Chapter 6
Hae Won stood outside the office door, fingers digging into his palm until faint red marks bloomed across his skin. The curtains over the glass were drawn tight, blocking any view inside. It had been over an hour. Chairman Kim's visits were never this long.
Something was wrong.
Hae Won suddenly remembered the stern expression on Gyu In's face. Gyu In had always been a flexible, charismatic boss. At only twenty-seven, he had climbed higher and faster than anyone else, relying on no one but himself. To outsiders, he looked like a cold, calculating man. But he wasn't. After six years at his side, Hae Won had witnessed everything: how Gyu In struggled, how he pushed forward without complaint, how he trusted Hae Won enough to pull him up too.
Where Gyu In went, Hae Won followed. But still… even then… Gyu In had never shown any other side of himself.
*Clack.
The door opened. Hae Won immediately straightened and bowed.
"Hae Won-ssi," came the low voice, deep and unnervingly calm. "It's been a while, so maybe you've forgotten." A beat of silence. "Watch over him. If you can't, let me know."
Hae Won swallowed hard. "Y-yes, sir."
The man turned and walked off. His footsteps were silent. His presence wasn't. He didn't need to raise his voice to cast fear. He was fear.
Hae Won's eyes lingered on the tightly shut door, a knot tightening in his chest. He hesitated.
Should he step inside, into whatever storm Gyu In was weathering? Or should he wait, let the walls come down on their own, trusting that the man he knew would show himself when ready? But what if Gyu In needed him right now, silently, in this quiet moment?
The question clawed at Hae Won's mind as he turned away, reaching mechanically for the kettle. The soft whistle of boiling water might soothe the tension, give him time to prepare. But just as he began to pour, the unmistakable click of a lock echoed through the room.
The tea forgotten, he swallowed hard. Some walls weren't meant to be crossed yet not without a key.
*
The clock ticked past working hours, loud and constant. Gyu In sat motionless in his chair, back stiff, jaw clenched. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there.
Didn't really care. He had no energy left to move so he just sent Hae Won a text: Go home without me.
He inhaled sharply, exhaled through his nose. But it didn't help. It never helped when his father had been in the room.
As soon as the door shut behind his father, he ripped the tie from his neck. Not out of anger. Just the desperate need to breathe.
He was twenty-seven. Young, but not inexperienced. He had earned this seat. Closed more deals than men twice his age. But that didn't matter.
"There's more to this than closing deals."
"Don't forget your place."
"You think you got here without me?"
"Stay in your place."
Fucking hell.
He wanted to scream. But he didn't. He never did. He just sat there—quiet, empty, unraveling.
His hand moved to his phone on instinct.
A stupid habit.
Looking for something he didn't dare admit he needed.
Notification after notification. Work. Reports. News.
But not the one he was looking for.
And then
[Mr Bunny Waiter]
Sent: Have you made it back home?
"Ahh… no reply yet uh?" Gyu In proceeded to type:
Reminder: Clause One: Must reply to your boyfriend's texts within twenty-four hours.
A beat later, another bubble popped up.
[Mr Bunny Waiter]
Received: !!! It hasn't even been 12 hours yet!
Gyu In caught a stunned breath in his throat. He stared at the screen, lips twitching, and let out a dry, broken laugh that echoed in the silence.
And for a moment, the pressure around his chest eased.
Heh, so he's still awake.
Gyu In stared at the screen a moment longer than he should've. He checked the time - around 8 p.m. Eun Wol probably at work.
He gathered his things, slung on his coat, and grabbed his car keys.
The walk to the company parking lot felt slow, unhurried. He told himself there was no rush. After all, this was just a hunch. He considered it a quiet bet on instinct.
By the time he looked up again, he was parked outside Rumble Thunder Bar.
"…Ah." He blinked. He meant to go home first. Freshen up.
He glanced at himself in the rearview mirror. His father's voice echoed uninvited in his head. His chest tightened again.
He lowered the window and let the cool night breeze brush against his face.
What a contrast to how I feel. He let out a dry chuckle. Tch. What a joke.
He didn't know how much time had passed—just that he'd been staring into the night road, thoughts drifting aimlessly. But he doesn't leave. The seat gets more uncomfortable. Stomach emptier.
Still waited.
Then a voice broke through:
"Bye Eun Wol hyung! See you on Thursday!"
Gyu In turned his head and saw the man he'd been waiting for. He stepped out of the car and put on a smile.
"Hello, boyfriend. What a coincidence!"
Eun Wol's expression shifted from shock to deadpan in seconds. It made Gyu In want to laugh, though he fought it back.
"What are you now? Mr. Stalker?"
"I don't accept false accusations," Gyu In raised two fingers and waved dramatically. "Clause Two: Random check-ins are allowed if your boyfriend's being suspicious!"
"And what did I do to earn that suspicion?" Eun Wol rolled his eyes.
"You didn't reply!" Gyu In widened his stance and pointed at Eun Wol like a cartoon villain. "That's highly suspicious behavior!"
