Flower Fiancé Chapter 49

[What do you mean by that, what did I—]

“I’ve been sitting still even though I know everything, and you should know whose sake that’s for. If you keep acting out of line without knowing your place, I won’t be able to just stand by anymore.”

[Wh-what are you going to do if I don’t stay still?]

Unlike Lee Hyunjoon, who was so agitated his breathing was ragged, Choi Moohyuk wasn’t the least bit flustered. Saying such chilling words so casually without any sign of disturbance was not something an ordinary person could do.

Lee Hyunjoon, who knew that well, belatedly put on a frightened voice but refused to bend his pride to the very end.

Listening silently, Choi Moohyuk raised one corner of his lip and sneered at his bravado.

Choi Moohyuk knew people like Lee Hyunjoon well, having dealt with them before. They all shared the same despicable trait of bullying the weak and fearing the strong, and most of those who had a lot to lose were quick to shrink back even at the slightest threat—because they had to protect what they held in their hands.

And he also knew well that with this type of person, you must never show even the slightest opening.

“Surely you don’t think you’re the only one who can have people moved?”

In other words, Lee Hyunjoon had picked the wrong opponent and had been properly caught.

“You’ve got quite a long tail yourself—do you think I would have left Ji Yeonwoo alone without knowing that?”

[…You, you bastard.]

“You’ll find out soon enough. A gift is on its way.”

[A g-gift?]

Lee Hyunjoon raised the end of his voice as if in question.

Listening quietly, Choi Moohyuk raised one eyebrow. His eyes, fixed on some point in the room, gleamed sharply.

“Take good care of it. The moment I see even a single hair of yours again, you’ll get to experience whether your mouth gets torn apart or you end up a living corpse.”

[Wh-what the… Hey, hey!]

Delivering those final words with a raised eyebrow, Choi Moohyuk pressed the red button on the screen with leisurely ease. Unlike him, the furious shouts coming from the other side of the phone cut off abruptly along with the fading screen.

Choi Moohyuk shifted his gaze. Ji Yeonwoo, who had been asleep, stirred and moved a little closer to Choi Moohyuk. Ji Yeonwoo’s breath, lying pressed against his thigh, was hot.

His irregular breathing gradually steadied. Ji Yeonwoo, who had been tossing, sank back into a deep sleep.

The eyes looking at Ji Yeonwoo burned with a mixture of emotions.

He had plenty to say to Lee Hyunjoon, but the reason he didn’t say it all was simply that there was no need to waste energy on words. For a bastard like Lee Hyunjoon, showing one action rather than ten words would make him shut his mouth and figure it out on his own.

Choi Moohyuk twisted his lips into a smile and pressed his tongue hard against the inside of his cheek.

Soon, he would know everything.

Who the person beside Ji Yeonwoo was.

And who he had messed with.

∞ ∞ ∞

Wearing a white t-shirt over jeans with a checkered shirt and a brown apron over it all, Ji Yeonwoo sat behind the counter with a sulky face.

The customer who had ordered the ranunculus never showed up. More than an hour past the promised 1 PM, they didn’t answer their phone, and there was no reply to the message he’d left either.

Experiencing a no-show for the first time, Ji Yeonwoo couldn’t hide his disappointment. He’d forced himself to come out in poor condition and had been waiting, but as the situation went from bad to worse, Ji Yeonwoo even felt a sense of disillusionment.

Choi Moohyuk, who had stepped out to take a call and come back in, saw Ji Yeonwoo deflated and approached him.

“In the end, they didn’t come?”

Ji Yeonwoo nodded with a gloomy expression.

“I guess I was too complacent. I should have taken a deposit.”

Choi Moohyuk gently stroked Ji Yeonwoo’s hair with a tender touch.

“It’s already in the past, isn’t it? Don’t dwell on it too much. What’s more important is not repeating the same thing in the future.”

His voice of comfort was calm and warm. Tilting his head back to look at Choi Moohyuk, Ji Yeonwoo’s eyes wavered.

The heartache that had been unbearable settled quietly with just one calm word of comfort. He’d already experienced it many times, but it was still amazing. If it weren’t for Managing Director, he would have spent the whole day in gloom today. As his thoughts reached that point, Choi Moohyuk’s presence felt even larger.

