By Zephyria 
The second-floor study.
Han Seung-jae, who had been reviewing a contract at his desk, gradually slowed his pace before admiring a canvas on the wall depicting scattering cherry blossom petals.
It didn’t suit the season, with snow piling up outside. Perhaps that was why it looked even more captivating now. Once the snow stopped, spring would arrive, and the cherry blossoms would bloom; would Seo Yi-kyung paint another picture like this then?
The simple thought flowed naturally—that it would be nice to take that painting and hang it in his office. Even though there was no way of knowing when it would be completed.
He had never been fond of things without a set date, preferring not to deal with ambiguity. However, whenever he looked at that painting, he found himself immersed in an endless reverie, unlike his usual self.
It was just as Han Seung-jae turned a page of the document he was reading, as if to quiet his thoughts.
Click. As the study door opened, Han Seung-jae’s gaze shifted. Through the slowly opening gap, a teacup came into view. Had Seo Yi-kyung come here despite his frail health?
As the figure moved sluggishly, Han Seung-jae’s eyes remained fixed. Min Ra-hyeon poked his head in.
“Are you still working?”
The sound of slippers dragging across the floor echoed several times, growing closer. Min Ra-hyeon looked around while holding a tray with both hands. When he had been led here by Secretary Park, he had been too flustered to properly observe his surroundings.
“There are all sorts of things here.”
Min Ra-hyeon’s eyes wandered everywhere. While there were many curious objects in the painting studio where Seo Yi-kyung stayed, they were nothing compared to the rare items in the study.
Eventually, Min Ra-hyeon stood before the desk and set down the teacup he was holding. He tilted the teapot to fill the cup.
“I heard you don’t drink coffee at home?”
He pushed the cup toward Han Seung-jae. Having asked Butler Do and learned that Han Seung-jae didn’t drink coffee at home, he had brewed and prepared the tea himself.
“Drink this while you work.”
Min Ra-hyeon had brought two cups. Although he didn’t usually drink bland tea, he held the teapot over his own cup as well. As he finished filling it, Min Ra-hyeon spoke.
“Yi-kyung is quite frail. I was surprised when the doctor suddenly visited earlier.”
Min Ra-hyeon recalled the series of events from the afternoon. The doctor, upon entering the house, hurriedly headed to the second floor, following the bustling Butler Do up the stairs. ‘How are the symptoms?’ ‘Exactly as I mentioned over the phone. He is naturally frail, but since he’s pregnant and unable to eat properly, it seems to be worse.’
Just because he couldn’t eat much. Min Ra-hyeon had watched that fuss from the living room.
…As he recounted what he had witnessed, Min Ra-hyeon kept his head halfway bowed, focusing on filling his own cup. Because of this, he had no inkling of what Han Seung-jae’s expression looked like right now.
Clink. Min Ra-hyeon set down the teapot and lifted his cup. When he suddenly looked at Han Seung-jae, he almost dropped the cup he was holding. That was how coldly Han Seung-jae was staring at him. The air between the two had changed from a moment ago.
Han Seung-jae’s low voice broke the silence.
“I don’t think this is the time for you to be leisurely drinking tea with me.”
Min Ra-hyeon forced the cup to his lips. However, unable to drink, he pulled it away and replied.
“Ah! Yi-kyung asked me to do this.”
“…”
“He said that since he’s frail, he wanted me to take good care of you. So, when I heard you were in the study, I remembered Yi-kyung’s request and brought the tea. That’s all.”
Min Ra-hyeon shrugged as if there were no other meaning behind it. At the same time, he subtly avoided Han Seung-jae’s gaze.
Han Seung-jae’s gaze seemed to linger on the teacup next to the documents for a moment before scanning upward to the man standing before him.
“Then, leave the tea and get out.”
Min Ra-hyeon drained the cup in one gulp.
“I was just about to leave.”
Min Ra-hyeon placed the empty cup on the tray and gathered it along with the teapot.
“Once Yi-kyung feels better, I was thinking of visiting an art museum. You like looking at Yi-kyung’s paintings. It would be a good change of pace.”
Min Ra-hyeon knew well why Han Seung-jae had accepted him into this house. As he expected, Han Seung-jae’s answer came back clearly.
“Do whatever you want.”
“I’ll go now. Sorry for disturbing you.”
Min Ra-hyeon turned around. He left the study faster than he had entered and closed the door. The moment he released the cold doorknob, a deep sigh escaped him involuntarily.
He recalled the conversation they had on the day he visited this house to see Han Seung-jae.
—Yi-kyung is still alone, right?
—…
Han Seung-jae neither confirmed nor denied it. This only emboldened Min Ra-hyeon to add a proposal.
—I’ll take good care of him by his side. You might not care, but people naturally get lonely and desolate when they live alone. Since he hasn’t been married long, Yi-kyung probably hasn’t adjusted to this house at all, right?
He was the one who first suggested that he would look after the other man while staying here. He had been looking for a place to hide from his father’s eyes anyway, and this place was safer than anywhere else.
