“W-What?!”
Startled, Geoung shouted loudly.
People nearby turned to look at the two of them with strange expressions, and Hakyung quickly raised a finger to his lips.
“Shh! Sir, people are going to hear us!”
“No, the issue wasn’t other people hearing it…! The problem was what you said—it was too shocking!”
“Well, I mean… I was just wondering if maybe that’s the case.”
Of course, he did feel something thickening when they kissed while drunk, pressing up against him from behind—so clearly, the boss wasn’t completely impotent…
But still, just holding hands and sleeping?
For two nights straight?!
That was treating a full-grown river dolphin like some kind of joke!
Watching Hakyung huff and puff mid-sentence, Geoung looked even more bewildered.
“It’s not like that. But, uh, can I ask you something first?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, go ahead.”
“You and Mr. Muheon… You have feelings for each other, right?”
“Feelings…?”
Hakyung blinked blankly at the heavy word Geoung used, but then nodded enthusiastically. Even the company dorm was a fancy traditional house, so of course this older man would say something cooler than just ‘dating.’
Hakyung liked the word Geoung used, so he parroted it back proudly.
“That’s right! Mr. Muheon and I have feelings for each other. We’re dating!”
“I-I see…”
Hearing Hakyung’s loud and confident answer, Geoung groaned inwardly.
He knew Muheon’s personality very well.
The idea that Muheon would fall for someone and start dating this quickly was totally unexpected.
Was this young dolphin guy just that charming…?
To Geoung, who saw Hakyung more like a naïve younger sibling, it was impossible to guess what exactly Muheon had fallen for.
He’d more or less figured it out, but hearing it confirmed left him speechless for a moment.
That was when a cold voice suddenly cut between them.
“Why are you touching another guy?”
A chill emerged out of nowhere and sliced between the two of them.
It was Muheon.
And he didn’t forget to snatch away the small hand that was still holding onto Geoung’s arm.
Both men froze, their eyes going wide.|
They’d just been gossiping behind Muheon’s back.
“S-Sir! Why are you here?”
“Because I had a feeling Hakyung might be doing this.”
“Doing what exactly…”
Feeling cornered, Hakyung fidgeted awkwardly.
Geoung, standing beside him, turned his head away and cleared his throat repeatedly.
Muheon studied the suspicious duo quietly for a moment before leaning down to whisper in Hakyung’s ear, “I’m not impotent.”
“Huh?!”
The deep, velvety voice flowing into his eardrums was smooth and attractive, but the words were brutal.
He was sure Muheon hadn’t been around when he said it—how did he know?!
Hakyung’s eyes trembled, completely losing focus.
Muheon extended an arm, pulled Hakyung by the waist, and added softly, “Don’t go around being all lewd.”
Hakyung hiccuped from the blunt statement.
Muheon chuckled at the perfectly transparent reaction and began leading Hakyung toward the snack bar.
As he followed, Hakyung looked back at Geoung with only one emotion on his face: pure injustice.
What the hell is that special condition, anyway?!
***
Later, Hakyung devoured the roasted potatoes and hot bar Muheon bought him at the rest stop, and the moment he got in the car, he passed out cold.
Just like before, Muheon gently laid Hakyung’s head on his own lap.
Geoung and Sang-oh, glancing at the rearview mirror, were visibly uncomfortable, but Muheon only seemed to enjoy looking after his plump-cheeked dolphin.
As he stroked the squishy texture of Hakyung’s cheek with satisfaction, Muheon’s smile widened.
That’s when he noticed Hakyung’s phone had slipped near the edge of the seat, half-falling out of his pocket.
Thinking Hakyung might forget it in the car, Muheon reached for the phone to keep it safe—but just then, it started vibrating with multiple short buzzes.
***
010-64xx-34xx
“Are you seriously not picking up? Do you wanna die?”
010-62xx-37xx
“This is how you repay the favor of saving your life? You psycho bastard!”
010-22xx-82xx
“So you don’t care what happens to your little siblings at school, huh? Fine. Let’s see how far you take this, lol.”
***
Muheon’s brows furrowed at the clearly threatening text messages.
He typed in the company address into the reply field, then calmly deleted the messages.
He had no intention of letting them latch onto Hakyung again.
