Chapter 66 - Tension - WordExcerpt

Yoonshin tried to gather himself by taking a few deep breaths to himself. He replied a beat later, “I have respect for you in a professional sense, at least. I sometimes wonder how you could be so self-centered and ultimately win all the time. I wish I could learn that from you, and sometimes I envy you.”

‘Sometimes you look a bit lonely, you have good sides that other people don’t realize you have, and sometimes you make my heart pound,’ Yoonshin thought, but he kept those thoughts to himself for now.

Yoonshin felt ambivalent about Sehun. Sehun was worthy of respect, yet also it wasn’t strange for him to receive the arrows of disdain. Yoonshin thought Sehun was a bad person, yet he wanted to get closer. Above all, Yoonshin needed Sehun.

It was fine if Sehun couldn’t help him and his sister substantially. He just wanted someone to lean on when he was feeling weary. People said that love didn’t feed you. Yoonshin knew that. Money and substantial power brought food to the table. The heart—whether in the form of love, friendship, or something else—was powerless. Even so, there were times when he needed psychological comfort and support.

Now was one of those times.

For the first time in years, Yoonshin felt this impulse, this desire toward Sehun. However, the other man kept sending him mixed signals, making Yoonshin unsure he could cross the first boundary.

“There should be some reason for pushing me into the wall and groping me. Have you still not found the answer? Ridiculous. You probably already know, but you don’t want to admit it.”

Sehun, who was silent all along, refuted nonchalantly, “Who groped you? I probably just brushed past you.”

After coming so far yet still closing his eyes to it, Yoonshin finally snapped, “Who “brushes past” someone while rubbing their chest and neck?”

“Do you have proof?”

Obviously, Yoonshin didn’t. Even if there was surveillance footage, Sehun could say that he simply brushed off some dust from Yoonshin’s clothes, and people would believe him. But just as Sehun said before, the victim could perceive the strange mood when they were touched one-sidedly. Yoonshin always felt a peculiar sensation whenever the other man acted this way.

“Fine. Let’s say that you haven’t. Then why do you keep trying me?”

“Since you’re too toxic to swallow up right away.”

“Is that why you’re stewing me up? Are you sure I’m fully cooked?”

“Don’t be so curious. The answer won’t turn up if I also start to wonder. Covering it up and walking away is best for you.”

Upon hearing that, Yoonshin felt the vague pieces in his head coming together to form a clear image. Sehun must have forgotten about it, but he had said that Yoonshin was a so-so, decent lawyer. Since this was about him, Yoonshin couldn’t be objective—but he was skilled enough in observation and judgment to understand the situation.

“Are you afraid that you’ll come to like me?” Yoonshin asked.

He wasn’t sure if it was because he hit the mark or if it was absurd. Unlike his former leisurely attitude, Sehun’s face suddenly stiffened, and he pursed his lips. Yoonshin’s hands trembled as he felt his insides simmer. Sehun didn’t miss the moment Yoonshin was thrown off and flipped him around, making the skinny frame turn against the balcony rails.

Yoonshin’s back slammed against the hard structure and was made to stand where Sehun once stood. He looked up at Sehun with some resentment in his eyes. “Urgh! That hurt. Even if I’m a guy, I feel pain, you know.”

“Why did you cry back then?” Sehun asked.

It was a topic that Yoonshin never dreamed Sehun would bring, so he stuttered.