By Zephyria 
Seo Yi-kyung entered the elevator first, followed by Han Seung-jae. Butler Do turned away from Min Ra-hyeon, who was watching them, and spoke.
“I will let you know once dinner preparations are complete.”
Left alone in the living room, Min Ra-hyeon curled his fingers into a fist, watching the digital display of the elevator change from 1 to 2.
If he had heard about Han Seung-jae’s attitude from someone else without seeing it himself, Min Ra-hyeon wouldn’t have believed it. Han Seung-jae’s behavior just now was that unimaginable.
The series of events that had just unfolded played back slowly in Min Ra-hyeon’s mind.
Han Seung-jae had touched the paint smeared on Seo Yi-kyung’s cheek.
And even though paint got on his own hand, he finished wiping the cheek without any change in expression. It was as if this wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened. He seemed accustomed to it, even skilled.
He remained composed even after seeing Seo Yi-kyung’s messy clothes and wretched appearance. No, he had even touched him with his own hand.
Han Seung-jae was a man who didn’t spare a shred of interest for anything that was even slightly soiled or scratched. With a cold face like a winter wind, he never let any emotion show on the surface. Min Ra-hyeon had never seen Han Seung-jae act that way.
It was unbelievable. The way Han Seung-jae’s cold eyes looked down quietly at Seo Yi-kyung, and the indifferent touch that swept across a dirty cheek without hesitation—all of it was unlike Han Seung-jae.
“Those wagashi earlier were delicious, weren’t they?”
A faint laugh was heard from a distance. Min Ra-hyeon’s eyes slowly turned back. Da-hye, who had been continuing the conversation, hurriedly noticed him and bowed her upper body.
The two of them passed quickly by Min Ra-hyeon while greeting him. Min Ra-hyeon stared at the bracelet on Da-hye’s wrist. As if noticing his gaze, Da-hye covered the bracelet with her palm and gripped her wrist.
Despite the incident where the helper’s room was searched, they were still treating Min Ra-hyeon, Han Seung-jae’s guest, with caution. However, as if they had found something to rely on, they were no longer intimidated by him.
Min Ra-hyeon turned and strode into his room.
* * *
Swaaaa—
Approaching the sink, Seo Yi-kyung rubbed his hands together to wash off the paint. Then, looking into the mirror, he rubbed the stained cheek.
He had sat in the painting studio for a long time, immersed in thought, but it wasn’t easy to find something that Han Seung-jae didn’t have. Because of that, the options Seo Yi-kyung could choose from were extremely limited. Something he could do, and something Han Seung-jae didn’t have. Was there anything other than giving him a painting?
So, Seo Yi-kyung had blindly placed a canvas on the easel and started painting. Because he had agonized over it and habitually wiped his face with the hand holding the brush, he hadn’t even realized paint had gotten on his cheek. Since he had been standing in front of the canvas the whole time, he hadn’t had a chance to see if it had splattered on his clothes.
He wished he had taken his lessons from Jin Seon-yu more seriously. Of all times, he didn’t have much time left. Moreover, since he was using oil paints, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t give it to Han Seung-jae today. To make matters worse, the result was terrible. Looking at the colored canvas, Seo Yi-kyung felt a sense of futility.
He couldn’t give something like this to Han Seung-jae.
It was an unskilled, lacking, and flaw-ridden painting.
…Swaaaa. After standing before the sink for a long while, Seo Yi-kyung grabbed a towel and wiped his wet cheek. Before he knew it, moisture had settled in his hair as well. Seo Yi-kyung left the bathroom, wrapping the wet areas with the towel. He felt he needed to go downstairs to get a change of clothes.
As Seo Yi-kyung opened the door, a chill swept through the room. Seo Yi-kyung flinched at the rushing cold wind. The terrace door was slightly open. Because of that, the curtains were fluttering.
Seo Yi-kyung set down the towel he was holding and walked over. As he stepped out onto the terrace, the cold wind brushed past his wet cheek.
Noticing that Seo Yi-kyung had come out, Han Seung-jae gestured with his head toward the tree.
“Do you like it?”
Seo Yi-kyung slowly turned his head to look at the glowing tree. The garden, which had been filled only with barren trees, looked warm now that lights surrounded it. White puffs of breath spread around Seo Yi-kyung’s mouth.
The image of people coming in since the morning to set up the tree was vivid in his mind. But to think they did that for him. Seo Yi-kyung thought that Han Seung-jae’s feelings had changed after Min Ra-hyeon returned.
