USU Ch 4

I was left speechless, utterly lost in a daze. Two years of high school, four years of college, and about three years since graduation. Over that time, countless people had crossed paths with me and Seo Kijoon, yet no one had ever caught wind of the truth.

Perhaps back in the tumultuous days of high school, when I first began to realize how much I liked him, it might have been different. But since then, I had become quite adept at keeping my emotions in check. I wasn’t one to wear my heart on my sleeve to begin with, and my face rarely betrayed what I felt.

Even among the group we hung out with in high school, not a single soul had picked up on my burning affection. If anything, whenever Seo Kijoon or I received confessions from others, we’d get teased to just date already. Yet, even without dating, not a shred of suspicion ever arose that I might be into guys.

Yeah, that’s who I was.

So how, after all this time, could I be found out so easily? Why? Had I done something yesterday to make Seo Gihyun suspicious? Seo Kijoon had probably introduced me to his brother as just a friend and maybe a fling. I hadn’t done anything yesterday to cross that line, either.

No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t recall anything suspicious I’d done. Was he testing me? Or maybe just messing around?

If so, then I hadn’t really been found out. Without concrete evidence, I could deny it as much as I wanted. I widened my eyes, then threw a question back at him.

“You’re ridiculous. Why would you even think that?”

But it seemed that was well within Seo Gihyun’s expectations. There wasn’t a trace of surprise or doubt on his face as he looked down at me. Just like when he’d high-fived Min Sua earlier, Seo Gihyun leaned slightly toward me. His massive frame cast a large shadow over me, or so it felt.

Bringing his lips close to my ear, Seo Gihyun asked in a low voice, “I heard you’re the boss.”

The heat of his breath made the hairs on my neck stand on end. I involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath. If I turned my head even slightly, our lips would meet.

Just like yesterday.

“Is it okay to talk about it here?”

No, that wouldn’t do. Judging by how far he was pushing, he clearly had something on me, but I couldn’t tolerate exposing the feelings I’d so desperately hidden.

Just then, Min Sua, who’d finished briefing Lee Hayeon on some basic tasks, was walking toward us. As expected, Lee Hayeon, with her prior experience as a café manager, seemed to grasp the work with exceptional ease and skill.

“We’re about to open,” she said.

It was already eleven o’clock.

“Got it,” I replied.

“Are you going inside, boss?” Min Sua asked, glancing at Seo Gihyun. She probably assumed that with customers arriving, he’d leave. I wasn’t feeling great anyway and had only planned to show my face briefly. Seo Gihyun, though, was an unexpected guest.

“Yeah, call me if anything comes up.”

With Min Sua and Lee Hayeon’s polite farewells to take care, I stepped outside the café. Parked right in front was Seo Gihyun’s car, the same one I’d seen yesterday, instantly recognizable.

I didn’t know what he was scheming, but the fact that he’d gone out of his way to come here on a Saturday morning left me dumbfounded. I let out a hollow laugh. At that small sound, Seo Gihyun’s sharp senses caught it, and he turned his head toward me.

“It’s a bit early, but wanna grab lunch? Like Chinese?”

I hadn’t eaten breakfast and had rushed to work, so his suggestion was somewhat welcome. I recalled the fancy fine dining we’d gone to yesterday. He didn’t seem like the type to take me somewhere cheap.

“Sure.”

“Great.”

With that, Seo Gihyun rounded the hood and headed for the driver’s seat.

Just before he got in, our eyes met, and he flashed a grin. Oh, right. That face. The one I’d seen when I’d opened my legs for Seo Gihyun, when he’d thrust himself inside me, or when we’d shared my first kiss.

So many times, I’d thought of Seo Kijoon while looking at him. I’d wished it was Seo Kijoon kissing me, not Seo Gihyun. Mixing my body with his while harboring those feelings—there was no way someone as perceptive as him wouldn’t have figured me out.

In the end, it was that face, identical to Seo Kijoon’s, that gave me away. It was a perfectly reasonable suspicion.

＊＊＊

The place Seo Gihyun took me to was an upscale Chinese restaurant about thirty minutes away by car. We handed the car to the valet and walked inside. A quick glance at the parking lot told me it was already packed.

Was there even a table available? Had he made a reservation? Those thoughts crossed my mind when a staff member recognized Seo Gihyun’s face and immediately called for the manager. Seo Gihyun spoke smoothly, though with a slight air of condescension.

“I’d like a private room.”

“Right this way, sir.”

His demeanor suggested he was accustomed to giving orders. Only then did it hit me that I was here with the executive director of LS Corporation.

“Mind if I order?”

