FF Chapter 20

“That’s labor, not exercise. Don’t you know the difference between exercise and labor?”  

“But I don’t like sweating.”  

“You’re such a kid. Really.”  

Choi Muhyuk reached out and tapped Jhi Yeonwoo’s cheek before sitting upright. At that moment, the traffic light changed from orange to green. The car started moving smoothly. Jhi Yeonwoo cleared his throat, indicating some discomfort in his throat.

Muhyuk, holding the steering wheel with one hand, glanced at Jhi Yeonwoo while keeping his face forward, showing concern.

“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”  

“I’m fine. I have some over-the-counter cold medicine at the store. I’ll be better after taking that.”

Though Jhi Yeonwoo’s tone was still sluggish from fatigue, he answered firmly. Muhyuk decided not to express further worry. He understood that Jhi Yeonwoo’s reluctance to visit the hospital was due to the delay it would cause in opening the store, which would disrupt business.

Knowing how much Jhi Yeonwoo cherished the flower shop and the plants within it, Muhyuk was worried but chose not to dissuade him. Earning a living while doing something you love is one of the few blessings in the world. Muhyuk knew it required the right circumstances and conditions, so he supported Jhi Yeonwoo quietly from behind.

“Are you heading straight to work, Director?”  

Jhi Yeonwoo, who had been leaning against the warm seat, suddenly remembered something and straightened up.

“I need to stop by home first.”

“Oh, right. You need to change your clothes.”

Jhi Yeonwoo glanced at Muhyuk’s slightly disheveled attire, then turned to look at the back seat. Muhyuk’s dirty tie and jacket were thrown on the back seat. The memory of last night briefly flashed through Jhi Yeonwoo’s mind, making his face feel hot.

Muhyuk, glancing at Jhi Yeonwoo, adjusted his grip on the steering wheel with his left hand and reached out with his right hand to hold Jhi Yeonwoo’s hand, which was resting on his thigh. Jhi Yeonwoo’s hand twitched and was startled by the touch but did not pull away. Muhyuk enveloped Jhi Yeonwoo’s hand with his own and said,

“I need to drop off some clothes at your place, or else I’ll take you to my house.”

“Yeah. That might be… Wait a minute. That sounds a bit strange…”

Muhyuk, gripping the steering wheel, glanced at Jhi Yeonwoo and raised an eyebrow.

“Strange? You’re getting a bit informal now?”

Startled by the sudden casual tone, Jhi Yeonwoo looked flustered but didn’t back down.

“Why? Can’t I speak informally? You sometimes do too, Director.”

“Well, that’s because I’m older. Do you know how old I am to be speaking like this?”

“……Ah.”

Jhi Yeonwoo blinked at Choi Muhyuk, his eyes wide with surprise. The exclamation that escaped his slightly parted lips was one of astonishment at the revelation he had never considered.

From their very first meeting, Choi Muhyuk had left a strong impression, and the magnetic pull was indescribable. There was no need to question age or compatibility; he was simply someone fascinating. As they continued to meet, Jhi Yeonwoo found himself swept away, contemplating whether their relationship was right and eventually starting a romance with Muhyuk.

Now, Jhi Yeonwoo was confined within the boundaries set by Choi Muhyuk. He had never imagined a relationship like this, and it was only after realizing all that had happened that he could not hide his astonishment.

“So, director, do you know my age?”

At that moment, Choi Muhyuk arrived in front of the Flower Fiance and turned to look at Jhi Yeonwoo.

“I’d have guessed you were around 26 or 27 at most. Am I wrong?”

Hearing a number close to the truth, Jhi Yeonwoo gasped and closed his mouth, taking a breath. Realizing that his guess was close, Muhyuk smiled and continued with a smirk.

“From the looks of it, you don’t seem to be in your thirties. Given that you mentioned a four-year marriage and a two-year divorce, I figured you must have started around 20, which would make you roughly 26 or 27.”

“…….”

“So, how about it? Is my guess correct?”

“Wow… director, I really can’t handle this.”

