SU | Chapter 3.8

Singing to himself leisurely in the shower, Ji Youngwon pressed a hand against his temple, feeling a headache coming on.

Meanwhile, Yoo Han, feeling a rush of emotion from the refreshing shower, nearly cried with relief. Having finished, he was now ready to sneak back to the office before Ji Youngwon noticed. He hastily dressed, feeling uncomfortable in yesterday’s clothes but his humming continued unabated.

Ah, I wish I could live here. Yoo Han harbored this futile wish as he opened the bathroom door.

“You’ve got some nerve.”

At the same time, a chilling voice that shouldn’t have been there pierced his ears.

“Yeah. You need some guts to be a bell runner, right?”

“……”

Yoo Han froze like he had seen a ghost, stiff from head to toe, unable to turn his head or breathe.

Ji Youngwon stood leaning against the bathroom door, arms crossed, watching him. Yoo Han, who had never expected Director Ji to appear at this hour, bit his lip so hard it nearly bled.

“Gulp.”

Startled into hiccupping, his heart finally started pounding wildly. Unable to make a sound, Yoo Han turned his head. His eyes welled up as he looked at Ji Youngwon.

“Cut the crap.”

Ji Youngwon’s sharp rebuke made Yoo Han quickly bow his head. Drops of water from his wet hair dripped to the floor. Placing his hands neatly on his thighs, Yoo Han stood like a criminal, reminiscent of the time he had been caught washing his hair in the office restroom.

Ji Youngwon stared down at Yoo Han’s head. It seemed like only yesterday he was screaming in the mirror, yet now, his bravery seemed to have grown significantly as he didn’t even scream this time.

Ji Youngwon’s eyes narrowed, feeling an unexpected thirst surge through him. It was an emotion he couldn’t have understood then but was painfully clear now: he desired Yoo Han.

“I’m sorry… I sweated so much, I felt sticky… just borrowed the bathroom for a moment.”

Ji Youngwon, head tilted slightly, asked softly.

“Borrowed the bathroom? What do you mean by that? Planning to pay back by decorating?”

Yoo Han’s eyes rolled in panic, a mix of excuses, embarrassment, hidden motives, and slight resentment. Ji Youngwon noted this pattern in his eyes, moving from left to right and then down.

“Eh? Going to redecorate it for me?”

“No…”

Ji Youngwon sighed shortly and reached out towards Yoo Han’s face. Expecting a smack, Yoo Han hiccuped and tightly closed his eyes.

But instead of a hit, Ji Youngwon’s large hand touched Yoo Han’s forehead.

“……?”

Yoo Han looked up, confusion written all over his face.

“The fever’s gone.”

Ji Youngwon withdrew his hand after checking the temperature. The family affairs team had urgently needed Yoo Han’s cooperation, so checking his condition was necessary.

Unaware of this, Yoo Han stared at Ji Youngwon, disarmed and wide-eyed. Having received care the night before and now a temperature check, Yoo Han misunderstood, his emotions swelling.

“Are you worried about me?”

“What?”

“Not even scolding me for using the bathroom without permission…”

Ji Youngwon frowned as he watched Yoo Han’s ears turn increasingly red.

“Director Ji, thank you so much. For taking care of me last night… I think I’m really moved.”

“Ha.”

Ji Youngwon felt dizzy at Yoo Han’s mumbling, which seemed almost delusional. At this point, he wondered if Yoo Han was playing with him. He removed his hand from Yoo Han’s forehead and flicked his forehead. Thwack!

“Ouch?!”

Yoo Han staggered from the stinging impact.

“Stop the nonsense and follow me.”

Ji Youngwon walked past Yoo Han towards the entrance. Yoo Han, rubbing his stinging forehead, hesitantly followed. Damn it hurts… Just before stepping out the door, he took one last longing look at Ji Youngwon’s fortress.

***

Yoo Han nibbled on the boiled egg Gu Kangsan had provided as he absentmindedly took in the scenery passing by the window. Sitting in the back row of the Starex, he was on his way to fulfill a request with the personal family affairs team.

Gu Kangsan, sitting in the front, sent a worried glance back at Yoo Han, who was giggling for no apparent reason.

“Kid.”

“Hehe… Yes?”

“You’ve been laughing like a nutcase the whole time, what’s up with that?”

Both the driver, the bull, and the tiger in the passenger seat glanced back briefly.

“The Director mentioned you were sick? Are you laughing because you’re sick?”

At the mention of ‘Director’ from Gu Kangsan’s mouth, Yoo Han broke into an even bigger grin.

“I was sick, but I’m okay now. But did the Director tell you I was sick?”

“I asked because you weren’t in the office this morning.”

It was only then that Gu Kangsan added with a realization-dawning expression.

“So where have you been then?”

“Ah. I…”

Where had he been… With an embarrassed twist of his body, Yoo Han muttered,

“I slept in the Director’s room.”

“What?”

A peculiar silence fell in the car. Gu Kangsan, the bull, and the tiger blinked rapidly, as if they couldn’t believe their ears. Gu Kangsan asked again.

“…Who’s room did you sleep in?”

“The Director’s room on the fifth floor. How did you know I was sick… He took care of me in his bedroom at night.”

Gu Kangsan’s eyes widened to their maximum, showing the whites all around.

“What, the bedroom?!”

As Gu Kangsan almost shouted, the bull and the tiger exclaimed in unison.

“What did he say?”

“What the heck is this kid talking about?!”

Yoo Han grinned proudly, more amused by their intense reactions.

“I was surprised too. The Director took care of me because I was sick, let me sleep in his room and even nursed me.”

