A loud knock interrupted whatever good dream Siwon was having. Siwon opened his eyes, and for a minute he was unable to tell where he was, before remembering Donghae and the contract they have both agreed on.

 

"Donghae-ah, Siwon-sshi?! Time to wake up," Hyangsook said from the other side. "I'm entering in three minutes, so you better be wearing something!"

 

Siwon bolted upright, his eyes wide with panic. "Donghae!" he whispered.

 

Donghae turned, but appeared to be still deep asleep.

 

"Donghae!" Siwon hissed, grabbing the nearest pillow and throwing it at Donghae.

 

"W-what?" Donghae asked.

 

"Your mom is about to come in! Come here!" Siwon scooted at the side to make some space for Donghae.

 

Donghae sat upright and hurriedly threw his pillow onto the bed. (In his panic, Donghae failed to notice he had hit Siwon square in the face.) He kicked his comforter under the bed and dove under the duvet just as the door began to creak open. Siwon awkwardly wrapped an arm around Donghae, acutely aware of his sore nose and the sleepwarm body cozied up next to him.

 

"Wake up boys!" Hyangsook said as she entered the room. She headed towards the huge windows to let the sunshine in.

 

"What time is it?" Donghae yawned, rubbing his eyes.

 

"It's only seven in the morning, dear." Hyangsook answered, turning around to face the couple and giggling softly.

 

"Why did you wake us up so early, omma?"

 

"Aren't you touring Siwon-sshi around Mokpo? Now would be the perfect time to start while it's still early." Hyangsook winked as she made her way to the door. "Now go prepare yourselves. I will see you in breakfast in half an hour."

 

Siwon merely nodded as Hyangsook finally left, closing the door behind her.

 

"Well, that was some wake up call." Siwon fell back against the pillows, not bothering to remove the arm draped over Donghae's shoulder.

 

Donghae blushed, only realizing how they actually looked when his mother came barging into his room. "We should dress up, or else omma will send someone to check on us." He shuddered. "Someone like Heechul-hyung."

 

Siwon was reluctant to leave the warm, snuggly Donghae bed, but Heechul seeing the two of them clinging to each other in bed was, without a doubt, a potential PR disaster. "Better get dressed quickly then," Siwon agreed.

 

 

---

 

 

"Omma." Donghae pointed at the thermal lunch bag on the kitchen counter.  "Isn't this a little too excessive? We're not five year-olds on a field trip!"

 

"Nonsense," Hyangsook scoffed. "Yudalsan is best enjoyed with homecooked lunch."

 

"Yeah, but this is a lot of homecooked lunch." He lifted the bag and grimaced at its hefty weight.

 

"Then I'll just give it to Kangin-ah if you don't want it." Hyangsook sighed. "And I woke up so early to prepare this lunchbox..."

 

Donghae rolled his eyes at his mother's guilt-tripping antics. Siwon, on the other hand, was panicking.

 

"We'll take it, Hyangsook-sshi!" Siwon took the lunchbox from Donghae's hands. "We can just save some for the trip later, right, Hae?"

 

"Oh dear, I forgot about the other trip!" Hyangsook turned towards the kitchen. "Don't worry, I'll make some more food."

 

"NO, Omma!"

 

"That's really unnecessary..."

 

"Seriously, omma, stop overfeeding everybody." Leeteuk walked in and winked at the flustered couple. "Young-woon's weight has shot up by 5 kilograms ever since he started living with us."

 

Hyangsook crossed her arms. "5 kilograms heavier and he's happier for it!"

 

"Oh no, he isn't. I'm putting him under a diet program."

 

Hyangsook's face drained of colour. "What? You're starving him?"

 

Donghae tugged at Siwon's arm. "Let's go, Siwon-ah, before she forces the entire pantry on us..."

 

Siwon mustered a quick bow as Donghae dragged him away. And not a moment too soon--had Hyangsook insisted, Siwon wasn't sure he could entirely refuse. 

 

He glanced at Donghae. It's the eyes, he thought. The liquid, downturned puppy eyes that even a stone-hearted CEO would find impossible to resist. Like mother, like son, indeed.

 

"So that's who you get it from," Siwon muttered.

 

"Pardon?"

 

"Nothing." Siwon gazed at Donghae's pristinely maintained Porsche Cayenne, instead. He whistled appreciatively. "Any chance of letting me drive, Donghae-ah?"

 

Donghae put on a pair of aviator shades and swung the door open, finally looking like the son of a business magnate that he truly was. He grinned playfully. "Sorry, Siwon-sshi, but not this time."

 

 

---

 

 

Apart from their argument over the custody of Hyangsook's enormous lunchbox (which Siwon won by, quite unfairly, playing the boss card), their hike up Yudalsan park was fairly quiet. 

 

Donghae used to frequent Yudalsan with his family for Sunday picnics. He remembered racing Henry up the shrine, the cool mountain breeze burning their nose and cheeks. They would look down, breathless, on the whole city of Mokpo, then a simple town of small buildings, pagodas and patches of shrubberies or trees, folded into the gentle clasp of the sea.

