CRND Ch 4

But Yiho didn’t get the chance to put his resolve into practice. As soon as he arrived at work, he was summoned to HR. The brand-new desk in the development team area remained unoccupied.

“…So, you’re saying he was… fired?”

“Simply put, yes.”

The new hire, Song Junseo, had been fired.

While Yiho was suffering through his nightmare the previous night, a lot had happened.

Song Junseo had gone out for drinks with his fellow trainees to celebrate their department assignments. The DL division, located in Gangnam, was a popular choice, so many envied Junseo. His excitement grew as he recounted the meeting where he was treated respectfully by the other company’s Senior Managing Director.

He and another friend bought more soju and settled on a bench, ignoring their colleagues’ pleas to stop drinking since they had work the next day. Even late at night, the streetlights were bright, and the nearby exercise equipment seemed inviting in their drunken state.

Overcome by alcohol, the two fell asleep on the bench. A few hours later, at dawn, the entire company learned that the location in question was the playground of a nearby elementary school. A security guard on patrol had found them, noticed their employee IDs, and called the company to have them picked up.

As Song Junseo was still on probation, HR fired both of them for violating the company’s code of conduct.

“B-but, they fired him just like that?”

“Team Leader Song, which elementary school is near here?”

The children’s protection zone, which Yiho occasionally passed by, came to mind. It was a private elementary school funded by Taejang.

“Of course they cut him loose immediately.”

“…”

Wow.

Just wow…

Yiho, dumbfounded, trudged back to his desk like a zombie. He ran into Manager Gye on the way, but even he simply shook his head at Yiho and walked away without a word.

When he returned to his desk, everyone looked at him with similar expressions. News about the new hire would naturally spread from the junior employees, so everyone must have known by now. Yiho sank into his chair as if into quicksand.

A message had also arrived. It was from his lab senior who had recommended Song Junseo. He apologized for not being completely honest… he’d thought Junseo would mature after joining a company…

In the asteroid-stricken atmosphere of the development team, Yiho forced a cheerful voice.

“An unexpected incident occurred, but… let’s get to work.”

“Yes.”

“…Yes.”

Taekyeong, his eyes wide, spoke quietly.

“I guess I’ll just be the junior developer for a few more years. I think I can do even better now…”

His words seemed to break the tension, and relieved chuckles rippled through the development team.

Yiho, also bewildered by the unprecedented situation, finally took a deep breath.

From the development team’s perspective, this incident wasn’t about assigning blame, but rather, it was simply incredibly absurd. Something they’d likely never experience again in their careers.

“So… shall we still have the team dinner to cheer up Taekyeong-nim?”

No one objected.

💼

Samgyeopsal sizzled on the grill, the oil spitting and popping. The grill, packed with garlic and bean sprouts alongside the meat, was dominated by Taekyeong, the junior-most member, sitting in the center. He usually volunteered to handle the tongs at team dinners, but today, his seniors wouldn’t let him touch any utensils except his chopsticks and glass. Perfectly grilled meat piled up on Taekyeong’s plate.

“Our team’s average age has gone down, and the atmosphere is so much more lively thanks to Taekyeong-nim.”

“Right. Yesterday, I was reminded of when Taekyeong-nim first joined. It was a tough time for our team, but he really pulled through.”

“Taekyeong-nim is truly a unicorn new hire.”

Yes, yes, they were all right. Someone initiated a toast, glasses filled with a mixture of soju and beer clinking together. As Yiho was about to take a sip, a small voice asked him,

“Team Leader, what… what do you think of me?”

Ah, this had to be answered with complete sincerity.

“I really like you, Taekyeong-nim. I think you’re a great asset to the team. I studied for a long time, so I joined the company around your age, and thinking back to how clueless I was, you’re really mature.”

“Really…”

His gaze, flushed from the heat of the grill, fell to the glass in his hand. Taekyeong was wearing contacts instead of his usual glasses today. His gentle eyes, usually hidden behind thick lenses, blinked.

The sight of his cute team member brought out Yiho’s hidden social skills.

“From now on… if anything bothers you, please talk to me. I’ll help you in any way I can.”

“Yes…!”

Yiho’s face flushed as he uttered the unfamiliar, slightly embarrassing words, facing his junior developer. He still found code a hundred times easier to deal with than people.

