The House of Three Chapter 7.1

It was an oddly peaceful afternoon at 1 PM. Heeyoung had finished his tasks as usual and came up to his room. During the hours when Cheonghyun was away at school, his hands were free, so he often helped with kitchen or garden chores, but today, even those had been wrapped up early.

This newfound leisure was all thanks to Gyojin taking time off. For reasons unknown, he had insisted a few days ago that he needed a break and had since holed up at home, not even stepping outside.

On gloomy days, he sat on the living room couch watching movies with the child, and on nice days, he went out to the vast, playground-like garden to play soccer. Because of this, the once-quiet and somewhat tense morning atmosphere in the house had brightened considerably.

Seowon, who used to constantly leave his room to pester the staff, now shamelessly roamed the house as if he had never done such a thing before.

He approached Gyojin multiple times, attempting conversation and wanting to spend time together. Calling out in a pitiful tone—”Gyojin, Gyojin”—but Cha Gyojin barely reacted, appearing so cold it was almost chilling.

Perhaps hurt by this attitude, Seowon stopped talking to Gyojin and left the house. Dressed in neat but flashy clothes, he slung a golf bag over his shoulder, stepped out the front door, and slammed it shut behind him.

But Gyojin, indifferent as ever, just clicked the remote while wondering what movie to watch.

The staff, who had been nervously watching the two, worried that sparks might fly, regained their peace less than five minutes after Seowon left. Heeyoung was no different.

In the room, only the ticking of the clock could be heard.

Holding a yellow notebook and pen, Heeyoung sat at the low table with a soft smile. On the notebook’s cover, written in large, neat letters, was the child’s name.

[Letter Diary Exchanged with Parents. Class 1-2, Cha Cheonghyun.]

What kind of letter had he written today? Filled with anticipation, Heeyoung opened the notebook. Lately, replying to the letter diary had become something he genuinely looked forward to—a time of healing like no other.

Flipping through a few pages, he found the letter Cheonghyun had written just yesterday. The handwriting was crooked and messy, but traces of effort to write properly were visible here and there. It was utterly adorable.

[Hello, Hyung. To, Heeyoungie Hyung. I’m Cheonghyun.

Today, I ran at school. I came in 1st place.

But I only got 20 points in dictation. I hate dictation.

I want to go to the park with Hyung every day and make snowmen. I love you.]

Heeyoung, carefully reading the letter aloud, burst into laughter. The child’s uniquely pure and straightforward way of speaking was always endearing. Especially Cheonghyun, who was clear about his likes and dislikes, making him even cuter.

Even the way he pressed the pencil so hard that the paper became bumpy was lovable. Running his fingertips over the pencil marks, Heeyoung began writing his reply, pressing down each letter with care.

[To. Cheonghyun

Hello, Cheonghyun. It’s Heeyoung Hyung.

Our Cheonghyun came in first place in running! Congratulations. You did so well, I’m proud of you.

Hyung is so happy that you’re growing up strong and healthy at school.

Let’s laugh together every day while having fun.

When it snows, we’ll build snowmen, have snowball fights, and even try sledding. Doesn’t that sound so, so fun?

How about practicing dictation with Hyung after playing hard?

If we learn little by little, I think someday Cheonghyun will write in the letter diary, “Hyung, I like dictation now.”

Think about it carefully, and if you ever want to practice dictation with Hyung, let me know.

Hyung loves Cheonghyun very much too. ^^♡]

Once he finished by drawing Cheonghyun’s favorite character at the bottom, the reply was complete. Proudly setting down the pen, Heeyoung hugged the notebook and hesitantly stood up.

He had promised to always show Gyojin the replies he wrote.

Haa… Heeyoung let out a soft sigh. Even though the letters were exchanged with the child, showing someone else the heartfelt words he had written felt embarrassingly awkward.

“But still, I should show him.”

What else could he do? It wasn’t just anyone—it was Cha Gyojin, Cheonghyun’s father, who wanted to see the letters.

Heeyoung chanted to himself, “It’s not embarrassing, it’s not embarrassing,” as he opened the door.

Just as he stepped into the hallway to head to Gyojin’s room, something collided with his head the moment he opened the door.

“Ah…!”

Looking up, he saw a figure as tall as the door blocking his way. It was Gyojin.

“Boss? Wh-when did you get here?”

When Heeyoung gaped and asked, Gyojin shrugged with a shameless grin.

“Must’ve been telepathy. How mysterious, huh?”

“…Huh?”

Not only had he appeared out of nowhere, but he was also spouting nonsense, leaving Heeyoung dumbfounded. Without waiting for a response, Gyojin slipped past him into the room as smoothly as a snake slithering over a wall. Granted, the entire house was his, but this was currently Heeyoung’s room—yet he stepped in without so much as asking for permission.

“Finished the diary?”

Sitting casually on the bed, Gyojin held out his hand expectantly. Heeyoung had no choice but to timidly approach and hand over the notebook.

