“Hyedam-ssi, where did you go?”
“Something suddenly came up, so I went out for a bit. You were so focused on work that I couldn’t tell you. Did anything happen in the meantime?”
To Luna’s words as soon as he entered the conference room, Hyedam answered calmly.
“No, I finished organizing and was waiting to go out with Hyedam-ssi.”
“Tea time?”
“Yes, Robert-ssi contacted me saying it was reserved.”
“Then I should gladly join you. If not for Luna-ssi, when would I ever have tea time at a hotel?”
When Luna tried to pick up the bundle of files on the table, Hyedam stepped forward and picked up the files instead.
“If I carry them….”
“Do you want to make me look like such a person with no manners?”
Walking ahead, Hyedam added “Why?” while looking at Luna, who was sticking beside him fidgeting restlessly.
“Is your stomach okay?”
“Except for feeling bloated from overeating too much at lunch, I’m fine. But I have room for tea time, so you don’t need to worry.”
“If you’re uncomfortable or anything, you don’t have to go.”
“I said I’d go, but if I don’t, Team Leader-nim will say something. Instead, after tea time, when I go back to the office, I’m going to buy some bread. There’s overtime work today.”
The tea time with Luna that started that way was literally just a formality. He drank a little rooibos tea as she recommended, and ate some sweet things, but there was no effect in calming his queasy stomach.
A little work talk, a little small talk.
Instead, like at her office, burying himself in the sofa and basking in the sunlight was something he could do enough. Honestly, he didn’t know what he talked about with her. Appropriately responding and smiling was all Hyedam could do.
Holding a paper bag with bread he bought to give to Leo and files he received from Luna, Hyedam standing in front of the office looked up at the tall building. At the dizzying height, the top of the office building wasn’t even visible. Because of the flexible commuting hours, the front of the office was always crowded with employees too.
He had no intention of returning to the office at all.
The bread could be brought tomorrow, and he could say he forgot and eat it all himself. There was no way to check whether the lights in Leo’s office were on or off. Not that he intended to call him either.
Hyedam, who passed through the company lobby as usual, took the elevator, and entered the marketing team office, smiled and greeted the employees who were still remaining. Standing in front of the team leader’s office that he went in and out of several times a day, Hyedam’s hand couldn’t readily reach for the door.
Feeling like his palm was sticky, the moment he rubbed it on his thigh, the team leader’s office door burst open, and Hyedam had to be sucked inside, led by the hand that grabbed and pulled him.
With the sound of the door closing behind him, Hyedam, pulled tight into Leo’s embrace, hastily tilted his head back to avoid his face being buried in his shoulder.
“Our poor thing. Was tea time enjoyable?”
“Yes, and the files are….”
Leo’s one arm, receiving the bread and files he was holding in one hand and setting them down on the table, was still draped around Hyedam’s waist.
When he tried to slightly grab and remove his hand, Leo’s lips briefly touched his cheek and fell away.
“Team Leader-nim!”
“You’re going to be like that until exactly 6 o’clock?”
“Let’s clearly separate public and private matters.”
“If I said I’d kiss you at 6 o’clock.”
Facing Leo’s voice full of mischief and his green eyes shining in the lighting, Hyedam nodded.
“There’s still 10 minutes left.”
“Then I’ll be going out now.”
“No.”
A hollow laugh flowed from Hyedam’s mouth at Leo’s behavior, acting like a child throwing a tantrum with his large build.
“What should we eat for dinner?”
“You have a prior appointment.”
“When our poor thing is doing such brazen things, what does an appointment matter? You ate a bit poorly at lunch, so shall we go eat meat? What meat should we eat? How about chicken?”
Until entering here, Hyedam, who had been thinking he’d skip dinner because his stomach was uncomfortable, shut his mouth tight at the hunger he felt as soon as Leo brought up the menu.
Whether he was getting used to his stomach churning, even though there was nausea, he didn’t have to go in and out of the bathroom all afternoon. But how should he explain the fact that from the moment he met Leo, vitality circulated through his languid body and hunger set in?
They say there are many things in the world that can’t be explained with words. But recently, what was happening to him was literally a complex of mysteries.
“I’ll contact Robert-ssi.”
Every time you impulsively change your schedule like that, the one who suffers is Robert. For me, I’m just continuously assisting at a level beside him, but he’s not like that.