It being Friday, the restaurant started to get crowded early in the evening. Smoke from the grills filled the air. Unable to withstand the heat, the team members opened the seats of their drum-like stools and stored their jackets inside. Miso, who had briefly stood up to fold her long cardigan, pointed at the entrance and exclaimed, “Oh!”

Broad shoulders blocked the dimly lit cityscape visible through the sliding door before entering. A group of similarly suited people followed.

“Looks like the marketing team is having their dinner here too.”

A few members who were acquainted with the marketing team waved. Yiho’s eyes met the person at the front of the group. Minkyu’s gaze flickered between Yiho and Taekyeong, noting the close proximity between them. His eyebrows rose slightly. He walked towards the development team’s table and stopped. He placed a hand on Yiho’s shoulder, drawing glances from other tables.

Minkyu’s striking appearance and actions always drew attention. Was this also part of his marketing team leader skills, the ability to amplify everything he did?

“Team Leader Song, would you mind if we joined you? We’re short on seats.”

The development team had booked three tables for nine people, but due to the unfortunate incident, only eight had shown up, so they had plenty of space. There were two empty tables next to them, so combining the tables would be perfect for the marketing team’s ten or so members.

A team dinner with Cha Minkyu? Of course, he’d love that. But… Yiho looked at his team members. Only three or four looked happy; the rest, being the introverted developers they were, already looked uncomfortable. But he couldn’t tell the other team to go away when they were all standing there.

“Let’s gather around, development team. I’ll move over here. Team Leader Cha, you can sit here.”

Yiho gathered his seven team members at two tables and moved to the center table with his food and drinks. Minkyu, understanding his intention, sat across from him. The two team leaders in the center, and their respective teams on either side… it was a seating arrangement that catered to both team dynamics and Song Yiho’s personal bias.

Minkyu immediately took off his jacket. His broad shoulders filled out his shirt. He raised his hand to call a server, the movement stretching his shirt taut across his chest.

“Six servings of samgyeopsal for each of the three tables, and eleven glasses, please.”

New glasses and side dishes were placed on the table. Seeing the sweet pumpkin salad in front of him, Yiho pushed it towards Minkyu. Sweet things were for children. Minkyu, noticing this, took a side dish from the server’s tray and placed the seasoned spinach in front of Yiho.

Then, a beer bottle appeared before Yiho.

“Team Leader Song, let me pour you a drink.”

The beer flowed smoothly into the glass, forming a perfect layer of foam. The bottle was then passed to Minkyu. Yiho filled Minkyu’s glass in return.

Eight parts foam, two parts beer. It looked more like a cotton candy concoction than a beer.

“…Enjoy.”

The unspoken message was, “Why did you ask me to pour it, knowing I’d do this?”

“Thanks to you.”

Minkyu replied casually, then added soju to his glass, dissipating the foam.

“The development team had it rough today.”

Translation: I heard. What a crazy situation.

“That’s not a topic I want to discuss with Team Leader Cha right now.”

Translation: Don’t bring that up. I just managed to erase it from my team’s memory.

“It’s Team Leader Song’s team, so it doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem.”

Translation: Worry about yourself, idiot.

“That’s not necessary. Just drink.”

Translation: Let’s just drink.

Except for the sizzling of meat, conversation had ceased at the table. Minkyu suppressed a laugh as he watched Yiho avoid the topic and focus on drinking.

“Both the development and marketing teams have worked hard in many ways. Would you mind if I filled everyone’s glasses?”

Minkyu asked Yiho. Yiho readily agreed. It was better than him doing it.

“Go ahead.”

“…”

“…”

Minkyu, suppressing the occasional tremor in his shoulders, silently made his rounds.

Then, nearly twenty glasses were raised simultaneously. People clinked glasses and drank. Minkyu, staring intently at Yiho, grinned from behind his round beer glass, his face comically distorted. The beer, touching his lips, scattered some foam into the glass.

What, why is he acting cute in front of everyone? Yiho deliberately avoided Minkyu’s gaze and chugged his drink. His heart raced, and the alcohol coursed through his veins.

The awkward atmosphere created by the two team leaders dissipated as the alcohol flowed, and after the lightweight drinkers left, the remaining members shuffled around and mingled.

“Yiho-nim, are you really a doctor?”

Manager Kim from the development team asked, as if suddenly remembering something.

