By Zephyria 
“…….”
Seo Yi-kyung’s fingertips beneath the table twitched. He felt Han Seung-jae’s sharp eyes slowly caressing the corners of his eyes and scanning his cheeks, seemingly descending further down. Without avoiding the suspicious gaze that seemed to be searching for something, Seo Yi-kyung spoke.
“I said I wasn’t in the mood for tea, but I brought this thinking you might want to drink alcohol.”
Hadn’t Han Seung-jae drunk tea before, as if accommodating Seo Yi-kyung? Although they couldn’t drink together because Seo Yi-kyung was pregnant, Han Seung-jae was not the type of person to act thoughtfully regarding someone else’s physical condition in the first place. If Han Seung-jae hadn’t wanted to, he wouldn’t have drunk tea or alcohol with him.
Yet, he had drunk tea together several times, almost as if he were catering to Seo Yi-kyung. Thus, Seo Yi-kyung thought that on a day like today, Han Seung-jae might want a drink. He simply wanted to share a conversation while eating and drinking things the man liked, just as he had done with Jin Seon-yu.
“That’s all.”
There was no way he had other intentions, and even if Seo Yi-kyung tried to use some clever tricks to deceive Han Seung-jae, he would only end up getting caught.
He had realized this after several attempts that resulted in wounds to his body and pain etched into his bones. And now that the day to remove the cast on his left hand was not far off, he couldn’t afford to make the same mistake. He decided it was better to simply reveal his true feelings as they were.
It was the moment Han Seung-jae lightly lifted the glass to his lips. Seo Yi-kyung spoke softly.
“Next time, let’s go and eat together.”
Despite that, Han Seung-jae, having heard him, lowered the crystal glass. Then, Seo Yi-kyung, who had been speaking continuously, bit the tender flesh inside his cheek. Since Han Seung-jae was listening silently, his mood remained unreadable. Seo Yi-kyung glanced down at the table. His lips parted slightly.
“If you have the time.”
Seo Yi-kyung spent his days painting in the painting studio or organizing the newly decorated baby room on the second floor, so he had relatively plenty of time, but the same wasn’t true for Han Seung-jae. He felt he hadn’t been considerate enough. In other words, he meant that if Han Seung-jae had the leisure, he would like that.
Han Seung-jae asked indifferently.
“I take it the food was to your liking?”
He lifted the crystal glass he had lowered. As Seo Yi-kyung nodded, Han Seung-jae’s cold gaze met him while he drank the whiskey.
* * *
Early morning.
“Ugh.”
Jin Seon-yu let out a groan, clutching his head. He struggled to push himself up and sat heavily on the edge of the bed, looking around his familiar room, before suddenly shouting as if remembering something.
“Seo Yi-kyung!”
However, there was no answer. Jin Seon-yu fumbled around the bed searching for his phone. Fragments of Seo Yi-kyung’s image flickered through his splitting headache.
It seemed Seo Yi-kyung had desperately tried to wake him several times, and he soon recalled Jin Seok-young’s voice, thick with anger, ringing in his ears.
Jin Seon-yu stood up, searching for the phone that was nowhere to be seen. Just then, the sound of a phone vibrating came from beneath his feet. Buzz— Jin Seon-yu rummaged through the pockets of the outerwear strewn on the floor.
Jin Seon-yu pulled out the phone and pressed it to his ear. Hearing Kwon Gwi-jun’s voice, Jin Seon-yu muttered in a raspy voice.
“Yi-kyung didn’t answer.”
Jin Seon-yu’s bloodshot eyes looked down. There, a crumpled shopping bag sat lonely on the floor. Seo Yi-kyung had said there was no need for an apology from Kwon Gwi-jun and had refused to accept it. He didn’t know why it was so badly crumpled. It looked as if it had been stepped on.
But there was no way Seo Yi-kyung had done this. Jin Seon-yu recalled Jin Seok-young’s voice from the previous day, continuing like static. Without needing to go and ask or argue to confirm, it was exactly the kind of thing Jin Seok-young would do.
Just as he had treated him like a piece of luggage, he would have done the same to this.
[I bet he only suggested it once.]
“Isn’t it more problematic to keep pushing someone who says they don’t want it?”
Jin Seon-yu raised his voice further, thinking Kwon Gwi-jun was about to say he had been tactless again. Nevertheless, Kwon Gwi-jun said something entirely different.
[But why does your voice sound so sunken?]
That was because he had just woken up after drinking; no matter how much he raised his voice, it only leaked out in cracks.
“A few things happened.”
[Why? Did something happen because of your Hyungs again?]
“I don’t know. Why does the back of my head hurt so much? I think my second Hyung hit me.”