The question carried an unspoken certainty that I’d go along with his suggestion. It was subtly different from Seo Kijoon’s blatant self-centeredness, revealing a distinct personality.

While we ate Peking duck and chatted about trivial things, it wasn’t until the tea was served to cleanse our palates that he finally got to the point. His tone was endlessly kind, almost patronizing.

“Gyeom, I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I’m pretty perceptive.”

It seemed my nickname had officially become “Gyeom.”

“Our father—well, the CEO of LS—isn’t exactly the type to go easy on his kids.”

The sudden dive into personal matters caught me off guard, but I decided to listen closely.

“When Kijoon and I were in ninth grade, our parents got divorced. Things got complicated, and Kijoon, who was studying abroad in Vienna, came back to Korea.”

I first met Seo Kijoon in our second year of high school when we were in the same class. I’d known of his striking presence since our first year, though.

“Unlike me, who came back to Korea in elementary school, Kijoon spent more time overseas and always missed his family. The news of our parents’ divorce must’ve been a shock. He even quit piano altogether back then to rebel.”

Right. That’s why I was so surprised when I later heard he’d gone to a music college and had swept first place in all sorts of competitions as a kid. He never once mentioned piano in high school.

“Anyway, after that, Father expected me to carry Kijoon’s share as well. Even now, he’s not the type to hand over the group easily, so starting from an internship wasn’t exactly a cakewalk.”

In other words, his rise to executive director was entirely due to his own ability.

“Climbing the ladder isn’t just about being skilled. Luck matters, but so does being perceptive.”

“…”

“And I’m especially sharp, even among perceptive people.”

So that’s how he figured out my feelings for Seo Kijoon?

Seo Gihyun was brimming with confidence. At this point, denying it felt like a futile repetition. I wasn’t one to waste energy or emotions on pointless things.

“Fine. I like Kijoon.”

It was the first time in over a decade I’d spoken my true feelings aloud.

“But what are you offering to help with, exactly?”

I added coldly. He’d know it wasn’t a genuine question about his methods. It was just sarcasm. So what if I like him? What could you possibly do to help?

But he countered as if he had a trump card up his sleeve.

“How much do you like him?”

The unexpected question made me frown. What’s he getting at? But Seo Gihyun’s face was deadly serious.

“How much did you like him?”

“Is that important right now?”

“Yeah.”

His casual response made my neck stiffen. Not only had he barged into my workplace uninvited, forced me to confront feelings I didn’t want to admit, but now he was digging into my dusty past.

It was humiliating and infuriating. Being pushed like this made me feel like my feelings were being tested. I didn’t even know why I had to explain it all.

My tone turned sharp.

“Cut the crap and say what you mean. What do you want to hear?”

Seo Gihyun let out a sigh.

“Like I said earlier, Gyeom, I’m not here to attack you. I’m here to help.”

“So what the hell does that mean…!”

“You look like you need help with your love life.”

“…”

Only then did the tangled mess in my head start to unravel, like a taut string snapping. Seo Gihyun’s intentions, hidden like something behind a fog, finally became clear.

Noticing I’d caught on, he chuckled and took a sip of his tea.

“If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t have looked at me so desperately, right?”

He was talking about when we kissed. That moment when I got caught up staring at his face, so like Seo Kijoon’s, wishing it was Kijoon instead, tangling tongues with that faint hope. Seo Gihyun, sharp as ever, had seen that longing in my fevered eyes and uncovered the feelings I’d buried deep.

I shouldn’t have let it show. How could I have gotten so caught up in someone who wasn’t even Seo Kijoon, just a lookalike?

The shame of having my desperation exposed to Seo Gihyun burned. My hands, resting on my thighs, clenched into fists. My gaze dropped, and I saw my arms trembling faintly.

“Gyeom.”

But whether I reacted or not, Seo Gihyun just kept that soft curve on his lips.

“If you don’t show you like someone, how will they ever know? He’s not a mind reader.”

Says the guy who figured it out. His calm demeanor only made me feel more played. Both he and Kijoon were infuriatingly flippant.

“I never asked him to know.”

“Ha.”

Seo Gihyun let out a light scoff at my stubbornness.

“So you don’t want to date him?”

“…”

“From what I saw, you were desperate to have him.”

Does he think he knows my heart better than I do? Seo Gihyun still looked smug and relaxed.

If he’d come just because he found it amusing that someone had been pining for his twin brother for years, I’d be pissed. Pretending to be Kijoon at our first meeting was annoying enough.

But then again, would an executive director of LS Corporation really take time out of his day just to mess with me? Treating me to a meal and wasting time like this?

