By Zephyria 
The sensation of the round metal being placed on his finger was vividly felt. It felt like a promise to keep Woo Tae-hwon from going any further away, to keep him by his side.
Now that the future he had dreamed of was finally becoming a reality, the vow took the form of a ring. It was a silent declaration and a clear token of affection, binding the two men’s lives together as one.
Kwon Rae-i naturally took Tae-hwon’s frozen left hand. Kwon Rae-i seemed serious, and his hand movements were extremely sincere. Carefully, slowly, and surely, he put the ring on.
The size was perfect. As if he had measured Woo Tae-hwon’s finger size several times and made fine adjustments.
“How did you… find the time for something like this?”
Tae-hwon frowned.
Kwon Rae-i didn’t answer and just stared at him intently.
His clear, bluish-gray eyes captured Woo Tae-hwon’s image and took on a different hue. His gaze seemed to deepen more and more. As the excited emotions subsided, it now calmly expanded. Like an ocean. It was as if Kwon Rae-i was leading Tae-hwon to a vast place.
And Kwon Rae-i closed the jewelry box, leaving one of the matching pair of rings inside.
“Give me mine when you want to, Tae-hwon.”
Kwon Rae-i placed the jewelry box on Tae-hwon’s left hand, which had the ring on it, and curled his fist tightly to hold it. Tae-hwon was stunned, holding the box containing his ring.
He was sure he would beg and fuss to have his put on too…
Surprisingly, Kwon Rae-i had given Woo Tae-hwon not only a ring but also time.
Time to catch up with his violent devotion.
“……”
Tae-hwon stared at him endlessly.
Kwon Rae-i received that gaze completely and slowly smiled.
The curve of his lips was dazzling. His sculptural face bloomed towards Woo Tae-hwon. Affection overflowed blatantly from his eyes, which were so kind and even blindly adoring. It was the look of someone looking at a precious, cherished, unique, and eternal love.
Someone to chase for the rest of his life. Someone to endlessly desire.
Woo Tae-hwon was the only one who could receive such a smile from Kwon Rae-i. And Woo Tae-hwon also knew his heart inside and out now. Even knowing it, he didn’t feel burdened or want to push him away. Rather, he thought it was beautiful.
“Okay… soon.”
Tae-hwon put the ring box he had received into his suit pocket. The silver light shining on his left ring finger was like a piece of Kwon Rae-i’s radiant heart.
If so, then what he had put in his pocket now would become a piece of Woo Tae-hwon’s heart.
He already had an idea in his head of when and how he would take this heart out and give it to Kwon Rae-i.
After that, Kwon Rae-i approached Tae-hwon and raised his hand. He kissed the ring on his left ring finger, kissed the back of his hand, and then raised his head and kissed his cheek.
Tae-hwon gave himself up as he was touched and responded to the kiss. He raised his chin and reached for him, and their lips met as if perfectly matched. A small, wet sound was made as thin membranes embraced each other. He lightly licked and soothed the other, and felt it himself.
And Kwon Rae-i, as always, hugged Tae-hwon tightly in his arms. Woo Tae-hwon’s well-dressed black suit was wrinkled. But no one cared.
“Hoo, Tae-hwon. Will the inauguration ceremony end late?”
Kwon Rae-i murmured with his lips still touching. Tae-hwon half-lowered his eyes, took a breath, and replied.
“Probably. Ha… it’ll be late. There’s a banquet scheduled after the toasts.”
“It’s unnecessarily busy. I want to be alone with Tae-hwon.”
“When does the Chairman have time to slack off?”
“Haha, am I the Chairman? It feels strange when Tae-hwon calls me that.”
“From today on, well, I can’t call you Young Master anymore… you’re the Chairman.”
“I feel like I’ve aged all of a sudden for no reason.”
“You’re young. Still a long way to go.”
“Still a long way to go?”
“Yeah…”
But still, it’s Kwon Rae-i. It’s just good.
Tae-hwon looked at Kwon Rae-i intently with eyes that held such thoughts. Kwon Rae-i seemed to read the meaning reflected in his dark eyes and gave a languid smile. He clung to Tae-hwon again and kissed him on the lips, and caressed Tae-hwon’s ear with one hand. He gently brushed back the hair around it along the earlobe.
