FF chapter 18

“How do you plan to confirm it?”

“You just need to answer my questions. It shouldn’t be difficult.”

He widened his eyes slightly, seeking agreement.

“No vague answers. Yes or no. That will suffice.”

In fact, that would be easy. But would it really be just that? With a tense expression, Yeonwoo couldn’t help but nod.

Muhyuk exhaled deeply and spoke again.

“There are exactly three things I’m curious about.”

Yeonwoo’s face tensed, unsure of what Muhyuk might say.

“First…”

As he waited, Yeonwoo gulped, swallowing dryly. Muhyuk, staring straight at him, resumed.

“Is the person who caused you to lose your pheromones the same person who gave you the chrysanthemum?”

Yeonwoo’s shoulders twitched. The first question was completely unexpected. Yeonwoo couldn’t predict what Muhyuk might ask next.

“…Yes. It’s the same person. But…”

Yeonwoo hastily added, feeling uneasy.

“I haven’t finished my questions yet.”

Muhyuk’s voice lowered as he cast his eyes down. Pressed by his authority, Yeonwoo quickly closed his mouth.

Muhyuk, staring at some point on the table, continued.

“Second, you divorced that person after losing your pheromones. Is that correct?”

At the second question, Yeonwoo’s already pale face turned even whiter.

How much does this man know?

“D-Director…”

Yeonwoo’s voice trembled as he called out to Muhyuk.

Muhyuk, tapping the table rhythmically with his index finger, paused and clenched his fist.

“Is that bastard Lee Hyunjun from JT Trading?”

* * *

Yeonwoo’s lips trembled, unable to respond. Though he hadn’t answered clearly to the last two questions, his shaking eyes and pale face spoke for him.

“H-How do you…”

Yeonwoo managed to utter in a small voice.

When did he find out?

It became evident that Muhyuk was perceptive, often deducing facts with quick judgment. But this went beyond being perceptive. With the information he had, he couldn’t have guessed the divorce and Lee Hyunjun’s existence.

And he never mentioned Hyunjun…!

As Yeonwoo, lost in thought, stared at Muhyuk with trembling eyes, they suddenly widened.

‘Do you still contact the person who gave you the chrysanthemum?’

‘No way. I don’t even know where he is or have his contact information.’

Yeonwoo remembered the conversation when Muhyuk first came to his house. What seemed trivial then now held a different meaning.

Could he have known all along and pretended not to?

Yeonwoo tried to suppress the sudden thought. It couldn’t be true. The Muhyuk he knew was straightforward and honest; if he’d known, he wouldn’t have hidden it.

“You seem to need an explanation.”

“I know it’s shameless, but I’d like to know how you found out.”

Muhyuk responded without hesitation.

“I heard it in a public place. Quite by chance.”

“A public place?”

Yeonwoo asked, puzzled.

“Lee Hyunjun’s reputation doesn’t seem good. Instead of welcoming him back from America, people were openly badmouthing him.”

Yeonwoo still looked confused.

“Those people probably didn’t know I was around the corner and didn’t know about my relationship with you. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have talked so openly.”

“……”

“Such coincidences might mean that you and I are more than just passing acquaintances.”

Muhyuk, speaking thoughtfully, then looked up at Yeonwoo.

“Do you need more explanation?”

“No, that’s enough.”

Yeonwoo, who had been watching for cues, raised his voice in surprise. What more explanation could he need? Muhyuk’s intentions had been clear in his words and actions. If he’d intended to use the information against Yeonwoo, he wouldn’t have been so considerate or looked at him so kindly.

“For now, your guesses are all correct.”

Yeonwoo answered in a trembling voice.

“Then what happened today?”

“It wasn’t anything serious. He called me… I’ve blocked his number, so I didn’t expect him to call from another number.”

Muhyuk, sitting across from him, focused intently as if to prompt Yeonwoo to continue.

“I think I was just… startled. Even if you don’t want to hear it, news sometimes trickles in, but I never thought he’d go as far as to call from a different number.”

“He hasn’t contacted you before, has he?”

“No, he hasn’t.”

“Then why did he call you suddenly?”

“I don’t know. As soon as I recognized his voice, I dropped my phone and didn’t have a proper conversation.”

“What did he say?”

“He told me to answer the phone if I didn’t want to see his face.”

“Hah, that bastard.”

Listening to Yeonwoo, Muhyuk exhaled deeply, his voice low. Yeonwoo’s eyes widened in surprise at the following curse.

“So, what did you do?”

“I’ve blocked the new number he called from.”

Muhyuk nodded in approval, but his expression remained stern. His brow furrowed as he loosened his neck from side to side, the sound of his bones cracking echoing with each movement.

