The House of Three Chapter 13.3

“Yes, hic, I know. I know everything now. That you, Bo-Boss, lo-love me very much. But do you know, Boss? Ah, hic…! That I love you just as much.”

I like you, Boss, and I love you too.

Each time the angry cock fiercely thrust into his flexibly loosened rear, Heeyoung spat out a corny yet passionate confession of love along with his hot breath.

In response, as if to show that his own feelings ran deeper, Gyojin thrusted his hips, pounding his embedded cock to the very root.

The pheromones flowing from him covered Heeyoung’s entire body. Heeyoung, in turn, wrapped his body around Gyojin’s as if marking him with his own comforting pheromones.

Like that, they bound each other and held their sweat-drenched bodies tightly together.

I love you. I really love you so much.

I love you more.

They exchanged the same words, never tiring of them, until their clinging bodies became sticky.

Along with their roughening breaths, their pheromones burst out uncontrollably. Drenched in each other’s pheromones, the two of them mated like mere beasts.

And at the moment they finally reached climax. Heeyoung wrapped his legs tightly around Gyojin’s waist.

The cock that filled his hole to the brim was gradually swelling, growing thicker. A pain as if his insides would fall out followed, but Heeyoung paid it no mind and squeezed his thighs tightly.

The seed that burst from Gyojin flowed deep inside his belly.

He wasn’t afraid, even as the semen slid along his hot inner flesh, even as it reached a point it should not have touched.

Because the one he had made love with was Cha Gyojin, the man who would spend the rest of his life with him.

Heeyoung was no longer worried about anything.

🌿

The morning sun shone brightly through the window of the wide-open dining room. Saturday was continuing to be a clear day without a single cloud.

Heeyoung, who had been dragged out of bed without knowing why as soon as he woke up, was sitting at the dining table and staring off into the distance.

Whenever his back happened to touch the chair’s backrest, his whole body ached. The reason was obvious. It was because of the aftermath of yesterday.

After being knotted by Gyojin, he couldn’t even remember how many more times he had cum. At some point, he had passed out, and when he opened his eyes, his body was still shaking.

Was he too excited from exchanging confessions of love? Overwhelmed with the blissful feeling of being connected to Gyojin, Heeyoung couldn’t bring himself to say “stop” until the very end. If anything, he had probably egged him on by saying it felt good.

The state his body was in was purely his own fault. He didn’t regret it, but separate from that, he thought Gyojin was also quite amazing.

He even came back from camping, his stamina is incredible.

When he woke up in the morning, his body was spotlessly clean, and he was even dressed in pajamas. It seemed Gyojin had personally washed and dressed him during the early hours of the morning.

Though he must have been tired, he boasted a monstrous level of energy. As if bringing Cheonghyun over from next door wasn’t enough, he had even prepared breakfast in place of Team Leader Jeong.

“Dad! Give me two fried eggs!”

“I’m making them now. Hey, your highness, you go over there and wait. I can’t focus at all.”

“Make a bear face on my yolk!”

“A bear? Dad can’t do things like that. Hey, it’s all the same yolk once it’s in your belly. Let’s just eat it, son, okay?”

I’ve never once seen him cook in the kitchen, will this be okay? Watching his back as he stood in front of the stove, bickering with the child, felt somewhat precarious.

Heeyoung took a sip of the water placed in front of him and stealthily kept a close eye on them. He was prepared to rush over and handle the situation if he smelled anything burning.

“Heeyoungie-hyung cut the seaweed like this and made a bear face on my yolk! I’m just gonna ask Heeyoungie-hyung to do it!”

“Stop, stop. Lee Heeyoung is sick today. If you bother hyung, you’re going to get a scolding from Dad today.”

“Heeyoungie-hyung is sick…?”

“Yup, he’s sick. Hey, you see this? This is porridge for Lee Heeyoung to eat. Take it to him and say, ‘Hyung, please eat your food.’”

But as he listened quietly, the conversation they were having was absurd. He wasn’t even severely sick, yet Gyojin was treating him like a complete invalid.

Making a bear face on Cheonghyun’s fried egg was something he could do easily. Feeling unnecessarily sorry for the child, he was just about to push himself up from his seat with some difficulty.

“Hyung, eat your food.”

He saw Cheonghyun, holding a tray with both hands, cautiously approaching the dining table.

Heeyoung quickly went over and took the tray from him. What is this? he wondered, and when he looked into the bowl, he saw it was filled with porridge made from vegetables and egg. It was the meal Gyojin had woken up early to prepare.

He had expected the rice grains to be all burnt and yellow, but surprisingly, it looked quite good. The vegetables were also diced into uniform sizes, and next to the porridge bowl was a small dish of seasoned soy sauce.

Wow… Just as he was marveling at this unexpected side of him, Gyojin, having finished cooking, returned with another tray and placed it on the table. It was Cheonghyun’s meal. White rice with a fried egg, several side dishes, and a clear soybean paste soup. It was an extremely ordinary but hearty spread.

