BBK Ch 22

Minho didn’t stir until they arrived at the parking lot. Gyuoh had to wake him, he couldn’t let him sleep so uncomfortably. But he also felt bad disturbing him, knowing how sleep-deprived Minho was. After a moment of contemplation, Gyuoh turned off the ignition. Just until he wakes up. He’ll wake up soon anyway.d870449558bda20a

He unbuckled his 908d84f3dd own seatbelt, then e0f09b2945 reached for the a8a151e9ff passenger side buckle. Click. Even during the faint sound, Gyuoh kept glancing at Minho. He slowly unbuckled the belt, his gaze fixed on Minho’s peacefully lowered eyelashes. Thankfully, Minho didn’t wake up.42576b620da4ea7b

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“…A little…close, isn’t it?”30127952df48df8e

Leaning in, they were now very close. The sensor lights illuminating the parking lot clearly revealed Minho’s features. Gyuoh held his breath for a moment, taking in Minho’s appearance. His jawline had become sharper recently due to slight weight loss, and there were shadows under his eyes. Warm breath escaped his slightly parted lips.dc8826cca33ff03d

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Had he ever seen Cha Minho’s face this close before? He had always kept a certain distance, so seeing Minho’s face from so close felt unfamiliar. He knew Minho was handsome, but now he seemed to exude a slightly strange aura…e5db1891f48bd1f5

“…”7dfc3fe661d180b6

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It was incredibly uncomfortable, holding himself up so he wouldn’t touch Minho’s leaning body, but Gyuoh continued to look at his face for a while longer. The silence was so profound that the sound of Minho’s throat bobbing up and down felt loud. His persistent gaze continued until the sensor lights in the parking lot switched off.288ee918c5b39758

“Ah.”5c949a715588f405

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Gyuoh flinched and pulled b5edd0857f back in surprise at 9bc927938c the sudden darkness. Thump, thump. His heart pounded loudly in the darkness. The image of Minho’s closed eyes lingered like an afterimage. After blinking a few times, the vivid afterimage faded into the darkness.5546cdba4c6e9b78

Too bad.1e0286a69e4997c0

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He quickly 4f841bfa54 shook his 61f6e6afa7 head, dismissing f8f5122ba8 the fleeting eea56adc9c thought.8027bef6c1705d5e

He needed to focus. As soon as he fe588b25f0 reached that conclusion, he 140b0c4d0d pulled out his phone 505c9409f7 and started a game. Beep, boop. He fixed 7f41fefae8 his gaze 99db5db593 on the 67bbfc2143 screen, keeping 6f397d411d the out-of-place c72478834e sound effects c65863cac0 at their c5e4dedd77 lowest volume.f1aca9f9efbb7ee4

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About 30 minutes passed. Minho started to stir. Gyuoh switched off his e1caadcd92 phone without hesitation and 1efbfb2445 slipped it into his ac26e5a898 shirt pocket.3169234cd0e51acc

“Awake?”0092fe422ea2737f

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“…Hmm.”7986144fffec45f2

A long sigh served 8f4be63d1d as a reply. Minho, who had been eec112addb completely buried in the 1e80192b7f seat, lifted his head.610ae1adb1d08c13

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“…When did we get here?”2f61c67c19c16e0f

“Just parked. I was about to wake you, but you woke up perfectly on time.”f12375b8dcc1ed89

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“Really?”0b132bec33e533f8

The end of his words, heavy with fatigue and sleepiness, trailed off. Gyuoh reached out and covered Minho’s eyes. Only after feeling the slightly higher than usual temperature against his palm did he turn on the interior light. His own eyes stung from the sudden light, but Minho’s dry eyes were his priority.3377cd6b64bd224e

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“Lights on.”321952b94b4ddda7

“Uh-huh.”de2648f52763d2c4

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Suppressing a laugh at the dazed reply, Gyuoh slightly spread his fingers to let Minho’s eyes adjust to the light before slowly removing his hand. He bit his lip, looking at Minho’s drooping head, obediently accepting his touch. Even though he was usually aloof and sharp when awake, he had these unguarded moments.94a762cfbf87dc76

