Chapter 32

Park Myeongsun, who had not touched a single drop of alcohol, took the wheel.

Mo Jeong-gil appeared to be heading home after work. He had already mentioned that he would return the following morning to pick Lee Jaeha up. Despite his sturdy build, Mo Jeong-gil drank like a fish. He had remained perfectly composed even after matching the Director glass for glass, which was no small feat considering Jaeha was quite a drinker himself.

In truth, Jaeha was the only one who had become slightly tipsy. He had drunk to his heart’s content, buoyed by the first genuinely good mood he had experienced in quite some time.

Even that faint buzz, however, vanished the moment Jang Taegeon arrived to collect him.

The two Alphas stood outside smoking in silence while Park Myeongsun and Mo Jeong-gil finished their meal inside.

The second cigarette had come directly from Jang Taegeon. He had placed it between his own lips, lit it, and then passed it straight to Jaeha’s mouth.

Each time Taegeon’s gaze drifted toward his lips, an unbearable thirst dried Jaeha’s throat.

When Taegeon failed to return after going out to retrieve him, Park Myeongsun and Mo Jeong-gil eventually stepped outside the restaurant.

As though nothing had happened, Jaeha and Taegeon discarded their cigarette butts in the outdoor ashtray and walked toward the car, their shoulders brushing along the way.

“Get home safely, hyung-nim.”

Once the two of them had settled into the vehicle and the doors clicked shut, Mo Jeong-gil remained outside and bowed deeply. Although the windows were already raised, Jaeha lowered his and returned the farewell with a courteous nod.

Mo Jeong-gil leaned down to peer inside, his face splitting into a broad grin as he looked at Jaeha. Taegeon, who had remained stony-faced and silent, raised the window again without sparing the man so much as a glance.

Before long, the two were seated side by side in the oppressive stillness of the backseat, heading home. Beyond the window, Seoul sprawled beneath the night in streaks of neon and shadow. By the time they crossed Yeongdong Bridge, a heavy silence had settled over the cabin.

“…”

Jaeha hooked his index finger beneath the knot of his tie and tugged, searching for even the smallest sliver of breathing room.

Feeling constricted, he turned toward the window and caught Taegeon’s reflection wavering across the dark glass.

“…”

What is he thinking?

The question flared into sharp, sudden curiosity, but Jaeha did not dare voice it. He kept it sealed inside, and the rest of the drive passed in silence.

They arrived home without exchanging another word. After Park Myeongsun bowed to Taegeon, the couple stepped inside their new sanctuary.

Until then, Jaeha had remained wrapped in a faint haze, his senses still clouded by the lingering effects of the cigarette he had smoked after such a long abstinence. Even so, relief washed over him the instant he crossed the threshold.

The feeling was still unfamiliar to him, yet it had begun visiting him with increasing frequency lately. The house he shared with Jang Taegeon truly felt like home.

Outside, Jaeha carried himself like a monument to discipline, his posture rigid and his back perpetually straight. The moment he stepped into the entryway, however, his spine softened without his noticing, and the tension slipped from his shoulders.

To anyone else, the change would have been almost imperceptible, little more than a subtle loosening of his guard.

Jaeha released a quiet, weary breath.

As Taegeon passed behind him, he gave Jaeha’s backside a light, playful smack.

“Hurry up. Let’s shower together.”

He continued toward the second floor, where his room was located, his indoor slippers scuffing softly against the floor. Jaeha could not tell when Taegeon had even managed to remove his shoes.

Watching his retreating figure, Jaeha bit his lip.

Shower… together…

His mind had already been clouded, but now it felt as though it had suddenly caught fire. Desperate to drive the words from his thoughts, Jaeha fled into the dressing room.

He carefully hung his tie and suit jacket before placing them inside the clothing care system. Then he unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it into the laundry basket.

To remove his trousers, he reached for his belt. As he loosened the fastening and pulled the strap free, the leather slipped through the loops with a smooth, sibilant hiss, like a snake gliding through tall grass.

He was about to undo the buckle and place his watch in its designated case inside the built-in cabinet when a voice came from the doorway.

“I told you to hurry, but you’re dawdling again. Do you want to watch your wife die from being so pent up?”

“Ah…”

A brief, involuntary sound escaped Jaeha.

Taegeon leaned against the dressing room doorframe. He wore a robe, but it hung completely open, fluttering loosely around a body that was entirely bare beneath it.

Jaeha’s gaze dropped on instinct. He wrenched it upward just as quickly and fixed his eyes on Taegeon’s shoulders, unable even to meet his gaze.

Taegeon watched the reaction and gave a short, derisive scoff.

“How many times do I have to chew you out before you stop acting so damn shy?”

Looking utterly incredulous, Taegeon strode forward, seized Jaeha, and dragged him toward the bathroom connected to the walk-in closet.

Jaeha was so flustered that he had not even managed to remove his trousers. Panic surged through him, but he offered no resistance and simply followed wherever Taegeon led him, helpless as a puppet on strings.

Click.

The bathroom door shut firmly behind him.

***