Muheon took the wheel himself, settling into the driver’s seat with a calm confidence that was his trademark.
Hakyung slid into the passenger seat beside him, feeling a mix of excitement and nervous energy.
Sitting side by side like this brought back memories—vivid flashes of the countless times he had tagged along on errands with the boss, especially those afternoons spent wandering stores and trying on clothes.
His feet tapped restlessly against the car floor, betraying the bubbling anticipation he felt deep down.
“Boss, where are we going today?” Hakyung asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Muheon glanced over, an eyebrow raised.
“Didn’t Park Geowung tell you?”
“I was really busy this morning, getting ready for an outside job!” Hakyung replied, a slight pout forming on his lips as he shifted in his seat.
Muheon shrugged with an indifferent air, as if it was no big deal.
At that indifferent attitude, Hakyung’s small lips immediately pursed into a cute pout of disappointment.
It was true—he had been busy preparing for this outside job.
But despite the work, it was rare that just the two of them would go out together like this.
From the early hours of the morning, Hakyung had been caught up trying to find clothes they could wear as a matching couple.
Since Muheon always dressed in black, Hakyung thought if he wore black too, they’d look perfectly coordinated.
The only real question was which hat would suit him best.
He had tried on more than ten different hats in front of the mirror, his reflection growing more uncertain with each one.
He didn’t want Muheon to notice how meticulously he had prepared or how much he cared, but somehow, feeling a bit hurt over his unacknowledged efforts seemed inevitable.
“We’re going to Seongsu,” Muheon finally answered. “Have you been there before?”
“Seongsu? No! I’ve never been!” Hakyung answered with wide eyes, his interest piqued.
The truth was, the only parts of Seoul Hakyung had been to were near their company’s office.
Seongsu was a whole new world to him.
Muheon smiled, clearly amused by Hakyung’s fussing.
“We have to check out a popup event happening in Seongsu-dong.”
“Popup…?” Hakyung echoed, his curiosity deepening.
“You know that salted chocolate we ate a few days ago? They’re holding an event. Since I’m the boss, I’m going.” His tone was casual, but there was a subtle hint of pride in his voice.
“Ah… right! That was really delicious! But didn’t you say it was made by Moonho hyung’s younger sibling…?” Hakyung’s brow furrowed slightly as he pieced things together.
So all the siblings in that family were working under the boss?
Or maybe hyung and his siblings were tied up in some kind of debt or obligation…
Hakyung’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he stole a sideways glance at Muheon.
“What’s with that look?” Muheon asked, noticing immediately.
“Ah, nothing!” Hakyung hastily pulled back his gaze, unwilling to reveal the nagging doubts swirling in his mind.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Hakyung quickly searched for “Seongsu-dong” on his phone.
Just as Muheon had said, the area was famous for trendy pop-up events and well-known bakeries.
He scanned a blog post about a visit to a popular bakery, his mouth watering as vivid descriptions of freshly baked goods filled the screen.
The blogger was young and vibrant, posting about trendy places in Seoul with a lively tone.
Just beneath the bakery review, Hakyung’s eyes caught a post titled “Taeyoung.”
His heart skipped a beat.
With a thudding pulse, Hakyung took a deep breath and clicked the post.
Compared to the detailed bakery review, this post was very short and seemed hastily written, but it overflowed with the blogger’s regrets and sorrow.
Blog post: Suddenly Taeyoung’s channel was shut down ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Where did my eardrum boyfriend disappear to ㅠㅠ I fell more in love after seeing his Incheon concert clips… Was that his farewell stage…? Hoooh…
“What, he even shut down his channel?!” Hakyung’s eyes grew as wide as lanterns.
Something must really be going on…!
“What’s wrong?” Muheon asked, glancing over at him.
“Huh?” Hakyung blinked, caught off guard.
“Why are you acting like a dog about to poop… ah, you want to go to the bathroom?” Muheon teased with a smirk.
“Really, boss, you have no sense of romance,” Hakyung grumbled, cheeks flushing.
How could Muheon say something like “dog about to poop” or “puppy” to someone who had just started dating?
For romantic Hakyung, it was absolutely impossible to take such jokes lightly.
This morning, he had showered twice, brushed his teeth four times, and washed his scalp pores five times to prepare himself for this day.
Whether Muheon noticed or not, Hakyung maintained a nonchalant expression, though inside, he was simmering with irritation.
“Then what did you see?” Muheon prodded again, gently tapping Hakyung’s cheek.
“Umm… you know my friend, right? Kim Taeyoung, who I met when we went to Incheon.”
“That guy’s your friend?” Muheon raised an eyebrow.
“Oh right, he’s not my friend, he’s an enemy, an enemy!” Hakyung muttered, recalling the complicated history between them.
His grumbling was undeniably cute, but Muheon’s curiosity only deepened.
Muheon tapped Hakyung’s cheek again, his gaze steady. “So what about that guy?”
