CH 47

Sehun spoke snarkily. For some reason, Yoonshin’s smile got on his nerves.

Yoonshin reacted straightaway, “Then should I cry first thing in the morning?”

“Greetings first. Who do you think you are, being so rude?”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry. Good morning, Senior Attorney. How are you today?” Seeing the younger man rushing to greet him made his insides twist even more. Somehow, the aversion for that face bubbled up from the pit of his stomach. He bit his lower lip irritably and resumed walking.

As they made their way to the shared parking lot, the glass wall reflected the image of the two men.  Glancing at Yooshin, Sehun knitted his brow.

He wasn’t planning on asking, but his lips moved without thinking. “Why’s your face so swollen?”

The question was unexpected, and Yoonshin turned his head slightly to peek at Sehun. “Is it that bad?”

“I asked first.”

“I was hungry so I ate some ramyun before I went to bed.”

“Does your face get this swollen from eating ramyun? You should try to improve your health then. How about swimming? It helps with your blood circulation.”

“Every day, I go between my house, the firm, my house, the firm like a zombie. How can I find time for exercise? This only happens occasionally if my body is in bad condition.”

Since he knew what happened, Sehun scoffed at the sloppy lie being told without so much as a blink of an eye.

“Seeing puffy eyes makes me sleepy. Don’t come to work with puffy eyes again, or else.”

“Okay… I’ll try not to.” After glancing one last time at Sehun, Yoonshin didn’t try to talk back anymore. Instead, Yoonshin seemed genuinely concerned about how bloated he was and checked his face through the reflection of the glass. The two men continued to walk in long strides. Silence hung between them.

Since Yoonshin took a cab home, one of his cars was still at the firm. He had a backup car, but then he would have to park both cars at work, and his future trips to and from work wouldn’t be very efficient. After peeking at Sehun who was walking ahead of him, Yoonshin swerved away from the direction of his other car and chased after his supervisor.

“Um, Senior Attorney, could you give me a ride?”

Sehun stopped mid-step and turned around. He looked nonplussed, unable to understand the situation. The saturation of disbelief in his eyes was like a flash flood during monsoon season. “What?”

“Last night, I took the cab because I thought I would fall asleep at the wheel. But if I take my other car, I would only be taking up space in the firm’s parking lot, and since I ran into you this morning…”

Sehun cut Yoonshin off. “Then call another taxi or take the public transit. Or you can call the firm and ask them to send a car. There are many options. Do I need to tell you this? Are you a toddler?”

“You’re so—” Yoonshin instinctively was about to protest but closed his mouth. Sehun walked over to Yoonshin, closing the distance between the two swiftly. Yoonshin wanted to find an escape route, but they were already half a meter away from each other.

“Finish your sentence.”

“You’re so stingy.”

‘What’s with this guy?’ Sehun’s long eyes seemed to ask. To confirm Yoonshin’s suspicion, Sehun let out a long sigh.

It was the first time Sehun met an associate lawyer like Yoonshin. A junior who grabbed a partner going to work to ask for a ride—Sehun had never heard of such a thing before. Even Sehun, who had people call him cocky behind his back, wasn’t at this level. He never chased after a partner lawyer and bothered them, let alone talk to some of them. “Really, it’s the first time I’ve met a guy like you. Don’t you know I practically control your employment?”

“I know. Is there a problem?”

“You probably don’t know this, but if I truly don’t want to see someone’s face, I fire them. You don’t listen to the rumors?”

“I’m a lawyer. I have a lot of experience in wrongful dismissal hearings.”

“Then what am I, a cardiac surgeon?”

“I’m not asking for a free ride. You drive yourself to and from work, right? I can drive you.”

They were at the peak of the argument. In a subdued voice, Sehun explained, trying to persuade Yoonshin, “The reason I don’t use a chauffeur when I go to work, unlike the other partners, is because I don’t want anyone to interrupt my time. It takes 15 minutes one way for a total of 30 minutes every day—that’s my personal time.”

“Can’t I just stay quiet on the way? I just felt relieved when I saw a familiar face after being alone all night.”

Yoonshin’s words threw Sehun’s head into turmoil, and he suddenly pressed his lips together. Yoonshin silently observed the other.

When Yoonshin saw Sehun’s well-groomed, handsome appearance that morning, he was a bit shaken. So instead of greeting him, he simply smiled and stared at him.

Yoonshin didn’t quite understand why he felt so relieved after seeing Sehun. For some weird reason, Sehun felt like the first line of safety in his zone of security. If anyone heard his thoughts, they would laugh that he was chasing shadows.

“Would that be possible?”

Staring down at Yoonshin, Sehun asked, “I’m asking because I can’t seem to remember. Have I ever borrowed money from you or ripped you off?”

“No way.”

“Have I ever made a huge mistake to your father that I didn’t know about?”

“Did you? My father would have forgiven it anyway.”

“Did I ever reject your sister in her youth? I don’t remember it, but it’s not impossible.”

“Whatever happened between you and my sister, I wouldn’t know.”

“Right. I don’t have any debts to you, so I have no reason to give you a ride.”