Flower Fiancé Chapter 42

Since the very first meeting was so intense and there was an indescribable attraction, there was no need to ask about age or consider whether their personalities matched. Before they knew it, they were meeting while simply thinking, “What a fascinating person,” and before they could even worry about whether it was okay to keep meeting, they were swept along and started dating Choi Moohyuk.

Now he was trapped inside the fence Choi Moohyuk had set up. Since he had never imagined having this kind of relationship, Ji Yeonwoo couldn’t hide his surprise after realizing the whole process.

“By the way, Managing Director, do you know how old I am?”

At that moment, Choi Moohyuk, who had just arrived in front of Flower Fiancé, turned his body to look at Ji Yeonwoo.

“I figured you were about twenty-six or twenty-seven at most. Am I wrong?”

Hearing a number closer to the truth than expected, Ji Yeonwoo let out a soft “Hup” and inhaled while closing his mouth. Noticing from his expression that he had guessed correctly, Choi Moohyuk raised one corner of his lips and continued.

“Just by looking, you don’t seem over thirty, but you said you had four years of marriage and have been divorced for two years. Surely you didn’t get married as a minor, so assuming you started at age twenty, I thought you’d be around twenty-six or twenty-seven.”

“…”

“How about it? My guess.”

“Yo-you’re right… Wow. Managing Director, I really can’t compete with you.”

Ji Yeonwoo, who had been stammering, looked at Choi Moohyuk and exclaimed in admiration. Choi Moohyuk lightly pinched Ji Yeonwoo’s cheek as if he found him adorable.

“Of course. I’ve lived a few more years than you, Ji Yeonwoo-ssi.”

“How many more years? It’s not like a full ten… or more years apart, is it?”

“Well, who knows.”

Choi Moohyuk deflected the question and got out of the driver’s seat.

“Ah? Wait a second. You can’t just leave like that.”

Ji Yeonwoo hurriedly got out and followed behind Choi Moohyuk.

“Is there really a ten-year age difference? For real?”

Ji Yeonwoo, walking quickly, caught up to Choi Moohyuk’s pace as he strolled slowly toward Flower Fiancé with both hands in his pants pockets. Hurry up and tell me. Ji Yeonwoo grabbed Choi Moohyuk’s arm and shook it. Choi Moohyuk let out a small “Haha” laugh.

“Do I look that aged?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“It’s only a six-year difference. Six years.”

“Ehh? Wow, six years is a lot too.”

Ji Yeonwoo pouted his lips and grumbled. It sounded just like he was saying he was getting the short end of the stick.

“If there’s a six-year difference with me, that means you’re thirty-two. Isn’t that practically a thief?”

While muttering as he unlocked the locked shop door, Ji Yeonwoo glanced back at Choi Moohyuk standing behind him and pursed his lips. After unlocking the door with the key, he stood on tiptoe and reached up to release the secondary lock installed above.

At that moment, he felt Choi Moohyuk press up close behind him, and a long arm reached up, overlapping Ji Yeonwoo’s arm. Ji Yeonwoo turned his head back while still on tiptoe. Right before his eyes, through the few undone buttons of the shirt, he could see a muscular chest. Thanks to his tall frame of 191 cm, Choi Moohyuk simply extended his arm, and his hand reached the lock with a click as it released.

Ji Yeonwoo tilted his head back to look at Choi Moohyuk, who was right behind him. Their eyes met—Choi Moohyuk looking down from above.

Choi Moohyuk lowered his arm and wrapped it around Ji Yeonwoo’s chin and neck. His thick and rough, yet smooth hand without a single hangnail, gently stroked Ji Yeonwoo’s chin and neck.

“Even if you whine about the age gap, I’m not letting you go.”

Choi Moohyuk whispered as he drew close, then descended onto Ji Yeonwoo’s slightly parted lips. Holding just the lips, pressing them until his plush lips were squished, Choi Moohyuk lightly sucked and rolled his tongue.

∞ ∞ ∞

After stopping by home to change clothes, Choi Moohyuk arrived at work only around lunchtime.

