Flower Fiancé Chapter 45

“Mm-hmm.”

Even just from his voice on the phone, Ji Yeonwoo could tell he was in a low-pressure mood. What on earth had happened during the time they’d had no contact? At first, he’d just been worried about not receiving a reply, but now he was more on edge about what might have happened in between.

Before long, he heard the door of the meat restaurant open. Ji Yeonwoo turned his head absentmindedly and his eyes went wide.

Choi Moohyuk was walking in, his hair swept back with pomade, wearing a neat suit and a black cashmere coat over it.

The moment he opened the door and entered, Choi Moohyuk’s gaze immediately sought out Ji Yeonwoo. His expression still seemed firm, but unlike his voice on the phone, he didn’t look particularly bad.

As he naturally took the seat next to Ji Yeonwoo and stood there, Ji Yeonwoo looked up at Choi Moohyuk, who was a head taller than him.

His amber-colored eyes moved minutely as they surveyed Ji Yeonwoo. Seeing his face flushed red from the alcohol, Choi Moohyuk’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, a voice came faster than his.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yoo Seonho.”

Choi Moohyuk turned his head toward the voice. Seo Eungyeom’s uncle, Yoo Seonho, who was sitting across from him, extended his hand. Looking at the hand reaching toward him, Choi Moohyuk took it.

“I’m Choi Moohyuk. Ji Yeonwoo’s boyfriend.”

The title “boyfriend” flowed from Choi Moohyuk’s mouth without hesitation. Hearing him say it as if emphasizing it, Ji Yeonwoo’s eyes went round. Still, there was no change in Choi Moohyuk’s expression at all.

Seo Eungyeom, standing across from them, quickly scanned the two with his eyes, then mouthed “Wow” in admiration. Seo Eungyeom looked at Ji Yeonwoo with eyes full of envy. Both Seo Eungyeom and Ji Yeonwoo were thinking the same thing. They never expected he would introduce himself as his boyfriend so boldly.

With that appearance, that height, that build. And the thoughtfulness of coming running with just one phone call—those weren’t conditions just anyone could have.

“I’m Seo Eungyeom. I’m an old friend of Yeonwoo’s.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Thank you for taking good care of our Yeonwoo.”

“O-our Yeonwoo… Yes. Well, I did take good care of him, but…”

Seo Eungyeom repeated Choi Moohyuk’s words and stammered uncharacteristically. Meanwhile, his eyes were busy darting back and forth between Ji Yeonwoo and Choi Moohyuk. The gazes of Seo Eungyeom and Yoo Seonho seemed to turn toward Ji Yeonwoo as if by agreement.

For some reason, Ji Yeonwoo felt a tickling sensation from the tips of his toes. It seemed like Choi Moohyuk wanted to assert the fact that he was Ji Yeonwoo’s boyfriend more than his social position as “Managing Director,” and Ji Yeonwoo couldn’t hide his lips from curving upward.

The reason Seo Eungyeom and Yoo Seonho had called Ji Yeonwoo to the meal was because they knew Ji Yeonwoo’s habit of skipping dinner. Though he knew they were intentionally looking out for him, he didn’t attend often because it felt burdensome to intrude between them, and also because he was envious.

He wished he had a partner who treated him that well and was dependable—that envious feeling only grew the more he saw Seo Eungyeom being taken care of by his uncle. Of course, he was happy for his friend, but this was a different feeling from that.

But seeing Seo Eungyeom secretly sending envious glances toward the confident and unabashed Choi Moohyuk, Ji Yeonwoo felt a strange sense of pride. In that brief moment, it felt like all the time he had spent failing at love and choosing to be alone was being rewarded.

After sitting down and exchanging conversation, Yoo Seonho picked up the soju bottle. As he tried to pour into the soju glass in front of Choi Moohyuk, Choi Moohyuk politely declined.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll pass on drinking for now. I’ve got the car.”

He could have called a driver, but since Choi Moohyuk declined, Yoo Seonho didn’t insist.

Naturally, Choi Moohyuk’s gaze turned to Ji Yeonwoo’s half-empty glass.

“By the way, did you drink?”

“Just a little, just a tiny bit.”

Ji Yeonwoo extended his thumb and index finger side by side to emphasize “a little.”

“A little or a lot. You said your condition wasn’t good, so how could you drink? And…”

Choi Moohyuk leaned in close to Ji Yeonwoo’s ear and lowered his voice.