 

Donghae wondered how much of that has changed; Halbae often rued how Korea was changing faster than it could think. And so am I, thought Donghae. After all, he began with a stranger's number on a coffee cup and ended up with one of South Korea's most eligible bachelors, all in a single day.

 

Beside him, South Korea's most eligible bachelor currently looked every bit a tourist as he adjusted his shades, pulled out the trail map and hefted the lunchbox over his shoulder. "Shall we?" said Siwon with an easy grin.

 

Their first stop, a monument for Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, was one of Donghae's favorites. When he was a child, the statue was enormous enough to loom over him like an incredible war god, which Donghae found cool and awesome. Halbae also told many stories of how the man had frightened the Japanese away, which sealed Admiral Yi's place among Donghae's childhood heroes.

 

They continued their hike up to the sculpture park, a newer installment that Donghae himself had not seen before. Donghae ambled from one sculpture to another, humming thoughtfully as he read the sculptor’s description. Siwon, however, only looked at them with passing interest. ("I don’t have the patience to work out how an artist's mind works,” he later admitted.)

 

The sculpture park led to a winding path of thinning cherry blossom trees and forsythia, sloping upwards to Yudalsan’s summit. (Donghae mentally noted to come back in Spring, when the flowers were in full bloom and Yudalsan was at its most beautiful and festive.) Donghae felt slightly nervous, unsure of what to expect at the top after so many years.

 

Siwon got there first, and visibly in a breath. Donghae jumped the last few steps then looked out from the pagoda. 

 

There were taller buildings and fewer trees than he had last seen it, but Mokpo remained largely unchanged. Just like in the past, the view up top still took Donghae’s breath away.

 

"You realize how small Mokpo is from up here," said Siwon.

 

"Yeah. You can even see my house from here..." Donghae squinted at a particular direction, then pointed at a blue roof at the distance. "Over there."

 

Siwon shielded his eyes. "Yeah. I see it."

 

They admired the view quietly for a few minutes, their elbows brushing as they leant over the railing. A week ago, Donghae couldn’t even look at Siwon in the eye; he was always too nervous whenever his boss was around. To him, Siwon has always been on a different league. But something about last night—the terrifying experience of meeting halbae the first time, probably, or Donghae finally opening up about his father—made Donghae feel that he had gained some common ground. Made Siwon feel a little more real. 

 

“Woah, you can even see the train from here!” said Siwon excitedly, his arm now warmly pressed against Donghae’s. Donghae smiled. He could stay like this for hours.

 

He could, until his stomach grumbled loudly and shattered the peace.

 

Donghae flushed beet-red to the tip of his ears. Siwon grinned and held up Hyangsook’s packed lunch. “Good thing we brought this along, huh? If your omma was here, she would probably say ‘I told you so~!’”

 

Donghae ducked his head to hide his blush and tugged at Siwon’s hand. “T-there’s a lovely picnic spot over there…”

 

Donghae led Siwon to one of their family's favourite picnic spots--a lower grassy area beside the pagoda that still offered a relatively unobscured view of Mokpo through the trees. A family and a foreign couple had already occupied a few spots, but they were able to find a shady spot a few metres away, far enough to ensure privacy. Siwon spread out the blanket on the grass, and Donghae began to lay out the dosirak his mother had prepared, which had boxes of kimbap, egg rolls, bulgogi, and salted fish, plus dessert cups of different flavours. 

 

"Your mom doesn't hold back, does she," said Siwon, goggling at the feast that was laid before him. Donghae mutely nodded, also speechless by the amount of food his mother had managed to sneak into the bag.

 

They said their prayers and tucked into the generous feast. Siwon hummed with satisfaction as he chewed on a piece of kimbap,  which made Donghae feel oddly happy.

 

"Where next?" Siwon asked, picking up two egg rolls at once.

 

"I was thinking of going to Gatbawi."

 

"Hang on, I've heard of that place before..." After a few minutes of quiet concentration, Siwon waved his chopsticks excitedly. "That's where Mokpo's famous rocks are, right?"

 

Donghae laughed. "Yeah, where you get to walk around them on a wooden bridge. But I want you to see the harbour, too. It's one of my favourite places. And the Maritime museum is pretty interesting."

 

"You sure love the sea, don't you, Donghae-ah?"

 

Donghae sighed. "If I could live next to sea for the rest of my life, I would. Omma loves the sea, too."

 

"Yeah. She keeps a collection of the beaches she's visited. I remember." Siwon looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I think I'll buy a souvenir, myself. A shirt, maybe. Or a bracelet."

 

Donghae's head snapped up. "A bracelet?" 

 

"Yeah. I could get the brats back home one each, too..." he then smiled at Donghae sheepishly. "Sorry. I meant my brother and Kyuhyun."

 

Donghae thought about Siwon's souvenir, an idea forming in his head. A bracelet's pretty easy to make...

