Proximity and Curfew

“Excuse me. Cha Gye-won-ssi.”

“Yes.”

“The bed is… very wide.”

“Yes.”

“…….”

The person chasing away Yi-seo’s sweet drowsiness was none other than Cha Gye-won. The bed was wider than two of Yi-seo’s beds combined, yet Gye-won insisted on sticking right to his side. Thinking it might be a misunderstanding, Yi-seo tried to shuffle away, only for Gye-won’s arm to hook around his body and pull him back.

“Could you… sleep a little further away?”

“No.”

With that blunt refusal, Gye-won slid his arm under Yi-seo’s neck. He draped one long leg over Yi-seo’s stomach. Yi-seo had tried his best to lie straight and formal, but now he was completely pinned down.

“I think I asked earlier, but is your body temperature always this high?”

Just as Gye-won noted, Yi-seo’s temperature was naturally higher than most. Because of that, he had never even worn thermal underwear in the winter.

“Yes. So I get hot easily, too.”

He meant it as a hint to get away, but Gye-won instead pressed his body even closer.

“……It’s nice.”

Whispering something about it being “nice,” Gye-won pulled Yi-seo tighter. In the silence of the bedroom, even a whisper felt loud.

Come to think of it, Cha Gye-won’s temperature seemed relatively low. Yi-seo had wondered if it was because the man himself was so cold-hearted, but his skin and breath felt refreshing and cool.

“…….”

Gye-won moved the hand that had been on Yi-seo’s chest up to fiddle with his neck. The cool sensation of his fingers brushing the skin was ticklish.

“Why do you keep touching my neck…?”

“In case it bruises.”

“Oh… does doing that prevent bruising?”

“Be quiet.”

“……Yes.”

He had asked out of genuine curiosity, but the response was cold. Even if he wanted to turn his back, he couldn’t because of the limbs wrapped around him. Realizing that sleep was likely out of the question, Yi-seo closed his eyes.

*****************************************

“Mmm…….”

Stinging sunlight filtered through his eyelids. Keeping his eyes closed, he turned his head slightly, enjoying the cozy sensation of the duvet against his cheek. The morning grogginess made him want to sink deeper into sleep. Just as he felt a wave of thirst, he noticed a strange sensation in his mouth.

“Ah……?”

Confused, he forced his eyes open only to see Cha Gye-won’s face. Gye-won looked perfectly composed, not at all like someone who had just woken up.

Right, this was Cha Gye-won’s house…

Struggling to gather his hazy thoughts, Yi-seo looked down and saw Gye-won’s wrist—and one of his fingers currently inside Yi-seo’s mouth.

“You’re awake?”

“Uwaaa! What are you doing!”

“You were sleeping with your mouth open.”

Tap.

Gye-won used the finger that had been in Yi-seo’s mouth to flick the bridge of his nose.

He’s a pervert.

This morning disaster was hardly welcome. No matter how dull Yi-seo was, he felt he had to address this. Touching a sleeping person was considered rude in any culture or era. Frankly, if this wasn’t sexual harassment, what was?

“Cha Gye-won-ssi. I’m sorry, but that was a bit…”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Gye-won interrupted in a calm tone. The words Yi-seo was about to say died in his throat.

“I guess I am a little…?”

Thinking back, the lunch he had with Gye-won yesterday was his last meal. Yi-seo didn’t usually take care of his meals; he found it a hassle and rarely had much of an appetite, but strangely, he felt starving now.

Smirk.

“Come down. I’ll feed you.”

Leaving Yi-seo buried under the covers, Gye-won let out a sly laugh and headed downstairs first. A delicious aroma wafted through the crack in the door.

“I should have argued with him…”

Grumble.

They say even a trip to Geumgangsan follows a meal. It seemed like a good idea to eat first before picking a fight.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Yi-seo’s voice was bright as he sat at the table. The spread looked mouth-watering.

“You slept like you were dead to the world.”

“Ahaha.”

His worry about not being able to sleep had been unfounded. Embarrassingly, he had slept so deeply he felt refreshed. He realized only after coming downstairs that it wasn’t morning, but afternoon.

“Did you sleep well too, Gye-won-ssi…?”

“Not at all. You have terrible sleeping habits.”

As he spoke, Gye-won massaged his own neck and shoulder. He even rotated his neck as if it were incredibly stiff.

“Really? I’m so sorry. What should I do?”

“I’m joking.”

Gye-won gave a teasing smile. Yi-seo picked up his side dish without replying. His spoon headed straight for his favorite: braised potatoes. Just as the large piece was about to enter his mouth, a large hand snatched the spoon away.

“My spoon…”

“I’ll give it back if you answer correctly.”

“……?”

“Do you remember what I said yesterday?”

