“You insisted so much that I come.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I asked you to come. But I really didn’t expect you to actually show up. Was it because of that cute kid?”
At the mischievous question, Muheon didn’t reply much, but Hwang Lin, who knew exactly what the man’s silence meant, laughed out loud.
Hwang Lin patted Muheon’s shoulder and urged him to go inside quickly.
And that scene…
I thought Hwang, the CEO, personally dealing with it meant he was no ordinary big shot.
Realizing that, Manager Choi next to him—who had shown no reaction until a moment ago—quickly stepped forward.
“Oh my, CEO Hwang! Hello!”
“Hmm?”
“This is the friend that the CEO decided to invest in this time. Taeyoung, you should greet him properly!”
Manager Choi bowed deeply and gestured at Kim Taeyoung, who was standing stiffly.
At Choi’s urgent gesture, Taeyoung stepped forward and greeted them.
It was a completely different polite attitude from the one he had shown toward Muheon earlier.
Hwang Lin waved his hand dismissively at their greetings, then suddenly his eyes lit up as he noticed Hakyung who had just come down from the elevator.
“Kid! Over here!”
At his call, Hakyung, who was just looking around, started running quickly.
Muheon had told him to change into his coolest outfit from the clothes he brought because they were going to buy some delicious drinks at the lounge.
“Boss, hello to you and your friend.”
“So polite.”
Hwang Lin, who now smiled brightly unlike before, tried to pat Hakyung’s head but was stopped by Muheon’s hand.
Finding even that amusing, Hwang Lin laughed louder.
The sight of the extremely handsome boss and his similarly handsome friend together was truly a picture-perfect scene.
Hakyung, distracted by the dazzling looks of the two men, suddenly noticed Kim Taeyoung standing nearby and hesitated, stepping back.
“Kang Hakyung…”
Kim Taeyoung muttered Hakyung’s name like a growl, and the harsh tone made Hakyung step back again.
Supporting Hakyung from behind was Muheon.
The man had already freed his arm from Hwang Lin and wrapped it protectively around Hakyung.
“It’s okay.”
At Muheon’s comforting voice, a spark of interest appeared on Hwang Lin’s face.
What story was hidden in the strange standoff of these three—Muheon, Kim Taeyoung, and Hakyung?
He couldn’t hide his curiosity.
“It looks like you all know each other? You follow me as well.”
At Hwang Lin’s call, Manager Choi took this chance and quickly followed behind.
Although uneasy about going with Hakyung, Kim Taeyoung didn’t want to miss this opportunity and followed too.
Watching their quickly disappearing backs, Hakyung hesitated.
Should he go or not?
Even if he went, the atmosphere would probably just get worse.
Maybe he should just return to his room alone?
While Hakyung was stomping his feet in place like that, a large hand gently grabbed his wrist.
“Let’s go.”
“Boss, can’t I just go back to my room? You don’t have to buy me delicious drinks…”
“I don’t want to. I want to buy them for you.”
Muheon copied Hakyung’s tone exactly and took a step forward.
With his wrist held in Muheon’s hand, Hakyung had no choice but to move along.
There were many people around, so Kim Taeyoung probably wouldn’t do anything reckless, but Hakyung still felt uneasy deep down.
Kim Taeyoung was handsome and a smooth talker, so after a few conversations, the boss would surely start liking him.
If that happened, the boss might want to hold Kim Taeyoung’s hand, or stroke his hair—not Hakyung’s.
Just like all those who had shown interest in Hakyung so far eventually turned to Kim Taeyoung…
Hakyung was scared that even the boss might change like that.
In the past, it was enough to just feel hurt when others turned away from Taeyoung, but if the boss changed too, Hakyung might never recover.
Muheon noticed the anxious expression unconsciously showing on Hakyung’s face and gently poked his cheek, saying,
“I’ll only buy it for you.”
Hakyung’s heart dropped to the floor and then soared to the sky at the boss’s seemingly indifferent but kind words, as if he understood exactly what Hakyung was worried about.
How beautiful those two words “only you” were…!
Hakyung’s face heated up with a blush as he confessed,
“Boss, you’re the most handsome among all the eels.”
“What…?”
“That’s why I like you.”
Dropping his true feelings without hesitation, Hakyung walked ahead of Muheon.
His wrist was still firmly held.
