Yu-shin’s lips jutted out sharply. He glared in his own way, saying he was being glared at again. A sigh escaped Jun-wan’s lips. Conversation was meaningless. He simply extended his arms and lifted Yu-shin up.
He’d expected resistance, but Yu-shin let his body go limp more obediently than expected.
Slinging him over his shoulder like a sack of grain, he headed toward the car parked in front of the lobby. Just then, Song Hyun-woo was coming out of the lobby. As soon as he saw Yu-shin being handled like baggage, he ran over with quick steps.
“Oh! Is Yu-shin okay? Is something wrong with him?”
“He’s very drunk.”
“Ah… right. He’s not usually this weak with alcohol.”
Song Hyun-woo stuck by his side to the end. Wouldn’t it be better to make him drink water, wouldn’t it be better to carry him properly? He interfered more than necessary.
Then he tried to take Yu-shin away. Jun-wan twisted his upper body and simply refused Song Hyun-woo’s help. At the unexpected behavior, Song Hyun-woo gave an awkward smile.
“It’s not that… you must be busy, I’ll take him. I called a designated driver and he said he’s almost here….”
“I’ll take him.”
Jun-wan answered briefly and opened the passenger door. He threw Yu-shin in carelessly, then fastened the seatbelt firmly.
Force went into the hand slamming the door shut. Jun-wan straightened his back and circled the hood without hesitation. Before getting in the driver’s seat, he caught his breath for a moment. The way he exhaled, making his bangs flutter, looked for all the world like someone thoroughly angry.
“I’ll be going ahead.”
Jun-wan gave a courteous greeting to Song Hyun-woo and opened the car door. Though his face looked like it might burst any moment, it was amazing that he maintained courtesy to the end. Soon the car escaped the line of vehicles and left the hotel.
On the way home, Yu-shin opened his eyes from time to time. Seeing that the person sitting next to him was Jun-wan, he sighed once, then turned his dizzy head from the alcohol and let out another long sigh.
“…What about the professors?”
Unlike earlier, he spoke formally, but the slow manner of speech was proof Yu-shin was still drunk. Jun-wan gripped the steering wheel with one hand and pulled down his tie knot slightly.
“I delegated the meal to another colleague. I have to take Kim Yu-shin home and go back.”
“…Why did you follow me out?”
“……”
“Didn’t you not want to see me?”
Jun-wan glanced sideways. Yu-shin wasn’t questioning him but really asking because he was curious. His body leaning against the seat had no strength at all, and he was rubbing his eyes as if sleepy.
Jun-wan touched his neck again. Even though the tie was already loosened, the stuffy feeling wouldn’t go away.
Everything was because of the true feelings Kim Yu-shin had revealed while drunk. Though he’d responded nonchalantly, that didn’t mean he hadn’t taken any damage at all.
The morning quarrel was actually a fight triggered by something trivial. If Kim Yu-shin had really wanted to show off his wealth or was a person who acted selfishly, he would have ignored Jun-wan’s taste and workplace norms.
As if proving this, the clothes filling the closet contained delicate consideration. What Jun-wan had been angry about was simply that he was displeased by Yu-shin’s excessive spending being poured out even on him.
Stopping Kim Yu-shin from greeting the professors… yes, that was a bit childish behavior. Even then, Jun-wan had been in a somewhat bad mood. He acknowledged that he’d acted emotionally without distinguishing between public and private matters.
The reason he’d kicked away from the important gathering was because he was worried about Kim Yu-shin. Even after returning to his seat after the brief encounter, Jun-wan couldn’t take his eyes off him until Yu-shin left the restaurant.
His expression that seemed more subdued than usual, his steps he couldn’t control properly—these caught his eye even from a distance. Even though there was clearly someone right there supporting him, he couldn’t just sit by and watch.
So in the end, wasn’t he the one taking him home? Honestly speaking, he had no regrets. He’d only done what should be done.
“I never thought you looked unsightly.”
“…Park Jun-wan, you hate me.”
“Kim Yu-shin seems to have a lot of grievances against me.”
“……”
“That said, drinking in the afternoon until you’re drunk isn’t something you did well.”
“More nagging… I’m sleepy. Scold me later.”
Yu-shin tilted his head toward the car window. He closed his eyes with his forehead pressed against the hard door trim. He couldn’t overcome the drunkenness. A strong champagne scent emanated from his slow, long exhale.