 

Donghae's thoughts were interrupted by the IPhone's familiar chirrup. Siwon's eyes widened. "There's reception up here, on a mountain? I had no bars at all since we left your house this morning!" He hurriedly fished his phone out of his pocket and answered the call. 

 

"Hello? Oh, Sungmin-sshi! How are you doing?"

 

Donghae pouted, slightly annoyed by the intrusion. He knew he had no right--they were only pretending to be dating, after all--but he genuinely wanted Siwon to spend a quiet, relaxing day for once, and today was that golden chance. But it seemed there was just no running away from Siwon's many responsibilities.

 

"Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?"

 

Donghae winced at the sharpness in Siwon's voice. The bright grin on his face had completely disappeared.

 

"Okay. Send them to my personal e-mail. I'll see how I can send them back," Siwon said shortly. He ended the call with a gruff sigh.

 

"Something wrong?" asked Donghae softly.

 

"The Fashion Week committee had additional paperwork for us to do." Siwon ran a hand through his hair. "They need my feedback ASAP. I've asked Sungmin-sshi to send the documents right now."

 

Donghae hesitated, then said, "If it's that urgent, there's a computer shop not far from here. We can go round the other side of the mountain and walk from there."

 

Siwon's face lightened with relief. "Really? That's perfect! I'll have to check a few e-mails, too..." 

 

Donghae forced a smile. "Looks like it's a change of plans, huh?"

 

Siwon moved to squeeze Donghae's hand, but he froze at the look on Donghae's face. "Seems so,"  he said coolly.

 

Donghae bowed his head and quietly placed the almost empty boxes into the bag. He was being childish, wasn't he? The stern look on Siwon's face said as much.

 

"I understand" Siwon reached out for the bag, but Donghae had turned towards the path, closing him off. "Let's go."

 

 

---

 

 

They stopped at a small, rundown shop just by the foot of the mountain. Donghae instinctively leant against the door; he remembered the misshapen steel frame always got caught in the doorjamb. It gave way with a merry tinkle of a bell chime overhead.

 

"Well, here we are!" Donghae said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

 

Siwon looked a little less so. His frown deepened when he spotted the rows of old, bulky processors behind the counter. "Those are just spare units, right?" he asked uncertainly.

 

Before Donghae could answer, a friendly-looking man popped out from a room behind the counter. "Welcome t-OH hello, Donghae-hyung!" he greeted.

 

"Hi Onew-ah! Can we rent a computer with internet access, please?" Donghae asked.

 

The said man checked something on his own computer before beaming at Donghae and Siwon. "Number 5 is available."

 

"Thanks!" Donghae replied. 

 

Number 5 was the unit by the window, which directly faced the street and had a view of the small coffee shop right across. Siwon pulled out the wobbly computer chair and sat on it gingerly, only settling down when he was sure it could carry his full weight.

 

"Um, what will you--"

 

"I'm going to stay in that coffee shop over there," said Donghae curtly. "Come over when you're finished. I'll pay for about an hour."

 

Before Siwon could get a word in, Donghae had already turned his back and headed towards the counter. Siwon could only stare at Donghae dumbly as he settled the transaction and swept out the door. 

 

And then, to make matters worse, Siwon's computer chair suddenly gave in.

 

 

---

 

 

Donghae sat on one of the outdoor tables with a direct view of Siwon. Onew initially hovered beside Siwon, bowing repeatedly for what looked like profuse apology. Siwon stood up and led him out after a few minutes. 

 

He heaved a deep sigh as he sipped his iced Americano. Every few minutes he would stop to watch Siwon, who looked very serious with whatever it was he was working on. 

 

Donghae poked at his cheesecake. He was annoyed. He was unreasonably annoyed over something stupid and petty, and Siwon knew it, too.

 

He was brought out of his thoughts when a dark shadow suddenly covered his view.

 

"What?" Donghae asked, looking up.

 

"Hey fishie!" Eunhyuk greeted. He made himself comfortable on the seat in front of Donghae.

 

"Oh hey, Hyuk," Donghae greeted listlessly.

 

"Why the long face?" Eunhyuk asked. He glanced at Donghae's untouched cheesecake, and covertly scooped a biteful.

 

That brought Donghae back to reality. "Yah!" Donghae yelled, taking his fork from Eunhyuk.

 

"Hmm, where's Siwon?" Eunhyuk continued, pretending to look around for the tall man.

 

Donghae nodded towards the computer shop's direction. "Busy working."

 

"Hmm," said Eunhyuk thoughtfully, taking the chance to grab a sip from Donghae's Americano.

 

"Hey Hyuk." Donghae said softly.

 

"Hmm?" Eunhyuk asked,  aware of Donghae's sudden shift into a somber mood.

 

"Can you do me a favor?" Donghae asked. When he looked back at Eunhyuk, he had his puppy dog eyes on.