Though Muhyuk tried to hide it, he was clearly furious. The atmosphere suggested he might tear Hyunjun apart at any moment. Yeonwoo worried about something happening, not wanting anyone to suffer because of him, especially not Muhyuk. As he pondered what to do, Muhyuk spoke.

“Do you remember what I said?”

What the Director had said? Yeonwoo’s mind went blank for a moment before a thought flashed through. He remembered Muhyuk saying he could gouge out his eyes, break the wrist that gave the chrysanthemum, or cripple him for life. Yeonwoo quickly looked at Muhyuk.

“What do you want me to do, Yeonwoo?”

Surprised, Yeonwoo hesitated and looked up sharply.

“Tell me. I’ll do as you say.”

“……”

“I’d prefer if avoiding the issue isn’t your choice.”

As Yeonwoo hesitated, Muhyuk added a warning. His eyes, meeting Yeonwoo’s, wavered uncertainly.

What had seemed like a joke back then was now clear. Muhyuk was serious and capable of doing exactly as he said.

Yeonwoo knew Hyunjun well. He was simple, losing interest as easily as he gained it. People had found it odd that Hyunjun had kept Yeonwoo for four years. Losing his pheromones or for any other reason, Hyunjun let Yeonwoo go mainly because he lost interest.

Why Hyunjun called now was still unclear. But ignoring and avoiding him might eventually make him lose interest again. If avoiding could solve it, provoking him wasn’t a good idea.

Above all, he didn’t want Muhyuk to share in the burden of this ordeal.

“Director, I… I can’t ask you to take revenge for me or to remove him from my sight.”

Muhyuk’s brow furrowed even deeper.

“……”

“How can I be any more shameless when you’re already understanding so much?”

Muhyuk started to say something, but Yeonwoo’s voice was quicker.

“I’m so grateful and sorry for your concern, but this is my issue, and I think it’s right for me to handle it myself.”

Muhyuk frowned as he listened.

“So, you’re saying you don’t want me to get involved?”

Yeonwoo answered softly, lowering his head.

“…I’m sorry, Director.”

“Can you handle it? You’re this anxious over just one phone call.”

“It would be a lie to say I wasn’t anxious, but it was the first time and it startled me more than anything. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to act preemptively in this situation. After all, he hasn’t caused any direct harm.”

“You’re right, but we don’t know what kind of threat he might pose in the future.”

“……”

“Any live ember should be extinguished immediately to prevent a fire.”

Listening quietly, Yeonwoo shook his head.

“I know him better. If he had any lingering feelings, he would have contacted me right after we separated. The fact that he called after two years likely means it was just a fleeting interest.”

“……”

“So, if we leave it alone, he’ll probably forget about it soon enough. Right now, it’s best not to provoke him in any way.”

Yeonwoo calmly tried to persuade Muhyuk. Muhyuk, frowning as he listened, exhaled deeply and turned his head. It was evident he was restraining himself out of respect for Yeonwoo.

“I misinterpreted. I thought you were holding onto me because you were asking for help.”

“I held onto you because I really wanted to be with you, Director. You don’t know this, but the first day you came to my house… it felt very warm and nice.”

“Oh, so you’re saying you’ll openly treat me like a human heater, huh?”

“…What?”

Yeonwoo, feeling uncertain if he had pushed too hard, widened his eyes. The sudden shift in the conversation made him look at Muhyuk’s face.

Muhyuk, with an expression that seemed both angry and somehow softened, exhaled deeply.

“Come here for a moment.”

He reached out a hand towards Yeonwoo. As if drawn by a magnet, Yeonwoo pushed back his chair and stood up, approaching him. The moment he took Muhyuk’s outstretched hand, he was pulled forward.

Yeonwoo felt himself lurch forward and closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them, he found himself sitting on Muhyuk’s thigh.

Now facing each other, with their stomachs pressed together, Yeonwoo looked at Muhyuk with a flustered expression. Despite Muhyuk being a head taller, sitting on his thigh made Yeonwoo look down at him.

Seeing the furrowed lines on Muhyuk’s forehead that hadn’t smoothed out, Yeonwoo felt a pang of guilt.

“Director, are you angry?”

“Of course I’m angry. Someone isn’t listening to me.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Saying sorry with words alone means you have no intention of changing your mind, huh.”

Hearing his disgruntled reply, Yeonwoo made a sad face, the corners of his eyes drooping. He lifted his hand and gently pressed Muhyuk’s furrowed brow.

“Hah, you don’t even try to be less cute.”

Muhyuk grabbed Yeonwoo’s hand that was pressing on his brow and gently bit one of his slender fingers, causing Yeonwoo’s eyes to widen.