Jin Seon-yu rubbed the nape of his neck. Besides that, there were plenty of other aching spots. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed Jin Seok-young had entered the room, tossed him onto the bed, and perhaps even kicked him.
“Call me when you arrive. I’ll come down.”
Jin Seon-yu said this to Kwon Gwi-jun, who was coming to retrieve the item Seo Yi-kyung hadn’t accepted, and ended the call. Afterward, Jin Seon-yu checked the messages sent by Seo Yi-kyung.
There was a text from him asking, ‘Are you okay?’
Jin Seon-yu’s face quickly crumpled into a pout as his fingers flew across the screen.
[Sorry about yesterday, did you get home safe?]
However, no matter how long he waited, no reply came from Seo Yi-kyung. Jin Seon-yu took a shower first to clear his head. He then tried calling Seo Yi-kyung, but again, there was no answer.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
When Jin Seon-yu opened the door, a helper informed him that Kwon Gwi-jun had arrived on the first floor. Jin Seon-yu picked up the crumpled shopping bag from under the bed.
It was just as Jin Seon-yu descended the stairs. Kwon Gwi-jun wasn’t alone on the first floor. Jin Seok-young was sitting opposite him.
“Hyung, didn’t you go to work?”
Jin Seok-young, sitting on the sofa, whipped his head around and glared.
“Today is Saturday, you brat. Where do you leave your mind?”
Jin Seok-young clicked his tongue and frowned, looking as if he were about to launch into a full-scale lecture. Jin Seon-yu ignored him and held out the shopping bag to Kwon Gwi-jun.
“Here, take it.”
Jin Seok-young stared at the scene for a moment, then stood up and began strolling around, looking for Jin Tae-won, who wasn’t even in the house.
As Kwon Gwi-jun took the stepped-on shopping bag, Jin Seon-yu tossed out a comment.
“My second Hyung made it like that.”
Of course, Jin Seon-yu hadn’t seen it happen. However, among the three people—Seo Yi-kyung, Jin Seon-yu, and Jin Seok-young—who had handled that bag, there was only one person capable of making it that miserable. It meant there was no need to see it with his own eyes. It was absolutely Jin Seok-young.
“I’m a hundred percent sure.”
At Jin Seon-yu’s firm tone, Kwon Gwi-jun gripped the shopping bag. Then, Jin Seok-young’s voice drifted from a short distance away.
“Aren’t you two eating lunch?”
Jin Seon-yu looked over and replied.
“I’m good.”
Jin Seon-yu rubbed his stomach. His stomach was so sour that he didn’t even feel like eating anything. Similarly, Kwon Gwi-jun looked in the same direction and murmured.
“I have a prior engagement as well.”
“Really? That’s a shame. You should have stayed for a meal.”
He couldn’t understand what on earth was so shameful. Jin Seon-yu didn’t have the energy to analyze such details. He turned his head and looked with pity at Kwon Gwi-jun, who had to work even on a day like this. He had stopped by to pick up the item himself while passing by the area on an outside assignment.
Kwon Gwi-jun turned around and spoke so that only Jin Seon-yu could hear.
“I’m the only one who can handle your Hyungs.”
Jin Seon-yu stared at Kwon Gwi-jun’s back as he headed for the door. As he stepped out, Jin Seok-young, who had been watching with hawk-like eyes until then, approached and abruptly asked.
“What did he just say?”
“He didn’t say anything.”
“Director Kwon said something. His lips moved like this and this!”
The sight of him gaping like a fish pulled out of water was almost unbearable to watch. He wanted to throw him back into the water.
“You saw it wrong, Hyung.”
Jin Seon-yu narrowed his eyes. He clutched his throbbing head and went up the stairs. He couldn’t tell what Kwon Gwi-jun’s intention was. Nor why his heart was pounding so hard.
He must not be fully sober yet.
* * *
The attending physician slowly removed the cast from Seo Yi-kyung’s left hand. Seo Yi-kyung then pulled his arm inward and carefully felt his wrist.
“How is it? Is it painful?”
The physician spoke while glancing at Han Seung-jae, who was positioned beside Seo Yi-kyung, who was sitting on the bed. Seo Yi-kyung replied with a much more relaxed expression.
“Not at all.”
Rather, his arm felt lighter now that the heavy cast he had worn for so long was gone. Seo Yi-kyung looked at his hand moving according to his will and smiled softly.
“It doesn’t hurt one bit.”
Suddenly, the smile blooming on Seo Yi-kyung’s lips vanished sharply. He realized he had forgotten that Han Seung-jae was with him. However, the physician drew away Han Seung-jae’s cold gaze.
“Now, could you please unbutton your shirt a bit?”