Or… could he have come for something more than amusement? Maybe he genuinely wanted Kijoon and me to work out. Sure, he seemed calculating, but strip away the bias, and it might be good intentions.

After wrestling with those thoughts, I decided to be honest. I was tired of keeping my guard up.

“I don’t know.”

It was the truth.

“Whether I want to date him or how I feel.”

Was it because my hopeless crush had dragged on too long? Watching his countless relationships and flings pass by like a rollercoaster had worn me out long ago.

That’s why. My feelings were certain, but my desires were a mess. I didn’t even know what I wanted from Seo Kijoon anymore.

Of course, early on, in those sleepless nights consumed by longing, I’d desperately wished he’d notice me. I’d dreamed countless times of him realizing my feelings, apologizing for not seeing them sooner, and kissing me sweetly.

But now? Things were different. Liking him had become like a habit, just another hardened emotion.

So did that mean I wanted things to stay the same?

“Imagine it, Gyeom.”

Suddenly, Seo Gihyun reached out. Seeing his open palm, I instinctively extended my hand.

His firm fingers brushed the sensitive skin inside my wrist, slithering up like a snake before weaving through my fingers. Like the webbed feet of some aquatic creature, he rubbed slowly, leaving no gap as he interlocked our hands tightly.

I winced slightly at the rough strength in his grip.

“Ugh…”

“Baby.”

That’s what Seo Kijoon called me. Hearing it from Seo Gihyun made him seem so much like Kijoon that my pulse inevitably quickened.

He pressed a ticklish kiss to the back of my hand with a soft sound.

“Holding hands with Seo Kijoon like this.”

With the same eyes he’d had yesterday, pushing himself inside me, Seo Gihyun continued.

“Kissing like we did.”

I remembered the deep kiss, his tongue tracing the ridges of my palate, pulling mine into his mouth. A shiver ran down my spine. The memory of last night stirred heat in my lower belly.

Lowering his jaw slightly, he rubbed his lips against the back of my hand, glancing up at me. His upturned eyes reminded me of a seductive feline predator.

A beast luring its mate for a warm, comfortable heat.

“Hugging tenderly like lovers and having slow, intimate sex.”

Snapping back to reality, I realized I was breathing heavily. Not from imagining lover-like sex with Seo Kijoon, but from picturing it with the Seo Gihyun right in front of me, slowly stoking my desire.

But then, Seo Gihyun curved his eyes into a pretty smile and let go of my hand without a trace of lingering attachment. The close distance between us, where it felt like we might kiss, widened in an instant.

“Can you still say you don’t want to date him, Gyeom?”

“…”

Unlike before, I couldn’t answer readily. Dating Seo Kijoon… The vague hope of being with him was gone.

But a more tangible possibility stood before me.

“I know Kijoon better than anyone in the world.”

Seo Gihyun was right. No matter how many years I’d spent with Seo Kijoon, I couldn’t know him better than his twin, born on the same day.

Fine, setting everything else aside. Then…

“What do you want?”

At my question, Seo Gihyun’s eyes widened momentarily. He hadn’t expected me to ask so directly.

I didn’t think he’d help me for free just for fun. He’d said himself he was a perceptive businessman. Luck and intuition mattered, but without skill, he wouldn’t have risen from intern to executive director.

Give and take. The basics of business. Nothing in this world is free.

“Glad we’re on the same page.”

Seo Gihyun grinned.

“But that’s not something to discuss here.”

The tea, served as dessert, had long gone cold.

“Wanna head to my place?”

It was a bold suggestion, but it didn’t seem laced with ulterior motives, so I nodded.

“…Isn’t this place too big?”

From his spending habits to the clothes and accessories he wore, I’d figured out in just two days that Seo Gihyun wasn’t ordinary, but… this was unreal.

A duplex penthouse in the heart of Seoul, in LS Construction’s luxury HighRoyal complex? My 1.5-room officetel probably wasn’t even the size of this place’s doghouse.

Seo Gihyun shrugged at my stunned reaction.

“Is it a problem being too big? It’d be more of an issue if it was small.”

Fair point, but man, that’s annoyingly smug.

“Want something to drink? Coffee?”

The overwhelming space made me feel like I’d choke on coffee.

“Water’s fine.”

A moment later, I heard the clinking of ice from the water purifier in the kitchen where Seo Gihyun had disappeared. As soon as I took the glass, I got to the point. I didn’t want to linger here too long.

“So, what do you want?”

“Hmm…”

Seo Gihyun, uncharacteristically, pressed his lips together and smiled. The faint playfulness in his expression gave me chills.

“Ever heard of BDSM?”

I blinked rapidly. I knew what it was… but it didn’t feel like he was testing my knowledge. It was likely tied to what he wanted. Hadn’t he said it wasn’t something to discuss at the café?

