Chapter 108: The Confession That Shattered the Quiet

“I-I….”

Hyunwoo could only open and close his mouth without sound.

Just handling the situation felt overwhelming.

He wanted to avoid it—like he always did.

Shhaa—

But outside, endless rain poured down.

They were in a remote place he barely recognized on a map.

And it was still pitch-dark before dawn.

There was nowhere to run.

“I… don’t want to.”

He could only mutter weakly while turning away from Sunghyuk.

Because Sunghyuk’s burning gaze was too much, too heavy.

Hyunwoo broke into a cold sweat and avoided his eyes.

“Why not?”

“What do you mean, why….”

Hyunwoo muttered incredulously.

How exactly was he supposed to react to this out of nowhere?

Was he supposed to welcome a kiss from someone he found overwhelming, not comforting?

Absurd.

He honestly didn’t understand Sunghyuk at all.

What was he, some animal in heat?

Wanting to kiss someone just because the two of them were alone at night?

Impossible to understand.

Hyunwoo turned sharply and asked:

“Why do you want to kiss me?

Is it because you’re just horny and I happen to be next to you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what’s the reason?”

“……”

Hyunwoo clenched his teeth and asked again.

His whole posture was like a tense cat, ready to run.

Sunghyuk slowly opened his mouth.

“Obviously because I….”

“……!”

“…because I like you.”

“……”

The world fell silent.

Completely silent.

Even the violent rain pounding outside suddenly felt muted—
as if someone had dropped a curtain over all sound.

“You… like me?
You?
Me?”

“Yes.”

Sunghyuk reached out and grabbed Hyunwoo’s hand.

He gently pulled it toward himself.

Then pressed a soft kiss onto the back of Hyunwoo’s hand.

With deep, earnest eyes, he whispered:

“I like you, Hyunwoo hyung.”

“……!”

The moment the words left his lips, Sunghyuk’s pheromones filled the air.

As a fellow Alpha, Hyunwoo should have felt discomfort—
but Sunghyuk’s scent, the calm forest-like aroma, soothed him instead.

His heart, however, raced so violently it hurt.

He didn’t need a mirror to know his face was burning red.

“Th-that’s a lie… that doesn’t—”

“It’s not a lie.

You can feel it, can’t you?”

“……!”

He was right.

A dominant’s pheromones could not lie.

And Sunghyuk’s pheromones right now…

were trembling, flustered, warm—
like someone confessing to the person they truly loved.

“This… can’t be real.”

“It is.”

“No.
No way.”

“Hyung.”

Hyunwoo shook his head frantically.

He looked panicked, breath shaky.

Sunghyuk hurried to speak again.

“Hyung, look at me.”

“……”

Hyunwoo finally lifted his head.

His eyes trembled violently.

But Sunghyuk was calm.
Steady.
Unmoving.

“Why do you keep saying no?

It hurts.”

“……”

“You already knew, didn’t you?
That I like you.”

“……”

Hyunwoo couldn’t respond.

Because every word struck the center of his heart.

After the regression, Sunghyuk had changed.

He no longer hated him—no longer pushed him away.

Instead, the more Hyunwoo tried to distance himself, the more Sunghyuk clung to him.

Warm eyes.

Kind gestures hidden behind nonchalance.

Cold words with soft edges.

Everything was different from before.

And Hyunwoo knew it.
He had noticed it more than anyone.

He just refused to accept it.

Because if he acknowledged Sunghyuk’s feelings—
it would make his past life feel even more miserable.

“What did I even do… for you to like me?”

“……”

“Isn’t it weird?
Huh?”

These were feelings Hyunwoo had desperately wanted once—
and couldn’t have.

And now, when he had already stopped wanting them,

now, when he had already tried pushing Sunghyuk away—

now was when Sunghyuk liked him?

Why not back then?
Why now?
What had changed?

Hyunwoo lowered his head, his chest tightening painfully.

A small, broken noise escaped him.

“Ugh…”

“Hyung, are you okay?”

“Don’t… touch me.”

“……”

Sunghyuk froze and pulled his hand back.

He watched Hyunwoo silently.

Eyes deep and unreadable.

“…I’m sorry.
For thinking only about myself.”

“……”

“I’ll… go get some water from the dispenser.”

He grabbed the empty water bottle and stood.

Only when he left the room did Hyunwoo finally release the breath he had been holding.

“Haa… hhh…”

His head was a storm.

Sunghyuk’s unexpected confession—
and his own heart trembling because of it—
everything felt unbearable.

Shhaa—

He stared at the relentless rain outside and let out another shaky sigh.

The miserable rain continued all weekend.

The downpour grew worse instead of easing.

More areas flooded.

People stayed indoors.

Damage spread across the city.

Hyunwoo and Sunghyuk remained trapped in the inn for the entire weekend.

Thankfully, the kind innkeeper helped them with whatever they needed.

Hyunwoo tried to pay extra,
but she waved him away—
saying they reminded her of her son.

By Tuesday morning, the rain had finally weakened.

It had started to ease on Monday, letting sunlight peek through.

The water receded.

Bridges reappeared.

They prepared to leave at last.

“Looks like we can go home today.”

“…Yeah.”

“The car probably got flooded… once we find it, then…”

“I’ll take care of that.”

“…Okay.”

The conversation was stiff.

Awkward.

Cold.

Hyunwoo barely looked at Sunghyuk.

Ever since that night, ever since he heard the confession,
he understood why Sunghyuk had been acting differently toward him.

But even so—
his own opinion had not changed.

Nothing had changed.

They didn’t match.

They didn’t suit each other.

And Sunghyuk would eventually realize that too.

He would move on to someone who did fit him.

Hyunwoo believed that.

“Thank goodness you returned safely, Director.”

“…Yes.”

Back at the office, Junghoon exhaled in relief.

Hyunwoo smiled faintly.

The backlog of reports was huge,
and just catching up took a long time.

Junghoon explained everything he had handled in Hyunwoo’s absence,
and Hyunwoo simply nodded along.

Most things had already been taken care of.

“…….”

Junghoon glanced at Hyunwoo worriedly.

Hyunwoo looked tired.

He’d lost weight.

Significantly.

Junghoon assumed it was because a man raised in wealth had suffered in an old inn for days.

He had no idea the stress came from something entirely different.

“By the way, the forum is scheduled to open soon.”

“Ah… that’s right.
But because of the heavy rain, they said it might be delayed.”

“Hmm…”

The economic forum held every summer.

Hyunwoo was now the expected successor,
so he naturally had to attend.

Before regression, the weather had been fine—
and he had even faced off against L&S’s CEO, Cha Kwon-oh.

Who knew what would happen this time?

Hyunwoo looked at Junghoon with a faint, bitter smile.

“Let me know when it’s decided.”

“Yes, Director.”

“And…”

Just as he began to bring up another topic—

Knock knock.

“……?”

Someone knocked urgently.

Hyunwoo blinked and looked at the door.

“Come in.”

It was rare for someone else to enter while he was meeting with Junghoon.

Unless it was truly urgent.

And indeed—
the employee who stepped in looked flustered.

“Um… Director…
you need to come out.
Right now.”

“……?”

Hyunwoo tilted his head in confusion and rose from his seat.