Skimming through the pages, Gyojin soon found the freshly written letter and began reading it aloud, line by line.

“‘Hello, Hyung. To Heeyoungie Hyung?’ What kind of start is this? ‘Running—1st place, dictation—20 points…’ Yeah, that’s my kid for you. Look at these dictation errors. How’s this kid gonna move up to second grade like this?”

Though he could’ve just read it silently, he insisted on voicing every word. Amidst pointing out Cheonghyun’s spelling mistakes, he couldn’t stop laughing—chuckling at how hopeless his son was.

Heeyoung mumbled quietly, “Maybe if he practices dictation with me, he’ll improve…” Normally, he might’ve suggested, “Should we try five minutes of dictation a day?” but right now, he wasn’t in the right state of mind to ask.

“‘To Cheonghyun. Hello, Cheonghyun. It’s Heeyoung Hyung.’”

Gyojin had started reading the letter Heeyoung wrote. Even though there was nothing particularly embarrassing about the content, Heeyoung wanted to crawl into a hole. It felt like being caught pretending to be a fake dad in front of the real one…

Heeyoung stared blankly at the far wall, pretending not to hear anything until Gyojin finished reading. Fidgeting awkwardly, he barely registered the moment.

“‘If you ever want to practice dictation, let me know. Hyung loves Cheonghyun very much too—’”

“……”

“What the hell is this? ‘Hyung loves Cheonghyun very much too’?”

Gyojin, who had been reading smoothly, suddenly jolted at that line. Frowning as if he’d misread, he stared intently at the notebook again.

Apparently, the word “love” didn’t sit well with him. After scrutinizing Heeyoung’s neat but rounded handwriting, Gyojin abruptly lifted his head. His gaze was sharp and hostile.

“Love? Looove?”

“…Is there a problem with the letter?”

Flustered, Heeyoung tilted his head in confusion. When he cautiously asked, Gyojin set the notebook down on the bed with a thud, as if preparing for an interrogation.

“Is love that easy for you?”

“…Huh?”

The absurd question spilled from his lips. Heeyoung was no longer just flustered—he was downright baffled.

I mean, the kid said “I love you,” so I just replied the same way. That’s all there was to it. Why was he making such a big deal out of it?

“Is love easy?” What kind of question even is that? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t comprehend Gyojin’s thought process.

What should I even say? Unable to find the right words, Heeyoung pressed his lips shut and just rolled his eyes. Gyojin, relentless, fired back with a mocking scold.

“Eh? Keeping your mouth shut? I asked if love is easy for you.”

His tone was so persistent and taunting that it felt downright thuggish. Instinctively shrinking under the aggressive tone, Heeyoung replied in a small voice.

“N-no, it’s not exactly easy, but…”

I just like Cheonghyun, so… Trailing off vaguely, Heeyoung felt Gyojin’s probing gaze cling to him like glue. He’d rather Gyojin just say what the problem was instead of pressuring him like this.

Unable to withstand the stare any longer, Heeyoung fired back with his own question.

“But why—why are you acting like this? I didn’t write ‘I love you’ as a lie.”

Maybe Gyojin thought he’d thrown the word “love” around too lightly. Maybe he misunderstood it as empty affection, just meaningless words for a naive child. Heeyoung desperately tried to convey his sincerity.

But Gyojin acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing. Suddenly standing up, he paced around the bed, running a hand through his hair. Despite his usually silent demeanor, his mouth wouldn’t stop moving.

“Love? Ha, how much do you even love him? ‘I love you so much,’ wow, how easy. Damn ridiculous.”

At this point, Heeyoung decided there was no need to listen further. Cha Gyojin had always been a man normal people couldn’t easily understand. Resigned, Heeyoung thought, ‘Boss is being weird again,’ and let it go.

Glancing at the clock, he saw it was almost 2 PM. Cheonghyun would be home soon, so he needed to prepare snacks.

Silently picking up the discarded notebook, Heeyoung closed it and placed it neatly on the table. Behind him, Gyojin grumbled, “Eh? Where are you taking that?” but Heeyoung pretended not to hear and bowed politely.

“Cheonghyun will be home soon. I’ll go downstairs to prepare snacks.”

Adopting an extremely professional tone, Heeyoung bent at the waist—just as Gyojin, who had stopped his nonsensical muttering, suddenly grabbed Heeyoung’s arm as he turned to leave.

His large hand firmly encircled Heeyoung’s slender wrist, his scorching body heat transmitting unfiltered through the skin.

Startled, Heeyoung froze in place. He didn’t even think to pull his arm away, just dumbly stared at the hand gripping him.

Gyojin’s hand, veins bulging prominently, was worlds apart from Heeyoung’s own long, delicate fingers. Thick, rough, and as large as his towering frame.

If Gyojin squeezed any harder, Heeyoung’s wrist might’ve shattered. No, if he’d gripped it just a bit more fiercely, his skin might’ve already turned red and swollen.