Walking into the lobby, Choi Moohyuk made his way to the elevator, acknowledging each employee’s greeting one by one, which was unusual for him. Among them was an employee who was delighted that the Managing Director had acknowledged their greeting for the first time.

Those most relieved to see Choi Moohyuk in a better mood than usual were the team leaders of each department. That day was the annual revenue report, and since Choi Moohyuk was known to be harsh in his evaluations, they thought that if he was in a good mood, they might get through it more comfortably.

The same went for the executive secretary office.

He was usually someone who arrived at work on the dot and stayed late, but lately, his arrival time had been getting later, and he had been leaving right on time, so the secretary office had also been able to leave earlier as a result.

Especially for the new secretary who had joined a month ago as Choi Moohyuk’s direct assistant, the superior’s good condition could only be a positive thing.

“The annual revenue report is scheduled for 2 PM in the main conference room. The reports compiled by each team leader have been placed on your desk.”

As Choi Moohyuk entered the executive office, he hung his coat on the rack while listening to the new secretary’s report.

“Alright. Were there any notable issues while I was away?”

Speaking in a dry tone, Choi Moohyuk pulled out the chair at his neatly arranged desk and sat down, then opened the stack of approval documents piled on one side. The new secretary standing before him closed the notebook he had been leafing through and straightened his posture. Tension flickered across the new secretary’s face.

“The Chairman waited for you all morning.”

Sure enough. At the mention of “the Chairman,” Choi Moohyuk’s thick eyebrows twitched.

“The Chairman did?”

“Yes. He asked me about Managing Director’s personal matters, but…”

“Did you tell him?”

Choi Moohyuk raised his head and questioned the new secretary sharply. Feeling sweat trickle down his temple at the sharp question, the new secretary hurriedly continued.

“No, sir. I told him that I do not involve myself in Managing Director’s personal affairs.”

Choi Moohyuk, who had been staring at the new secretary without moving his amber-colored eyes even once, soon nodded and lowered his gaze to the approval documents.

“Good work. If the Chairman asks again in the future, answer the same way.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Anything else?”

Choi Moohyuk said as he uncapped his pen and signed the documents.

“No, sir.”

Just then, a knock was heard. The door opened and another secretary came in.

“Managing Director, Director Choi Minhyeok is here.”

Glancing up briefly to look ahead, Choi Moohyuk signed the last page, closed the approval documents, and handed them to the new secretary.

“Go attend to your work.”

The secretary took the approval documents with both hands, bowed, and went out. Choi Minhyeok, who had entered, exchanged greetings with the new secretary who was leaving with a deflated look, and then came inside.

“Tsk, what’s with that expression? Looks like he won’t last a month.”

Choi Moohyuk walked around the desk and sat in the main seat of the sofa, pulling out a cigarette. Minhyeok, sitting on the adjacent straight sofa, took a lighter from his pocket and lit the end of the cigarette in Choi Moohyuk’s mouth. Inhaling the filter, Choi Moohyuk tapped the cigarette with his finger resting on the armrest, the cigarette held at the corner of his mouth. His face was so lost in thought that Minhyeok’s words seemed not to register.

When Ji Yeonwoo was entering the flower shop, it was only a split second, but he thought he heard a click from behind him. When he turned around, there was only one car that had been parked there all along, and it was clearly empty inside.

Then where on earth did that clicking sound come from?

Or was it just his imagination?

His uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away, and he was frowning deeply when Choi Minhyeok tapped the coffee table. Only after hearing that sound did Choi Moohyuk snap out of his thoughts and turn his gaze.

“What’s so serious that you’ve got that look? And why did you call me here?”

Choi Moohyuk pulled a note from his jacket pocket and handed it to Choi Minhyeok.

“I need a favor.”

Choi Minhyeok looked surprised at Choi Moohyuk’s use of the word “favor.” Both his expression and his demeanor today seemed somewhat different from usual.

“If it’s a favor from you, hyung, I’ll drop everything else. What is it?”

“Look into someone.”

The note read: “JT Logistics Planning Director Lee Hyunjoon.”

“JT Logistics Lee Hyunjoon? I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere.”

Choi Minhyeok took the note, narrowed his eyes, and furrowed his brow.

“The sooner, the better.”