Survive! Gwanggong! – Chapter 65

Seo Eun-jae carefully studied Gwak Seung-hyeon’s expression—as if staring long enough would somehow reveal some fatal flaw.

Seung-hyeon, however, didn’t spare him a single glance, fully absorbed in his phone call.

“Are you saying you were upset that I came?”

His voice held a hint of laughter. It didn’t sound like he was mocking the other person—it was more like he was genuinely pleased. Eun-jae continued to peer at his face, still half in doubt. What had started as mere curiosity was quickly turning into something more serious, and Eun-jae could feel his expression hardening. Not that it made any difference—Seung-hyeon clearly didn’t care in the slightest.

No matter how hard he strained his ears, Eun-jae couldn’t make out a word Gwak Seon-woo was saying on the other end of the line. It was baffling how low the call volume was set. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been surprising if it turned out Seung-hyeon wasn’t even on a call at all—just pretending to mess with him.

Still, as much as the thought annoyed him, Eun-jae knew that Seung-hyeon wasn’t the type to stoop to something so petty. In the end, he gave up trying to decipher Seon-woo’s side of the conversation and just focused on what Seung-hyeon was saying. That alone was enough to get the general idea.

“You’re the one who told me to go. Don’t you remember?”

Seung-hyeon replied with an amused look, no trace of anger or incredulity on his face—just simple, unfiltered delight. The more Eun-jae listened, the more suspicious he became. Was this even a real conversation? From what Seung-hyeon was saying, it sounded like Gwak Seon-woo was confronting him about why he’d shown up, and Seung-hyeon was offering excuses in return—but that didn’t make any sense. That sort of exchange just didn’t fit their dynamic. If anyone knew how strained things were between those two, it was Seo Eun-jae. Even hearing it with his own ears, he couldn’t believe it.

“You woke up in the middle of the night… yelled at me to get lost if I didn’t want to end up in a worse state… even kicked me out… I was heartbroken, but I left—for your sake.”

And yet Seung-hyeon had the gall to say it all while putting on a pitiful act. Compared to before, what he said this time was at least plausible. Kicking him out was exactly the kind of thing Gwak Seon-woo might do.

But what mattered wasn’t the content—it was the way Seung-hyeon said it. When Eun-jae stared daggers at him, mouth agape in pure disgust, then Seung-hyeon finally turned to look at him.

He was still smiling, but his gaze was icy—completely different from the lighthearted tone he’d used moments earlier. He lifted a hand to his mouth with that same glacial look, and even Seo Eun-jae instinctively flinched back. He reflexively took a step away, then, realizing what he’d done, quickly lifted his head in defiance. But the damage was done—Seung-hyeon had already turned his attention elsewhere.

“You don’t remember? You looked so sharp, I assumed you were in your right mind.”

Seung-hyeon continued in that same calm, collected tone, smiling without a hint of faltering.

“Sorry. That was just sleep talk. What you really meant was for me to stay. I just didn’t get it. Yeah, I’m the fool.”

And just as he finished speaking, there was a sudden burst of sound from the other end of the line. Gwak Seon-woo must have finally lost his temper and shouted.

But instead of cowering, Seung-hyeon simply burst into laughter—bright and unbothered.

What the hell was going on?

Was Seung-hyeon just ignoring everything the other person was saying and spouting whatever he wanted? Honestly, Eun-jae almost hoped that was the case.

Then, in a voice so sweet it could rot teeth, Seung-hyeon said softly,

“Should I come over again?”

Objectively speaking, his voice was pleasant enough—but to Eun-jae, it was downright unbearable. He was practically begging for Seon-woo to explode again in rage. But this time, what came through the receiver wasn’t a furious shout—it was something softer, lighter.

Was… Gwak Seon-woo laughing?

Eun-jae blanked out for a moment.

“Then should I come pick you up in front of your place tomorrow?”

Seung-hyeon was still speaking in that gentle, almost teasing tone. And again, not a single word of Seon-woo’s reply came through. Eun-jae, who’d been glaring daggers at Seung-hyeon, dropped his gaze to the floor. He was deep in thought now. Meanwhile, Seung-hyeon seemed to be wrapping up the call.

“Alright, Director. I’ll see you at the office.”

So, in the end, he wasn’t going over again tonight, nor was he picking Seon-woo up tomorrow. But that didn’t make Eun-jae feel any better.

Seung-hyeon hung up and returned to his usual cool, professional demeanor as he turned to face Eun-jae. Though a faint smile remained on his lips, he looked far more bored than he had during the call. Just seeing that face made Eun-jae all the more aware of how furiously churned up he felt inside.

