Chapter 11
Jaeyel stirred at the soft rustling beside him, feeling a gentle touch brushing through his hair.
His brows furrowed slightly before he slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with Yang’s gaze – calm, warm, and way too affectionate for this early in the morning.
For a second, he just stared, trying to process why Yang was right in front of him, looking at him like that.
Then it hit him.
Last night.
A flood of memories came rushing back… the heat, the closeness, the way Yang whispered his name – and Jaeyel felt his entire body heat up.
Before he could stop himself, he yanked the blanket over his head, completely burying himself.
Yang chuckled. “Shy?” His voice was laced with amusement.
“Go away,” Jaeyel grumbled from under the blanket, his voice muffled but still dripping with embarrassment.
But of course, Yang didn’t go away.
Instead, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss right on top of the blanket where Jaeyel’s forehead would be. “Brunch is ready,” he murmured. “Come out when you feel like it.”
Jaeyel just mumbled an “okay,” still refusing to emerge. Yang let out another amused chuckle before heading out, the door clicking shut behind him.
Finally alone, Jaeyel slowly lowered the blanket, revealing his completely red face. He stared up at the ceiling, still dazed, before mumbling,
“We really did it.”
And just as that realization hit, he tried to sit up – only to wince immediately.
Ow.
Jaeyel froze.
His whole body hurt.
The reason why made him want to sink into the bed and never resurface.
And then he noticed – he was clean.
Fresh clothes, skin soft like he’d just had a bath. His eyes widened as another thought dawned on him.
Did Yang… wipe him clean?
He buried his face in his knees, groaning.
I’m never leaving this room...
But unfortunately, his grumbling stomach had other plans.
After brunch, Jaeyel washed up and changed into fresh clothes, preparing to leave for another schedule despite his aching body.
But before he could even reach for his bag, Yang had casually informed him that he had adjusted his schedule – again.
Jaeyel had frozen in place at the news. Of course. He should’ve expected it.
Arguing felt pointless. It was the “CEO’s” decision, after all. What was he supposed to say?
And besides… whether he admitted it or not, his body did need the rest.
Just thinking about it made Jaeyel’s face heat up. His entire body still felt the aftereffects of Yang’s… enthusiasm. And what was worse? That was him still holding back.
Lost in his thoughts, Jaeyel was startled by the sudden ringing of Yang’s phone, snapping him back to reality.
Yang picked it up, his attention shifting to his laptop as he spoke in a low, business-like voice.
Watching him like this, Jaeyel started to wonder… shouldn’t Yang be at the company right now?
Was he staying home just because of him?
After the call ended, Yang turned back to his screen, typing something. Jaeyel, still watching him, couldn’t hide the concern in his eyes.
Yang noticed. A small, knowing smile played on his lips as he stood up and walked toward Jaeyel.
“What?” Jaeyel blurted, flustered, shifting back slightly against the sofa.
Yang stopped in front of him before smoothly taking a seat beside him. “You’re worrying.”
Jaeyel scoffed, quickly denying it. “No, I’m… not.”
“Mmm.” Yang hummed, clearly not believing him.
Jaeyel hesitated, but then finally spoke. “I just think you should go to work. I can go home, so you don’t have to- ”
“No,” Yang cut him off smoothly. “I’m not leaving you alone. And with your body still like that, I’m definitely not letting you leave.”
Jaeyel’s breath hitched.
Why does he say things like this so casually?
Yang’s gaze was soft yet intense, filled with something Jaeyel wasn’t sure he could handle. His face burned, and he quickly looked away, suddenly embarrassed.
And then, something dawned on him.
Wait.
I’m a man too.
Jaeyel feels his face heat up again, and it annoys him.
Why am I always the one blushing?
Jaeyel straightened, attempting to recover. “Just so you know,” he huffed, trying to sound confident, “I’m a man too.”
Yang tilted his head slightly, as if considering the statement.
Then, with a completely straight face, he said, “Yes. I confirmed that last night.”