Feeling special, Yoo Han rambled on aimlessly. Gu Kangsan pressed his palm against his forehead as he let out an incomprehensible sigh.

“Kid, what exactly was so wrong with you that you ended up in the Director’s room?”

“Suddenly the electric heater disappeared. I was really sick last night, had a fever and everything. Honestly, I still feel a bit achy… But the Director wiped me down with a towel and gave me medicine, so I’m all better now.”

Gu Kangsan and his subordinates were dumbfounded by the story, rendered speechless. In fact, the electric heater had been removed by the Director’s order, but Yoo Han seemed completely unaware.

“Remember? I asked the manager at the cafe at first. I said, wasn’t the Director actually a warm person underneath, even though he seems cold? The manager said no, but the more I experience, the more I think it’s true.”

Yoo Han shook the eggshell remnants into a plastic bag and smiled shyly again. The bull and the tiger coughed, trying to grasp the situation, while Gu Kangsan shifted his gaze out the window, his mind growing complicated. Even amidst the eerie silence, Yoo Han couldn’t stop bragging about Ji Youngwon’s kindness.

After they arrived at their destination, Gu Kangsan and the dedicated team stepped aside for a smoke. Yoo Han seized the moment to search for a bathroom in a nearby building. The tiger exhaled smoke and called to Gu Kangsan.

“Hey… Mr. Gu.”

“What?”

“About the kid.”

The bull, fiddling with his phone, also turned to look at the tiger.

“Isn’t he a bit off?”

Gu Kangsan, incredulous, replied, “What the heck?”

“No… It’s just, the Director isn’t the type to look after anyone, and yet, every time he opens his mouth, it’s all this improbable sweet talk.”

The tiger chimed in with the bull nodding along.

“Even if it’s true that the Director took care of him, it doesn’t quite add up, does it? Considering the occasional talks with President Sung, he doesn’t seem to discriminate by gender… He might have already had a taste.”

“Yeah. I didn’t even think of that.”

Gu Kangsan smacked the back of their heads in turn. Thwack! Caught off-guard by the sudden pain, the bull and tiger rubbed their heads as if swatting flies. Ah!!

“Those without any moral compass, just look at you talking. This is why I didn’t bring Yoo Han to the dormitory. Get it?”

“Ouch! Damn, that really hurt. My eyes were about to pop out.”

Angrily, the tiger retorted.

“Seriously, Mr. Gu.”

“…”

“Has anyone who’s been dragged into the Director’s bedroom ever come out normal? That blonde chick is still crying and calling the office every so often, isn’t she? And one guy came out half brain-dead. We’re not saying anything untoward, just worried about this bell runner.”

Remembering, the bull clapped his hands.

“Wow. I nearly peed myself when I first joined. The guy came out all bloodied up… If only the bell runner had seen the Director’s fierce eyes, he wouldn’t be talking nonsense about kindness.”

Gu Kangsan stroked his dry chin, overwhelmed. Emboldened, the tiger added,

“Talking about getting wiped down, taking medicine… No matter how you look at it, either this kid’s head is messed up, or the Director has some ulterior motive.”

Damn it. And would you stop hitting us on the head? It’s killing my brain cells. The tiger lit a new cigarette and blew out smoke fiercely.

Back in the days, Gu Kangsan would’ve smacked such insubordinate subordinates dozens of times without a second thought. But now, lost in his thoughts, he just quietly brooded. The tiger’s words were spot-on. Gu had served the Director for over ten years, and knew better than anyone that he was not one to give his heart lightly or make impulsive decisions when it came to personal connections.

Gu Kangsan finished his cigarette with a worried look, stubbed it out with his foot, and considered the two possibilities. Either Yoo Han’s mind had snapped, or the Director had some secret scheme.

“Sigh…”

Gu Kangsan crushed his cigarette and looked up. Yoo Han’s pale face appeared, standing nearby unknowingly.

On the ride back to the building after completing their task, the car, which would usually be filled with casual chat about dinner plans, was eerily silent this time.

“Ahem. Hey, bell runner.”

The tiger, driving, cautiously called out to Yoo Han. Yoo Han, staring blankly out the window, responded, “Huh?”

“I don’t know how much you heard earlier, but don’t spread unnecessary stuff about the Director. You get what I’m saying?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“You heard enough to know.”

Yoo Han rolled his eyes then feigned ignorance.

“Uh… are you talking about people being dragged into the Director’s bedroom? Or that my head’s messed up?”

The bull, seated in the front, turned around with a flustered face.

“Damn, kid. You heard everything, didn’t you.”

Yoo Han looked awkwardly between the worried face of the bull and the back of the tiger’s head.

“I heard it, but I won’t spread it, so don’t worry.”

Just then, Gu Kangsan, seated next to Yoo Han, slapped the bull’s forehead with his palm.

“Hey, you guys. If you talked behind someone’s back, you should apologize first.”

If it had been the usual team, Yoo Han would have been closest to them, and such backtalk would not have occurred. But the bull and tiger, despite being two of the Zodiac, were the ones he was least familiar with. It was only the third time their faces had met due to overlapping requests. From their perspective, this kind of backtalk wasn’t too severe.

“Ah, really. How embarrassing, what an apology…”

The bull rubbed his reddened forehead, grumbling. Just then, the tiger cleverly preempted him from the rearview mirror.

“Hey. If you felt bad, I’m sorry.”

Yoo Han smiled faintly at the rough, awkward apology.

“Thank you.”

Yoo Han nodded easily, surprising the tiger, who flinched. The straightforward response carried an odd charm.

“By the way…”

Actually, Yoo Han didn’t care about the apology. He had been eager to dispel the nagging doubts swirling in his mind.

“Are there that many people who sleep with the Director?”