“Honestly, I was really curious after hearing about it from Minkyu-nim. It made sense why you’re a team leader at your age…”

“Ah… yes. I did a combined Master’s and PhD program, so I graduated a bit early.”

“With those credentials in Korea, wouldn’t you normally pursue a professorship?”

“I… originally planned to, but…”

Yiho paused, then replied calmly.

“My father passed away, so I couldn’t stay in the lab indefinitely. My advisor was understanding and helped me graduate early, so I was able to get a job right away.”

His advisor, who had been involved in industry-academia collaboration with Taejang, had pulled some strings at the company, landing him a good starting position. Thanks to that, he became a team leader at a relatively young age. The only other team leader his age was Cha Minkyu, known for his exceptional performance in another division after graduating early. It was an unusual appointment.

Even though he’d spoken as casually as possible, the topic of his parents inevitably brought a somber mood to the table.

“It’s been a while.”

“You’ve been through a lot.”

And it was the person who had just offered him those simple words of comfort who had helped him through that difficult time.

‘You… go back to work. Why are you still here…’

‘I’ve used up all my vacation days, so it’s fine. Whether I get scolded for not being able to focus on work or for taking time off…’

‘…’

‘I’ll take care of the funeral arrangements, so get some rest and contact your professor when you wake up.’

‘Okay…’

‘Don’t cry… no, never mind. It’s okay. Cry. …Cry as much as you want.’

‘…Sob… ugh…’

After that period, his unrequited love had deepened irrevocably.

“It wasn’t as hard as what you went through.”

Yiho secretly infused his words with the meaning of his unrequited love. To others, it would have sounded like he was referring to the recent tasks assigned by the marketing team.

“Don’t be so dramatic, you handled it well.”

Fortunately, his words lightened the mood again.

A while later, a slightly drunk marketing team member nudged the person next to him.

“You know, Yiho-nim doesn’t really look like a development team leader, does he? Was I the only one who thought that?”

“Huh? Uh… well… does he…?”

“That’s right. I initially thought he was a designer who came to the wrong place.”

Even someone from the development team chimed in.

“But after exchanging just five words with him, I knew he was in the right place.”

“…”

Should he consider this gossip? Yiho rubbed his repeatedly refilled and emptied glass, muttering, “What about me…” He wasn’t completely drunk, but the alcohol had softened his usual bluntness.

“I agree! Yiho-nim is really handsome.”

Taekyeong, his head swaying slightly from the alcohol, suddenly joined the conversation.

“And…”

“Yes?”

Taekyeong fidgeted with the hem of his sweatshirt.

“A fashionista.”

“…?”

He must be really drunk. Laughter rippled through the group.

“That’s true, Yiho-nim’s way of thinking is definitely that of a developer, but how does he have such good fashion sense? It’s amazing.”

“Is that why Manager Jeong was confused?”

“Ah, well, it’s not really me. I don’t choose my clothes myself.”

“So someone gives you advice?”

Minkyu, his tie loosened from the heat of the grill, also seemed slightly tipsy. He looked at Yiho with a sly smile, his eyes crinkling.

“…Yes. I have a friend who’s very interested in that sort of thing.”

“Wow, whoever that friend is, they saved Team Leader Song. You should cherish them forever.”

Every time the seasons changed, Minkyu dragged Yiho to the department store. And when Yiho inevitably stopped at the Polo Ralph Lauren store like a moth to a flame, rummaging through the checked shirts, Minkyu would put his arm around him and lead him to other stores.

Yiho had no reason to refuse clothes chosen by the person he liked. Minkyu had much better taste than him anyway.

“Yiho-nim, was getting your ears pierced also your friend’s advice?”

“No… this was, uh…”

Yiho instinctively touched his earlobe. He hadn’t worn earrings for more than a few months, but the piercing holes remained. Minkyu quietly snorted and took a sip of his drink.

“When I was younger… someone I was dating suggested it, so I got them pierced.”

“You dated someone with terrible taste.”

Deputy Manager Shin from the marketing team blinked, then tried to smooth things over.

“Hey, that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

“It sounds like Team Leader Song was being led around in that relationship. I’m just upset for him.”

“True, I think Yiho-nim would be very accommodating to his girlfriend.”

“…I don’t have strong preferences, so it was easier that way.”

