“Okay, just wait a moment.”
Muheon’s voice was calm and steady as he gently patted Hakyung’s head, a familiar gesture that had always worked like magic to soothe the younger man’s sudden flare-ups.
He clearly understood the meaning behind the way Hakyung had poked him in the side repeatedly—it was pure jealousy, radiating like heat off the sun-warmed sidewalk.
Wait for what exactly?
Until everyone in this place had finished ogling, touching, and metaphorically—or literally—drooling over his man?
Hakyung fumed.
Possessive to a fault when it came to Muheon, he stubbornly squeezed through the small crowd that had gathered around the taller man.
With his arms extended like a protective fence, Hakyung placed himself squarely between Muheon and the adoring fans, effectively blocking the view of his boyfriend’s large frame with his much smaller one.
But the problem was, no one seemed particularly thankful for his heroic intervention.
In fact, most of them looked annoyed.
While Hakyung stood there puffing up his cheeks like a disgruntled pufferfish, exuding hostility toward every single perceived rival in the room, Muheon quietly reached behind himself and retrieved a chocolate box he had set aside earlier.
“Here. Is this what you like so much?”
“Huh…?”
Hakyung blinked in confusion at the box of chocolates dangling in front of his face, still in its crisp paper shopping bag.
He hadn’t even seen Muheon buy it.
When had he managed that, between all the greetings and handshakes and small talk with the staff?
He accepted the bag with a dazed expression, cradling it carefully in both arms.
It was surprisingly heavy, weighted down with assorted flavors, and somehow, that heft made his heart feel heavier too—only not in a bad way.
It was full.
Full of something warm and sweet.
The pout that had taken residence on Hakyung’s lips vanished like mist in the morning sun.
His cheeks lifted in a brilliant, beaming smile as he hugged the shopping bag against his chest like a precious treasure.
“Thank you! Boss, I’ll really enjoy this—promise!”
“Yeah.”
“So no stealing them later, okay?”
There was a warning glint in his eyes.
It looked like he was ready to mark every piece of chocolate with his saliva just to ensure ownership.
Now that the playful dolphin had been appeased with his treat, he seemed about ready to start humming a happy tune.
Muheon let out a soft laugh and casually draped one arm around Hakyung’s narrow shoulders, steering him gently away from the crowd.
Some of the employees watched them go with wistful expressions, clearly reluctant to see Muheon disappear.
But Muheon, having done his part by enduring their attention and answering questions, was ready to leave them behind without a second thought.
The first person to trail after them was the young woman who had greeted Muheon when he first arrived.
She held a few papers in her hands—sales data printed from the POS system—and reported to him with a mix of formality and excitement.
“Sales have been much better than expected. We’re selling out faster than planned, so we’ve been closing early.”
“Is that so?” Muheon replied with a nod.
“Yes, but we’re reaching the limit of what we can restock on short notice…”
“That’s fine. Just do what you can.”
At his cool yet supportive response, the woman—Moon Hye—sighed in relief.
She was the one in charge of this chocolate brand, and also, incidentally, Munho’s younger sister.
Her shoulders relaxed visibly, and a bright smile blossomed across her face.
She was already thrilled that Muheon had visited in person.
Normally, she only caught glimpses of him from a distance, like a celebrity passing through a crowd.
Seeing him up close, watching him interact with others—it still didn’t feel real.
His visit had turned the mood among her and the rest of the employees upside-down in the best way possible. Morale was through the roof.
But just as she was basking in this rare encounter, Moon Hye felt something prick at the back of her neck.
She turned her head instinctively, following the sharp feeling of someone’s gaze.
Her eyes landed on a small, boyish-looking man with round eyes and a sulky pout.
He stood a few steps away, stubbornly poking Muheon in the side with a single finger, all while hugging the box of chocolate they had made.
Moon Hye’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Kang Dolphin!”
The name escaped her lips before she could think twice, and Hakyung flinched hard, visibly startled.
The box of chocolate had only kept him docile for three minutes, and just as he was starting to feel annoyed again at how easily Muheon charmed people, his identity was abruptly exposed.
It dawned on him at that moment—this wasn’t a private date.
This was a business visit.
Official.
Professional.
And here he was, acting like a possessive boyfriend tagging along for fun.
His face turned a vibrant shade of red.
Moon Hye smiled even more brightly, clearly enjoying the show.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from my brother. Oh! My brother is Jang Munho!”
“Ah, yes! I’ve heard a lot about you from Munho hyung too. And, um, I really enjoy the chocolate.”
Hakyung bowed deeply, both flustered and grateful.