And… on top of the fried egg were a few pieces of clumsily cut seaweed.

What on earth is that shape supposed to be? For a bear, its eyebrows were too thick, and for a rabbit, its features were unusually robust… in any case, it was bizarre.

Cheonghyun, who seemed to share his thoughts, stared blankly at the plate before abruptly turning his head away. The child’s interest was now fixed on Heeyoung’s porridge.

“Hyung, I’ll feed you!”

“I can eat by myself, it’s okay. Does Cheonghyun want to feed me?”

“Yes! It’s hot, so I’ll blow on it for you, hooo hooo?”

Struggling, he climbed onto the seat next to Heeyoung, then grabbed the spoon and stirred the porridge. The way he blew on it intermittently to cool it down was quite skillful.

“Son, taking care of Lee Heeyoung is Dad’s job. You just sit here and eat your meal. I made you a teddy bear.”

“That’s not a teddy bear, it’s a monster! What is that! It’s so ugly!”

“You always ignore your dad’s painstaking effort and sincerity like that. Fine, go ahead. Next time, you won’t get anything at all.”

“Hyung, Heeyoungie-hyung, say ahh.”

Even though Gyojin was openly showing that he was sulking, the child didn’t budge. He just familiarly ignored his father and fed Heeyoung a spoonful of porridge.

Feeling bewildered by the chaotic conversation, Heeyoung gave up trying to mediate and readily accepted the porridge. It was moderately savory and soft, and it tasted quite good.

“It’s even more delicious because Cheonghyun is feeding me. Thank you.”

“One person does the cooking, and another gets all the affection. How can I live with this unfairness?”

He had only complimented the child for his sweet behavior. But no sooner had the words left his mouth than a grumble followed.

Gyojin, who had sauntered over, slowly swept a hand down Heeyoung’s lower back in a meaningful gesture. The way he deliberately massaged the area where he would feel pain, all while acting jealous, was the epitome of shamelessness.

Even so, they were in front of Cheonghyun, and the intensity of the skinship was a bit too much.

Because they had made love so passionately yesterday, Gyojin’s touch felt particularly welcome… but he couldn’t help being conscious of the child’s eyes.

Unconsciously tensing up, Heeyoung subtly twisted his body to avoid Gyojin’s hand. He was glancing sideways at the child, trying to manage his expression.

“Hyung, were you very sick? You can’t be sick anymore. Okay?”

Cheonghyun, who was bringing another spoonful of porridge to his mouth, offered words of concern.

Moved by this, Heeyoung pushed away Gyojin, who was persistently trying to initiate skinship, and nodded his head vigorously.

“Okay. Hyung will never get sick.”

It was a heartwarming moment, but the atmosphere was becoming chaotic due to someone’s persistent interruptions.

Gyojin, finding his continuous pushing rather amusing, relentlessly pressed his body closer. He even brought a chair to sit right next to him and wrapped an arm around Heeyoung’s waist.

It was definitely not a sight to show a child, so he twisted his body to get away again. He didn’t want to act this way the day after crying out “I love you” while having sex, but Gyojin had brought this upon himself.

He figured Gyojin would have gotten the hint by now, but who was Cha Gyojin? He was a man who knew no shame.

He finally managed to wrap his arm around Heeyoung’s neck and pulled his limp upper body sharply towards him. And then, wasn’t he whispering obscenities into his ear?

“Why are you avoiding me? Getting hot thinking about yesterday? Can’t close your asshole?”

“…Mouth! Your mouth!”

Can’t close my asshole? Even though he whispered it so the kid wouldn’t hear, there was really nothing he wouldn’t say. Heeyoung immediately pushed Gyojin away and smacked his forearm repeatedly.

How am I supposed to fix this bad habit of Boss’s?

As he was seriously pondering this and turning his head, his eyes met squarely with Cheonghyun, who was staring at them with bright, clear eyes.

Uh, uhh…?

As he held his tongue in embarrassment, Cheonghyun’s eyebrows drooped into a sad V-shape. No way, did Boss’s voice carry that far? His heart pounded.

He tensed up and swallowed dryly. A moment later, an unexpected sentence popped out of the child’s mouth.

“Hyung, don’t hate Dad….”

“Huh…?”

“Let’s, you know, become a family. So don’t push Dad like this.”

For a moment, he thought he had misheard. Heeyoung found himself wanting to listen to Cheonghyun’s words on repeat, like in the frustrating editing style of some variety show.

It was so unbelievable that he replayed the recent conversation over and over again, wanting to confirm if he had really heard correctly.

The child, as if showing kindness to such a Heeyoung, pointed out the gist of the story once again. Every time his small lips mumbled, surprisingly beautiful sentences flowed out gently.

“I think it’d be good if Hyung became my dad. We talked about it before, didn’t we?”

