TSG 62

Se-hyun slowly sat up from the bed. There was no point in continuing to pretend to sleep when Shin Tae-oh knew he was awake.

“You’re awake. I was talking to myself thinking you were asleep. By any chance, did you not hear what I said in your dream?”

Shin Tae-oh spoke very awkwardly and stiffly. Se-hyun disliked it when people approached him slyly, but even more so when he pretended to be accommodating, knowing full well what was happening. Did he expect Se-hyun to respond to his confession just because he woke up?

“When did you arrive? I slept so soundly without dreaming that I didn’t even realize you were here.”

Maintaining his shamelessness to the end, Se-hyun met Shin Tae-oh’s expecting gaze.

“Ah, I’m glad you slept well then.”

Shin Tae-oh took a step back. Since he had set up this strange situation himself, he couldn’t blame anyone else.

“Aren’t you hungry? Want to eat?”

What was he planning now?

⍣⍣⍣

“It’s because of me, so I should obviously feed and take care of you.”

What a way to put it…

“My hands are fine.”

“My eyes are fine too.”

“…”

Did Se-hyun really need to phrase it like that to imply everything was okay?

Realizing one can feel utterly repulsed by someone, Se-hyun looked at the food in front of him. When his father was hospitalized, Shin Tae-oh had brought hotel lunchboxes too. Meaning, this time was no different.

Back then there were many people to share it with, so it was just the right amount if Se-hyun ate some too. But not this time. When he saw the lunchboxes piled so high earlier, he thought someone else was coming too.

“How is it? Doesn’t it look delicious?”

Se-hyun wavered briefly at the gorgeous food before him but shook his head.

“You can’t tempt people with food.”

“But you’re thoroughly tempted.”

Se-hyun said no, but Shin Tae-oh interpreted it his own way. Se-hyun should have said that’s not it, but… his hand had already twitched, wanting to grab the chopsticks.

“You still need to eat regardless. So let’s eat. Or should I throw it all away?”

Shin Tae-oh spoke while picking up a tteokgalbi(grilled short rib) with his chopsticks.

“I ordered enough for six people, so I can’t finish it all alone.”

“Then why did you order for six people?”

He didn’t even say anything.

As Se-hyun muttered his dissatisfaction, Shin Tae-oh brought the tteokgalbi closer to Se-hyun’s mouth.

“This is the least it takes to win Ahn Se-hyun over.”

Shin Tae-oh’s smirk on one side of his mouth was so annoying that Se-hyun,

“I’ll eat well.”

Se-hyun chewed the tteokgalbi slowly instead.

“Is it delicious?”

Se-hyun kept his mouth firmly shut and just nodded slightly. The food did nothing wrong – the problem was the person who brought it.

Se-hyun glanced at Shin Tae-oh. He had confessed and seemed determined to pursue him directly. Even now, he was being overly friendly, but Se-hyun couldn’t respond at all.

He heard Shin Tae-oh’s confession but pretended not to, only for Shin Tae-oh to set this meal before him.

Accept Shin Tae-oh’s confession? That would make them a couple, bringing many changes to Se-hyun’s stable life. And he couldn’t be certain those changes would be for the better.

The very fact that Se-hyun was considering this meant he didn’t like Shin Tae-oh that much. If he were genuinely in love, nothing else would matter, and he’d only think about Shin Tae-oh.

Se-hyun didn’t know how Shin Tae-oh would react if he knew his thoughts, but this was who he was: calculating and selfish. The most important things to him were his family and his own safety.

In the end, there was only one attitude Se-hyun could take.

‘I should reject him.’

He could not accept Shin Tae-oh’s confession and it would be best to draw a line as superior and secretary. His mind had already made the decision, but he still couldn’t open his mouth.

He didn’t know when would be a good time to say it.

“Se-hyun-ah.”

“…Yes?”

He was startled by the voice calling him and looked at Shin Tae-oh. He didn’t know how long Shin Tae-oh had been watching him. It seemed Se-hyun had gotten lost in thought while glancing at him.

“Do you not want to be discharged from the hospital?”

“No.”

“Then eat quickly. You have to eat and become healthy before you can be discharged.”

Shin Tae-oh took the soup in front of Se-hyun and poured a fresh serving. Looking at the steaming soup, Se-hyun heard Shin Tae-oh’s tender voice.

“Let’s eat first and think later.”

As if he knew exactly what Se-hyun was thinking, Shin Tae-oh set the order. Se-hyun picked up his spoon and ate the soup.

“Is it tasty?”

“It’s hot.”

So hot that he could feel the trail the soup left as it went down his throat, warming his chest.

“Sir.”

Normally, Se-hyun would be the one watching Shin Tae-oh eat, but now it was the other way around. He stirred the soup with his spoon and called out to Shin Tae-oh.

“Yes?”

“I was thinking about that company.”

No matter how vigorously he stirred, the soup didn’t seem to cool. Should he ask for a new serving of cold soup?

“I see.”

It was definitely not what you thought.

Shin Tae-oh smiled at Se-hyun’s emphasis.

“Okay. Let’s say that.”

“It’s not ‘let’s say that’, it’s real.”

“Everything you say is true.”

“I’m good at lying, but this time I’m telling the truth.”

“Then I’ll take this lie as the truth.”

“…”

This wasn’t the outcome Se-hyun was aiming for.

Feeling strangely cornered, Se-hyun moved his chopsticks as he pondered how to turn it around before speaking.

“I’m healthy. The doctor said earlier that I can get discharged anytime.”

Having finished the IV, all that was left was a needle mark on the back of his hand. Finding something to counter Shin Tae-oh made his heavy heart feel a bit lighter

“I’ll leave together when you get discharged, Secretary Ahn.”

The person who had just been calling him informally suddenly deepened his voice and spoke in an official tone.

