MFYBS 13

Chapter: 13

Ring! Ring!

The sound of a phone rang from behind her, making her flinch.

Standing with her back to the open door, Haeru quickly turned around. There stood Muhyuk, walking into the room with only a white towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was still damp, and he was drying it with another towel.

“Ah!”

Startled, Haeru nearly fell backward. Muhyuk immediately dropped the towel in his hand and caught her firmly around the waist with one arm.

Part of his smooth, bare body brushed against her clothes, and one of her hands landed squarely on his chest.

Although her hand rested against his chest, she was too startled by almost falling to even notice.

She simply stared into his eyes, blinking her wide eyes over and over.

“So fearless, barging into a man’s room first thing in the morning.”

His sharp gaze fixed on her as he pulled her even closer by the waist.

“Hng!”

Now pressed even nearer to him, not only her heart but even her skin trembled.

“Can I interpret this in a naughty way?”

“…Pardon?”

“I asked if I could interpret you coming into my room without permission… in a naughty way.”

Unable to breathe properly, she couldn’t answer.

His deep voice came again.

“Answer me.”

Still gripping her waist, he refused to let her create any distance between them. Bent backward like a drawn bow, Haeru’s back was beginning to ache.

“W-Well…”

Flustered, the words wouldn’t come.

Unlike her, he gently repeated her words, urging her to continue.

“Well?”

“I knocked… and… there wasn’t any answer. I was worried you might be running late, so I came in. Besides, I don’t think of you as a man. That’s why I came in as your secretary. As your secretary.”

She deliberately emphasized her position at the end, hoping it would steady the feelings that kept threatening to sway.

“Is that so… Secretary Yoon?”

He forced a smile.

“Yes! Exactly.”

After answering, she cautiously watched his expression before wincing from the growing pain in her waist.

“Ugh… Then I’ll get up now.”

She decided she needed to straighten herself. Placing a hand against his chest, she pushed herself upward.

But he didn’t help.

Biting the inside of his lip, he tightened his grip around her waist.

He held her so firmly that the veins in his arm bulged.

“Ugh! Ah!”

She struggled to straighten herself, groaning repeatedly, but she couldn’t overcome the strength of his thick arm.

Haeru clenched both fists tightly.

Seeing that, Muhyuk frowned slightly before suddenly grabbing her wrist.

“And what exactly is this improper hand doing?”

She had been so focused on getting up that she’d completely forgotten her hand was clutching his bare chest.

Her eyes widened.

Quickly releasing her grip, she blushed bright red.

“Ah! I’m sorry.”

She hurriedly pulled her hand away and pushed herself to her feet.

The same man who had refused to help her a moment ago finally lifted her up, suppressing a smile as he watched her blush in embarrassment.

Standing now, Haeru couldn’t bring herself to look directly at him.

Now that she was fully aware he was nearly naked, she had no idea where to rest her eyes.

Lowering her gaze diagonally toward the floor, she spoke rapidly.

“Then… let’s get ready for work. I’ll prepare your clothes.”

Tiny beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.

Watching her avoid his eyes, Muhyuk stepped in front of her before she could leave the room.

Haeru froze.

He gently placed a hand on her shoulder before bending down until their eyes met.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

The smile on his lips deepened.

No matter how hard she tried not to look, his perfectly sculpted body kept slipping into her vision.

She desperately lifted her eyes toward the ceiling and turned her head slightly away.

“Y-Yes. Then I’ll go pick something quickly.”

Consciously keeping her face turned elsewhere, she hurried out of his bedroom.

Once inside the walk-in closet, she pressed a hand against her racing heart and took several deep breaths.

After finally calming herself down, she looked around the spacious dressing room.

Sunlight streamed in through an oval window set into the wall.

Seeing how high the sun had risen, she realized much more time had passed than she’d thought and hurried into action.

She pulled clothes from the wardrobe, holding them up one after another while comparing them.

Moving quickly, she selected an outfit, carefully laid each piece on the transparent glass table, added a pair of socks, and draped everything over her arms.

Once she had gathered all the clothes he would wear, even she thought the bundle looked rather heavy.

