Three meetings was woefully insufficient time to understand each other. While continuing their meal, the two shared personal information they hadn’t known before. Before they knew it, the main course was cleared and tea and a slice of cake came out for dessert.
“There’s one more thing I’m curious about.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you quit school?”
Yu-shin, who had been smiling well, stiffened his expression for a moment. He immediately raised the corners of his mouth again, but the awkward smile was clearly visible to Jun-wan’s eyes.
“Are you curious about that?”
“It’s rare to drop out of middle school.”
“Mm… I want to keep it a secret.”
Jun-wan crossed his arms. His firm posture showed that he couldn’t let it slide with that kind of answer.
I’m in trouble.
Yu-shin sighed inwardly. To escape that shrewd and tenacious man’s investigative net, he had no choice but to put himself down. A ground-sinking sigh also came out of his mouth.
“…I’m actually bad at studying.”
“……”
“Yangban families have high expectations, you know. I was embarrassed at the thought of being last in class.”
Yu-shin’s face actually grew redder and redder. He made up anything randomly, but the person sitting across from him happened to be a prodigy with a doctoral degree. He felt like how pathetic he must look. Belated regret arose.
“I see.”
However, Jun-wan passed it off as not particularly significant. He just moistened his mouth with warm green tea.
Yu-shin pressed his flushed cheeks with the back of his hand and glanced sideways. Whether his face turned red or he confessed an absurd secret, Park Jun-wan didn’t care in the slightest. It was unexpected when it would be worth mocking.
This person doesn’t bother to dig up others’ faults. He has manners ingrained in him, but he’s not the type to display them either.
Yu-shin liked Jun-wan’s indifference. As for his cold personality, since his own personality was dull, he felt like he could accept it as much as needed.
Maybe we’ll become good partners.
The corners of his mouth rose on their own. The awkward smile was erased and only pure anticipation remained on Yu-shin’s face.
Returning to the room, they each showered and gathered in the bedroom. On the pure white sheets, the still-burdensome flower petals were forming a heart.
When Yu-shin flicked them away with his hand, Jun-wan picked up the petals that fell to the floor one by one and threw them in the trash. He’s really meticulous. Yu-shin watched with fascination as the man didn’t handle even a single piece of trash carelessly.
“It’s okay if we share the bed, right?”
“I don’t mind.”
It was a pre-agreed part. Fortunately, both had no aversion to using one bed. Though there was no one watching, the reason for sleeping together was to get used to each other.
The bed was a size spacious enough for four adults to lie down. Probably the bed brought into the newlywed home would be similar to this.
The soft light of the bedside lamp gently soaked the surroundings. Lying still and looking at the ceiling, Yu-shin’s mood was strange. The wedding ceremony was just a few hours ago, and now he was lying under one blanket with that man.
Both the presence of the person beside him and the sound of breathing were equally unfamiliar. Yu-shin wiggled his toes at the awkward feeling.
“It’s plain for a wedding night.”
“What were you expecting?”
“No, it’s not that…”
At that moment, rustling sounds came from the side. Jun-wan, who had been lying down, sat up.
“……”
A long shadow fell over Yu-shin’s face. Jun-wan’s tilted upper body was almost mounted on Yu-shin’s body.
Uh… huh? What are you doing right now?
His body stiffened involuntarily. Yu-shin had no sexual experience, but he wasn’t oblivious either. The words he’d thrown out as a joke must have caused a misunderstanding. His head even went dull at the sign of skinship that arrived without mental preparation.
‘If he tries any indecent things, just bite him.’
He remembered Chief Manager Min’s advice. Though he’d laughed it off at the time thinking it was nonsense, now that it was actually happening, his eyes went dark.
The approaching face smelled strongly of soap. His sharp jawline was right in front of his nose. Far from biting, Yu-shin couldn’t even breathe. Just as he was swallowing his saliva, click—
Jun-wan pressed the switch on the wall. The bedside lamp that had been lighting the room went out all at once.
When it became pitch black, he lay back down in his place. The sound of the blanket rustling could be heard.