Song Yiho had also been in a relationship where he’d been mostly led around, like the piercing he’d gotten because he couldn’t say no. It was before he fully understood his feelings for Minkyu.

Back then, seeing Yiho fidgeting with his infected piercing, Minkyu had flipped out, yelled at him to take it out immediately, and dragged him to the hospital. He broke up with his girlfriend shortly after.

Anyway, it had been years since his last relationship. So there was no need to discuss his dating history in front of the person he had a crush on…

“Yiho-nim, are you the youngest in your family? Isn’t that typical of guys with older sisters?”

“Oh, no. Can’t you tell just by looking at me? I bet he has an older brother.”

“Why?”

“His name. The older brother would be Ilho (meaning ‘one’ + ‘number’), and the younger brother Yiho (meaning ‘two’ + ‘number’).”

“…I’m an only child.”

Yiho (이호) didn’t mean “two” + “number,” it meant “lake.” Yiho had to explain this after being asked, “Then how is it written in Hanja?” The marketing team’s communication skills were truly exceptional; the usually quiet developers had spoken more tonight than they usually did in a month.

“That’s surprising. What about Taekyeong-nim? He seems like the youngest child type too.”

“I have an older brother.”

“Oh, I think I remember hearing that before.”

The conversation naturally shifted to family. After a round of guessing and revealing each other’s sibling status, it was finally Minkyu’s turn.

“What about Minkyu-nim? I have a feeling he’s an only child.”

“Really?”

“But then again, I also have a feeling he has a lot of siblings.”

The most vocal opinions came from the marketing team, rather than the development team. Even those who had worked with him for years weren’t sure, as Cha Minkyu rarely talked about himself. They seemed excited about the opportunity to glean some hidden information.

The majority guessed he was an only child, citing his characteristic laid-back demeanor. They figured he was spoiled as an only child. Of course, Yiho, knowing the truth, remained silent.

“What do you think, Team Leader Song? Do I seem like an only child?”

“…?”

Why ask me?

“Do you really want to hear my opinion?”

“Yes.”

“…I think you have a younger sibling.”

I was there the day your younger sister was born.

“Team Leader Song has good intuition. I have a younger sister.”

“Wow, your sister must have incredibly high standards. Having someone like Minkyu-nim as her older brother.”

“There’s a significant age gap, so I don’t think she sees me that way. She’s still in school.”

“Wow, the youngest child, then. But still, whether you’re a student or an adult, people have the same standards when judging others.”

“My close friend is quite handsome for a guy, and she likes him more than me, so I guess I’m not her type.”

“Oh, I think I’ve heard about Minkyu-nim’s friend recently… is it the one who owns the rice cake shop?”

“Ah, yes. We’ve been close since high school, best friends who know everything about each other.”

Yiho, about to take a sip of his drink, paused and looked at Minkyu. Why did he keep subtly bringing him up?

“Should we order another bottle? It feels like the last hurrah before next week.”

“Oh, does the marketing team have something going on next week?”

“Yes, we’re preparing for something big.”

Deputy Manager Kang from the marketing team glanced at Minkyu after speaking. Minkyu gave a slight nod, as if to say it was fine for the development team to know.

“We’re having a spring sale for the Ocean series products on our website, and we’ve secured the inventory and good ad placements on portal sites. Do you know who’s hosting the live stream?”

As his voice lowered, everyone leaned in. He mentioned the name of a popular idol who had recently gained popularity through YouTube content.

“Wow, how did you manage to get them?”

“Things have been going well for us lately. When we sent an email to their agency, it just so happened…”

It sounded as if Deputy Manager Kang, not the team leader, was in charge of the marketing team’s project. The reason for this soon became clear.

“Minkyu-nim gave me the lead on this project to gain experience, so I really put my heart into it.”

“Make sure you see it through to the end and add it to your resume.”

Although Minkyu’s voice was his usual blunt self, there was a hint of amusement, indicating things were going according to plan.

At times like this, Yiho felt that Minkyu was much more mature than he was, as he himself still struggled with simple task delegation.

“Please make sure the servers are stable! I have a feeling this is going to be huge. We might get a lot of traffic!”

“It’s not us who keep the servers stable, it’s AWS…”

Fortunately, another developer intercepted the mood-killing remark.

“Then, shall we have a toast to celebrate?”

“Yes!”

