Chapter 39
They pulled up smoothly on the curb in front of the luxury hotel. Gyeongjae killed the engine and swung his leg off first, immediately reaching out to steady Yeonho as he climbed down from the rear seat.
Together, they waited on the dark pavement for Min-Hyuk.
As they stood by the entrance, Gyeongjae flipped up the helmet's visor, squinting down to inspect Yeonho's hidden face.
"Lean on me if you need to. You still look like a ghost," Gyeongjae muttered, snapping the visor back down before Yeonho could complain.
Behind them, the heavy door of Min-Hyuk's luxury sedan clicked open. Both Yeonho and Gyeongjae turned their heads as Min-hyuk stepped out onto the asphalt, casually walking over to join them.
The trio moved together through the expansive glass doors of the entrance.
The moment the cool, crisp rush of the lobby's air conditioning hit Yeonho, a wave of residual dizziness made him reach out instinctively, grabbing Gyeongjae's forearm with a tight grip.
Gyeongjae flicked his eyes down to the hand clamping his arm. "What?"
"My hair…" Yeonho's voice came out muffled from inside the heavy helmet.
Gyeongjae and Min-Hyuk both glanced down at his shoulders. While his face was completely obscured by the dark visor, the striking, long blonde hair cascading down the back of Gyeongjae's oversized leather jacket was completely impossible to miss.
"Relax. Your face is covered, that's all that matters. No one's gonna figure it out,"
Gyeongjae assured him.
Min-Hyuk closed the distance, deliberately stepping up to sandwich Yeonho right between them.
"Are you blind? He stands out like a sore thumb wearing your gear," Min-Hyuk scoffed, looking around the pristine marble floor.
"People are obviously gonna stare if two guys are parading someone looking like a walking biker accident through the lobby..."
"They can't see his face. That's the only thing I care about," Gyeongjae fired back.
Listening to them bicker, Yeonho glanced past the visor at the sprawling hotel lobby.
Min-Hyuk wasn't lying—several guests and staff members were already turning their heads, their curiosity piqued by the bizarre trio. If they kept lingering by the doors, it was only going to blow up into a bigger scene, and Yeonho didn't have the energy for it.
"You two can stand here and argue all night if you want. I'm going up first. People are staring," Yeonho muttered.
Walking beside two towering, high-profile men was a magnet for unwanted attention anyway.
Feeling a small burst of his strength returning, Yeonho broke away and started walking across the marble.
Gyeongjae's eyes tracked him instantly, a sharp click of his tongue escaping his lips.
"Guess he's fine now," Min-Hyuk murmured, watching the retreating figure.
"Fine, my ass. Look at him, he's dragging his feet," Gyeongjae crossed his arms, his gaze locking onto Yeonho's slightly unsteady stride across the massive lobby.
Min-Hyuk remained quiet for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing, silently following.
Just as Gyeongjae predicted, Yeonho didn't make it very far. Halfway across the floor, he faltered, his hands flying up to clutch his temples as the room tilted.
Seeing him stumble, a nearby female hotel clerk rushed forward, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders to keep him upright.
Gyeongjae didn't hesitate. He took massive, hurried strides across the floor.
Recognizing the formidable presence of the hotel's actual owner marching directly toward her, the clerk instantly straightened and bowed deeply.
"Good evening, Mr. Woo."
Gyeongjae completely ignored the greeting. Without a single word of warning, he leaned down and scooped Yeonho up into a clean bridal carry. Inside the helmet, Yeonho's blue eyes went wide with absolute shock.
The nearby onlookers and hotel staff completely froze, their focus locking onto the scene. It was a staggering sight—everyone knew the wealthy heir Gyeongjae was publicly dating Hana, yet here he was, carrying an unidentified blonde person securely in his arms.
Given the long, flowing hair, most of the whispering employees immediately assumed it was a woman, completely oblivious to the truth.
The clerk stood paralyzed, her mouth slightly open.
"Put me down right now," Yeonho whispered from behind the visor.
