CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Feeling a thousand miles next to you. (2015)

Sunggyu wakes up on Sunday Morning with a stiff neck and a soft groan. As he stays in front of the full body mirror to comb his hair and applying some sunscreen to visit the beach. 

He begins to contemplate the nature of irony. 

Dinner had been wonderful, like one of the simple fantasies he might have heard from Sungjong’s imagination about Jeju Island. He wonders why their family never visit such a place considering the beautiful scenery and exciting people and activities in town.

He would have believed every beautiful story if he'd heard them, too. 

Conversation with Woohyun and Junhyung had been light and without stress from where they'd been tucked into a remote corner of the restaurant with Junhyung in front of him and Woohyun beside him. 

A few suggestive comments aside, he'd really been on his best behavior.

He pays for it now. When he come back yesterday, Sungyeol has been sprawled on the bed taking the entire available space, leaving him with no chance but to just it up and sleep somewhere.

And somewhere either be the couch or a bathtub.

It is only when Sunggyu hears a low chuckle that he opens his eyes and raises them to find Sungyeol standing behind him.

“I told you it was comfortable.”
 

What does the punishment for murder again? He’s more than sure that his grandfather will bail him out if he ever gets stuck in such cases.

Sunggyu can count on one hand the number of times he's seen Sungyeol a morning mess like this. Their management will go out of their way to prepare the supermodel in the finest clothing and a simple makeup.

He has a reputation to uphold, and he needs to look pretty and beautiful even in the morning for a photo shoot.

Those mornings were usually grim on Sunggyu’s part, poorly shaven on his. 

And from where Sunggyu’s stand, he was dress in a simple white tee and short that reach his middle thigh. He has a mission to drag the president out to play with some sand and possibly visit some store to buy a souvenir for Dongwoo and Hoya. 

And Sungjong, yup. Definitely Sungjong.

“Morning, Kim,” Sungyeol greets the secretary, rotating his arms for a good stretch. He can see the little details of his shoulder muscle as he turns his head from side to side. “How's your night?”

With a huff, Sunggyu heaves himself into a defensive position and crossed his arms where he apparently went to sleep last night—the marble bathtub.

“I thought you said sleeping here was the best sleep of your life,” he says with a scowl, rubbing his neck as if to make sure it's still attached to his head.

Sungyeol rolled his eyes and muttering an ‘idiot’ in his breath before making his way into the bathroom to chase Sunggyu out. They have finished their job here at Jeju and were awarded a self-treat (as what Woohyun likes to call) for a day before going back to Seoul tomorrow. 

“I've got to actually shower now, so you'll have to just skip on out for a few… unless you want to join me, of course. This shower can easily hold two.” The glint in his eye is just short of infuriating. Well-practiced and all too effective. 

Sunggyu responds by gathering his dirty clothes and towel in his arms and making his way out of the bathroom to pack his belongings for a flight tomorrow.

He proceeds to open his laptop and replying to some urgent email that requires his immediate attention. He knows that Woohyun says they can rest today, but his perfectionist's heart refuses to let the day go without doing something proactive.

He didn’t notice when Sungyeol left the toilet, or when the supermodel dresses in a short and sleeveless tee and disappeared from their room.

The clock strikes to ten when he decided enough is enough and he needs to visit his President right now.

Sunggyu makes his way to Woohyun’s room and it surprisingly quiet. Their bed looks like a hurricane has visited the island and the two cousins are still yet to be found. He heard the sound of water running from the sink and quickly makes his way to the in-room bar and found Woohyun dress in board shorts and muscle tank top that looks good on him.

His hair still disheveled from the shower and eyes looks half asleep and ready to shut any moment now.

“Where’s everyone go?” Sunggyu asks, frowning when he fails to spot both the supermodel and the photographer in sites. He walks to the glass window to open the curtain that leads to a balcony. 

Their hotel strategically located beside a beach and Sunggyu can’t be more than glad because now he has something to do to spend his time before they take their flight back home tomorrow. 

It’s halfway past ten in the morning and Sunggyu can feel the cold and light breeze of the beach. Sunggyu always spent his weekend at the beach house belonging to his family when he’s still living with his grandparents in Jeonju. 

He forgot the joy of visiting the sea water when he comes to stay in Seoul for the past years. 

“They’d already outside.”

Sunggyu nodded in understanding before making his way to where Woohyun currently stands in the room. He looks ready to break the mug and make a mess if the secretary didn’t come to his rescue.

“Okay, what are you doing actually?”

Woohyun just groaned. “You need to teach me how to make a coffee seriously. I tried to do exactly like what you teach me before. But it’s not the same! It’s too sweet and bitter in the wrong place.”

The Secretary shakes his head slightly seeing his President’s attempt to do the chore. He can go and win a contract worth a billion but unable to make a cup of coffee for himself.

Sunggyu c