FF Chapter 23

As he tried to swallow, it felt as though the food was stuck in his throat. Just as he was about to take a sip of soup, Choi Chairman’s voice echoed through the cold, sterile dining room, causing Choi Muhyeok’s expression to harden.

‘Are you tailing me now?’

‘Don’t undermine my concern for my son.’

‘Let’s be clear. It’s not your son you’re interested in, but the traits of a dominant alpha, isn’t it?’

‘And you, knowing that, are wasting those dominant alpha traits on someone without a proper background?’

‘Father!’

‘I’ll arrange the next meeting. If the same thing happens again, I’ll have no choice but to take different measures.’

Choi Chairman’s words, thick with threats, pushed Choi Muhyeok’s patience to its limit. He set down his spoon and stood up, pushing his chair back.

‘Unfortunately, I won’t be fooled by the same threat twice.’

Choi Muhyeok stared across the long dining table at Choi Chairman, who continued to eat his meal nonchalantly, and continued speaking.

‘There’s something you’ve always told me, as if it were a habit. A person’s core never changes. I’m the same. Where do you think that blood goes? However—’

‘……’

‘Next time you touch someone of mine, things won’t be the same. I’m just letting you know, so you’d better remember. I’ll take my leave now.’

As Choi Muhyeok replayed the conversation with his father in his mind, his expression grew increasingly grim. Ji Yeonwoo, watching him closely, gently placed a hand on his thigh.

“Managing Director?”

Only then did Choi Muhyeok relax his expression and turn to look at Ji Yeonwoo.

“If it’s difficult to talk about, you don’t have to.”

Ji Yeonwoo spoke with concern, taking Choi Muhyeok’s hand in his.

“Your expression didn’t look good…”

Ji Yeonwoo was worried, thinking he had asked a difficult question. Choi Muhyeok reached out and gently brushed Ji Yeonwoo’s cheek, playing with his hair.

“Hmm, it’s just… I’ll need to ask you a favor in a few days.”

“What kind of favor?”

“Remember the marigold bouquet you made for me last time?”

Upon hearing this, Ji Yeonwoo recalled the day they first met, when he had brought a marigold bouquet on his way to a formal meeting.

“Could you make me another one, just like that? Except, this time, could you make it look… a bit ugly?”

Only then did Ji Yeonwoo realize why this might be something that would upset him. And he also understood why Choi Muhyeok was at odds with his father.

Ji Yeonwoo tilted his head back to look up at Choi Muhyeok.

“Making it is easy, but… stop using my flowers for weird purposes.”

“Got it.”

For someone like Ji Yeonwoo, it was unusual to be so visibly displeased. Choi Muhyeok chuckled at the sight of Ji Yeonwoo’s transparent emotions. Feeling a bit sulky, Ji Yeonwoo shot him a resentful look before turning away and lying down. He pulled the blanket up to his chin, clearly upset.

“Are you going to sleep?”

“Yes.”

Ji Yeonwoo, half-buried under the blanket with his back to Choi Muhyeok, replied in a small voice. Choi Muhyeok reached out, looking at Ji Yeonwoo’s round head.

“You promised you wouldn’t get angry.”

When his fingers touched Ji Yeonwoo’s damp hair, he felt the other flinch. Despite knowing Ji Yeonwoo was shaken, Choi Muhyeok didn’t stop running his fingers through his hair.

“I’m not angry. I just…”

Ji Yeonwoo stopped speaking, then slowly turned to face Choi Muhyeok. He took the hand that had been stroking his hair and placed it against his cheek.

“I’m just jealous. Even if it’s an unavoidable situation, I hate that Managing Director is meeting someone else.”

Choi Muhyeok’s hand was so large and rough that it almost covered Ji Yeonwoo’s entire face. Resting his face against it, Ji Yeonwoo pressed his lips to the coarse palm.

Choi Muhyeok watched silently as Ji Yeonwoo did this, before letting out a short sigh and leaning down.

Peck. Peck.

Choi Muhyeok’s lips repeatedly brushed Ji Yeonwoo’s pale pink ones before pulling back. He lifted the hand resting on Ji Yeonwoo’s cheek and covered his eyes.