“……”

“Hyung, you’re going to choose me, right…? I’m going to choose Hyung. I like Hyung. Can’t we live here together forever and ever, uhh, until I’m a hundred, a thousand years old?”

Cheonghyun had thrown open the door to his world.

He hadn’t misheard. The child had really said he wanted to become a family. He had already made his choice, he said, looking up at Heeyoung earnestly as if to say all Hyung had to do was reach out his hand.

A brilliant light shone in the child’s innocent eyes. Looking into those eyes, it felt as if all the pain he had endured was being compensated for. A feeling that if he held his hand now, all the dirty memories would be healed…

The tip of his nose tingled and tears welled up in his eyes. It felt as if he were standing on a cloud. He was so overwhelmed and grateful that he even wondered if he was worthy of embracing such a blessing.

But Heeyoung did not drag out that worry for long. He would gladly take the hand that the child had courageously offered first.

Because he, too, had found his conviction. After passing through countless hardships, he would now walk only on a flower-strewn path with the two of them.

“…Yes. Hyung will choose Cheonghyun too. I’ve come to love Boss and our Cheonghyun so much that I want to be with you forever. Will you accept Hyung as your family? Cheonghyun, is that really okay?”

As he asked, gently holding the child’s shoulders, the small body crashed into his embrace with force.

Cheonghyun, who had run at him so fiercely it made a poof sound, spread his arms wide and hugged Heeyoung. Soon, a palm like a maple leaf was patting Heeyoung’s side.

“Uh-huh! Of course! I love Hyung a lot too. We’re a family now. Let’s stick together, Dad, me, and Hyung, for over a million years. Pinky promise.”

Stamp. Copy. Coating. And finally, a sign!

Heehee, the child, who was smiling cutely and revealing a missing tooth, swiped his index finger across Heeyoung’s palm. What he drew as a signature was a heart connected by a squiggly line.

Heeyoung curled his fingers into a fist as if to treasure it.

The clumsy heart held in his palm was beating, thump-thump. It felt like a special organ that connected only the three of them.

Since it was a meaningful signature, he pressed his own palm firmly onto Gyojin’s.

“It’s a heart from Cheonghyun. It’s so cute. Here, it feels like another heart has formed in my palm.”

I’m happy. He had never been happier in his entire life. His chest was so full that he was short of breath.

Heeyoung, who was hugging Cheonghyun, burrowed into Gyojin’s embrace in the same position. Thump. Thump. The fiercely beating heart rate doubled.

Soon after, Gyojin extended his arms and enveloped the two of them, and the three of them formed a perfect shape.

In an instant, a new sky, one he had never witnessed before, unfolded above Heeyoung’s head. As he cautiously took a step forward, a gentle ripple spread, and the world was surrounded by a bright light.

So, this was the world the two of them shared.

He felt like he would burst into tears from the warmth that gently enveloped his heart. However, Heeyoung had a hunch that smiles would always come before tears.

Without looking back, he pushed off the ground with all his might towards the source of the light.

He finally leaped into their world, and thus, Heeyoung became one with them.

Another word for “one” was family.

Epilogue

Heeyoung gasped in surprise at the scenery outside the car window. Am I seeing things? He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but the devastating scene remained the same.

“I had my doubts, but you really took care of it, didn’t you?”

As he leaned forward, grabbing the passenger seat to ask, Dongjae, who was glancing over, laughed like a gentle bear, “Haha.”

“The Executive Director is the type to do what he says he’ll do, isn’t he?”

He answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He didn’t forget to subtly praise his boss, Gyojin, either. The Executive Director has always been like that. He said that his swift way of handling matters was his greatest strength.

No, but still. To think Ignis would become like that overnight…

Heeyoung turned completely in his seat and watched the receding scenery.

The entertainment district, which lost its vitality like a ghost during the day, was there. All sorts of trash littered the asphalt, and a deflated promotional tent lay crumpled.

But once the sun set, the shops would light up their flashy signs as if nothing had happened and entice customers.

Except for one place, that is. Ignis.

The building of Ignis, which could be called the godfather of the entertainment district, was in such a dilapidated state that it was hard to recall its previously glamorous exterior. Demolition notices were plastered all over the outer walls built with high-end materials, and the entrance was also sealed off with a thick chain.

The only person who would do such a thing was Cha Gyojin, the owner and Boss of Ignis.

He couldn’t help but be amazed by his lightning-fast execution. He knew he had a quick temper, but his actions were just as swift as his temper.

Just last week, Gyojin had declared that he would shut down Ignis.

He said he wouldn’t just get rid of the building, but would also release the employees bound by debt, give them settlement money, and then disband. With that resolve, he had apparently burned the ledgers altogether. It was a decision so bold it was bewildering.

The unrecovered principal alone must have been in the billions. He had no idea what had gotten into him. So when Heeyoung asked for the reason, he had confessed his deeper thoughts.

