By Zephyria 
Han Seung-jae’s expressionless lips parted. He stared at Seo Yi-kyung throughout the entire phone call.
Seo Yi-kyung, who had been walking with a rhythmic thud in his slippers, stopped and carefully placed the tray he was holding onto the desk where Han Seung-jae was perched. Should I pour the tea now? Yi-kyung wondered.
For some reason, he recalled the time when Han Seung-jae used to fill his small teacup. The way he had caught him when he almost fell at the Chinese restaurant, and how he had served him tea so he could catch his breath while seated in a chair.
Remembering that moment, Seo Yi-kyung lifted the teapot. White steam rose in curls, and a subtle tea fragrance spread through the air. Han Seung-jae simply watched him.
Having finished the call, Han Seung-jae set his phone down next to his laptop. To avoid the stinging gaze, Seo Yi-kyung kept his eyes fixed on the tea filling the cup as he asked.
“About dinner. I wanted to know what you’d like to do.”
“…….”
When no answer came, pushed by the silence, Seo Yi-kyung added one more sentence.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt your work.”
Still, Han Seung-jae’s voice was not heard.
Trickle.
Having filled the cup to the point where the tea was nearly overflowing, Seo Yi-kyung looked up. Meeting Han Seung-jae’s cold face, he instinctively shrank his arms.
Clink. After setting down the teapot, the tip of Seo Yi-kyung’s index finger brushed the teacup, and he hurriedly curled his finger back.
Han Seung-jae reached out his long arm. He suddenly grabbed Seo Yi-kyung’s hand, flipped it over, and looked down at the palm. He must have seen it brush the cup for a split second.
The index finger that had dipped into the tea was reddish, as if it had been scalded.
“I told you, why do you keep carrying things like this around?”
Reprimanded, Seo Yi-kyung’s shoulders stiffened. He felt like he had done something pointless. He had only wanted to help the busy Butler Do, and since he felt awkward coming empty-handed, he brought tea, and since it felt wrong to leave an empty cup, he tried to fill it.
Everything had gone wrong. Moreover, hadn’t he interrupted someone who was working? It was only natural for Han Seung-jae to show his displeasure.
“I’m sorry for interrupting.”
Seo Yi-kyung tried to pull his hand away. However, it wasn’t easy since Han Seung-jae was holding his palm. The palm he held felt a tingling sensation, as if electricity were flowing through it.
“I’ll leave now.”
He tried twisting his wrist and curling his fingers tightly, but Han Seung-jae wouldn’t let go. Rather, it felt as if he were gripping Han Seung-jae’s thumb. Seo Yi-kyung slowly unfolded his curled fingers.
“……?”
Even then, Han Seung-jae, who was still leaning diagonally against the desk, was staring at Seo Yi-kyung.
Looking at Seo Yi-kyung’s questioning eyes, he lifted the finger he was holding. Seo Yi-kyung felt his bent finger, moving toward him, shaking uncontrollably.
The white hand held by Han Seung-jae fluttered.
“Just focus on your painting. Stop doing useless things.”
Seo Yi-kyung had spent the entire morning learning how to paint intensively from Seon-yu. He wouldn’t be able to paint as brilliantly as him in such a short time, but he was trying his best.
“I’ll paint it and give it to you somehow… so please, this hand…”
Please let go.
“You should. Because I intend to hang it in my office.”
The rest of Seo Yi-kyung’s words were crushed inside his mouth. Was Han Seung-jae really planning to hang his painting in the office? He had even seen his messy work firsthand. It was hard to believe even while seeing it with his own eyes; had he dismissed it as a joke?
Suddenly, he realized that he was far too close to Han Seung-jae. Furthermore, he didn’t seem to have any intention of letting go of his hand. Han Seung-jae reached out his free hand and lifted the teacup that was filled to the brim. It sloshed as if it contained pudding. In his effort to pour, he had filled it too much.
Han Seung-jae brought the teacup to his lips. There was no expression on his refined features. Yet, Seo Yi-kyung felt as if he were being buried and trapped within those deep pupils.
The cold eyes seen from up close were like a painting. He, looking so surreal, drank the tea. Seo Yi-kyung’s own throat bobbed as if he were the one drinking. Consequently, a corner of his heart fluttered.
Setting the empty cup back down, Han Seung-jae murmured.
“From now on, don’t carry things like this. Make Butler Do do it. I brought him here to work instead of you.”
“Butler Do was busy preparing dinner.”
“Then there are other people. With how many people reside in this house, why are you carrying this?”
Faced with Han Seung-jae’s rebuke, which was difficult to even argue against, Seo Yi-kyung’s face flushed. It was even worse because he was excessively close to Han Seung-jae.
“I understand.”
“Did you actually understand properly?”
Seo Yi-kyung nodded as if to confirm. Was it an illusion that they were getting closer and closer? Because he had just drunk the tea, he could see the moisture remaining on Han Seung-jae’s lips. Because of that, it was hard to find a place to look. Seo Yi-kyung lowered his eyelids.
“When someone is speaking, look them in the eye…”
Han Seung-jae’s voice was so low that Seo Yi-kyung straightened his hunched neck. When his face, leaning close, tilted diagonally, Seo Yi-kyung flinched.
