* * *
In early June, all TF team members except for Saheon had flown to Chicago.
It was the final check and rehearsal before the expo opened.
As soon as they arrived on site, everyone got busy. By 8 p.m., most of the setup was finished.
“Manager Pyeon, Senior Associate Sun, and Senior Associate Lee—you can head back and get some rest. The rest of us—me, Assistant Manager Oh, and Choi Siwon—will wrap things up here.”
“Are you sure that’s okay?”
Manager Pyeon looked around guiltily at Wookyung’s suggestion.
“Of course. Tomorrow’s going to be even busier, so you should get plenty of rest.”
He insisted once more, and finally, she nodded.
“Alright then. Thank you, Deputy Manager Gil.”
Wookyung ushered the three off, telling them to hurry back, then pulled out his phone.
A message from Saheon had arrived.
[Saheon: Wookyung, how’s everything going? Are the staff behaving? No issues, right?
Saheon: I’m on the plane right now. I’ll be there soon, so just wait a little longer.]
From Korea to Chicago wasn’t exactly “soon,” but still, Wookyung found himself nodding unconsciously.
It had only been a day apart, yet it felt like longer.
Maybe it was the distance—or maybe because they hadn’t had much time together lately due to work.
Wookyung replied, saying he might not respond quickly since he was overseas.
No reply came—probably still in transit.
Fidgeting with the ring on his finger, he was brought back to reality by the sound of Assistant Choi calling for him.
He had to finish things properly before Saheon arrived.
Half-asleep, Wookyung felt a gentle touch on his cheek and opened his eyes.
“…You’re here?”
“Yeah. Go back to sleep. There’s still time.”
“What time is it?”
“A little past six.”
“I should get up.”
The expo opened at 9 a.m., but staff were supposed to be on site by 7.
Wookyung didn’t need to be there until 8:30 since he was going with Saheon, but it was time to start getting ready.
“Did everything go okay with the family?”
He asked as he got out of bed. Saheon had come separately to attend a family gathering.
With the wedding approaching, it was time for formal introductions.
“Yeah. It got a little noisy, but everything’s sorted now.”
“What happened? What’d they say this time?”
“Well, they were a bit worked up about how I managed to hide running such a massive company all this time.”
“Were they hoping for scraps or something?”
The memory of them trying to control a young, unguarded heir resurfaced, and his tone turned sharp.
“Don’t worry. Grandma handled it.”
“Yeah, I guess with her there, no one can say much.”
Apparently, the family had secretly hoped Wookyung would attend, but Chairwoman Choi shut that down.
She said someone busy with work and wedding prep shouldn’t be dragged back and forth—and if they wanted to see him, they could do it at the wedding.
That’s the kind of woman she was—reliable and decisive.
“She’ll be at the wedding, but she’ll just show her face and leave. She made it clear.”
“She did?”
“She told them if anyone says more than three words to you, they’re dead. And that goes for any nonsense talk too.”
Wookyung’s expression turned a bit odd.
He hadn’t gone to the family meeting due to work, but even at the wedding, she wanted people to keep their mouths shut.
Every time he realized how much she looked out for him, his heart felt warm.
He was grateful.
“I should text her tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I just want to let her know you arrived safely. That’s all.”
Clearly telling him not to stop him, and Saheon seemed to understand.
Instead of replying, he kissed Wookyung’s forehead.
“Go wash up.”
Then gave him a gentle push toward the bathroom.
“What about you?”
“Should I join you?”
“Nope. Use the guest bathroom.”
Wookyung replied firmly and quickly walked away before he could be pulled back.
Laughter echoed behind him.
Without turning back, Wookyung waved him off.
After washing up, Wookyung checked the time on his phone.
Still before midnight—might as well send a message now.
[Me: This is Wookyung, Grandma. Saheon just got here safely. I thought you might be waiting to hear, so I wanted to let you know. Sleep well.]
He’d only started calling Chairwoman Choi “Grandma” after exchanging a few casual texts.
When she once asked how long he planned to keep calling her “Chairwoman” like a stranger, he switched to “Grandma.”