 

"W-what do you want?" Eunhyuk asked back. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't find it in himself to resist those eyes. Those eyes have caused Eunhyuk trouble. Even after so many months of not seeing each other, apparently he was still weak to it.

 

"Can you take Siwon out tomorrow? I just need to do something in the morning." Donghae said.

 

"Oh. Trouble in paradise?" Eunhyuk replied.

 

"No. I just...I want to go to my workshop." Donghae added softly.

 

"You mean, you're going to make him something?" Eunhyuk gasped, surprised.

 

"Yeah. Probably." Donghae fidgeted under Eunhyuk's intense stare.

 

Eunhyuk continued to look at Donghae, heaving a sigh of his own. At first, he didn't want to believe that Donghae was serious with Siwon. However, the fact that Donghae even introduced Siwon to his crazy family, and was planning to work on something in his workshop, must mean Donghae has found true happiness with Siwon.

 

"...I can't." Eunhyuk replied slowly.

 

Donghae looked up in surprise. For the first time since the two have known each other, Eunhyuk had rejected him.

 

"You know why." Eunhyuk continued. "We may not be seeing each other anymore, and when we do we act like we're the best of friends. But it doesn't mean I don't get hurt when you suddenly come home and introduce your so-called boyfriend to your family."

 

"Hyukjae," said Donghae, stunned. "I...I'm sorry."

 

"I'm not angry. I know we're better off as friends." Eunhyuk said with a sad smile. He stood up. "I'm sorry too."

 

Donghae could only stare at Eunhyuk's retreating back as it faded into the distance.

 

 

---

 

 

Siwon stared at the computer screen, tapping his fingers as he waited for his documents to send. After the misfortune of falling to the floor, he thought everything will be smooth sailing and he could return to Donghae immediately. But alas, everything was loading so slowly, each document taking ages to finish. What should have been a mere fifteen minute review turned into a forty-five minute battle with the computer.

 

Siwon stretched his arms as he finally completed his work. He chanced a look at Donghae and was surprised the other was having a serious conversation with another man. He stood up from his position and bid Onew goodbye.

 

Siwon frowned; as he drew nearer, he realized that Donghae was talking to Hyukjae. He didn't like how the two were looking at each other, as if there were some issues to be resolved. The seriousness of the conversation allowed Siwon to sneak behind the two without being noticed. (He has no intention of eavesdropping on their conversation, of course...)

 

Siwon was just about to say hello, but the words died in his throat as Hyukjae said, "I know we're better off as friends..."

 

Siwon was stunned silent. He scrambled to hide behind the wall as Hyukjae made a hurried exit, muttering sorry to Donghae.

 

It took a few minutes for Siwon to gather his thoughts. For the hundredth time, he couldn't help but feel sorry for dragging Donghae to his problems. There was no point in hiding behind a wall, though--he should at least make the best of his vacation, regardless if he will go through with the contract, or let go of Donghae by the end of it.

 

"Hey Donghae-ah." Siwon greeted as cheerfully as he could. He sat on the same seat Hyukjae was sitting on a few minutes ago.

 

Donghae snapped out of his thoughts at Siwon's greeting. "Oh. Are you done, boss?"

 

Siwon frowned. Just when thought he was making progress with Donghae, he's suddenly back to square one. Ever since Sungmin called, Donghae returned to treating him like he was from a different class altogether, and Siwon didn't like it.

 

"Yeah." Siwon replied before adding, "I saw Hyukjae-sshi as I crossed the street."

 

Donghae's eyes widened. He fidgeted in his seat, but didn't make a move to explain himself.

 

"I-I just want to know something, Donghae-ah." Siwon continued slowly. "Are...were you together?"

 

There was a long and tense silence before Donghae mumbled, "Yes."

 

Donghae may have answered softly, but the words rang loud and clear in Siwon's head.  It felt like a confirmation that everything they had was just a lie.

 

 

---

 

 

Donghae woke up early the next day. After Donghae confirmed his previous relationship with Hyukjae, Siwon clammed up and said nothing for the rest of the trip. Donghae didn't know what the other was thinking, and he didn't bother to pry--he himself was confused with his feelings. Thus, things were very awkward the night before, with neither him nor Siwon speaking to each other. 

 

Despite that, he decided to continue with his plans to head to his workshop. Maybe doing some crafts would take his mind away from the tension.

 

Donghae stood as quietly as possible from his makeshift bed, stifling a gasp as he saw Siwon's sleeping face. Siwon was turned towards him, sleeping right by the edge of the bed. It was as if Siwon was affected by last night's atmosphere that he found sleep with a clear view of Donghae sleeping on the floor. 

 

Donghae stared at Siwon's sleeping face. Before he could stop himself, he traced every inch of Siwon's face, from his closed eyes to his sharp nose. He couldn't help but smile softly as he felt the growing stubble, before lastly tracing his lips. He desperately stopped himself from leaning forward to kiss the sleeping man.

 

Donghae immediately ran to the bathroom, as if he was caught doing something he shouldn't be doing. 

