Winter Season Chapter 32

His brow furrowed at the sight of Seunghyeok just looking on with a cold face when someone had been injured. He forced his eyes away from him and stood up.

“We’re fine. It looks like that person is hurt, so I think you should take him and make sure he gets proper treatment.”

The clerk, who had stood up at some point, was bowing his head repeatedly while standing next to the manager. He shook his head while fiddling with his arm where the bandage had been applied.

“No, it wasn’t a big wound… Thank you for your help, customer. Truly, thank you.”

“What a joke.”

A chilly sneer came from the side. Gu Seunghyeok stared coldly at Yihyeon and the clerk before walking away. Yihyeon gave a quick bow to the manager and the clerk and followed Seunghyeok with hurried steps.

For some reason, Seunghyeok’s face looked frigid as he stood in front of the elevator staring up. Yihyeon hadn’t done anything wrong, but he didn’t want to provoke Gu Seunghyeok when he seemed angry for no reason. Yihyeon stood by his side in silence.

It was when the elevator stopped on a high floor that a cold voice spoke.

“You’re as meddlesome as ever.”

“…”

“It makes the past, when I was moved by the cheap kindness you offer to just anyone, feel pathetic.”

Yihyeon didn’t know why Seunghyeok’s mood had suddenly soured, but he was tired of responding to every sarcastic remark. Yihyeon also hardened his expression and only looked up at the numbers above the elevator.

“Wait, wait a moment…!”

An urgent cry was heard just as the elevator had almost arrived. Looking back, the clerk from the store earlier was running toward them. Approaching with a fast pace, he stood in front of Yihyeon and held out something.

“Huff, puff… This, it’s not much… but I was so grateful for your help… Huff…”

What the clerk held out was a box containing a neatly patterned necktie. A flustered Yihyeon shook his head saying it was alright, but the man forced the box into Yihyeon’s hand.

“Next time you come to the store, I’ll serve you properly then. I’m sorry. And thank you once again, customer.”

After giving a sudden, deep bow to the bewildered Yihyeon, he walked back as quickly as he had come. It felt as if a whirlwind had passed through. By the time Yihyeon snapped out of it, only a small wrapped box remained in his hand.

Yihyeon let out a small chuckle despite himself. Seeing the man fluster and make mistakes reminded him of his own self around the age of twenty.

“Ah… This feels like crap.”

Seunghyeok, who had been watching Yihyeon, turned his head away and muttered lowly. Before Yihyeon could ask “What?”, the elevator doors opened and Seunghyeok stepped inside.

“Get in.”

Resistance rose at the coercive tone, but Yihyeon bit his lip and stood beside him. Just as the doors were about to close, Seunghyeok’s hand suddenly reached out toward Yihyeon.

“…!”

Seunghyeok snatched the small box from Yihyeon’s hand and threw it through the gap of the closing elevator doors as if discarding trash.

Yihyeon looked up at Seunghyeok, unable to hide his shock and absurdity, but Seunghyeok was merely staring straight ahead with an expressionless face. Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Yihyeon’s face crumpled.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’ll buy the clothes and send them to you, so wear them when you go to work. If you say you can’t wear them because they’re expensive or burdensome, I’ll throw them in the trash right in front of your eyes like I just did, so don’t even think about talking nonsense.”

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Seunghyeok stepped out first. Yihyeon bit his lower lip hard while glaring at the back of Seunghyeok’s handsome head.

True to his word, men with menacing faces came to the house and knocked roughly on the front door around dawn.

The men, with tattoos covering both arms and their mouths shut tight, scanned Yihyeon and his cramped room, organized the clothes, and left the house without a word. Yihyeon stared blankly at the closet filled with luxury suits he had never worn in his life and let out a long sigh.

Turning on his phone, Yihyeon opened the message window with Gu Seunghyeok’s name. He typed “I got the clothes. Than—” but then shook his head and pressed the home button. He felt that even if he sent a message, no good words would come back.

…Let’s just go to work.