‘The kid’s going to grow up, so it’s not right for his dad to have a job like this. I shouldn’t bring shame to my kid’s face.’

‘And Lee Heeyoung, you. You’d feel guilty towards the other employees just because you got out of debt by yourself. You’re so damn kind.’

‘Besides, I wasn’t really paying attention to that business anyway. So I decided to close it down now.’

Somehow, he had even figured out his inner thoughts about feeling guilty for receiving preferential treatment, and he readily shut down the business. It was hard to believe he was quitting the gangster business he had been in his whole life.

Gyojin kept only Team Leader Jeong, who wanted to work as a housekeeper, and didn’t forget to dismiss even the few employees who used to commute to the house.

Now, it was truly just the three of them left in the house.

It was just Ignis that disappeared, but it felt like the world had turned upside down. No, in reality, a lot had changed.

Cha Gyojin, who was no longer Boss. And Lee Heeyoung, who was no longer a debtor. Wouldn’t that explain everything?

Looking at the shabby cement building that seemed like it could collapse at any moment, he felt strange. A weird feeling that was neither good nor bad.

Soon, the alley that had been blocked by a car accident cleared up. As Dongjae stepped on the accelerator and increased the speed, the desolate daytime entertainment district gradually grew distant.

The spot where Ignis had been looked as if another building was already there. From a distance, it looked that way. The glitzy, high-end bar seemed as if it had never existed in the first place, looking only drab.

Heeyoung, now sitting facing forward, took in the sight of the utterly ordinary, vibrant city. This now felt like the place where he was supposed to be. A noisy but always peaceful city.

The car, passing through a forest of buildings, stopped in front of a particularly tall one. It was a stylish building with the Baekyeon Group logo neatly embedded on it.

They had finally arrived. Heeyoung swallowed his nervousness and shook the sleeping Cheonghyun awake.

“Cheonghyun, wake up. Let’s go to Dad.”

The moment he got out holding the child’s hand, his head naturally tilted back. Woooow. Seeing it in person, the building felt intimidating. The thought that Gyojin was sitting somewhere in there working made his heart tremble strangely.

The two followed Dongjae into the building. He wondered if they needed to get a visitor’s pass and looked around, but they were let through without any such procedure.

He was so nervous, but Cheonghyun, who had been in and out of this place several times, seemed unfazed. Unlike Heeyoung, who had frozen up upon getting into the elevator with employees, Cheonghyun even offered a relaxed greeting. ‘Hello, noona. I am the son of Executive Director Cha Gyojin.’ He was incredibly sociable.

After what felt like a suffocating minute, the elevator doors opened. From here, there was no need to search for Gyojin.

“Son!”

It was because he was already waiting with his office door wide open.

Cheonghyun, pattering his feet as he ran, leaped into his father’s outstretched arms. They had been bickering just this morning, but seeing each other in a place like this, they hugged each other as if they were happy to see one another, which was funny.

“You’re here? Come in.”

He, who had hoisted the big child onto his shoulders for a piggyback ride, kindly took care of Heeyoung, who was standing awkwardly. Pulled by the force of his hand, Heeyoung also cautiously stepped into the office.

Wow. So this is the space where Boss works. It was an office he used alone, but it was enormous. The desk was also huge, and there was a table and a luxurious sofa. A tray on the corner was also filled to the brim with snacks.

Cheonghyun, who landed on the ground a beat later, ran around the office freely as if it were his own world. He went to the tray, picked up his favorite snack, and then ran straight to the desk and threw himself into the soft chair.

“Hyung! Hyung! How is it? Do I look like a Boss?!”

“Yes, you look like a Boss. But Cheonghyun, that’s where your dad works…”

The child’s appearance, eating biscuits while dropping crumbs on the desk, was utterly innocent. As if he couldn’t sit still for a moment, he would take a bite of a cookie, spin the chair, and needlessly touch the documents on the desk. There might be important documents, is it okay to leave him like that?

When he glanced at Gyojin with a worried look, he shrugged as if it didn’t matter at all.

“It’s not the first or second time he’s acted like that. If I had important work, I never would have called them. The little brat is beyond restless.”

“Still. Are you sure you put away all the important documents?”

“Yes, of course. Don’t you worry. You just come over here and sit down. Your legs will hurt.”

Even though he had come comfortably in the car driven by Dongjae, Gyojin made a fuss despite knowing that fact. It wasn’t like he would die from standing for a moment, but he urged him to sit down quickly.

In the end, Heeyoung plopped his butt onto the plush leather sofa. While doing so, he curiously looked around the office, and only after he had finished his rough inspection did he bring up the topic of Ignis.

“I saw the Ignis building on my way here. I didn’t think you’d really have closed it down…”

As he trailed off, sounding surprised, Gyojin, who had forsaken the sofa across from him to plop down right next to Heeyoung, said playfully.

