Haejeong glared at the employee who had missed the ashtray and jerked his chin at him. The employee blinked, bewildered, then picked up the cigarette butt and set it obediently on the ashtray. But that wasn’t all.
“Hey. You.”
He crooked a finger at a group of employees who had been clustered together chatting. They had been about to head back in, but the moment they saw Senior Managing Director Yeon, they froze up.
“Me?”
“Yeah. You.”
He kept beckoning with his index finger. The employee who’d been pointed at approached with a startled, shrunken expression.
“Why are you leaving your trash behind when you’re done eating?”
He tilted his head and asked it sideways, gesturing at the spot where the group had been standing. There sat an unfinished takeout cup, left behind without a second thought. Munyeong pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long, deep sigh. Seriously… why is he like this……. I know he’s doing it so I don’t have to work so hard…… but getting involved in every little thing like this isn’t good for Haejeong’s reputation either.
From a distance, Munyeong looked at Haejeong and gave a small, private shake of his head — a silent plea to stop. But Haejeong calmly smoked his cigarette and pretended not to notice.
And that was only part of it. Whenever Munyeong was working, Haejeong would materialize from somewhere. He’d help with his tasks, take over pushing his cart and walk alongside him — and whenever he confirmed no one was around, he’d pull him into a hidden corner and steal a kiss. His behavior with no brakes whatsoever left Munyeong at a total loss.
The same had happened just a little while ago. The scene Haejeong had caused in the lobby, in front of so many people, had nearly made Munyeong die of embarrassment. This was Munyeong’s job to begin with — and Haejeong kept encroaching on that space. He found himself worrying about other people’s eyes on top of everything. He personally didn’t mind so much — but Haejeong was a high-ranking person in this company. An executive with the title of Senior Managing Director sitting squarely on his name. Munyeong’s chest was tight with anxiety that some strange rumor might start spreading because of him.
“…Why do you keep doing this.”
The moment the office door closed, Munyeong pulled the blinds and let his discomfort show. He wasn’t angry — but there did seem to be a need to be more careful.
“What.”
Haejeong looked utterly unperturbed. As though he had done something wrong —
“……There are so many employees around. When you do things like that…”
“What about when I do things like that.”
“……Haejeong.”
“What — I’m just looking after my partner. What’s the problem.”
Haejeong became even more brazen. Munyeong’s face always went hot when he heard that word — partner. Since they’d gotten together, Haejeong had developed a serious fixation on that word.
“…Even so, wouldn’t it be better to… hold back a little in front of people…?”
Munyeong said it calmly, in a gentle, measured voice.
“What did I even do. Your hand isn’t in good shape — what if you strain it again carrying something that heavy? That alone is already driving me out of my mind….”
And on top of everything, Haejeong was intensely, excessively sensitive about Munyeong’s wrist. Sensitive and dramatic about it, in equal measure. Not long ago, Munyeong had caught his hand on something and let out a small “Ah!” — and Haejeong, mid-phone call, had come at him like an enraged animal.
‘What?!’
He came bearing down on him, eyes blazing, turning his hand over to examine it.
‘Does it hurt? Is it hurting again?’
‘Ah, no….’
‘Tell me what it feels like right now. Do you need to go to the hospital? Hm?’
He came rushing over, grabbed his hand, and made an absolute scene. He stared at him with wide, intense eyes and kept pressing.
‘This isn’t okay — I’m calling Dr. Kim.’
‘I’m fine. It’s a small cut.’
‘What if the cut makes it worse?!’
There was no chance a small cut would worsen the underlying condition — but Haejeong panicked and literally stamped his feet. Whenever things didn’t go the way he wanted with Munyeong, he had a habit of stomping his foot or slamming his hand against the floor.
‘……That’s not going to happen…….’
‘Not going to happen my ass. If it gets worse, is that on you?’
Haejeong scolded him with burning eyes. If it got worse, it would naturally be Munyeong’s own problem to deal with — so of course it was on him — but Haejeong was beside himself, as if he were the one in pain.
