Midday Guest Chapter 75

Saying that Cha Seokjoo seemed drunk was closer to an excuse. The smell of alcohol was stronger on the table, and his eyes were sparkling just as they always did.

However, Yiwon wanted to keep his distance for now, even if it meant saying such things. He pushed Cha Seokjoo’s shoulders with both hands as hard as he could, and the man let go easily.

He looked at Yiwon with a face that said he didn’t understand.

“Why are you being like this.”

“…….”

“I’m asking you.”

“…….”

“I’m asking why you’re suddenly being like this.”

Their bodies were apart, but his heart moved in the opposite direction.

The body heat being transmitted right now, the breath touching his ear, the heat pouring over him—he wished all these things would continue. He wished they would be directed only at him. He wished he was the only one who could feel it… Those thoughts followed one after another, and in that moment, a wave of heat surged into Yiwon’s face. However, it was hard to bring out his honest feelings.

“Just, sometimes I might not feel like it.”

“Let’s at least know the reason.”

When he thought about it, he and Cha Seokjoo had never exchanged words about dating, nor had they said that today was “Day 1.” They were simply getting to know each other as things flowed naturally, but the realization that they might have been having different thoughts during that process made his head spin.

At this rate, it felt like he couldn’t even kiss Cha Seokjoo. Honestly, even just being in this space together felt like an ordeal.

The lipstick mark remained vividly on the whiskey glass sitting on the table. It would be better not to notice it. The problem was that even though his heart was beating strangely, he couldn’t take his eyes off it. His gaze kept drifting back.

If something had happened here….

As Yiwon bit his lip hard, Cha Seokjoo let out a long sigh and stood up straight.

“You’re not sick, and there doesn’t seem to be any other particular reason. I wondered what on earth was going on, but now I see.”

“…….”

“Hey.”

An edged voice flowed out. When Yiwon flinched but didn’t respond, Cha Seokjoo called him once more.

“Answer me.”

“…What.”

“There is nothing between me and CEO Song. It’s a business relationship.”

The embarrassment of having his inner thoughts seen through and laid bare lasted only a moment before Cha Seokjoo took Yiwon’s face and fixed his gaze upon himself. With a much more relaxed expression, Cha Seokjoo continued to lay out the explanation.

“CEO Song Jiseon. She’s an information broker who mediates business between organizations in Hong Kong and Macau.”

Yiwon blinked. Cha Seokjoo’s words were very refined, but not to the point where he couldn’t understand. He continued to focus on the calmly flowing voice.

“She’s worked in Hong Kong for over ten years, and her ties with Cheongun go back even longer. Also. If there’s anything else you’re curious about, ask now.”

“…….”

“Nothing?”

After hesitating for a moment, Yiwon decided to bring up the words he had overheard while by Cha Seokjoo’s side over the past few days.

“But you kept making appointments for days….”

“I did. What about it.”

“…Because you also talked about a hotel and things like that.”

Cha Seokjoo furrowed his brows, saying, “Ah, that.”

“The son of the Chairman I serve caused some trouble and got stranded in Hong Kong, and the situation wasn’t good. I came here in the capacity of the Chairman’s representative to conduct a sort of prisoner exchange negotiation, and CEO Song acted as the mediator.”

“…….”

“We needed a place to finalise the review of the agreement. I simply suggested a hotel as one of the third-party locations.”

Yiwon could understand Cha Seokjoo’s explanation without much difficulty. He also recalled seeing the name of the heir to the Cheongun Group, to which the man belonged, a few times in social issue news articles. However, one thing was still a problem.

“Then, why did… CEO Song come all the way to the clubhouse.”

“There are guys everywhere with eyes gleaming to slit the throat of that little bastard who caused the trouble. If I’m going to send him back to Korea, I have to set up guards and send him, don’t I.”

“…….”

“Oh Taesik and Ma Haeyoung took that bastard to the airport just now. If you don’t believe me, try calling them.”

Cha Seokjoo let out a breath while smoothing back his stray hair. “What a mess over such a pathetic brat.” Irritation seeped through his muttering voice.

Yiwon made a dazed face and moved his lips.

“…Then, you didn’t do anything?”

“Do what.”

For a moment, both Yiwon and Cha Seokjoo looked at each other without speaking. It was Cha Seokjoo who broke the silence first. It was accompanied by a sigh that burst from deep within, as if he truly couldn’t have imagined this.

“Unbelievable, seriously.”

“…….”

“What have you been thinking about all by yourself?”

From that moment on, Cha Seokjoo looked down at Yiwon with an angry face.

“Why do you think I brought you all the way here.”

“…Because I wasn’t really sure about that.”

“Are you joking?”

“What our relationship is… I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say.”

