Chapter 2: The Morning Call and a Fateful Encounter

Seven o’clock.

Do-ha’s hands, searching for his alarm, moved with increasing urgency. Clutching the alarm stick that fit snugly in his palm, he vigorously shook his arm as he rose from his spot.

‘Why did I buy this?’ he lamented. He had vowed to throw it away countless times, only to forget each time, leaving him to regretfully shake his arm every morning.

Accustomed to the arduous task of shaking the alarm a full fifty times, Do-ha stumbled into the bathroom, still vigorously working the device.

Once the sink had filled with a sufficient amount of water, he plunged the vibrating alarm stick into it.

‘Please, just break,’ he thought. ‘It feels wrong to throw away something perfectly fine.’

Showering while observing the marks on his body—once red, now fading to yellow—evoked an indescribable sensation.

It had only been two days, yet it felt unreal, like a distant dream.

To conceal the lingering marks on his neck, Do-ha donned a turtleneck. He then retrieved a carton of fruit juice from the refrigerator, inserted a straw, and took a sip.

Jia stretched their arms above their head as they emerged from their room. They frowned as the scent of peaches filled the house. “Ugh, Seo Do-ha, you’re practically dripping with it. Did you spray air freshener?”

Do-ha buried his nose in his sleeve, sniffing. “Huh? Does it smell that strong? Is it because of the medicine?”

Watching Do-ha sniff his sleeve, Jia went into the dressing room and returned with a can of air freshener.

Despite his academic struggles, Do-ha had diligently attended school, and now, as an intern, he was remarkably committed to his work.

He had effortlessly entered a prestigious university’s business administration program, and his current internship at DS Group, though called an internship, was clearly a result of nepotism.

While he was a six-month intern, with the promise of becoming a full-time employee if he passed the exam next February, no one truly expected him to succeed.

Indeed, no one who knew Do-ha truly expected him to become a regular employee.

His unwavering diligence was one of Do-ha’s greatest strengths, though it often seemed unnecessarily bright and simple-minded.

Watching Do-ha complete his preparations for work with such earnest, almost superfluous, diligence, Jia couldn’t help but sigh.

It seemed far more ideal for him to simply open a café or a bookstore on the first floor of one of their family’s well-located buildings, as his parents and family suggested, and live a comfortable life.

Jia shook their head, recalling Do-ha’s stubborn expression, his fists clenched as he declared, “I have to experience corporate life, attend company dinners, work overtime—everything!”

“Anyway, if it gets too much, just leave work early and come straight home, or go to the hospital,” Jia advised. “Since you’re feeling chilly, wear a scarf too.”

Jia sprayed a generous amount of air freshener toward Do-ha, then pulled his wrist for one last check. Only then did they yawn languidly and head to the kitchen.

Do-ha entered the office, his greeting bright and spirited. “Good morning!”

A colleague responded, “Our Do-ha, always so cheerful in the mornings. You know my request, right?”

Do-ha replied enthusiastically, “Yes!”

Do-ha set down his messenger bag at his desk and accepted the corporate card from Assistant Manager Kim.

“The usual, please. Oh! And the team leader is back in the office today, so you’ll need to buy an extra Americano with an added shot.”

As Do-ha left the office, he cast a fleeting glance at the team leader’s office, where the blinds were drawn.

Do-ha, who had joined as a six-month intern in September, had yet to meet the team leader, who had been on a special assignment since late August.

Judging by the female employees who bloomed with smiles at the mention of the team leader, and the male employees who displayed a mixture of jealousy and admiration, he seemed to be no ordinary person.

Another colleague commented, “It’s Do-ha again? Other teams take turns.”

Do-ha shrugged. “What else is an intern supposed to do? And I’m the only intern on our team.”

Five minutes to nine.

Receiving the tray laden with various beverages, Do-ha’s steps felt lighter than ever.

Coming to work truly brought him joy.

Sometimes, he would deliberately arrive early, turn on the lights in the empty office, and simply sit at his desk with a warm drink, feeling his heart swell with emotion.

