Secretary A Team, which looks after Kang Hojun — the Chairman and head of all of KK Corporation — and Secretary B Team, which looks after the troublemaker Kang Yeonkyu, who everyone fully expects to one day succeed Kang Hojun as Chairman. Gu Jongyeol belonged to Secretary B Team.
And the situation in the Apparel Division wasn’t all that different. This guy in front of him now — Yeom Haeryong — was, as far as Gu Jongyeol knew, the team leader of the Apparel Division’s Secretary B Team, and that Secretary B Team trailed after Yeo Mujin, the heir of Jinjupa, like a shadow.
This bastard grates on me.
Gu Jongyeol’s face creased at the sight of Yeom Haeryong picking a fight with him the moment he laid eyes on him. Being an alpha and all, Yeom Haeryong made a habit of looking down on Gu Jongyeol — the “beta” who looked after Kang Yeonkyu — every chance he got.
Gu Jongyeol stared at Yeom Haeryong as he smirked and simpered “And what brings you here?”, then opened his mouth.
“What do you mean, what brings me here. The Young Master asked me to come pay a visit on his behalf.”
“On his behalf? If those two are so close, why didn’t he come in per——aaagh!”
Just as Yeom Haeryong scoffed dismissively at Gu Jongyeol’s response, he suddenly pitched forward — and Gu Jongyeol quickly stepped aside.
Someone had hit Yeom Haeryong in the back, sending him stumbling into the wall. The impact was loud enough that Yeom Haeryong let out a wail and grabbed his head — and the reaction gave even Gu Jongyeol goosebumps.
“Jongyeol hyung. What brings you here?”
Gu Jongyeol was watching Yeom Haeryong’s dramatic display when he sensed someone approaching and snapped his head around.
What the——
Yeo Mujin, with all four limbs perfectly intact, was looking down at him with those wide eyes of his.
He wasn’t hurt?
Gu Jongyeol was considerably thrown for a moment.
“Oh? Don’t tell me…… did you bring that for me?”
“What? Oh.”
Gu Jongyeol lifted the fruit basket he had unconsciously lowered at some point. Yeo Mujin immediately reached out as if he’d been waiting for it.
“Hand it over, please. And come on in. This way!”
Gu Jongyeol stared at Yeo Mujin — dressed in a patient’s gown, receiving the fruit basket and rose bouquet from him and beckoning him inside like a host greeting a guest.
“Well then. Excuse me.”
“Not at all. I was getting bored. I’m really glad you came, hyung.”
Yeo Mujin smiled brightly and led Jongyeol inside the hospital room. Gu Jongyeol sensed something was off but found himself walking in anyway.
[Word is his arm and leg are broken — hyung, you didn’t actually do anything to him when you were dropping him off last night, right?]
Young Master.
What exactly do you know correctly.
Gu Jongyeol resented Kang Yeonkyu, who was by now probably in the middle of going at it with some omega. Kang Yeonkyu had clearly gotten the wrong information somehow. There was no other explanation.
“Your arm, your leg…… they’re not broken?”
Gu Jongyeol ended up saying what he’d been thinking out loud. At that, Yeo Mujin went “Pardon?” and looked genuinely baffled — and Gu Jongyeol let out a dry cough. Then Yeo Mujin gave a small “Ah” of understanding and smiled.
“I think I had a bit too much to drink last night — must’ve been in a good mood. When I woke up this morning my whole body was aching. I’d booked the hospital room to get checked over…… haha. Looks like Yeonkyu went overboard again. You’re an incredibly busy person, Jongyeol hyung, and yet you came all the way here to visit.”
Gu Jongyeol’s chest stung a little.
I’m sorry.
When you thought about it, the reason Yeo Mujin was aching all over was entirely down to Gu Jongyeol’s kick. If Gu Jongyeol hadn’t hit him that hard last night, there would have been nothing wrong with him at all.
“Team Leader Yeom. Now that Jongyeol hyung is here, you can head out.”
“Excuse me? Young Master. I’ve barely been here five minutes.”
“I said, go.”
“……Understood.”
Yeom Haeryong, Team Leader of the Apparel Division’s Secretary B Team, bowed his head at Yeo Mujin’s firm tone, then shot Gu Jongyeol a brief glare before closing the door to VIP Room 2 and walking out. Watching his sullen exit, Gu Jongyeol felt mildly sheepish and muttered:
“Did you really need to kick Team Leader Yeom out like that?”
Yeo Mujin smiled.
“You’re here, hyung. And I see Team Leader Yeom every day anyway.”
I…… see.
“Oh, hyung. You brought really expensive fruit. Isn’t this from a department store?”
Gu Jongyeol couldn’t exactly say that he’d picked out expensive fruit because he felt guilty over possibly being the reason Yeo Mujin was hospitalized in the first place. He just let out a vague laugh, and Yeo Mujin, stealing glances at him, picked up an apple and said “Shall I peel this for you?”
“Oh, you don’t have to, I can——”
“No, no. You took precious time out of your day to come — of course I should treat you properly.”
Well, if you insist.
Gu Jongyeol watched as Yeo Mujin, smiling pleasantly, produced a small fruit knife from somewhere and began peeling the apple in smooth, steady strokes.
It’s a relief he’s alright, but.
There’s something I haven’t seen before.
Yeo Mujin had his head tilted slightly downward, which had caused a silver-framed pair of glasses to slide down to the tip of his nose.
“Hey. You wear glasses?”
Yeo Mujin looked up.
“I was looking at something for a bit before you arrived, hyung.”
There was a slim laptop on the side of his bed. Right then. Gu Jongyeol gave a small nod and looked back at Yeo Mujin.
The crisp sound of Yeo Mujin peeling the apple rang through the quiet hospital room.
Ahem.
Uncomfortable.
He’d somehow ended up coming to visit, but Gu Jongyeol had never been particularly fond of Yeo Mujin to begin with. The reason was those sticky, lingering looks Yeo Mujin occasionally sent his way — whenever he met those eyes, something about it felt strange.
Two minutes max. That’s my limit.
Gu Jongyeol began counting the seconds, slowly.
“I didn’t think you’d actually come visit me, hyung.”
“Oh yeah.”
“Actually, yesterday — I think I saw you in a dream.”
“Did you.”
Yeo Mujin stole a glance at Gu Jongyeol as he answered flatly, and laughed shyly. Whether he did or he didn’t, Gu Jongyeol counted thirty seconds.
“Hyung. Me — I finally turned twenty-two……”
Sixty seconds.
“There’s a promise you made with me a while back, do you by any chance remember——”
One hundred seconds.
Fuck, I’ve hit my limit.
“Mujin!”
“Yes?”
“Sorry, but I have to get going.”
“……What?”
Yeo Mujin’s eyes went wide as Gu Jongyeol — who had shown up unannounced in the first place — abruptly stood up to leave. Gu Jongyeol felt a little bad, but there was nothing to be done.
I’ve always hated hospitals by nature.
And being alone with you even more.
