Hakyung’s plan was this:
After drinking three sweet cups of makgeolli, he would pretend to be drunk and confess his passionate feelings to the boss.
That was the best he could think of.
Even though he wouldn’t actually get drunk after three cups—or rather, three bottles—of makgeolli, he decided he wouldn’t show his true self completely, even in front of someone he liked.
Anyway, Hakyung, who had steeled himself the entire way up to the room, found the current situation quite different from what he had imagined.
“Why is it that I can’t even start the ‘m’ in makgeolli plan but instead end up being interrogated…?” Hakyung’s eyes trembled like the makgeolli shimmering in the wine glass.
“Well, how did you know, boss, that Kim Taeyoung’s singing voice was actually mine?”
“I’m not so old that I can’t tell…”
Muheon answered, wrinkling his eyebrows.
Hakyung was more curious why he thought he wouldn’t recognize it.
“So why is that guy pretending your voice is his and showing off about it?”
As the atmosphere grew tense, Hakyung’s shoulders shrank.
Seeing this, Muheon clicked his tongue softly.
The confident ‘strong dolphin’ personality was nowhere to be seen; all that remained was a pale, tiny Hakyung shrinking to the size of a fingernail.
Feeling sorry, Muheon was about to suggest they just stop and drink the makgeolli instead.
Hakyung gulped down the makgeolli in the wine glass in one go and confessed everything that had happened until now.
How he almost lost his life in the sea as a child, how Taeyoung, who saved him, tormented him endlessly in return, even giving him songs but never letting him earn a single cent from the videos…
These were almost lifelong experiences, so until recently, he didn’t even know this was bad.
But after spending time with the boss and receiving his kindness one by one, he realized Kim Taeyoung was truly a terrible person and that what he’d been through was genuinely painful.
Hakyung’s voice began to tremble.
Thinking about how upset his grandmother and family must have been watching him being dragged around by Taeyoung made his eyes sting.
Plop.
A single tear fell into the empty wine glass.
That was the start — Hakyung cried his heart out, tears and snot flowing uncontrollably.
Muheon, who let him cry enough to feel satisfied, finally stretched out his arm once the sobbing slowed. With his large hand, he wiped Hakyung’s tears gently and asked,
“Kim Taeyoung. Is he good at swimming?”
“Hmm…?”
Hakyung tilted his head.
Actually, he hadn’t seen Kim Taeyoung swim much.
In the river, Hakyung swam better and jumped in first, and after that day, he was too scared to go near the beach.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t picture Kim Taeyoung cutting through the water.
Seeing Hakyung’s reaction, Muheon clicked his tongue again and said,
“A six-year-old kid wouldn’t be able to save a friend who fell into the sea. Maybe he could only pull him from the shore…”
“Uh… huh, uh…?!”
At Muheon’s calm explanation, Hakyung’s eyes grew wide.
He’d been swept up in the moment before, thinking Taeyoung was his life savior, but now he saw the boss was right — it had been a foolish judgment.
Hakyung’s face went completely dark.
He felt too embarrassed to complain anywhere about how unfair it was.
Even though he looked cute and smart, and might rarely succeed in confessing, now he had only shown this foolish side…
Hakyung wanted to disappear like a drop of water.
Just then, while Hakyung was biting his lip in self-reproach, the boss’s large hand came up to gently wipe the tears dangling from his eyes.
“You just need to stop it now. Your pretty voice is all yours, so no one will be able to touch it.”
“Boss, huh, do you think my voice is pretty?”
“Yes.”
When a tear-stained Hakyung asked, Muheon nodded and even gave a charming smile at the end.
Hakyung, falling again for the boss’s smile, lost control.
“Me too.”
“You too?”
“I think your voice is pretty—no, cool too. Even though there’s a big age gap, your body is fit, not fat. Like I said before, among sea eels, you’re the best looking. That’s why I like you. I like you so much!”
Hakyung broke through 100 words in 20 seconds, exhaling roughly.
The pores at the top of his head were moving fast.
Though his confession plan was completely ruined, he felt satisfied just to have vented the feelings that had swelled like a balloon ready to burst.