“Managing Director…”

Ji Yeonwoo, unable to see, moved his lips as if in confusion.

“I can’t see. Please move your hand. Okay?”

“……”

“Managing Directooor.”

Ji Yeonwoo waved his hands in the air, trying to find Choi Muhyeok. Watching him struggle, Choi Muhyeok’s expression twisted. He didn’t want to become someone like that bastard Lee Hyunjun, but seeing Ji Yeonwoo like this stirred something deep inside him.

“Managing Director… hic!”

Choi Muhyeok grabbed both of Ji Yeonwoo’s flailing hands in one of his and pinned them above his head, leaning closer. As their lips locked, their tongues entwined between them.

Late into the night, Choi Muhyeok, now shirtless, sat leaning against the bed’s headboard. He instinctively reached for a cigarette, placing it in his mouth before flicking open his Zippo lighter. Just as the flame was about to ignite the tip, he clicked the lid shut, extinguishing the fire.

Choi Muhyeok’s gaze fell on Ji Yeonwoo, who was asleep beside him. His bare chest and neck, peeking out from under the blanket, were covered in reddish marks. There were even bite marks on his chest. Although Ji Yeonwoo had climaxed several times in his hands, Choi Muhyeok wasn’t sure whether he should be proud for stopping at that, rather than going further, or if he had made a mistake.

Choi Muhyeok, who had been lost in thought while watching the deeply sleeping Ji Yeonwoo, eventually snapped the cigarette he had in his mouth in half. Just as he was about to get up, thinking he should leave before it got too late, he heard a buzzing sound.

— Bzz, bzz.

Turning his head toward the noise, he saw that the vibrating phone wasn’t his but Ji Yeonwoo’s.

At this hour?

A sense of unease crept over Choi Muhyeok as he furrowed his brow. Climbing back onto the bed, he reached for Ji Yeonwoo’s phone.

The screen displayed an unregistered number.

As the phone continued to vibrate insistently in his hand, Choi Muhyeok pressed the call button with a frown.

[Ha, finally. Yeonwoo, did you really think blocking my number would stop me from calling?]

As soon as the phone reached his ear, the caller on the other end unleashed a string of crude insults and abusive language.

[I told you to answer. Or did you miss seeing my face that much?]

Leaning back against the bed’s headboard, Choi Muhyeok listened silently to the ranting voice.

[You’ve changed a lot. You didn’t know how to do anything before, but now you’re acting all cunning, huh? Playing hard to get?]

This guy sounded like a stalker. Reporting him to the police would be quick and easy, but Choi Muhyeok wasn’t ready to let him off that lightly. The thought of Ji Yeonwoo hearing such words made anger rise to his throat.

[Did you think hiding would keep me from finding you? I already know where you are and what you’re doing….]

Should I just kill him?

As Choi Muhyeok licked the inside of his cheek in frustration, the guy who had been spewing insults—Lee Hyunjun—suddenly stopped talking.

[Wait. You’re not Ji Yeonwoo, are you?]

Finally, he figured it out. Choi Muhyeok let out a quiet sigh, twisting one corner of his lips.

[Who are you?]

Sensing something was wrong, Lee Hyunjun’s voice turned cautious.

“That’s not something you need to know.”

[Who the hell are you, and what are you doing next to Ji Yeonwoo at this hour….]

Choi Muhyeok’s expression turned sharp as he reached out and gently touched Ji Yeonwoo’s hair. His hand was careful, but the voice that came from his lips was low and menacing.

“Watch your mouth before I rip it apart.”

Memories of Ji Yeonwoo’s diary, filled with pain and loneliness, along with the confession that he barely remembered writing it, flashed through Choi Muhyeok’s mind, igniting his anger.

[What? What did you say?]

“Want me to repeat it?”

[Ha, you’re completely insane. Do you even know who I am?]

If Lee Hyunjun were in front of him, Choi Muhyeok would have torn his mouth open without hesitation, but instead, he kept ranting like a coward, hiding behind his anonymity. Exhausted by the man’s bluster, Choi Muhyeok finally spoke.