It wasn’t that Eun-jae was mad about the difference in how Seung-hyeon treated Seon-woo versus how he treated him. No, what truly confused and irritated him was the gnawing suspicion that none of Seung-hyeon’s behavior was fake—that he was being genuinely sincere with Seon-woo.

Something had been off from the start. Eun-jae had noticed it not long after meeting Gwak Seon-woo.

Unlike what he’d expected—no, what he’d taken for granted—Seon-woo didn’t fall for him at first sight. In fact, he didn’t even seem that interested. For someone who supposedly didn’t care, he was oddly tolerant of Eun-jae. He was inexplicably nice to him, sometimes even acted like he was into him with those small, intimate gestures—but only in action. His eyes, always cold and indifferent, left no room for misunderstanding.

It was like he was being forced to treat Eun-jae well—like someone was making him do it. He didn’t seem to hate Eun-jae exactly, but he definitely didn’t seem to like him either. He never approached with any real passion, but his actions remained consistently kind.

Eun-jae wouldn’t deny that part of him found that oddly appealing. The way things were going—so different from what he’d imagined—made his heart pound in strange ways. But still…

“Why are you doing this?”

What baffled him even more than Gwak Seon-woo… was Gwak Seung-hyeon.

Unlike Seon-woo, who at least acted like he was being dragged along a path he was originally meant to follow, Seung-hyeon had completely veered off course. Instead of latching onto Eun-jae, the one who had captured Seon-woo’s interest, he clung obsessively to Seon-woo himself.

And every time he stepped in, a situation that was already off-kilter only got more twisted.

Now things had reached this point. Gwak Seon-woo had rejected Seo Eun-jae—and chosen Gwak Seung-hyeon.

It was a brutal blow to the ego, something he didn’t want to accept—but Eun-jae knew the truth.

Gwak Seon-woo clearly felt more at ease with Seung-hyeon than he ever did with him. It wasn’t just familiarity that made their relationship seem close. He wanted to write it off as nothing more than familiarity, but after hearing that call just now… that was no longer possible.

What was he aiming for? Was he secretly plotting something behind that calm mask? Honestly, he hoped that was the case. If it were just some twisted scheme, that would actually be easier to accept.

Eun-jae spat the words like venom.

“Does acting like this give you some kind of superiority complex?”

Originally, Seung-hyeon had been the kind of person who lived under the shadow of his older cousin—one who wasn’t even blood-related—and had developed a deep inferiority complex because of it. When Eun-jae had first met him in person, his initial impression had been, “He doesn’t seem like that kind of guy, though?” But regardless of appearances, that was who he was supposed to be.

The reason he had approached Seo Eun-jae in the first place was all rooted in that inferiority toward Seon-woo. The possibility that those feelings had turned genuine only came much later. So now, Eun-jae wondered—had he changed course in order to chase superiority from another angle?

Eun-jae was fully aware that the thought was unfair, maybe even wrong. But part of him still wished it were true. That’s why he asked the question.

Rather than scoff or laugh, Seung-hyeon replied with calm indifference.

“Are you asking if showing this side of myself in front of you makes me feel superior?”

He raised one eyebrow as he continued.

“Why? Who do you think you are… Assistant Manager Seo?”

The sarcasm hit hard.

Eun-jae dropped his gaze, overwhelmed by a tangled mess of confusion. Where had it all gone wrong? What mistake had led things to end up like this?

The truth was, even back when Seon-woo had taken him by the wrist and brought him home, Eun-jae had already known—deep down—that he wouldn’t be forced into anything.

Sure enough, Seon-woo had thrown him onto the bed, only to leave without touching him. He’d expected as much, but still… a part of him wanted something to happen. That hopeful line about “going to the top” hadn’t been a lie. He meant every word. Anything—anything at all—would’ve been better than nothing.

Maybe he should’ve stopped Seon-woo from leaving. Should he have been more assertive and said he was fine? Or maybe… maybe he should’ve made the first move and pounced on him instead…

Seung-hyeon remained silent, and in that space, Eun-jae wrestled with his thoughts, trying to untangle the chaos in his mind.

Maybe Seon-woo did have feelings for him. Maybe the reason he left was guilt. Maybe his subtle kindness, his strangely gentle attitude… maybe that was his truth.

Eun-jae lifted his head and locked eyes with Seung-hyeon—staring straight into those cool, piercing eyes as he thought of Gwak Seon-woo.

He remembered the look in Seon-woo’s deep black eyes when they flickered with discomfort.

Just once. He needed to confirm it, just one last time. He had to find out what Seon-woo really felt when he looked at him. And if it turned out to be nothing… if the answer was truly no… if it had already reached the point of no return…

Then he would give up.

And with that, Seo Eun-jae turned his back.

Author: Levia