Choi Moohyuk, who had said he’d just watch him fall asleep and leave, ended up staying through the morning. And Ji Yeonwoo had thought he’d just drop him off at the shop like last time, but instead, he kept staying by his side. He only stepped away briefly when he had calls or work-related conversations.

“But Managing Director, aren’t you going to work?”

Perhaps it was only natural to be curious. Ji Yeonwoo wrapped his arms around Choi Moohyuk’s waist as he stood beside him, rested his chin against his chest, and tilted his head back to meet his eyes.

“Should I go to work?”

Choi Moohyuk indulged Ji Yeonwoo’s whining and brushed his bangs aside as he asked.

“If you send me off, Mr. Yeonwoo, I’ll have to go. What can I do.”

After hesitating, Ji Yeonwoo put more strength into his arms around his waist.

“No. Don’t go. Stay with me.”

A strong will not to let go was felt in that touch. Choi Moohyuk’s expression relaxed.

“Is there something you want to do?”

Ji Yeonwoo, looking up with his chin resting against his chest, rolled his eyes as if deep in thought. Between his tightly pressed lips, a long “Hmm…” trailed out.

“There’s one thing.”

“What is it?”

“The weather’s nice—how about a walk?”

Choi Moohyuk’s eyes, which had been relaxed, widened in surprise. This wasn’t one of the options he’d expected. He thought Ji Yeonwoo had already seen enough of his wealth. The imported cars that changed every time he came to meet him, the high-end restaurants they’d been to together, and the luxury suits he wore—all gave plenty of clues.

If he wanted, they could go private shopping at a department store, or go to an expensive hotel lounge or an upscale Korean restaurant, but what Ji Yeonwoo actually wanted was more modest and ordinary than expected.

Only then did Choi Moohyuk realize that what Ji Yeonwoo wanted wasn’t a love that could be bought with money, but an utterly ordinary romance.

“Is that… too ordinary?”

When he just looked back without answering, Ji Yeonwoo, misunderstanding, subtly backed down. Choi Moohyuk cupped Ji Yeonwoo’s cheek as if to say there was no need.

“No. Sometimes, the classic choice is the best.”

“Then, are we going on a date?”

“There happens to be a nice park nearby with good scenery—let’s go there.”

“Okay!”

Only then did Ji Yeonwoo release his arms from around Choi Moohyuk’s waist. His face, which had been gloomy all along, regained its vitality.

“Since we’re at it, make sure you prepare thoroughly so you don’t have to come out on the weekend.”

Ji Yeonwoo, who had been tidying up, turned around with a puzzled look. His expression said he was wondering why he’d say that when he knew he didn’t really have days off. Approaching Ji Yeonwoo’s side, Choi Moohyuk leaned toward him.

“After the walk, we’ll have dinner at my place.”

“At your place, Managing Director? Today?”

“Yes.”

“Uh, but why on the weekend…”

Ji Yeonwoo, staring blankly, spoke as if even more confused. Choi Moohyuk moved closer to Ji Yeonwoo’s face and said,

“You really don’t know what that means?”

Ji Yeonwoo reflexively leaned back and blinked his eyes. Choi Moohyuk smoothly closed the distance, tilted his head, and brought his lips to Ji Yeonwoo’s ear.

“It means we’re not leaving the house all weekend.”

“…!”

And when they faced each other again, Ji Yeonwoo’s face was flushed red like the roses in the flower showcase.

“I’ll be outside, so get ready and come out.”

Choi Moohyuk, holding the stems of the ranunculus in one hand and the stems of the subtle accent flowers in the other, pinched Ji Yeonwoo’s frozen cheek and turned around. Opening the glass door of Flower Fiancé and stepping outside, Choi Moohyuk pulled out a cigarette out of habit, put it in his mouth, and looked back. Ji Yeonwoo, who had been standing frozen in a daze until then, started moving in a fluster the moment their eyes met.

What he was thinking was transparently revealed through his face and actions. Watching Ji Yeonwoo busily moving his hands with a face flushed red all the way to his ears, Choi Moohyuk chuckled and turned his head away.

Suddenly, the faint smile that had been on Choi Moohyuk’s face stiffened.