IPSTDS Chapter 69

Chapter 69

“Daon-ah?”

At Noah’s call, Kim Daon snapped back to his senses.

“…Ah.”

“Kangil is being too much of a nuisance, isn’t he?”

Noah shrugged off Kangil’s arm around his shoulder and jabbed him in the side with his elbow.

“Kangil, don’t just stand there. Help set the table. And you’re definitely doing the dishes afterward.”

“Huh? I’m the guest, though?”

“You owe for crashing here last night.”

“You make it sound so cold. Are you only thinking about Kim Daon right now?”

“No. I’ll help with the dishes too.”

But Kangil didn’t respond. Instead, he looked down at Noah’s collar, still caught in Daon’s grip.

“Forget that. Pick one—me or Kim Daon.”

With a face as cold as if he had never shown tenderness at all, Kangil glared at Daon.

But the look had no effect. Daon ignored Kangil’s eyes completely and kept his gaze fixed on Noah.

“Hyung, it’s me, right?”

Noah looked helpless, glancing back and forth between the two of them. His lips moved, but it seemed like he couldn’t bring himself to give an answer.

Daon felt oddly relieved that Noah didn’t decide right away.

Considering the easy warmth between the two, it wouldn’t have been strange at all if Noah chose Kangil.

So maybe I still have a chance.

The natural conclusion startled him—because it sounded as if he really did like Noah.

Daon pressed his dry lips together.

…Did I actually fall for him?

Not just curiosity or concern, but maybe a desire for something deeper with Noah.

Before Daon could sort out an answer to that thought, Noah’s voice broke in.

“Let’s just eat already. I’m hungry.”

Noah’s choice was to avoid. He chose neither of them.

* * *

That evening, Kim Daon sat at a café near Hansan Group’s headquarters. He sipped unsweetened coffee while waiting for Seo Dowoong.

He had come earlier than their meeting time, so there was still a little while before Dowoong finished work.

Daon had requested the meeting first, wanting to finally sort out their lukewarm relationship.

As he had told Noah, he wanted to look at Dowoong’s face and decide for himself whether this was truly the end—or if it could somehow be mended.

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he had come here.

This café, tucked away near the company, was clean and quiet, so he and Dowoong had often stopped by. Back when they had just started noticing each other.

Afterward, once they were certain of their mutual attraction, they’d met in more private places.

But this place still held good memories of Dowoong.

Daon looked around the café, recalling those memories. The bitter coffee Dowoong drank, the chair he sat in, the heated gaze in his eyes when he looked at Daon.

He remembered it all vividly, yet strangely it felt like memories from long ago.

Like a time that would never come back.

Like the flutter he had once felt would never return again.

Daon leaned his head back and thought,

So this really is the end.

A bitter smile tugged at his lips. He had never thought it would end so hollowly with Dowoong.

Once, there had been countless things he had wanted to do with him…

At that moment, the café bell chimed. Daon shifted only his gaze without moving his head.

Through the open glass door, a handsome man walked in.

Even in the hot weather, he wore a neat three-piece suit. Strangely, he didn’t look the least bit hot.

Do handsome people not even sweat? The thought came unbidden. The man was Seo Dowoong.

The few customers in the café all turned to look at him.

But he, though catching every gaze, didn’t glance at anyone else. With his chin arrogantly raised, he looked only for the person he came for.

Dowoong spotted Daon immediately and sat across from him.

“It’s been a while.”

Daon nodded.

After just a few days apart, Dowoong’s face looked paler. Was it because of work? Or was he carrying some heavy burden?

In the past, Daon would have been curious, would have wanted to make him smile. But not anymore.

Now, he only looked at Dowoong with indifferent eyes.

That proud face that drew every passing glance no longer shone for him.

“How have you been?”

“And if I say not well, what would you say to that?”

What should I say?

Should I ask if it’s because of Noah-hyung?

Daon swallowed the words he truly wanted to speak. He didn’t want to bring Noah into this conversation.

So instead, he cut straight to the point.

“Is the reason you’ve been unwell… me?”

Dowoong answered without hesitation.

“Of course. Do you think it’s not? I thought of you often while we weren’t meeting.”

Yet in all that time, he had never once reached out. Even this meeting had only happened because Daon had asked for it.

So very typical of Seo Dowoong’s pride.

“Dowoong, what do you want to do?”

“You’re the one… who already decided before calling me out, aren’t you?”

“……”

“Don’t act otherwise. It’s written all over your face.”

“……”

“You’re wearing the face of someone who’s thinking of the end.”

His eyes glinted sharply. As always, he read the situation coolly and seemed to have already guessed why they were meeting.

That was just like him. Seo Dowoong, who always valued his own judgment above all.

But there was one thing he didn’t understand.

That the conclusions he reached with that sharp mind might work for business, but not for people.

Daon’s voice carried a sigh.

“…I didn’t call you here just to erase everything. I won’t deny my feelings have cooled, but I also wanted to see if we could work things out by talking.”

“Even if we talk and smooth things over now, do you think we can go back to how we were?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Daon-ah.”

His name, spoken gently. Daon used to like it when Dowoong called him that with warmth.

Used to. Past tense.

Now… not so much.

At that moment, another voice came to mind.

Daon-ah!

Noah’s voice, calling him with excitement.

Daon-ah…

Noah’s voice again, this time hesitant.

Even while sitting with Dowoong, it was Noah’s voice he wanted to hear.

While he was unconsciously thinking of Noah, Dowoong’s voice sounded again.

“Let’s end this.”

The words were shocking.

But strangely, he didn’t feel shocked. Perhaps because he had already expected it.

“……”

“But don’t worry. Work won’t be uncomfortable for you. No one at the company knew about us anyway, and I’ll be careful.”

Daon answered plainly.

“Alright.”

“But I don’t mean we should ignore each other completely. Maybe keeping our distance will make us miss each other again.”

“That’s possible.”

But haven’t we already gone too far for that?

Daon thought so. His expression must have given him away.

“…You…”

“What?”

“No, forget it.”

Dowoong seemed like he wanted to say more but shook his head.

“Anything else?”

“At the very least, I was going to confess to you.”

“Same here.”

So why had it ended like this? They both stared at each other, each thinking the same unspoken thought.

The first to rise was Dowoong. From inside his jacket, he placed a small case on the table.

“Happy late birthday.”

He turned before Daon could stop him.

“Seo Dowoong! I don’t need this!”

Daon tried to chase him, but he was already gone from the café. Even if he caught him, he knew Dowoong wouldn’t take the gift back.

So Daon sat back down and looked at the unwanted birthday present.

He wasn’t curious about the expensive thing inside. He wasn’t pained about the finality with Dowoong either.

Daon felt light. His heart, heavy for days, was suddenly unburdened. Maybe because they had never officially dated—only exchanged interest.

He didn’t think about Dowoong again. Didn’t care.

What he thought of desperately now was only Noah, who had gone back with Kangil.

What’s hyung doing right now?

If I tell him I’m completely done with Seo Dowoong, will I earn his sympathy? Could I use that sympathy to take him from Kangil?

Even in this moment, Daon thought of Noah. And at last, he realized.

I really do like him.

That sudden shift in his heart—he could no longer deny it. Daon turned on his phone and sent Noah a message.

-Hyung, I’m completely done with Seo Dowoong.

What kind of reply would come?

As he waited, his heart beat faster. Faster than it ever had when he was with Seo Dowoong.