Jhi Yeonwoo stammered, admiring Choi Muhyuk. Muhyuk, finding Jhi Yeonwoo’s reaction cute, gave his cheek a gentle pinch.

“Of course. I’ve lived a few more years than you.”

“How many more years? You’re not suggesting it’s a ten-year difference or more, are you?”

“Well…”

Choi Muhyuk avoided the question as he got out of the driver’s seat.

“Ah? Wait, don’t just leave.”

Jhi Yeonwoo quickly got out of the car and followed Choi Muhyuk.

“Really, is there a ten-year age gap? Is that true?”

Jhi Yeonwoo quickly walked after Choi Muhyuk, who was moving slowly towards the Flower Fiance, with his hands shoved in his pants pockets. “Hurry up and tell me,” Jhi Yeonwoo urged, grabbing and shaking Muhyuk’s arm. Choi Muhyuk chuckled softly.

“Do I really look that old?”

“Not that, it’s just….”

“There’s only a six-year difference. Just six years.”

“Six years? Wow, even six years is quite a lot.”

Jhi Yeonwoo pouted and muttered, sounding as though he felt disadvantaged.

“If there’s a six-year difference, that means you’re saying you’re thirty-two. Isn’t that a bit of a cradle robber?”

While muttering, Jhi Yeonwoo unlocked the shop door and glanced back at Choi Muhyuk. He pouted his lips as he stood on tiptoe to reach the double lock installed above.

At that moment, a long arm reached up from behind Jhi Yeonwoo, overlapping with his own as it unlocked the latch with a click. Jhi Yeonwoo turned his head while still on tiptoe. In front of him was Choi Muhyuk’s muscular chest, visible between the open flaps of his shirt. Thanks to his 191 cm height, Muhyuk’s arm reached the lock easily.

Jhi Yeonwoo tilted his head back to look at Choi Muhyuk, who was peering down at him. Their eyes met.

Choi Muhyuk lowered his arm and encircled Jhi Yeonwoo’s chin and neck with his strong, smooth hands. Despite the roughness of his hands, they were gentle as they caressed Jhi Yeonwoo’s jaw and neck.

“No matter how much you whine about the age difference, I’m not letting go.”

Choi Muhyuk whispered as he drew closer and kissed Jhi Yeonwoo’s slightly parted lips. Gently pressing and sucking on Jhi Yeonwoo’s full lips, Muhyuk lightly caressed them with his tongue.

.

* * *

Choi Muhyuk, who had changed clothes after stopping by his house, arrived at work just before lunchtime. As he walked through the lobby, he greeted each staff member with a smile, heading towards the elevator. Among them was a staff member who was particularly pleased to have received Choi Muhyuk’s greeting for the first time.

The team leaders of each department were the most relieved to see Choi Muhyuk in a good mood. Today was the day for last year’s sales report, and given Choi Muhyuk’s typically strict evaluations, they hoped his positive mood would make the day go more smoothly.

The same went for the secretary’s office. Although Choi Muhyuk was known for his punctuality and often stayed late at the office, recently his arrival time had become later, while his departure was promptly on schedule, leading the secretary’s office to also leave earlier.

For the new secretary, who had joined the company just a month ago as Choi Muhyuk’s personal secretary, a good mood from the boss was undeniably a positive development.

“There will be a sales report meeting at 2 PM in the large conference room. The reports organized by each team leader are placed on your desk,” the new secretary reported as Choi Muhyuk entered the secretary’s office and hung his coat on the coat rack.

“Understood. Were there any unusual occurrences while I was away?”

Choi Muhyuk, speaking in a dry tone, pulled out a chair and sat down, opening a stack of approval documents on one side of the desk. The new secretary, who had closed the notebook, stood upright with a hint of nervousness on their face.

“Mr. Chairman has been waiting all morning.”

Sure enough, upon hearing “Mr. Chairman,” Choi Muhyuk’s dark eyebrows twitched in agitation.

“Mr. Chairman?”

“Yes. He asked me about your personal matters…”

“Did you tell him?”

