ACTSV chapter 68

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“When someone touches you, didn’t Director Sun tell you what to do?”

“…But Director Sun isn’t just anyone.”

“If he isn’t just anyone, then what is he?”

“Uh… a superior?”

A small laugh escaped from Wonbeom’s lips.

After all that thought, the best word Jingyeom could come up with was “superior.”

“And what about Director Sun?”

“Director Sun is… like an older brother. An acquaintance, a friend, maybe? Something like that.”

“So, Director Sun is an older brother, and I’m just a superior?”

Jingyeom’s words weren’t wrong, but they left Wonbeom feeling oddly irritated. He had thought that he and Director Sun were on the same level, but it seemed there was a gap between them.

Wonbeom deliberately applied more pressure with his fingers. He could feel Jingyeom’s scalp under his fingertips. The soft hair slipped between his fingers, easy to toy with.

“Ah, that hurts…”

“Call me hyung.”

“To you? No way! You’re the director.”

Jingyeom’s response was correct, but it still grated on Wonbeom.

By that logic, shouldn’t Suhyuk be called Director too?

Wonbeom turned Jingyeom’s head towards him. His eyes, which had quickly moistened from the pain, locked onto Wonbeom’s.

Under the orange light, his eyes didn’t look like their usual light brown but a deep, rich gold.

‘Eyes like molten gold…’

Even though the air conditioning was on, it was hot with so many people around, and Jingyeom’s flushed, peach-colored cheeks stood out.

“…”

The large hand that had been on Jingyeom’s head slowly moved down, tracing the line of his face.

Wonbeom gently caressed his small cheek, which fit entirely in his hand, and then brushed his thumb slowly across his lips. Every part of Jingyeom’s face was soft to the touch.

Most of all, those red, fruit-like lips were too tempting.

Tempting enough to eat.

This was irresistible. It wasn’t something he could control. At least, that’s what Wonbeom wanted to believe.

As he slowly leaned closer, their faces drew nearer and nearer until they could feel each other’s breath.

Wonbeom slowly parted his lips.

“What do you think I’m going to do?”

“…What are you doing?”

Shouldn’t he at least feel tense when someone gets this close?

Instead of being tense, Jingyeom looked up at him with such innocent eyes that it made Wonbeom feel like he was about to do something terrible to a naive child.

“…Hah.”

What was he thinking, trying to do something like this to someone so young?

With a sigh, Wonbeom lightly knocked his forehead against Jingyeom’s. Even that small impact caused Jingyeom to wince and let out a short groan.

“If anyone ever gets this close to you again, don’t hesitate to push them away. If they don’t move, slap them.”

“…”

“Answer me.”

“…Yes.”

Still confused, Jingyeom couldn’t even touch his aching forehead as he answered.

The table had fallen silent. The surroundings were noisy, but this spot felt oddly isolated.

Jingyeom rubbed his forehead, which still throbbed with pain, and then stared at Wonbeom’s hand. It looked bigger than any hand he had ever seen.

Unable to resist his sudden curiosity, Jingyeom cautiously spoke up.

“Um… Director.”

“What?”

“Can I touch your hand?”

“My hand?”

“Yes!”

Wonbeom hesitated for a moment, wiggling his fingers. He still found it hard to refuse.

“If it’s awkward, you don’t have to say yes.”

“It is awkward, but I don’t want to refuse, so go ahead.”

Wonbeom offered his left hand, palm up.

Jingyeom carefully placed his hand over it with an excited look. As expected, Wonbeom’s hand was a full finger joint larger than his own.

With Jingyeom’s skin being pale and white, the difference was stark. It was only natural, given the size disparity.

“Wow… What did you eat to grow so big?”

“…What do you think I ate?”

“Anchovies or milk? Or maybe supplements?”

“Well, I think I ate pretty much everything.”

“I see.”

Wonbeom was reminded again of how small Jingyeom’s hand was as it touched his own. He flexed his fingers slightly, and as he slowly curled them, Jingyeom’s hand was enveloped in his own.

“Director?”

“Hyung.”

“…What?”

“Not ‘Director,’ call me hyung too.”

Jingyeom blinked at Wonbeom before smiling sheepishly.

He didn’t quite understand why everyone was so fixated on titles, but since it wasn’t difficult to call someone what they wanted, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Hyung.”

“…”

“Wonbeom… hyung.”

“…Yeah.”

But after saying it, he felt strangely embarrassed and started fidgeting with his hands.

That’s when he felt a firm grip.

“Uh… could you let go of my hand?”

“Can’t I just hold it like this?”

“It’s not that you can’t… but…”

“Then it’s fine.”

Wonbeom placed the hand he was holding onto his thigh.

