By Zephyria 
In the end, Min-ho couldn’t hold out for a few more days and forced himself to go to work. He brushed off all the dissuasions to rest a bit longer, as he hadn’t even had his stitches removed yet. Not only did it weigh on his mind that he had been away from work for a while, but if he just stayed cooped up at home, he would only be swept away by Won Gyu-oh.
“Your stubbornness is really something.”
“You crazy bastard, this is stubbornness. Ha…”
Even a slight movement of his body made his entire lower back stiff. Despite agreeing to have sex only four times a week, Won Gyu-oh clung to him obsessively. He was a ruthless and unscrupulous bastard who insisted that as long as his cock hadn’t gone soft, it still counted as one time, even if he hammered away until dawn and the sun rose.
Because of that, Cha Min-ho, who had been suffering from insomnia, almost fainted. If he had lingered at home just a bit longer, he might have spent the entire week with a cock plugged into him.
“Fine. Just get married to your work, then.”
That guy didn’t even think about what he had done and showed his disappointment with his whole body. Should he have started with the positions reversed? If he had been pierced below all night, he wouldn’t have been able to say such things. He pressed his throbbing waist and slowly leaned back in the chair.
“Yeah, I’m planning to. I think pieces of paper would be easier to communicate with.”
“Funny. Do you think I’d just let that happen?”
Despite the sharp retort, Min-ho didn’t shrink back and boldly held up his middle finger. Then, he turned his gaze to the laptop.
Thanks to Gyu-oh taking charge of organizing things while he was hospitalized, there wasn’t much backlog, but he carefully reviewed the processed contents. After flipping through about three documents, the silent air suddenly felt strange. Why did the guy, who had been grumbling noisily until a moment ago, suddenly become quiet? Checking with a sidelong glance, he saw Gyu-oh holding his phone and diligently tapping the screen.
“…”
Whether he was playing a game or texting someone. Regardless, his hands moved busily before he tossed his phone toward one side of the sofa as if finally relieved. Sensing he was about to turn his head this way, Min-ho hurriedly averted his gaze. He felt a stinging stare cling to his cheek, but he stubbornly ignored it.
After some time had passed, a fairly honest knock on the door broke his concentration. There were few people who would visit with such courtesy without going through the secretary.
“……Yes.”
As Min-ho pushed up his glasses and answered, the door finally opened. The person who appeared was someone he hadn’t seen in quite a while. He was the Chairman of Woowon, the company they worked for, and Mu-gyeong’s cousin. Since taking on his current position, Min-ho hadn’t seen him often, so he was flustered by Won-jae’s sudden visit.
“Chairman, what brings you here?”
“Oh, I heard you got a hole in your side.”
“Yes, it’s been a while since……”
Just how far had the rumor spread? Even as Min-ho replied with an awkward smile, the man did not step inside the office. He leaned crookedly against the open doorframe, as if intending to deliver his message and leave immediately.
“Rest. Those stitches probably haven’t even closed yet; why are you coming to work?”
“I’m fine. There’s a lot of work to do.”
However, the Chairman insisted he stop pushing himself, arguing that there were plenty of bastards available to do the work for him. Of course, despite his words, his body wasn’t actively pushing him out.
“What. You worried I’ll take away your desk while you’re gone?”
“Yes. I’m terrified of becoming unemployed. That’s really not my temperament.”
“Enough. Ten days. I can’t give you more than that anyway. Just take ten more days off and then come back.”
Since he had already rested for a while, Min-ho felt awkward taking more sick leave. Moreover, since he spent his time sitting at a desk staring at documents, a hole in his side wasn’t really an issue. However, since it was a recommendation from the Chairman, it was difficult to keep refusing.
“Besides, there’s a guy who’ll do the grunt work for you, so what’s there to worry about?”
As he spoke, he gestured with his chin toward Gyu-oh, who was perched on one side of the sofa. Gyu-oh quirked an eyebrow and gave a thumbs-up.
“……That is true.”
“Just rest. You can work yourself to death at the end of the year instead.”
The beaming face and the cruel words did not match. Min-ho wasn’t particularly keen on the idea, but it wasn’t easy to disobey the Chairman. Even if they had been like brothers since childhood. Furthermore, Min-ho lacked Gyu-oh’s sociable and brazen personality. After roughly organizing his schedule in his head, he nodded.
“……I understand, then.”
“Good. Just so you know, I’ll be using this office for the next ten days.”
Min-ho had been thinking about secretly coming to work if things went south. Won-jae quickly blocked that possibility as well. Min-ho nodded reluctantly and took off his glasses.
“I’m off.”
Won-jae gave a nod of farewell and swiftly left the office. At that moment, Min-ho witnessed Gyu-oh secretly wink toward the closing door.
