FF Chapter 9

Choi Muhyeok leaned towards Ji Yeonwoo, thinking it was about time to wake him. Almost at the same moment, Ji Yeonwoo, who had been facing the window, shifted and turned towards Choi Muhyeok. He curled up on the seat, pulling his legs up and wrapping himself snugly in the coat. Then, he settled back into sleep, facing Choi Muhyeok.

Choi Muhyeok, frozen in his leaning position towards Ji Yeonwoo, felt his gaze waver, unable to settle. He even held his breath for a moment, then let out a small chuckle as he watched the still-sleeping Ji Yeonwoo.

“You’re sleeping so soundly, it’s making me think bad thoughts.”

No matter how firmly he’d resolved not to take advantage of someone sleeping, it felt unfair for Ji Yeonwoo to be so defenseless. It made him question whether his patience was being tested.

“Yeonwoo, how long are you planning to sleep?”

Unable to resist, Choi Muhyeok poked Ji Yeonwoo’s soft, pale cheek with his finger. The sensation was like touching a soft rice cake.

Ji Yeonwoo stirred slightly after being poked a couple of times and burrowed deeper into the coat.

“Mmm, just a bit more.”

“Just a bit more?”

Amused, Choi Muhyeok repeated Ji Yeonwoo’s sleepy response and laughed.

“It’s already early morning, Yeonwoo. You should go inside and sleep properly.”

“……”

“Ji Yeonwoo.”

“……”

Seeing Ji Yeonwoo so deeply asleep, despite having insisted earlier that he wasn’t tired, made Choi Muhyeok want to tease him even more.

“If you don’t wake up by the time I count to three, I’m going to do whatever I want.”

“……”

“One…”

“……”

“Two…”

“……”

“Three…”

“……!”

As soon as Choi Muhyeok finished counting, Ji Yeonwoo’s eyes snapped open. Just as the coat slipped down, Choi Muhyeok leaned in, supporting himself on the passenger seat’s headrest. The moment their lips pressed together, soft and warm, Ji Yeonwoo froze.

Choi Muhyeok opened his eyes slightly to see Ji Yeonwoo’s scrunched expression, his eyes tightly closed in surprise. Sensing Ji Yeonwoo’s tension, Choi Muhyeok didn’t pull back right away.

He placed several soft kisses along Ji Yeonwoo’s lips, before greedily sucking on his lower lip. Their tongues entwined deeply, and Ji Yeonwoo shut his eyes tight, overwhelmed by the intense kiss that seemed to steal all his breath. Choi Muhyeok, making sure not to let their teeth clash, nibbled gently on Ji Yeonwoo’s lips before placing his hand on his shoulder.

As soon as Choi Muhyeok’s hand touched him, Ji Yeonwoo flinched and weakly pushed against his chest with clenched fists. Although Ji Yeonwoo’s punches were too soft to have any real effect, Choi Muhyeok remembered his promise not to push things too far, so he pretended to be swayed by the weak resistance and pulled back. Meeting Ji Yeonwoo’s wide eyes, Choi Muhyeok smiled.

“Ha, ha…”

Ji Yeonwoo’s breathing was ragged as he covered his lips with the back of his hand, his eyes now fully awake.

“When did you wake up?”

“……”

“Don’t tell me you heard everything I said?”

It seemed suspicious that Ji Yeonwoo had opened his eyes exactly as Choi Muhyeok finished counting. The timing suggested he had been awake for a while.

“I was curious what would happen if you actually decided to act on those ‘bad thoughts.’”

Ji Yeonwoo blushed in embarrassment but didn’t hide his feelings.

“What, you were awake that whole time?”

Choi Muhyeok was surprised. So, was everything—from his responses to the poking—intentional? Ji Yeonwoo had more mischief in him than he seemed. Choi Muhyeok chuckled as he looked at him, and Ji Yeonwoo quickly tried to explain.

“I mean, I was half-asleep. I didn’t really remember what I said because I was so groggy.”

“But you answered everything I said.”

“I was sleepy. I woke up, but I thought it’d be weird to open my eyes immediately. And… I was curious what would happen if you had those ‘bad thoughts’…”

Ji Yeonwoo’s flustered and red face as he rambled on was quite a sight to see. Choi Muhyeok gave a nonchalant nod.