“Roughly… yes.”

“What did I say?”

“That you hate people who don’t listen.”

“And?”

“That you hate bad people?”

“And?”

“And?”

“What time did I say you have to be home?”

“Ten… o’clock?”

“Smart. Here. Your spoon.”

With a soft smile, Gye-won fed him the spoonful he had taken. The salty braised potato was warm.

Is he seriously telling me not to be out past 10 PM?

No way. It must be a joke, just like the finger in the mouth.

“Are you going to work today?”

“Yes.”

He desperately wanted to just rest, but he had to go in. He had to finalize the contract terminations for Tae-mi and Seong-ah, and he needed to talk to Hwi-jun. He also needed to start looking for new staff.

“We can leave together, then.”

“You too, Cha Gye-won-ssi?”

“We need a meeting, don’t we? About how the CEO is going to support me from now on.”

Manager Gun, who was waiting in front of the house to pick up Gye-won, rubbed his eyes at the unusual sight. The man standing next to Gye-won was definitely the one who had been dragged out yesterday: Baek Yi-seo, the CEO of K-New.

When he dropped Gye-won off at the K-New parking lot last night, he never imagined Gye-won would sign a new contract with them. He was shocked to receive the notification this morning, which felt more like a decree than an update. Furthermore, Gye-won informed him that Kim Gun would also be joining K-New.

“Hello. We met briefly yesterday. I’m Gye-won’s manager, Kim Gun.”

Gun didn’t have much information on K-New or Baek Yi-seo. The company was notoriously weak and Yi-seo’s career was short.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Baek Yi-seo, CEO of K-New. Since we’ll be seeing each other often, let’s grab a meal sometime.”

Baek Yi-seo was exceptionally polite. Gun had thought he had a good impression when he briefly received coffee from him on set; his smiling face was very soft.

“I’d like that. Haha.”

He heard Yi-seo was thirty-two, but he looked like he could pass for his mid-twenties. His skin was naturally great and his delicate features made him look youthful.

“What meal? Are you haunted by a ghost that died of starvation?”

Gye-won interjected with a scolding tone. The funny part was that even though Yi-seo was the one who suggested the meal, Gye-won was directing his annoyance at Gun.

“Here is my business card. Please contact me if you need anything.”

Yi-seo held out a card. As Gun reached for it, a hand swiped it away mid-air.

“Hey! Cha Gye-won!”

“I haven’t received a card yet either.”

“Ah… it’s okay. I have another one. I brought extra yesterday…”

The card he held out again resembled him: crisp white paper with his name embossed in a clean, understated dark gray.

Swish.

“You brat!”

It was Gye-won again. He was waving the two stolen cards in the air.

“Sigh.”

Who could control that temper?

“I brought two because…”

Yi-seo’s muttered response made him look incredibly innocent. Then again, compared to Cha Gye-won, almost anyone would seem innocent.

“It’s fine, CEO. Just give me your number later.”

“Are you hitting on him, Hyung? Why do you need his number?”

Gye-won sneered with narrowed eyes. Gun wondered what he had eaten for breakfast to be this rude. It was a miracle Gye-won was a celebrity; otherwise, he surely would have ended up on a dark path.

“I need to be in contact to do my job!”

“I’ll give it to you later, so just drive.”

Gye-won waved him off dismissively and entered the van. Yi-seo looked between Gun and Gye-won, trying to gauge the mood.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Oh, CEO, why are you apologizing? I’m the one who’s sorry. He’s usually not like this. Haha.”

Actually, he’s exactly like this. In the ten-plus years Gun had known him, Cha Gye-won had been consistently difficult.

“Aren’t you getting in?”

An irritable voice hurried Gun along.

“I’m coming! CEO, please get in as well.”

“Ah, yes.”

Just as Gun settled into the driver’s seat and Yi-seo was about to hop into the passenger seat, Gye-won, who already had a neck pillow on in the back, kicked the front seat.

Thump.

“Why! Why! What now!”

There was a whole other side to the seat, but Gye-won insisted on kicking the part Gun was in.

“Sit in the back.”

“Then who’s going to drive!”

“Not you, Manager. The CEO.”

“Me? Oh… but…”

“Hurry up.”

Reluctantly, Yi-seo moved to the back. Gun clicked his tongue as he saw Yi-seo looking at him with an apologetic face.

‘What’s going on?’

Cha Gye-won was famous for being picky. He was so particular that he wouldn’t even let stylists or other road managers sit in the seat next to him. Since he wouldn’t let anyone sit anywhere except the driver’s seat, they usually had to use two vans for shoots.

“Aren’t we moving? Are you holding a ritual in front of the steering wheel?”

Gun was now immune to that kind of attitude. He quietly stepped on the accelerator.