But the wrist in his grasp looked perfectly fine. It didn’t even hurt. Though Gyojin struggled to control his strength when checking Heeyoung’s forehead for fever, his grip strength seemed oddly adjustable.

While Heeyoung was lost in thought, a worried voice rang out above him.

“Be careful with hot water. Last time, you almost boiled your hand off and didn’t even notice.”

“……”

So that’s why he grabbed me so urgently. His tone was indifferent, but the concern in his words was undeniable.

Baffled by the sudden worry, Heeyoung’s eyes widened in realization. A small memory flashed in his mind.

A few days ago, while spacing out in the kitchen filling a pot with hot water, he’d nearly scalded himself. He’d noticed just before it overflowed, letting out a tiny “Eek!”—but how did Gyojin know about that? At the time, Gyojin had been sitting on the living room couch watching a movie.

Wait, did you see me almost burn myself back then? Why? How? Just as Heeyoung’s curiosity peaked and he was about to speak—

“Why are you staring like that? I said be careful with hot water. If you heard me, answer.”

“…Ah.”

“Huh? You’re not answering again.”

Gyojin struck first, repeating his warning while shaking Heeyoung’s wrist back and forth.

A simple “Yes” would’ve sufficed. He could’ve even added a “Thank you for your concern.” But Heeyoung, wrist still captured, just swayed limply like a marionette.

Too many questions were tangled in his head.

Had Cha Gyojin ever expressed concern for the staff cleaning windows on ladders? “That’s really dangerous work.” No, had there ever been a staff member this close to Cha Gyojin in the first place?

Hot water. What’s the big deal? Why is Boss worrying about me like he would Cheonghyun? His ears and the back of his neck tingled, as if static electricity were crawling over him.

“Hey, you hurt or something? Why’ve you been clamming up since earlier?”

His delayed response led to a small misunderstanding. Feigning seriousness, Gyojin tugged Heeyoung’s wrist, pulling him closer. With a bit more force, Heeyoung’s body helplessly followed until he stopped right in front of Gyojin’s chest.

Gyojin bent down to meet Heeyoung’s eyes. Then, in the blink of an eye, he cupped Heeyoung’s pale cheek with one hand.

Huuup— Without realizing it, Heeyoung sucked in a breath and shoved Gyojin away. The fleeting warmth on his cheek had been so searing. His left cheek burned, tingling as if electrified.

More than that—the distance was too close. There had been too many unnecessary touches. Flustered, cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

“N-no, I’m fine. I’ll be careful with the hot water. Um, Boss?”

“What.”

“How did you know I almost… almost burned myself?”

“What’d you say?”

Even after being pushed away, Gyojin showed no sign of displeasure, leaning in closer as if he hadn’t heard. He squinted one eye, urging Heeyoung to repeat himself while wiggling his fingers.

Stunned by his shameless behavior, Heeyoung took two steps back and shook his head vigorously.

“N-never mind. It’s nothing. I’ll go downstairs now.”

Though not in a hurry, Heeyoung rushed out of the room in a daze. From behind, another scolding followed.

“Hey, watch the stairs. If you fall, you’ll crack your skull open.”

Ignoring him, Heeyoung dashed down the stairs. Had he run too fast? His heart was pounding wildly.

He needed to calm down. Entering the kitchen, he gulped down a glass of cold water. Once his racing heart settled, his mind finally started working again.

Maybe it’s because he’s a father raising a mischievous elementary schooler. Cha Gyojin could voice his concern for others as naturally as flowing water.

Heeyoung, too, was confident in caring for others. But being on the receiving end of such worry was unfamiliar. Maybe it was because he’d never experienced being cared for in his life. To him, it was just strange and awkward.

But now that Gyojin kept paying attention to him, he didn’t know how to react. And when Gyojin casually initiated physical contact, it felt like his whole body was malfunctioning.

Around Gyojin, he was always swept up in his momentum.

Huu…

Taking a deep breath, Heeyoung tried to regain his composure and think rationally.

Right. No need to panic over something like this. Boss is a father, so it’s natural for him to habitually express concern. Or maybe, since I’m staff working in his house, he’s just politely reminding me to be careful.

It’s not like he genuinely worries about me.

I’ll just take it as a kind gesture and move on.

Having sorted his thoughts, he felt much better. Heeyoung washed his hands and began preparing snacks. Taking out butter and eggs, he placed a frying pan on the induction stove.

His hands trembled slightly as he picked up the spatula—his nerves hadn’t fully settled yet. But he ignored it, forcing himself to regain his calm.

As if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t felt anything at all.

It was avoidance disguised as indifference. A willful act of turning away.

Now he knew. It was something Heeyoung himself was aware of.

🌿

“Ahaha, ehehe!” The dining room was filled with the child’s uniquely mischievous and adorable laughter. Heeyoung was enjoying a lovely time sharing snacks with Cheonghyun, who had just returned from school.

“Hyung, doesn’t this look like a dinosaur?”