“You think I don’t know who you are?”

[…!]

“So, shut your mouth, Lee Hyunjun.”

The moment he heard his name, Lee Hyunjun fell silent, like a mute. The sound of his rattled breathing was clearly audible through the phone.

“Don’t mistake my silence for ignorance. I know everything about what you’ve done.”

[What… what did I do?]

“You think I stayed quiet for no reason? If you continue to act out of line, I won’t stay silent anymore.”

[If you don’t stay silent, what are you going to do?]

Unlike the frantic, erratic breathing of Lee Hyunjun, Choi Muhyeok remained utterly composed. Speaking in a calm, deadly tone that sent chills down one’s spine, he made it clear he wasn’t playing games.

Lee Hyunjun, though shaken, still couldn’t fully let go of his pride, his voice trembling with fear but trying to maintain his arrogance.

Watching this pitiful display, Choi Muhyeok sneered in disdain.

Having dealt with men like Lee Hyunjun before, he knew their type well: cowardly bullies who preyed on the weak but recoiled in fear when met with real strength. The more they had, the more they feared losing it. And men like that couldn’t be shown even the slightest weakness.

“Did you really think you’re the only one who knows how to use people?”

In other words, Lee Hyunjun had picked the wrong opponent.

“You’ve left a long enough trail. Did you think I let you harass Ji Yeonwoo out of ignorance?”

[Y-you, you bastard…]

“You’ll find out soon enough. A little gift is coming your way.”

[A gift?]

Lee Hyunjun’s voice rose in confusion.

Choi Muhyeok raised one eyebrow as he gazed intently into space, his eyes glinting dangerously.

“Make sure to take good care of it. Because the next time I see even a single hair of yours, you’ll find out whether I’ll tear your mouth apart or leave you as a living corpse.”

[W-what do you… Hey, hey!]

With a final taunt, Choi Muhyeok calmly pressed the red button on the phone, cutting off the connection. The furious shouts on the other end were abruptly silenced along with the phone’s screen.

Choi Muhyeok turned his gaze away, noticing Ji Yeonwoo shifting in his sleep, drawing closer to him. The warmth of Ji Yeonwoo’s breath against his thigh was comforting.

Ji Yeonwoo’s irregular breathing gradually slowed down as he fell back into a deep sleep, having tossed and turned a bit. Choi Muhyeok gazed at him, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions.

There were plenty of things he could have said to Lee Hyunjun, but he had held back. There was no point in wasting energy on words. With someone like Lee Hyunjun, showing a single action would be far more effective than a thousand words, shutting him up immediately.

Choi Muhyeok smirked and pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

Soon, Lee Hyunjun would know everything.

Who was by Ji Yeonwoo’s side.

And whom he had dared to provoke.

݁˖ ❀ ⋆｡˚

Ji Yeonwoo, wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, a checkered flannel, and a brown apron, sat behind the counter, looking dejected.

The customer who ordered ranunculus flowers never showed up. They were supposed to come at 1 p.m., but now it was an hour past that, and there was no response to his calls or the messages he left.

It was the first time Ji Yeonwoo had experienced a no-show, and he couldn’t hide his disappointment. Already not feeling well, he had forced himself to show up, and now, with everything going wrong, he was beginning to feel disillusioned.

Choi Muhyeok, who had just come back from a phone call, approached Ji Yeonwoo, noticing his downcast expression.

“So, they didn’t show up?”

With a sullen look, Ji Yeonwoo nodded.

“I guess I was too naive. I should’ve at least gotten a deposit.”

Choi Muhyeok gently stroked Ji Yeonwoo’s hair.

“It’s in the past now. Don’t dwell on it too much. What’s more important is not repeating the same mistake in the future.”

His voice was calm and comforting. Ji Yeonwoo tilted his head back to look up at Choi Muhyeok, his gaze softening.

The overwhelming frustration that had been gnawing at him began to subside with just a few words of comfort. He had experienced this many times already, but it always felt like a miracle. If it weren’t for Managing Director Choi, he would have spent the entire day wallowing in sadness again. Realizing that, the presence of Choi Muhyeok seemed even more significant to him.