 

He leaned on the closed door, his heart beating rapidly and his face flushed red. The admiration he felt as he watched Siwon passionately working for Devil has turned into something else as he took care of him.

 

He was already falling for his boss. 

 

'No! This is only for his inheritance.' Donghae thought to himself. He shook his head and turned to take a long bath.

 

 

---

 

 

Siwon felt uneasy.

 

By the time he woke, Donghae’s comforter had been folded neatly and shoved under the bed. Siwon immediately looked for him around the house—the library, the dining area, even the bathrooms—but Donghae was nowhere to be seen. Hyangsook had left a note on the dining table next to a plate of toast and eggs, but it still left no clue as to where Donghae could have possibly run off to.

 

He took his plate into Donghae’s room and set it down on the bedside table. With a frustrated grunt, he scrolled through his phone, looking for something that can distract him through breakfast. 

 

Siwon eventually settled for a game of Candy Crush. He had just completed a sweet Sugar Crush move when someone rapped softly on the door.

 

About time Donghae came back, he thought. “Come in, please,” he mumbled around a mouthful of toast.

 

Leeteuk peeked in, and smiled at the sight that greeted him. Siwon was balancing a plate on his lap, frowning in concentration at his mobile phone.

 

“Good morning, Siwon-sshi.”

 

Siwon jumped, and punched the Home button in his panic. “Leeteuk-sshi! Sorry. I was... expecting someone else.”

 

“Mm. You’re probably looking for Donghae-ah,” said Leeteuk.

 

Siwon bit his cheek. “Yes, I was.”

 

“I dropped by to say he’s in his workshop.” Leeteuk chuckled at Siwon’s frown of confusion. “Donghae-ah likes to work on craft-making in his spare time, so halbae had a workshop installed near the garage. We call it a workshop, but really, it’s just to keep Hae's mess in one place.”

 

Siwon blinked, surprised at the new information. “I see. Did he say… if he has any plans today?”

 

“Nothing in particular.” Leeteuk smiled kindly. “Did something happen yesterday?”

 

Siwon rubbed his nape. The atmosphere had been awkward and stilted since he took Sungmin’s call, but he certainly didn’t expect a turn for the worse when he confronted Donghae about Hyukjae. 

 

“Why don’t you go for a walk,” Leeteuk suggested. “The weather outside is perfect for a jog.”

 

Siwon considered it. "I think I’ll take you up for it,” he said.

 

“Good. Are you interested in martial arts, by any chance?”

 

Siwon blinked. He was, actually, a taekwondo black belter. Donghae’s brother might be a little psychic, he concluded. “I took up taekwondo when I was young.”

 

“Ah, I thought so,” said Leeteuk happily. “Youngwoon-ah works in a dojo a few blocks from here. If you like, you can pay him a visit. He’s been looking around for a worthy sparring partner.” Leeteuk winked at him. “I think you might be just the man.”

 

Siwon grinned back. “I hope this isn’t some kind of test to prove myself.”

 

“That would be quite romantic, wouldn’t it?” Leeteuk took the empty plate from Siwon’s lap, and said, “Give Donghae-ah some time to himself this morning, Siwon-ah. Misunderstandings happen, but they need to be resolved with a cool head." He patted Siwon's knee. "Don't worry. My brother's not the type to hold grudges for very long. You'll be alright.”

 

Siwon’s ears reddened slightly. “Thank you, Leeteuk-sshi.”

 

“Teukkie-hyung, please. We’re family, aren’t we?” Leeteuk stood up and walked to the door. “When you drop by the dojo, can you please tell that husband of mine that I know what he’s been doing?” His eyes narrowed sharply. “And that he better not do it again.”

 

“Um, of course.” Siwon couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Kangin.

 

Leeteuk's sweet smile returned, the aura of threat gone as quickly as it had appeared. “I'll tell Donghae-ah you went out for a jog, okay?" He mouthed "Fighting~" with a gesture of a hand.

 

As soon as the door closed, Siwon flopped back against the bed. "Damn it," he muttered, and closed his eyes. "It's all pretend. It's all pretend--"

 

But Siwon knew it was futile. He can't deny it anymore--that small, growing part of him that seriously wanted the relationship to work. 

 

Nor that part of him that seriously wanted the relationship to be true.

 

 

---

 

 

Donghae wiped the stray bead of sweat from his forehead. The better part of his morning has been spent cutting the metal into a sizable bracelet and then bending it like a cuff. Now all he had to do was engrave some message on the pair of bracelets he created.

 

Donghae smiled in success, raising the perfect cuff bracelets he created for Siwon and himself. 

 

Without warning, the door to the workshop slammed open. Donghae almost dropped the bracelets in surprise.

 

"Oy, fishie! You still alive?" Heechul poked his head into the room. 

 

"Heechul-hyung!" Donghae sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that!"

 

"Geez, you've been in here for hours. What the heck are you working on, anyway?"

