By Zephyria “Tomorrow, I’ve cleared your schedule for the first time in a while, so you can rest comfortably. Make sure to explain well that overseas schedules might increase for a while, so there are no misunderstandings. Got it?”
CEO Myeong reached out and casually placed his hand on Choi Hong-seo’s arm resting on the armrest. Choi Hong-seo, creeped out by the skinship that pretended intimacy, instinctively pulled his arm away sharply.
CEO Myeong’s expression turned displeased for a moment, but he didn’t say anything about Choi Hong-seo’s action. If it were usual, he would never have let it slide.
It was in moments like these that Choi Hong-seo couldn’t help but feel the social standing of Lee Hae-sung as a VVIP. Choi Hong-seo hid a bitter smile and turned his gaze out the window of the heavily tinted new car.
The residential-commercial complex where he was waiting wasn’t far from the airport. Perhaps Lee Hae-sung’s side had made arrangements in advance, as the underground parking lot, accessible only to residents, opened the barrier for ‘Layered’s’ new Sprinter without any verification process. A few cars carrying sasaeng fans that had been following behind were unable to enter and drove away.
The car descended to the fourth basement level. The manager drove smoothly, as if they had been guided to the meeting point beforehand. Lee Hae-sung’s sedan was visible, parked in a corner spot on the fourth basement level.
Upon spotting his car, Choi Hong-seo felt his breath return. He hadn’t realized he was suffocating.
“Huh? Hong-seo Hyung, why are you getting off here?”
“You brats, Hyung is going to work again right after arriving. If you know how hard Hyung works, you should go practice. Yeongju, you made a mistake on stage again in Ho Chi Minh. Can’t you tell right from left? Huh? Is that so difficult?”
Choi Hong-seo put on his earphones, disliking the way Lee Hae-sung referred to meeting Lee Hae-sung as ‘going to work.’ Even though he knew Lee Hae-sung wanted a different kind of relationship than the VIPs he had dealt with before, CEO Myeong couldn’t break his old habits.
While CEO Myeong was scolding the members, Choi Hong-seo quietly gathered his bag and got out of the car. As he adjusted the strap of his bag over his shoulder and started to walk, a short vibration echoed in his hand. It was a message from the Carrot Seller.
《Come to the passenger seat, not the back^^》
Feeling his gaze, he pulled his bucket hat down deeper and quickened his pace.
“Welcome.”
As soon as he opened the passenger door, his bright face and greeting welcomed him. He was sitting in the driver’s seat, as if he had driven himself. It was a little unfamiliar and strange to see him like this.
“Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes.”
“I came because I wanted to date you, even on the way.”
Once Choi Hong-seo was properly seated, he turned completely around and stroked Choi Hong-seo’s cheek with his thumb.
“Let me see your face. I missed you so much.”
At the request to see his face, Choi Hong-seo took off his earphones and hat, then turned his upper body towards him. He then stretched his neck forward slightly and gently rested his face in his hand. This level of skinship had become natural without him realizing it. Being natural didn’t mean it wasn’t thrilling or exciting, though.
As if offering his face, saying, ‘Here I am,’ a low chuckle escaped his lips.
“Good boy.”
He liked hearing this praise, and it made him act even better.
“This time was harder than when you went to Bangkok last time, Hong-seo-ssi.”
He continued speaking, gently stroking his cheek.
“You seemed a bit down after arriving in Ho Chi Minh. I was worried something was wrong.”
This time, he cupped both of Choi Hong-seo’s cheeks with both hands and looked closely at his face. As if he could discern Choi Hong-seo’s worries or emotions by looking so intently.
“Ah… well… I had a bit of a conflict with the members. I can be a bit strict sometimes, so we clash occasionally.”
Actually, it was because of Executive Director Lee Seo-kyung.
After hearing that Lee Seo-kyung was looking for him, Choi Hong-seo couldn’t find peace. Even though he tried not to show it in calls or messages, Lee Hae-sung had noticed Choi Hong-seo’s subtle emotional changes.
“I see. But it’s work, so it’s right to be strict. I believe in your capabilities as ‘Layered’s’ leader.”
“……”
“Even though you became a Casper late, you’ve watched all the important history of ‘Layered’ on video. Anyone who knows understands how dedicated and sincere you are to the team.”
Under his palms, Choi Hong-seo managed a faint smile.
He smiled back, releasing his face. Instead, he clasped Choi Hong-seo’s left hand. His lips gently touched Choi Hong-seo’s hand.
