“…….”
“So you’re an exception to everything for me. And I always listen to you, right…?”
Director Yeon pulled Jung Heeyeon close, steadying his swaying tiptoeing frame. His grip tightened around the omega’s waist, ensuring those weak ankles wouldn’t give out. Then, he buried his nose in the pale nape of Jung Heeyeon’s neck. Every time the omega said things like this so nonchalantly, it drove him insane. If there had been even a hint of teasing or seduction behind those words, he could’ve just laughed it off. But it was a big problem that Jung Heeyeon meant it completely innocently.
A faint scent of gardenia lingered on the pale nape. Director Yeon took in the pheromones that only he could perceive, forcing down the emotions stirring within him.
“Two Americanos, ready for pickup!”
Fortunately, their drinks were ready.
Jung Heeyeon took a bite of the bread in his hand. The coffee tasted more bitter than expected, but the bread was sweet and chewy, making the combination somewhat tolerable. He had to take small sips of the coffee and big bites of the bread to make it work, though.
“Director.”
“Yeah.”
Director Yeon cast his gaze toward Jung Heeyeon. With every small chew, his pale cheeks puffed up and sank back down in turn. A crumb clung stubbornly near his busily moving lips.
“I think I’ve been eating too much lately, but I get scolded when I eat a lot…”
Jung Heeyeon only realized he had been eating like a messy child when Director Yeon’s fingers brushed near his lips. The man moved before Jung Heeyeon could even brush the crumbs away himself. His eyes naturally followed the motion of that hand.
Director Yeon casually wiped the crumb from Jung Heeyeon’s lips with his finger and, without a second thought, brought the remnants to his mouth. His red tongue swept over his fingers before retreating. Jung Heeyeon unconsciously lowered his gaze. It was nothing, but it made him feel strange.
“Who said you’re eating too much? Baby, you can eat as much as you want.”
Director Yeon chuckled as he glanced at the tightly clenched piece of bread in Jung Heeyeon’s hand. He always insisted he was eating too much, but from Director Yeon’s perspective, it was still too little. His portions had quite increased compared to before, but not nearly enough to be satisfying.
“Eat as much as you want. No one’s going to scold you.”
“Yes.”
They walked side by side, enjoying a leisurely stroll, when a familiar figure came into view. Someone was waving energetically at them, it was Kim Jiwon. Didn’t he say he wasn’t coming to the office today? Jung Heeyeon was wondering about that when his gaze dropped to the small, fluffy creature trotting beside the doctor. The bundle of white fur instantly captured his attention.
“Director, what brings you out at this hour? Haven’t you been very busy lately? Secretary Kim Chulwoo would be crying over this.”
Kim Jiwon approached with quick strides, greeting them.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who took the day off.”
“I had to take him to the vet.”
Jung Heeyeon crouched down on the ground. The little fluff sniffed cautiously before beginning to lick his palm. The lukewarm, slightly damp sensation was unfamiliar. He flinched at first, but as the dog kept licking his palm, he relaxed and looked up at Kim Jiwon.
“Doctor Kim Jiwon, what is this dog’s name?”
“Sulgi.”
“Sulgi?”
“It’s short for Baeksulgi. Because he’s small and white. He’s cute, right?”
“Yes. All dogs are cute. Can I pet him?”
“Of course. He loves getting pat in the head.”
Jung Heeyeon carefully stroked the dog’s head. Its fur was unbelievably soft against his palm. He’d seen pictures and videos of Sulgi on Kim Jiwon’s phone before, but this was his first time seeing the fluff in person. Come to think of it, it was his first time touching a dog at all. His heart felt as ticklish as his palm.
“Do you want to hold him? He’s really gentle.”
“No. I’m scared I might drop him.”
Director Yeon silently watched the small hands gently stroking the dog’s fur. Jung Heeyeon seemed to sense his gaze and looked up, smiling.
“Director Yeon, isn’t he cute? This is my first time petting a dog.”
“Hmmm, it’s your first time?”
“Yeah. He’s really cute. I read somewhere that all babies are cute on purpose. It’s a survival strategy.”
Who was calling who cute? Director Yeon exhaled a quiet laugh.
“Those words do make perfect sense when I look at you, Heeeyeon.”
“Pardon? But I’m not a baby…? I’m all grown up.”