"Shut up. You're totally out of it," Gyeongjae replied smoothly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"If you pass out on the floor, it's gonna cause an even bigger scene."
He shifted his cold gaze directly to the trembling clerk.
"You."
"Y-Yes, sir?" she stammered, stepping forward nervously.
"Wipe all the CCTV footage of me carrying him in this lobby. Call the security department right now and tell them to route the master files directly to my private server."
"Right away, Mr. Woo," the clerk hesitated for a fraction of a second, her eyes darting to the blonde person in his arms.
"Wait… Him?" She caught the pronoun, but Gyeongjae was already striding away toward the private elevators before she could process it.
Within seconds, a cluster of curious employees swarmed her position. They all watched the group retreat, noting how the mysterious blonde wrapped his arms around their boss's neck, followed closely by a striking, red-haired model matching their brisk pace.
"Who the hell is that?" a male concierge whispered.
"I have no idea, but Mr. Woo literally said 'him,' so it's definitely a guy," the clerk murmured, shaking her head in disbelief.
"A guy? No way. Since when does Mr. Woo carry guys around like that?" a waitress chimed in, her eyes wide.
"Maybe it's a close friend or family?" another suggested.
"With blonde hair like that? Unlikely."
"Wait, do you think he's actually gay?" the male concierge asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why ask? Are you trying to shoot your shot?"
"What the hell? No, I'm just asking!"
"What do you guys think is going on?" another woman whispered.
"Alright, look, everyone needs to shut it and get back to work," the first clerk interrupted, waving them off.
"Stop guessing before we all get fired. Mr. Woo gave me a direct order, so I'm moving."
With that, she broke away from the huddle.
The employees reluctantly scattered back to their stations, though the atmosphere remained thick with gossip.
On the far side of the lobby floor, a waitress from the main restaurant quietly slipped away, pulling out her phone to dial a familiar number.
It was the exact same employee who had previously assisted Hana in drugging Gyeongjae's drink.
"Ms. Choi, I have an urgent update for you," the waitress whispered, pushing through a set of back doors and walking quickly down a secluded alleyway entirely out of sight from the main building.
On the other end of the line, a cold, dismissive voice cut through.
[ Not right now. ]
"No, Ms. Choi, listen to me. This is incredibly important. It's about Mr. Woo," she insisted, pressing her back against the brick wall of the alley.
[ Fine. Make it quick ] Hana commanded sharply.
"Mr. Woo just arrived back at the hotel with two people. One of them has long blonde hair and was wearing Mr. Woo's jacket and motorbike helmet. He actually carried that person in his arms—it looked like the person was sick or passed out."
The line went completely dead for a long, agonizing moment.
[ ..... ]
"Ms. Choi? Are you there?"
[ Who was the other person? ]
Hana's voice returned, dropping into a terrifyingly serious, rigid tone that made the waitress's throat go completely dry. She swallowed hard before finding her voice.
"W-Well… um… it was Mr. Kang Min-Hyuk…"
[ What? ]
"They all went upstairs together. The lobby staff thought it was you at first, but the height didn't match—this person is definitely taller."
The waitress waited with bated breath, but Hana offered absolute silence for a long time.
"Hello? Ms. Choi? Please speak to me."
[ Find out exactly who that blonde is no matter what it takes. ]
"Yes, Ms. Choi—!"
The call disconnected abruptly before she could even finish her sentence.
Slipping her phone back into her apron, the waitress hurried back inside the hotel, her mind racing as she figured out how to infiltrate the upper floors to unmask the mysterious blonde guest.
Inside the private elevator, Gyeongjae maintained his firm grip on Yeonho as the car ascended.
Min-Hyuk leaned back against the mirrored wall, thoroughly entertained by the bickering unfolding right in front of him.
"You can put me down now, the doors are closed," Yeonho said, aggressively flipping his visor open to glare at his captor.
"Stop being stubborn. Your body is running on empty."
"Ugh, I can literally stand on my own two feet. I'm not weak."
"You literally almost ate dirt in the lobby."