“Seeing you smile makes me a little relieved. I’ve been worried.”
Every time he spoke, Choi Hong-seo could feel the movement of his lips and the warmth of his breath on his hand, which felt ticklish. As much as that ticklishness, the name Lee Seo-kyung, which had settled in his heart, felt bothersome. He wanted to shake it off. He wanted to focus only on his time with him.
Choi Hong-seo tried to change the subject.
“By the way. Our car changed, was it the Vice President who did that for us?”
“Ah… um…”
He, who had been pressing his lips to Choi Hong-seo’s hand, furrowed his brow, looked into the distance, and feigned ignorance.
“How can I say this so that Hong-seo-ssi won’t hate me?”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Really?”
“Really. You did it thinking of me, so why would I hate you? I was just curious.”
“You have so many schedules these days. The frequency of rushing to and from the airport is high. I worry. All I can do is change your car to a safer one. I can’t tell you to reduce your schedule…”
“……”
“I prepared it because I thought I could feel at ease if Hong-seo-ssi thought you were riding in a safer car.”
He knew that no matter what, he couldn’t reciprocate the value in terms of monetary amount. Even so, he felt burdened by only receiving. But he also understood his desire to do anything for him. He didn’t know if it was more right to take away that joy from him because he felt burdened. It was too difficult a problem for Choi Hong-seo.
“Is that also… like a scarf or gloves?”
At Choi Hong-seo’s question, he burst into laughter and replied.
“You don’t have to convert all value and weigh it like that.”
“……”
“I’d like you to see it not as a price, but simply as a gesture of my heart.”
“Did our CEO ask you to…?”
“Mmm, no, that’s not it at all. I suggested it first because I wanted to do something for Hong-seo-ssi.”
“If that’s the case… I’ll use it gratefully. The members loved it too. They said it’s a car only top actors drive…”
“You are top actors.”
He said with a playful tone, raising their clasped hands and pointing at Choi Hong-seo. The heavy, anxious feeling that had clouded his mind an hour ago due to Executive Director Lee Seo-kyung felt like a lie. Choi Hong-seo, intoxicated by the sweet magic of forgetting that Lee Hae-sung conjured, chuckled softly, and suddenly remembered the box in his bag.
“Ah, I have a gift too.”
As Choi Hong-seo released their clasped hands and rummaged through his bag, Lee Hae-sung looked down at his empty hand like a child who had lost a candy and waited. What Choi Hong-seo placed back into his empty hand was a slender box of deep purple. With a neatly tied ribbon of the same color.
“I didn’t have time to shop, so I bought it at the duty-free… It’s very small compared to what I’ve received from you, Vice President, but please accept it.”
Taken aback by the unexpected gift, he slowly opened the box with a bewildered expression. The contents were a tie with diagonal stripes. Lee Hae-sung gazed at the tie, which had a light gray stripe on a blue background, for a long time.
Without any words, it was even harder for Choi Hong-seo to bear.
“You already have so much, I bet you have a similar color. Still… this one, it’s from me.”
The words added at the end were, in their own way, quite courageous. To say something boyfriend-like.
Suddenly, Lee Hae-sung’s warm palm reached out and cupped the back of his neck. At a distance so close their foreheads and noses almost touched, he asked softly.
“Did you pick this thinking of me?”
Choi Hong-seo nodded. His hand gently pulled his neck a little closer, and their lips brushed lightly. After a brief kiss on Choi Hong-seo’s upper lip, he asked again.
“You went out of your way to stop by the duty-free shop at the airport?”
The distance was so close that this time, he nodded very slightly.
“You’re so incredibly beautiful, I could die.”
The moment he finished his sigh-like words, his lips met his, filling the space between them. They slowly took turns tasting each other’s lips before gently sharing tongues. His tongue, which had been lightly licking only the tip of his tongue just inside his lips, gradually delved deeper, gauging Choi Hong-seo’s reaction.
But he didn’t rush. It didn’t become intense. Despite being a tongue kiss, it felt more like a kiss filled with affection than a sexual one, like the kisses on his forehead or the bridge of his nose. At least, it felt like he was trying hard to make it feel that way.
Even so, the tingling sensation of his tongue in his mouth for the first time made Choi Hong-seo unconsciously grip the chest in front of him. It was his first time experiencing a kiss like that.
His tongue, moving only slightly within Choi Hong-seo’s mouth, was like a very polite guest. Only after his tongue fully withdrew did Choi Hong-seo, in his dazed consciousness, seem to understand something.
That this was probably how most people’s first kisses were.