The remaining members, now less than ten out of the initial twenty, clinked glasses. Yiho took a small sip and put his glass down. Minkyu, catching his eye, did the same.

The drinking party, which had started after work, finally ended around 11 PM.

💼

“Yiho-niiiim, get home safe…”

“Yes, Taekyeong-nim. Have a good weekend.”

“Yeees…”

Even Taekyeong, who had insisted he was fine – he wasn’t – and had told the others to leave first, was finally put in a taxi. Minkyu, after seeing off his team members, walked over to Yiho and put his arm around his shoulders.

“SongYi, round three?”

“Go.”

Team Leader Song instantly became SongYi. Maintaining sobriety amidst the drunken revelry was quite a feat. The two team leaders, who had paced themselves since the middle of the second round to take care of their teams, were now completely sober.

So, their real drinking party was just beginning. With no one watching, they could finally let loose.

The restaurant alley, which had been packed earlier in the evening, now had plenty of empty tables. The two slowly made their way to a restaurant district on the opposite side of the company and settled at a table by the window of a pojangmacha (street food tent).

“Congratulations on surviving the team dinner, SongYi SongYi.”

“…Yeah, thanks.”

The soju went down smoothly. A server placed a pot of stew and small bowls in front of them.

“It’s already cooked, so you can eat it right away.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Using the arrival of food as an excuse, they emptied another glass. They were both clearly thirsty for more alcohol.

“Hey, Cha Minkyu.”

“Yeah?”

“Why do you keep…”

…bringing me up in front of others, pretending it’s not about me? Are you trying to make it official? Become a company couple?

He wasn’t actually planning to ask. The predictable answer would be something along the lines of, “Because SongYi SongYi’s reactions are amusing,” delivered with Cha Minkyu’s usual verbal dexterity.

“Keep what?”

“…keep not showing me pictures of Minjeong?”

“Ah, she’s been so disobedient lately. I’ve given her everything she wants, but she won’t even let me take pictures.”

Minkyu scrolled through his photo album and showed Yiho his phone. The name tag on the little girl, wearing a backpack almost as big as herself, read “Moi Elementary School 1st Grade Cha Minjeong.”

It was his younger sister, the one he’d said was still in school. The “still” part was slightly misleading. Minjeong had just started school this March.

Looking at the picture brought back memories. He’d first learned about Minjeong at a pojangmacha like this, sitting across from Minkyu. They’d been sitting closer to the entrance back then.

Back then, she didn’t even have the name Minjeong, she was just “Little One.”

Minkyu had started working right after graduation. Around the same time, Yiho had started graduate school. While Minkyu was busy with job searching and interviews, a long gap had formed between the two, who had been practically inseparable throughout their teens.

Much later, Minkyu had finally broken the silence in their chat group at the start of a new semester. He’d finished his training, been assigned to a department, and since his company wasn’t far from the university, he suggested they meet up. Even after weeks of silence in the chat group, Minkyu acted as if they’d just seen each other yesterday.

His reaction was very different from Yiho’s, who had been startled by the message, rushed to wash his hair in the communal shower he usually avoided, and even borrowed a hat because he wasn’t satisfied with how his hair looked.

As Yiho arrived at their meeting place and was about to ask Minkyu where he was, the chair opposite him was pulled back.

‘Song Yiho.’

Minkyu plopped down. He placed his backpack beside him, loosened his tie, looked at Yiho, and grinned. His forehead, revealed as he pushed his hair back, was smooth.

‘What did you order? I’m starving.’

His voice and tone were definitely Minkyu’s. But Yiho had no data on this version of Minkyu.

A scent of cologne wafted from Minkyu’s hand as he took the menu Yiho offered. Yiho involuntarily leaned closer, following the scent, then quickly pulled back when Minkyu looked at him quizzically.

‘Did you develop a hunchback from being a developer? I’ll just order the set.’

‘…Okay…’

From the moment they met in high school, Minkyu had always been more eloquent than Yiho. That day was no different. The stories he shared about his life outside of school were more fascinating than any new algorithm. Cha Minkyu, the employee, had a desk at Taejang Electronics, a large corporation, he received a salary, he attended group meetings with other company employees…

‘…Are company meetings different from the ones we had in college?’

‘They’re similar, but more serious, I guess. In college, most people just want to have fun for a day. But there, many are determined to find a partner. So they’re very forward.’