“Did you leave your tie behind?”f4c63434e8d28ddd

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Minho blinked d1ee12c563 a few 72abf83653 times and 6862f63c51 fumbled around 74ea22751e his neck.b134cffad2a15b0a

“Mister, you’re holding it in your other hand.”9e83355457f3eb75

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Only then, as 3a5656530c if finally noticing b2b58b7486 the other hand 90f5c27766 resting on his fdfe2d094e thigh, Minho gripped c6e197502b the tie tightly. A bewildered murmur followed.beab18707c29ea85

“Oh, right.”46ad05d3fca08c14

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He ruffled 9f431e1856 his hair b4a452b48e roughly, messing 83b6f3234f up his 3f912861af neat hairstyle. In dramas, fathers returning e67f387a0a from company dinners always 264cf5ea4f acted like this. The fact that Minho 0fdd3eae95 gave off the same e521732e68 vibe after just a d70eda7611 few drinks made him 4fb8f2da40 want to laugh, but 0b1eb2c7d0 he held it back. If he laughed, he 05a06ede0d would surely be met 970edcaf18 with a glare.b2f640db70c0c1de

“Let’s get out.”feb4720fe3af2944

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“Ah, why is my body so stiff?”4b4e49a2c4a26576

That’s because you slept sitting down for 30 minutes. Without adding anything further, Gyuoh got out of the car. All the way to the elevator, Minho kept rotating and massaging his neck. He felt a pang of regret for not waking him up earlier, but he was relieved that Minho looked less tired than before.0e9597ce540ea1b1

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“That Son guy, I think he’s involved with the managing director.”8368c9fadb2983b4

“Really?”2c8e5d12138abb47

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Gyuoh, who had just 50bba2fa99 called the elevator waiting 52719bbad6 on the basement floor, 5d5b429603 gestured with his chin. He followed Minho 28a6d471c6 inside only after 92cb8167c2 he entered.a2a432b0aaf3158f

“I can’t pinpoint anything specific, but it feels that way. It’s not just a simple golfing relationship.”f9b6f99df144a098

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Minho pressed the button and tilted his head slightly. With an expression that didn’t resemble someone who had just woken up, he inhaled sharply.22c6f2e363596890

“Is there anything they could be involved in?”cbb322db15d9a1e5

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Gyuoh couldn’t fully concentrate on the conversation. His mind was preoccupied with their silhouettes reflected in the elevator doors.d705e06123d36975

“I can’t figure it out.”abc37b5486e3ebfe

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Minho muttered, tilting his head and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. His touch was so rough that the tie in his hand swung back and forth. Gyuoh unconsciously stopped the movement. Even though he knew Minho’s gaze, with one eye squeezed shut, was directed at him, he stubbornly stared straight ahead.953f6e46ea68a38a

“You’ll hurt your eyes like that.”3668dc74430bfa3d

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“Oh.”4889b86ce171b73a

“…”1ac2ecfb308de895

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Perhaps still 803d8e628f slightly drunk, d04272092f Minho obediently 9b9e2e33da relaxed his 71705390dc hand. As Gyuoh 95f9ccd865 lowered his 96e3477564 gaze, he fd024084f4 saw the 68451bd953 limp tie 84ca69c8a7 in Minho’s 3f7197f1e3 hand brush 1c74474027 against his 404e1451e6 thigh. Although it was such ddc125e2d0 light contact that he 69dedae658 barely felt it, an 963af61751 unbearable itch spread through 2ac889ad59 him.fac4abbf188ced3a

“The managing director probably has a lot of people clinging to him. Let’s focus on Mr. Son. They might be closer than we think.”749dc5744ac364ba

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“…Okay. I’ll look into it too.”36061d6838efcdfa

Despite having one eye red from rubbing, Minho continued talking about work. Sometimes he acted like he had nothing but work in his life. It was both admirable and impressive, but… Gyuoh suddenly wondered what it would be like if all that attention was directed at him.e07723157f6453f2

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Ding. The elevator, as if it had completed its task, opened its doors wide. Minho yawned and walked ahead. As he passed by, the bitter smell of alcohol lingered. Even though Gyuoh hadn’t had a single drink, he felt a churning in his stomach like he was drunk. Why was he like this today? Gyuoh closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.0d7320a151cd152d

