“I’m sorry. I got lost and was waiting on the wrong side the whole time.”
A hushed voice echoed through the emergency stairwell.
“…Come inside for a moment.”
A low voice followed, reverberating through the narrow passage. Yeonjun hurried in. He glanced around self-consciously and studied Beomwook’s expression. The dim lighting of the space didn’t help — but it also brought back the look on Beomwook’s face when he’d first spoken to him at the café. Those features, and every muscle in his face, were locked into place like a stone statue. It wasn’t easy to get used to.
“Sorry for getting lost. But you didn’t need to worry — there was really no one around. No one following, no reporters. Oh, and the hotel staff and those people in suits too…….”
As Yeonjun’s voice trailed off smaller and smaller, Beomwook was suddenly reminded of the yellow dog he’d raised in the countryside as a child. The image of that dog digging up every last bit of soil in the pepper field where the seeds had just been planted, then whining and wagging its tail like it had done something great — it overlapped perfectly with the look in Yeonjun’s eyes.
Beomwook relaxed the furrow between his brows and spoke.
“Yeonjun. I’m not angry. You don’t need to make excuses.”
“Really? Your expression looked so bad…. I was worried.”
Beomwook paused for a moment. Worried. It was an unfamiliar word — one that almost made him feel embarrassed. He let out a short, unnecessary cough and averted his gaze from Yeonjun.
“The car? Did it arrive?”
His mood, which had seemed unlikely to lift anytime soon, had eased the moment Yeonjun appeared. Beomwook felt something ticklish stir inside him and gave a quick nod, eager to shake it off. Just before running into Yeonjun, he’d received a text from Choi Myeongjin with the location of the parked car.
“Then let’s get going, Executive Director!”
Yeonjun’s voice was bright and bouncy. Being able to stay positive and keep a light spirit even in a situation like this — that was something only he could manage.
“I’ll go out first. Just follow quietly and don’t fall behind.”
“Got it! Don’t worry. I’m good at following people too.”
Still chattering away, Yeonjun suddenly grabbed Beomwook’s wrist. By instinct, Beomwook started to pull his arm back — then he confirmed it was Yeonjun and let the tension go. Does he have something to say? Beomwook tilted his head slightly and met the eyes that were looking right back at him.
“I thought we could just hold on and walk.”
“……”
“Is that not okay, Executive Director?”
Beomwook turned back around without a word. His left arm remained given over to Yeonjun. Baek Yeonjun’s voice, that shameless ease of his — it was simply too difficult to ignore. Others would find him just as hard to refuse. Beomwook consoled himself with that thought as he slowly pushed open the emergency exit door.
＊
Just as it had been inside the Seosung Hotel, the VIP parking garage showed no sign of anyone around. If anything, it only made him feel worse — he couldn’t shake the sense that he’d walked straight into a trap laid out in advance.
“Executive Director, is this the car?”
Beomwook stopped in front of the car whose location Choi Myeongjin had sent him. It was an ordinary compact SUV — the kind that wouldn’t draw a second glance even if they drove somewhere else after leaving the garage. Beomwook gave a light nod and quickly started the engine.
“Yeonjun. We’ll move somewhere else first. We can talk after that.”
“Okay!”
The moment Beomwook confirmed Yeonjun had his seatbelt on, he pressed the accelerator and pulled out of the parking garage. After winding up a few loops of the spiral ramp, daylight finally came into view. Only then did he let out a breath of relief. His nerves had been drawn tight with worry over whether any reporters might be trailing them or taking photos.
“Executive Director. There’s no one around. Please don’t worry too much.”
When they were briefly stopped at a red light, the voice of Yeonjun — who had been sitting quietly as if holding his breath — reached him. Only then did Beomwook turn to look at him.
Had bringing Baek Yeonjun been a mistake? Or had it been a stroke of luck? The image of him clutching Beomwook’s hand and snapping back at Do Beomryeol replayed vividly in his mind. Even if their paths never crossed again after today, even if he never saw Yeonjun again — today would remain imprinted in his memory like a permanent mark.
It struck him, fleetingly, that never seeing him again might leave him just a little bit wistful. But Beomwook brought himself back to clarity. Baek Yeonjun was someone who didn’t belong in the world Beomwook lived in. What had happened today needed to end as nothing more than an unforgettable episode — for Beomwook and for Yeonjun alike.