“Oh, it really does! And this one looks like a rabbit, Cheonghyun.”

“Ehehe, it’s so weird!”

Most of their conversation was silly, but the two didn’t seem to mind, giggling endlessly. They looked like they’d laugh happily even at a leaf rolling by. Team Leader Jeong, who passed by, even remarked, “You two look so happy, I can’t even interrupt, Heeyoung.”

Embarrassed, Heeyoung scratched the back of his head, but Cheonghyun acted as if it was only natural no one could join them.

Whenever Heeyoung glanced away, Cheonghyun would demand, “Hyung, look here!” forcing his attention back, or cling to his arm to keep him from leaving. As if only the two of them existed in the world.

But there was one person who mercilessly shattered the child’s adorable possessiveness and fantasy.

“What’re you doing here?”

It was Cheonghyun’s father, Cha Gyojin.

Sauntering into the dining room, Gyojin naturally joined them. Sitting beside Heeyoung, he stole away their private time, prompting Cheonghyun to yell in protest, even setting down the French toast he’d been happily eating.

“Dad! Why’d you come?!”

“You little brat. Since when is there a place your dad can’t be? You used to beg me to play all the time, but lately, you don’t even stick to me.”

Gyojin sounded genuinely hurt by his son’s cold reaction. He pressed down on the child’s head with his large hand, teasing him with “You brat, you pretty brat.” His playful pestering made it clear he missed his son clinging to him.

“Ahh! Stop it, Dad, go away!”

Unaware of his father’s feelings, Cheonghyun just huffed and fixed his tousled hair. Watching quietly, Heeyoung glanced at Gyojin before gently scolding the child.

“Cheonghyun, you shouldn’t tell your dad to leave. You should speak politely to adults.”

“Okaay.”

Meeting his gaze directly, Cheonghyun nodded obediently, as if his earlier tantrum never happened. Despite seeming stubborn, he understood and followed when spoken to calmly.

Of course, this was only Heeyoung’s perspective.

Gyojin scoffed at the magical parenting unfolding before him. His usually defiant son, who threw fits at the slightest thing, had turned docile after one word from Heeyoung—it was absurd.

“Wow, what a funny guy. Never listens to his dad, but…”

“Whaaat? When did I ever not listen?!”

Provoked, Cheonghyun pouted and set down his fork. Pushing his chair back, he ran to Heeyoung and clung to him.

“Hyuung, I do listen, but Dad keeps, uh, lying!”

Burying his face in Heeyoung’s chest, Cheonghyun whined while rubbing his head back and forth. The way he scampered over and complained was so childishly cute that Heeyoung patted his back and laughed.

“Hyung knows Cheonghyun is a good boy who listens well.”

“Right, Hyung? I listen well, and I’m handsome, right?”

“Ahaha. So handsome, our Cheonghyun.”

Heeyoung couldn’t stop smiling at the child’s antics. Cheonghyun grinned back, his eyes crinkling. A world exclusive to Heeyoung and Cheonghyun unfolded between them.

Left out, Gyojin watched the scene with a tilted head. His dark eyes lingered peculiarly on Heeyoung’s face.

Did Lee Heeyoung ever laugh this brightly before?

To Gyojin, this sight was undeniably unfamiliar. The way Heeyoung threw his head back, laughing with his pink tongue visible, felt strangely new and fascinating. His gaze kept drifting toward him.

Then, in an instant, their eyes met.

Heeyoung, who had turned his head absentmindedly, met Gyojin’s gaze and quickly schooled his lips. As if that was not enough, he even looked away, feigning indifference. As if their eyes had never met, all too nonchalant, yet awkward.

He would act stiffly like a wind-up toy with a broken spring like that, but whenever Cheonghyun acted all cute, he would melt away, busy smiling with his eyes. The crescent-shaped eyes that folded when he smiled were gentle and pretty. His smiling face was like the sunshine.

Unable to tear his eyes from that bright face, Gyojin thought to himself.

That smiling face is so damn angelic. Is that why the kid likes him? Well, I guess so, shit. Kids are the most honest. Lee Heeyoung could probably just conquer a kid’s heart with that face alone.

Just look at Cheonghyun. The kid, who used to walk around with his eyebrows shot up like an angry bird every day, now just grinned foolishly whenever he saw Lee Heeyoung. They were practically hitting it off, really hitting it off.

Tsk. Clicking his tongue as if in disapproval, Gyojin abruptly shattered the warm atmosphere and inserted himself into their world.

“If you keep putting up with his whining, you’ll spoil the kid.”

He said it pointedly, even though Cheonghyun had not been whining at all. It was an attitude born of nothing more than spite, and Heeyoung had also clearly seen through Gyojin’s childish intentions.

“Cheonghyun doesn’t really whine at me. This much is fine, Boss.”

Heeyoung defended Cheonghyun with polite words. Finding it awkward to speak too sternly, he formed a faint, artificial smile. It was an attitude with no reason to be offended by, yet Gyojin couldn’t straighten out the strange feeling of sulkiness inside him.