“You’ll catch a cold. Come inside.”
Han Seung-jae stepped forward, turning Seo Yi-kyung around as if wrapping his shoulder, and led him back through the open door. You only recently recovered, he said as he shut the terrace door. Then, he pulled the curtains wide open.
“Look from here.”
The tree could be seen from the inside as well. Come to think of it, it hadn’t been long since Seo Yi-kyung had left the bed.
Just then, a knock sounded. As Seo Yi-kyung’s head turned toward the door, Han Seung-jae looked in the same direction.
“I called them, so sit down.”
Han Seung-jae seemed to know who was at the door. The door opened and Butler Do entered. He attempted to place a tray on the table. Han Seung-jae stopped him and gestured for him to put it on the bed.
Butler Do placed the tray in front of the bed where Seo Yi-kyung was standing. Seo Yi-kyung looked down at the tea and the wagashi on the plate. Moving even more cautiously because it was on the bed, Butler Do held the teapot with both hands. Han Seung-jae lightly stopped him.
“That’s enough. He can handle that much, so you may leave.”
Butler Do lowered the teapot he had been lifting. He looked at Seo Yi-kyung, who was standing there with a pale face. To Butler Do’s ears, Han Seung-jae’s words sounded as if he were saying that Seo Yi-kyung was capable of doing that much. So, he murmured as if speaking for Seo Yi-kyung’s sake.
“The tea is very hot, so please be careful. And please let me know if you need anything else.”
After finishing his words to both Seo Yi-kyung and Han Seung-jae, Butler Do turned around. Behind him, Han Seung-jae’s indifferent voice was heard.
“Sit.”
Unconsciously, Butler Do’s head drifted back. Seo Yi-kyung slowly sat on the edge of the bed. Then, Butler Do’s eyes widened. Han Seung-jae was lifting the teapot and filling the teacup.
“…!”
The startled Butler Do, upon making eye contact with Han Seung-jae, hurriedly turned his head forward and almost collided with the decoration in front of him. Butler Do quickly opened the door and exited the bedroom.
In the room, the only sound was that of Han Seung-jae pouring the tea. He lifted the teacup and held it out to Seo Yi-kyung. As Seo Yi-kyung reached out from his lap to take the cup, Han Seung-jae spoke.
“I didn’t choose it; it was Secretary Park’s suggestion.”
Seo Yi-kyung looked up with doubtful eyes. As Han Seung-jae sat on the edge of the bed, Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze shifted to the side.
Han Seung-jae looked at the tree visible through the terrace glass. Looking at the same spot, only then did Seo Yi-kyung realize what Han Seung-jae was talking about.
The tree had been on the gift list curated by Secretary Park. Since the preparations had been so sudden, everything related to Christmas had been put on the list. However, it was Han Seung-jae who had accepted the list and given the orders.
“….”
Seo Yi-kyung lightly blew on the tea to cool it before bringing it to his lips. His heart had been very heavy because the painting he had labored over all afternoon in the studio hadn’t gone as planned. However, sitting here, drinking tea while looking at the tree, the gloomy feeling faded.
Glancing sideways, Seo Yi-kyung took in the profile of Han Seung-jae, who was leisurely drinking tea with one hand. The cold gaze of his refined features was intense. He was still dressed in a suit. He was different from Seo Yi-kyung, who was still wearing clothes stained with paint. He drank his tea with clean, effortless movements.
What would it have been like if he could have gifted a completed painting at this moment? What expression would Han Seung-jae have made? Seo Yi-kyung couldn’t shake the thought, like a lingering regret. It would have been nice. But it was a painting he could no longer give.
Suddenly, his eyes locked with Han Seung-jae’s. Fearing he would be caught staring, Seo Yi-kyung lowered his eyelids and gazed at the colorful wagashi on the plate. For some reason, he felt embarrassed, as if his inner thoughts had been exposed.
“Do you want some?”
There was a fork beside it, but Han Seung-jae brazenly picked one up with his hand.
“Here.”
A flower-shaped wagashi touched Seo Yi-kyung’s lower lip. Han Seung-jae seemed to think Seo Yi-kyung was staring because he wanted to eat the wagashi.
Seo Yi-kyung stared blankly at Han Seung-jae before slowly opening his mouth. As he swallowed the wagashi, his tongue brushed against the tip of Han Seung-jae’s finger.
Watching this, Han Seung-jae murmured in a low voice.
“I didn’t know you wanted to eat me.”