“Have you ever seen me say something I can’t keep? Huh? I think I’ve said this several times.”

The posture he struck, with both arms spread wide and draped over the back of the sofa and his legs crossed, was exceedingly delinquent. He turned only his head to look at Heeyoung arrogantly.

“Guys born with dicks aren’t supposed to go back on their word.”

But you’ve seen my dick, Heeyoung. That it’s a horse dick. Then I should be even more careful not to go back on my word. I’m a guy who lives by that, at least.

The words that followed were crude beyond measure, but Heeyoung filtered them out. Whether he went back on his word once or three times, the result was a happy one.

“So now, Boss, you’re not a gangster or a loan shark or anything like that, you’re just an Executive Director?”

Sheesh, as he laughed with a shy sound, Gyojin’s sly, snake-like eyes blinked.

Not a gangster, just an Executive Director.

So damn naive.

Thinking this to himself, Gyojin’s shoulders shook as he snickered. If you just typed ‘Baekyeon Group’ into a search engine, all sorts of dirty allegations would pop up as related search terms. It seemed he didn’t know about things like that.

Gyojin took in every detail of Heeyoung’s naively happy face. It seemed he had been worried deep down that the man who would become his husband was a gangster. Was he already starting to manage him? The way he was being a supportive partner was so cute he could die.

If you were that worried, then I should put you more at ease.

“Why, why are you staring at me like that? I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that you’re an Executive Director now, right?”

“Well, I guess so? By the way, Lee Heeyoung, you hit the jackpot. Look at me. I have a respectable job, looks, a body, and even this. Is there anything to find fault with?”

Mentioning ‘this,’ Gyojin placed a hand on his crotch and became absorbed in self-praise. It seemed he had no shame, even in front of the child.

Since this was also something that needed to be filtered out, Heeyoung didn’t react much.

After consistently ignoring him as he was used to, he looked down at the table that had been catching his eye. On the wide glass table, a pamphlet with a picture of a handsome detached house and a floor plan were spread out nicely.

When you’re in the resort business, do you also deal with detached houses like this? Heeyoung, who was completely ignorant about this line of work, showed pure curiosity.

“By the way, what are all these?”

When he pointed at the pamphlets and asked, Gyojin said, “Oops,” and gestured towards them with his chin.

“Pick one. It’s where we’ll move.”

“…Excuse me?”

“There are three of us now, not two. We should have a fresh start with a new mindset.”

It was a plan on a scale Heeyoung could never have imagined. Their current house was spacious and nice, but to say they were moving to another place… And to even tell him to choose the new house, he couldn’t help but be flustered.

Heeyoung’s entire fortune was the 4 million won he had saved in his bank account. With that money, he couldn’t even renovate a single room, let alone purchase a house. In a word, it meant he had no right to choose.

The house would obviously be bought by Gyojin, so how could he choose as he pleased?

“Why am I… choosing the house we’ll move to?”

When he asked back as if it were absurd, Gyojin’s face, which had been calm all along, crumpled fiercely. Ah, a roar is about to erupt. Heeyoung mentally prepared himself in advance.

“Why am I choosing?! Then who the fuck, Lee Heeyoung, if not you, who would choose? Aren’t you my family? Hey, things like this are usually chosen by the wife.”

Even though they were both men, he kept pushing him, calling him wife, wife. If he were to ask here, ‘Why am I the wife?’, it was obvious this entire office would be blown away today, so he just quietly bit his lip.

Anyway, it means I have a say in this too. Thankfully, that’s how it is. Heeyoung decided to take it simply.

It wasn’t as if his relationship with Gyojin was a fleeting romance that would just end. This was a possible response because he, too, was thinking about marriage. Above all, we had become a family that would be together for life.

“Okay, I’ll choose then. Wow, by the way, all the buildings are so cool.”

As he leaned over and began to look through the pamphlets and floor plans one by one, Gyojin, who had been roaring with anger, fell silent as if nothing had happened. Is he being considerate in his own way, letting me choose comfortably? It was strangely cute.

Thanks to him, Heeyoung was able to look at the printouts calmly. Then, a question suddenly arose, and he shot his head up.

“But all the houses are detached houses?”

It was because the entire list was composed only of detached houses, even though there were plenty of luxury apartments in Seoul. Moreover, some areas outside of Seoul were also included. They were also residential complexes where only detached houses were gathered.

Come to think of it, the place they lived in now was also a detached house. Is there a reason he insists on this type of housing? As he tilted his head, Gyojin gestured with his chin somewhere.

“Can’t live in an apartment if you think about him. I guarantee we’d get cursed out and kicked out in a single day.”

Heeyoung followed the direction he pointed in with his eyes. There was Cheonghyun, jumping and playing around.

Seeing him jump up and down in place, then suddenly plop down on the floor and play by throwing a pen, he understood Gyojin’s words a hundred times over.

Mmm, I guess that would be the case. If we move to an apartment, we’d get calls every day asking us to be quiet.

