IPSTDS Chapter 102

Chapter 102

At Kangil’s cold words, Kim Daon’s face crumpled mercilessly.

It was an expression he would never show in front of Yoon Noah. In front of Noah, Daon only ever acted weak.

Kangil realized this anew and narrowed his eyes at him.

‘So it isn’t just because he sees him as a brother, huh.’

Of course, he had thought before that Kim Daon seemed to like Noah a little too much.

But still, he hadn’t believed Daon liked him in a romantic sense. After all, not long ago Daon had been in a strange relationship with Seo Dowoong.

“And what right do you have to order me around, Mr. Lee? If it’s just because you’re his fake lover, then I don’t have to listen to you.”

“And what if I said I’m done with being just a fake lover?”

“…What?”

“What if I said I want to confess to Yoon Noah for real? Would you back off then?”

Without meaning to, Kangil laid bare his honest feelings, running a hand roughly through his hair.

Love—he had always thought it was something so vague and grand that you could only recognize it through some dramatic event.

Like the thrill of being struck by lightning, or the magic of falling at first sight.

That was why he had never dared to say he loved Noah. The boy caught his attention, sure, but he didn’t feel any dramatic spark.

But lately, Kangil had been forced to rethink.

Every time he saw Noah with Kim Daon, it felt like something stuck in his throat. Every moment he waited for Noah to return from meeting Seo Dowoong, his insides burned to ash.

And when he heard Noah had been forcibly kissed by Seo Dowoong, a rage surged through him like he’d never known.

Kangil was mischievous by nature, but not the type to get angry at people. Even when annoyed, it wasn’t real fury—just a spike of dopamine.

That was why the fury he’d felt then was the first of his life.

If Noah hadn’t stopped him, he would not have let Seo Dowoong go. He would’ve beaten him down so he’d never dare touch Noah again.

When time passed and the rage ebbed, Kangil realized something.

‘Could I ever meet someone else who could shake my feelings this much?’

He was certain: no.

No matter how attractive or how well-bred someone else might be, he couldn’t imagine investing his heart like this in anyone but Yoon Noah.

In that moment, it felt like a heavy club had struck the back of his head.

Could he really dismiss these feelings for Noah as mere liking?

How could Noah, who constantly revealed new sides of himself the more they were together, be anything but special?

Hadn’t it been a mistake to dismiss his feelings just because they hadn’t begun with love at first sight?

There was no reason not to call this feeling love. The only shame was how long it had taken him to realize it.

Once he recognized his feelings, Noah looked different.

He had always thought him handsomely beautiful, but now he seemed even more radiant. Even when exhausted and dozing in the car, he looked unbearably lovely.

He wanted to take hold of that pale hand lying carelessly across his thigh. He wanted to swallow the sound of those soft, even breaths.

He wanted to lash out and demand that Noah never again let Kim Daon hold him.

But hiding behind the excuse of “not knowing love,” he had proposed their fake relationship out of fear of losing Noah, even though he hated the thought of him belonging to someone else.

The truth was simple: only by becoming Noah’s real lover could he hold him, could he claim the right to meddle in his life.

In other words, Lee Kangil wanted to be Yoon Noah’s true lover.

He wanted to make sure Noah never again blushed over someone else.

Kangil wanted to confess the feelings he had only just realized, but worry struck him.

What if Noah rejected him?

What if the confession burdened him so much he even ended their fake relationship?

Though he had always spoken without hesitation, to anyone, Kangil couldn’t risk losing the one he loved.

This was a love he had only just found. A truth he had only just grasped…

“…What you just said. It sounded like you were confessing you’ve really fallen in love, Mr. Lee.”

Daon’s voice pulled Kangil from his thoughts, and he answered.

“I don’t owe you honesty about my feelings. But at least you didn’t hear wrong.”

He had no intention of confiding his heart to Daon when he hadn’t even confessed to Noah yet.

But lately, Daon’s constant hovering around Noah was getting on his nerves.

Since the fox-like boy acted as though he liked Noah, Kangil gave him at least a half-truth to keep him in check.

“…”

Daon fell silent, as if deep in thought, then finally spoke.

“That’s unexpected. I didn’t think someone like you was capable of love.”

“And what, was I supposed to live out my life alone?”

“No, I just thought you’d never settle on one person. You seemed like someone who avoids deep relationships.”

For someone who didn’t know him well, his judgment was sharp.

That was why Kangil liked Daon even less. He didn’t care for people who pretended ignorance when they knew too much.

“It’s true I don’t like deep ties. But people’s hearts aren’t fixed. Yours aren’t either.”

“…What do you mean?”

“You liked Seo Dowoong not too long ago. Now you like Yoon Noah.”

“…”

“Go ahead, call that bullshit. And I’ll make sure to tell Noah exactly what you said.”

A sigh slipped out from between Daon’s teeth.

Though he hadn’t gotten an answer, Kangil felt certain he understood Kim Daon’s heart. He had pushed half on a hunch, and it seemed he had struck true.

Noah might be gullible enough to fall for Daon’s sly tricks, but Kangil was different.

His gaze swept over Daon’s face, sharp and glinting.

“I’ll take your silence as an answer.”

Seeing Daon fumble only lifted his mood.

Leaning back fully against the sofa, Kangil crossed his legs.

“…Don’t tell him.”

“If you keep butting into things between us, I might start talking.”

“Noah hyung wouldn’t like someone who meddles carelessly in others’ feelings.”

So he never backs down, huh. Maybe it was because he was now certain Daon liked Noah, but Kangil found him all the more irritating.

“So, do you plan to confess or not?”

“…”

“If you drag your feet, you’ll regret it.”

“Ha…”

“Sigh all you want—you’ll still regret it.”

At his taunting words, Daon’s face twisted even more. Kangil took pleasure in watching his expression shift from moment to moment.

For a second, he thought Daon might back off. But instead, Daon turned his head and met Kangil’s stare directly.

“I think you’re under a misconception, Mr. Lee.”

“What misconception?”

“You think Noah hyung will accept your confession right away? He may look soft, but you know he has more backbone than that.”

“…”

Since Noah was the type to say no when he meant no, Kangil couldn’t refute it.

“I don’t think your confession will succeed.”

“And your reason for that?”

Daon’s once-crumpled face smoothed out. He even tilted his lips in a smirk.

“Because I’ll be the one to seduce him.”

“You…”

“I mean it. And I’m confident I can make him happier than you can.”

Arrogant brat. Kangil swallowed down the curses rising in his throat and forced a smile. He couldn’t afford to look ruffled in front of a kid.

“First worry about sorting out the Park Sangcheol mess. And don’t think about leaning on Seo Dowoong.”

He hadn’t asked Noah about what had happened with Seo Dowoong in detail—Noah had looked too tired, too troubled. He’d planned to ask when Noah woke tomorrow.

But thinking of what Seo Dowoong had done to him, of his bastard nature, Kangil doubted he’d handle the Park Sangcheol problem cleanly.

The one to suffer the fallout might very well be Daon.

Of course, whether Daon got outed or thrown out of the company, Kangil couldn’t care less.

What he didn’t want was to see Noah hurt over it.

How much would Noah, softhearted as he was, worry over Daon?

Just the thought made Kangil grit his teeth in irritation. But he couldn’t even tell Noah to stop caring about him.

‘Have I really come to like him this much?’

Had he fallen so hard that he feared saying the wrong thing and earning Noah’s resentment?