Jongin sat in his office and frowned at the message appearing on his phone.

“This is...,” he mumbled.

Why would someone send him a picture of a puppy?

“What does that mean?” He wondered, looking at the sender. At the same moment, the door to his office flung open, and his secretary stormed in.

“Look at this, the owner of the picture,” Jongin stated. Wendy paled as she saw the phone in her boss’ hand. Immediately she bowed.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Kim. I sent it to the wrong person. That would never happen again.” Her voice was shaking.

“Is that your dog?” Jongin asked, and for a short moment, Wendy hesitated to answer. She wasn’t sure she heard him correctly. Kim Jongin, her boss, was interested in her private life. This day should be documented in history.

“Yes,” she stuttered, “I adopted him last week. I wanted to send the picture to my boyfriend. I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

To her surprise Jongin didn’t seem to be angry, instead he only nodded and told her she could leave. Closing the door, she wondered what happened to her boss who had snapped as she’d bought the wrong coffee. When you worked for Kim Jongin, you didn’t make mistakes. At least, that was what she’d believed until now.

Staring at the picture, Jongin grinned. Baekhyun loved cute things; he would love this. Jongin nodded to himself and started typing a message to the small one. Before he could finish the sentence, Wendy knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Jongin shouted, laying his phone down.

“Ok,” Jongin replied.

“Oh, ahm,” he called as the secretary was about to leave.

“Yes, Sir?”

“Since when do you have a boyfriend?” He asked, not noticing the confusion on her face.

“Since last year,” she answered.

“Oh,” Jongin mumbled, “and since when do you work for me?”

“Since last year, Sir.”

“What a coincidence,” Jongin stated.

“Actually,” she corrected the boss, “it’s not. I’m going out with your bodyguard.”

“Which one?” Jongin asked curiously.

“Mr. Moon,” Wendy held back the answer for a second. She still hadn’t figure out whether Jongin would get mad or not.

“Taeil?”

“Yes, Sir.” The secretary blushed.

“Hm,” Jongin murmured, nodding.

“He is a good one,” he added.

“He is,” Wendy agreed. If it were up to her, she would end this weird conversation right now. She felt like introducing her boyfriend to her parents.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” She questioned subtly.

“Is he treating you well?” Yeah, that was what his father would ask as well.

“Yes, he is,” she answered.

“Good,” Jongin replied, “that’s good.”

“Sir, do you need anything else?”

“No, you can leave now,” Jongin responded, and Wendy breathed out in relief, heading to the door.

Jongin leaned back in his seat, thinking of the conversation he just had. He realized he didn’t know anything about his employees. Lost in his thoughts, he stared into space until his eyes wandered to the packet on his desk. The moment he opened it; a yellow sticky note fell off.

“Are you sure the person in your house is the real Byun Baekhyun?” That was written on the note, and Jongin knitted his brow. What was this supposed to mean? Baekhyun wasn’t Baekhyun? What kind of bad joke was this?

Not wasting a second, Jongin opened the folder. It was the medical report of Byun Baekhyun. Baekhyun was allergic to curcuma? The small one had never mentioned that. Even if this were true, why would it matter? And who would send him this? Together with that suspicious note?

So, Baekhyun was allergic to curcuma. What was the deal with all the fuss? Jongin could have ignored everything. He could. He should. But he didn’t. It was too difficult for someone like him to trust. But it was too easy for someone like him to have the report fact-checked, and that was his curse. It was also his curse that the report was real.

--- >> << ---

“Stop,” Jongin demanded when they passed by a patisserie. Immediately, the car stopped, right in front of the cake shop. The driver waited, but Jongin didn’t move. After a while, the boss sighed.

“Let’s go,” he said. Nodded, the driver did as he was told. Yet, they had barely reached the next traffic light as Jongin changed his mind.

“No, turn back.”

At least, this time he made it to enter the shop without hesitation. Yet, after he found out the shop didn’t have curcuma cake, he couldn’t help but think it was fate. The universe was telling him something, and he should listen to it. He should have trusted Baekhyun. He had left the shop, and he was almost home. At some points, Jongin wished he hadn’t come back a second time. He wished he hadn’t paid the shop to make those damned cupcakes.

As Jongin saw Baekhyun in the garden, under the sunlight, something uneasy had grown in him. The way Baekhyun turned his head to him. The way the small one smiled at him as soon as their eyes meet. The warmth Jongin felt as Baekhyun wrapped his arms around his waist. The way Baekhyun buried his head into his back, the way Baekhyun whispered those three words and the way Baekhyun’s lips fitted his perfectly, everything could have been so easy if Baekhyun were just his. If they both weren’t born into this world, if they weren’t the heir of their father’s empires, could they just be happy in love? Suddenly, Jongin was scared by his own mind. When did he become like this?

The gang leader knew he couldn’t live in this dream. It was not for him to put his feelings first. But… whatever the result would be, whatever the truth was and whoever this person was, Jongin wanted a bit more of those memories with him.

“Let’s eat the cupcakes tomorrow. I need a shower right now and you should join me,” Jongin decided.

Like he knew it would be his last time holding Baekhyun, Jongin tried to remember the feeling of Baekhyun’s skin against his. The more he loved every single moment of their time together, the more he was angry that Baekhyun hadn’t listened.

“Didn’t I tell you to eat them tomorrow?” Jongin shouted, slapping the