‘Ah…’

‘I don’t mean it in a bad way. It’s just… different.’

Minkyu suddenly felt distant. Or rather, it felt like he had suddenly grown taller. Come to think of it, their height difference hadn’t been this significant when they first met, but now it was almost half a handspan. His jawline seemed sharper too…

‘Song Yiho, how have you been?’

‘Me? Well…’

Lab, home, lab, home. Occasionally, the boxing gym… He was trying to figure out how to make that sound even remotely interesting when Minkyu’s phone rang. Minkyu apologized and turned away to answer the call.

His initial casual tone, “Yeah, what’s up?”, gradually became more serious.

‘What are you talking about? …Really? You’re not kidding, right? Sigh…’

His already serious expression crumpled.

‘No… okay. I’ll go to the hospital now.’

Hearing that, Yiho knew it was something serious.

He stood up and paid for their half-eaten meal. He watched Minkyu, still on the phone, gather his jacket and bag, then went outside to hail a taxi.

‘Cha Minkyu, which hospital?’

‘Ah…’

Minkyu briefly lowered his phone and gave him the address in a subdued voice.

‘Okay… okay, I’m on my way. Just… let’s talk when I get there.’

The call ended shortly after they got into the taxi. Minkyu’s face was so grim that Yiho couldn’t bring himself to ask what had happened. The taxi ride to the large hospital was silent. As they arrived, Minkyu seemed to snap out of his daze and handed his card to the driver. As they walked through the hospital lobby, Yiho hesitantly asked,

‘Hey, what… what happened?’

‘I think, ah, wait a minute. Excuse me, where’s the obstetrics and gynecology ward?’

‘What?’

Obstetrics and gynecology?

Before Yiho could even question what he’d heard, Minkyu started running in the direction indicated by the staff member. Yiho ran after him, his vision blurring. The white hospital walls seemed to ripple and engulf him.

Cha Minkyu, who had said he was at a company meeting.

Cha Minkyu, who had been popular with girls in college.

Cha Minkyu, who had seemed so much more mature lately.

And when he put all that together with “obstetrics and gynecology,” a certain assumption formed. Yiho covered his mouth with his hand.

No way.

‘…’

It was an unrequited love he hadn’t planned to act on. But he didn’t want it to end like this. If he’d known, if he’d had some warning, if he’d known Cha Minkyu would be connected to someone else like this…

His steps slowed, then stopped. He decided to run, to avoid hearing the presumed truth.

Hey, Cha Minkyu, I’m not going…

‘Mom!’

Just then, Minkyu flung open the door to a hospital room, yelling,

“Mom’s forty-four! Her son is twenty-five! What pregnancy at this age?!”

Huh?

…Huh?

The world, which had been tilting precariously, abruptly stopped, reversed, and regained its balance. Yiho stumbled towards the hospital room where Minkyu had disappeared. Inside, a couple who resembled Minkyu sat. They looked so young that Yiho would have mistaken them for an older brother and sister if Minkyu hadn’t called the woman “Mom.”

As all the pieces finally clicked into place, Yiho’s legs gave way, and he slumped to the floor.

“Huh? Hey, hey. Song Yiho!”

“…”

“Oh my, Minkyu’s friend? You must have scared him with your shouting.”

“What? Really? Hey, sorry… but he’s not usually so easily startled.”

“You’re Yiho? My son talks about you a lot.”

It was the day Yiho met Cha Minkyu’s entire family at once: Cha Minkyu, his parents, and the sibling yet to be born.

“But SongYi SongYi, why did you faint back then?”

Because I thought you got another woman pregnant.

The shock of that day was still vivid. He drained his glass, the liquid sloshing to hide the trembling of his hand.

“…I thought something serious had happened since you rushed to the hospital like that.”

“Ah… well, you weren’t wrong. I wasn’t in my right mind back then. And now you know about my parents.”

The next day, at the same pojangmacha, Minkyu had bought him drinks and recounted his story with a heavy heart.

“My parents got pregnant with me in high school. Both our families were relatively well-off, so they just decided to get married quickly.”

But they were too immature to handle the responsibility, and with his grandparents raising Minkyu, there was no pressure for them to grow up. They were more like an older brother and sister than parents, Minkyu had said.