"It hasn't even been 12 hours. Didn't you say within 24?" Eun Wol scoffed. "Shouldn't a man like you be very busy?"
Gyu In narrowed his eyes. "Well, if I'm busy, you should be very free. Anyway just hop on."
"This isn't making any sense," Eun Wol muttered, eyeing him like he was a walking headache.
"Let's go for a drive," Gyu In said, suddenly appearing behind him to nudge him toward the car. "Come on, you don't have work tomorrow, right? I heard it~"
Eun Wol sighed, exasperated. "You're unbelievable," he muttered but still got in.
Maybe it was curiosity. Or just stupidity.
Either way, the door clicked shut, and the night kept moving.
The car rolled through the quiet streets. Soft music was played with windows cracked down. Neither said much, however the silence was not uncomfortable. Eul Wol turned his head slightly to look at Gyu In.
He looks more tired than usual. I thought he will tease me again but he went suddenly quiet.
"You look like shit." Oh no, I meant to say he looked tired. Eun Wol was expecting a fight back and was ready to argue but Gyu In only glanced at him and laughed.
"Thanks, bunny. You really know how to charm a man."
"I was not even trying to charm."
"Why don't you remove mask? There is nobody else except me."
Eun Wol's hand rose to his mask, hesitation catching at his fingers.
It wasn't embarrassment. Not even shyness. Something in Gyu In's tone, gentle and almost careless, made sarcasm harder to reach for.
His fingertips traced the edge of the fabric. Just cloth, he told himself.
Thin, ordinary, nothing more.
Yet tonight it pressed against his skin like armor, heavy with the weight he couldn't put into words.
He gave a quiet sigh and looked out the window. "I wear it for hygiene."
Gyu In glanced at him with a half-smile. "Right. And the bar's air is filtered through angels."
Eun Wol side-eyed him, refusing to give in. "You asking for a refund on this ride?"
"I'm just wondering why your customers get the full face," Gyu In said, eyes flicking back to the road, "and I get the cloth."
That statement made Eun Wol go quiet.
He still didn't remove the mask.
But this time, he didn't touch it either.
Just when things fell into a quiet stillness again, a low, unmistakable rumble broke through the soft music.
Eun Wol blinked. Gyu In froze. His hands clenched slightly on the steering wheel.
"…Was that an earthquake?"
"It was the engine," Gyu In replied flatly.
"Engine's starving?" Eun Wol raised a brow. "Or was that someone's stomach?"
Gyu In gave up the act with a dramatic groan, leaning his head back. "I forgot to eat."
"Because you were busy stalking me."
"No. I was emotionally invested in whether my boyfriend would ghost me."
Despite himself, Eun Wol let out a small laugh. It was quiet, almost like a scoff, but it slipped out before he could catch it. Gyu In picked up the sound.
"You should laugh more," he said. "It's illegal how nice it sounds."
"Clause Four: No flirting when you look like a zombie," Eun Wol shot back without missing a beat.
Gyu In laughed - not his usual teasing one, but a softer, worn-out version.
"You totally changed the clause. You're kind of annoying, you know that?"
"So I've been told," Eun Wol murmured, leaning his cheek against the window. "But I seem to grow on people."
"You do," Gyu In said, quieter this time.
He was fine with skipping a meal — it wasn't the worst thing he'd gone through. But for some reason, tonight felt lighter. The quiet drive was soothing; his mood lifted in a way he hadn't expected.
Then came a soft rustling.
"I have oatmeal crackers." Eun Wol tore open the packaging and pulled one out. "Do you want?"
"If only you feed me." Gyu In grinned, mouth open. "Ah."
"You're seriously childish." Eun Wol rolled his eyes, yet his hand still moved, holding the cracker up to Gyu In's mouth despite the heat rising in his cheeks. He tried to ignore the quicker thump of his heart. "What would people say if they saw the Executive Director of VALHEN behaving like this?"
"Omff."
Eun Wol grimaced. "Chew first."
Gyu In swallowed with deliberate drama. "Like I said, take away the title and I'm just a man. Just like you. Now keep feeding me. Ah."
"Just like me, huh?" Eun Wol muttered. He turned to look at him properly, at that smug, annoyingly handsome face, and snorted. "Tch. Eat it yourself."
The rest of the drive was a mix of Gyu In's whining and Eun Wol's silent treatment. By the time they pulled into the quiet park near Eun Wol's place, the street lamps had turned the night gold and drowsy.
Gyu In offered to walk him home, which earned him another round of bickering. So he let it go.
Eun Wol reached for the door handle when Gyu In spoke again.
"Thanks for tonight," he said, and this time, the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable. "It was a good drive."
Eun Wol paused, something flickering in his chest - that now-familiar nervousness that had only started since meeting Gyu In.
"No problem."
Gyu In smiled. "Goodnight, bunny."
Eun Wol nodded. "You too."
He stepped out, door closing with a soft thud behind him.
Gyu In watched him walk away.
"…Ah. Why does this feel different?" he muttered, almost annoyed with himself, fingers casually gazing at the crumpled cracker wrapper.