Leaving the dressing room, she approached his bedroom door and quietly opened it.

Even after all that time, Muhyuk hadn’t changed.

Still wearing only the towel around his waist, he sat casually on the edge of the bed, looking at his phone.

The instant she opened the door, she caught another glimpse of his bare skin.

She rushed inside, deliberately turning her back to him, quickly placed the clothes on the vanity, hurried back out, shut the door, and called loudly through it.

“Today’s meeting calls for an image of reliability. Dark blue is a color that inspires trust, so I thought this outfit would be suitable.”

Nearly every item she had chosen was some shade of deep blue.

Afraid he might come out half-naked again and embarrass her all over, she gripped the doorknob tightly.

Before long, she felt the handle turn.

She stepped away and turned around.

The door opened.

Now impeccably dressed, Muhyuk walked out while fastening the buttons on his cuffs.

The clothes fit him perfectly.

With the top three buttons of his shirt left undone, he looked less neat and more irresistibly attractive.

Without realizing it, she stared blankly.

Just then, he lifted his head.

Noticing her eyes traveling over him from head to toe, he shifted his gaze to her lips.

He was waiting for her reaction.

When none came, he spread his arms slightly.

“So? How do I look?”

Haeru suddenly snapped back to reality.

“Ah… You look very trustworthy.”

“Is that all?”

He had received an answer.

Just not the one he wanted.

“Yes.”

Blinking rapidly, she nodded.

Then, as if remembering something, she suddenly sat down.

“Ah!”

She reached into the bag she’d brought and pulled out a newly purchased necktie.

Handing it to him, she smiled.

“What’s this?”

It definitely wasn’t one of the ties from his closet.

Besides, it was still in its packaging.

“It was something I bought.”

She had stopped by the department store the day before to purchase it.

Her unexpected answer delighted him.

The corners of his lips lifted brightly, and his eyes sparkled.

“So… what’s the meaning behind this gift?”

He vaguely remembered hearing somewhere that giving someone a necktie carried a special meaning.

“I want you.”

Or,

“I want to have you.”

Normally, he paid little attention to the meanings behind gifts.

But right now, that meaning felt more important than anything.

Unfortunately, she completely crushed his hopes.

“It’s a striped tie that gives off a neat and approachable image. It’s one of our company’s new products. I thought the employees would appreciate seeing you wear it.”

“Oh… so it was… for the employees.”

He muttered to himself.

“I got excited for nothing.”

Nodding, he draped the tie around his neck, then suddenly stopped.

Still disappointed that she hadn’t given the answer he’d wanted, he looked straight at her.

Seeing him stop halfway through putting on the tie, she asked,

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Tie it for me.”

“Why should I?”

“I don’t know how.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s not.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously before brushing his hands away from the tie and taking hold of it herself.

The truth was, by the time he turned thirty, he’d tied neckties countless times.

He could probably do it with his eyes closed.

But on a sudden whim, he wanted to make things difficult for her.

Contrary to his expectations, she showed no sign of embarrassment.

Leaning closer, she neatly straightened and tied the tie.

As she worked, her warm breath brushed lightly against the skin of his neck.

He had wanted to fluster her.

Instead, he found himself becoming flustered.

Just her breathing alone made his pulse race, and before long his stomach fluttered as well.

Growing increasingly nervous, he stretched his neck straight and stiffened his posture.

With her face moving so close to his heart, he was too shaken to tease her anymore.

Unlike him, who stood frozen in silence, Haeru remained completely focused on tying the tie.

Once she finished, he finally let out a slow breath, while she sat back down.

Apparently, she’d brought something else in her bag.

She rummaged around inside for a moment before pulling out another case.

Standing up again, she opened it and took out a wristwatch.

Without even asking his opinion, Haeru grabbed his arm and fastened the watch onto his wrist.

Between all the playful bickering, they’d already wasted far too much time.

“There. This watch is one of our company’s products too.”

Looking down at her as she carefully secured the watch, Muhyuk finally seemed to have calmed himself enough to speak.

“Do you know that giving someone a watch has a meaning too?”