He didn’t understand most of it — but there was one thing he could. Even someone as oblivious and dense as himself could understand that one thing, buried within all that boiling fury.
“Talking about a fountain pen. Shit, what’s that even worth. Using something that isn’t even his to pull that kind of power trip——”
“……You’re worried.”
The torrent of curses came to a stop at Munyeong’s quiet murmur. He could feel the intensity of Yeon Haejeong’s gaze — still unable to steady his heaving breath — fixed on him. The focused stare, the weight of his attention, pressed against his skin and raised a strange chill.
“……You’re worried about me, aren’t you?”
When you stripped away everything he’d done, the simple answer was just one thing. He was furious — and even someone as dense as himself could feel it plainly — furious, and worried about him. A heaviness settled into his chest. It sank all the way down and pooled there, low and slow. The moment he looked at that desperate face, that was the feeling that came over him.
“……”
“……”
What was more startling was that Yeon Haejeong — who would obviously be expected to snap back with don’t make me laugh — had gone completely quiet. With that personality of his, he should have been making a scene, insisting why would I worry about someone like you — but Yeon Haejeong only ground his back teeth together. Like someone caught off guard by a blow he hadn’t seen coming, he hesitated — then raised the sharp edge of his eyes again and spoke.
“……Worried, my ass. I’m angry. Can’t you tell? I’m fucking furious right now.”
“……”
“You said you were hurting, and you’re just getting beaten around?”
“……”
“And by some, shit, pathetic little——”
Ugh, fuck! Yeon Haejeong, losing the battle with his own temper, kicked the glass table this time and kept going, his voice thick with barely controlled rage.
“You said you were sick! Shit — if you’re sick, stay the hell home and rot there.”
“……”
“What are you doing dragging yourself back out to work already. Idiot.”
It was a harsh thing to say, but Munyeong couldn’t make sense of it. Every bit of griping and temper that came out of him — it all felt like worry over him. Munyeong could only stare at him with a somewhat dazed expression. And still, even through all of it, his voice kept coming.
“I was genuinely trying not to get involved. Huh?”
“……”
“Getting beaten around like an idiot, looking like that — I just, I couldn’t help it. Huh?”
At the rambling, disjointed words, Munyeong — who had only been staring blankly — let something slip without meaning to.
“……I really……”
“What?”
At Munyeong’s low, almost trance-like murmur, Yeon Haejeong’s brow snapped together as he asked back. Munyeong swallowed against his dry, scratchy throat and spoke quietly.
“Do you really…… not…… like me……”
“……”
“……Is that right?”
At the question that hung there after a long hesitation, Yeon Haejeong — who had been mid-step — lurched in surprise and nearly lost his footing. He barely managed to catch himself before going down, but the way he’d stumbled and bobbled was quite something to behold. Munyeong, who had been watching without a trace of amusement, slowly went wide-eyed and clapped his own hand over his mouth. He had only registered what he’d just said after it was already out.
“……”
“……”
Again. Another unbearable silence settled over them. Munyeong had put the question out into the air himself, and yet the reaction still startled him — he exhaled in small, shallow breaths. At the quiet response, Munyeong couldn’t hide the embarrassment creeping over his face, and moved to turn away first.
“……Pl-please forget what I just——”
And just as he reached for the door handle to flee — bang! A shadow fell over him as the door slammed violently shut above his head. Blocked from any escape, Munyeong carefully turned around. And found himself looking directly up at Yeon Haejeong — one hand braced against the door beside his face, staring down at him with an unreadable intensity.
“Then.”
A blunt, flat voice dropped down from above.
“Then what are you going to do about it.”
At the answer that said go ahead and try me, Munyeong blinked his eyes dumbly.
“I said, what are you going to do about it.”
Ah……
Munyeong, still not quite feeling the reality of this floating, untethered sensation, smiled an awkward smile and pieced his words together haltingly.
“……You’re, joking around…… again.”
Because I’m dense.
Because I’m an idiot. Easy to mess with.
The sound of swallowing against a dry throat rang out clearly in the tension. A drumming sound, like something being struck, drifted faintly — and they were so attuned to each other that neither could even tell where it was coming from.
Standing so close, facing each other for a long moment, their breathing grew loud enough to move their chests. Just as the closeness and the strange silence began to make the tension between them quietly unbearable — he, who had been silent for so long, pulled one corner of his mouth into a crooked line.
“……Ha.”
“……”
“What are you. You actually look like you were hoping for something.”
Then he let out that characteristic scoff of his and continued. He murmured a low laugh and added, his tone incredulous:
“It’s a pride thing. Shit — some guy who works under me.”
“……”
“Taking that kind of garbage talk and just standing there like an idiot, getting knocked around.”
The voice saying those words was strangely, unnervingly low. In any other moment he would have been more agitated in tone, more worked up — but this time he continued in a noticeably quieter voice, his eyes calmer than usual, yet heavier.
“Not a kid, going around saying things like I like you every five minutes.”
“……”
“Seems like you’ve been under some delusion ever since that one night.”
“……”
“I told you. Whether I have feelings or not, it doesn’t matter to me. I can sleep with anyone — not just you.”
His words and his actions were such a contradiction. He got angry, and yet helped him. Said he didn’t like him at all, and yet looked after him when he was sick — paid attention to him, worried about him. That night they spent together — he had kissed him with such fervor, as if he genuinely felt something, had pressed their bodies together all night long as if separation wasn’t an option, and pursued the act with relentless focus.
And yet. Cruel words poured out — words that shattered the delusion, that dismantled the fragile, inexplicable hope that had begun to build, all at once.
“Stop deluding yourself.”
“……”
“Who do you think you are. Who do you think you are.”
His furrowed brow was visible. It was Yeon Haejeong saying the cruel things — and yet it was also Yeon Haejeong whose expression was slowly, uncomfortably twisting.
“What do you have to offer me. Huh?”
“……”
“Going around getting beaten up every other day.”
He had sensed that Yeon Haejeong’s words and actions were contradictory — but hearing it said out loud directly was a different thing. No matter how contradictory it all seemed, not being able to believe it was only natural. From the start, they were people standing in entirely different places. To Munyeong, he was someone impossibly high above — even standing in the same space, their worlds were too far apart. There must be no shortage of better people around him, and Munyeong had always thought there was no reason he would ever choose someone like him. He had thought that since they were in school.
Munyeong let out a bitter smile, as if he’d known all along it would come to this. It’s for the best — and yet one side of his chest was stinging. It shouldn’t sting. He had no heart left to be hurt anymore. Munyeong quietly lowered his gaze. It seemed like the thing he’d been afraid would happen had now come to pass. The heart really is a stubborn thing. Munyeong exhaled a silent, resigned breath and slowly lifted his head, meeting Yeon Haejeong’s eyes with the same composed steadiness as always.
“……I’m sorry.”
“……”
“I……overstepped.”
Munyeong drew the line politely and gave a brief, quiet bow. The tip of Yeon Haejeong’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
“……And. Thank you for today.”