Furthermore, he needed something to do while staying here. However, at the time, he thought Seo Yi-kyung was an easy person to handle.
In reality, behind that gentle face was an attitude as cold as a biting wind.
It seemed to be because of the prank he had played when they first met. Most people would have just laughed it off, but Seo Yi-kyung’s reaction had been entirely different.
‘What am I going to do about this?’
Min Ra-hyeon took a few steps. Just then, a small sound joined the noise of his slippers. It was the sound of a door opening and closing. As Min Ra-hyeon continued walking and instinctively looked back, he saw Seo Yi-kyung emerging from the bedroom.
Still pale, Seo Yi-kyung was wearing the same sweater he had been in during the day. Min Ra-hyeon approached him.
“Yi-kyung, are you feeling okay? I was very worried since the doctor visited this afternoon.”
When Seo Yi-kyung’s eyes landed on the tray Min Ra-hyeon was holding, Min Ra-hyeon looked down at the same spot and provided an answer to his gaze.
“Seung-jae is working in the study right now, so don’t go in. I don’t know what happened outside, but he seems to be in a very bad mood today. He’s been like that since he came home this evening.”
Step. Min Ra-hyeon gently placed a hand on Seo Yi-kyung’s back. He turned Seo Yi-kyung away from the study and led him back toward the bedroom.
“More importantly, you still haven’t found your bracelet, right? I’ll look for it some more. You just get some deep rest.”
Min Ra-hyeon pushed Seo Yi-kyung into the bedroom and closed the door for him.
Seo Yi-kyung slowly lowered his head and rolled up the sleeve of his sweater. The bracelet was hanging right there on his wrist.
‘Did Min Ra-hyeon put it back?’
A moment ago, in his daze, he had thought so. But if it wasn’t Min Ra-hyeon, then who on earth put this on him?
Seo Yi-kyung walked to the bed and sat on the edge. On the nightstand lay the IV line he had removed. His gaze lingered on an open velvet box in front of it. Seo Yi-kyung picked up the velvet box and fiddled with it. Did he buy a new one?
Snap. After closing the lid of the velvet box, Seo Yi-kyung opened the nightstand drawer and placed the box next to the baby shoes. It wasn’t something he needed to think deeply about.
There was only one person who would buy him something like this.
* * *
Early in the morning, as Seo Yi-kyung opened his eyes, a tall silhouette turned around. A suit that draped over broad shoulders, and sharp features gradually became clear.
“Are you awake?”
At the familiar voice, Seo Yi-kyung’s sleep vanished instantly.
“Even if you feel like you can’t get up, try to sit up.”
Seo Yi-kyung pushed with both hands to lean his back against the headboard. A wooden tray was placed on his lap. Han Seung-jae personally removed the cover. It was a porridge that was almost a thin gruel.
“Eat.”
Was it because the first person he saw upon waking was Han Seung-jae? Without even being able to soothe his racing heart, Seo Yi-kyung picked up the spoon in front of him.
Han Seung-jae’s gaze seemed to say that he could only lie back down once he finished eating all of this.
Seo Yi-kyung brought a small amount of the gruel to his dry lips. Perhaps because of Han Seung-jae’s pheromones, it wasn’t too difficult to eat. Although it was uncomfortable with Han Seung-jae watching, he decided it was better to eat while he was here. Thinking of the child in his womb, Seo Yi-kyung moved the spoon more.
Watching this, Han Seung-jae also removed the cover from the water glass beside him.
“From now on, if you bring tea to the study, do it yourself.”
Seo Yi-kyung blinked. He didn’t clearly understand Han Seung-jae’s words.
Suddenly, the image of Min Ra-hyeon leaving the study last night flickered in his mind. The tray in his hands had held a teapot and a cup with traces of having been drunk from.
“Have Butler Do carry things like the teacups.”
Then wouldn’t there be no need to go personally? As Seo Yi-kyung lifted his stiff neck, Han Seung-jae added with a cold gaze.
“Just come and have a cup of tea with me before you go.”
Seo Yi-kyung, who usually only held brushes, didn’t need to carry such things up to the second floor. He could delegate those tasks to others; all he had to do was have a cup of tea with Han Seung-jae.
“I understand,” Seo Yi-kyung murmured softly.
Han Seung-jae was an incredibly busy man. People who wanted to meet him were lined up everywhere. Seo Yi-kyung knew well how many people would do anything just to see him. Yet, was it really okay for him to visit the study just to drink tea? Even with Min Ra-hyeon there, he was telling him to come instead of the other…
Han Seung-jae watched to see if Seo Yi-kyung finished his food. Slowly but steadily, Seo Yi-kyung emptied the bowl of gruel.
Only then did Han Seung-jae check the watch on his wrist and step away. At the sound of the door closing, Seo Yi-kyung turned his head to look at the snow-covered terrace revealed by the half-drawn curtains. Seo Yi-kyung touched the bracelet on his wrist as if confirming it was there.
Perhaps because he had eaten something warm, his stomach felt much more comfortable.