 

Donghae discreetly slipped the cuff bracelets into his back pocket. "Um, a gift. For halbae." 

 

Heechul raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but didn't push. Instead, his face turned serious. "Speaking of the old man, he's looking for you. Said he wanted to talk about something."

 

"Did he say what about?"

 

Heechul smiled wryly. "Guess."

 

"No way." Donghae grimaced. "I thought we're done with Siwon during dinner the other night!"

 

"The old man's just worried about you, Hae. As we all are." Heechul folded his arms. "We don't know anything about Siwon-sshi, apart from he's a young and handsome executive who knows how to take care of business and people. So at least he meets the minimum requirement, but more importantly..." Heechul poked Donghae on the chest. "Can we trust him to take care of you?"

 

"Definitely," said Donghae, resolute. "He's contractually obliged to," he added in a softer tone.

 

"Contractually? Then I hope that contract doesn't have a termination clause," Heechul ha-ha'd, taking Donghae's reply as a joke. Donghae flinched, the accurate remark hitting too close to home. 

 

Heechul smiled. "You really have it bad for this guy, huh, fishie?"

 

Donghae thought about the odd mix of emotions he had been wrestling with since the start of the trip. "I'm only beginning to understand it, myself," said Donghae honestly. "I'm a bit scared, hyung. It's my first time to feel like this..."

 

"Brat," Heechul said, ruffling Donghae's hair. "A real man is not scared of his own feelings."

 

"Yeah. Maybe if I was as tough as you," Donghae sniffled.

 

Heechul said nothing for a few moments. "If I was as tough as you think I am, then we'd still have Han Geng here..." He looked at Donghae with a melancholy smile. "I ran away from my feelings once, Donghae-ah. So don't make the same mistake, okay?"

 

Donghae squeezed Heechul's hand and nodded. "I won't," promised Donghae. I'll definitely see this relationship through, hyung. Right to its inevitable end.

 

 

---

 

 

"Hey Siwon-sshi." Kangin said, as he threw a bottle of water towards Siwon's direction. Siwon caught it effortlessly and muttered his thanks.

 

Kangin and Siwon sat side by side, both men catching their breaths from the exercise. "Do you feel better?" Kangin asked.

 

Siwon took huge gulps of water before he replied. "A little. But I didn't think I'd find a good sparring partner here in Mokpo. We should do it again some time, Kangin-sshi."

 

Kangin chuckled. "We should, brother. You won't find anyone better here in Mokpo!"

 

Siwon rummaged through some of his things to look for his mobile phone. A few hours have passed, and Siwon hoped Donghae may have finally decided to contact him. After a few minutes of searching in vain, he realized he may have left his mobile in Donghae's room after stuffing some change of clothes into a small spare bag before heading to the dojo. He muttered a curse to himself.

 

"Is everything okay, Siwon-sshi?" Kangin asked, noticing Siwon's panicked state.

 

"Oh nothing, Kangin-sshi. It just seems I left my mobile at your house." Siwon replied, slumping in resignation.

 

"Don't worry, I'm sure Jeongsu will contact me if something happens." Kangin smiled gently. "Why don't you take a quick shower and let's grab some lunch?"

 

Siwon merely nodded, and headed to the locker rooms.

 

 

---

 

 

Donghae found halbae sitting on his favourite chair in the library. He softly knocked on the open door.

 

"Donghae-ah! Come in," said halbae..

 

Donghae kissed him on the cheek, then pulled a chair across the table. "Heechul-hyung said you called for me."

 

"Yes," said halbae simply. He slid a mobile phone across the table. "I called you to discuss this."

 

Donghae's eyes widened when he recognized the phone. "That's Siwon-ah's!"

 

"Someone has been calling your boss all morning." explained halbae gruffly. "It annoyed me, so I answered it."

 

Donghae gaped at his grandfather. "You did what?" 

 

"The young man on the other line was going on and on and on about a document that I didn't understand, even before I had the chance to speak." Halbae snorted. "He was quite surprised that Siwon-sshi left his mobile phone. Of course, I took the chance to ask him about your work, which he was happy to complain about, but he also said a few interesting things about Siwon-sshi and yourself..."

 

The chair clattered loudly as Donghae shot up from his seat, to his grandfather's surprise.

 

"I'm sorry, halbae, but this has gone too far," Donghae said, his voice shaking.

 

Halbae frowned. "Now, now, Donghae-ah..."

 

"I understand if you do not trust Siwon-ah yet, but snooping around his personal property is unacceptable behavior!"

 

"And so is talking to your grandfather in this manner!" Halbae barked. "What is it with your defensive attitude about Siwon-sshi?"

 

Donghae paused. He didn't know why, himself. He only knew he needed to protect Siwon in whatever way he could, even against his own grandfather. 

 

"Halbae, I think I'm right to get angry on Siwon-ah's behalf. And I'm not changing my mind about him, either, whatever you may think." 

