MDQ Ch 14

Jung Yohan replied indifferently. “It’s a secret.”

It was such a vague answer.

In that case, a frontal attack was the only way.

“Park Saebit said you got mad because he told you he likes me.”

“He said that? Well, as always, he likes to twist things to suit himself.”

“Why? That’s not true?”

“Well, close enough.”

So was that a yes or a no?

“Then let me ask differently. Does it make you angry that Park Saebit says he likes me?”

“…”

Jung Yohan, who had been staring straight ahead, turned his gaze to me. His eyes were clearly cold, yet there was a faint flicker of heat within them for some reason.

Maybe because the corner of his lips was slightly split from the fight, his face looked even more defiant today.

The problem was, that defiance itself seemed incredibly attractive. Jung Yohan looked like he would suit being an actor as much as an idol.

I briefly pictured his future—one that would shine even without me in it.

The words he finally let out after his long silence were a continuation of last night’s conversation.

“I told you yesterday. You’re only supposed to kiss me.”

“…”

“But then Park Saebit talks like he’s about to push his lips on you…”

Trailing off, Jung Yohan leaned his body forward. His large shadow instantly fell over me.

“It feels like I’m going insane.”

“…”

“So I told him to get his head straight, but he wouldn’t listen. That’s why I gave him a lesson.”

But Yohan-ah, what I really don’t understand since yesterday is why you get so worked up about my kisses.

I wanted to ask him, even indirectly. Maybe I could slip in a small question, like—are you jealous?

If not, then it’s not. But still…

The time I spent hesitating grew long. Even in that silence, our gazes stayed locked.

The defiance on Jung Yohan’s face softened considerably. He lowered his gaze languidly, then tilted his head a little more.

In the blink of an eye, his face was suddenly close to my hand.

I felt the melted ice cream sliding down my fingers and the heat of Jung Yohan’s breath. His long lashes trembled faintly as he looked down.

My heart pounded wildly, and warmth pooled low in my stomach.

I swallowed dryly. I couldn’t hide the sudden flush spreading across my face.

“Tastes good.”

I couldn’t move even after Jung Yohan pulled away, having licked all the melted ice cream off my hand.

When I finally gathered the courage to look at him, I saw the corners of his lips curl up just a little.

My heart thumped louder, heavier.

The excitement that had swelled inside me after talking with Park Saebit now rose all the way to my throat. Slowly, I parted my lips toward Jung Yohan.

“Yohan, do you… maybe even just a little…”

Do you like me?

But those short words refused to leave my mouth. I was too afraid of what his answer would be.

What if he said, What nonsense is that? Why would you say something so filthy? What if he said that I was delusional, that from today our deal was over, and that he would never meet my father again? What then?

My own one-sided love was something I could swallow and bury on my own. But my father, who had only just found a reason to live…

I swallowed back the words rolling inside my mouth. I couldn’t bring myself to ask if he liked me.

“Nah, nevermind.”

“Lame.”

Jung Yohan didn’t seem to care what I had almost said. That was a relief.

I quickly changed the subject.

“I already smoothed things over with Park Saebit, so make up with him.”

“What did you say to him?”

“That I already like someone, so there’s no way I’d like him.”

The gentle air around Jung Yohan instantly shifted. He scowled deeply and spat out a name, “Don’t tell me it’s Park Chungrim?”

“Why would Chungrim-ssi come up out of nowhere? No. I don’t like him.”

Even at my denial, Jung Yohan’s suspicious gaze didn’t fade.

“It’s true. The person I like isn’t in our industry…”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a complete lie since Jung Yohan wasn’t on the management side.

“Anyway, just answer me clearly. The person makes you blush, right?”

“Yeah, it should be like that.”

Only then did Jung Yohan’s expression relax.

It almost seemed like he had someone in mind. But surely, he hadn’t guessed that it was him… right?

To avoid further conversation, I bit into the ice cream with a big chomp.

And if it melted again and dripped down my fingers, would Jung Yohan lick it off again?—a stupid thought popped into my head.

But then, something I never expected came out of his mouth.

“You like me, but you’re lying about it, aren’t you?”

His sudden words made my shoulders flinch. I couldn’t look at him, just kept eating the ice cream pointlessly.

“What are you even saying? That’s not it.”

“Forget it, then.”

I didn’t look at him, but I could feel his gaze burning against my cheek.나

It was as if Jung Yohan was trying to weigh my true feelings—whether I really had feelings for him.

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“What do you think you’re doing, Chief Lee?”

The CEO scolded me, sighing heavily as he gestured at the photo on the monitor screen.

The photo showed Jung Yohan and me.

It was from just yesterday—the moment when Yohan and I had shared the ice cream.

I didn’t know who had taken it, but the timing was impeccable. The shot of Yohan licking my fingers looked strangely indecent.

The picture had gone up on Given’s fan board at dawn but was deleted not long after. Still, by then, it had already been spread everywhere.

On social media, people were half-joking that Jung Yohan might be gay. His expression while licking my hand had been suggestive.

And then the photo had found its way to the CEO, which was why I’d been summoned to the company early this morning.

The CEO pressed me hard, saying I’d slapped an unnecessary frame on an idol whose image was everything.

I agreed with him, so I bowed my head ninety degrees and apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

It was true I hadn’t been careful enough. Considering Jung Yohan’s level of recognition, I should have been more cautious.

“As a manager, how could you not be more careful and let yourself get caught in a photo like this? And what’s wrong with Yohan’s face? Did you two fight?”

With cameras being so sharp these days, even the slight cut on Yohan’s lip was clearly visible.

Honestly, it was a disaster.