Chapter 3
Yang walked forward, each stride deliberate.
His face was calm – too calm – but his eyes… dark and dangerous.
Minseo, still tense from the heated exchange, shifted closer to Jaeyel, his voice quieter now.
“Jaeyel…” he called hesitantly, watching as Jaeyel kept his head down. His posture was rigid, his hands curled into loose fists at his sides.
Minseo swallowed. “You don’t have to listen to him-“
Suddenly…
A sound.
Soft, almost unnoticeable at first.
A small shake of shoulders.
A breath catching… not in a sob, but…
A laugh.
Low, quiet, but unmistakably amused.
Jaeyel… is laughing.
It was quiet at first, an amused chuckle that barely reached past his lips. But it was enough to make everyone stop.
The tension in the hallway shifted, confusion replacing hostility.
The sunbae who had been spitting venom just moments ago froze, eyebrows furrowing.
Minseo’s mouth opened slightly, stunned.
And Yang – who had been walking with murder in his eyes, halted mid-step.
Jaeyel kept laughing, his shoulders shaking slightly, his fingers brushing the corners of his eyes where tears had gathered – not from sadness, but from holding back his amusement.
Minseo hesitated, his concern deepening. “Jaeyel…?”
The sunbae stiffened. “What the hell is so funny?!”
Jaeyel exhaled a final chuckle before looking up.
His eyes, still wet from laughter, met the sunbae’s with a glint of something sharp beneath the amusement.
“Ah,” Jaeyel sighed, “I’ve been stressed these past few days, you know? But thanks to you…”
His lips curled. “I finally had a good laugh.”
The sunbae’s face twitched. “What the hell do you mean?!”
The humor drained from Jaeyel’s face in an instant, replaced with something cold.
His gaze sharpened as he tilted his head slightly.
“I mean,” he said smoothly, “your informant fed you the wrong news.”
The sunbae scoffed, regaining some of his composure. “Tch. Don’t try to deny it,” he sneered.
“The special treatment you get is so obvious. Everyone sees it. What else could it be?”
Jaeyel hummed, as if considering his words.
“Hmm…”
Then, with a small smirk, he said, “No, you misunderstood me.”
The sunbae frowned. “…What?”
Jaeyel took a slow step forward, voice dropping slightly.
“I’m not selling myself to get special treatment.”
Before the sunbae could retort, Jaeyel tilted his head and continued, voice carrying through the silent hallway-
“I’m giving it to him for free.“
…
Silence.
Minseo choked on air.
The sunbae’s expression twisted into disbelief, his group shifting uncomfortably.
“…What the hell are you talking about?!” the sunbae finally said, his voice losing some of its bite.
Jaeyel let out a soft, almost mocking sigh.
“The higher-up you’re talking about? He’s not my sponsor.”
He smiled, slow and deliberate.
“He’s my boyfriend.”
Shock rippled through the group.
Even Minseo, who had known Jaeyel for years, gawked at him.
And Yang…
Yang, who stood at a distance, watching Jaeyel.
His face unreadable.
His secretary’s voice buzzed faintly in the background, trying to remind him about the meeting, but Yang wasn’t listening.
His focus was solely on Jaeyel.
Then, without a word, Yang turned.
Not toward Jaeyel.
But away.
His secretary blinked in confusion before scrambling after him.
Yang, however, didn’t slow down.
Didn’t even look back.
But Yang’s ears-
Were red.
…
The hallway was eerily silent, the only sound echoing through it was the steady rhythm of their footsteps.
Minseo kept sneaking glances at Jaeyel, his face a mix of disbelief and curiosity.
Meanwhile, Jaeyel walked stiffly beside him, his posture unnaturally rigid.
His entire face burned red, and his ears felt impossibly hot.
Then, out of nowhere, Jaeyel stopped dead in his tracks.
“Stop looking at me like that!” he suddenly shouted, hands flying up to cover his face as if that would somehow erase the embarrassment consuming him.
Minseo hesitated. “But… b-boyfriend?” he echoed, voice slow, careful. “The-the… CE-”
“No!” Jaeyel cut him off before he could finish, practically choking on the word. His reaction was so sharp that Minseo took a step back, blinking in confusion.
“But you just said-”
“I didn’t mean it!” Jaeyel blurted out, voice strained.
He lowered his hands, revealing a face so flushed it almost looked feverish. “I just- I wasn’t thinking, okay?! It just came out before I could stop myself!”