 

Donghae rubbed the tears from his eyes. He coldly bowed to his dumbfounded grandfather and stormed out the room.

 

"Huh, that went well." Heechul popped out behind the window and leant against the windowsill. "That totally wasn't your intention, was it, old man?"

 

"Not at all," said halbae. "I even had good things to say about that Siwon-sshi, but my cute grandchild has been so emotional the past few days. It's Siwon-sshi's fault!"

 

Heechul rolled his eyes at his grandfather. "I'm with Donghae-ah on this one, halbae. Why did you answer Siwon-sshi's phone, anyway? You could've asked me, Leeteuk-hyung or Henry-ah to do it."

 

Halbae shrugged. "Eh, I was bored."

 

"...Seriously, you..." Heechul rubbed his temples. "Aren't you worried that you're on bad terms with Donghae-ah right before your birthday?"

 

Halbae shook his head. "This Siwon-sshi seems to have a cool, rational head on his shoulders. We'll see how good he is at calming down Donghae-ah. He'll sort it out."

 

"Oh, and now he relies on poor Siwon-sshi," Heechul sighed. "Tough luck, old man. Leeteuk-hyung said they weren't on good terms this morning, either."

 

"They what?!" Halbae shot up from his seat, only to crumple back down again with a pained groan. "Ohhh, my back..."

 

Heechul grimaced. I'm not sure if I should be jealous or if I should pity you over how much halbae loves you, fishie.

 

"Heechul-ah! Don't just stand there! Get my medicines!"

 

"Okay, okay," said Heechul, shaking his head. "You're such a klutz sometimes, halbae..."

 

- A few minutes earlier... - 

 

"Hello?"

 

"SIWON-SSHI! Sungmin-sshi here. I've been trying to call you for ages! I sent over the documents to the organizers, so that's been settled. But they want to feature--"

 

"I'm terribly sorry, young man. But this is not Siwon-sshi."

 

"Oh? OH! I'm sorry. I must have dialed--no, this is the correct number--wait, who are you? Why do you have his phone?!"

 

"I am part of the hotel's concierge staff. Siwon-sshi left his phone in his room this morning, so I'm looking after it until he gets back."

 

"O-oh, I see. Sorry, uncle. I thought you were a--you know. Thief. Siwon-sshi never leaves his phone behind, you see..."

 

"He does seem a highly dependable young man, this Siwon-sshi. Is he your colleague?"

 

"Ah, in a manner of speaking. He's my boss."

 

"Your boss? But he's still so young!"

 

"His father owns the company. To be fair, he worked his way up, too. He's an absolute workaholic. And he lets it out on us sometimes, especially on the slackers."

 

"Young and ambitious people these days... Does he treat everyone like that?"

 

"...Well, now that you mentioned it... not all of us, no. There's this one person he treats a little differently. It makes me a bit jealous, but that person is a good person. A bit of a ditz too, so it's not difficult to see why the boss loves to spoil him."

 

"Hmm. A ditz, you say."

 

"Ah, crap. The presscon's starting. Sorry, uncle, but I have to go. And sorry for mistaking you for a thief earlier. But wow, talking to you helped me feel a little better, somehow..."

 

"That's good to hear, young man. Sungmin-sshi, was it? I'll send your regards to Siwon-sshi and Donghae-ah."

 

"Oh, thank you! Please tell them I--hang on, Donghae-ah? Why do you know Donghae-ah?! Hello--"

 

Halbae squinted at the smartphone, then fully pressed the end call button with a triumphant smile. "There you are! Who says I'm too old for these things, ha?"

 

 

---

 

 

Siwon hurried towards Donghae's room, but was not surprised to find it empty. 

 

He groaned in frustration and threw his bag into a corner. The bed was clean and the sheets were unwrinkled. He looked in the drawers, under the bed and in the bathroom, but he couldn't find his mobile phone anywhere. As far as he remembered, he was still holding it when Leeteuk came by that morning. He must've dropped it then, and someone took it for safekeeping.

 

Siwon tried not to panic. He wanted to return as soon as he realized his life mobile went missing, but lunch with both Kangin and Leeteuk held him back. It was another eventful lunchtime; Siwon told Kangin about Leeteuk's threatening message over lunch, and before he knew it, Kangin was calling Leeteuk to explain there was nothing going on behind his back. Leeteuk suddenly arrived, and Siwon was trapped into spending the first few minutes of lunch witnessing Kangin and Leeteuk fight and make up. They eventually remembered they weren't alone, and the attention was shifted to Siwon and his minor misunderstanding with Donghae.

 

Siwon resisted the urge to pull his hair out. The two had agreed to help him set up a romantic dinner for Donghae, but he had to find Donghae first and grovel for forgiveness. 

 

Siwon roamed Donghae's house, turning left into the hallway which he remembered led straight to the dining area. Maybe he would come across someone who could direct him to Donghae's workshop, or anywhere leading to his missing fiance.

 

"Hey Siwon-hyung! What are you doing?" Henry asked, surprised.