Choi Muhyuk, raising his head to look at the new secretary, asked sharply. The new secretary felt beads of sweat forming on their temples from the piercing question and quickly continued.

“No, I told him that I don’t get involved in your personal matters.”

Choi Muhyuk, who had not shifted his brown eyes away from the new secretary, nodded slightly and returned his gaze to the stack of documents.

“Good. From now on, if Mr. Chairman asks, you should respond that way.”

“Yes.”

“Anything else?”

Choi Muhyuk opened his pen and signed the documents as he spoke.

“No, that’s all.”

At that moment, a soft knock was heard. The door opened, and another secretary came in.

“Director, Mr. Choi Minhyuk has arrived.”

Choi Muhyuk glanced up briefly, signed the last page, and closed the document before handing it back to the new secretary.

“Go out and take care of things.”

The new secretary, who took the documents with both hands, bowed and exited the room. Choi Minhyuk entered, greeting the departing new secretary before coming inside.

“Hmm, your expression. I don’t think you’ll last a month.”

Choi Muhyuk walked around the desk and sat on the upper seat of the sofa, pulling out a cigarette. Minhyuk, who had taken a seat on the straight sofa beside him, pulled out a lighter from his pocket and lit the end of Choi Muhyuk’s cigarette. Choi Muhyuk inhaled deeply, holding the cigarette in his mouth, and tapped his fingers on the armrest of the sofa, lost in thought. 

He recalled a moment when Jhi Yeonwoo entered the flower shop. For an instant, he thought he heard a clicking sound from behind him. When he turned around, there was only a car parked, and it was clear that no one was inside.

Where did that clicking sound come from?

Or was it just his imagination?

Unable to shake off the unease, he frowned deeply. Minhyuk tapped the coffee table, pulling Choi Muhyuk out of his thoughts. Only then did Choi Muhyuk turn his attention to Minhyuk.

“What’s going on that’s got you so serious? Why did you call me?”

Choi Muhyuk pulled out a note from his jacket pocket and handed it to Minhyuk.

“I need a favor.”

Minhyuk looked surprised at the word “favor” from Choi Muhyuk. He could tell from Choi Muhyuk’s expression and the atmosphere that today’s mood was different from usual.

“Hyung’s  asking for a favor, so I’ll drop everything and do it. What’s up?”

“Find out about someone.”

The note read, ‘JT Corporation Planning Department Head, Lee Hyunjun.’

“JT Corporation’s Lee Hyunjun? Sounds familiar.”

Minhyuk, squinting and narrowing his eyes, looked at the note.

“The sooner, the better.”

“Not difficult. What do you want to know? Personal life?”

“Everything. The more personal, the better.”

“Ah, that’s my specialty. Leave it to me.”

Minhyuk nodded readily, as if it were no big deal.

“Seems like a big deal. You’re handling it yourself.”

“There’s a reason.”

“Suspicious.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ve always ignored people in this line of work. What happened?”

As expected, Choi Minhyuk couldn’t let a question like that go without an answer. After a few more puffs from the cigarette he had been holding, he snuffed it out in the ashtray.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Hmm, did someone mess with your lover or something?”

Minhyuk’s teasing remark made Choi Muhyuk raise his eyebrows.

“I heard rumors in the company that you have a lover.”

Choi Muhyuk clicked his tongue, looking at Minhyuk with one eyebrow raised.

“You’re always more interested in trivial things than in getting your work done.”

Sensing that Choi Muhyuk’s mood was off, Minhyuk quickly changed the subject.

“Isn’t it always like that? Why get so sensitive? Anyway, I don’t know who it is, but whoever it is, they must be really unfortunate to get involved with you.”

Minhyuk’s playful banter was just starting to ease Choi Muhyuk’s expression when the phone on the desk began to vibrate loudly.

– Vrrr, vrrr.

The phone kept ringing persistently. Choi Muhyuk stood up and walked over to the desk.

When he picked up the phone, the name on the screen made his expression harden immediately.