***
The atmosphere at the table revolved around Hakyung rather than Kim Taeyoung.
Hwangrin asked Hakyung even the smallest questions, and because of that, Kim Taeyoung felt like a useless bystander.
Taeyoung, who had never once been treated worse than Hakyung when they were alone together, was now only irritated by this situation.
If it was going to be like this, why did they even tell him to come along…
A sigh mixed with frustration slipped out unintentionally.
Chief Choi, sitting next to Taeyoung, also looked awkward, seemingly just waiting for the right moment to interrupt their conversation.
“Oh? So you’re helping Muheon with his work?”
“Yes, yes! I have a computer certification! I also helped the employees and Mr. Geowung with their tasks! Right, boss?”
Hakyung asked with a face full of pride.
Muheon nodded and then brought a glass to Hakyung’s small lips.
It was peach juice that Muheon had personally bought just for him, as the man had said.
Hwangrin watched with interest the way Muheon carefully looked after Hakyung, like a mother bird tending her chick, while Kim Taeyoung looked on with envy.
“There’s something else you’re good at.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, Hakyung, you’re good at singing.”
It was an unexpected topic.
Hakyung froze, blinking his eyes.
If the topic of singing comes up here, it’s not good…
Hakyung shook his head toward the boss, signaling to stop, but it seemed the telepathy wasn’t working—like dolphins and moray eels living in different places—because Muheon continued talking.
“I heard it myself. You’re better than him.”
The man’s gaze, which hadn’t once looked toward Kim Taeyoung since entering the lounge, finally landed on him.
Hwangrin’s eyes followed.
Kim Taeyoung flinched under those two piercing black-and-red pairs of eyes that seemed to see through everything.
“Oh, but our Taeyoung is a singer, how can you compare him to an ordinary person!”
Chief Choi jumped in between them.
He put on an exaggerated smile and boasted to Hwangrin about Kim Taeyoung’s skills to promote his company’s singer.
He talked about how Taeyoung was famous on social media even before officially debuting as a singer, that he was incredibly talented at writing lyrics and composing music, and that he was handsome enough to have countless fans…
Choi could have easily written a whole hymn praising Taeyoung.
Listening to the endless compliments from Chief Choi, Kim Taeyoung’s complexion gradually turned pale.
He was worried that he might be asked to sing.
And that worry soon became reality. Hwangrin, having listened to Chief Choi’s story, ordered Kim Taeyoung to sing.
“Really? I didn’t get a good listen earlier. Let’s hear it again.”
“Of course! Anytime! Right, Taeyoung?”
Chief Choi asked Taeyoung with a friendly face.
Taeyoung’s face turned so pale it looked blue. He sat still, only moving his lips slightly, neither answering nor standing up.
Chief Choi poked him repeatedly.
“Um…?”
When Hwangrin’s eyes narrowed at Taeyoung’s suspicious behavior, Muheon finally spoke.
“Hwangrin, investment should be made on something sure and valuable. That one won’t do.”
Hwangrin raised his eyebrows sharply at Muheon’s advice, coming from a man who had never cared about such things.
After glancing at Kim Taeyoung once again, he ordered:
“Human, prove your worth.”
“Wait, wait a minute! But…”
Kim Taeyoung stammered under the pressure of the red gaze, hurriedly looking back at Hakyung.
The only voice that could save him in this situation was Hakyung’s.
They had to coordinate their voices somehow, but Hakyung’s small body was blocked by the man, hiding not only his face but even the brim of his cap.
Frustrated, Taeyoung stood up and tried to walk toward where Hakyung was, but the man’s long legs blocked him again, making it impossible.
Muheon, glancing at the pestering Taeyoung, said:
“Why do you keep looking for other company employees? Did you at least let Hakyung handle the vocals?”
Flustered, Kim Taeyoung bit his lips.
He couldn’t get the recording files right now, nor could he sing in his real voice.
He was trapped.
Chief Choi kept pushing Taeyoung to sing, looking frustrated, but Taeyoung’s tightly shut lips refused to open.
Hwangrin quickly withdrew his attention from Taeyoung after Muheon’s advice and clicked his tongue shortly.
“You were right. Investment should be sure and valuable. That one is hopeless.”
With that heavy, death-sentence-like statement, Kim Taeyoung’s eyes reddened.