The soft lower lip brushed against his. Just as he felt the deep scent of the tea on the lips, Han Seung-jae used his tongue to slowly part the seductive lower lip that had been transferred with moisture. The wet tongue pushed into the slightly parted lips.
At the unexpected situation, Seo Yi-kyung’s entire body froze stiff. Moreover, his hand was still being held. Han Seung-jae lightly sucked on Seo Yi-kyung’s tongue and then withdrew.
“Ha…”
As Seo Yi-kyung let out a short breath, Han Seung-jae pulled his cold lips away.
“Anyone watching would think I’m eating you alive.”
He had merely parted the lips slightly and indulged in the tongue, yet Seo Yi-kyung acted as if he had exposed his innermost flesh.
However, despite speaking with feigned composure, Han Seung-jae’s actions said otherwise. He wrapped one arm around Seo Yi-kyung’s waist and pulled him closer. Thud, his two legs moved helplessly, drawn between Han Seung-jae’s firm thighs.
As their lips met again, Seo Yi-kyung’s body reacted more than before. The touching flesh rubbed against each other. Perhaps he was trying to push away the tongue that occupied his mouth.
Seo Yi-kyung’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed the thick saliva pooling in his mouth.
His breath grew short as the scent of tea and pheromones intertwined. When Han Seung-jae slowly let go of his hand, Seo Yi-kyung pulled his arm toward his chest. The fingertips that had been burned belatedly stung, and the pain extended to his palm. It tingled all the way to his wrist as if blood were rushing back.
Stroking Seo Yi-kyung’s back, Han Seung-jae said.
“Let’s eat dinner first.”
Nodding, Seo Yi-kyung stepped back a couple of paces to create distance between himself and Han Seung-jae. Then he quickly turned around to escape Han Seung-jae’s embrace. Behind him, he heard Han Seung-jae’s low click of the tongue. He’s only agile at times like this.
Click. The door closed.
Han Seung-jae’s gaze lingered on the teacup where moisture remained. He reached out and picked up the teapot.
Filling the cup slightly, he gripped it. The tea touching his lips had already turned lukewarm.
It had been hot. Perhaps it felt that way relatively because Seo Yi-kyung’s tongue had been hotter. Perched on the desk, Han Seung-jae leisurely savored the tea. The rose scent melting from his lips to the tip of his tongue was profound.
* * *
“Why? Did something happen? Your face is red.”
Jin Seon-yu’s eyes widened. Seo Yi-kyung, who had rushed down the stairs without even waiting for the elevator, was touching his cheek when he suddenly paused. This was because the scent of white sandalwood was strongly embedded in his palm. The memory of holding hands with Han Seung-jae resurfaced. And then, the memory of their lips meeting.
“Ah, no. Nothing. You’re hungry, right?”
“I’ve been eating until now.”
The three-tier dessert tray was empty in several places.
“Still, you have to eat dinner.”
As Jin Seon-yu stood up, Seo Yi-kyung smiled. As the two approached the kitchen, a delicious aroma reached the tip of their noses. Yet, Seo Yi-kyung could still smell the white sandalwood scent remaining on his hand more intensely.
“Please sit this way.”
Butler Do pulled out a chair. Then he walked to the opposite side and prepared a seat for Jin Seon-yu. Butler Do moved busily here and there. Seo Yi-kyung picked up the water glass in front of him and moistened his increasingly dry throat.
“Oh, this was really delicious when I had it this morning.”
With his lower lip pressed against the water glass, Jin Seon-yu’s voice sounded distant to Seo Yi-kyung. Just then, Butler Do walked over quickly.
“You’ve arrived, Director Han. I will have the meal ready for you shortly.”
Cough. He almost choked. His neck stiffened as Seo Yi-kyung set down the water glass and slowly turned his head to stare intently at Han Seung-jae’s face. Hadn’t he said he wouldn’t eat dinner? No, thinking about it, he didn’t think he had said that. He had just told him to eat first…
“The seat…”
Butler Do, looking around the table, took a step forward. Seo Yi-kyung was sitting in the seat where Han Seung-jae usually sat. In front of him, Jin Seon-yu was sitting opposite.
As Butler Do pulled out the chair next to Seo Yi-kyung, Han Seung-jae sat down without hesitation.
Seo Yi-kyung’s lips parted.
“I thought you weren’t eating.”
“I changed my mind.”
Han Seung-jae looked at Seo Yi-kyung, who was sitting beside him. Seo Yi-kyung felt a chill spreading from his ears to the nape of his neck.
“It must be uncomfortable. I think it would be better if I moved my seat over there…”
As he said this, Seo Yi-kyung looked around as if searching for Butler Do. While it wasn’t hard to carry the dishes himself, he felt that if he moved his plate and changed seats, Han Seung-jae might say something again.
Who knows, he might even kick Butler Do out for being useless. Judging by his temperament, he was the kind of person who was fully capable of doing so.
“It’s fine.”
Speaking concisely, Han Seung-jae reached into the water glass in front of him and grabbed a piece of ice. Then, he pulled Seo Yi-kyung’s arm and pressed the ice against it.