Flower Fiancé Chapter 46

“One good day of rest and I’ll be fine. Ah, right. I have a reservation tomorrow. I’ll just take the reservation and come back to rest.”

“What kind of reservation?”

“A customer said they’re coming to buy a ranunculus bouquet.”

“Can’t you postpone it to another day?”

“I can’t do that. Around here, we’re the only shop that has light pink ranunculus.”

Choi Moohyuk, who had been continuing the conversation, let out a soft sigh.

“Is it because you’re tired, or are you still sulking because I couldn’t contact you?”

“…”

“You won’t even look me in the eye when you talk, so I feel a bit like I’m being cast aside.”

Only then did Ji Yeonwoo turn his head and look at Choi Moohyuk.

“I’m not sulking—I was worried.”

Resentment lingered in his gazing eyes.

“You’re not the kind of person to be unreachable all day like that, so I was worried something might have happened.”

Choi Moohyuk, about to say something, let out a weak breath and closed his mouth instead. Ji Yeonwoo slowly straightened up and turned his body toward Choi Moohyuk.

“You had matters at the main house, didn’t you?”

Was it just his imagination that his expressionless face, different from usual, looked a bit more tired today? Ji Yeonwoo’s heart ached because he’d rarely seen Choi Moohyuk like this.

“I’m not going to throw a tantrum and demand to know everything that happened to you, Managing Director.”

Ji Yeonwoo carefully took Choi Moohyuk’s hand, which was resting on the gear shift, and placed it on his own thigh. Trapping the hand that was too thick to fit in one hand between his two, this time he interlaced their fingers first.

“No matter how much we’re dating, I know that the weaker one in this relationship is me.”

“What are you talking about.”

Choi Moohyuk raised his voice as if to say that wasn’t true. He, who had been quietly offering his hand as Ji Yeonwoo directed, adjusted his grip on Ji Yeonwoo’s hand. Glancing up at Choi Moohyuk, Ji Yeonwoo quietly looked down at his own hand trapped in Choi Moohyuk’s and continued.

“It’s sad that I have to say this again with my own mouth, but it’s the truth. You can know everything about me, but I…”

Pausing for a moment, Ji Yeonwoo continued as if suppressing his feelings.

“I have no way of knowing unless you tell me, Managing Director. What you like, what you dislike, what you’ve been through—all of it.”

“Ji Yeonwoo-ssi, that’s—”

“But I don’t want to be in that kind of foggy relationship with you, Managing Director.”

Continuing calmly, Ji Yeonwoo slowly raised his head. The light from the sporadically lit windows of the officetel reflected faintly in Ji Yeonwoo’s eyes, making them glisten. Seeing that, Choi Moohyuk furrowed his brows.

“I’m not saying I want to be equal with you, Managing Director. I’m saying I at least want to know what’s going on with you.”

Ji Yeonwoo sniffled as he continued.

“But still, I was so glad you came today. It felt so reassuring, and so thrilling. It felt like I had the most dependable ally in the world.”

“…”

“Honestly, I didn’t really think you’d come. Whether the reason was jealousy or whatever—that’s probably why I felt happier, and also a bit more disappointed.”

“…”

“Ah, I really must have been drinking. I’ve only been talking about myself. I should go in now.”

“…”

“Please get home safely too, Managing Director.”

With a quiet goodbye, Ji Yeonwoo slowly released Choi Moohyuk’s hand. He placed Choi Moohyuk’s coat, which he’d been holding, onto the seat, opened the passenger door, and got out.

Watching that figure in silence, Choi Moohyuk seemed to make a decision and quickly opened the driver’s door to follow him out.

Catching up to Ji Yeonwoo, who was trudging toward the officetel entrance, in quick strides, Choi Moohyuk grabbed Ji Yeonwoo’s arm and turned him around.

“…!”

Pulled by the force, Ji Yeonwoo was spun around, and Choi Moohyuk wrapped his arms around his back and waist, holding him tight.

Trapped in Choi Moohyuk’s embrace, Ji Yeonwoo rested his chin on his shoulder, eyes wide with surprise. Gazing at the empty air with wavering eyes, Ji Yeonwoo felt the hand stroking his back and slowly raised his arms to wrap them around Choi Moohyuk’s waist. Resting his forehead on Ji Yeonwoo’s shoulder, Choi Moohyuk pressed his lips against the nape of his neck several times while his hands continuously stroked the back of Ji Yeonwoo’s head and spine.