"That was a slip… so put me down before I actually lose my mind on you."
"No. Consider it a favor."
"Ha! A favor, my ass."
Yeonho writhed and squirmed, trying to break free from the hold, but it was entirely futile. Gyeongjae's arms were like iron bands, anchoring him effortlessly against his broad chest.
"Damnit, Fine… tsk." Yeonho clicked his tongue, turning his face away in defeat.
Gyeongjae flicked his eyes down, catching the sight of Yeonho's thoroughly irritated, pouting lips. A slow, victorious smirk spread across Gyeongjae's face as he looked back at the digital floor indicator.
The feeling was strangely satisfying.
Yeonho—who was usually a chaotic wildcat, entirely shameless and overflowing with a cocky, untouchable attitude—had just surrendered to him.
Having this level of control over Yeonho felt surprisingly good. Observing from the corner, Min-Hyuk let out a quiet, mocking scoff at Yeonho's obvious defeat.
With a soft electronic ding, the elevator doors parted smoothly. Gyeongjae stepped out onto the plush carpet first, with Min-Hyuk trailing lazily behind him.
Before they cleared the threshold, Yeonho snapped his visor shut again.
They walked down the expansive, quiet hallway. The floor was mostly empty, but when a stray pair of guests passed them by, their eyes naturally lingered on the bizarre sight.
"How do you even know which room is Yeonho's?" Min-Hyuk asked, his voice casual.
"Just shut up and follow me," Gyeongjae countered.
"Did you sleep with him at his place?"
The intrusive question made Yeonho violently flip his visor up again.
"Will you both shut up? You're gonna get me caught!"
"What? I'm just curious," Min-Hyuk raised his hands in mock innocence, a lazy grin playing on his lips.
Yeonho narrowed his blue eyes into a vicious squint, which only made Min-hyuk chuckle.
"Fine, I'll drop it for now." Min-Hyuk looked ahead into the hallway as Yeonho closed the shield, Gyeongjae remaining entirely silent as he walked.
Seconds later, they reached the door to the luxury suite. Gyeongjae didn't lower his arms, instead tilting his chin toward the model.
"Min-Hyuk, get the key card out of his bag."
Min-Hyuk took out the card out, swiped the lock, and stepped aside with a mock bow to let Gyeongjae carry the blonde in first.
The moment the heavy door clicked shut behind them, Gyeongjae carefully put Yeonho onto the sprawling living room sofa.
Yeonho immediately ripped the heavy helmet off his head, his face flushed and glistening with sweat from the trapped heat.
"I'm sweating like crazy. It's a furnace in that thing," he complained, aggressively peeling off the leather jacket and tossing it aside before collapsing his spine against the cushions with a dramatic, exhausted sigh.
Gyeongjae picked up the discarded jacket, draping it over the edge of the sofa before settling into the cushion right beside him, leaning back and running a hand through his dark hair.
Min-Hyuk took a seat on the opposite armchair, his sharp eyes surveying the layout.
"So this is your little hiding spot? I didn't think you'd actually be bunking in the exact same building as Gyeongjae," Min-Hyuk noted, his eyes tracking the elegant stairs leading up to the lofted second floor.
Yeonho was too drained to offer a witty comeback. He crawled across the sofa, reaching for his bag on the coffee table to hunt for his phone.
"What are you doing now?" Gyeongjae asked, watching his frantic movements.
"Checking the time."
He swiped the screen open, and the moment his eyes locked onto the numbers showing it was almost 9:30 PM, his eyes widened. He bolted upright, his exhaustion vanishing in an instant.
Grabbing a stray claw clip from the table, he clumsily gathered his long blonde hair and twisted it up out of his face.
Without offering a single word of explanation, he marched straight toward the kitchen, leaving both men watching him in absolute bewilderment.
"What's the rush? Hey!" Gyeongjae called out as Yeonho's figure disappeared around the corner.
Ten seconds passed in silence before Yeonho emerged from the kitchen, his arms loaded with packages of sandwich bread and bags of chips.
