Chapter Text
"Right, now that I’ve answered that and it appears that I have a bit more time to spare, are there any other questions?”
It was almost 4 in the afternoon when the guest lecturer, Sung Hyunje leaned back against the wooden desk, letting his weight settle — positioned close to the window where light seems to be filtered through the sheer curtains.
Several people hurriedly raised their hands, but one person in particular has been persistent, constantly raising his hand ever since the qna session started. Sung Hyunje noticed that ever since the second time this person raised his hand, there seems to be this slight twitch in his brows and a subtle scowl lingering in his face. It had amused him, several times as a matter of fact, which is also why Hyunje has been pretending to not see this said fella for the past 8 questions. Now, though, a genuine concern flickered — what if this little tiger might actually swallow him whole?
Not a bad idea. He thought fleetingly.
“Yes, to the gentleman in the gray sweater.” Hyunje calls over gently, a cheshire like smile stretching his lips.
“Oh… thank you Sung Hyunje-ssi. For a second I thought you were pretending not to see me.”
The man's biting comment sparked muffled laughs and choked breaths throughout the room. Whispers rose: "Did Prof Yoojin seriously say that?" and "That's nothing, you should see how petty he could be in class." Hyunje's ears caught every word and his smile could only widen.
"How could I? After all, I'm honored to have a professor seated for my lecture," Hyunje replied languidly, that polite practiced tone he used with clients taking center stage.
"Right, I do have a question, and I hope you'll give me an answer." Yoojin paused. Hyunje simply nodded, inviting him to continue.
"I had a recent case where an abandoned dog was found, and the previous owner's legal rights were unclear. What's the best course of action for a shelter or a vet clinic to gain legal custody and find a new home for an animal in that situation, especially with all the new regulations in place?"
Hyunje nods, his expression shifting to one of thoughtful concern. "That's a very common, and often heartbreaking, scenario. It touches on the complexities of property law when the 'property' in question is a living, sentient being." He pauses, making eye contact with Yoojin.
"The new regulations you mentioned are indeed designed to expedite the process, but the challenge often lies in proving abandonment versus a lost animal, and establishing intent."
He walks to the edge of the stage, almost as if he's stepping down to speak directly to Yoojin. "Generally, after a specified holding period where efforts are made to locate the owner – often public notices or microchip scans – the animal can be legally reclassified. However, to truly secure the animal's future and protect the clinic from potential future claims, a deed of surrender or a judicial declaration of abandonment is the cleanest route."
A slight, knowing smile touches his lips. "I've handled several pro bono cases for shelters dealing with exactly this. It's not always straightforward, as owners sometimes reappear only after the animal has formed new attachments. There are specific clauses in the new Animal Welfare Act that can be leveraged, but it requires a careful understanding of the nuances."
“Did that answer satisfy you enough, professor?”
“Enough? I suppose…”
Then, a low, amused chuckle escapes Hyunje's lips as he turns back to the entire class, though his gaze still holds Yoojin's a moment longer. "That, professor," Hyunje states, his voice ringing with genuine appreciation, "is by far the most insightful question I've received during this lecture."
He gives a brief, appreciative nod to Yoojin, then smiles broadly at the whole room. "And on that note, I believe our time is up. Thank you all for your excellent questions and attention. I wish you all the best."
And that was it.
A few faculty members converged on Sung Hyunje at the front of the class, buzzing around him like bees. It didn’t take long before Han Yoojin rose from his seat and slipped out. This was one of those rare occasions where Yoojin didn’t want to immediately head back to the clinic after his lecture.
Here’s a brief run down on Han Yoojin’s daily activity. Wake up, eat breakfast, feed peace (his orange bobtail), shower, and depending on the days, sometimes he goes to the clinic first and some other times he does his lectures first. And today? Today’s one of those days where he happens to start the day early and was able to open the clinic together with Myungwoo at 8 AM went and started his lecture at 10 AM. Just as he was closing class, his lock screen lit up with a text message.
Moon Hyuna (do not reply during class)
Heyyyy Yoojin-ssi, I know you said
not to text you during class
But I have a solid reason this time!!