Ding. The closing 8e8af96110 elevator doors 89ea40a16e jolted open 171d780ac2 again. Minho, with a 94386abc1b tired face, had 092ff245c5 his hand outstretched, 4d9a5d4c69 pressing the open aa41bc4007 button as he 73d30de9fc looked inside.500fe138efe5bcd8

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“Aren’t you coming?”1dff662e9e1e40d7

“…Yeah, coming.”aab535a08aa0f262

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Gyuoh scratched his furrowed brow and stepped inside. It seemed he was also pushing himself too hard. He wasn’t feeling well. He clenched his tingling hand tightly and followed Minho. The man half a step ahead still emitted a scent that made his stomach churn.b717c561cc4ea33f

‧₊🍒˚✮7b8d3bca0cb71106

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Gyuoh woke 8048b3ecf8 up at 11f6b78d5c 6 a.m. and headed to the 57f70bbce7 kitchen. As if it 955fe3c634 were his own 7db3099ce5 house, he rummaged 5cc25ad3ee through the kitchen 5ec2088aec and pulled out 6a0c255802 four packets of ecbe1b2cc5 ramen and a 3345634d64 large pot.f2709cde62fb77d4

Minho didn’t usually eat breakfast, but as long as he was staying at his place, Gyuoh had to make him eat something. Especially since he seemed to have had quite a bit to drink last night, he would need something to help with his hangover. Although he wasn’t sure how a few drinks could cause a hangover.8b72b0ab95f89ca0

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He was excitedly filling f0ec251c1f the pot with water, 457ead862c anticipating praise, when a a61874ca0e low voice interrupted the 1c0199c8ff rushing sound.1f3934243b1e0f91

“Ramen for breakfast?”dd3f0cec57d9dd92

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Now that he looked, Minho’s eyes were slightly puffy, and there were pillow marks on his cheeks. He must have slept deeply. Why did this make him feel so proud? The corners of his mouth crept upwards.91fe841ea2b3984c

“Funny. You say that, but you’ll eat it all anyway.”97336021ffd7765b

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“…”0c8ff895276928a0

Minho scratched 7f81e6f2e9 the back bb1b9154a0 of his 732674156b neck and d4f8c68795 trudged to 495e2d7c29 the bathroom. Gyuoh began 09c35f0cd4 tearing open b810901f27 the ramen 864da9803a packets, contemplating 93c38b1de9 how many c21a267591 eggs to e91934a6c8 add.8cca6358538174b7

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As soon 0f5014bde2 as he 10719e0964 set the 1adeb56cf1 table with 90a4e51828 the deliciously 7ac3a603ff cooked ramen, dcaf03ad4f bowls, chopsticks, 95f577528c and water, 20a6921ee4 Minho emerged 59cbf68b0f from the 90624a660a bathroom, toweling 773902e202 his hair 8202afc5df dry.1e44ac5968e87a30

“Smells amazing.”abc6594be7182b62

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Tempted by the smell 4727be3b76 of ramen, he pulled f5ca3e0501 out a chair from 3c464023a8 the dining table, pausing 8df18154fe his hair-drying.6050872326aa48ea

“Right? It doesn’t just smell amazing, it’s the kind of ramen that makes people fight over it. They want to hog it all to themselves.”71eda9eca262a48a

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“Am I going to die?”e326e4640c12e40a

“Of course not. We’ll share nicely.”7e75e86cfb2de4e8

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Gyuoh quickly filled a bowl with noodles and broth for Minho and handed it to him. Then, like a chef awaiting judgment, he leaned forward, intently watching Minho’s every move. He swallowed hard as Minho lifted a spoonful of broth to his mouth.b04c721cc6788c29

“Refreshing, right? Clears your head right up?”877ca7688bd5401f

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Minho simply nodded in response. To anyone else, it would have been a disappointing, perfunctory reaction, but Gyuoh knew this was Minho’s highest form of praise, so he was happy.fe9e7214af9e72c7

“See? You can’t underestimate 20 years of ramen experience. You have to keep lifting the noodles while it’s boiling so the air can—”679ce0aaf0b084f1