"You two can leave now. I have something to do. Goodbye," Yeonho announced, turning toward the stairs.
Gyeongjae bolted up from the sofa, his brow furrowing.
"Where do you think you're going? Shouldn't you be resting or eating actual food? Hey! I'm talking to you, Yeonho!"
Gyeongjae's voice raised as Yeonho ignored him completely, sprinting up the steps with his arms full of snacks.
"Damn it. He makes absolutely no sense," Gyeongjae muttered, thoroughly aggravated.
"What's his deal? What is he doing up there?" Min-Hyuk stood up, walking over to join Gyeongjae at the foot of the staircase, his curiosity piqued.
"He's doing that streaming stuff. I'm going up," Gyeongjae announced, already taking the steps two at a time.
"Wait, what about me? Hey! Gyeongjae!"
Min-Hyuk called out, but Gyeongjae was moving too fast, disappearing into the upper hallway.
Left entirely alone in the silent living room, Min-Hyuk looked around the sophisticated suite, letting out a long, heavy sigh.
"Never in my life have I seen Gyeongjae act like this… and why the hell am I still standing here?"
It was obvious his own curiosity had driven him this far. He couldn't wrap his head around how Gyeongjae and Yeonho had become so inexplicably entangled.
Logically, he knew getting involved with someone as unpredictable as Yeonho was dangerous, but his feet refused to move toward the front door.
Finally making a choice, Min-Hyuk crossed the floor and began ascending the stairs. He still hadn't gotten a straight answer about what Hana was hiding, and he wasn't leaving without it.
In the master bedroom, Yeonho was in a state of frantic motion, booting up his high-end PC rig for the broadcast. He moved quickly across the room, adjusting the layout and preparing to apply his standard streaming disguise.
Gyeongjae stood firmly by the doorway, his eyes tracking every single movement.
"You need to rest. You haven't even had real dinner yet."
"Be quiet or get out, I have to set up. I need to make my money," Yeonho fired back, adjusting the ring lights and angling the camera.
"Your nose was literally bleeding twenty minutes ago."
"I'm fine. Why are you acting so concerned all of a sudden? It's creeping me out," Yeonho muttered, dropping into his gaming chair.
He pulled the claw clip from his hair, letting the blonde strands fall free as he grabbed the mouse, his focus shifting entirely to the dual monitors.
He expected Gyeongjae to snap back with an insult, but the room went completely quiet.
Yeonho flicked his eyes toward the reflection in the dark monitor—Gyeongjae was simply standing there, looking uncharacteristically quiet.
'Wait… don't tell me he's actually catching feelings?'
Was this his opening? The undeniable shift? Gyeongjae's rigid exterior was clearly cracking.
Everything that had unfolded at the park and in the lobby was proof that Gyeongjae was finally reacting to Yeonho's calculated scheme.
It had taken a massive toll on his body, but seducing the stubborn first male lead was finally paying off.
If he could fracture Gyeongjae's resolve in just a matter of days, the plan was working perfectly. He was finally positioning the heir exactly where he wanted him—right by his side.
Realizing the golden opportunity, Yeonho spun his gaming chair around, tilting his head back to look directly up at Gyeongjae, who was hovering right behind his shoulder.
"Drop the streaming. Do it tomorrow," Gyeongjae commanded, looking down at him.
Instead of arguing, Yeonho let his eyes go slightly unfocused. He gave a soft shake of his head, allowing his body to limp forward.
Just as he calculated, Gyeongjae's reflexes kicked in instantly—the taller man lunged forward, his heavy hands catching Yeonho securely by the shoulders
"See? Told you," Gyeongjae muttered, his voice dropping low. He lifted one hand, his fingers cupping Yeonho's jawline to tilt his head back, searching his face to read his pale complexion.
Feeling the genuine gentleness radiating from Gyeongjae sent a thrill of excitement straight through Yeonho's veins.
Playing the victim was an absolute cheat code. If fainting was the ticket to breaking Gyeongjae's walls, he would gladly use it, but he knew he had to play it carefully.