Jun-wan focused on driving in silence. His gaze was directed forward, but all sorts of thoughts floated around in his head.
Kim Yu-shin, who seemed thoughtless about everything, was apparently quite frustrated inside too. It seemed he was experiencing stress in his own way because of Jun-wan, who wasn’t affectionate, didn’t speak a single kind word, and didn’t dote on him like other people.
“……”
How could people who lived their own lives for decades and formed a marital bond overnight get along lovingly? Far from building affection, the days were burdensome just trying to get to know each other.
Didn’t both he and Yu-shin anticipate that this married life wouldn’t be easy? To properly establish the form of a couple, they still needed a bit more time.
After parking, he spent some time. Even breathing came from the passenger seat.
Jun-wan twisted his upper body at an angle with his arm draped over the steering wheel. At the low call of “Kim Yu-shin,” Yu-shin showed no reaction.
Though he shook him again, he’d already completely passed out drunk. Waiting any longer was meaningless, so Jun-wan finally unfastened his seatbelt.
He opened the passenger door and lifted up the limp body. Perhaps because he’d organized his thoughts, the manner of taking care of Yu-shin was better than before.
He entered the house following the passage connected to the garage. The house in the midst of final construction was truly pandemonium.
“Oh my! Young master! Oh my, what’s this! Did something happen?”
Chief Manager Min, who’d come down to the first floor, was shocked as soon as she saw the drooping Yu-shin. To her, who was more alarmed than necessary, Jun-wan gave a brief silent bow.
“He’s asleep.”
“Give the young master to me, I’ll attend to him.”
“It’s fine.”
Why does Kim Yu-shin’s family make such a fuss about not being the one to take care of Kim Yu-shin? Jun-wan lightly dismissed her request and walked on.
The bedroom on the second floor was quick to reach. After laying him on the bed, he also carefully covered him with the blanket. Having finished what he needed to do, Jun-wan straightened his back and looked down at the sleeping face.
There was no movement, to the point he wondered if he’d fainted. Looking quietly, he really looked like a dead person. Jun-wan unconsciously extended his index finger and brought it under Yu-shin’s nose. Warm breath moistened his fingertip.
Chief Manager Min couldn’t bring herself to enter the couple’s bedroom and stamped her feet in front of the doorway. Her worry about Yu-shin subsided only when Jun-wan closed the bedroom door and came out.
“He didn’t faint, did he?”
“No. He’s perfectly fine.”
Chief Manager Min bit her thumbnail and couldn’t take her eyes off the firmly closed door. Only belatedly did she realize she was facing Jun-wan. She hastily straightened her posture.
“My name is Min Ae-gyeong. I work at Minister Kim Dae-geon’s house. At young master Yu-shin’s request, I’ll be in charge of this household for the time being.”
“I heard about it. I’m Park Jun-wan.”
They exchanged names in the hallway. Actually, this wasn’t the first meeting with Chief Manager Min. They’d passed each other once at the palace and saw each other at the wedding venue. The formal greeting was quite delayed.
The possibility of Chief Manager Min, who only stopped by during the day, and Park Jun-wan, who returned in the evening, meeting at home was extremely rare. But in preparation for any eventuality, the two exchanged phone numbers. They could only hope there’d be no reason to contact each other.
Even at a time like this, the sound of banging something echoed from downstairs. The rough voices of the workers also contributed to increasing the noise. Jun-wan’s nerves naturally focused downward.
He came down the stairs without hesitation. He found someone who appeared to be the construction supervisor and talked to him.
“If you can’t reduce the noise, please withdraw now.”
At the firm instruction, the supervisor seemed dumbfounded. Isn’t construction naturally noisy? But at Jun-wan’s words that he’d cover both the workers’ daily wages and the delay costs, they put down their work.
Chief Manager Min was watching that scene from a distance. Park Jun-wan had said he needed to go back out. For such a person to stop the construction could only be to let Yu-shin sleep comfortably.
So he is a husband after all. It was the moment the latch on Chief Manager Min’s heart opened. A smile spread across her face. She approached with quick steps and saw Jun-wan off to the entrance.
“Will you be late?”
“I think I’ll be back around 8. …Your work will end a bit late, but I’ll ask just for today.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of young master Yu-shin.”