“I’m the one who should thank you for saying it’s good! My brother says you’re hardworking and reliable, but how can you also be this cute and lovable?”
“Th-th-thank you…”
Compliments poured over him like syrup over pancakes, and Hakyung’s feet started shuffling in place to an invisible rhythm.
Compliments really could make a whale dance.
“Kang Hakyung.”
Muheon stepped in at last, his tone firm but not cold, and gently pulled Hakyung behind him as if to shield him.
It was an unmistakable move—blocking Moon Hye’s line of sight.
Oh my gosh, Muheon-nim…!
Moon Hye’s internal alarms went off.
She recalled something her brother had said just a few days ago, something vague but tantalizing about Muheon’s mysterious love life.
Outwardly, she maintained her warm professional smile as she offered a piece of advice.
“Take good care of Muheon-nim—uh, I mean, the boss—from now on, okay? Don’t go looking elsewhere.”
“Huh…? Oh, yes. I won’t.”
A small face peeked out from behind Muheon’s back and nodded vigorously.
But Muheon moved again, and just like that, the face was hidden once more.
Seeing this glimpse of Muheon’s jealous side made Moon Hye feel a little embarrassed herself, though she couldn’t quite say why.
Once their business at the event—limited and mostly symbolic—was wrapped up, the two of them strolled slowly down a nearby alley, walking side by side.
Hakyung’s fingers twitched with the urge to grab Muheon’s hand, but he suppressed it, telling himself this was still a public setting.
Instead, he walked close—so close that their shoulders occasionally brushed.
“Boss, where do you want to go?”
“Where?”
“Well, it’s a date, right? Shouldn’t we at least pick somewhere to go?”
They had already passed the same alley corner for the third time, and Hakyung was starting to panic.
He didn’t want the boss to think this was boring or that he wasn’t trying.
The plain street and repeating scenery weren’t doing them any favors.
Muheon looked around, but it was clear he didn’t know the area well either.
He offered no answer.
Silence settled between them.
Then Hakyung pointed to a nearby building.
“What about… over there?”
A large sign blared the word “MOTEL” in capital letters, visible from nearly half a kilometer away.
Muheon’s brow twitched.
Panicking under the weight of that reaction, Hakyung immediately launched into a stream of explanations, his words tumbling out faster than his thoughts.
“N-no, I’m not saying we have to do anything! I just want to hold your hand, but it’s kind of embarrassing in public, you know? But if we go in there, we can be more comfortable, right?”
“Hmm?”
Of course, the truth was—he did want to do more than just hold hands, but he absolutely wasn’t going to admit that now.
Muheon listened without interrupting as Hakyung, flustered beyond belief, continued to defend himself with a mixture of indignation and longing.
“W-what? What’s the big deal! What’s so wrong about wanting to touch my boyfriend a little, huh? I’m a perfectly healthy male dolphin from the Republic of Korea, alright?!”
Muheon hadn’t even said anything negative.
But watching Hakyung flail around emotionally like a wind-up toy, he chuckled softly.
It was adorable.
“All right. Let’s go.”
“If you don’t want to, that’s fine… Wait, really? We’re really going?!”
“Did you change your mind?”
“No way!”
Now clinging to Muheon’s arm like a triumphant koala, Hakyung strode forward with purpose.
But as they approached the motel entrance, he looked up, eyes wide and watery.
It was his first time.
Even simple decisions suddenly felt like major obstacles.
He wanted to look experienced in front of Muheon, but in truth, he had no idea what to do.
Hakyung reached hesitantly toward the kiosk screen.
His fingers trembled.
“S-so… w-which room should we…?”
“I’ll do it.”
Muheon’s hands moved confidently over the interface.
But his confidence made Hakyung pause—wasn’t he a little too practiced at this?
As Muheon handed him the keycard, Hakyung narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
“Boss… why are you so good at this?”
“Good at what? Me?”
“You didn’t even hesitate! Have you had a lot of lovers or something?”
Muheon blinked, genuinely caught off guard.
“Me?”
“You just have to know how to read.”
“Well, I can read too! But it’s hard when it’s your first time!”
Frustrated, Hakyung stomped his foot.
His head said Muheon lived a very different life—but his heart was tangled in jealous thoughts about faceless, nameless ex-lovers.
“It’s my first time too. Seriously.”
Muheon raised both hands as if surrendering, puzzled why he was being interrogated like this.
But one look at Hakyung’s sulky face told him—it was worth it.
Because the faster he calmed the dolphin, the sooner they could be alone.
And he was very ready to be alone with him.
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