After holding him like that for a long while, Choi Moohyuk gripped Ji Yeonwoo’s shoulders and pulled him back from the embrace.

“Are you not even going to tell me to stay the night because you’re angry?”

Ji Yeonwoo felt heat rush to his face, as if his timid grumbling had been caught.

“I have to go to work tomorrow because of the reservation.”

“That sounds to me like you’re saying you can’t go to work if you’re with me.”

“That’s because you, Managing Director, won’t let me sleep.”

Choi Moohyuk followed Ji Yeonwoo’s downward gaze and met his eyes.

“Then is it okay if I just watch you fall asleep and leave?”

Hesitating, Ji Yeonwoo finally looked up at Choi Moohyuk. His amber-colored eyes were looking at Ji Yeonwoo without wavering.

As if bewitched, Ji Yeonwoo stared at Choi Moohyuk and watched his face draw closer, then gently closed his eyes.

Chup—their lips touched just enough to be slightly pressed together, then parted. Choi Moohyuk said,

“If you want, I could tell you everything you’re curious about, Ji Yeonwoo-ssi.”

He tilted his face and whispered into Ji Yeonwoo’s ear.

“Until you fall asleep.”

∞ ∞ ∞

As if familiar with the place now, Choi Moohyuk entered the house ahead of Ji Yeonwoo, turned on the light, and took off his jacket.

“Go wash up first.”

Ji Yeonwoo, who had followed in, was in the middle of taking off Choi Moohyuk’s cashmere coat that he’d been carrying on his shoulder when he paused. Confusion spread across Ji Yeonwoo’s face as he looked at Choi Moohyuk. Forgetting to blink, his eyes stared at Choi Moohyuk, filled with various thoughts.

He said he’d just watch me fall asleep and leave, so why is he telling me to wash first? Surely, he’s not… going to do that again?

Transparently, all those emotions were felt in the eyes that met his, so he couldn’t pretend not to notice.

“Why, don’t you want to wash alone?”

“Wh-what?”

Choi Moohyuk turned fully toward Ji Yeonwoo, looking down at him with both hands in his pants pockets.

“Or should we wash together?”

And as he started to step toward Ji Yeonwoo,

“Ah, no! I’ll wash up!”

Startled, Ji Yeonwoo dashed into the bathroom. Moving like a quick squirrel, Ji Yeonwoo leaned his back against the closed bathroom door and caught his breath.

“W-wash together…”

Repeating Choi Moohyuk’s words as if buffering, Ji Yeonwoo’s gaze fell on the bathtub. In his mind, an image formed of himself sitting in the bathtub with Choi Moohyuk. Having already seen Choi Moohyuk’s bare upper body several times, the imagination came even more naturally.

His broad shoulders, honed through various exercises, his well-defined chest, his clearly carved abs, his waist narrower compared to his upper body, and the pubic line visible below.

Gazing into the air as he imagined, Ji Yeonwoo felt his heart pounding faster for some reason.

“I must be crazy.”

Ji Yeonwoo eventually covered his face with both hands, his ears turning red all the way to the tips.

Left alone in the living room, Choi Moohyuk heard the sound of water finally pouring from beyond the closed bathroom door after a long while and let out a soft chuckle. Figuring out just how adorable Ji Yeonwoo could be was quite an interesting endeavor. Perhaps that’s why his teasing kept getting bolder.

Turning around, Choi Moohyuk surveyed the modestly sized home compared to his own. He’d been to Ji Yeonwoo’s place many times, but he’d never had the chance to look around carefully. Looking through the rooms without the owner’s permission would be overstepping, but he figured looking at the living room would be fine, and slowly looked around the house. It seemed there was no separate study or bedroom, as one side of the living room was occupied by a glass bookshelf.

Drawn as if by gravity, he approached and scanned the books visible through the closed glass door. Flower certification books, various books on flower language, along with poetry collections, essays, and novels—all sorts of books were shelved. Among them were several bestsellers, showing signs of having been read and opened multiple times.

He’d wondered what Ji Yeonwoo did in his free time, and imagining him sitting on that sofa reading was quite charming in its own way.

As he turned around, Choi Moohyuk caught a glimpse of something and turned his head back.

“A diary?”