way, if Han-seo got mad later and demanded, “Why didn’t you tell me?!”—at least Woo-jun could say he technically mentioned it.
“Baby. Han-seo.”
“……”
“You asleep? You are, right?”
“……”
He could definitely hear him, but there was no energy left to reply. Han-seo figured it was probably something like sleep well or I love you, so he just let it slide and kept pretending to be asleep.
“I figured you should at least know… so I’m telling you now…”
If the words that followed hadn’t been so jaw-dropping, he really would’ve stayed asleep.
“Uh… my family said they’re coming back to Korea next month.”
“W-What?!”
His drowsiness vanished in an instant. It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. Han-seo shot up, voice cracking as he shouted.
“Why are you telling me this now?! You should’ve said something way earlier!”
“B-baby… I thought you were asleep…”
“How could I possibly sleep after hearing that?! So—is it just a short visit or are they moving back for good? When you say your family, do you mean your parents and your brother? All of them?!”
Han-seo looked ready to grab Woo-jun by the collar and shake him as he fired off one question after another. He’d always been curious about Woo-jun’s family, even if he hadn’t asked much. All he knew was that they’d moved abroad for work while Woo-jun was still in high school, leaving him behind.
When he once asked why Woo-jun hadn’t gone with them, Woo-jun had only smiled sheepishly and said, “I just… felt like I needed to stay.” That shy expression had been so disarming that Han-seo had let the matter drop, secretly thinking maybe Woo-jun stayed in Korea just to meet him.
Even after that, any time family came up, Woo-jun would deflect the conversation so naturally that Han-seo eventually stopped asking. But now, out of nowhere, his family was coming back? Han-seo had spent all these years wondering about the people who raised the only man he loved—there was no way this wasn’t a big deal.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Huh? What flight are they on? When exactly are they landing?”
“Uh, I mean… I didn’t ask for the details, so I’m not really sure…”
Woo-jun scratched his cheek, looking sheepish. Han-seo insisted he find out right away—he’d even send a limousine to the airport if he had to. They say if your partner is precious, even their family’s house post deserves a bow. He couldn’t exactly bow, but the least he could do was give them a proper welcome.
Every time Woo-jun pitched in at Han-seo’s family gatherings and called his parents “Mom” and “Dad” so sweetly, Han-seo had always wanted to return the favor. That feeling had been building quietly over five years, like compound interest on affection. So it didn’t take much to see how excited and fired-up he was now.
My family’s not like yours, Han-seo. We’re not that close.
Woo-jun almost said it—but swallowed the words. He didn’t want Han-seo to know how much of an outsider he’d been in his own family. It wasn’t about pride. It was because he knew that once Han-seo found out, he’d be heartbroken. Unless he was ready to lay out the entire painful story, it was better left unsaid.
“Alright, alright. I’ll check in and let you know. But for now, let’s sleep, okay? Don’t regret this in the morning.”
“I mean it. First thing tomorrow—you check and tell me.”
“Yes, yes. Got it. Now go to sleep.”
He pulled Han-seo into his arms and gently patted his chest. Within seconds, Han-seo let out a long breath and slipped back into sleep. Woo-jun nudged his jaw up and closed his mouth, chuckling quietly at the dopey expression. He didn’t want anything more to do with his family—but seeing Han-seo do all this just for his sake, that thought alone filled his heart with warmth and gratitude.
***
“Director Seo, don’t you think this centerpiece looks kind of off?”
“……”
“Director Seo!”
That sharp, clear voice—it had been a while since anyone had spoken to him like that. Director Seo, the longtime aide who had once managed Han-seo’s every need before his official induction, said nothing. Instead, he simply replaced the centerpiece with a backup that had already been prepared in advance. Under the efficient hands of the attendants, all the matching tableware—cutlery, water glasses, and dishes—were quickly swapped out to match the new arrangement.
The table, which had been a cheerful mix of orange and pale yellow, was now redressed in a fresh palette of soft sky blue and lavender, instantly soothing to the eye. Han-seo picked up the silverware in front of him, inspecting it closely before letting out a small, satisfied hum. Only then did Director Seo and the other staff visibly relax. It seemed their young master’s notoriously discerning taste hadn’t changed one bit.
“Perfect. How much time do we have left?”
“We’ve got thirty minutes until the scheduled time. Chauffeur Jang said he’ll call once they leave the hotel. Until then, please try to relax a little, Young Master.”
“…You sure it’s okay to rest?”
“Of course.”
“Aaaack! I’m freaking out!”
The confident façade he’d been clinging to crumbled in an instant. Han-seo flailed his legs like a child, letting out a dramatic squeal. A few of the staff couldn’t help but stifle laughter. After all, every single person here—including Director Seo—had helped raise Han-seo like precious treasure from the moment he was born. It was impossible not to look at him with affectionate eyes.
Park Woo-jun’s family had arrived at Incheon Airport just before dawn the previous day. They’d been picked up in the limousine Han-seo had arranged and brought comfortably to a luxury hotel suite he’d reserved in advance. While they rested and recovered from their journey, Han-seo—who had taken the day off—had arrived at the villa the night before. Since then, he’d checked and rechecked the table setup, revisited the pre-approved course menu more times than necessary, and busied himself with final preparations for their arrival.
“Director Seo, did Mr. Jang say anything? About Woo-jun’s parents or brother? Do they look like him? If they do, then they must be really pretty and handsome too, right?”
His eyes sparkled like stars, no different from when he was a giddy six-year-old opening a building block set on Christmas morning. Director Seo, now adjusting the slightly crooked bowtie at Han-seo’s collar, responded only with a small, amused smile.
“Hey, why aren’t you answering? I heard you talked to Mr. Jang earlier. The other aides said so. Come on, hmm? Hm?”
“Well… I really couldn’t say. You’ll be meeting them soon anyway. You can judge for yourself then.”
He didn’t have the heart to dash those eager hopes. From what he’d heard that morning, it was hard to believe that the people he saw were actually related to that Park Woo-jun.
“Ugh, what should I say when I greet them…? Ah, I really should’ve scheduled this for a day when Woo-jun could come too. They’re probably dying to see him. Oh—should I have printed out some photos of us together or something?”
“That’s enough. Stop fidgeting and sit still for once. They’re moving back permanently. You’ll have plenty of chances to see them.”
“Okay, okay. Deep breaths, deep breaths… Whew…”
Han-seo flapped his hands like a fan, trying to cool his burning cheeks. A few minutes later, the limousine entered the villa grounds. Though he was the host of the gathering, Han-seo couldn’t settle his nerves and glanced once more at Director Seo with a look of barely contained panic. It was the first time even Director Seo had seen Han-seo like this. It made him realize, once again, just how much weight Park Woo-jun—this outsider—held in their young master’s heart.
Thud, thud, thud—for only three people, their footsteps sounded absurdly loud as they approached the banquet hall. Han-seo swallowed hard and stood up. The massive double doors were just about to swing open.
“Tch. Can you believe this? Dragging us all the way out to some middle-of-nowhere dump. Who the hell does he think he is, ordering us around like this?!”
The grating voice rang out clearly from the other side of the doors. In an instant, the air in the hall, which had been filled with a mix of nerves and excitement, turned ice cold—like someone had sucked the warmth out in one sharp breath.