As expected, Jung Heeyeon took the joke seriously. The way he insisted he was an adult was just as firm as when he declared he could drink bitter coffee.
“Jung Heeyeon, Sulgi is fully grown too. He’s five years old.”
“So he’s five years old. But he’s so small, I thought he was still a baby.”
Director Yeon silently lowered his gaze. The sight of Jung Heeyeon gently petting the small white puppy looked very suiting. As the winter sunlight poured down, Jung Heeyeon squinted slightly, the brightness making him furrow his brows.
Director Yeon watched Jung Heeyeon’s chattering lips, unaware that his coat was trailing as he crouched on the ground, until his phone rang. It was Kim Chulwoo. Taking a step forward to shield Jung Heeyeon from the sun, he answered the call.
“Yeah.”
– Director.
Kim Chulwoo’s voice was as rigid as ever.
– That person said he wants to see you. What would you like me to do?
The omitted subject was easy enough to figure out. Even as the tension in Kim Chulwoo’s voice was clear, Director Yeon’s gaze remained on Jung Heeyeon.
“So he wants to see me…”
Even in the face of unwelcome news, a smirk tugged at his lips. The alpha’s dark eyes narrowed, and his smile took on a sharp, eerie curve.
“Well, we should entertain the guest, shouldn’t we?”
Something in his tone made Kim Jiwon glance over. Jung Heeyeon was still crouched down, gently petting the dog’s head, completely oblivious. Director Yeon’s shadow fell over him, blocking out the harsh sunlight from getting to his face.
“Was that Secretary Kim Chulwoo?”
Kim Jiwon chose his words carefully. He was trying to grasp the details of the phone call without drawing Jung Heeyeon’s attention. He hadn’t heard the voice on the other end of the line, but the phrase ’entertain a guest’ lingered in his mind, leaving a sense of unease.
“A guest has arrived.”
Director Yeon’s expression remained unreadable. Kim Jiwon, on the other hand, frowned slightly. Very few people would qualify as guests to the man before him.
Considering someone had suddenly visited the office without prior notice, the likelihood of them being just a regular client was extremely low. Especially if it was someone who hadn’t been handled at Kim Chulwoo’s level—at the very least, it meant they were closely connected to Director Yeon. But these busy people wouldn’t just show up unannounced without arranging a meeting first. Unless it was a matter related to firearms, which didn’t seem to be the case—after all, the world was spinning along peacefully for now.
That left two possibilities: either someone from Sunha Group or Chairman Jung himself. Kim Jiwon leaned toward the latter, casting a sideways glance. From where he stood, he could see Jung Heeyeon’s long eyelashes lowered as he gazed down at the puppy.
If the visitor was indeed Chairman Jung, then Director Yeon would never allow the old alpha to come into contact with Jung Heeyeon.
“Heeyeon-ssi, is he that cute?”
“Yes. His fur is so soft. But I think he has a runny nose… Is a dog’s nose supposed to be this wet?”
“A wet nose is a good thing. And from what I can tell, Sulgi wants to go on a walk with you.”
Kim Jiwon quickly caught on and tried to steer the conversation.
“A walk?”
“Yes. This little guy really loves walks more than anything. Want to join us?”
“Ah…”
Jung Heeyeon hesitated before slowly standing up. He stared intently at the small puppy wagging its tail, then shook his head. One of Director Yeon’s eyebrows arched slightly.
“I came out with Director Yeon, so I don’t think I should. The director would be lonely if I left him alone.”
At that, Director Yeon let out a quiet chuckle. Even the fact that there was a waiting visitor, there wasn’t a hint of urgency in his demeanor.
“It’s fine. You said this is your first time meeting a dog, right? Go enjoy a walk with him.”
Jung Heeyeon wavered. Considering that Secretary Kim Chulwoo had called, it probably meant they needed to return to the office soon. He much preferred staying with Director Yeon, but Sulgi was so cute that the thought of leaving without taking a walk together was hard to resist.
“Heeyeon-ssi, you’d just be bored if you went back to the office now, anyway. Director Yeon will be busy meeting his guest, and you’ll be alone.”
Kim Jiwon’s voice carried a subtle coaxing tone. Jung Heeyeon looked at the fluffy white puff panting up with wide eyes. Jung Heeyeon pressed his lips together tightly for a moment before cautiously parting them to speak.
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