“Hmm. Alright. I’ll believe you.”

“I’m telling the truth!”

“I know, I know.”

Choi Muhyeok’s half-hearted response made Ji Yeonwoo pout in dissatisfaction. He leaned closer to Ji Yeonwoo with a grin.

“So, how was it? Watching me ‘think bad thoughts’?”

“…What?”

As their faces neared again, Ji Yeonwoo leaned back against the seat, eyes wide.

“Did you not like it?”

“Well, that…”

Choi Muhyeok leaned in even closer, examining Ji Yeonwoo’s face. Ji Yeonwoo’s eyes darted around nervously but then seemed to harden with resolve.

“…I didn’t dislike it.”

Choi Muhyeok was pleased that Ji Yeonwoo didn’t seem like someone overly timid. He admired how, instead of shutting himself away in depression after losing his pheromones, Ji Yeonwoo faced the world head-on, living with resilience. Even though he was defensive at times, the way he was open to forming new connections was something Choi Muhyeok found appealing.

Choi Muhyeok wanted to know more about Ji Yeonwoo—whether he really smiled with his eyes all crinkled when he was genuinely happy, if his eyes turned red when he cried, and what kind of sounds he made when he was excited. He was curious about all of Ji Yeonwoo’s expressions. While he mused, he absentmindedly brushed his thumb across Ji Yeonwoo’s moist lower lip, and then, realizing where his thoughts had wandered, laughed to himself.

Ji Yeonwoo blinked in surprise at Choi Muhyeok’s laughter. Choi Muhyeok shook his head as if to say it was nothing.

“If you didn’t mind, can I continue?”

Choi Muhyeok gently stroked Ji Yeonwoo’s earlobe, his touch confident, though his words, seeking permission, were soft.

“I mean the kiss.”

Ji Yeonwoo hesitated, seemingly uncertain. His heart pounded. His body felt like it was melting into the atmosphere, completely engulfed. This wasn’t something he could avoid just because he wanted to. After a moment of hesitation, Ji Yeonwoo’s ears turned red, and he gave a small nod.

Once he had permission, Choi Muhyeok cupped Ji Yeonwoo’s chin and tilted his face toward him. Their lips, still slick from their earlier kiss, met again. This time, as Choi Muhyeok deepened the kiss, his tongue moved with more intent, far more provocative than the tentative touch from before.

As Ji Yeonwoo’s uncertain hands fumbled on Choi Muhyeok’s firm shoulders, he hesitated for a moment, then hooked his arms around Choi Muhyeok’s neck, pulling him closer. Feeling Ji Yeonwoo’s touch, Choi Muhyeok opened his eyes slightly. Ji Yeonwoo had his eyes squeezed shut, entirely focused on the kiss.

Choi Muhyeok, now holding Ji Yeonwoo’s upper body, pulled him closer and leaned in further.

“Mmph.”

A faint moan escaped between their lips. Choi Muhyeok pressed deeper into the kiss, tenderly caressing Ji Yeonwoo’s soft cheek.

Though Ji Yeonwoo still hesitated, it was clear he was slowly warming up, accepting Choi Muhyeok’s affection with an almost endearing eagerness.

˖ ❀ ⋆｡˚

Ji Yeonwoo spent most of his days at Flower Fiancee. Apart from meeting with friends or running errands, he rarely took days off. This had been his routine for two years straight.

Flower Fiancee’s business hours were from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Typically, Ji Yeonwoo would arrive around 9:30 a.m., clean the store, water the plants, and start his day. But once a week, when new flowers arrived from the farm, he would come an hour earlier to prepare for the delivery.

“Boss, is this the last pot?”

Ji Yeonwoo pointed to a large potted plant at the back of the one-ton truck. It was a snake plant, famous for its air-purifying properties. The farm owner, who was organizing the next batch of plants in the truck, glanced back and responded with a nod.

“Yeah, that’s the last one.”

“I’ll carry it inside.”

“Wait a sec. Let me finish this up, and I’ll help you.”