His thick, dark eyebrows twitching, he once again focused on Heeyoung’s expression. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, but it was a face devoid of any bright laughter. In fact, to put it simply, Heeyoung’s face was as placid as usual.

Yes, looking at that merely placid expression, Gyojin felt strangely offended.

Why doesn’t he smile at me like that?

Come to think of it, Lee Heeyoung didn’t smile much unless he was talking about Cheonghyun. It was only when he said, “Boss, Cheonghyun did this,” or “Cheonghyun did that,” that he would beam with a smiling-eyed grin. He had never laughed out loud like that while calling out just the three syllables, ‘Boss.’

It’s like he’s discriminating, fuck.

Feeling hurt over something so strange, Gyojin called out to Heeyoung without hesitation.

“Lee Heeyoung.”

“Yes? No, I was just saying that it’s fine because Cheonghyun has never really whined at me—”

“Why don’t you smile at me like that?”

The tone was more mocking and questioning than genuinely curious. Frozen by his sudden question, Heeyoung’s mouth fell open agape as he managed to utter, “Huh?”

Soon, Heeyoung’s face, now muddled with bewilderment, contorted in a peculiar way. It was a look that said, What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?

But Gyojin, unconcerned by such a change in expression, boldly demanded what he wanted.

“Smile at me like that, too.”

“Yes, uh…?”

“Open your mouth in a circle, and give me a soft eye-smile.”

It was a level of shamelessness that made one’s head spin. As if he had left his smile in Gyojin’s keeping, he demanded it be handed over like a robber. It seemed he would even resort to threats if he wasn’t given a smile quickly.

It would have been less bewildering if he had instead demanded a snack or nagged him to go make coffee. An eye-smile. Of all things, an eye-smile.

“What… do you mean by asking for such a favor…?”

As he trailed off, looking utterly dazed, a clear answer came back from Gyojin.

“Mean? What could it mean? It just means smile at me like that, too. Don’t discriminate, be fair. Huh?”

Discriminate. Fair…. He had no idea in what part Gyojin had felt discriminated against. As Heeyoung kept a blank expression, unable to grasp the exact meaning, Gyojin said, “Forget it,” and stood up from his seat. It was a gesture of giving up.

He turned his back on Heeyoung and left the dining room. It felt as if his broad back was caked with feelings of disappointment, hurt, and a lingering sulkiness. It was strangely fascinating that a man with such a frighteningly large and well-built physique could exude such a childish vibe.

Heeyoung watched his retreating back, unable to smooth out his peculiarly stiff expression.

The Boss, Cha Gyojin, was strange. He was always a bit of a strange and peculiar person, but he was strange in a different way.

How should he put it? Lately, he kept… making one misunderstand. Every single word he uttered was so suggestive. It was as if a constant tsunami was crashing against the heart he had painstakingly calmed.

What’s so special about my smiling face? What is it about that one smile that he wants to see it? Why does Cha Gyojin want something that even my parents never asked of me?

His heart felt like it was beating a drum. The thumping sensation reverberated through his entire body. His blood flow quickened, making his fingertips and ears tingle. He wanted to scratch wildly at his skin, which felt both prickly and ticklish.

It was embarrassing. It was unfamiliar. Having someone pour so much attention onto him just felt entirely strange.

Could it be that my late younger brother, and Cheonghyun, felt this way when I looked after them with a warm gaze? Like their toes would curl, and the area around their chest would ache with a tingling throb…?

It was when his cheeks, which had started to turn bright red, were something he didn’t know what to do with.

“Hyung? Hyung! Why did your face suddenly turn red?!”

Cheonghyun shouted in a loud voice, patting Heeyoung’s hand.

Startled with a jolt, Heeyoung met the child’s innocent eyes, as if he hadn’t noticed anything.

As he stared into the sparkling pupils, he felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. Just… the very fact that he had felt his heart pound while mulling over Gyojin’s actions moments ago… made him feel sorry.

To Cheonghyun, Gyojin was his one and only father, a world bigger than the universe that would protect only him.

But Heeyoung was not family to them, or anything of the sort. He was a third party who had suddenly appeared one day. Or perhaps just a caregiver who worked in this house and looked after Cheonghyun warmly.

For someone like him to feel some unspoken emotion towards Gyojin. He knew it was a shameless act.

“…Cheonghyun, I’m sorry.”

“Huh? There’s nothing to be sorry about!”

“It’s just, hyung is sorry….”

Suddenly dejected, Heeyoung fidgeted with a wet wipe from the table and avoided the child’s eyes. Unfortunately, his gaze landed on the spot where Gyojin had been sitting just a moment ago.

Perhaps because it was right next to him. A faint scent of pheromones lingered in the space he had left.

Against his will, the nerves in his nose kept turning in that direction.

Heeyoung took a short breath and then held it, hup.

