RFT 33

Do Ye-jun was like a piece of candy that made Cheon Sa-hyun anxious. He was the kind of existence that made one impulsively want to bite down, even while knowing that licking it slowly was the only way to savor the sweetness for longer.

What if Do Ye-jun disappears without a trace? Lately, Cheon Sa-hyun had been plagued by such useless worries.

Even though he knew it was a far-fetched and nonsensical thought, whenever it involved Do Ye-jun, irrational patterns of thinking would suddenly pop up without him realizing it. Perhaps even his thoughts had been occupied by Do Ye-jun.

“He’s probably still asleep.”

Cheon Sa-hyun set aside the report that only brought sighs no matter how much he looked at it and launched the pet cam app. After the loading screen passed, the familiar scenery of the room unfolded. Cheon Sa-hyun leaned back comfortably against his chair.

It was still early, and just as he expected, Do Ye-jun had not woken up. The bulge of the duvet was clearly visible. He could also see Bori, sleeping back-to-back with him. Tsk, Cheon Sa-hyun clicked his tongue. For a brief moment, he felt pathetic for feeling jealous of a small animal.

“I wonder when he’ll wake up…”

Before going to bed last night, he had sternly told Do Ye-jun to contact him as soon as he woke up. In response, Do Ye-jun had merely nodded vaguely, hesitating. Cheon Sa-hyun was curious to see just how well he would listen.

How long after waking up would Do Ye-jun contact him? Cheon Sa-hyun roughly estimated the time difference.

Ten minutes? Or thirty?

Just as he thought that he might contact him around the time he left for his parents’ shop, the duvet began to wiggle, and Do Ye-jun’s messy black head popped out. Sitting up, Do Ye-jun stared blankly into the air with a half-asleep expression.

The corners of Cheon Sa-hyun’s mouth curled upward instinctively.

Do Ye-jun’s wake-up time: 10:37 AM.

After letting out a long, lazy yawn, Do Ye-jun looked around. He stroked Bori’s back and then spaced out for a long while. Unconsciously stroking Bori’s fur while scratching his cheek, Do Ye-jun fumbled around the bed. He reached under the pillow and pulled something out. It was his phone.

Cheon Sa-hyun’s eyes narrowed. After seemingly checking the time, Do Ye-jun held the phone with both hands and began tapping away busily.

Current time: 10:40 AM.

Vrrr, vrrr.

Cheon Sa-hyun’s phone rang. Picking up immediately, Cheon Sa-hyun didn’t even try to hold back the chuckle that leaked out. As he continued to laugh without saying a word, Do Ye-jun’s grumpy voice echoed through the phone.

—…What? Why are you laughing?

The voice sounded so much like someone who had just woken up that Cheon Sa-hyun burst into laughter once more.

“Honey, are you awake now?”

—Yeah… Ugh, I’m so sleepy.

Do Ye-jun yawned repeatedly. Through the monitor, Sa-hyun could see Do Ye-jun flopping back down.

—Ow!

As Do Ye-jun hugged Bori, the startled cat kicked him with its hind legs and scurried away.

—Ouch… that hurt.

Do Ye-jun muttered, rubbing his chest where Bori had kicked him.

“Was that Bori?”

—Yeah… I think he hates me.

“If he hated you, he wouldn’t sleep pressed up against Hyung.”

—You think so? Oh, right. He didn’t crush me while sleeping today. Do you think he heard what we said before?

There was no way a cat understood human speech. However, Cheon Sa-hyun willingly played along.

“I guess so.”

—Ah… I don’t want to go to work. Can’t you call my mom and tell her I’m sick?

Do Ye-jun mumbled, spouting nonsense. Cheon Sa-hyun chuckled and said,

“Hyung, are you an elementary schooler?”

—What elementary schooler?

“An elementary schooler who asks someone to make an excuse because they don’t want to go to an academy.”

—Sigh… I’ll just be an elementary schooler then…

“You’re a Master’s student.”

—Ack! Whoa, I just got goosebumps.

As if he really had, the Do Ye-jun on the monitor sat up abruptly and rubbed his forearm.

“Why?”

Cheon Sa-hyun asked with a smile, and Do Ye-jun replied in disgust.

—Ugh… To think that I’m a Master’s student. The world is doomed.

“You’re a ‘Perfect Master,’ aren’t you?”

—How did I even end up as a Master’s student… I don’t know, I just opened my eyes and I was in grad school. It just… happened. I didn’t even want to do a Master’s! But it’s not like I could just quit grad school whenever I wanted…

After lamenting to himself for a bit, Do Ye-jun suddenly threw out a question.

—But did you also make excuses about not wanting to go to academies when you were in elementary school?