Choi Muhyeok, who had claimed he would just watch Ji Yeonwoo sleep and then leave, ended up staying until morning. He even offered to drive him to work, just as he had done before, and he continued to stick around, only stepping out briefly for phone calls related to work.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work, Managing Director?”

Ji Yeonwoo, who was leaning against Choi Muhyeok’s chest with his arms around his waist, tilted his head back and made eye contact.

“Should I go to work?”

Choi Muhyeok chuckled at Ji Yeonwoo’s playful grumbling, brushing aside his bangs as he spoke.

“If Yeonwoo tells me to go, I’ll have no choice but to leave.”

Hesitant, Ji Yeonwoo tightened his arms around his waist.

“No, don’t go. Stay with me.”

The firmness in Ji Yeonwoo’s grip conveyed his determination not to let go. Choi Muhyeok’s expression softened.

“Is there something you’d like to do?”

Ji Yeonwoo, who was resting his chin on Choi Muhyeok’s chest, seemed to mull over the question. His lips pressed tightly together as he hummed in thought.

“There’s one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Since the weather’s nice, how about a walk?”

Choi Muhyeok’s eyes widened in surprise. That was not what he had expected. He figured that by now Ji Yeonwoo would have gotten a sense of his wealth. After all, he always arrived in a different luxury car, took him to upscale restaurants, and dressed in designer suits.

They could have gone on a private shopping spree at a high-end department store, or dined at a luxury hotel lounge or an exclusive restaurant. But what Ji Yeonwoo wanted was far more simple and modest than anything he had imagined.

Only then did Choi Muhyeok realize that what Ji Yeonwoo sought wasn’t a relationship defined by money, but rather a perfectly ordinary romance.

“Is that… too boring?”

Seeing that Choi Muhyeok didn’t answer immediately, Ji Yeonwoo misunderstood and began to lower his expectations. But Choi Muhyeok cupped his cheek gently, reassuring him.

“Not at all. Sometimes, classic choices are the best.”

“Does that mean we’re going on a date?”

“There’s a park nearby with a beautiful view. Let’s head there.”

“Okay!”

At last, Ji Yeonwoo let go of his grip on Choi Muhyeok’s waist, his face lighting up again after being downcast for so long.

“While we’re at it, make sure everything is prepared so we can avoid coming out this weekend.”

As Ji Yeonwoo tidied up around him, he gave Choi Muhyeok a puzzled look. Since he didn’t really have any set days off, the remark seemed confusing. Noticing the curiosity in Ji Yeonwoo’s eyes, Choi Muhyeok leaned closer to him.

“After the walk, we’ll have dinner at my place.”

“At your place? Today?”

“Yes.”

“B-but why did you mention the weekend…?”

Ji Yeonwoo, still unsure, stared blankly at Choi Muhyeok, who leaned in even closer, bringing his lips near his ear.

“Don’t you get it? I’m saying we won’t be leaving the house all weekend.”

“…!”

When Ji Yeonwoo met Choi Muhyeok’s gaze again, his face had turned as red as the roses in the flower showcase.

“I’ll wait outside, so get ready and come out.”

With one hand holding a ranunculus stem and the other gripping a delicate flower, Choi Muhyeok pinched Ji Yeonwoo’s cheek, which had stiffened in place, before turning around. He exited the glass door of Flower Fiancée and, as was his habit, pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. Glancing back, he saw Ji Yeonwoo still frozen in place, staring blankly. Once their eyes met, Ji Yeonwoo jumped in surprise and began moving.

His thoughts were written all over his face and actions. His cheeks were flushed red, all the way to his ears, as he moved hurriedly. Watching him, Choi Muhyeok chuckled softly and turned his head.

But then, the gentle smile on Choi Muhyeok’s face vanished.

Something at the edge of his vision caught his attention. He focused on the spot, his gaze narrowing. Just as he was about to make eye contact with someone, a shadowy figure quickly disappeared into the alley, one block away from Flower Fiancée.

Choi Muhyeok frowned, staring at the place where the figure had vanished, and let out a frustrated sigh.