He’d stationed one subordinate near the restaurant and received reports from time to time, but that was all. He hadn’t considered the time Ian had waited alone.
The face sleeping with his mouth half open was as innocent as a baby’s. When examining the features that looked like they’d been precisely drawn by a master painter with a fine brush, he felt a faint floral scent.
The moist and tender fragrance like a sprout holding dew was faint, but once he recognized it, it was captivating enough to occasionally come to mind even while working.
Ganghyuk’s gaze wandered over the slender neckline and then swept over the thin body. Even wearing baggy clothes, he had a delicate air.
Since he had memories of seeing the naked body, it was easy to imagine the flesh hidden beneath the clothes. The sensation of his lower abdomen heating up achingly was familiar.
It seemed he hadn’t relieved his sexual desire for a long time. It was an inappropriate desire to have toward a kid.
Ganghyuk, who let out a small sigh, pulled down the tie hanging around his neck. Feeling suffocated, he also undid a couple of buttons.
His inscrutable gaze remained on Ian’s face for a while. Pheromones flowed out unconsciously. Between the roughly refined scent, a subtle fragrance like plum blossoms seeped in. For a long time, until the clock’s short hand moved to the next position.
ლ
“Take it.”
At the paper bag suddenly thrust in front of him, Ian made a puzzled face.
“What is this?”
“You’ll know if you open it.”
Inside the bag was one small box. Ian’s eyes widened at the phone shape drawn on the box. It was a phone with a fruit shape he knew well. It was even the most recently released model and the most expensive one.
“Don’t tell me you’re giving this to me?”
“Yeah. I already activated it, so you can use it right away.”
At the unexpected gift, Ian only touched the surface of the box with his fingertips. He had been planning to buy a phone soon.
Okjeong and Soyeon had subtly suggested that since it was inconvenient to contact him, wouldn’t it be good to get a phone first, and more than anything, he wanted to exchange contact with Ganghyuk.
It wasn’t to be bothersome. He was just curious what time he got off work. Because it changed every day.
Two days ago too, he had fallen asleep on the sofa waiting for Ganghyuk whose quitting time was delayed. He remembered being thrilled when he woke up at dawn and discovered the suit jacket covering his body. The jacket faintly carried Ganghyuk’s scent.
When he tried it on once and saw the cuffs completely covered his fingers, he secretly stomped his feet.
‘How could I not like you when you’re like this?’
It was natural for his heart to fall completely when he treated him kindly with a world-class stoic face. The occasional smile he showed was also incredibly splendid.
Among all the people he’d met in his life, he was the most handsome and had even saved him in a moment of crisis, so it would be stranger not to like him. Even his pheromones were attractive. It was perfect conditions for a twenty-year-old omega to fall for him without fear.
“Don’t you like it?”
“…No. I love it. I want to save your number first, Executive Director.”
Since it seemed like he’d exchange it for something else if he said he didn’t like it, Ian quickly shook his head. He opened the box and took out the phone inside. The all-black color was like Ganghyuk’s eye color.
He turned on the phone and held it out to Ganghyuk. When he fervently sent a look asking for his number, Ganghyuk held the phone with one hand and tapped the keypad with his thumb.
As soon as he got the phone back with eleven numbers appearing, he made a call. Ganghyuk took out his phone from inside his suit pocket. Confirming it was the same model as his own, Ian covered his mouth with his fist and unnecessarily cleared his throat.
The eyes looking at Ganghyuk sparkled like a puppy looking at its owner giving it food.
“Why are you looking like that?”
When their eyes actually met, feeling shy, Ian lowered his head and saved Ganghyuk’s number. He even added a heart next to the title Executive Director. Just that alone made his heart pound and he was in trouble.
Then, curious about how Ganghyuk had saved his number, he slyly rolled his eyes.
‘Yeon Ian’
Ian’s face became as dejected as blanched spinach seeing the screen with honestly just the three characters of his name. Thinking it would be nice if he at least removed the surname and saved it, he glanced at Ganghyuk’s face, but it wasn’t easy to bring it up.
This was because Ganghyuk had already gotten up from his seat and was heading to the entrance.
Putting aside his regretful feelings, Ian followed closely behind to see him off. While handing the shoehorn to Ganghyuk who was taking out and putting on his shoes, he subtly asked.
“Can I text you? Not often, just occasionally?”
“Do as you like.”
Ganghyuk answered in an indifferent tone and opened the front door. Since he had bought him a phone, contacting him was Ian’s freedom. Replying to texts was his own freedom.
When he went down the stairs wet from the morning dew, a black sedan was standing right in front. Jaehyun, who had been leaning against the car checking his phone, discovered Ganghyuk and bowed his head.
“You’ve come out, Executive Director.”
Ganghyuk, who accepted the greeting with a nod, got into the back seat. He leaned his head against the headrest and naturally looked up at the second-floor window.
The face that had been noticeably excited when he gave him the phone flickered before his eyes. As well as the pheromones that had flowed out unguarded because it was dawn.
“I’ll depart for the company right away.”
With Jaehyun’s words, the car rolled smoothly. The soup restaurant building gradually grew distant. He was about to lose interest and close his eyes when vibration came from inside his jacket.
When he took out his phone, a message appeared on the screen.
「Fighting today too (smile) (smile)」
He had asked if it was okay to contact him, and as soon as he left the house, he sent a message. A small smile passed by Ganghyuk’s lips at the unfamiliar emoticon.
The face of Jaehyun, who watched that through the rearview mirror, also softened gently. Ganghyuk these days was more full of life than any time he had seen before.
A person indifferent to everything seemed like someone who could leave this world without regret at any time. He cherished those who followed him, including himself, but that was all.
He always lived immersed in work, and when there was a fight, he didn’t spare his body. More and more people followed him, captivated by that appearance, but Ganghyuk himself didn’t look happy.
He had no friends to share a drink with, no parents, no siblings. It seemed like his only pleasure was serving Chairman Tae who had taken him in with sincerity and devotion.
Such a person, after keeping Ian by his side, tried to leave work early like an ordinary person and laughed more.
He didn’t know how many times he had seen smiles these past few days that he hadn’t seen once in several years. As a result, he felt grateful to Ian.
‘Although there’s an age gap, the Executive Director looks younger than his actual age anyway. Plus he has lots of money, ability, and is a dominant alpha. Being older is actually a plus.’
He had thoughts that Sucheol would have said “what kind of bizarre talk is that” if he had heard. Even though the two didn’t like each other yet, Jaehyun was already thinking ahead.
That Ganghyuk had more common sense regarding romance than he thought, he realized quite later.
ლ
“Today, what time, are you getting off work?”
Ian, who had been speaking aloud while writing the message, pressed the send button.
5 PM. Before the evening customers rushed in, he had a little leisure, so after doing the backed-up dishes and filling the utensil holders on the tables with utensils, he sat on a chair and was catching his breath for a moment.
He had wanted to send texts all day, but he restrained himself as much as possible in case Ganghyuk found it annoying. He only sent one each in the morning and at lunch. There was also the fact that he got scared when no replies came.
He liked Ganghyuk, but he didn’t know what his feelings were. Looking at how well he treated him, it was certain he had favorable feelings, but that was ambiguous. It was like picking up and raising an abandoned puppy from the street.