DONT BLOCK ME YET
11.48 a.m.
What is it now?
Did your bird go missing again?
You know I’m not some bird whisperer right?
11.48 a.m.
NONONO IT’S NOT THAT
I SWEAR SHE’S SAFE!!
11.48 a.m.
So? Spit it out Moon Hyuna
I don’t have all day
11.49 a.m.
You’ll thank me for this
11.50 a.m.
What exactly do you mean?
11.50 a.m.
And that was how Han Yoojin ended up in the Law Faculty’s auditorium. Moon Hyuna, apparently remembering Yoojin drunkenly complaining—and, by her account, throwing tantrums—about the new animal welfare law, had reserved him a seat. She'd insisted the faculty had limited attendance for this guest lecture and that she'd 'pulled some strings' to get him in.
“She went through so much trouble for something like this, can you believe that?” Yoojin asks the cat infront of him, which was busily licking at the opening of a cat treat packet.
Han Yoojin frequently fed the campus cats; in fact, their well-nourished appearance was likely a testament to his and his students' efforts.
"I can’t believe I had to sit there and be ignored for almost an hour, can you believe that?" he grumbles to the feline again.
The cat, seemingly disinterested, only meowed between fervent licks, ears twitching.
"Oh dear, I hope you didn't get offended, Professor. It really wasn't my intention." That same saccharine voice materialized from behind him.
Yoojin sighed, a huff of air. His legs were starting to ache from the prolonged crouching, and he knew he should stand, but something held him there. Maybe it was the cat's intense focus on its treat, or perhaps the taller man's presence offered a pleasant shade from the sun. Either way, once the cat finished, Yoojin finally pushed himself back to his feet.
“It’s Yoojin. Han Yoojin. And please, stop calling me professor will you? It’s creeping me out.” Yoojin says, his voice nearing annoyance. He reminded himself this wasn't his territory (read: they were still in the law faculty grounds) to pick a fight.
“Well then, Yoojin-ssi, you have my apologies.”
The man's default expression seemed to be this smile. Hyunje extended his right hand for a handshake, but Yoojin merely grimaced. It felt too practiced, as if the man had encountered this situation countless times and always knew the next steps: smile, apologize, extend an arm. Rehearsed, terribly fake.
"Do you have a tissue? Or a napkin, perhaps?" Yoojin asked instead, after tossing the empty cat treat packet into a nearby bin.
One of Hyunje's brows arched, a brief, amused flicker. "Ah, I do have a napkin," he murmurs, his hand already dipping into an inner suit pocket. He pulled out a navy cloth and offered it.
Yoojin noticed the fabric: satin silk, with subtle initials sewn into the corner. Too expensive.
But then again, seeing the full three-piece burgundy suit the taller man was wearing up close, something like this likely meant little to Sung Hyunje.
“Thanks.”
Hyunje noted Yoojin's averted gaze ever since he approached, the slight bite in his words, the almost inaudible click of his tongue. It was, to say the least, entertaining.
“No problem. Now, if you’d let me, I’d like to apologize properly Han Yoojin-ssi,” Hyunje worked to capture Yoojin's attention; it was unfamiliar territory for him, someone not fully fixated on his presence.
“There’s no need for that, it’s fine.”
Han Yoojin almost stepped back, but held his ground, remembering that the cat might still be behind him. It was then that he truly saw Sung Hyunje up close: the crescent shaped eyes forming as his lips stretched into a grin, the golden hue glittering in his irises, the straight nose angling his face perfectly. He didn't want to admit it, but damn, Sung Hyunje was one handsome man. With his golden locks fluttering in the wind, catching the late sunlight, he almost looked like an angel.
Keyword: almost.
“Please, I insist… it’s been weighing on me for a bit now.”
Why is he so persistent with this…
“Hmmm,” Yoojin hums, feigning thought. Alright then let’s see what you have in mind. “Didn’t you say the best question gets a gift from you?”
Instantly, Sung Hyunje's smile grew wider, genuine this time. "Ah yes, that reminds me. That was actually why I was trying to find you earlier."