Cha Seokjoo’s voice rose slightly.

“What kind of bullshit is that. After doing everything we’ve done. You’re asking what our relationship is.”

“…….”

“You and I are dating. I lost my mind because I wanted to play with my young lover, so I even made him accompany me on a business trip, and it ended up like this. Do I really have to say it for you to know?”

So, according to Cha Seokjoo’s explanation, he had been nothing but suspicious toward the wrong person. Yiwon’s face was now beyond ripe red and on the verge of exploding.

To think it was a misunderstanding.

To think I had these stray thoughts all by myself about a perfectly fine person.

Yiwon slowly stood up from his seat. If it had been Korea, he would have run outside. But he couldn’t just run out into a foreign country and wander the streets. He felt like he wanted to teleport.

“Look at that fever rising.”

Cha Seokjoo drove the point home. Covering Yiwon’s hot eyes with the back of his hand, he wrapped one arm around him and whispered.

“So, you’ve been agonizing like that for days?”

“…It wasn’t quite for days.”

“Liar. It seems you’ve been glued to the phone calls with CEO Song ever since we got here. You, did you actually see anything properly while you were out?”

What a massive misunderstanding. It was bitter, but it seemed he had to admit he had done a proper job of digging his own grave. After thinking it over, Yiwon shook his head and muttered.

“…No.”

I don’t remember what I saw. It wasn’t even fun. At Yiwon’s confession, Cha Seokjoo let out a huff.

“Fine job you’ve done.”

“…It seems I’ll have to come one more time.”

“When you come next time, come with your lover. Huh?”

Cha Seokjoo grabbed Yiwon’s cheek and shook it.

“…Ah!”

“I should just….”

“Aueueu….”

As Yiwon overlapped his hand on the back of Cha Seokjoo’s, the man naturally interlaced their fingers and looked out the window.

“What a mess.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“What are you going to do. The sun is rising.”

“Let’s go to sleep for now….”

“I suppose we should.”

While leading Yiwon to the bedroom, he asked.

“When you open your eyes, do you want to try going somewhere nearby before we catch the plane?”

“…Yes.”

Yiwon answered and collapsed onto the bed. Embarrassment was covered up by excitement.

He said we are in a relationship. Cha Seokjoo did.

Yiwon, who had been pouting, curled his lips up and smiled. It was a day when the bed they lay in together felt exceptionally cozy.

The next day, Yiwon walked through the park with Cha Seokjoo.

In the early morning, elderly people were gathered in various parts of the park doing group morning exercises. Walking nearby, Yiwon surreptitiously followed the exercises before being grabbed by the nape by Cha Seokjoo and put into the car.

They traveled to Tsim Sha Tsui by car. During that time, they visited the places Yiwon had noted down to go with Cha Seokjoo one by one. It started with having brunch at a famous Cha Chaan Teng nearby.

After finishing the meal, as they walked the streets, the figures of Yiwon and Cha Seokjoo were reflected in a shop window. Yiwon held an iced milk tea in his hand, and Cha Seokjoo had an indifferent face with his hands in his pockets.

They were quite different, yet they also seemed to suit each other surprisingly well. After looking at that sight for a moment, Yiwon moved on with a smile. Cha Seokjoo, following behind, approached and asked.

“Why are you laughing.”

“Because it’s fun.”

“Is it fun to walk around without spending a single cent?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

“Where to.”

“The baby really needs to know what real fun is.”

And they headed to Canton Road, the shopping street of Tsim Sha Tsui. On both sides of the road, brand name stores that even Yiwon had heard of before continued endlessly. It was while they were looking at the lavishly decorated shops.

“Do you want to go in and look?”

“Is that okay?”

In the store they entered like that, Yiwon received a backpack as a gift to celebrate returning to school, and,

“Let’s go now.”

“Go to one more place.”

They entered the store right next door, where he ended up buying a new shirt, pants, and even shoes. He had heard that the national rule was to return looking like a defeated soldier—worn out and exhausted—on the last day of a trip, but Yiwon stepped out of the store looking more polished than on the first day he arrived in Hong Kong.

The moment they stepped outside the store together, the gazes of people passing nearby gathered all at once and then scattered. It was understandable, as both Yiwon’s and Cha Seokjoo’s hands were full of large shopping bags.

“Let’s really go now. Yes?”

“Fine, this is really the last one.”

That was how they ended up entering the largest and most magnificent building. Sparkling jewelry was on display everywhere. While Yiwon looked around, an employee approached to serve them.

[How may I help you?]

With a single gesture from Cha Seokjoo, all sorts of rings and bracelets were placed upon the glass display case. By the time he snapped out of it, Yiwon and Cha Seokjoo were each wearing a simple ring they had shared.

“…….”