“Yeonwoo.”

At the soft call of his name…

“…Yes.”

Yeonwoo answered in an even softer voice.

“In case you forgot, solving things with money or brute force is one of the easiest things for me.”

“…….”

“Do you understand what I mean?” Muhyuk asked gently.

Yeonwoo nodded in response.

“But what if you end up getting hurt, Director?”

Muhyuk laughed softly at Yeonwoo’s worried expression.

“Yeonwoo, do you really think of me as just an ordinary Director in a large corporation?”

“That’s not it, but…”

“Then why are you worrying unnecessarily?”

Muhyuk, still smiling, took his hand that had been smoothing Yeonwoo’s brow and placed it on his shoulder. He brushed aside Yeonwoo’s hair that had fallen forward and gently touched the back of Yeonwoo’s neck, which had become tense and stiff.

The worry hadn’t left Yeonwoo’s face.

“I’m not saying I’ll act on my own immediately. I respect your opinion and will follow your wishes. But,” Muhyuk said, his tone more serious.

Yeonwoo’s eyes widened with attention.

“If you ever face a greater threat than now, you must not interfere with whatever I choose to do. Do you understand what I mean?”

Muhyuk’s eyes widened slightly, seeking agreement. His softened voice and expression brought a sense of calm to Yeonwoo.

“Yes, I’ll do that,” Yeonwoo replied, feeling a lump in his throat. It felt like he had the most reliable ally in the world. He tried to hold back tears, biting down gently on the soft flesh inside his mouth to keep from crying.

Muhyuk, whose fingers were slightly longer and thicker than Yeonwoo’s, brushed Yeonwoo’s hair back again. His eyes, now damp and glistening, scanned Muhyuk’s face, feeling dizzy from the emotion.

Almost simultaneously, Muhyuk’s hand moved from the front to the back of Yeonwoo’s head, threading his fingers through his hair.

Muhyuk’s face tilted sideways and leaned in quickly. Yeonwoo closed his eyes tightly and tensed up. Without hesitation, Muhyuk’s lips touched Yeonwoo’s, gently sucking on his lower lip to part them.

As the unexpected kiss left Yeonwoo breathless, Muhyuk pulled away, still supporting Yeonwoo’s hips, and stood up from his chair.

Feeling the sensation of floating, Yeonwoo instinctively wrapped his arms around Muhyuk’s neck, clinging to him.

“Di-Director, I’m going to fall.”

“Then wrap your legs around me so you don’t fall.”

As Muhyuk spoke, he loosened his grip on Yeonwoo’s hips. Yeonwoo let out a short gasp and quickly hooked his legs around Muhyuk’s waist like a koala clinging to a tree.

Muhyuk, holding Yeonwoo’s plump hips, carried him into the bedroom, pushing the door open.

He pressed Yeonwoo against the closed door and kissed him again. Their lips met and parted with soft, sucking sounds. Muhyuk looked into Yeonwoo’s eyes. Despite just one kiss, Yeonwoo was already breathing heavily, his eyes glazed with pleasure.

“You shouldn’t be tired already,” Muhyuk murmured.

He kissed Yeonwoo’s slowly blinking eyes, then placed a kiss on his flushed cheeks. Moving his lips closer to Yeonwoo’s ear, he blew softly.

“Hnn, Direc-Director. That tickles,” Yeonwoo squirmed, every nerve ending on edge.

“Is it just ticklish?” Muhyuk asked, his tone teasing.

“N-no, it’s not that…” Yeonwoo stammered.

“Hmm, if it’s not that, then I guess I can do more. Right?”

“…Huh!? Uhng!”

Yeonwoo’s eyes widened in surprise, but before he could say more, Muhyuk tilted his head and kissed him deeply. This wasn’t the gentle teasing of before; it was a hungry, devouring kiss that left Yeonwoo’s lips tingling.

Muhyuk, usually so composed and restrained, was different now. His breath came in harsh gasps between kisses, and his hands, slipping under Yeonwoo’s shirt, kneaded the soft flesh urgently.

“Haa, Director” Yeonwoo gasped, breaking the kiss to bury his face in Muhyuk’s shoulder, breathing hard. The jacket draped over Muhyuk’s shoulders slid off as he shrugged it away, his movements dislodging his grip on Yeonwoo’s hips.

Yeonwoo felt himself slipping, his body tilting downward as if he were about to fall off a cliff. He clung desperately to Muhyuk, trying to hold on.

“Director, I’m really going to fa— Ahh!”

“I told you to wrap your legs tightly around me. Was that so hard?”

Muhyuk chuckled, kissing the exposed skin of Yeonwoo’s neck.

“Aah, no, it’s just… uhhm!”