Having been Shin Tae-oh’s secretary for three years, Se-hyun knew he couldn’t refuse at times like this.

“Then the CEO should handle the discharge procedures.”

Se-hyun spoke out without thinking.

⍣⍣⍣

The lunchboxes he didn’t expect to finish gradually emptied one by one.

“It was a good call ordering for six people.”

Shin Tae-oh smiled as if he expected this and pushed the empty containers in front of Se-hyun aside.

“I ate a lot because you ordered a lot.”

“Isn’t this better than ordering less and having to hold back?”

Shin Tae-oh was right. Honestly, it was nice being able to eat to his heart’s content without worrying about anyone else.

“I think I understand the joy of eating now.”

Se-hyun, who had been eating the leftovers with his chopsticks in his mouth, looked at Shin Tae-oh.

“Mealtime is a chance to converse while looking at each other, or so I thought.”

Perhaps most people see it that way, not just Shin Tae-oh.

“I often ate alone, so it wasn’t very fun for me.”

It sounded like he meant eating alone at home, since outside he would dine with meeting partners during business meals or with the chief secretary.

“It wasn’t that I was alone in that space, but I had no one to converse with.”

His voice grew heavy, making it hard to interject.

“But eating with Ahn Se-hyun is different.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but we didn’t talk much either.”

Initially, there were arguments about why they were eating together, but once they started, they focused on the food in silence. So wasn’t this almost the same, with little conversation?

“That’s right. I end up eating combatively without even realizing it.”

Worried I’d take your food?

“Seeing you eat makes me want to eat too because it looks delicious.”

No wonder he kept picking the same things I did.

“I’m so busy eating, there’s no time to talk.”

At this point, I’m curious about what you want to say.

“It’s fine without conversation. Just eating itself is enjoyable.”

“I’m glad it was enjoyable for you.”

Se-hyun couldn’t find anything to say so he held his tongue. Fortunately, Shin Tae-oh seemed to have said everything he wanted to say and moved his chopsticks again.

Watching him smile as if the food tasted wonderful, Se-hyun quietly put down his chopsticks.

“I’m a classmate of Shin Tae-oh. When we were young, we often hung out together.”

“If you’re really curious, ask Yoo Jin-hyun.”

Ha Jin-seong’s words come to mind because of what Shin Tae-oh just said.

“Sir.”

Before going to Yoo Jin-hyun and asking him, Se-hyun wondered if there was anything he could hear from Shin Tae-oh. So He called Shin Tae-oh, but before he could respond, there was a knock at the door.

The doctor had already come and gone in the morning, so maybe it was someone looking for Shin Tae-oh?

“Ahn Se-hyun is here… Oh, it is you.”

The person who appeared as the door opened a palm’s width was Yoo Jin-ha.

“Assistant Manager… Yoo”

The unexpected visit left Se-hyun flustered, and Yoo Jin-ha seemed just as surprised. He was waving cheerfully at Se-hyun when he noticed Shin Tae-oh and his eyes widened.

“Huh? Tae-… ”

“This person was also hospitalized. Although the timing coincided, we do not share the same hospital room. We just ate together.”

Se-hyun cut in as Yoo Jin-ha was about to say something after seeing Shin Tae-oh.

“…Oh, so that’s why Hyung is here.”

Yoo Jin-ha continued his interrupted conversation and greeted Shin Tae-oh. He then glanced back to check something, likely confirming Se-hyun’s name on the room.

“I heard you were sick from the chief secretary, so I came by… Is it okay if I come in?”

Yoo Jin-ha asked Se-hyun first and then Shin Tae-oh.

“Ah… ”

Se-hyun looked at Shin Tae-oh in response to Yoo Jin-ha’s question. It wasn’t necessarily because of a reason, but when you say ‘Yoo Jin-ha’, Shin Tae-oh naturally comes to mind so Se-hyun ended up glancing at him.

“Come in.”

It was only after Shin Tae-oh gave permission that Se-hyun realized it was his hospital room, but it was already too late.

“I didn’t come alone. Is it okay if we both come in?”

With Yoo Jin-ha’s words, the door swung open fully to reveal Ha Min-hyuk standing behind him.

‘Why is everyone coming to see me?’

Se-hyun sighed inwardly, covering his eyes.

Why did the two of them show up on the day when Taenyang-i confessed to him?

And it’s not like he was admitted for anything serious. He was here for a short hospital stay to avoid disrupting his heat cycle, and now they were visiting as if it was a big deal. Moreover, how could they show up hand in hand, announcing their relationship?

Se-hyun glanced at Shin Tae-oh, wondering if seeing Yoo Jin-ha and Ha Min-hyuk together would bother him, even though he had supposedly moved on from Yoo Jin-ha.

“Come in.”

However, Shin Tae-oh even gave Ha Min-hyuk permission.

“Then please excuse me.”

“This is…”

Ha Min-hyuk, who came in with Yoo Jin-ha, put down a fruit basket on the table next to the bed.

“We were going to bring drinks, but we heard you’d be discharged soon so…”

So they knew. They came even though they knew.

“Thank you.”

Se-hyun thanked them first for the kind gesture of visiting. Then Se-hyun started to get up before realizing he hadn’t finished eating yet and paused.

“Finish eating.”

Shin Tae-oh gestured towards the fruit, picking some up and offering it to Se-hyun.

“I can eat it myself.”

“I’m just making sure you eat, in case you can’t eat comfortably with others around.”

How could he say that when he was the one who invited them in?

Anyway, it seemed faster to eat what was given rather than refuse. Se-hyun ate the fruit Shin Tae-oh offered and finished the rest on the table.

“I haven’t finished my meal yet.”

Se-hyun ignored Shin Tae-oh’s mumbling.