They loved Minkyu, their son, but they were permissive parents, lacking in discipline and hierarchy.

After that, Yiho had seen many new sides of Minkyu. Since that day, Minkyu had lowered one of the walls he’d kept between them.

“Think about it. Now that my grandparents can’t help out anymore, if my sibling is born, wouldn’t they become my responsibility? I seriously thought I was going to be a father at twenty-five.”

“…That’s understandable.”

Fortunately, his parents, now in their forties, were better than they had been when raising Minkyu, but… people didn’t change easily.

Still, Cha Minkyu adored his much younger sibling. He’d even stopped dating since Minjeong became old enough to understand the conversations around her.

Minkyu tilted the soju bottle over Yiho’s glass. The alcohol poured with a steady glug, glug, glug, and he smoothly withdrew the bottle without spilling a drop. The glass was filled to the perfect level.

Yiho held out his hand, and Minkyu passed him the bottle. Yiho filled Minkyu’s glass in return. He tried to imitate Minkyu’s smooth pour, but the soju overflowed slightly, forming a small dome.

“Cheers.”

Minkyu, unfazed by the overflowing glass, raised it. Their glasses met in the middle with a clink. Some of the spilled soju from Minkyu’s glass flowed into Yiho’s, creating ripples. Cha Minkyu drained his glass without a hint of displeasure and quietly set it down.

Cha Minkyu, the intern, had once seemed so mature, but now, seeing him act younger than Kwon Taekyeong, the junior developer, made Yiho want to laugh.

And even now, past their mid-twenties, with the same job title and considered adults, Song Yiho still felt that Minkyu was much more of a grown-up. This thought, which would probably seem ridiculous when they reached their forties, was also part of his long-standing unrequited love.

“…You’re usually the one doing the entertaining at meetings, right?”

“Why, Team Leader Song, do you want to be wined and dined by me?”

A playful nudge brushed against his foot. Yiho inhaled sharply, the alcohol suddenly making him dizzy.

“How do you do it? Show me.”

The alcohol fueled his boldness. Minkyu chuckled and picked up the soju bottle.

“Anyone can be polite. To stand out, you need to evoke emotions that move the other person.”

Having attended a few external meetings himself, Yiho understood what he meant.

“Respect, affection, romantic interest. If you don’t verbalize it, they all look the same on the surface. Find something you can emulate. In my case, I treat them like a lover. A very difficult and demanding lover, that is.”

Unlike how he’d poured for his friend, Minkyu held the bottle with both hands, offering it to Yiho. As Yiho raised his glass, Minkyu tilted the bottle. The pour stopped precisely at the 70% mark, just like before.

“I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve been wanting to meet you, Team Leader Song.”

“…Me? Why?”

“You’re famous as a developer, but also as the DL division’s top…”

He paused for a moment, his gaze piercing Yiho’s.

“…baby-faced beauty.”

“You’d say something like that?”

“Of course not. I’d be in handcuffs if I did.”

Minkyu’s voice returned to its usual casual tone.

“But if I meet someone stiff like SongYi, I start with something ridiculous to lighten the mood. I don’t do well in overly formal settings.”

Minkyu grinned and topped off Yiho’s still-full glass. The liquid formed a dome, held by surface tension.

“That earlier pour was for business, this one is for a friend.”

“…Isn’t the friend version worse?”

“You pour as much as you love, right?”

“…?”

Minkyu’s gaze, which had been lowered towards the bottle, now met Yiho’s.

“The glass is much smaller than my love, SongYi.”

Just as he’d said, it was an unexpected attack. The light reflected on the surface of the alcohol trembled like Yiho’s gaze.

If this were a business meeting, Yiho would have signed any contract Minkyu offered, regardless of the content.

“…Stop saying weird things.”

“Okay. That reaction means I succeeded.”

“…”

Ah, so this was why their company had record profits last year. Because of Cha Minkyu in the marketing team, because Cha Minkyu was leading the charge. His bonus was all thanks to Cha Minkyu.

As much as you love.

The words Yiho could never utter became a joke, accompanied by Minkyu’s brief smile.

‘You bastard.’

Yiho could already picture his future self, falling asleep while searching for oversized luggage fees and plane tickets to the Netherlands.

Minkyu offered him his glass, and it was Yiho’s turn to pour. Like a carelessly poured drink, it was a night threatening to overflow.