Yoseob awoke, washed up and lumbered to the dining area for breakfast as he usually did.

He was still rubbing his eyes sleepily as he reached, yawning tiredly while he sat on his usual seat.

The moment he plopped on the chair, he felt something strange and odd about the area.

Turning to his left, he widened his eyes and pointed in disbelief, "You... You reached here earlier than me!" 

And if that wasn't enough to have Yoseob's eyes widened into the size of saucers, the smaller male took in the sight of what Junhyung was dressed in and his eyes started bulging upon realization. 

"You're in a suit! Oh gosh, you're stepping out of this place?! Where are you going?" 

Junhyung stifled a laughter at Yoseob's dramatic reaction and threw a glance at a sleek and yet, formal looking bag that lay nearby as a reply to him. 

"Work?! You're going to work?!"

Junhyung nodded, looking away from the smaller male now as he realized that he might just end up bursting into a serious bout of laughter if he continued staring at Yoseob goggling at him. 

"Oh my gosh, then I had better go change into some work attire", Yoseob muttered before smacking Junhyung hard on the arm, earning an astonished look from the older male. "Why couldn't you have informed me earlier? Now I have to take time to decide what to wear and all!" 
Without even waiting for a reply, the smaller male had hopped off his chair and scrambled up the stairs anxiously, forcefully slamming his bedroom door behind him, the sound loud and clear despite its distance from the dining area. 

Junhyung was still in a state of shock, but not from the little expression of harmless violence from Yoseob.
His heart was thumping hard against his chest as his line of sight remained on the now-empty chair on his right.
A particular childlike face with luscious lashes that framed those wide, innocent eyes flashed across his mind and he felt his cheeks heating up just at the thought of it.

Was it the cuteness? The innocence? 
It probably was.
Together with the addicting mix of fiery energy and sunshine personality, it was...
It was such an unfamiliar feeling to Junhyung.

It wasn't uncomfortable, neither was it displeasing.
In fact, it was tingling, warming and simply, electrifying.

Junhyung gulped nervously as it started becoming clearer and clearer to him.
That the hot stinging feeling on his skin was not from the fact that Yoseob had smacked him with his full force but rather...
It was in fact, from the satisfaction, glee and delight that the smaller male's contact with him had brought.

His mind wandered to what happened the previous day when Yoseob had spoken up for him towards Hongki.
He remembered the way Yoseob's eyes glistened with tears as he shouted at Hongki, the way his lips trembled and the way his body shook.
He knew that the smaller male was so emotional when speaking up for him because he must have understood how Junhyung had felt.
And for him to have achieved that sort of understanding, for him to be able to feel so much about the situation, it was because he himself had been in that situation.

Junhyung had wanted to do more than to hug the police officer.
However, his logical mind had stopped him from doing so.

Deep down, he knew that if his heart had the final say, if he had done what he really felt like doing, if he had allowed his emotions to orchestrate his actions...
He would have swept the smaller male off his feet and kissed those tears away, bringing him to his bedroom and hugged him comfortingly throughout the night.




And it scared him. 

------

Yoseob trailed behind Junhyung, nervously adjusting his tie repeatedly as it had been way too long since he had worn one.

"Do you think I'm dressed appropriately?

Does my shoes match with my attire?

How should I introduce myself to your staff?"

Have you prepared a table for me or am I going to have to sit at one makeshift cubicle or something?"

He sighed in exasperation as the older male maintained his silence and continued walking, outside the house but still within the mansion’s boundaries.
When he noticed that he had stopped in his tracks, Yoseob peeped past his shoulders, half expecting to see that they have arrived at a really fancy car.
Instead, all he saw was two simple and modest looking bicycles.

Cocking an eyebrow in the CEO’s direction, Yoseob asked, “We are riding those to work?”
Junhyung nodded, prepared to hear a whole stream of complaints and disgruntlement flowing out of the pouty lips of the smaller male.
However, for the nth time since he has met the police officer, he was surprised as the smaller male had already leaped onto one of the bicycles, embarking on the journey towards the office building.