Nodding with suspicion in my eyes, Seo Gihyun finally revealed his desire.

“I’m looking for a play partner. And I’d like it to be you, Gyeom.”

I’d half-expected it, but wasn’t that too predictable?

Until now, the only person I’d been intimate with was Seo Kijoon. Well, technically, Seo Gihyun joined that list yesterday. Still, SM play was completely outside Kijoon’s interests. I’d never even tried anything close with him.

Even so, I had a sense of what Seo Gihyun meant by “play partner.” Given his haughty, commanding aura, he seemed more likely to wield a whip than enjoy being on the receiving end.

My knowledge of SM play was limited, but I had a rough idea of the vibe. Isn’t it about enjoying dominating others? It suits him perfectly.

“Why me, though?”

It was a natural, simple question. We’d only met yesterday, and we hadn’t done any SM play. Why go out of his way to find me on a Saturday morning, bring up Kijoon, and ask me to be his SM partner?

Seo Gihyun grinned and answered.

“There are a few reasons.”

“Tell me all of them.”

“For one, my social position makes it hard to openly share my preferences.”

That was true. When I’d gone to the restroom at the restaurant yesterday, I’d looked him up. He was listed as a notable figure on portal sites.

Scrolling down, I found a long list of articles. Top 10 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year, interviews about LS Corporation’s prospects… Even the charity concert Kijoon had performed at, which had stirred up the arts world, was organized by Gihyun through LS.

His good looks didn’t hurt, either. Articles featuring his face were flooded with comments full of crying emojis, saying things like they’d “die to get with him.”

It was almost embarrassing to read. He had the same face as Kijoon, yet I’d been completely clueless about Seo Gihyun’s existence? Even if I didn’t follow business news, how had I missed this?

“Finding a partner has been tough. Even my personal assistant team, who handle my private life, struggle with it. There are so few people I can be open with about my tastes, and I have to be cautious.”

“So since it’s come to this, you’d rather do it with your brother’s friend than a stranger?”

It didn’t make sense to me. Wouldn’t that be more awkward and uncomfortable? Even if their parents were divorced, it’s still family.

My words probably sounded a bit sarcastic. I wasn’t entirely free of that intent, so I didn’t bother clarifying.

“If that were all, I’d have found someone else by now.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your crying face was pretty.”

“…”

“You cried so beautifully, it was exactly my type.”

I hadn’t expected that. I wasn’t fishing for compliments. It’s just… sometimes Kijoon would call me pretty in bed, and that happy memory flashed through my mind, making me flinch.

But whether I reacted or not, Seo Gihyun kept seducing me.

“And you liked it when I spanked you, didn’t you?”

“…”

I wanted to snap back and ask what nonsense he was spouting, but then I remembered last night in bed when he’d smacked my backside. The vivid, unfamiliar sensation came rushing back, and my now-unfazed rear tingled with excitement again.

I couldn’t deny it. He was right.

If it had been just once, I might’ve brushed it off, but it happened twice. The slow build of arousal made me rock my hips, earning one smack. Then, a second for clenching too tight. The second time, I even climaxed in sync with the hit.

His pinpoint observation left me speechless.

“People with no SM inclinations are usually called vanilla, but I don’t think you’re entirely vanilla, Gyeom.”

“…”

He leaned closer and asked, “How did it feel when I spanked you, Gyeom?”

“…”

“Felt good? Didn’t you want it again?”

He’d already moved to sit on the armrest opposite me, looking down from behind. I wondered how I looked to him. My neck felt like it was burning.

I opened my mouth slowly.

“I… don’t know.”

It wasn’t to dodge the question—I genuinely didn’t know.

SM, vanilla—those were words irrelevant to my life. I barely knew the basics, so being asked about a sexual preference I’d never explored left me with no answer.

My mind was a mess. At the same time, I was curious what it’d be like to be his partner… to feel that sensation again.

A low chuckle came from above.

“What am I gonna do with you, Gyeom, when you don’t know so much?”

His long fingers slid ticklishly across my cheek. The featherlight touch sent shivers down my spine. My breathing quickened.

Now I really didn’t know. The heat pooling in my lower belly and between my legs was becoming a problem. I bit my lower lip and tilted my chin toward Seo Gihyun behind me. My eyelashes trembled. If you’re going to tease me, do something.

He let out a soft, breezy laugh.

“You know you’re looking at me like you’re begging for help again, right?”

I don’t know, I don’t care. Just…

“Want me to pamper you, Gyeom?”

At his low, whispering growl, I nodded, and before I knew it, I was pushed down onto the sofa.