He could no longer sense the lingering scent of the pheromones, but it was hard to do anything about the fragrance that had already been imprinted on his mind.

🌿

It hadn’t been long since it had snowed, but in a short time, the weather had become quite warm. There was still a chill in the air, but looking at the bright sunshine and blue sky, one could mistake it for spring.

The household staff had been busy since morning, overhauling the dressing room. The reason was that Gyojin had a high body temperature and needed his spring clothes brought out earlier than others.

As Team Leader Jeong and another employee were organizing a mountain-like pile of clothes, Heeyoung also quickly began to help.

The house was quiet except for the sounds of the three people moving around busily. This was because Gyojin, who had been lazing around like a bum for a few days on vacation, had received an urgent call from the company this morning and had gone out.

As he was putting on his shoes while grumbling at the subordinate who had called, he glanced at Lee Seowon’s room before leaving the house and abruptly pulled Heeyoung aside. And then he asked this:

‘Lee Heeyoung, you want to come along?’

It was a truly startling thing to say. Why on earth would he follow Gyojin, who was heading to the company for an urgent matter? Thinking about it again, it was a dumbfounding and absurd situation. Heeyoung, of course, had shaken his head.

‘No. Why would I follow you, Boss….’

When he stepped back, waving his hands in refusal, Gyojin had scowled as if he was displeased with Heeyoung’s answer. Then, he suddenly shoved a card into his hand, telling him to go out to some cafe or another today. No matter how much Heeyoung insisted it was fine and tried to refuse, he couldn’t break Gyojin’s strange stubbornness.

Eventually, Gyojin forcibly grabbed Heeyoung’s hand and got into the car. He shoved Heeyoung into the passenger seat and then stepped on the accelerator relentlessly, as if he were an outlaw on the road.

The place they arrived at was a cafe with a nice view. Gyojin, who paid for dessert and coffee with his card, checked his watch busily and left a warning-like remark.

He told him to just sit here and people-watch quietly, or if he was really bored, to go shopping nearby. He said that if he spent his time like that, he would come back to pick him up around here in a few hours.

Gyojin really just left those words behind and turned around and left. Thanks to him, Heeyoung, left standing blankly in the middle of the cafe, had to absentmindedly drink his coffee and chew on his bread, wondering what on earth was happening.

After killing an hour at the cafe, he had nothing to do and was bored. Gyojin had given him the card, telling him to go shopping if he got bored, but it was an unthinkable thing for someone in his position to do.

Besides, Gyojin’s favoritism was getting worse, so he was already feeling self-conscious around the other employees. Though everyone was working quietly as if they hadn’t seen anything, he could tell from the occasional glances sent his way. That the staff was feeling it was unfair.

Thus, Heeyoung disobeyed Gyojin’s words and came back home. As soon as he arrived, he busily cleaned Cheonghyun’s room, and now he was scheduled to help Team Leader Jeong and the staff organize the dressing room.

“Team Leader, I’ll carry that. Where should I put it?”

“Heeyoung, you can just help out lightly. It feels bad to entrust you with this kind of work when you’re in charge of Cheonghyun.”

“No, it’s okay. Cheonghyun is at school and I have nothing to do anyway. My body aches if I just stay still.”

When he deliberately acted more motivated, Team Leader Jeong stepped forward to stop him. He was grateful for the gesture of care, but Heeyoung insisted on helping carry the clothes, saying he was more than capable of such a task.

When he took on the work with a gentle smile, Team Leader Jeong didn’t stop him anymore. Instead, he added a compliment that Heeyoung was so good and diligent at his work that he could survive anywhere. It felt good to be acknowledged.

“Heeyoung, could you hang these coats on that rack over there?”

“Yes!”

Soon, Team Leader Jeong took out a few winter coats and placed them in Heeyoung’s arms. Perhaps because Gyojin was so tall, all the coats were long and heavy. When he wore them, they had surely been knee-length, but when Heeyoung held them, they came down below his shins, and some were on the verge of dragging on the floor.

Readjusting his grip on the clothes, Heeyoung grunted and made his way to the rack. By the way, perhaps because these were the coats Gyojin had worn during the winter, a familiar scent wafted up as the thick fabric rubbed together whenever he moved. It was the scent of Gyojin’s pheromones, which he had caught a faint whiff of last time.

Heeyoung focused on his sense of smell and took a deep breath of the pheromones embedded in the coats. It was something he had done without realizing it, and for a moment, his eyes widened.

A scent like water-logged wood, or perhaps like a cool winter breeze, penetrated deep into his nostrils. What kind of woodsy scent is this? As he kept smelling it, a verdant bamboo tree came to mind.

Not just a bamboo tree, but a vast bamboo forest that, when the wind blew, would sway with a magnificent yet peaceful sound, saaaa.

It was a scent that flowed in calmly and resonated deep within his heart.

Considering Gyojin’s rough and wild image, it was a scent that didn’t harmonize with him very well, but. It was a smell that made one want to keep smelling it. It was somehow comforting, and peaceful, too…….