“Yeonjun. Where do you live? I’ll head there and pay you the remaining balance we agreed on.”
Beomwook touched the navigation screen as he asked. He’d made up his mind to wrap up today’s events cleanly before any unnecessary feelings could pile on. He planned to pay Yeonjun more than the agreed balance — with something extra added on top.
Part of it was gratitude. But it was also hush money, a precaution against unintended leaks. Everything Seo Ihyeon had blurted out about the broken engagement was confidential. Even if Seo Ihyeon had genuinely believed Baek Yeonjun was his lover, Yeonjun was a civilian. If any rumors about today’s events leaked out anywhere, Baek Yeonjun would be where they started. Cunning bastard. Beomwook was certain he’d done it on purpose — running his mouth right in front of Yeonjun like that.
“Oh, right. Yeah. The money….”
But somehow, Yeonjun didn’t seem pleased about it. Was he about to ask for more? The light happened to change again just then. Beomwook pulled his hand away from the navigation screen — not a single character entered yet — and took hold of the steering wheel.
“I’ll keep going straight for now, so please enter your address into the navigation. We’ll head there right away.”
The energetic voice that should have responded immediately was, oddly, nowhere to be heard. Wondering what was going on, Beomwook glanced sideways. Yeonjun had pressed himself up against the window — almost as if turning his back.
“Yeonjun. Are you feeling unwell?”
“…No. Nothing like that.”
“That’s a relief, then.”
If he’s not sick, then what? The silence stretched on again, and Beomwook frowned in quiet bewilderment. At this rate, just driving straight ahead would take them out of Seoul before long. Sensing this couldn’t go on, Beomwook flicked on the right turn signal. He needed to stop for a moment.
“Yeonjun. I’m pulling over. Is something wrong?”
“…Executive Director.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“I think I…. might have finally come to my senses.”
The unexpected words left Beomwook at a loss, his eyebrows giving a small, startled twitch. Haah — Yeonjun let out a long breath and pulled himself upright from where he’d been slumped against the seatback.
“I’m going to be okay, right?”
“…Pardon?”
What is this now, all of a sudden. Yeonjun had even unbuckled his seatbelt and turned his upper body toward Beomwook. The bright smile was nowhere to be found — in its place was a face pulled tight with tension, staring at Beomwook. Those eyes, which had looked deep thanks to long lashes, were now drooping, on the verge of crumpling. Yeonjun let out another sigh and opened his mouth.
“Earlier — Seo Ihyeon. He’s from one of the biggest conglomerates in the country, everyone knows who he is — he’s not going to, like, suddenly make me disappear without a trace or something, right?”
“…Yeonjun.”
“And the Executive Director’s older brother… that person — I talked back to him so much…….”
Yeonjun was one step away from bursting into tears. The urgency in his voice and the anxiety written all over his face laid bare exactly how frightened he was.
“Executive Director. You have to keep me safe. Okay?”
“Yeonjun. Calm down. There won’t be any prob—”
Yeonjun’s body pressed in close — nearly flush against Beomwook. His trembling breath grazed Beomwook’s ear. In that instant, Beomwook drew a sharp breath and shoved Yeonjun’s body away. It was a reflex. It hadn’t been a gentle push by any means, but Yeonjun didn’t seem to notice.
Even though he’d been pushed all the way to the far end of the passenger-side window, Yeonjun looked completely unbothered. It was Beomwook who was shaken. His heartbeat was loud enough to hear — every nerve in his body seemed to have zeroed in on the warmth of Yeonjun’s presence just a moment ago. Beomwook exhaled slowly, trying to erase the phantom sensation of skin against skin that clung to him like a shadow.
Yeonjun’s fear had come on suddenly, but it wasn’t a reaction Beomwook couldn’t understand. If anything, what he was showing right now might have been the more normal response. There was a bitter taste in his mouth. Beomwook ran his tongue lightly over his lips before finally turning to face Yeonjun.
“I understand that you’re feeling anxious and scared right now. But I will make absolutely certain — absolutely certain — that none of this comes back on you. And I’ll compensate you at a level considerably higher than the remaining balance we originally agreed on. If you’d like, round-the-clock security detail is also an option.”
Yeonjun listened quietly as Beomwook spoke. But his expression gradually stiffened, and by the time Beomwook finished talking, he was outright giving him the side-eye. Beomwook couldn’t make sense of the distinct shift in Yeonjun’s attitude.