“Did you forget the promise you made to me? You said you wouldn’t meet other alphas when I’m not around.”

“And you, Managing Director, were unreachable for over eight hours.”

Perhaps surprised by the unexpected counterattack, Choi Moohyuk stopped speaking and looked at Ji Yeonwoo.

“Eighty percent of why I drank is because of you, Managing Director.”

Without even knowing. Ji Yeonwoo trailed off and revealed his hurt feelings. A shadow fell over the amber-colored eyes looking at Ji Yeonwoo.

“That’s why I came right away as soon as I got your call.”

Choi Moohyuk’s voice had softened considerably, with a slight rasp at the end. Choi Moohyuk had arrived exactly fifteen minutes after the call. No matter how fast a car might be, there are limits to speeding on Seoul’s roads. Ji Yeonwoo naturally estimated the distance and time it had taken him when he came by taxi.

If that was the case, it meant he’d been nearby.

Lost in thought, Ji Yeonwoo turned his gaze toward the conversation coming from across the table.

“I heard you run a company.”

“I operate a small distribution company.”

Choi Moohyuk answered Yoo Seonho’s question as if it were no big deal.

“I was told you’re a surgeon specializing in external medicine.”

“It’s a drawback being called in at all hours, but still, it’s a profession I take pride in.”

Yoo Seonho smiled, smoothly lifting the corners of his lips, and pulled a business card from his jacket pocket to hand to Choi Moohyuk.

“I hope it never comes to that, but if you ever need to come to the hospital, please contact me.”

Ji Yeonwoo gazed quietly at Choi Moohyuk as they exchanged business cards and conversed. Perhaps due to their social experience, even though it was their first meeting, Yoo Seonho and Choi Moohyuk conversed without any awkwardness.

Glancing aside, Choi Moohyuk lowered his hand under the table and grasped Ji Yeonwoo’s hand. Caught off guard, Ji Yeonwoo startled and widened his eyes.

Pausing for a moment and glancing at the sight, Choi Moohyuk gently pulled up one corner of his lips and softly interlaced his fingers with Ji Yeonwoo’s. Choi Moohyuk’s fingers intertwined between Ji Yeonwoo’s, and his hand gently stroked the back of Ji Yeonwoo’s hand.

Ji Yeonwoo’s gaze dropped to Choi Moohyuk’s hand, which was slowly stroking the back of his hand. The smile spreading softly across Ji Yeonwoo’s lips didn’t last long and dissipated like smoke.

Before thirty minutes had passed, the table naturally took on a wrapping-up atmosphere.

Seo Eungyeom and Yoo Seonho had to wait for a driver since they’d been drinking, and after saying goodbye to them, Ji Yeonwoo and Choi Moohyuk left first.

Perhaps because it was late at night, Seoul’s roads were moderately quiet. There was no particular traffic, so they arrived at Ji Yeonwoo’s officetel parking lot in relatively quick time. Choi Moohyuk parked the car within the lines and turned toward Ji Yeonwoo.

Lost in thought, Ji Yeonwoo hadn’t said a single word the entire ride, just staring out the window. Since he was gripping Choi Moohyuk’s cashmere coat with both hands and stubbornly looking outside, Choi Moohyuk had only been able to see the back of his round head. He leaned toward the passenger seat and opened the console.

“Take this.”

What Choi Moohyuk handed over was the latest model phone.

“If a piece of that cracked glass cut your face, that would be a big problem.”

He, who had just handed over a phone worth at least one million won, widened his eyes as if to say “go ahead and take it.”

“Is it okay for me to take this? We’re at a point where this much is fine between us, aren’t we?”

Even if they were lovers, was it really okay to freely give and receive such expensive gifts? He worried about what he should give in return after accepting this. Many things came to mind, but he figured most of them he probably already had.

“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”

As Ji Yeonwoo hesitated then took the new phone with both hands, Choi Moohyuk wrapped one arm around the passenger seat headrest and leaned in.

His hand touched Ji Yeonwoo’s forehead. Warm body temperature transferred through his palm. Even for Choi Moohyuk, who naturally had a high body temperature, feeling this warm was not ordinary.

“Shouldn’t you go to the emergency room even now?”

Ji Yeonwoo glanced sideways at Choi Moohyuk.