“No, it’s okay. I can handle it by myself.”

“That thing’s heavy, though.”

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

Despite the farm owner’s protests, Ji Yeonwoo stubbornly lifted the large pot and carried it into the shop.

He set it down by the door and looked around for a suitable spot. Several large pots had already been moved inside, so there were plenty of empty spaces. After placing the snake plant where he had in mind, he straightened up and stretched, feeling a dull ache in his hips. While he could usually handle the smaller pots just fine, carrying the larger ones alone was still a bit of a strain. Or maybe it was because he hadn’t slept at all last night.

As he rubbed his sore hips with a fist, his thoughts drifted back to the events of the previous night—or rather, just a few hours ago in the early morning.

Who on earth kisses someone senseless after saying they wouldn’t touch a sleeping person?

Though he had every right to be mad, Ji Yeonwoo couldn’t even muster the will to complain. If anything, he had gotten swept up in the moment and enjoyed it, which made him feel even less inclined to say anything.

He realized he was surprisingly simple-minded. Just a bit of skinship had broken down the invisible barrier between them. While he still knew very little about Choi Muhyeok, it was hard not to be drawn to his gentle words and considerate actions.

“How do you manage to lift things like that, Ji Yeonwoo? You don’t look like you’d have any strength at all,” the farm owner remarked as he walked into the shop, handing Ji Yeonwoo a delivery slip. Though the comment could have been taken as offensive, Ji Yeonwoo responded with a smile.

“What are you talking about? I’m a man too, you know. Can’t you see these muscles?” He flexed his arm dramatically, pretending to show off non-existent biceps. The farm owner chuckled heartily at the gesture.

Most people didn’t think of Ji Yeonwoo as an omega since he didn’t have pheromones. Even Choi Muhyeok, who had picked up on his secondary gender, was a rare case, as only a dominant alpha like him could recognize it. Most assumed Ji Yeonwoo was a male beta.

It was obvious from the fact that 90% of Flower Fiancee’s regular customers were female betas.

“Wait, Ji Yeonwoo, how old did you say you were again?” the farm owner asked, pausing mid-motion as he opened the drink Ji Yeonwoo had handed him.

“I’m 26 now.”

The farm owner looked at him in surprise.

“That young? You’re too young to be cooped up in a flower shop all day. And it doesn’t look like you take any days off either.”

Ji Yeonwoo awkwardly chuckled as he realized what the farm owner was implying.

“Well, when you run a business, there’s no such thing as a day off. Gotta make money.”

“That’s true. You’ve got to earn money while you’re young. But still…”

“I just don’t want to rely on my parents. It’d be too embarrassing to ask them for help now that I’m all grown up. So I have to work hard.”

“Hmm, well, when you have time, give me a call. There’s someone I’d really like you to meet.”

“Someone to meet?”

“Ah. Actually…”

The president’s gaze shifted to Ji Yeonwoo’s phone, which was vibrating on the desk. It was a call from Choi Muhyeok.

“Sorry, I need to take this call,” Ji Yeonwoo said, excusing himself politely. He slid his thumb across the screen to answer.

“Yes, Managing Director. Did you get to work safely?”

[Your voice sounds bright, that’s good. Did you make it to work alright?]

The deep voice on the other end made Ji Yeonwoo’s face flush as he recalled the kiss they shared in the car. Embarrassed that the president might notice, he turned his back and continued the conversation.

“I almost arrived late because I had to be here early for the flower delivery.”

[Because you couldn’t sleep?]

“You’re the reason I couldn’t sleep, Managing Director.”

[Are you seriously blaming a kiss for that?]

“Kiss? That was….”

It was his first kiss in two years.

Ji Yeonwoo swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud and glared at his phone instead. After a brief pause, a low chuckle came from the other end.

[If I knew you’d feel this way, I wouldn’t have held back.]

Held back? Ji Yeonwoo’s face heated up again as he replayed what Choi Muhyeok had said in his mind. What kind of thoughts am I having? He muttered to himself and lightly slapped his cheeks.

[You went along with it, so I thought it was fine. If you didn’t like it, you could’ve slapped me.]

“It’s not that I disliked it, it just left me feeling unsettled.”

