DS 172

Seo Baek-han stared at Joo Tae-hyun’s hand, which he was holding.

The hand, filled with the scent of a blue forest, that he hadn’t let go of once while calling an Uber to return home.

He was ready to back down at any moment if Joo Tae-hyun refused, but there was no particular reaction from him. He knew that silence didn’t necessarily mean consent, but Seo Baek-han decided to act shamelessly as he always had.

“Hyung, but you know.”

As soon as he gently rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb, he immediately called out to him. Ah, did he perhaps take it that way? He really didn’t intend anything.

“Since when did my house… become ‘our house’?”

This was also a word that came out naturally and unconsciously, but it seemed that Joo Tae-hyun had been chewing on it until now.

“Well, anyway, I’m staying over every week? And I have a lot of luggage.”

“……”

“I’ve also been depositing a reasonable amount into your account as a joint living expense and rent fee-”

“You’ve been depositing?”

Joo Tae-hyun’s eyes widened slightly as if he had never heard of it before. Even so, Seo Baek-han pulled his chin back, wondering if he really didn’t know.

“You didn’t know? I thought you were accepting it since you didn’t say anything.”

“How am I supposed to check how much is being deposited one by one?”

Joo Tae-hyun retorted bluntly, saying that he didn’t manage his bank account anyway. Hmm… He had momentarily forgotten that he was the youngest Young Master of the DH Group. The person I love is the wealthiest 20-year-old in the Korean Empire.

“Hyung will work out harder.”

When he brought up something completely irrelevant, Joo Tae-hyun rolled his eyes this way. There was no ferocity felt in his gaze.

“I’ll also pay attention to skincare and clothing.”

“What are you plotting?”

“Plotting? To recapture the heart of Tae-hyun, who is young, handsome, good at studying, and even rich, I think I need to do better.”

Joo Tae-hyun turned his head towards the car window as if he wouldn’t even bother responding to the pointless joke.

Because he slightly shifted his gaze, he could vaguely feel the volume of the cloned phone he had given him over the jacket pocket that was revealed.

It was a proposal close to being a reckless act, but once he made up his mind, the subsequent preparations flowed naturally. It wasn’t that he suddenly presented the cloned phone, which wasn’t even in the plan, to forcibly give it meaning. As soon as he decided to propose to Joo Tae-hyun, he simply unleashed the thoughts that instinctively crossed his mind.

Perhaps he had been dreaming of this day for a long time. He wanted to give Joo Tae-hyun everything he had someday, and say these words.

“You’re returning to Korea tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.”

As soon as he got out of the Uber and entered the house, his head gradually cleared. The new scent, which had returned with plenty of outside air, was added to Joo Tae-hyun’s pheromones that were already ingrained, giving him the illusion of stepping into a forest.

The scent of well-ripened peaches is added on top of the scent of solid branches and green leaves.

Seo Baek-han didn’t really like his pheromone scent. The scent of certain fruits can be repulsive to others. But when he was with Joo Tae-hyun like this, he was glad that his pheromones smelled like ripe fruit. It felt like they blended naturally, as if they were perfectly matched.

Isn’t it amazing? I’m just in love with you, but I’m grateful for even the little things that I didn’t even realize I was aware of. Also, that the world can feel so beautiful.

“I’ll speak accurately from now on.”

“Huh? About what?”

While he was immersed in a new sentiment, Joo Tae-hyun turned to him with a firm mouth, as if he had decided something.

“I liked that Hyung treated me naturally as if nothing had happened. But I also… I’m going to try to fix the habit of holing up somewhere and avoiding things.”

Looking back, Joo Tae-hyun calmly recalled the past, saying that there were quite a few unnecessary misunderstandings caused by that aspect of him. Seo Baek-han didn’t care. It’s okay even if he books a hotel room instead of the study and doesn’t return home. So, he hoped he wouldn’t blame himself, saying that there was a problem with him…

“Hmm. You won’t listen even if I say you don’t have to, right?”

“Yes.”

It’s my greed to be confident in myself, not to look good to Hyung.

