Muheon, who didn’t reply much to Hakyung’s words, glanced again at the breakfast table.
No matter how many times he looked, he couldn’t figure out which side dish was shining so brightly.
Well, it wasn’t the first or second day this table had turned into chaos thanks to the unpredictable behavior of the “strong dolphin” Hakyung…
Muheon quietly picked up his chopsticks.
The chopsticks, held neatly between his long fingers, moved with clean elegance.
Hakyung had learned decent chopstick etiquette from his grandmother, even getting smacked on the back of his hand a few times, but it didn’t have the same elegant feel as Muheon’s handling.
And Hakyung wasn’t very good at hiding his curiosity, either.
“Hey, did you do something weird to the rice?”
“Huh…?!”
“Why do you keep looking around like that?”
Normally, the kid would have cheerfully shoveled down the delicious breakfast without thinking twice, but today he kept sneaking glances at Muheon, which was starting to get on his nerves.
With a soft snap, Muheon set down his chopsticks and crossed his arms.
Even through the thin shirt, the thick muscles of his arms, clearly defined, stood out.
And what about the chest those arms were folded across?
It looked so firm that even if you poked it, your finger might bend instead.
Like someone admiring a perfectly sculpted Greek statue, Hakyung stared at Muheon’s physique with dreamy eyes.
“Tsk!”
If it weren’t for the warning voice in his head telling him to get a grip, he might have crawled under the table to sneak a look at Muheon’s thighs.
Hakyung slowly straightened his bent upper body and raised the corners of his mouth in an attempt at an innocent smile.
But seeing Muheon’s furrowed brows stay in place, it seemed it wasn’t working.
“Suspicious…”
“Not at all? But, boss,”
Muheon subtly tensed when Hakyung said “but.”
Whenever he started like that, something unexpected always came next.
Though he didn’t show it, Muheon sat up a bit straighter.
“Boss, how old are you? What’s your MBTI? How tall are you? You don’t have to tell me your weight! That’s a sensitive privacy matter. But I’m kind of curious about your top and bottom clothing sizes.”
The barrage of questions came all at once, without even a pause for breath.
Muheon wasn’t sure whether to appreciate the sudden interest or be wary that Hakyung was plotting something again.
But unlike his suspicions, Hakyung was just genuinely curious, eyes sparkling with anticipation as he waited for the answers.
Ever since last night—and even more so after waking up this morning—the boss had been lingering on his mind, and all kinds of questions about him kept piling up.
It was just that simple.
Muheon stared at him for a moment.
He couldn’t read any ulterior motive in Hakyung’s face.
With a soft sigh, he uncrossed his arms and tapped the table.
“My age… is thirty-six.”
“What?!”
Of course, there was another number before the 36, but Muheon left that out—no need to shock the dolphin kid more than necessary.
Even now, Hakyung was freaking out about how the two of them had a ten-year age gap.
“So, boss, you’re a Dragon in the zodiac?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, that’s cool. You’re a total middle-aged guy…”
“Tsk.”
Muheon’s quiet warning made Hakyung shut his mouth.
In the past few days, Muheon had gotten a bit too comfortable, letting words slip that should have been left unsaid.
He needed to watch it.
Hakyung lightly tapped his own mouth in mock self-reproach.
Muheon’s brow twitched at the sight of Hakyung’s small lips pressing together.
He instinctively tensed the arm he had just lifted.
If he reached out now, the strong dolphin might flinch in surprise.
“But you look really young! You’re the youngest thirty-six-year-old I know!”
“How many thirty-six-year-olds do you even know?”
“…Just you.”
Hakyung smiled awkwardly.
Most of the elders back in his village were way over seventy, and friends like Kim Taeyoung were all the same age as him.
His siblings were younger too…
Hakyung, who had lived within the narrow radius of a small rural town, didn’t really know anyone in their thirties.
“Then… among the adults I know?”
“That’s enough.”