It was his father, Chairman Choi.

* * *

Jhi Yeonwoo straightened up after moving a large flower pot that was almost as big as he was. A sharp, aching pain spread through his back, and he groaned, clenching his fist and patting his lower back. Despite the discomfort, he looked around the shop with a faint smile.

“I’m glad things are getting better.”

The first thing he did after arriving at work was to check the condition of the flowers he had been conditioning. Although only a day had passed, he hoped the emergency care he had provided had been effective. Seeing that the flowers hadn’t wilted further, Yeonwoo felt relieved.

He moved the new flowers into the flower showcase and organized the flowerpots, noticing that the shop was gradually returning to its usual state.

Turning around to survey the well-organized Flower Fiancé, he felt his nose getting stuffy again and reached for a tissue.

“Am I going to get sick at this rate?”

Despite taking medicine right after arriving at work, his throat seemed to be getting more scratchy. Normally, if it were just a mild cold, symptoms would subside a few hours after taking medicine, but this time, there was no sign of relief. He considered visiting a clinic but found it difficult to leave the shop with the occasional customers coming in today.

“I wonder if Director is okay. He seemed to have trouble sleeping.”

Recalling the events of last night, Jhi Yeonwoo wasn’t sure if it was a dream or reality, but he remembered hearing Choi Muhyuk talking to someone on the phone. He couldn’t recall exactly what was said, but he sensed fatigue in Choi Muhyuk’s low, gravelly voice.

Because of the restless movements, Jhi Yeonwoo also had a restless sleep. He was always sensitive to his sleeping environment and had been sleeping alone for a long time, so even the slightest movement beside him would wake him up. Contrary to his worries that he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep easily, he finally managed to drift off once Choi Muhyuk, who had spooned against his back, wrapped his arms around his waist. Jhi Yeonwoo wasn’t sure why, but perhaps it was the warmth or the gentle heartbeat against his back that felt like a lullaby. Despite his restless sleep, he woke up surprisingly refreshed in the morning.

As Jhi Yeonwoo was lost in thought, from the time he fell asleep to the time he left for work, he suddenly stopped and widened his eyes. “Oh, right. Earlier, with the director…”

He remembered the kiss he shared with Choi Muhyuk in front of the store when he opened the door. Although it was an awkward angle with Choi Muhyuk standing right behind him, it wasn’t unpleasant at all. Normally, Jhi Yeonwoo would never have dared such a thing. If the neighboring shopkeepers, who firmly believed Jhi Yeonwoo was just an ordinary beta male, had seen them, they would have surely mistaken him for being gay. However, at that moment, all he could remember was how good it felt.

Despite everything, Jhi Yeonwoo was worried about Choi Muhyuk. His cold wouldn’t go away even after taking cold medicine, and now that they had kissed, he was concerned he might have passed it on to Choi Muhyuk.

“I should have said it was contagious. I didn’t think in the heat of the moment,” Jhi Yeonwoo mumbled to himself as he picked up his phone from the counter.

“I should at least call and check if the director is okay.”

With a sigh, Jhi Yeonwoo looked at his badly cracked phone screen. He pressed the touch screen, which barely worked, to call Choi Muhyuk. Thinking he should get his phone replaced before work tomorrow, he held the phone to his ear as it rang.

– Ring, ring.

As the ringing continued, Jhi Yeonwoo’s expression grew more concerned.

[The person you are calling is not available. Please leave a message…]

“…Huh?”

Awkwardly pulling the phone away from his ear, Jhi Yeonwoo’s face showed a mixture of confusion and worry. Choi Muhyuk hadn’t answered his call. He had always answered Jhi Yeonwoo’s calls, no matter what. It was unusual, and the worry gnawed at him.

“Is he really that busy?”

It made sense, considering how busy Choi Muhyuk had said he was just a few days ago. Or perhaps he was in a meeting. Trying to dispel his unease, Jhi Yeonwoo placed the phone back on the counter and refocused on his work. If he saw the missed call, he would return it, Jhi Yeonwoo reasoned.