By Zephyria 
“Let’s go.”
After giving his cheek one last little pat, he strode forward and flung open the door to the director’s office. Gyu-oh couldn’t follow immediately; he stood there for a moment, staring blankly at Min-ho’s retreating back.
Unlike himself—who was still clumsy and immature despite his age—Cha Min-ho was always mature and considerate. That was why Gyu-oh had admired him for so long. To think that such a broad-minded man was his. An unknown, overwhelming surge of emotion welled up inside him.
I should start acting mature like Hyung from now on. I really have been too childish. Throwing a fit whenever I run into people I suspect were his one-night stands, or getting defensive just because a hot guy walks by… that probably makes me look like a kid.
I’ll censor myself strictly so there’s nothing left to be jealous of, and I’ll bury the past deep so it doesn’t come up in conversation. Appealing with a sudden burst of maturity—isn’t that the charm of being the younger partner? Something like that, right?
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
Noticing the lack of footsteps behind him, Min-ho stopped and glanced back. His gaze was filled with question marks.
“Yeees, Gyu-oh is coming!”
Gyu-oh chased after Min-ho with a light step. He wasn’t an actor or a cop, but he had a fair amount of experience with undercover work, so playing the part of a mature, reliable boyfriend shouldn’t be difficult.
With that resolve, he draped his arm over Min-ho’s shoulder. A fragrant scent of apples continued to linger faintly around the two of them.
“…That guy’s actually kind of handsome?”
How many days had passed since Gyu-oh vowed to be a mature and reliable partner? He hit a roadblock much sooner than expected.
While casually strolling through a reconstruction site, they stopped by a cafe, where Gyu-oh ran into one of Min-ho’s “not-quite-exes.”
A polished-looking man, who clearly held a position of some status, offered Min-ho a handshake and asked how he was doing. His tone and manner were incredibly mature. He was the complete opposite of Gyu-oh, who was slouching in a leather jacket. If anyone had to pick the odd one out among the three, anyone would have pointed to Won Gyu-oh; his vibe was entirely detached from the others.
“That new… teacher keeps looking this way. He must be very interested.”
Even though the conversation lacked any particular tension, Gyu-oh’s intuition told him there had definitely been something between them. It happened the moment the man scanned Min-ho up and down with a subtle, ambiguous look.
“You seem to be the one with more interest.”
As luck would have it, the man was sitting exactly where Gyu-oh’s line of sight landed. Unlike the indifferent Hyung, the man was stealing glances at their table, practically dripping with lingering attachment.
“That bum—no, that gentleman. Was there something between you two?”
“….”
“Don’t even think about lying. You can fool ghosts, but you can’t fool me.”
“…If you know, then stop staring.”
Min-ho replied with a look of inner concern. So it was true? It had been a while since he’d unexpectedly run into one of Hyung’s one-night stands, and the blow was quite significant. Moreover, there was one more thing that bothered Gyu-oh.
“Hmph.”
“Still, it was clean, with no lingering issues. Even when we met a few times for work afterward, he didn’t make it obvious.”
The reaction was slightly different from the men who usually just slept with him and tossed him aside. For some reason, this man seemed more protective, and since he remained a positive memory for Hyung, the evaluation was good.
“He never made things difficult, and he probably has no intention of trying anything again just because we ran into each other. He’s not the type to be desperate.”
Should I consider it a blessing that Hyung remembers the guy clearly? At least I know exactly who to keep an eye on. He recalled how he’d been even more pissed off by the doctor he’d met at the hospital because that guy seemed unsure of who he was.
“Above all, that man’s face will never end up on a billboard.”
The blazing jealousy fizzled out instantly.
“…I feel like my heart would only be at peace if that building were torn down. I should spread a rumor that it’s haunted. I can’t let this slide.”
“Just try it. I’m actually worried because I feel like you might actually do it.”
Whenever that topic came up, Gyu-oh found himself speechless. He muttered nonsense and stirred the ice in his glass with a straw.
In the meantime, he felt another glance stealing toward them. No matter how he looked at it, Hyung was being too generous toward the man. The lingering regret was practically dripping off him, and it was crystal clear to Gyu-oh’s eyes.
Meeting the man’s gaze head-on, Gyu-oh gave a slow, deliberate wink. You can stare all you want, but Cha Min-ho is already mine. He wanted that sincere message to be delivered loud and clear.
“Hey, I’m joking.”
Right. Does Won Gyu-oh only have tattoos and a motorcycle? He has swag too. Acting mature like Hyung? Behaving like a grown man like that guy? That’s not hard at all.
“Anyway, Cha Min-ho isn’t going to waver, and he probably doesn’t even have a way to contact him.”
Even as Gyu-oh pretended to be uncharacteristically calm, Min-ho gave him a suspicious look. It was likely because Gyu-oh had a long history of throwing tantrums over the smallest things.