At first, that side of Haejeong had been surprising and funny. But as it repeated itself, Munyeong was gradually starting to feel something closer to bashfulness. He’d been fine before — had dealt with far worse in his life — but Haejeong was constantly on edge, terrified Munyeong might break, might deteriorate.
This moment was no different from those times. The sight of him making a fuss over his health was something that should have been getting easier to get used to — but it wasn’t. Maybe it was because someone worrying about him like this was so rare to begin with. He found it hard to adjust to.
“I’m really fine….”
“When the words ‘I’m fine’ come out of your mouth, I don’t believe them.”
“……If it hurts, I’ll say so. I’ve dealt with worse than this.”
“Exactly — you’ve put yourself through hell and back, which is probably why it never healed properly.”
Haejeong shot back petulantly, like a child throwing a sulk. Munyeong didn’t not understand it. He knew Haejeong carried an enormous amount of guilt over his wrist. The oversensitivity stemmed from that guilt. No matter how many hundreds of times Munyeong said he was fine, Haejeong wouldn’t easily believe it. It was more accurate to say he refused to. On this particular subject, Haejeong was always angry. That the anger was directed at himself — not at Munyeong — was something Munyeong could feel clearly. It made him ache a little, looking at him. As if he’d been the one to plant an undeserved guilt in Haejeong for no reason.
“…I lived well.”
“…….”
“…You know that.”
Munyeong smiled faintly and continued, as if gently soothing him. Haejeong had his temper cooled by the sight of Munyeong — of all people — being the one to soothe him. Every time he thought about that hand, a simmering, sporadic anger surged up. He was furious at his own pathetic past self for not knowing anything, not seeing anything.
“…Come here.”
Haejeong beckoned with his hand. He’d realized, quietly, that he’d been taking it out on the wrong person again — and said it low, without fanfare. Munyeong went to him, putting up a token show of reluctance. Haejeong’s long arms stretched out from behind. As he pulled him into an embrace from the back, a warm heat spread directly across Munyeong’s back.
“……I’m not angry.”
He said it flatly, rubbing the tip of his nose into Munyeong’s hair. Munyeong smiled faintly and nodded.
“I know….”
“I can’t help it.”
“……Still…… I think you’re being a little… too sensitive about things.”
Munyeong muttered it tentatively, voice barely above a crawl. Haejeong’s eyebrow twitched — and suddenly he released his arms and turned Munyeong around to face him.
“I’m being sensitive?”
He gripped his shoulders, looking genuinely incredulous, and asked. Munyeong raised a finger and answered, timid.
“……A l-little…?”
“Ha. When have I ever.”
“……Earlier in front of the employees, for one…….”
“What — I did one thing for you and that’s what you call it.”
Haejeong shot back with the face of a man who had been deeply wronged. He’d been holding himself back as it was — and apparently that still counted as being oversensitive. He looked like he genuinely couldn’t believe it.
“……And the way you keep pointing things out to the employees in the smoking room earlier…….”
“No, what the hell — someone is out here cleaning and people are throwing trash on the floor? How is that okay?”
Haejeong turned it right back around. He wasn’t wrong — but that he was overstepping was plain for anyone to see. Munyeong wanted to reason with him gently, somehow — but Haejeong showed no signs of backing down whatsoever.
“If you tell someone not to leave their food behind, what — is that asking the janitor to clean it up for them?!”
Haejeong ground it out between his teeth. And he was right. It was the cleaner’s job to clean up. But the look on his face said he couldn’t accept that as a simple given. Munyeong was left so stunned he had no words. Stunned enough that a laugh broke out of him. Anyone watching would think he was completely out of his mind, lovesick beyond all reason.
It suddenly hit Munyeong, and he stared at him with dazed eyes. Right — what did a moment of embarrassment or awkwardness matter in the grand scheme of things? Someone like this existed for him now.
Someone who looked out for him like this, who worried about him like this…. Wanting too much at once could tip things over. Munyeong gave in again. He didn’t think he’d ever win for as long as this lasted — but giving in was what brought the easier peace.
“Still… don’t go overboard.”