Seo Baek-han nodded his head greatly like an idiot, because he loved Joo Tae-hyun so much, who was making such a resolution in an indifferent voice.

Even if Joo Tae-hyun wasn’t ‘Joo Tae-hyun’.

Even if he wasn’t the youngest Young Master of the DH Group who had everything, even if he wasn’t so outstanding in appearance, even if he was a more incompetent person than Cheon Seung-pil.

He would have fallen in love in the end. How could he not love this person who was born with something precious that could never be obtained with money and power?

“Ah, this is it. I think I know what Cheon Seung-pil brought… Huh?”

Joo Tae-hyun, who found the ribbon packaging that he hadn’t cleaned up yet, picked it up and reached for the trash can right next to it. It was a product that responded to the sensor, so the lid opened smoothly as soon as Joo Tae-hyun approached. But Joo Tae-hyun was still holding the ribbon in his hand and stopped.

Did a cockroach come out or something?

Even though it was a cozy house with everything, bugs often came out, as it was an old American house. Did he encounter an unusually large one?

“Go back. Hyung will catch it.”

“No… It’s not that…”

Seo Baek-han looked down at the trash can over Joo Tae-hyun’s shoulder, who was waving his hand over the trash can again. Then he frowned deeply.

“Ah, this is…”

Damn it.

“No matter how I look at it, it looks like Hyung’s handwriting… Is it right?”

While cloning the phone, Seo Baek-han worked hard to write a letter. No, he tried to write it. But even while emptying three sets of stationery, he couldn’t produce a satisfactory result.

『To my beloved Tae-hyun.

Tae-hyun, you were very surprised.』

『To Tae-hyun.

I don’t think this is the first time I’m writing a letter like this』

『Tae-hyun, it’s me.』

『To Tae-hyun.

I like you a lot, no, that’s not it』

『Tae-hyun, it’s me.

Suddenly giving you a gift like this… No, handing over a phone out of the blue』

Wasn’t some of the stationery that he had torn in half before leaving the house peeking out spitefully?

“……”

“Why didn’t you give me the letter? After preparing so hard.”

“…As Tae-hyun, you can see. It’s not at a satisfactory level.”

Ah, he didn’t think Joo Tae-hyun would find this. He covered the lower half of his face with one hand out of embarrassment.

He didn’t know writing a letter would be this difficult. He was always confident in persuading someone, whether verbally or in writing. It was the first time he felt so powerless. Moreover, to show that failure to Joo Tae-hyun…

“Still… I’m curious, so.”

Leaving Seo Baek-han, whose earlobes were slightly reddened, Joo Tae-hyun carefully threw away the ribbon that was used for packaging. No, it was too elegant a movement to say he threw it away. Joo Tae-hyun placed the ribbon beautifully on the stationery, swirling it around like when peeling an apple.

“Just give it to me next time.”

“The letter?”

“…Yes.”

Seo Baek-han’s ear tips turned a little redder at Joo Tae-hyun’s words, which clearly anticipated the next time.

This situation right now. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think the way I want, right?

It’s not permission… but it’s not a clear denial.

Seo Baek-han gained courage. Perhaps Joo Tae-hyun was just being kind and comforting him so that he wouldn’t be embarrassed. But why else would he be the son of a special member? Even if there was only a sliver of a gap like this, he would accept it as positively as possible and give it a grand meaning. He would accept anything Joo Tae-hyun gave him and show him unchanging affection.

“What should I do, Tae-hyun. The guy who loves you is such a bastard.”

“Yes?”

Joo Tae-hyun only opened his mouth at the unexpected curse. It seemed like there was something he wanted to argue about, but he seemed to know well that it would only tire him out if the conversation dragged on here.

He held Joo Tae-hyun’s two hands tightly, which had different temperatures because he had been holding them all along, and kissed him lightly. It was a pure kiss itself that didn’t contain any other intentions.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

“If it’s okay even if it’s a mess, I’ll definitely give you a letter next time. No, I’ll write one every week.”

“…I didn’t want it that much-”

“Don’t worry about it because I’m doing it because I want to. It’s okay to open it and make fun of me as much as you want, so accept it. Oh, right. Be sure to monitor my phone if you have time starting tomorrow.”