“Hah.”
As soon as Won-jae disappeared, Gyu-oh stood up triumphantly. He then began moving busily, gathering the documents scattered across the desk.
“See? Even the Chairman says to rest.”
“You instigated this.”
“I did not? The bold Chairman made a unilateral decision. This is corporate employee welfare.”
Seeing him act so brazenly, it was certain that some kind of calculation had taken place. According to the data Min-ho had accumulated while dealing with Won Gyu-oh over time, that was the case.
“Ah, damn. You did.”
“How can you cruelly smear the Chairman’s pure intentions?”
“…….”
What on earth had he whispered to get him ten days off? Then again, if he pooled all his unused annual leave, he could probably rest for half a year.
“Hyung, you’re really hopeless. Pack your things quickly. You are sentenced to go home.”
“……I’m going, I’m going.”
Unable to withstand the nagging, Min-ho stood up. Feeling a prick of conscience about leaving empty-handed, he packed a few documents into his briefcase. Since ten days was a fairly long vacation, he felt he would be quite anxious if he let go of his work entirely. Gyu-oh glared at him upon seeing this, but fortunately, he didn’t interfere further.
Gyu-oh snatched the bag containing the documents and strode ahead. As Min-ho grabbed his jacket and followed, two secretaries stood up and looked at him with worried eyes.
“Director, are you still feeling very unwell? The Chairman mentioned you’d be away for ten days.”
“No, I’m all better. He just asked when else I’d get to rest if not now.”
Min-ho gave an awkward smile, feeling uneasy under the pouring concern. Despite being a cold boss who usually only discussed work, he felt grateful yet embarrassed that they cared for him like this.
“Come back slowly. If the weather is bad, don’t bother coming in.”
“……Yes, I understand.”
The lingering worry in their voices bothered him. He couldn’t exactly lift his shirt to show them his side. While he scratched his eyebrow in frustration, Gyu-oh leaned his arm on the desk and suddenly stepped in front of the secretaries. The secretaries’ attention shifted instantly to Gyu-oh.
“Didn’t you say you were knitting last time? Don’t come to work and just do that.”
“Then, what should I knit for you?”
The reaction was better than when Min-ho had told them to take it easy. As expected, Won Gyu-oh was far more skilled at leading a conversation at a level that didn’t make people uncomfortable.
“Wait. If I ask you to knit something, isn’t that workplace harassment? You’re probably planning to report me to the HR team after this.”
Gyu-oh narrowed his eyes and pretended to glare. The atmosphere of concern directed at Min-ho quickly softened.
“No! Really, I wouldn’t!”
“Hmm, my trust has completely crumbled.”
Thanks to Gyu-oh, who blocked all the burdensome attention, Min-ho was able to stand a step back. The laughter-filled conversation naturally reached its end.
“Then l… ahem. Director, shall we go?”
An awkward silence filled the gap in his speech. It felt like he had almost called him ‘Darling’ as usual but changed his words. Was it a delusion?
Following Gyu-oh toward the elevator, Min-ho searched his memories. Come to think of it, he hadn’t heard that ‘Darling’ sound recently, had he? It was a title that used to raise his blood pressure, but now that he didn’t hear it, he felt a bit disappointed…
“Mmm, mm, mmm.”
He stole a glance at Gyu-oh’s profile as he hummed, oblivious to everything. A faint smile was etched on his face, but he still looked like a delinquent. Perhaps sensing the stinging gaze, Gyu-oh, who was pressing the button for the second basement level where the parking lot was, whipped his head around. Simultaneously, their eyes locked—deep, black pupils meeting.
“What are you looking at? Falling for me all over again?”
“…….”
It was embarrassing to feel something like jealousy toward such a bright fellow. It was just a title. At his age. Because he had never been in a proper relationship, he didn’t know what was right or where the appropriate line was.
No, before that… they hadn’t even officially agreed to date, had they? He was the one who had put up the wall first.
“Won Gyu-oh, try hitting my head with your helmet.”
“How many times? Can you handle it?”
Gyu-oh played along with his words without asking why. Seeing this side of him gave Min-ho the certainty that no matter where he drew the line, Won Gyu-oh would adapt to him. Consequently, a sense of stability began to fill the space where only anxiety had pooled. At this rate, perhaps neither Won Gyu-oh nor Cha Min-ho were normal.
“Never mind.”
Ding, the elevator doors opened as they arrived at the basement. Min-ho trudged out through the opening. Behind him, he heard the sound of footsteps following quickly. As those footsteps grew clearer, that sense of stability filled him once again.
“Why are you going alone, whyyy!”
As if being by each other’s side was where they were originally meant to be.
* * *