“Me?”

—Yeah.

Cheon Sa-hyun let out a laugh at the sudden, random turn of the conversation.

“Why? Are you suddenly curious about that?”

—Just… it’s funny to imagine. Cheon Sa-hyun lying about being sick because he didn’t want to go to an academy.

Finding the thought amusing, Do Ye-jun let out a few airy laughs.

“I’ve never attended an academy.”

—Ah, what… how boring. So were you a genius elite from a young age? Well, that sounds more believable.

“No. I had a tutor from a young age, and that person lived in our house. My commutes to and from school were with a bodyguard-slash-monitor appointed by my father, so there was no gap to make excuses or lie.”

—…What the hell is that.

Do Ye-jun’s voice dropped instantly.

“The typical life of a third-generation chaebol?”

Recalling how Do Ye-jun often referred to his own life as a ‘chaebol life,’ Cheon Sa-hyun replied self-deprecatingly.

—How bleak…

“I don’t know. I grew up hearing that this level of things was only natural…”

—I just thought you dropped out of the sky.

“…What? Me?”

—Yeah. I thought you were just born exactly as ‘Cheon Sa-hyun’ from the start.

Cheon Sa-hyun chuckled, finding Do Ye-jun’s words amusing.

“What does that even mean?”

—Seriously. I can’t believe there was a time when you were a baby. Should I say I can’t imagine it? Ugh, it felt weird imagining it just now.

“…What were you imagining?”

—Your current face attached to a baby’s body.

“Why would you imagine that? I really don’t understand you…”

—Because I simply cannot imagine what your face looked like when you were little.

“I’ll show you later.”

Do Ye-jun, now seemingly fully awake, stood up from the bed.

—I have to wash up and go to the shop now. My mom originally told me to be there by 11 because it gets crowded during lunch… but it’s already 11. I’m screwed.

It felt like they had spent the time talking about nothing but useless and inefficient things, yet the time had already flown by. Glancing at the clock, Cheon Sa-hyun smacked his lips with regret.

“Don’t go.”

—What are you talking about? I’ll get scolded by my mom if I don’t go.

“I’ll make sure you don’t get scolded.”

—…And how would you do that?

“You just asked me to make an excuse that Hyung is sick.”

—What? Hey, I was just saying that for the sake of—!

Do Ye-jun was still saying something, but Cheon Sa-hyun ruthlessly hung up. He immediately went to his contacts and called the number saved as ‘Mother.’

“Hey…! Hey! Cheon Sa-hyun, hey!”

With the call abruptly cut off, Do Ye-jun’s unanswered shouts echoed hollowly. Staring at his empty wallpaper, Do Ye-jun let out a hollow sigh.

“What is that crazy bastard planning now…”

He should have remembered that he needs to be careful with every single word he says in front of Cheon Sa-hyun…

“I mean, I was really just saying it for the sake of it…! Who takes that seriously! Do you think Mom would even believe that…?”

He didn’t think his mother would believe that he, who was perfectly fine until last night, had suddenly fallen ill. Besides, Cheon Sa-hyun was at the office; how could he possibly know his condition and call? It was more likely that his mother would rush home after the call and smack him on the back. He’d surely be scolded for dragging the innocent Cheon Sa-hyun into this and making him say strange things.

“I wonder which one of us is actually the son…”

Tearing at his hair, Do Ye-jun hurriedly called his mother. However, he was greeted by the automated message: ‘The customer you are calling is currently on another line, please wait for the beep…’

“Is Cheon Sa-hyun’s sense of urgency insane?”

Just as Do Ye-jun was despairing over the fact that he was one step too late, his phone began to ring. It was his mother.

“Phew…”

Exhaling a long breath—whether a deep sigh or a calming one—Do Ye-jun cautiously answered. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for a barrage of nagging.

—Oh, Ye-jun.

His mother’s voice was perfectly calm.

What? Did it actually work? An elementary-school-style excuse about being sick to skip an academy?

—I got a call from Sa-hyun.

“…Ah, Mom, about that…”

Do Ye-jun was about to tell her to ignore whatever Cheon Sa-hyun said and that he would head to the shop immediately.

—Sa-hyun said he left something behind. He said it’s absolutely necessary for today’s meeting!

“…Huh?”

—So he said he asked you to bring it to him, and that you wouldn’t be able to come to the shop today. Why would you ask Sa-hyun to tell me something like that? You could have just gone… Anyway, hurry up and go so you’re not late. What if Sa-hyun gets into trouble at his company?

“Uhhh…?”

What is she talking about? Faced with a [stolen content]Read on Read BL Novelsstory he had never expected, visit our siteDo Ye-jun was left completely bewildered.