“Monitor?”

“Yeah. You can open all the emails and messages comfortably. There will be a lot to see? I’m going to start the dirty switch quantification research in earnest starting tomorrow.”

That’s why he had to return to Korea immediately even after finishing the first proposal. It was a place that he, the head of the Royal Hospital, had to attend, but if he said he was going to take annual leave… Secretary Nam would no longer be able to stand it and would try to kill him.

“Saying I’m betting everything on you also includes this meaning.”

So that your name, which had to be unnecessarily talked about by people because of me, can become the starting point of a revolution rather than a symbol of controversy.

Hoping that the three letters ‘Joo Tae-hyun’ will be largely recorded when you open a morphology book in any country in the world.

“I want to make a better world for you to live in.”

He held Joo Tae-hyun’s waist and made him sit on the island. He was backlit by the light, but thanks to the close distance, he could vividly read his swaying eyes.

“I love you.”

He could feel Joo Tae-hyun smiling with his lips touching.

As if repenting for the past when he made Joo Tae-hyun cry all along because he didn’t know how to say this one word, Seo Baek-han constantly whispered that he loved him.

‘Yes, now Director Seo is the subordinate, so I have to try to look good somehow.’

He recalled what Yi-hwang, who had now ascended to the Crown Prince, had said with a click of his tongue.

A superior and a subordinate.

Well. It’s true that it’s the right position to express it that way.

But, what does it matter?

Even though it was messy, Seo Baek-han wanted to continue to be entangled with Joo Tae-hyun like this. He could only love this unexpected reversal.

Without even knowing that his insides were swirling so darkly, Joo Tae-hyun quietly accepted his kiss.

“Tae-hyun, do you have to go to the lab tomorrow?”

When he asked carefully with the tips of their noses touching, Joo Tae-hyun let out a deep sigh.

“…Why are you asking? You know what I’m going to say.”

Seo Baek-han’s cheeks were slightly dented at Joo Tae-hyun’s roundabout permission. His lips gently landed on the dimples that looked deep like a spring thanks to Joo Tae-hyun’s shadow.

“Oh, Hyung. I’m going to visit Seoul soon.”

“Huh? Really? When?”

“I haven’t decided yet, but I’m thinking about the 14th or 15th of next month. Are you going to work on the day I return to Korea?”

“I guess so? Because it’s a weekday. But I can come to Seoul right after work.”

Of course, he wanted to take annual leave and go out to meet him, but it seemed that the backlash from his subordinates, who were adjusting to his time difference by going back and forth to the United States every week, would be strong. Since he would have to continue this life until Joo Tae-hyun obtained his degree, he had to consider their convenience to some extent.

“Haha.”

But Joo Tae-hyun listened to his answer and blinked his eyes for a moment before laughing out loud.

“Why?”

“The conclusion is the same as then, but the process has changed, so it’s not bad.”

So, what?

Just like Joo Tae-hyun did earlier, a question mark appeared on Seo Baek-han’s face this time.

“It’s like Hyung to clearly remember the moment of negotiation, but not even remember this exactly.”

Seo Baek-han, who had reviewed the conversation a couple of times, belatedly let out an exclamation as a lingering image that seemed to come to mind.

But he didn’t last long. This time, Joo Tae-hyun kissed him on the lips instead of the cheeks.

Whatever it was, it was enough if you could smile. Moreover, if he could recall a certain day in the past and be convinced that he had changed somewhere, even more so.

“Hmm, I thought something was going to come to mind just now.”

From now on, these moments will come every day. He’ll make you feel like Seo Baek-han is still the same bastard, but it’s worth fixing.

“Ah, was it then? In the car going to the airport after the wedding.”

Instead of answering, Joo Tae-hyun chose to put his arms around his neck.

As much as the warm breath, overwhelming love welled up over the overlapping lips.

It was the end of a terribly perfect day, as he was able to look forward to tomorrow with Joo Tae-hyun a little more.

〈Dirty Switch〉 Fin.