“Trying to find me?”
“Yes, you see someone disappeared like a ghost when I looked back.”
“Well, someone seemed to be enjoying the enormous attention.” Yoojin retorted, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk.
They were walking across the campus field. Across the vast greenery, a pond shimmered, where ducks swam and students occasionally fed them snacks, or rolled out blankets to sit on the grass.
Hyunje seemed to disagree, shaking his head gently. “No. Not at all, it wasn’t that entertaining either.”
“What could possibly entertain the famous lawyer then, hmm? Sung Hyunje-ssi?”
Hyunje stopped in his tracks, and it took Yoojin awhile to realize that he was several steps ahead with how the sun was now shining brightly on him.
There goes my shade, he sighed, turning on his heel. The taller man watched him with an unreadable expression.
Another sigh escaped Yoojin's lips, “Would you perhaps like to have dinner with me?”
It was just a few words, but it seemed to have put Sung Hyunje in the best mood he’s had all week. “As a gift? Why of course!”
Yoojin manages to muffle a laugh, teasing. “Do you take students out for dinner with you as a gift? Because that’s felony.”
“Of course not, only this time. And plus, you’re not a student Yoojin-ssi.”
“I see… well then, it’ll have to be 5 stars though.”
“That’s a given.”
**
“You know, when I said 5 stars I didn’t mean this.”
Hyunje looks up, pausing as he chews on the shoyu cured beef. “Hmm? Care to elaborate?”
It was hard for Yoojin to deny that this full 14 course meal wasn’t delightful, in fact it had savored and tingled all his tasting buds. Han Yoojin was just unsure if what he wore was appropriate enough. Which is hard not to think about when the man in front of you looked like he just came out of the red carpet.
“You see, unlike someone… I’m not wearing a three-piece suit.” Yoojin clicks his tongue at the end as he chews on his last piece of beef.
It’s so tiny… Is it always this little?
“Ah, well you see I went straight to campus after a court trial. Apologies for that.”
Swallowing his last bite, Han Yoojin took a sip of the wine before genuinely asking, “Do you always say that?”
“Say what exactly?”
“Those apologies you throw around so easily.”
Hyunje chuckles, fixated on the thought of Han Yoojin thinking of him.
“Well, it’s part of my job Yoojin-ssi. I can’t possibly sound rude to my clients.”
Yoojin nods anyways, "I am not your client Hyunje-ssi."
"So what are we?" Hyunje asks with a knowing glint, prodding on the question as he pauses briefly and scans the confusion drawn on Han Yoojin's face.
Yoojin's brow furrowed, not just at the question but at the way Hyunje had asked it. Why did my stomach… just do that weird flip?
"We're… colleagues, that's the proper term to it."
"Hmm, colleagues? I guess we can start with that." Hyunje thinks on it for a while with a nod and a few hums before resting his gaze back to Yoojin.
Han Yoojin finds the gaze to be overbearing, as if all the light had been stolen by him and Hyunje no longer finds the need to search for it. So, Yoojin looks away and raises his hand slightly, signing the server that they're ready for the next course.
"Say Yoojin-ssi, you haven't been doing your lectures for long have you?"
Yoojin nods while the 13th and last course of meal is served, "Yeah, just started this semester. Introduction to Animal Welfare & Ethics."
"I see, why in the middle of the year, if I may ask?"
Another muffled laugh escapes his lips, "You can drop the formalities you know, no need to be so polite. I'm pretty sure you're older than me, isn't that right ahjussi?"
That last word Yoojin had sneaked in did wonders to Hyunje as he slightly twisted his head in amusement. The only other person that has called him that was Soyoung, but that's a given since she's his niece.
This day has been an awfully entertaining day and it's all thanks to this young professor in front of him. A cute one might he add.
"Hmm let's see, I have a pet clinic and recently we've been well staffed which is good. My old mentor reached out to me a couple months ago saying he was planning to retire, so there was an opening in the faculty. And yeah, here I am."
"Do you like it so far? Teaching?"
