Yiyoung practically dangled from Chahyun, kissing him with sucking sounds for quite a while.
As he did so, his legs gradually began to tremble. Even so, not wanting to separate from Chahyun, he was tensing his legs to hold on when he heard an urgent male voice.
“Chahyun-ah.”
Yiyoung flinched and pulled his lips away, shrinking back.
Without realizing it, he curled up as if hiding in that large embrace, and felt Chahyun gently wrap his hand around the back of his head. Chahyun made a gesture of only turning his head from a position where Yiyoung couldn’t be seen at all. Chahyun asked the man bluntly.
“What?”
“About meeting with Woohee-ssi, I really was going to tell you.”
It seemed to be the man who had been with Baek Woohee earlier. Judging by the atmosphere, he appeared to be Chahyun’s friend. Fortunately, from the angle where the friend was standing, Yiyoung seemed invisible.
Since revealing himself now would be truly awkward, Yiyoung quietly held his breath. As he did, he could hear the pounding heartbeat beneath the firm chest against his right ear growing faster and faster. Yiyoung suppressed a laugh that was about to burst out.
“Why are you telling me that?”
“Huh? Obviously…”
“Something that has nothing to do with me.”
“That’s true, but.”
Chahyun’s heartbeat grew even more intense. Yiyoung raised his gaze, puzzled.
Somehow he seemed eager to cut off his friend’s words, which was bewildering. His expression was completely flustered, unlike his low, subdued voice. Chahyun was glaring wide-eyed at his friend while his lips hurriedly spewed out soundless words. Among them, Yiyoung only caught the words ‘shut up.’
What’s this? Curious, Yiyoung slyly poked his face out from beside Chahyun’s shoulder.
The friend with a somewhat naive impression was looking down at the floor sullenly and scratching the side of his head. Perhaps because of that, unlike Yiyoung, he seemed unable to read Chahyun’s ‘shut up’ signal.
The man continued speaking.
“Still, she’s someone you only met for an arranged date two months ago, and you left the party together last time too, didn’t you?”
In that moment, Chahyun let out a long, heavy sigh with an utterly irritated expression. Yiyoung stared up at Chahyun blankly and thought.
‘So that’s why he was cold when we ran into Baek Woohee-ssi earlier.’
Now that he thought about it, it wasn’t that he had any particular ill feelings toward Baek Woohee, but that he had frozen up from embarrassment. No matter how composed Chahyun was, it would naturally be awkward to run into an arranged date partner while with his lover.
Yiyoung’s mood, which had been soaring sky-high until just now, settled down calmly. Yiyoung hid back in Chahyun’s embrace, leaned one cheek against his chest, and hugged his waist inside his suit jacket. It was a gesture meaning not to be angry at his friend.
Whether he read the gesture well or not, Chahyun gently stroked Yiyoung’s hair and spoke to his friend in a much softer voice.
“It’s fine. I don’t care, so go on.”
“You might not, but Chairwoman Moon Igyeong…”
“You can worry about Chairwoman Moon yourself.”
Come to think of it, he had said it was an arranged date that was difficult to refuse due to the elders’ reputation.
It seemed that Chairwoman Moon Igyeong had her eye on this person called Baek Woohee as Chahyun’s potential spouse. Even to Yiyoung, who knew nothing about marriage talks in chaebol families, Baek Woohee and Chahyun seemed like a well-matched couple. Yiyoung rubbed his cheek against Chahyun’s chest and hugged his waist even tighter.
He felt Chahyun’s hand that had been stroking his hair move to cradle the back of his neck. Chahyun’s hand was trembling slightly. His voice wasn’t directed at his friend.
“You saw my lover earlier too. Do you think I’d have eyes for anyone else right now?”
Yiyoung raised his head and met eyes with Chahyun, who was staring down at him intently. His gaze was as tense as the touch on the back of his neck. Chahyun blinked repeatedly as if the focus of his pupils had blurred, and said finally.
“Go.”
Chahyun’s friend left saying they’d contact each other again, and the sound of his footsteps turning away could be heard.
After the friend’s presence had completely disappeared, Chahyun let out a long sigh as if catching his breath. Chahyun placed his hands on Yiyoung’s shoulders to separate their bodies slightly and opened his mouth.