It felt like he was contributing to society and striving diligently for his future, rather than living a life of late mornings, brunch cafés, and afternoon strolls through department stores.

Assistant Manager Kim said, “Thanks. Do-ha, please deliver that extra-shot Americano directly to the team leader yourself. While you’re in there, introduce yourself. You know the promotion exam score in February is important, but the team leader’s recommendation letter is crucial too, right?”

While the usual practice was for employees to fetch their own drinks from the pantry, Monday mornings began with beverages from the café on the first floor of the company building.

After distributing all the drinks among the desks, Do-ha placed his own hot chocolate on his desk and picked up the team leader’s beverage.

Meeting the person who held sway over his employment, a slightly nervous Do-ha knocked twice before entering the team leader’s office.

Closing the team leader’s door, Do-ha bowed respectfully and began to raise his head, attempting to complete his greeting. “Hello. Seo Do-ha—”

Several seconds passed in silence, neither Do-ha nor the team leader uttering a word. Hesitantly, Do-ha walked to the desk where the team leader sat and carefully placed the Americano he had brought.

The team leader spoke, his voice calling out his name. “Seo Do-ha.”

At the sound of his name, Do-ha instinctively raised both hands to cover his mouth.

‘Jin, cry beautifully for me.’

That was the man who had occupied his thoughts all weekend.

The man before him, with his slicked-back pompadour and large, monolid eyes, overlapped in his mind with the image of a disheveled man asleep in his arms.

To hear his own name spoken from the lips that had called out another’s, Do-ha felt his cheeks and ears flush crimson.

He managed, “Thank you for the coffee.”

“I… I look forward to working with you,” Do-ha stammered.

Do-ha stared blankly as a large, long hand reached out and took the Americano. He then bowed, and without waiting for a reply, he fled the team leader’s office, practically sprinting to the pantry.

****

Assistant Manager Kim, concerned, asked again, “Do-ha, are you really sure you can do this? If not, tell me now. Our team leader isn’t usually like this. Maybe he’s testing your diligence? But I really think this is unfair.”

Do-ha, sitting at his desk with a small notebook and pen, nodded his head up and down like a machine in response to Assistant Manager Kim’s repeated questions, who seemed worried about him.

A casual one-night stand, and the person turned out to be his team leader.

He wondered if the team leader hadn’t recognized him, as the man had remained utterly composed throughout the meeting, his image lingering in Do-ha’s mind.

Do-ha, whose main task was to sit at the very end and focus on the meeting content, had spent the entire time secretly observing him, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

The voice that had once been so tender now spoke only terse, necessary words, and the face that had been slick with sweat was impeccably clean.

Snapping out of his daze, Do-ha opened his notebook and looked at the page where he had taken notes that day.

Amidst the messy scribbles, the three characters for ‘morning call’ stood out, a testament to his attempt to appear productive.

He recalled the team leader’s words: “Every morning at 6:30 AM. Can you manage that?”

The memory of those unwavering eyes fixed on him sent a sudden shiver down Do-ha’s spine, prompting him to wrap his arms around his upper body.

Who could refuse a request delivered with such a serious expression and a voice that seemed to steal one’s very soul?

Yet, Do-ha, a notorious late sleeper, usually woke up at seven.

He had even moved into a mixed-use building just two subway stops from the company, all to snatch a few extra minutes of sleep.

Though Jia, his roommate, had chided him for the ‘pointless’ move, Do-ha had been immensely satisfied with his decision.

While he had to wake at seven and leave by eight, enduring two subway stops connected to the complex wasn’t particularly arduous.

If he didn’t want to take the subway, the bus or driving were also convenient options, and on pleasant days, he enjoyed walking for exercise.

Even if he occasionally overslept, he was never late due to the short distance. But now, he had to wake up a full thirty minutes earlier than usual to give the team leader a morning call?

Slowly, Do-ha rose from his seat and headed toward the team leader’s office.

The team leader asked, “Do you have something to say?”

Lacking the courage to approach him, Do-ha stood by the door, clasping his hands tightly together.

“Do I really have to give you a morning call?”