The goal wasn't just to make Gyeongjae care—it was to make Gyeongjae feel like he was the one in control, the one choosing to yield.
Yeonho leaned his weight forward, wrapping his arms around Gyeongjae's neck while burying his face into the fabric of his shirt, lightly rubbing his forehead against his shoulder.
Gyeongjae went rigid for a split second, entirely caught off guard by the sudden intimacy, before his posture visibly softened.
"My head is splitting, Gyeongjae-ah… mm," Yeonho whispered against his neck.
Pulling him closer, Gyeongjae didn't hesitate. He shifted his grip and hoisted Yeonho completely out of the chair.
With his face buried in Gyeongjae's shoulder, a wicked, triumphant grin spread across Yeonho's lips. He was absolutely loving the reaction he was pulling from him.
The key was to maintain this persona—a chaotic, demanding brat who took whatever he wanted, a stark contrast to Hana's predictable, sweet innocence.
Gyeongjae slid one arm under Yeonho's thighs and anchored the other around his lower back, striding directly toward the massive bed, carrying him like a child.
Just as he reached the mattress, the bedroom door swung open without a sound.
Min-Hyuk stepped in, his arms crossed over his chest as he took in the scene. Gyeongjae was too focused on Yeonho to notice the intrusion, but Yeonho caught the movement instantly. He chose to play blind, keeping his act perfectly locked in.
Gyeongjae lowered Yeonho onto the soft sheets, his fingers gently brushing a stray lock of blonde hair out of his eyes.
Yeonho stubbornly refused to untangle his arms from Gyeongjae's neck, locking his striking blue eyes onto his. Gyeongjae froze, captivated by the intense gaze, his hands planting firmly on the mattress on either side of Yeonho's head, pinning him beneath his shadow.
"Gyeongjae…" Yeonho murmured, his voice a soft invitation.
"What?" Gyeongjae breathed.
In an instant, the fragile, vulnerable act vanished. The sly, mocking fox returned as a wicked smirk spread across Yeonho's lips.
"I was playing. I'm not dizzy at all."
Gyeongjae didn't flinch. "I know."
"What?" Yeonho blinked, his smug expression faltering in genuine confusion.
"I said I know..."
"Then why the hell did you play along?" Yeonho demanded, his brow furrowing.
"I don't know," Gyeongjae murmured, his dark eyes dropping from Yeonho's gaze down to his thick lashes, tracing the bridge of his nose before locking entirely onto his parted lips.
As if completely hypnotized by the sight of Yeonho, Gyeongjae slowly lowered his head, closing the remaining distance.
Yeonho's smirk returned, his fingers tightening around the back of Gyeongjae's neck to pull him down with a sudden, aggressive force.
The air in the bedroom grew intensely hot, the raw friction between them exploding as Gyeongjae crashed his lips against Yeonho's. His hand slid from the mattress to the back of Yeonho's head, lifting him slightly to deepen the angle.
Gyeongjae parted Yeonho's lips effortlessly, his tongue tangling with Yeonho's in a deep, heavy rhythm.
"Gyeongjae… ngh…" Yeonho gasped into the kiss, the soft sound only causing Gyeongjae to tighten his grip and pull him flush against his chest.
It started with a heavy urgency, but slowly shifted into a possessive, consuming heat.
Without warning, Gyeongjae shifted his weight, hauling Yeonho up entirely by the waist until the Yeonho was sitting directly on his lap, never breaking the kiss for a single second.
They traded saliva, their mouths wet and sticky, Yeonho clinging tightly to Gyeongjae's broad shoulders as his thighs pressed firmly against the heavy, growing buldge in Gyeongjae's jeans.
"Hngh... You're hard... Haaa..."
Yeonho said between the kiss as Gyeongjae's large hand slid down Yeonho's spine, rubbing the fabric of his shirt with a desperate, intoxicated rhythm.
Neither of them paid any attention to the doorway, entirely oblivious to Min-Hyuk, who remained leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, a dangerous, mocking smirk playing on his lips as he watched the display in sheer disbelief.
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