“I can’t sleep when it’s bright.”
“……”
“I’m going straight to work tomorrow. I have to leave early, so Kim Yu-shin ssi can rest until checkout.”
“Yeeess…”
With those words, the conversation ended. Even breathing could be heard from the side.
While someone was comfortably falling asleep, only Yu-shin couldn’t control his trembling heart.
Wow, I thought he was going to kiss me.
His eardrums even tingled from his pounding heartbeat. His heart trembling this much was surely because it was absurd and embarrassing. Yu-shin pulled the blanket he was clutching up to his nose. He hoped Park Jun-wan didn’t know that he’d gotten his hopes up for nothing.
2 From One to Ten
A car entered the Innovation Research Center. The driver’s door of the car, which had finished parking neatly in the designated area, opened.
Jun-wan, who had gotten out and was gathering his things, paused for a moment. Up to the wedding ring and the gift watch. His left hand, heavier than usual, caught his eye.
Without hesitation, Jun-wan took off the watch. He roughly shoved the expensive luxury watch into his pants pocket. As for the ring… well, that couldn’t be helped.
His steps headed familiarly to the research lab. As soon as he opened the door, dozens of gazes flew over. The researchers who’d been out since early morning preparing for work were all looking in one direction at once.
“Good morning, sunbae-nim.”
“Good morning.”
Jun-wan replied briefly and crossed the research lab. He naturally didn’t give even a glance to his juniors who were grinning with curious eyes.
Though he’d only been away for one day, documents requiring immediate review were piled up like a tower on Jun-wan’s desk. Jun-wan took off his jacket, hung it on the back of his chair, and changed the status board that said absent to present.
Even while he sat down and turned on the computer, the clinging gazes didn’t cease. Everyone was curious. The devil’s marriage news was hot news even within the research center.
However, Jun-wan consistently ignored them. Since his attitude was as difficult to approach as usual, to the point where one would wonder how he could be a newlywed who just got married yesterday, the researchers couldn’t do anything besides glancing.
“Oh, the newlywed’s here?”
A rough voice rang out. It was Seon-jong, the most senior person in the research lab.
Choi Seon-jong was five years older than Park Jun-wan and one year his senior in years of service. Since Jun-wan and he had rolled together from graduate school to postdoc, they could be said to have the closest relationship.
Seon-jong walked over dragging his slippers. Having been on overnight duty the night before, his back hair was slightly sticking up and dark circles were full under his eyes.
Though it would be fine for him to leave work right away, the only reason he bothered to visit the research lab was one thing. Seon-jong handed him an iced coffee and sat on Jun-wan’s desk.
“Hey, spill some details.”
“Aren’t you going home?”
“I waited until you came. How could I go home when I’m so curious?”
The research lab was silent. It was because everyone had their ears open listening. While mechanically performing their assigned work, all their attention was directed at Jun-wan.
“……”
Jun-wan irritably tousled his bangs. Even gulping down the iced coffee didn’t ease his frustration.
“Nothing much happened.”
“Hmm, is that really so?”
Though Jun-wan shot him a withering look, Seon-jong just grinned. He was originally on casual terms with Park Jun-wan. While others cowered and watched Jun-wan’s mood, to Seon-jong his prickliness was just something to laugh off.
“I’m already upset about not getting invited to the wedding, and now you’re going to clam up? That’s not like you.”
“Didn’t you receive the return gift?”
“Ah, thanks for that. Wow… I’ve lived this long and that was the first time I’ve ever tasted yakgwa that delicious.”
Seon-jong smacked his lips, reminiscing. Perhaps because it was a yangban family return gift, the traditional confections carefully wrapped one by one in fine hanji paper were indeed heavenly flavors that money couldn’t buy.
Park Jun-wan, whom he glanced at sideways, was still checking today’s schedule with a bland expression. That heavy mouth won’t open. Choi Seon-jong tapped Jun-wan’s knee with his leg.
“You know your photos are circulating all over the internet right now, right?”
“……”
“You went to a hotel yesterday and stayed the night.”
“What are you curious about?”