“Heeyoung. We need to take these to be dry-cleaned, so we’ll be back in a bit. Just finish organizing that and take a rest.”

“Ah, yes. Team Leader. Have a safe trip.”

Engulfed in a strange feeling for a moment, Team Leader Jeong, who had popped his head in, spoke to him, saying he was going to the laundromat. Heeyoung was startled. He tried his best to reply nonchalantly, but his heart was pounding in short, rapid beats. It felt like he had been caught stealing.

Soon, he heard the sound of Team Leader Jeong leaving the house with the other staff. Finally coming to his senses, Heeyoung told himself to focus on work and hurriedly moved his body.

He straightened the coats and hung them on the rack, then returned with an armful of suit jackets that also needed to be hung in the same place.

Just as he was hanging the suits one by one by color and had finally picked up the last jacket.

“Huh?”

A handkerchief fluttered out from the inside pocket of the jacket. When he carefully picked it up, he saw that the soft, fine cloth was stained. It seemed they had forgotten to check the inner pocket before sending it for cleaning.

Heeyoung hung up the rest of the jacket and set the handkerchief aside. He intended to wash it by hand, as he couldn’t run the washing machine for just one small item.

After finishing the organization of the dressing room, he went straight up to his room on the second floor. Since Lee Seowon had not gone out today, it was better to stay hidden as much as possible.

“…Should I rest for a moment?”

Instead of heading to the bathroom, Heeyoung chose to sit on the floor of his room. A single handkerchief could wait until after he had caught his breath for a moment. He placed the stained cloth beside him and sat with his knees drawn up on the warm floor.

Whenever he had some free time, Heeyoung would habitually look at the picture frame. Today was no exception. He stroked the face of his mother, who was smiling faintly in the frame, and also gazed at his younger brother’s picture for a long time.

Looking at his mother brought a sense of longing, and looking at his brother made his heart ache. Perhaps because he was a brother he had raised like a son, pouring all his affection into him amidst difficult circumstances. Just looking at his face made the corners of his eyes sting. The thought that his mother must have felt the same way looking at him made his mood sink, and he felt sad.

Mom. Heemin-ah….

He was expressing his affection, calling out to the two people who would not answer.

Clack!

Suddenly, the door opened without any warning. If it had been Team Leader Jeong, he would have at least knocked, so could it be that Gyojin was already home?

Heeyoung turned his head with a welcoming look, only to flinch upon seeing the person standing at the door. Lee Seowon, who seemed to have finally woken up and just showered, was standing there.

“Ah, Young Boss…!”

At the sight of this grim reaper-like figure, Heeyoung shot to his feet and showed his respects. As he bowed his head deeply, he saw the handkerchief flutter and fall between his legs. It must have stuck to his pants when he stood up and then fallen off.

And Lee Seowon had witnessed the exact same scene.

He stared intently at the handkerchief that had just fallen to the floor. A navy blue handkerchief made of soft cotton. A simple yet luxurious logo was embroidered on it. At a glance, it was an item that Heeyoung could not afford to own.

Naturally tearing his gaze from the handkerchief, Seowon stepped into the room. He did not lash out or berate him fiercely. Suppressing his volatile temper, he opened his mouth nonchalantly.

“They were making a racket organizing the dressing room since morning, so I was thinking of having them organize my clothes too. But the house is quiet.”

At the tonelessly spoken words, Heeyoung lifted his head and darted his eyes around. So, he was saying he had come all the way here because all the staff had disappeared when he wanted to give them work. His mood must have already been thoroughly soured, so Heeyoung quickly offered a response before he could get an earful.

“Ah, Team Leader Jeong took the staff to drop off the dry-cleaning. I can organize it for you instead.”

It was a fairly quick-witted response, and he planned to go downstairs and organize the clothes as soon as Lee Seowon gave his permission. However, no matter how long he waited, no such response came from Lee Seowon.

Is there a problem? An uneasy feeling made him cautiously study Seowon’s mood.

Lee Seowon acted as if he had lost all interest in organizing clothes and came right up in front of Heeyoung. Fearing he might be harmed, he flinched, but no immediate physical assault or verbal abuse followed.

What he did instead was suddenly bend down and pick up the handkerchief lying on the floor.

For Heeyoung, it was a bewildering and difficult situation. What is he going to do with that? As he watched with bated breath, Lee Seowon, who had been carefully observing the handkerchief’s appearance, let out a sneer, pfft, as if it were pathetic.

“Of course.”

The faint pheromones clinging to the handkerchief. They were clearly Cha Gyojin’s.

At that simple mutter, Heeyoung felt his heart drop. A wave of anxiety washed over his back. His throat went dry, and his long eyelashes trembled.

Lee Seowon knew Heeyoung was watching his every move, yet he made no effort to dispel the tension hanging in the air. He acted as brazenly as ever. He casually stuffed the handkerchief in his hand into his back pocket and slowly looked around the plain room.

