Chapter 15

Naru, who had been lying on the sofa lost in thought for a long time, eventually drifted into sleep.

When he finally opened his eyes after dozing from early evening, the pale pre-dawn sky stretched beyond the wide window.

‘Is Gyuyeon asleep?’

Naru folded back the blanket, rose carefully, and moved step by quiet step.

He reached Gyuyeon’s door, slowly turned the knob, and peered through the narrow gap.

“Huh?”

Something was wrong. The bed was empty. The one who should have been sleeping soundly wasn’t there.

It was six in the morning. At this hour, Gyuyeon should have been asleep—but he was gone.

Heart pounding, Naru flung the door wide and hurried inside. He searched everywhere—the bathroom was quiet, the desk untouched, under the bed empty. Where had he gone?

Pacing in nervous circles, Naru bit at his nails.

He had gone to bed uneasy, but now his chest throbbed with a new dread.

Clack!

Just then, the front door opened. The very person he’d been searching for walked in, calm as ever, carrying a box.

Gyuyeon set it on the dining table and glanced at him. “Why are you standing there spaced out this early?”

“Uh… where did you go?”

“To the shop. Why?”

He spoke casually, already unpacking ingredients. It seemed he wanted to check them in advance.

Naru trailed after him, peering into the box. A sweet fragrance wafted out, and he leaned closer to sniff—

“Dammit, it’s broken.”

Naru flinched. Fortunately, the curse wasn’t directed at him. Inside, a bottle of vanilla essence had shattered, soaking everything. No wonder it smelled so sweet.

While Naru settled at the table with cereal, Gyuyeon busied himself. He might have seemed lazy at times, but when it came to the café, he was thorough to a fault.

He recorded each ingredient in his notebook, weighed them, and tasted syrups with a teaspoon.

Naru eyed the glossy syrup hungrily. Compared to his cereal, it looked divine.

“Me too!”

“Hands off.”

“But I want to taste it…”

“Why would you eat this? Go finish your cereal.”

The curt dismissal stung. Naru slumped back to the table and chewed his cereal gloomily.

He had wanted to ask about going out today, but seeing how focused Gyuyeon was, he kept silent.

When the ingredients were done, Gyuyeon moved straight to the study. It was recipe-development day.

His café had earned fame for its ever-changing menu—something new each month, impossible to find elsewhere.

This month’s theme: orange. Last month’s white-chocolate desserts had been a hit, so now they aimed for something bright and zesty.

Coffee in hand, Gyuyeon sat at his desk, recipe notebook open. His family, who ran a large corporation, probably thought he wasted time idling. True, he did play around plenty, but the filled notebook told another story: he was working hard.

“Hey, when you’re done, let’s go out together.”

Startled, Gyuyeon turned. “When did you come in?”

“Just now?” Naru slid the study door open, smiling hopefully.

But Gyuyeon’s brows drew tight. After what had happened a few days ago, when he’d locked Naru in after a fight, there was no way he’d allow it now.

“I told you. You’re not leaving this house.”

“I want to go with you!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Just stay beside me and do nothing.”

“Beside you…?”

“Yeah.”

Naru’s stubbornness evaporated instantly.

If Gyuyeon had simply said no, he would have argued endlessly. But those words—stay beside me—were enough to make his chest swell.

Thrilled, Naru obeyed at once. Like a loyal dog, he felt happiest simply by his owner’s side.

Gyuyeon, glasses on and pen twirling, buried himself in work again.

Naru knelt quietly at his feet, careful not to disturb.

Surprised, Gyuyeon glanced down. “Are you protesting right now?”

“No.”

“Don’t say no when it’s obviously yes.”

To Gyuyeon, kneeling there was pure defiance. Insolence. Was this boy picking a fight with him? Fine—he’d ignore him and see how long he lasted.

But Naru wasn’t protesting. He was only following orders—staying close. Kneeling had been a habit drilled into him by his previous owner. He’d spent entire days kneeling in the basement before.

Time crawled. Naru admired everything about him—how his large hand gripped the pen, how sharp he looked in glasses, how intently he wrote.

“Ugh…”

A quiet groan slipped out. Only an hour in, and a cramp was twisting his leg.

Gyuyeon’s pen hesitated, then kept moving. He gritted his teeth. How stubborn could one boy be?

Two more hours passed. Still, Naru knelt silently, expression calm, as if nothing was wrong. Gyuyeon wanted to pull him up, but pride held him back.

“Ugh…!”

Finally, Naru collapsed, his legs giving way.

At once, Gyuyeon turned his chair and looked down. Tears streaked Naru’s face.

“How foolish,” he muttered.

Naru lifted his head with trembling arms. His legs throbbed with pins and needles, but the fact that Gyuyeon had finally spoken to him—looked at him—filled his chest with warmth.

His previous owner would have erupted in fury. But Gyuyeon was different. Kinder.

Before he could react, strong arms scooped him up.

“Gyuyeon…!”

“If you pull this stubborn stunt again, I won’t let it slide.”

‘Huh? Stubborn? But I was just doing what you said…’

The thought vanished as Gyuyeon held him close. Even with the ache in his legs, Naru thought, ‘I’d endure this forever if it means being in his arms.’

He buried his face against Gyuyeon’s chest, breathing in his scent—crisp skin, deep wood, intoxicating.

Thump. Thump.

His heart raced wildly.

‘Maybe I really can belong to him. Maybe… forever.’

But Gyuyeon, setting him down on the sofa, only frowned.

“What’s that look for?”

“Just…”

“Anyway, if you pull something foolish like that again…”

“…”

“Not answering? Huh?”

Naru nodded slowly, hiding a secret smile. He was being worried over again.

But Gyuyeon only muttered curses, warned him not to enter the study, and shut the door.

He didn’t realize that even his harshness felt like affection to Naru.

Alone on the sofa, Naru covered his face with both hands, kicking the air in giddy excitement.

Meanwhile, in the study, Gyuyeon pressed his temples. He had to focus, but Naru’s face kept intruding. Be firm, he told himself. Don’t waver.

Hours later, he finally put down the pen and splashed cold water on his face.

Left open on the desk was the sketch of a tart: cream cheese piled high with orange, thin layers laced with tangy jam, crowned with whipped cream and fresh slices.

He had designed it while thinking of Naru.

The soft cream mirrored his gentle face. The sharp orange reflected his lively, quirky spirit.