“Yiyoung-ssi, this must be difficult for you to understand, but…”
“You don’t need to explain.”
Yiyoung spoke to Chahyun in a calm voice.
“You told me before, so I knew. So I won’t misunderstand just because Chahyun-ssi went on arranged dates while seeing me.”
Rather, it was much less painful than when he could only vaguely imagine Chahyun’s arranged date partner.
Seeing them today, Chahyun and Baek Woohee didn’t seem to have any romantic interest in each other, let alone much interest at all. If he had to say, they were so business-like that he could vaguely understand Chahyun’s words that marriage was nothing but business. Put differently, even if Yiyoung saw news of Moon Chahyun and Baek Woohee’s marriage someday, he wouldn’t be surprised.
Chahyun had a rather questioning expression at Yiyoung’s answer.
“I told you I went on arranged dates?”
“To be precise, you asked if it would be okay if you went on arranged dates. Saying it was a difficult position to refuse. And I said it was okay.”
Chahyun let out a sigh like an empty breath. It was hard to distinguish whether he was dumbfounded or frustrated. Either way, this matter was no longer a problem. Only Yiyoung’s gloomy mood was the problem.
‘With someone like that, things would work out well without forcing yourself, right?’
The current Chahyun seemed unable to understand either his twenty-eight-year-old self or Yiyoung.
“Was it really okay?”
At the time, he really thought it would be okay, and even now when his feelings were hurt, nothing would change, so Yiyoung quietly nodded. Chahyun didn’t press further either.
Come to think of it, they had been talking about eating lunch.
Yiyoung changed what he was about to say about going to a family restaurant.
“But can we go home to eat?”
Actually, his appetite had dropped. He was hungry and had no energy, but didn’t want to eat anything.
Chahyun stared at Yiyoung with a rigidly stiff expression. Perhaps he was displeased that the date he had prepared with considerable thought was ending so early. Yiyoung requested again.
“I’m a bit tired.”
“…”
Chahyun reluctantly nodded.
***
On the way back to where Chahyun had parked the car, something forgotten suddenly came to mind.
Yiyoung stopped his steps abruptly and said to Chahyun.
“Chahyun-ssi, can you wait here for a moment?”
“Why?”
Yiyoung didn’t know how to get Chahyun away and let out a short groan of “Ngh.” It was because if he said he wanted to buy something, Chahyun would obviously insist on paying again.
Yiyoung made up an excuse on the spot.
“I left my phone downstairs. I’ll be right back.”
Quick-witted Chahyun looked Yiyoung over suspiciously. But soon, thinking there was no reason for it to be a lie, he nodded. Yiyoung chuckled to himself inwardly as he got on the elevator.
Upon reaching the first floor of the department store, he headed straight for the boutique store he had marked.
It was a store displaying luxury men’s suits behind glass windows. On one side of the display stand was a set of tie pins and cufflinks. Just as he had carefully observed while pretending to wander the corridor earlier, they were simple and beautiful in design. The moment he saw them, he had been curious how they would look on Chahyun.
Having finally gotten the chance to buy a surprise gift for Chahyun, Yiyoung hurried into the store.
When he came out of the boutique, his pants pocket was bulging with a prettily wrapped box.
He was surprised that it was more expensive than expected, but it was okay. Thanks to unexpectedly getting back the money he had lent to Ki Taeseong, he had that much to spare.
Chahyun was still standing right where Yiyoung had asked him to wait.
As Yiyoung approached with a much brighter expression, Chahyun also smiled pleasantly and asked.
“Did you find your phone?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Yiyoung answered brightly. As if his mood improved along with him, Chahyun smiled even more broadly and moved his feet. When they arrived at the parking lot, Chahyun opened the passenger door first as usual.
While Chahyun sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine, Yiyoung checked the time.
Before he knew it, it was time to eat an early dinner rather than lunch. Feeling hungry again, Yiyoung asked Chahyun cheerfully.
“We’re going to my place, right? What do you want to eat?”
“Before that.”
Chahyun stopped his hand that was about to operate the car navigation and said.
“If you’ve gotten some energy back, can we stop by one more place? It’ll just be quick.”