“Well… I heard his family ran away in the middle of the night, and now his channel’s deleted too. It’s strange.” Hakyung’s voice was quiet but firm.
Taeyoung wasn’t the type to give up so easily.
Since Hakyung knew his stubborn nature well, this situation was truly bizarre.
“Worried?”
“Huh? No way! I just want him to completely disappear from my sight… I’m worried he might show up again. That’s why.”
Muheon’s fingers, which had been lightly tapping Hakyung’s cheek, now stroked the small shoulder beside him.
It was a simple, comforting touch for the tired Hakyung, but the effect was immediate.
Hakyung flushed bright red and flailed awkwardly, feeling a rush of warmth from his shoulder down to the wings of his scapula.
Goosebumps prickled his skin in response.
Thanks to that touch, the lingering curiosity about Kim Taeyoung evaporated completely, replaced entirely by swirling thoughts of the boss.
More precisely, he wondered about all the various things he might do with Muheon.
Clearing his throat, Hakyung tried to regain composure.
“Ahem. Boss, what time do you have to be back at the office today?”
“Hmm?” Muheon didn’t look away from the road, his eyebrow arched in mild surprise. He wasn’t the type to set a strict return time; no one complained whether he came home late or early.
“Well, then after lunch… shall we go for a walk?” Hakyung asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
From Hakyung’s perspective, this was a desperate date request.
They had agreed to date, kissed, and hugged tightly, but aside from that, they hadn’t done many of the things couples normally did.
They still had breakfast together in the morning, then Muheon worked in his office while Hakyung worked diligently in his own space.
Even after work hours ended, Muheon’s busy schedule often kept him from visiting the dormitory.
Because of this, Hakyung couldn’t let this precious opportunity slip away.
“Really? Really? Boss!” he pleaded desperately, looking like a puppy holding a leash in its mouth, begging for a walk.
Muheon smiled unconsciously and nodded.
In truth, even if Hakyung hadn’t begged this much, Muheon was ready to agree to anything with just a word.
Hakyung probably hadn’t realized that yet.
After work, they promised to go on a date and happily headed to Seongsu-dong.
It was truly Seoul. Compared to their quiet hometown, where it was rare to find people their age, this neighborhood was alive with youth and energy.
Hakyung’s big eyes rolled around as he took in the sparkling vibrancy of the crowd.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying the pop-up events of their favorite brands, and the chocolate pop-up event organized by Muheon’s company was packed to the brim with eager visitors.
The endless line of customers surprised Hakyung, who turned to look at Muheon with wide, impressed eyes.
“Boss,” he said softly.
“Yeah?”
“You must be making a lot of money.”
His voice was filled with pure, unfiltered envy.
Muheon, who had many sources of income beyond these small businesses, merely nodded with quiet detachment.
Even such a small gesture of acknowledgment felt like financial comfort to Hakyung, and he thought it was impressive, enviable.
“You like that stuff too, right? Chocolate.”
“Yes, yes! Of course! I want to line up and buy some too!” Hakyung’s enthusiasm was unmistakable as he stomped his feet, eager to join the line.
But Muheon didn’t want to wait in line with him and turned his body away from the crowd.
“Uh, uh? Boss, the line is over there!” Hakyung protested.
“Kang Hakyung, we’re staff here. We don’t have to wait in line. Just follow me.”
Muheon said simply.
“Oh…!” Realizing this was a work outing, Hakyung quickly swallowed his disappointment.
Forgetting the real reason they were there, his eyes flickered awkwardly as he watched the other customers striving to get their chocolate.
It was so cute that Muheon couldn’t help but poke his cheek before striding forward with long legs.
Poked by Muheon’s fingers several times like a ripe persimmon, Hakyung twisted his body teasingly.
“Don’t just poke my cheek, try somewhere else too…” he murmured, cheeks tinged pink.
The naughty “pink dolphin” that colored his entire body leapt and jumped excitedly inside Hakyung’s head.
Shaking off the wicked thoughts, he hurriedly followed behind Muheon.
Inside the event hall, the bustle was even greater.
There were far more customers than outside, and the air was filled with chatter, laughter, and the irresistible aroma of chocolate and baked goods.
Yet despite the frenzy, the staff looked bright and cheerful.
“Welcome! Oh my, Boss!”
An employee handling the cash register spotted Muheon and immediately brightened up. Judging by her hair color—strikingly similar to Munho’s brother—Hakyung guessed she must be the one who made the chocolate.
At the sound of her greeting, more staff gathered around Muheon, their faces flushed with admiration.
Seeing their enthusiastic greetings aimed at Muheon made Hakyung feel a little sulky.
“Why do they all blush so much when they look at boss? Oh, oh, they touched his shoulder! I haven’t even gotten to touch him a few times yet…” He whispered, a touch jealous.
But more annoying than the staff’s excessive reactions was Muheon’s calm attitude, even while Hakyung squirmed and poked at his body beside him.
Angry, Hakyung sneaked behind Muheon and pinched the firm muscles of his side tightly.