Jaeyel turned scarlet. “You-!”
Without thinking, he smacked Yang on the arm. It wasn’t that hard, but-
Yang’s lips pressed together briefly.
Jaeyel stilled.
Wait… did that hurt?
For a split second, something flickered in Yang’s expression, but it was gone so fast that Jaeyel wasn’t sure if he imagined it.
He hesitated, opening his mouth to ask-
But Yang silenced him with a kiss.
A short one, but deep, lingering. Like he wanted to shut down Jaeyel’s thoughts before they could go anywhere else.
Jaeyel barely had time to recover before he muttered against Yang’s lips, “You keep doing that…”
Yang smirked. “You like it anyway.”
Jaeyel scowled. Before he could rebut, Yang’s phone rang again.
Yang exhaled sharply, clearly frustrated, before pressing a quick kiss to Jaeyel’s forehead.
Then, in a low, serious voice, he murmured, “I’ll make sure you can keep doing what you love forever.”
Jaeyel blinked.
Before he could ask what that meant, Yang had already turned away to answer his call.
Jaeyel stood there, watching him, heart pounding.
What does he mean by that…?
…
The afternoon passed in a blur.
Jaeyel had another meal, but Yang was too busy to join him. His phone kept ringing, his secretary persistently calling about company matters.
From what Jaeyel could hear, there was an important board meeting scheduled for the afternoon – one Yang had skipped entirely to stay with him.
His secretary was clearly at his wit’s end, unable to do anything about Yang’s refusal to go in.
The calls kept coming, piling up one after another, making it impossible for Yang to focus on anything else.
In the end, Jaeyel was the one who convinced him.
“Just go,” Jaeyel had said. “You can come back after.”
Yang had been reluctant. Too reluctant.
It felt… strange.
Why was he acting like he couldn’t leave Jaeyel alone for even a few hours?
Jaeyel didn’t understand it, but in the end, the secretary’s persistent calls won.
Still hesitant, Yang only left after Jaeyel had fallen asleep for his nap.
…
Some time later, Jaeyel stirred, shifting slightly under the covers. His body felt lighter now, the exhaustion from earlier fading away.
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, greeted by the quiet stillness of the apartment.
He stretched slightly, feeling much better after resting. A quick glance at the clock told him it was already close to 7 PM.
Was Yang home yet?
Pushing off the bed, Jaeyel stepped out of the bedroom, his eyes scanning the quiet apartment.
No sign of Yang.
He frowned slightly, wondering if the meeting had taken longer than expected.
Feeling thirsty, he hesitated for a moment before opening the fridge. It felt a little weird opening someone else’s fridge, but… it wasn’t like he was stealing.
He grabbed a bottle of water, took a few sips, then returned to the sofa, sitting stiffly.
His phone buzzed. Jaeyel checked the screen. Minseo. And a few others.
He stared at the missed calls before locking his phone and putting it down, avoiding whatever interrogation was waiting for him.
Leaning back on the sofa, he let out a small sigh. His thoughts wandered aimlessly until-
The bracelet.
Jaeyel sat up.
His grandmother’s bracelet.
He had seen it here before.
His gaze landed on the drawer, half-hidden behind the large plant. Yang had said he never knew how to return it to him.
If that was the case… it should still be there, right?
For some reason, curiosity won over hesitation.
He slowly stood up and walked over.
It wasn’t like he was digging through Yang’s things – he was just checking if the bracelet was still there. He’d take it and tell Yang later. That was all.
Jaeyel reached out, moving the book on top aside. But the bracelet wasn’t there.
His brows furrowed.
Did Yang move it?
Without thinking,
…he grabbed the drawer handle and pulled.
Click.
For some reason, Jaeyel’s breath hitched.
His heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
…
“Jaeyel.”
Jaeyel flinched, snapping his head toward the voice.
Yang was standing there, watching him.
Their eyes met.
And Jaeyel’s heart stuttered.