Besides, wasn’t Cheonghyun a child who grew up running around freely in a detached house? If they moved to an apartment, Gyojin and he, who would have to manage the child, would be tired, and Cheonghyun, who would be controlled, would also feel frustrated.

How did he know they were talking about him? The child, who happened to look over, ran towards them with a patter-patter-patter and threw himself onto the sofa with a plop!

“Are we moving?!”

It hadn’t been long since he sat down, but he quickly stood up again and looked at the pamphlets, half-leaning over the table.

The child, who flipped through the paper and glanced at the house pictures, lost interest and ran back over there. It was a movement that made the adults watching lose their minds.

“Haah, that brat, that one. Why is he acting even more restless today? Cha Cheonghyun. Put all of Dad’s pens back neatly.”

“Ugh, I don’t wanna~ I’m gonna play more.”

It seemed he was even more excited than usual because he was at his dad’s company.

Heeyoung took his eyes off the pamphlet and stared quietly at Cheonghyun. He deliberately waited until their eyes met, and the child, who noticed his gaze belatedly, flinched. The hand that had been playfully tossing the pen stopped mid-air.

“Cheonghyun. Are you going to answer your dad so rudely?”

When he chided him in a soft but firm voice, the distractedly boisterous Cheonghyun became docile. The child, who had become surprisingly quiet, glanced around and shook his head.

“Nooo. I won’t be rude….”

“Then answer nicely again.”

“Yessir. Dad, I’m going to play a little more and then clean up….”

“That’s right. The pens can’t break, so play carefully, okay? Make sure to clean up when you’re done.”

“Uh-huh. Okay.”

He had only said one thing, but the noisy atmosphere settled down. The child played quietly with the pens, and Heeyoung focused on the pamphlets again.

Watching the disciplinary scene, which was amazing no matter how many times he saw it, Gyojin was in awe, again and again.

The most impressive thing was Heeyoung’s gaze. That charismatic, killer gaze that could easily subdue a child without saying a word. It reminded him of a certain famous doctor on TV. A doctor who could turn even a misbehaving child into a gentle lamb. He was also a figure that Gyojin, the child’s father, truly respected.

But Heeyoung had inherited that doctor’s charisma perfectly. He looked pretty and just cute, but where did that kind of aura come from? He was full of charm.

“Mmm, there are too many, it’s hard to choose.”

Just as he was looking at him with a gaze of having fallen for him all over again, Heeyoung met his eyes and made a sad face. The gravity he had when dealing with the child was gone, and his expression was just as gentle as usual.

Ah, fuck. He’s so cute I could die. Gyojin’s chest tingled, and he couldn’t help but grin.

“Oh yeah, is it hard? Was it hard to choose?”

“Yes. Can’t you just choose, Boss? A place that’s good for Cheonghyun to run around in, and where he won’t have to change schools. I’m fine with anywhere.”

Unaware of what Gyojin was thinking, Heeyoung was serious. When he smiled, saying anywhere was fine, Gyojin gathered up the floor plans and pamphlets scattered on the table all at once.

“Right. You’re living with me, so how could anywhere not be fine? I’ll narrow them down soon, so pick from those.”

It was an annoyingly confident answer, but he didn’t bother to deny it. Because it was true that anywhere was fine as long as he was with Gyojin.

More than that, a new house where the three of us will start anew. He was just filled with excitement.

“Okay.”

It was when he was ending the topic of conversation with a nod of his head. Cheonghyun, who had been struggling with a bag of snacks in the corner, came running and sat next to Heeyoung.

“Hyung, can you open this for me!”

It was a chocolate snack that was rarely seen at home. As soon as he tore open the wrapper and handed it to him, the child quickly popped the round snack into his mouth.

So there was a reason he looked forward to coming to his dad’s office. Those snacks on the tray were his goal.

After eating one, he asked him to open another, so he tore the wrapper without a word. Just then, Gyojin, who was standing up with the pamphlets, added a word of nagging.

“Cha Cheonghyun, that’s your fifth snack already. That’s the last one.”

“No, I ate three!”

“You can fool a ghost, but you can’t fool your dad’s eyes. How dare you lie. Hmph.”

Even though he had been talking to him, he must have been secretly counting how many snacks the kid was eating.

Cheonghyun, who almost got scolded for trying to be clever, pouted and sulked. He looked so pitiful. Heeyoung, unable to watch, secretly opened one more snack for him.

The simple child grinned at the single snack. Just a moment ago, he had been scrunching up his face as if he were about to cry, but now he was humming a tune as if nothing had happened.

For fear of being caught by his dad, Cheonghyun, who had stuffed the large snack into his mouth in one bite and was chewing, lay down on his stomach on the table. After kicking his feet for a moment, he familiarly picked up Gyojin’s phone and unlocked it.