Of course, in his heart, he wanted to rush over and splash water on the guy, asking why he was staring so sleazily like some kind of host. But he had to be a partner befitting the mature Cha Min-ho, who hadn’t demolished a building even with his ex-girlfriend’s face on a billboard right in front of him.
“Regardless, Cha Min-ho is mine.”
Ah, that line was a total killer. He was the epitome of a bold and reliable younger boyfriend. As he triumphantly pursed his lips and blew a kiss into the air, Min-ho’s eyes narrowed. Gyu-oh wasn’t sure if it was because he was disgusted or if the suspicion still lingered.
“…Right. I trust that you’ve grown up.”
“Yes, please trust me. We’re bound together by love, faith, and trust, aren’t we, Brother?”
With a bright smile, Gyu-oh reached out and tidied Min-ho’s hair. It was already neat, but he needlessly toyed with his forehead, cheek, and the curve of his ear. Min-ho didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping him. Conscious of the gaze still fixed on them, Gyu-oh shifted his touch.
This time, his hand slid down the nape of the neck and dipped slightly beneath the shirt collar. There were likely bruises remaining where his fingertips touched. Because he had bitten and chewed that spot so relentlessly yesterday. It was a shame the mark was in a place that wasn’t easily visible, so that man couldn’t see it.
“I got a message. Let’s head out.”
Perhaps he was now unfazed by the touch lingering on his neck. Min-ho glanced at his phone and began gathering his things. Gyu-oh withdrew his hand, licking his lower lip and making it obvious he was disappointed. Then, he pulled down the zipper of his leather jacket.
“Honey, aren’t you cold? Want me to give you mine?”
It was a term of endearment rarely permitted outside the director’s office or the house, but he blurted it out impulsively because the man’s gaze was so persistent.
“Sss.”
Instead of a verbal scolding, Min-ho nudged his side with an elbow. Thump. It was a fairly forceful blow that knocked the wind out of him, but Gyu-oh forced a smile, pulling up the corners of his mouth.
Cha Min-ho viewed humans as bothersome and tiring beings, yet he was quite polite when it came to business. He was so polite that he even went out of his way to say goodbye to the “bum.” Perhaps it was because he’d heard the man would be working at a company in the building right next to Woowon for the next two months.
“Why bother saying goodbye to someone you’ve already seen everything of…?”
Gyu-oh let out the frustration he had suppressed while Min-ho was present. Just as it felt like spring was warming things up, a sharp wind blew again, scattering his breath miserably. He only hoped that Min-ho, who was stepping out of the cafe, couldn’t see the shape of his grumbling mouth. He corrected his slouching posture and put his hands behind his back, projecting an aura of complete indifference.
Min-ho approached and extended his hand, palm down. Is he asking me to kiss the back of his hand? The posture was exactly that. Just as Gyu-oh hesitated and started to lean down, Min-ho silently shook his hand again.
“What are you doing? Take it.”
“Take what?”
Scratching his eyebrow, Gyu-oh wrapped his hand around Min-ho’s. Then, the clenched fist slowly opened, and something dropped lightly into his palm. He could barely feel any weight to it.
“A business card. I gave it to you, but you didn’t look.”
“Huh?”
“You said… faith, trust, and all that.”
After handing over the man’s business card, Min-ho brushed past him. Why did he leave out the word ‘love’? Is he shy? Now that he looked, the tips of Hyung’s ears seemed slightly red. The scarf Gyu-oh had forced him to wear over his thin coat fluttered slightly with every step.
“This guy is crazy.”
God, he’s so cute. As their relationship changed, the way Min-ho comforted him had changed too. Instead of consistent ignoring and a lack of sincerity, he now moderately soothed Gyu-oh’s heart and gave him just enough reassurance to stop the anxiety.
I did a good job not throwing a fit. If he had, it would have only made things awkward for Hyung. Because he held it in, it was a happy ending for both of them. Gyu-oh chuckled, stuffing the business card carelessly into his jacket pocket.
“Wait for me!”
Laughter kept bursting out of him involuntarily. Every time he laughed out loud, it felt like Min-ho’s shoulders flinched. Even as he watched the back of the man who climbed into the driver’s seat without a word, Gyu-oh continued to grin foolishly, until a sense of urgency finally hit his face.
“Huh? Hyung! Cha Min-ho! I’m not in the car yet!”
Vroom! The car, its brake lights flashing red, departed without hesitation. Isn’t this a bit too much embarrassment?
“Ah, seriously, I’ve gotta hand it to him, he’s really bold.”
Suppressing his bewilderment, Gyu-oh hurried his steps. After confirming that the car had pulled over to the side of the road not far away, he scrambled inside.
Over the slightly frozen ground brought on by the sudden cold snap, the car carrying the two of them slowly drove away.