“No. How about quitting the company?”
“What?”
Though he was thinking of quitting in the not-too-distant future, at his sudden recommendation to resign, a strange voice popped out of Hyedam’s mouth.
“Both of us quit the company, and travel around like my parents and live like that?”
“I have to work….”
I’m not the ultimate bourgeois like you. I’m not a gold spoon like you whose assets multiply on their own even while sitting still, but a dirt spoon who’ll starve to death if I don’t earn a living. Considering that I’m an orphan with no family, I’m not even at the spoon level at all. On top of that, there might be one more family member to feed.
“When I’m here, you worry about that?”
“What Team Leader-nim has is Team Leader-nim’s. Because it’s not mine.”
As soon as he answered honestly, Leo’s hands that had been continuously embracing him fell away. The embrace that had warmly wrapped him until just now also distanced. The smile disappeared from the face that had been looking at him and smiling cheerfully. His mouth, which had been continuously being slick and rattling off ridiculous jokes, closed tightly.
Leo, who left Hyedam standing alone in the middle of the team leader’s office, went to the front of the desk, sat in the chair, and began looking at the documents that were spread out.
Flustered by Leo’s sudden change in attitude for only a moment, Hyedam bowed his head slightly, gave him a greeting, and headed for the door.
“Don’t go out, sit and wait.”
At the businesslike and stiff voice, Hyedam, who moved his steps, carefully sat in a chair on one side. Even the coffee scent that always subtly permeated disappeared, and a heavy silence descended on the space they were in together. Hyedam’s gaze turned to the clock on the wall.
Were one minute and one second this long? Since his lips were dry, he moistened his lips slightly with the tip of his tongue. It was as if he was being punished. Sitting with his back straight, Hyedam accepted the heaviness wrapping around him as it was.
Being kind and affectionate to him, accepting his absurd requests or unreasonable demands—all of it was Leo’s will. Though it seemed like he was at the center of this relationship, in reality, the one holding the knife handle was Leo. Like that day he left coldly, he was someone who could leave his side at any time.
It’s always the one who has nothing who struggles.
Hyedam, slowly moving his gaze from the clock, turned toward Leo, who was focused with his head slightly bowed. No. No. Even saying no, it ended up like this in the end. If only he’d known a little faster, it would have been good….
He wouldn’t have gone on a trip together, wouldn’t have eaten together, and would have cut off anything that could mix public and private matters at the root.
Somehow today, how remarkably handsome and upright he is. Pomade is good, but it seems even better when his forehead is naturally revealed like now. Still, having his bangs all down definitely makes him look younger. His hair is natural color, and his eye color is a mysterious green like an aurora. Being pure white without a speck makes him seem even more noble.
Without realizing it, placing his hand on his lower abdomen, Hyedam, who had been stealing glances at Leo, was scrutinizing him carefully from some point on.
Since he’d stuck with him longer than before, he’d be able to remember him longer. Because there were more things they did together, there would be more to reminisce about. Since he wasn’t trying to forcibly forget or resent him, he could treasure it more preciously.
It would be good if he’d lift his head just a little more. Hidden by his straight and high nose bridge, his lips weren’t visible well.
“Are you going to look more?”
“Ah, what?”
Hyedam, who had been focusing and staring at Leo’s nose tip and jawline, shook his head slightly and answered.
“My face. How long are you going to just keep staring like that?”
When Leo straightened his bent upper body and lifted his head, the lips and lower face he wanted to see were completely revealed. A moment ago. Instead of the cold face he’d seen, at Leo’s face with the peaceful smile he always saw on it, Hyedam flinched and pulled his body inward on the sofa.
“I’m really genuinely curious, so I’m asking, but how do you feel after speaking to me so coldly and heartlessly like that? I can’t do it twice. Our poor thing told me to only work until 6 o’clock, so I tried to do it, but my heart is uncomfortable so I can’t.”
Ah….
The moment he realized that appearance just now wasn’t being angry at him, a sigh flowed from Hyedam’s mouth. A sense of relief rushed in at the fact that that heavy atmosphere wasn’t scolding him. He hadn’t thought at all that his every gesture, every word he brought out would shake him this much.
Now he had to pull out his feet, but he’d do as he pleased. He’d do as he wanted. He’d only enjoy it—though he’d resolved and resolved again, Leo had dug into him much deeper and wider than he thought.