Jingyeom could feel the slight pressure, as if Wonbeom was determined not to let go.

Jingyeom, who had been glancing at Wonbeom, cautiously turned his hand over. Despite the grip, Wonbeom allowed it to be turned over easily.

“…”

“What are you looking at?”

“Oh, there are a lot of scars.”

Jingyeom’s eyes were filled with the sight of the scarred back of Wonbeom’s hand.

He turned his body towards Wonbeom and gently traced the scars with his other hand.

“Does it hurt?”

Wonbeom was momentarily speechless.

Most people who saw his hand either frowned or were scared. No one ever asked if it hurt.

Moreover, the person who had caused those scars was no longer in this world, so he had forgotten about them for a long time.

“…They’re from a long time ago, so they don’t hurt.”

“It must have hurt back then…”

“…”

Yes. It did hurt back then. But he was so swept up in everything happening around him that he didn’t have time to even acknowledge the wounds on his body.

Besides, these were considered minor compared to everything else.

Wonbeom, lost in forgotten memories, unconsciously tightened his grip on Jingyeom’s hand.

“Ow!”

He quickly released his grip when he heard Jingyeom’s soft whimper.

“Sorry.”

“…”

Wonbeom spread out Jingyeom’s hand, checking if there was any harm done.

He hadn’t squeezed that hard, but Jingyeom was so frail that he couldn’t help but worry.

He placed the small hand back on his thigh and pressed each finger gently.

Normally, this amount of pressure wouldn’t cause a fracture, but with Jingyeom, it seemed like it might.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“…No, it’s just that I was a bit startled…”

Jingyeom hurried to respond. For a brief moment, he saw a resemblance between the worried Wonbeom and Jinwoo.

‘No way…’

Jingyeom had noticed that Wonbeom’s behavior had been strange recently.

He was treating Jingyeom the way he might treat Jinwoo.

If it were anyone else, he might have wondered, ‘Are they interested in me?’

But because it was Wonbeom, he hadn’t even considered it.

Honestly, even now, thinking this way made him feel like he was deluding himself.

‘I used to think he disliked Baek Jingyeom… Maybe he’s warmed up a bit?’

It felt like he had gained a tiny part of the heart of an untamed beast.

After organizing his thoughts, Jingyeom grinned widely.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Just… I’m happy that you care about me.”

“…I do?”

The movement of Wonbeom’s fingers fiddling with Jingyeom’s stopped.

‘…I cared about you?’

Wonbeom wanted to dismiss Jingyeom’s words as nonsense. But seeing Jingyeom nodding with a bright smile made his lips stick together, unable to speak.

Then he suddenly realized that his behavior wasn’t normal at all, and his whole body stiffened.

He didn’t care if others were hurt.

A few months ago, when Soohyuk caught the flu and was struggling, he had kicked him out to the hospital, afraid he might catch it too.

And it wasn’t just Soohyuk. Even when his long-time secretary Yang or Lee Cheong-oh was sick, he only told them not to let it affect their work. He never actually cared.

Because he simply didn’t worry about such things, it was natural.

‘…Care?’

His gaze fell from Jingyeom’s face to the hand he still hadn’t let go of.

‘I don’t want to let go… Yeah, that’s it.’

Wonbeom let out a short breath.

‘I’ve been caring about Baek Jingyeom.’

It was true that he was intrigued by Jingyeom’s changed appearance.

But he thought that was it. Despite doing and saying things he would never normally do, he hadn’t really thought much about it.

“Director, I mean, hyung? Are you okay?”

“…I like how that sounds. Call me again.”

“…Wonbeom hyung.”

Jingyeom’s face, with a shy smile, was tinged with a light blush.

Wonbeom hadn’t fully accepted his feelings, but he acknowledged that his attention and care were increasingly focused on Jingyeom.

“Yeah, Jingyeom-ah.”

For the first time, Wonbeom, who usually only smirked with one corner of his mouth, smiled gently.

Jingyeom blinked rapidly, wondering if he was seeing things. But the face in front of him didn’t change.

‘…I’m done for!’

Seeing the sharp eyes soften right in front of him, Jingyeom’s face gradually turned bright red. Not just a peach blush, but fully crimson like a ripe apple.

‘How can someone be so handsome!’

He always knew Wonbeom was handsome, but seeing him smile like that made him realize that his sharp features had been hiding his good looks all along. This, too, was an aura that couldn’t be matched.

Jingyeom swallowed unconsciously and curled his hand into a fist, tightening his grip. The hand resting on Wonbeom’s thigh also grew tense.

‘Jinwoo… what are we going to do?’

Who could resist after seeing that face?

Jingyeom awkwardly smiled, already worrying about the day Jinwoo would inevitably fall for Wonbeom.

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