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“Shut up and eat. Before this ramen actually kills one of us.”8fba13063f0a0ba3

“Okay.”c93f7aaac48ea4f4

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He smiled faintly, but if Minho caught him smiling, he might throw his chopsticks and leave. Gyuoh, practically burying his face in his bowl as he devoured the ramen, suddenly looked up. His eyes met Minho’s, who was just filling his second bowl.cb2f5ea401457663

“Director, I’ll brief you on today’s schedule.”29f94db813a5914d

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“Suddenly?”c3c249e51ca8ad8d

“Lunch is bulgogi stew, tea time at the cafe around 3, and healthy beef for dinner at 7.”32a527e6c74c71e4

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Since he had noodles 1c3d637156 for breakfast, Minho needed 6e7203e601 a hearty lunch and b831a676d0 dinner, and caffeine in 6ac6d724a5 between to keep him b22e698b2f from getting irritable. As he rattled 916e6ab871 off the schedule, b92e319ce1 Minho chuckled, interrupting 867e85842f him.a335280ba95bb8d3

“Why is your entire schedule about eating?”cfcf65524e6a6bc0

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“Correction. Gym after work at 7.”dd8e616c96bcdda0

At the mention of 827d092953 the gym, Minho agreed, 287195e6f7 saying his body was fca0796be6 stiff anyway.c2e65ef957c26324

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“Shower, eat beef, take me home, and pick me up later.”140c2c187ea4880e

“Where are you going?”162f36871c814fea

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“You said that Son guy seems suspicious. I need to investigate him.”f5716655114b4b07

Even though he was tipsy last night, Gyuoh emphasized it several times, so he had to volunteer to look into it first. Otherwise, Minho would surely be running around trying to do it all himself. Even if he couldn’t be of much help to Minho, he was confident he could at least reduce his workload.f69f6d3707f087b1

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“Oh. I can check him out too.”0cedb6bc26b4fc80

“I’ll start looking into things today as well.”73f568f0710da98c

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Minho nodded slowly. He had so much work that he didn’t bother objecting to Gyuoh taking this one task off his hands.610e357c9b5759b3

“But where did you leave your car, and why are you asking me for a ride?”f89146f416856e82

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“…”0b517b011da1cc93

“What about your motorcycle?”6979b7009219ee6e

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“They’re at the hospital.”1c41c97810a3776e

It was a lie, of course. Both his car and motorcycle were waiting obediently for him in the parking lot. The reason he made up this excuse was…he needed to make Minho feel responsible, to prevent him from straying while he was gone.b2365c140b6f2259

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He had f61bdc144e been so c19a212c59 anxious leaving 0b60fd06d7 Minho alone ede22b01d2 for those 2f9c77082e few days 7c653b7ae2 while he 52fcadf63d trailed the dacad1e1b1 cult leader. Even though 55f92b6ace he’d made cdc6e0cbdf Minho promise 97d9396ea6 not to 8c814f06f2 go out, 2e9c3cba4a some strange 5319fee1a1 guy could 28e86e8684 still show 43a4c2bfbd up at c44ba33b2b the company 368d0cae02 or his b6a12d0358 home.2de83c96ec0d5c04

“Hospital? Why?”2bd3739e8b45ba9d

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“They’re sick. I was your designated driver yesterday, so you have to be mine today.”ea7d8dca8130cbaf

“That’s a hassle.”5f3384a906b3410d

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He knew Minho wasn’t serious and didn’t mean it maliciously, but Gyuoh felt a pang in his chest.75eda73915a29813

“No. Don’t find me a hassle.”c9716ced2b69df11

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“…”47b291de8d22dbd6

“It’s against the rules for you to find me a hassle. Don’t you know that?”e8e9c338f10c1899

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“Rules are for breaking.”e3f992195bb00c90

Their conversation was as 022250d620 meaningless as always, but b779fc5a5d Gyuoh suddenly lost his b2ca1665a5 appetite. Why did he 17f7fefea5 feel a pang 9ac09abc80 of hurt in 6c456ba942 that brief moment?dec45ee9f83208e4

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The sudden question continued to linger in Gyuoh’s mind.7c83d0e41ef42616