She responded with a tiny emoji.
That emoji felt like her honest heart, and it made Wookyung’s own feel a bit lighter.
He thought about adding more to the message, but decided not to.
He knew she wasn’t the type to get sentimental on purpose anyway.
Just as he was about to set down the phone, her reply came in unexpectedly fast.
[Grandma: So today’s the big opening, right? Don’t overdo it. Take it slow. Let Saheon handle the heavy lifting.
Me: He should take it easy too.
Grandma: He’s got the stamina of a machine. He’ll be fine. I would know—I’m one too, remember?]
She even joked about how she knew the terrifying physical stamina of a dominant alpha firsthand since she was one herself.
Wookyung smiled, knowing she said that just to put him at ease.
[Me: Got it. It’s late, so rest well.
Grandma: You too, dear.]
The conversation ended with a brief farewell—just as room service arrived.
Wookyung glanced at the food being laid out on the living room table, then turned toward the bathroom.
Saheon said he’d be out quickly, but he was taking his time.
“Is he dozing off in there?”
Even first class couldn’t completely eliminate the exhaustion of a long flight.
Wookyung understood that well.
Despite Chairwoman Choi saying it was fine, he couldn’t help worrying about how hard Saheon had been pushing himself lately.
After a moment’s hesitation, he stood up.
Saheon still hadn’t come out by the time he reached the bathroom door.
‘Was he really asleep in there?’
He listened closely.
No sound of running water.
“Saheon?”
As he called out the name and waited for a response, only then did he sense movement from inside.
Eventually, the door flung open, and Saheon appeared, water dripping from his body.
“Did you fall asleep or something?”
Wookyung’s gaze slowly moved down from Saheon’s flushed, handsome face.
Water streamed down his well-built chest, and his firm waist was slick and damp.
“Ah…”
But what caught his eye most wasn’t the glistening water—it was the swollen center, glistening with something clearly different.
“Haah… Sorry, but give me a minute. As you can see, I haven’t exactly… dealt with things yet.”
“O-oh.”
Even as Saheon closed the bathroom door with an embarrassed expression, Wookyung blinked blankly in place.
That didn’t mean he didn’t understand what he had just seen.
Thud.
Just before the door fully shut, Wookyung placed his hand against it.
“Wookyung? You’ll hurt yourself. Let go.”
Saheon’s voice came from inside, but instead of letting go, Wookyung pulled the door toward himself.
Through the slowly widening gap, he saw Saheon’s flustered expression.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“No. Don’t. Let go.”
Saheon furrowed his brows, troubled but unable to say he disliked it.
Still, Wookyung didn’t back down.
“It’s because of me, right? So I’ll take care of it.”
“It’s not because of you.”
“Yes, it is. You were holding me—that’s what caused it.”
This time, Saheon bit his lip, unable to offer any denial.
Seeing that, Wookyung reached out his hand.
His palm was met with a sensation both warm and damp.
The sudden dryness in his mouth made him lick his lips.
Watching him, Saheon could no longer hold back and leaned in to kiss him.
He licked his upper lip, gently bit down on the lower one before releasing it.
The movements were smooth, instinctive.
“I’ll make it quick.”
Wookyung pressed his lips to Saheon’s again, making his intention clear.
At that bold declaration, Saheon couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
Thanks to the 30 minutes spent in the bathroom, the two barely managed to grab a bite before rushing out of the hotel.
Their phones had been vibrating non-stop.
With just 20 minutes left before the exhibition opened, they finally arrived at the staff-only entrance.
On the other side, the entrance was already packed with eager attendees.
“Wookyung.”
Just as they were about to step inside, Saheon grabbed his arm.
Wookyung turned around with questioning eyes, only to have warm lips press against his.
Caught off guard, his mouth dropped open—and this time, a heated tongue gently swept across it.
“Let’s do our best.”
It was a passionate and fiery bit of encouragement.
And just like that, the trade show—set to become the highest-grossing event in HK Furniture’s history—opened in a flurry of urgency and chaos.
* * *