 

Siwon managed to restrain himself from jumping at Henry's sudden appearance. "I'm looking for Donghae. Is he still in his workshop, by any chance?"

 

"Oh! He went to the dance studio." Henry replied.

 

Of all the days to be a busybody... Siwon sighed, as he ran a hand through his hair. "Can you tell me how to get there?"

 

"Sure, hyung!" Henry said happily. "I heard you went to the dojo today, yeah? Just turn right at the end of the same street. The dance studio is the second building to your left."

 

"Great! Thanks." Siwon replied and made his way to the front door.

 

"Hyung, wait up!" Henry called, suddenly remembering something. "Halbae asked me to hand this to you."

 

Henry handed Siwon a familiar mobile phone. "My phone! Thanks, Henry!" Siwon said happily, as he unlocked his phone and browsed his unread messages.

 

"One more thing, Siwon-hyung." Henry started, biting his lip in worry. "Halbae said he might have pissed off Donghae-hyung a bit."

 

Siwon raised an eyebrow in surprise.

 

"I don't know the full details. But there are only two places Donghae-hyung goes to when he wants to think or when he's angry. One is the workshop, and the other the dance studio." Henry said. "If he's pissed off at halbae, he heads to the dance studio because it's farther."

 

Siwon nodded, his face scrunching worriedly. "Should I just wait for him to get home, then?"

 

"Er, halbae was hoping you could calm him down, actually." Henry replied sheepishly.

 

Halbae wanted me to...? Siwon's chest lightened at the news. 

 

"I'll try," Siwon promised. He continued his way to the front door and threw Henry his signature wave.

 

Siwon walked the same path he did that morning. He took in the afternoon air, his mind running overdrive with so many scenarios on how he will approach Donghae. Almost a full day without Donghae and he was already a nervous wreck. He tried to calm his furiously beating heart as he got closer to the studio. 

 

He turned right as Henry instructed. He took a huge gulp of air as soon as he spotted the dance studio.  Get yourself together!' Siwon said to himself.

 

"Okay," he muttered. He mentally steeled himself before finally stepping inside.

 

"Hi! You must be Siwon-sshi!" An energetic young man greeted him by the receiving area.

 

"Umm, hello...?" Siwon replied awkwardly.

 

"Sorry, I must have sounded like a creepy stalker. Henry-hyung called to tell me you were coming over. I'm Taemin, by the way." The attentive man named Taemin said.

 

"Well, I won't hold you here any longer. Donghae-hyung's over there." Taemin pointed at the far end of the hallway. Siwon muttered his thanks before heading towards the instructed direction.

 

Upon reaching the last room, he heard upbeat music from the other side of the door. Deciding he will wait for Donghae to calm his nerves first, he cracked the door open. The room was spacious and the door was far from where Donghae was dancing, enough for Siwon to creep inside the room without Donghae noticing.

 

Siwon slid in quietly. He was just about to make his way to the couch he saw, when he made the mistake of looking at Donghae.

 

Donghae stretched his arms in an arc and spun full circle without warning . He continued to move to the beat of the song, dancing effortlessly and without strain.

 

Siwon stood mesmerized, unable to move any further. Every little thing he learned about Donghae made Siwon fall harder for the man.

 

Siwon was taken out of his daze by a loud gasp from Donghae.

 

"S...Siwon-ah!" Donghae exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Siwon's reflection on the many mirrors of the studio. "W-what are you doing here?"

 

"You..." Siwon coughed, clearing his throat. "You've been avoiding me."

 

"I'm sorry," Donghae reasoned, head bent as his sweaty hair covered his eyes. "I just had a lot on my mind today."

 

Siwon took the initiative, taking huge steps until he was right in front of Donghae. However, Donghae continued to study his feet, refusing to meet Siwon's eyes.

 

Siwon swept Donghae's hair to the side to get a clearer view of his face, but the latter refused to budge. Not one to give up, he finally lifted Donghae's chin. "You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I think I should be the one asking for your forgiveness. Ever since Sungmin called, you've been acting strangely. Whatever I've done to offend you. I'm sorry, Donghae-ah."

 

"W-what? You don't have to... I've been acting like a --" But before Donghae could continue with whatever it was he was about to say, Siwon pulled Donghae into his arms, hugging him tightly.

 

"Just for a few minutes." Siwon whispered. "Let's stay like this, just for a few minutes."

 

Siwon tightened his grip around Donghae's shoulders. Just the thought of today's misunderstanding was driving him insane.

 

Donghae felt too weak to move, and could merely nod as he let himself be engulfed in Siwon's protecting arms. Even without voicing it, he knew this lie they started was going to be his downfall. But he was going to see it through, just like he promised.

 

Something was changing. Siwon and Donghae could both feel it. But they had to think a step ahead of their impulsive emotions, to think long-term and realistically. LIke adults.

 

Wrapped warmly in each other's arms, they both shared the same, painful thought:

 

"How can I let you go?"