He had no expectation of a positive answer from the boss after showing such a clumsy side — even more so.
However, by doing this, he worried that things might become awkward when seeing the boss at work.
Still, he had no intention of quitting the company.
Just because he got rejected today didn’t mean his heart would break, and he planned to keep trying until the boss developed feelings for him.
After finishing his solo confession, future plans, and mindset, Hakyung smiled faintly with his swollen face.
Muheon, who had shown no reaction, asked briefly:
“Is that a ‘like’ meaning you want to date?”
At the direct use of the word ‘date,’ Hakyung opened his eyes wide and nodded slightly.
His previously pale face turned bright red, looking like an apple.
“Yes, yes. I want to date the boss.”
Hakyung emphasized again in a trembling voice, just in case Muheon didn’t understand.
The man stayed silent for a while, and even though Hakyung expected rejection, a hidden hope bubbled up inside, making his heart race endlessly.
The tension felt like the makgeolli he’d only had one cup of might come right back out.
“That’s strange.”
‘Strange,’ not ‘like’ or ‘dislike’…?
Hakyung’s brows furrowed slightly at the boss’s reply.
“As you said, I’m older than you, I have a rough personality like a sea creature… Do you like me? Want to date me?”
Muheon’s expression was somewhat displeased, as if he was listening to the drunken ramblings of a drunk person.
His self-deprecating answer was more upsetting than a straightforward rejection.
Hakyung pouted and gave Muheon a sharp glance.
“Don’t say it like that. What’s wrong with the boss! You’re cool, right? Huh? Even if you’re old, like a sea creature, and blunt…”
“That’s why you’re such a waste, Hakyung.”
“I’m not a waste! Do you really think love is only about those kinds of conditions? You’re old and still don’t get it!”
Hakyung snorted in disbelief.
Even though it was his own words, he couldn’t understand why the boss he liked only spoke badly of himself.
The shy and embarrassed ‘strong dolphin’ was gone; now, his fighting spirit was fully charged, telling Muheon not to talk badly about him. Muheon chuckled.
“Alright, then. You’ll have to teach me, Hakyung.”
“That’s right, I will…! Uh? Uh…?”
Excited and bouncing, Hakyung suddenly froze.
He turned his head to look at Muheon, who smiled brightly and spread his arms.
As if saying, “Come here and hug me,” the tears that had stopped began streaming down Hakyung’s big eyes again.
Without hesitation, Hakyung ran to Muheon and hugged him tightly until his back was almost crushed.
Muheon blinked in surprise at how such a small body could have such strength but soon smiled with narrowed eyes.
Only after Hakyung was in his arms did Muheon realize that he too wanted this little life next to him—not because of the simple act of saving this little dolphin from the sea, nor because Hakyung was cute when they met again, but simply because he wanted him by his side.
It was a feeling of completeness he’d never experienced before.
Instead of being embarrassed or flustered by the unfamiliar situation, he decided to accept it gladly.
Also, he felt a chill down his spine knowing he was the one hearing these beautiful cries—not someone else.
Although he didn’t like the reason for the tears… it was okay because he would be there to comfort him from now on.
“Boss, really? Look at me for a second.”
“What do you want to see?”
“You’re not drunk from the makgeolli, right? You won’t wake up tomorrow and say you don’t remember this, right?”
“I didn’t even drink makgeolli.”
Muheon shook his head at Hakyung’s suspicion.
In fact, Muheon was a little worried Hakyung might forget everything by tomorrow morning.
“That’s a relief… But why do you like me, boss? Did you just accept me because I was annoying? Because you were worried I’d cling if you didn’t?”
“That’s not it. I liked you first.”
Muheon’s answer made Hakyung’s eyes sparkle as if moved.
“Before me? Then you fell for me at first sight, boss…? Wow, I guess my face works well even at thirty-six!”
Hakyung babbled with an excited expression.
Muheon kissed his cute little lips.
The first kiss was an impulse even he wasn’t fully aware of, but once touched, he had to kiss Hakyung’s lips again.
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