“I’ll give you the first drink later, Tae-hwon. People usually say that the right-hand man gets the first drink, but you’re not my arm, you’re my other half.”
“I’m honored.”
“Executive Director Woo. Say Chairman again.”
“You were reluctant earlier.”
“I never said I didn’t like it. I said I felt like I’d aged. Huh? Say it.”
“Chairman.”
“Yes, Executive Director Woo.”
Tae-hwon swallowed a complicated laugh inside as Kwon Rae-i spoke informally. It would be awkward for his words to be shortened, but strangely, he thought it suited him.
Tae-hwon replied to him with formal politeness.
“I entrust the Gyeongjeong to you. Chairman Kwon.”
The inauguration ceremony was a public occasion. Today was the day Kwon Rae-i was reborn as the Chairman of the Gyeongjeong. He couldn’t speak comfortably from now on, except in private. Kwon Rae-i knew that too, so he just stared at Tae-hwon and smiled.
“I entrust the fate of the organization to you.”
Kwon Rae-i’s smile became even clearer. His gorgeous eyes curved long, and his white skin glowed with life.
Perhaps he was thinking that he had regained Woo Tae-hwon, who had been taken away by his father. Kwon Rae-i had taken his father’s position and inheritance, and his whole body. Woo Tae-hwon was the same. Like the meaning of the token on his left ring finger, Kwon Rae-i completely monopolized Woo Tae-hwon.
“It doesn’t sound bad when I hear it. I’m Woo Tae-hwon’s Chairman, Woo Tae-hwon’s Gyeongjeong, and Woo Tae-hwon’s owner.”
Kwon Rae-i openly showed off. Tae-hwon, who was listening to those words, didn’t feel bad either.
He just chuckled.
“Yes, Chairman. I will also devote myself to serving you well.”
Tae-hwon replied in a voice mixed with laughter. Kwon Rae-i also chuckled playfully. He thought his smiling face looked good. He wanted to keep seeing it.
Kwon Rae-i continued to mess with Tae-hwon’s appearance while playing with his hands. The neatly dressed black suit was wrinkled and his hair was disheveled, and he still wanted more, so he stared at his tie. Just before the tie was about to be loosened by his hand, a knock was heard.
“Excuse me. Everyone is gathered in the conference room. We will escort you two now.”
It was just the right timing. It would have been difficult to fix if the tie had been loosened.
Tae-hwon gestured towards the door.
“Let’s go, Chairman.”
“Shall we, Executive Director Woo.”
Kwon Rae-i still found the title of Chairman funny, so he chuckled and tidied up Tae-hwon’s appearance, which he had messed up, with his own hands. He straightened his collar, smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes, and neatly swept back his hair. At the end of the meticulous touch, he added a kiss to his lips as a period.
And he lowered his voice to a level that only Tae-hwon could hear and whispered in his ear.
“This is also thrilling. I like it.”
Seriously. What wouldn’t he like?
Tae-hwon opened the door first and stepped back. Kwon Rae-i naturally stepped out through the door that Tae-hwon had opened. His gait was confident. He felt charismatic. Tae-hwon followed him, looking at his back.
As they passed through the long corridor, through the entrance, and into the garden, they saw the densely packed members of the organization. They were all dressed in black suits as if they had agreed on it, and were waiting for the two of them. There were countless eyes looking at Kwon Rae-i. Stinging gazes followed them as they moved. Each of their fierce eyes showed their determination and spirit.
Reverence, curiosity, and fear. On the other hand, it was a gaze that coldly evaluated and judged. In a place where today’s ally could become tomorrow’s enemy, everyone bowed to the two of them.
“Congratulations!”
The voices shouting loudly at the same time were heard as one.
Like reeds bending in a whirlwind, like the sea being swept away by waves, the members of the organization here paid their respects to their sky. Everyone’s heads were facing the ground, like a black wave spreading far away.
Kwon Rae-i and Woo Tae-hwon left behind those who were offering their respectful loyalty and entered the main building. The members of the organization bowed and stood still in a fixed posture, until the shadows of the two men completely disappeared.