Minseo squinted. “So… you’re saying he’s not your… boyfriend?”
Jaeyel hesitated.
His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. He was at war with himself, and Minseo could see it.
“…Why do you look unsure?” Minseo pressed, suspicious now.
“I- I don’t know! Ugh, just- drop it, okay?!” Jaeyel practically begged, shaking his head rapidly before abruptly turning on his heel and taking off.
Minseo barely had time to react before Jaeyel was halfway down the hallway, escaping like his life depended on it.
“Jaeyel! Yah! Where are you going?!” Minseo called after him, but Jaeyel didn’t stop.
Left alone, Minseo could only watch his friend disappear down the hall, exhaling in exasperation.
“…But wait, “boyfriend” not g-girlfrie-…?”
…
The practice had ended, and Jaeyel was walking alongside his members, still flushed from the intensity of the rehearsal.
Their chatter filled the air, light and teasing, as they made their way toward the exit.
Just as Jaeyel was about to step outside, a staff member approached him with a polite but firm smile.
“Jaeyel, you’ll be riding with me today.”
He blinked, caught off guard. “Huh? Why?”
The staff member simply smiled. “Just follow me.”
Jaeyel frowned but did as he was told, confusion settling in his chest.
As they neared the car, Jaeyel’s steps slowed.
His breath caught when he recognized the sleek black vehicle parked ahead.
Wait.
This car-
Yang’s car.
He stopped in place, eyes darting to the tinted windows. His pulse quickened.
As if sensing his hesitation, the driver’s side door opened, and Yang stepped out.
Dressed sharply as always, his presence alone felt suffocating.
His gaze locked onto Jaeyel’s, unwavering and unreadable. Then, his sharp voice cut through the heavy silence.
“You can go,” Yang said to the staff member, not sparing her another glance.
She gave a respectful bow before leaving, her footsteps fading into the distance.
Jaeyel barely acknowledged her retreating figure, his entire focus pinned on Yang.
He wanted to ask why. Wanted to question what the hell was happening. But he swallowed it all down. He knew Yang wouldn’t entertain any argument.
“What are you doing? Get inside,” Yang said, tone leaving no room for hesitation.
Jaeyel opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, he exhaled through his nose, resigned.
There was no point.
Fighting with Yang always ended the same way. So, he walked forward, opened the door, and slipped inside.
The moment the door clicked shut, Jaeyel exhaled heavily, trying to calm the chaos in his mind.
But before he could even fully process where he was-
A sudden force jerked his head to the side, lips crashing against his own.
Jaeyel gasped into the kiss, his hands instinctively flying up to grip onto anything, Yang’s arms, the seat, anything to ground himself.
But Yang didn’t stop.
He tilted Jaeyel’s head back further, deepening the kiss, swallowing Jaeyel’s breath as if he were desperate and starved.
Heat erupted in Jaeyel’s core, sending tingles down his spine.
His body pressed against the seat as Yang dominated the space between them.
The kiss was rough, demanding, taking everything Jaeyel had to offer and more.
Jaeyel’s fingers curled into the fabric of Yang’s suit, trying to push him back, but Yang only groaned and pressed closer.
“W-wait-” Jaeyel tried to gasp between kisses, his voice shaky, breathless.
But Yang wasn’t stopping. His hand gripped the side of Jaeyel’s neck, his thumb pressing just beneath his jaw line, keeping him exactly where he wanted him.
A sharp whimper escaped Jaeyel’s lips as Yang bit down lightly before soothing it with another deep kiss.
The air between them grew hotter, heavier. Jaeyel could barely think, barely breathe.
Then, suddenly, the seat beneath him shifted.
Jaeyel’s body jerked as Yang reached down, pulling the lever, and the seat reclined with a smooth motion.
His back hit the cushion, and before he could even react, Yang was hovering above him, his arms caging Jaeyel in.
Yang was above him now, bracing one arm beside Jaeyel’s head while his other hand found his waist, leaving him nowhere to escape.
Their lips barely parted before Yang was kissing him again, deep and desperate, as if trying to devour every last bit of resistance Jaeyel had left.
“Y-Yang…” Jaeyel’s voice trembled, hands now spread against Yang’s chest. His heart pounded violently.
The intensity of Yang’s gaze, the heat radiating off his body… it was all too much.
But Yang wasn’t finished.
Jaeyel’s fingers dug into Yang’s sleeves, trembling slightly. His mind screamed at him to push away, to say something, anything-
But his body?
His body wasn’t listening.