Amused by the unpredictable man, Junhyung slung his bag to his back and started pedalling hard himself, trying to overtake the nimble police officer.

Yoseob always had a strong competitive trait and he started stepping hard on the pedals, willing himself to go even faster, when he saw the CEO closing up on him.
He had a head start and while preparing for the case, he had taken note of the route to the office. Therefore, he was sure that as long as continued cycling hard, he would emerge the winner at the end of this spontaneous competition.

The wind swept hard against his lifted cheeks as he smirked triumphantly when the office building came into view.
Turning back to check on the losing competitor, he pressed hard on the brakes, worry and anxiety filling up as his view was greeted with an empty street.
Cursing under his breath, he positioned his bicycle away from the building, ready to cycle speedily back towards the mansion so as to find the CEO.

He was supposed to protect and help this man but instead, he had went ahead and engaged in such a juvenile game play, completely forgetting about the risk this man could be in.
Right when he was about to start the journey back, a bell rang and he turned his head, back towards the direction of the office building.

Junhyung was grinning proudly, a distance ahead as he gestured towards a small alley and something clicked in Yoseob’s head.

“You took a short cut!”

Giving a cheeky wink, Junhyung cycled towards the office building, a distance ahead of Yoseob whom was frantically clambering up his bicycle, regaining his speed but to no avail as Junhyung was already nearing the main entrance of the building.
Frustrated at the prospect of losing, the police officer yelled to the back of the CEO,
“Yes, cycle fast! Because I ever catch up with you, I would beat that cheating out of you!”

A deep chortle returned a reply and Yoseob’s mind turned blank while his legs continued moving on its own.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the CEO had turned momentarily, if it wasn’t for the fact that he had seen the twinkling in his eyes, if it wasn’t for the fact that he had seen the slight parting and curling of his lips, he wouldn’t have believed what he had heard.

Junhyung’s laughter.

Shaking his head to regain his senses, Yoseob beamed, all thoughts and bitterness of losing gone immediately.
It might have been only for a short while and it wasn’t loud but Yoseob had finally heard something escaping the lips of the CEO.

And it was beautiful.

He stopped his bicycle and parked it along Junhyung’s, flashing a wide toothy smile at the CEO who was waiting for him at the entrance.
Stepping in place, he instinctively wrapped his arms around Junhyung’s waist and whispered into his neatly pressed suit, “You laughed.”

Eyes expanding at the affectionate gesture, Junhyung felt his heart hammering so rapidly and hardly against his chest as he unconsciously raised a hand and brushed aside the sweaty fringe of the smaller male to reveal the pair of glittery eyes, replying with a small smile.
The police officer peeled himself of the older male and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “Sorry… It’s just that, it was really good to hear something from you.”

Junhyung nodded as he looked away, afraid to continue looking at the elfin man, afraid that he would no longer be able to control his emotions and feelings.

“Mr Yong!” The lobby’s receptionist exclaimed as the two men headed towards the lift lobby. She gave a deep bow and blushed slightly as she greeted him, stammering about it had been awhile and that the company had missed him.
Yoseob pouted when she babbled on, pretty sure that she was the one who missed Junhyung, not the company.

Junhyung merely gave a slight bow in acknowledgement as he resumed walked towards the lifts.
The people who saw them and recognised Junhyung immediately gave way and allowed for them to enter the lift despite their rush to clock in on time.
There were plenty of mumblings of ‘good morning’ and ‘Mr Yong, good to see you’ but Yoseob couldn’t help but find that none of those were sincere.
He stood beside the CEO and eyed him from the corner of his eyes, pity blooming in his heart as he realised that it wasn’t only at home that Junhyung would feel lonely but also at work.

Being the CEO, being the master of a house, being someone of such a high status, there was nobody there for him, nobody sincere as a friend.
Well maybe Hongki was one of them but Junhyung wasn’t even opening up much to him.
Now, without his parents who are possibly the only people who he can interact with freely, Junhyung must feel more alone, Yoseob thought.

Before he could wond