“Time to play a game~”

After swiping through the home screen a couple of times, several game apps that seemed to be for children appeared. Cheonghyun chose one and tapped it.

The developer’s logo appeared on the screen as the game loaded. Just then, the phone started to vibrate, as if a call was coming in. When he peeked over, he saw the name saved as ‘Older Sister.’

“Oh! It’s my big aunt!”

The child, who instantly deduced who the caller was from the name, pressed the accept button without hesitation. It all happened before the flustered Heeyoung could stop him.

Cheonghyun placed the phone on the table, turned on the speakerphone, and shouted.

“Big Aunt!”

—Oh, is that you, Cheonghyun? My baby, it’s been a while.

“Yessir, it’s Cheonghyun! I miss you so much, Big Aunt!”

Then, an elegant woman’s voice came from the other side. She wasn’t at all flustered that a child had answered the phone and skillfully continued the conversation.

—Auntie misses you too, baby. Shall we see each other soon?

“Yessir! Big Aunt, by the way, can’t you buy me something delicious?”

—Of course, I can. But our Cheonghyun always asks me to buy him delicious things whenever he sees me. Does your dad not buy you good things to eat?

“Uhh, my dad doesn’t even let me eat a lot of snacks. He doesn’t buy me jellies either!”

—My, what a strict dad. Auntie will buy you lots of jellies when we meet next time.

I heard him talking on the phone with his younger aunt at the hospital last time, so is this his older aunt?

Unlike the younger aunt who had a bubbly and affectionate way of speaking, the older aunt was graceful and dignified. Perhaps because of her voice, which was a couple of tones lower than a typical woman’s, she exuded a certain charisma.

Nevertheless, she was endlessly generous and affectionate with the child. Is it because they’re Gyojin’s family? They were all warm-hearted.

After listening to everything Cheonghyun had to say, she soon asked, ‘Can you put your dad on?’ and looked for Gyojin.

Then Gyojin, who had returned after putting the pamphlets on his desk, naturally took the call. Of course, the speakerphone mode was still on.

“Yes, Noo-nim. It’s been a while. You’ve been well, right?”

As he greeted her in a slick tone, a sharper voice than before flew back.

—It has been a while. Hasn’t it been too long since we’ve seen each other? Doeun said you’re seeing someone.

At the abrupt topic, Heeyoung almost choked.

Is it okay for me to be listening to this conversation? He stealthily glanced at Gyojin. But he was grinning from ear to ear, as if it was fine for Heeyoung to hear everything.

“Ah, has the rumor already spread that far? Anyway, our youngest, she really loves to chatter here and there.”

—You’re not denying it. From the sound of your voice, it doesn’t seem like a casual relationship. Aren’t you going to introduce us?

“Don’t be upset. I was planning to introduce you soon anyway. After hearing Heeyoung’s opinion first, of course.”

How could a conversation reach a conclusion so quickly without any middle ground? What’s more, neither Gyojin nor his older sister complained about this direct way of speaking.

Introduce me to his aunt? Only Heeyoung, who couldn’t keep up with the speed of their conversation, was in a state of bewilderment.

Heeyoung grabbed Gyojin’s hand and shot him a look. He was staring at him with a ‘What is all this about?’ expression, when he heard the older sister’s firm voice over the phone.

—Right, you shouldn’t pressure him. Be sure to get his permission before arranging a meeting. Oh, Gyojin, your lover, he knows he’s getting involved with our dysfunctional family, right?

It was a cool tone of voice that made it hard to tell if it was a joke or serious.

However, Gyojin burst out laughing, kehahak, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. The tense Heeyoung was sweating profusely, not knowing how to react, but he was laughing heartily, even leaning back.

“If he didn’t know our family was a mess, he wouldn’t be able to marry me, Noo-nim.”

As their conversation continued, Heeyoung’s cheeks grew redder and redder. It was because the topic of conversation was fixed solely on him.

The siblings, who had said they should have dinner together since it had been a while since they’d seen each other, were now setting a date for a formal meeting of the families after some small talk.

—Before it gets hot would be good. How about the 15th? I should tell Doeun too. Oh, and make sure he absolutely does not prepare any gifts. I don’t want to pressure him.

“Even if he were to prepare something, I’d take care of it all. I won’t make Heeyoung do things like that. Don’t you worry about that.”

—Right. You do everything. Anyway, I got excited and got ahead of myself. Geez. You have to admit, we Cha people are known for our quick tempers. Talk it over slowly with Mr. Heeyoung, and once you have his permission, contact me again then.

At this point, he was no longer even flustered. Siblings are siblings, after all. It seemed the older sister was just as quick-tempered as Boss. She had realized too late that she had gotten ahead of herself and was now slamming on the brakes.

A formal family meeting. It was sudden news, but Heeyoung wasn’t the least bit upset about the discussion proceeding without him. He could feel that both of them were being considerate of him throughout their conversation, so his tension was actually easing.