The team leader, who had been looking at something with his head bowed over his desk, raised his gaze to meet Do-ha’s. “Can’t you do it?”

Do-ha bit his lower lip. It seemed the team leader truly didn’t recognize him.

‘If that’s the case, couldn’t I just pretend not to know and act brazenly?’ he thought.

‘If he was as drunk as I was, drunk enough not to recognize me properly…’

“Well, the morning call isn’t during work hours, and…”

The team leader cut him off. “Seo Do-ha, are you familiar with the concept of an extension of duties?”

“Yes… I am aware,” Do-ha replied.

“Then let’s call it that,” the team leader stated.

“Yes… yes?” Do-ha stammered, confused.

“Do you have anything further to say?”

“No, it’s just that…”

After a few brief exchanges, Do-ha, finding himself with nothing more to say, simply blinked.

‘But isn’t this… what’s it called? Abuse of power? Something like that,’ he mused.

The team leader’s voice was firm. “Do you have anything else to say? Otherwise, call me tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM.”

Wiggling his clasped fingers, Do-ha met the team leader’s handsome, unreadable face, then bowed and quickly exited the office.

Once the small, hesitant figure had vanished and the team leader’s door closed, Tae-jun leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes.

This was preposterous, something that should never have happened.

He couldn’t believe it, not even until Do-ha walked into his office this morning, Americano in hand.

Attending the gathering, supposedly a celebration for his return from a little over two months of assignment in Hong Kong, had been an impulsive decision.

Normally, he wouldn’t go to a club for such an event.

But Jin had been there, and the Jin who had nestled in his arms had vanished like a ghost by morning.

Only the strong scent of peaches and the lingering marks on his body spoke of the night before.

A voice from his memory murmured, “What scent does young master have?”

Woon embraced Jin, burying his face in his neck.

As he teased the pale, delicate skin with his lips and sucked, a sweet scent of flesh filled his senses.

Jin chuckled, “Peaches. What even is a peach? I wish it were plum blossoms.”

Looking at the white plum blossoms blooming profusely on the plum tree outside the window, Jin raised his hands, wrapped his arms around Woon’s neck, and embraced him back.

Woon murmured, “I wish I could smell it too.”

Jin responded, “What’s the point of all that? I’ve always told you it doesn’t matter to me.”

As Woon’s arms caressed his soft hair, Jin gently swayed his hips.

Woon’s body inside Jin hardened once more, and Jin smiled sweetly, swaying his hips back and forth.

“I want to satisfy my young master too…”

“I’m already satisfied,” Jin said.

Woon, whose face had been buried in Jin’s shoulder, lifted his head, and their lips slowly intertwined. As their tongues and saliva intertwined between parted lips, moistening them, Woon’s hands cupped Jin’s buttocks.

“Before and now, you’re truly terrible at lying,” Tae-jun muttered bitterly.

As a Beta in his past life, he had never been intoxicated by Jin’s pheromones. And though Jin had always claimed to be satisfied, to be pleased, Tae-jun knew he had never truly satisfied him.

Rising from the empty, solitary bed, Tae-jun, feeling a profound sense of loss, returned to the club that Saturday night, but could find no information. How many people, after all, had met eyes and left that packed club on a Friday night?

And then, this morning.

The moment he saw Do-ha, his face clear, holding an Americano, Tae-jun’s heart felt as if it had stopped.

The images of Jin and Do-ha, identical to his memories, overlapped.

Do-ha’s trembling eyes, his hesitant actions.

Tae-jun knew there was nothing he could do for Do-ha. It would be best to pretend not to know him.

He couldn’t repeat the same past, knowing how it would end. Even though he knew he absolutely shouldn’t get involved with him, his reason and instinct diverged, leading him to make an absurd proposition.

Late mornings? Morning calls? He had concocted something utterly ridiculous.

Jin, who always loved to sleep in, would mumble as he slowly woke up in the mornings, and watching him was Tae-jun’s secret pleasure. There had been countless times he had lulled Jin back to sleep as he burrowed into his arms, asking to be woken.

He simply wanted to hear that mumbling once more.