His impassive eyes scanned the bed, the table, and the closet in turn. Then, his gaze abruptly stopped.

At the end of Lee Seowon’s intense gaze was none other than the picture frame. The frame that Heeyoung had been stroking so preciously just moments ago.

He boldly walked over and picked up the frame. And then he stared down at the picture as if observing a monkey in a zoo. It was a disgusting gaze.

Contempt, and disgust. Unpleasant emotions were clearly draped over Lee Seowon’s face. It was obvious he made no effort to hide them, despite knowing how rude it was.

Why should his mother and brother be scorned by someone who didn’t even know them? Heeyoung had no intention of watching Lee Seowon look down on his family any longer.

It took him less than five seconds to stride over and snatch the frame from him. Heeyoung, who had snatched the frame with a firm gesture, warned him with a rare, stern look.

“I’m sorry, but this is my possession. It’s something I hold dear, so I don’t think I can show it to you so carelessly, Young Boss.”

When he politely expressed his displeasure, Lee Seowon sneered without batting an eye.

“Oh, is that your possession?”

There were thorns in his mocking tone. It seemed he thought Heeyoung had secretly stolen Cha Gyojin’s handkerchief. Suddenly framed as a thief, Heeyoung felt wronged.

But if he were to dig deeper and drag out the conversation, he would be the only one to lose. Hiding the snatched frame behind his back, Heeyoung feigned ignorance and asked back.

“Your dressing room, Young Boss, should I organize it for you now?”

He asked with the intention of saying he didn’t want any more emotional exhaustion and would just do his job, but the reply he got was completely off-topic.

“Why do poor bastards miss the past so much? It’s just a shabby and disgusting life anyway. Do they really want to reminisce about something like that?”

No, perhaps it should be called a provocative tone. Lee Seowon had dismissed the past Heeyoung cherished with the mere words “shabby and disgusting.” He boldly belittled and trampled on someone’s life, even though it was not his place to speak of it so carelessly.

If he had cursed him instead, he would have endured it. But Heeyoung could not forgive Lee Seowon for casually touching upon his family.

When he glared at him with wide eyes, he shrugged as if it was not a big deal. It was a gesture that said, What did I do wrong?

Heeyoung, who had been avoiding conflict and acting professionally until now, stopped being servile and stood his ground. As he glared with fire in his eyes, Lee Seowon relished the chilling atmosphere and ran his mouth.

“You, your mother died of an illness and your father went off and had a kid somewhere else, I heard. You must have lived so diligently in a semi-basement with your father and a step-sibling. You even studied to become a preschool teacher, for goodness’ sake.”

He recited Heeyoung’s life story, which he had no idea where he had found out, line by line. For Heeyoung, it was a shocking statement.

It was bitter that his life, which he had endured and lived through so tenaciously on his own, was condensed into just three sentences. And those sentences, Lee Seowon spat them out as if they were nothing but a joke.

It felt like he had been shot. A feeling of emptiness, as if a hole had been blown through the middle of his chest. A feeling that all the blood in his body had drained to his feet, leaving only a shell behind.

As he remained silent, biting his lip hard, Lee Seowon let out a chuckle, keuk. He chattered on as if he had fully grasped the miserable feeling Heeyoung was experiencing.

“That’s how things are with those who don’t know their place. They live pointlessly hard. In the end, they’ll just end up leeching off someone else’s house to pay off their debts. Fucking stupid, really.”

The strength in Heeyoung’s clenched fists grew. It was to the point where his neatly trimmed nails dug painfully into his palms.

He didn’t know how many times he had been insulted like this. But this time, it was a remark that made him so angry he couldn’t just endure it and move on. What on earth did I do so wrong? I just lived a little harder than others, what was so wrong with that?

He was resentful of Lee Seowon, who so easily trampled on the life of someone trying to live steadfastly. Even though he himself was born into a good home and lived a luxurious life. Even though he could live comfortably without having to put others down.

Heeyoung glared at him with fiercely upturned eyes. Lee Seowon met the hostile gaze head-on and closed the distance with Heeyoung.

“Did you know? I’m the same age as you. Wow, but how can we live such different lives? Don’t you think it’s fascinating, too?”

“……”

“It’s not like I’ve ever had a chance to observe things that live like you. But seeing it like this, it’s truly fascinating, and unpleasant. What should I say. Ah, it feels like looking at a cockroach.”

A cockroach. He thought Seowon had deliberately chosen a provocative word, but it was likely his true feeling. It meant that he had never even treated him as a human being until now.

An unbearable sense of humiliation welled up, and Heeyoung gnashed his teeth. He deliberately lowered his gaze to the floor. If he kept looking into Lee Seowon’s eyes, he felt he would cause trouble for the first time in his life. For instance, swinging a fist, or spitting out curses he had never once let pass his lips.

Lee Seowon glanced mockingly at Heeyoung’s body, which was trembling as he suppressed his anger. It was an arrogant gaze that looked down on his opponent.