Even though it was a transparent attempt at flattery, Muheon chuckled softly.
He wasn’t bothered at all by being the only thirty-something-year-old in Hakyung’s life.
He remembered the next question.
MBTI…
He didn’t care for it.
Never had.
So he gave an honest answer.
“I haven’t taken the MBTI. Not planning to either.”
“Oh? Why? Because the test is long? It’s really not that hard…! Want me to help?”
“Where did you get the idea that I’m some old man?”
Muheon’s teasing made Hakyung pout slightly.
It wasn’t that he thought the boss was old, but if the test was too difficult, he genuinely wanted to help.
Hakyung pulled out his phone and searched for the MBTI test, showing it to Muheon, but the boss firmly shook his head.
They said you could even test compatibility through MBTI…
A shame, but it looked like he’d have to give up.
“My height… if we’re using today’s units, over 190 cm.”
“Wow…! I thought you’d be tall, but not that tall!”
Hakyung’s mood, which had dipped due to disappointment, quickly bounced back.
Another interesting tidbit about the ‘Kang Dolphin’ (Muheon) had just been revealed.
The Kang Dolphin tribe was smaller compared to other whale groups.
Men averaged under 170 cm, and women were even shorter.
Hakyung’s height was 174 cm—tall for his tribe.
He had always taken pride in being tall.
But hearing Muheon’s actual height suddenly made their difference clear.
No wonder his neck always hurt when he looked up at him.
“Well, enough questions for now. Hakyung, come to my office after lunch.”
Muheon picked up his chopsticks again.
Hakyung, who quickly replied with a “yes,” resumed eating beside him.
***
Having wrapped up all the urgent office work as of yesterday, Hakyung had been hovering around Bugu-nim since early morning, pacing like a dog needing a walk.
Eventually, Bugu-nim stood up.
After glancing around and checking the senior staff’s mood, he looked at Hakyung and subtly gestured toward the door.
Miraculously understanding, Hakyung slipped out first to wait.
Bugu-nim soon followed.
“Hakyung, what’s up? Why are you pacing like that?”
Bugu-nim already treated Hakyung like a younger brother.
Among all the staff, he felt most comfortable with him—maybe because they were both the youngest in the office.
And Bugu-nim’s easy going personality as a ‘Red Bar Elite’ helped too.
At his question, Hakyung raised a finger to his lips and walked to a corner.
Bugu-nim, sensing something suspicious, followed quietly.
“Hyung-nim, I found something out.”
“Huh? What did you find out?”
Hakyung whispered in a hushed voice.
Bugu-nim leaned in, lowering his voice as well.
After double-checking that no one was nearby, Hakyung finally said:
“The boss’s true identity.”
At those seven words, Bugu-nim flinched as if he’d just heard a ghost story.
His reaction was so intense that Hakyung actually got startled.
Was the boss’s identity some national secret…?
Or was it because he wasn’t a shark or a whale, but something like… an eel?
Just as Hakyung’s mind swirled with confusion, Bugu-nim gasped and asked,
“Wait, how did you find out?”
“Ah… I saw it myself!”
“What?!”
Bugu-nim jumped again.
Though Hakyung had already checked earlier to make sure no one heard, Bugu-nim looked around again, extra cautious.
He grabbed Hakyung’s shoulders and asked gravely,
“What… what did you see?”
“There was a black… mark on the boss’s arm… uh!”
Suddenly, Bugu-nim slapped a hand over his mouth, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Hakyung’s eyes widened as he squirmed.
After a moment, Bugu-nim carefully removed his hand and whispered,
“Don’t ever say you saw that to anyone. Ever.”
“Huh…?”
“Did you sneak a look without Muheon knowing?”
“No, no! I didn’t peek! I just saw it when I was leaving the dorm. Really! The boss knows I saw it too!”
Feeling like he’d made a huge mistake, Hakyung hurried to explain himself.
But the more he talked, the wider Bugu-nim’s eyes got.