Because his sleep had been completely driven away by the alertness of people suddenly barging in, it was awkward to go back to bed. Checking the clock on the nightstand, Yihyeon stroked the suit hanging at the very back of the closet with his fingertips. The texture felt excessively soft against his skin, causing him to involuntarily clench his fist.

He arrived at the office early, thinking he might run into Gu Jinhyeok, but the lights in the secretary’s office were already on.

“Hello.”

The chief secretary, who was typing on the computer, replied with a brief glance. Yihyeon gauged his mood before moving to his spot in the corner.

As time passed and the start of the workday approached, people began to enter one by one. They ignored Yihyeon, who was just staring down at a manual at his desk, and took their seats.

“I’m going to go buy the Director’s coffee; does anyone need anything?”

“Su-jin, please get me an Americano too.”

“Oh, me too. Iced!”

Sitting idly while everyone else worked busily made him feel unusually self-conscious. It was because of that that Yihyeon, who had been sitting still, suddenly raised his head and spoke.

“I’ll go.”

Su-jin, who had been in charge of Jinhyeok’s coffee every morning, looked bright at the thought of being relieved of a chore. Yihyeon took the corporate card from her and headed to the company cafe downstairs.

When he returned to the secretary’s office with his hands full of coffee, everyone was busy preparing for work. After placing a coffee at each person’s desk, Yihyeon spoke just as Su-jin was about to stand up.

“Could I take this to the Director?”

Two weeks was a woefully insufficient time to get close to someone. Especially in a situation like this where he had to take something from the other person. If he didn’t create a point of contact even forcefully like this, he might not even see Jinhyeok’s face a few times before the period ended, let alone get close to him.

“Yes, well, sure.”

As if he had been waiting for the answer, Yihyeon picked up a cup of Americano and stood before the Director’s office. It wasn’t a big deal, but he felt nervous for some reason; he licked his lips once and clicked the door open.

“…”

Even though he had been inside once before, it was a space he couldn’t get used to. Inside the interior, heavily decorated in black and wood tones, he felt a sense of intimidation for some reason.

At the very back of the Director’s office, he saw Jinhyeok working.

Yihyeon hesitated before approaching the desk.

“Director, here is your coffee…”

Jinhyeok’s head, which hadn’t moved even when the door opened, lifted at Yihyeon’s voice. He stared intently at Yihyeon’s face, then smirked as he spoke.

“Your tie. It’s crooked.”

“Ah.”

When he hurriedly looked down, he saw the tie tilted to the side. As he fixed his appearance and looked at Jinhyeok, he clearly felt a gaze scanning him up and down.

“Your clothes are nice.”

“…Thank you.”

“Since it’s a new arrival for this season, the price must have been quite steep for a newcomer to society. Does your family have money, Mr. Yihyeon?”

“…Pardon?”

“Or did someone buy it for you.”

His mouth went dry at the remark that hit the mark. Jinhyeok must have said it knowing that Yihyeon had walked around the department store with Gu Seunghyeok yesterday. He swallowed and clenched his fists in tension, but Jinhyeok quickly looked down at the paper cup as if he hadn’t expected an answer.

“Thanks for the coffee. I’ll enjoy it.”

Yihyeon gave an awkward bow and bit his lip.

“Then I’ll head out. Please let me know if there’s anything you need me to do.”

“Do you do everything I tell you to do?”

The flat voice caught Yihyeon as he was about to bow and leave the office. Eyes turned up along with an eyebrow gazed at Yihyeon obsessively.

“Pardon?”

It was a comment whose meaning was unclear, but was it just his imagination that it sounded quite dangerous?

“I asked if you’re going to do everything I tell you.”

When Yihyeon fell silent and looked at Jinhyeok, the latter smirked and his expression relaxed.

“I didn’t say it to make you nervous.”

“…”

“Let’s have dinner together later to celebrate you joining the company. Clear your schedule.”

“Ah…”

“Tell Secretary Yoon to come in on your way out.”