[Why were you unsettled? Because I kissed you out of the blue?]

Ji Yeonwoo pouted.

“You know exactly why, so why are you asking?”

[Got it. Next time, I’ll make sure to ask for permission before any physical contact. Is that okay with you?]

Suddenly hearing that, Ji Yeonwoo froze on the spot. His heart pounded so loudly it echoed in his head. This was how it always went—Choi Muhyeok caught him off guard with unexpected words and actions. And at the end of it, there was always a feeling of excitement.

“I’ll keep an eye on whether you actually ask for permission next time,” Ji Yeonwoo replied, steadying his voice while his face remained flushed. Thankfully, it wasn’t a video call, so Choi Muhyeok couldn’t see how nervous and embarrassed he was.

Just then, Ji Yeonwoo noticed the president standing behind him, watching him talk on the phone. Realizing he wasn’t alone, Ji Yeonwoo gripped his phone with both hands and lowered his voice.

“I think I should go now, Managing Director.”

[Alright.]

Sensing the urgency in Ji Yeonwoo’s tone, Choi Muhyeok didn’t ask why.

“I’ll call you back later.”

Ji Yeonwoo hurriedly ended the call and turned to face the president.

“Ah, haha. Sorry about that. The call ran a bit long.”

“No worries. I almost made the wrong assumption.”

The president laughed heartily, clearly having overheard the conversation. Of course, he heard it all. They were in a small, quiet space, after all, and Ji Yeonwoo hadn’t exactly been discreet. Feeling awkward, Ji Yeonwoo could only laugh along.

“Well, you’ve got the right idea. You’re still young; even if you don’t get married, you should at least enjoy dating. Life’s short, you know?”

“I think you’re right, sir. If there’s a good match, I should give it a shot.”

Ji Yeonwoo smiled, accepting the encouraging pat on the shoulder from the good-natured president.

After the president left, Ji Yeonwoo returned to arranging the new flowerpots. It took him about an hour to finish conditioning them, and only then did he finally get a chance to sit down and catch his breath.

But the calm didn’t last long. In the afternoon, customers began pouring in one after another. Most of them were regulars at the flower shop. Though tired, Ji Yeonwoo made sure to greet each one with care, spending a busy afternoon attending to them.

As he saw off the last customer, his gaze drifted to the rain pouring outside the large window.

It’s already evening. Only then did Ji Yeonwoo realize he hadn’t eaten all day. With how hectic the day had been, he hadn’t even noticed his hunger.

The image of Choi Muhyeok from the previous night flashed through his mind. With one arm propped on the steering wheel, he had looked quite dashing. The way he met Ji Yeonwoo’s gaze through the rain-soaked car window made him look almost like a well-sculpted statue—someone you could admire endlessly without growing tired.

Sitting at his desk, watching the rain fall, Ji Yeonwoo found himself smiling without realizing it.

We’re just starting as a couple, but watching myself change little by little is a strange feeling.

— Bzzz.

His phone vibrated on the desk. Absentmindedly picking it up, Ji Yeonwoo noticed a message at the top of the screen.

[Managing Director Choi Muhyeok: Has your busy day calmed down?]

Ji Yeonwoo held the phone in both hands and tapped the screen lightly with his thumb.

— Yes, it’s quieter now.

A faint vibration followed shortly.

[Managing Director Choi Muhyeok: It’s raining a lot. Do you have an umbrella?]

Ji Yeonwoo glanced at the message on the screen before turning his head towards the inside of the desk. In the corner, there stood a navy-blue long umbrella. He stared at the umbrella, not even remembering when it had been there, and then tapped on the screen of his phone.

After typing and deleting his response multiple times, Ji Yeonwoo finally settled on two simple characters and hit send.

— No.

He immediately felt anxious, wondering if he should have just been honest and said he had one.

[Managing Director Choi Muhyeok: I’ll come pick you up when you finish work.]

Ji Yeonwoo quickly read the message, a quiet breath escaping through his lips. He hadn’t expected it, but Muhyeok really was planning to come and pick him up.

A smile slowly spread across Ji Yeonwoo’s face as he stared at the screen.