The siblings, who had been busy setting up a date, finally ended the call only after the brakes were applied.

“See you then, Noo-nim.”

Gyojin, who had been affable to the very end, hung up the phone and immediately turned to look at Heeyoung.

Since they had talked on speakerphone anyway, Heeyoung must have heard everything, so he asked confidently.

“What will you do? If you meet my older sister and younger sister, you won’t be able to get away from me, you’ll have to live with me.”

It was a tone that made it unclear whether he was threatening or persuading him. When Heeyoung just lifted his head and stared blankly, he must have found some unspoken hope in it, as he pulled the corners of his mouth up into a wide grin.

“You heard the whole call, right? That’s how we siblings are. They’re all quick-tempered people, so when you meet them, they’ll rush you to set a wedding date. Can you handle that?”

That sly snake. It was obvious he had already guessed the answer he would give and was pushing him.

“Your opinion is the most important, Heeyoung. If you feel burdened, you don’t have to meet them. You heard my sister earlier. She said to get your permission first. Your opinion always comes first for me, you know?”

It was funny how he was slickly asking for his opinion when he had already arranged everything with his older sister. But it was certain that the statement he had just made was not a lie. The part about his opinion always coming first.

Because neither his older sister nor Boss were the type to go back on their word. If he said it was burdensome, they would immediately cancel the appointment. He could be sure of that one thing.

A chuckle escaped him as he thought of the cool temperament of the Cha siblings.

Thinking that his aunt, who had seemed only difficult, was also Boss’s blood relative, made him want to meet her at least once. Wasn’t she also someone who would soon become his family?

Heeyoung found that he wasn’t burdened by the formal family meeting disguised as a dinner, but was actually looking forward to it. Perhaps because he had been sticking close to Boss for so long, his personality seemed to be gradually becoming similar.

U-turns, left turns, right turns, I don’t know about those. Heeyoung chose to go straight ahead.

“Is there any reason to refuse? I’m fine even if it’s not just a meal, but a real formal family meeting. I’m being sincere.”

At the bold answer, Gyojin clenched his fist. Just a moment ago, he was smiling slyly, but now he bites his lip as if moved. Soon, a transparent light poured down like a meteor into his murky, three-white-dot eyes.

This was Heeyoung’s favorite aspect. That moment when the emotion called love floated up in those harsh and fierce eyes.

It was truly an un-Gyojin-like appearance, and for that reason, it was all the more lovely.

“You make me fall for you like this. I’m really, holding back because the kid is here. Because the kid is here…”

Of course, the words that came out of his mouth were the complete opposite of his expression.

He, who had been looking at the ceiling, saying he was holding back because the kid was there, lunged at Heeyoung the moment Cheonghyun turned his back. It was a swift movement, like a predator snatching its prey after waiting for an opportunity.

Smooch. He, who had sucked on Heeyoung’s lips while holding his chin, pulled away and played dumb.

What just passed by? Heeyoung touched his own lips and then giggled.

“No, you just said you were holding back…”

When he needlessly grumbled, he wiggled his eyebrows as if to say it was fine as long as he wasn’t caught. It was a truly shameless response.

Right. If Cheonghyun didn’t see it, then it’s fine, I guess.

Reassured, Heeyoung secretly glanced sideways at Cheonghyun, who was lying on the sofa and playing. The child, knowing nothing, was just logging into a game on his dad’s phone.

Taking advantage of that moment, just as he was about to kiss him back in retaliation.

“Daddy and Heeyoung-hyung kissed, nyah nyah nyah…”

“…!”

Cheonghyun, who had shot up from his seat, began to laugh with his mouth covered. Heeyoung felt his face flush and sat down heavily.

Ah, he saw, he saw. He saw it…

Thinking that he had been caught in an embarrassing act by the young Cheonghyun, his whole body felt hot.

“Uwaah, Cheonghyun. We didn’t kiss, we were…”

“You did too kiss! Heeyoung-hyung is lying!”

“N-no, that’s not it…!”

His face felt like it would not just turn red, but explode. Then Gyojin, who was snickering along with the child, playfully made a snake-slithering sound. Ssssss, he went.

“You little brat. Who told you to tease adults?”

“Kyaaaak! They like each other! They like each other!”

“Hey, why are you teasing me by saying things that are true? Dude, of course we kiss because we like each other. Kissing Lee Heeyoung is a privilege only for Dad.”

“…Then what about me?!”

“You can’t. Because Lee Heeyoung is mine.”

Another childish fight had begun. The child, who had been teasing them while running around on the sofa, quickly turned into a green-eyed monster. He fiercely questioned his father why he wasn’t allowed to kiss Heeyoung-hyung.

In response, Gyojin pulled Heeyoung into a hug, saying only he could do it. He showed the pinnacle of childishness by deliberately kissing the top of his head for the kid to see.

Caught between the father and son, Heeyoung’s eyes curved into wide crescents as he smiled.