It was time to sever that connection—cleanly.
Meanwhile, unaware of what had happened while he was sleeping with his head on Muheon’s lap, Hakyung returned to the dorm in top condition.
During the three days he was away from the company, the senior employees went crazy calling out to Hakyung everywhere, probably missing his impressive Excel skills.
Responding to their calls one by one, Hakyung glanced toward the CEO’s office.
“The boss really should see my awesome skills… But no matter how many days pass, the door stays tightly shut, and he never even thinks of coming out. It’s so disappointing.”
The strong-willed dolphin (Kangdolgo-rae) who wanted to show off his abilities to his lover felt gloomy.
Though upset inside, his fingers moved swiftly, demonstrating the perfect example of a diligent employee.
The only comfort for Hakyung was the ocean-made snacks given by the seniors.
Kang Hakyung, who once said ocean food was bland and tasteless, was no longer himself—now he eagerly awaited the seniors’ snacks every time.
Today’s best was the chocolate filled with plenty of sea salt.
“Ah, it’s really delicious!”
“Right? My younger sibling makes this chocolate, and it’s popular on social media these days! Hakyung, did you see it too?”
“No, I don’t use social media…”
Startled by the sudden mention of SNS (social media), Hakyung flinched.
Kim Taeyoung’s face involuntarily came to mind.
Because Taeyoung kept sending messages nonstop, Hakyung had turned off his phone completely.
He thought that Taeyoung probably wouldn’t find out where he worked anyway, so he planned to only turn his phone on when contacting his grandmother.
He hoped that as time passed, Taeyoung’s rage would cool down enough for them to have a proper conversation.
Of course, Hakyung himself knew this was wishful thinking.
Trying to soothe his bitter feelings with chocolate while diligently working, the tightly locked CEO’s office door suddenly swung open.
“Huh…?”
Hakyung’s eyes landed on Muheon coming out of the office.
But the man’s appearance was unusual.
Quickly saving his current work, Hakyung hurried over to Muheon, his slender eyes reflecting his uneasy feelings.
The moment Muheon was caught by the strong-willed dolphin, he raised one eyebrow.
“What.”
“Boss, where are you going all dressed up like this? Who are you trying to charm?”
Hakyung’s eyes darted up and down at Muheon’s attire, which was more formal than usual.
The black suit made the man’s broad shoulders and long legs stand out, making Hakyung fall for him all over again—but also feel anxious.
Seeing Hakyung radiate nervousness, Muheon chuckled softly and shrugged his shoulders.
Even that suspicious look was cool — big trouble.
Hakyung, completely smitten, would definitely freak out and say Muheon looked good even walking around in his underwear.
“I’m going to meet someone for a bit. Keep working well. Don’t let this talent of yours go to waste.”
Muheon wiped the chocolate off Hakyung’s lips with his finger and brought it to his own lips — his signature “casual yet caring” gesture. Hakyung’s lips twitched as if melting.
“I’m off.”
“Y-yes…”
Because of that, Hakyung didn’t even manage to ask where, who, or when he’d be back.
By the time he snapped out of it, Muheon was already gone.
Like a ghost possessed, Hakyung watched him disappear, pouted, and then returned to his desk.
And as if it were obvious, the employees surrounded him.
The shock of the sweet scene they’d just witnessed between Muheon and Hakyung was significant.
No one dared ask Muheon about it, so they all flocked to Hakyung.
“What’s going on, Hakyung? Why are you so close with Muheon?”
“So, uh… Did Muheon really kiss your lips or what?”
Bombarded by questions, Hakyung gave an awkward smile.
Distracted by the boss’s impeccable and handsome appearance, he forgot that he was at work and blurted out everything.
They say office romances are best kept secret…!
From day one, their suspicious vibe was fully exposed.
Hakyung felt pretty embarrassed showing off his affection for the boss so openly.
How the employees interpreted Hakyung’s expression, mistakenly thinking it meant something huge, all held their breath.
While Hakyung sweated nervously under their attention, Muheon stood facing Kim Taeyoung, who was boiling with rage.
“What? Why are you here? Where’s Kang Hakyung?”
“It’s my choice.”
Muheon answered shortly, his gaze shifting to Kim Taeyoung, and a cold chill poured from his dark eyes.