Han Yoojin shrugs, taking a dollop of the white chocolate mouse in his mouth. "I wouldn't say I like it. Some students take my class to fill their credits which is fine since I still get paid, but I do have a few promising students. So, I think I'm enjoying it for now."
Hyunje nods, "That's impressive, that you're enjoying it. I can never be an on campus lecturer even though the faculty's been chasing me for a couple of years now."
"That's why you keep doing these guest lectures?"
"Not quite. Part of it is yes, as a compromise I suppose. You can't really say much if you're an alumni."
The both of them share a nod, agreeing to the sentiment.
"But honestly? It keeps me away from boredom."
"Boredom? It makes you feel less bored?"
"It gets tiring working on cases 90 hours a week and that's me being generous. Going back and forth between the law firm and court could be extremely depressing."
Hyunje swirled the wine in his glass, the deep red liquid mirroring a weariness far beyond just long hours. Depressing… hmm that's not the right word…. more like an endless, emptying repetition.
"Hmm I see, aren't you a named partner? I'm not really familiar with the hierarchy but I'm pretty surprised when you told me about those billable hours?"
Yoojin wasn't sure if he was using that term correctly, sometimes when Yoohyun comes by to do their monthly sleepover they put on Suits and talk about the cases together. Some brother bonding time, in Yoojin's defense.
Sung Hyunje decides to pretend sulking. "Normally it's around 60 hours a week, but I'm also overseeing the pro bono cases at the firm…"
"Do you even sleep? That's like double my own working hour and I still wake up late."
A faint, almost imperceptible shadow crossed Hyunje's eyes, quickly veiled by his usual charm. "Well, we'll have plenty of sleep when we're dead."
This was difficult for Yoojin to comprehend. He's someone that likes to stay in bed as long as he possibly can and shuffle around in the comfort of his blankets all day long. He decides to say nothing, pretending as if Hyunje didn't say that.
But the words clung to him, a cold, unsettling knot in his chest. Was that a dark joke? Like the ones Yoohyun-ie likes? He replayed the line in his head, searching for a subtle tremor in Hyunje's voice, a flicker of true despair in his eyes.
Hyunje, however seemed to catch on the slight shift within Yoojin's presence and decides to change the mood. "I'm sure it's because your job's far more taxing than mine."
Yoojin shakes his head, fully disagreeing. "No, not really. Animals tend to get docile with me, Myeongwoo too. Oh, that's my co-worker in the clinic."
"Really?"
Yoojin gives a firm nod.
"I'd like to test that out sometimes."
**
"… and make sure Bonnie doesn't skip her meds okay?" Yoojin hands over the carrier to the woman with lavender hair.
"Two times a day right?" she repeats as she sets down the carrier.
Yoojin nods, swiping the credit card by the machine before handing it over. "Yep! Morning and at night, before you sleep works too. Just make sure she doesn't go to places she could get herself wet. Her wound's still not dry yet."
"Right, okay thank you Yoojin-ssi."
"Keep me updated Mina-ssi!" Yoojin offers a smile, waving at Bonnie in the carrier too.
"Will do!"
It had been a couple of weeks since Han Yoojin was dropped off at the clinic after that impromptu dinner with Sung Hyunje. A couple of weeks since Hyunje's unsettling words had been replaying in his mind, and a couple of weeks of silence from the man himself. It wasn't like they didn't exchange numbers, they did.
Hyunje had, in fact, suggested it after their post-dinner walk around the block. Yoojin, of course, had thrown out sneaky remarks about whether Hyunje had ulterior motives, but the older man had only answered, 'I can neither confirm nor deny,' with a soft chuckle.
"Ah, hyung! Are you eating lunch here or at campus?" Myeongwoo turns to ask after finishing a reply with one of their customers.
The taller man stood up from his seat at the front desk, flipping the sign by the glass door to 'On Break! Back at 13.00!' before heading to the backroom. Yoojin followed, checking his phone.
"Here, I accidentally covered this week's material at last week's meeting, so I cancelled today's lecture.
"Sweet. Man, I wish you were my professor instead," Myeongwoo breathed out with a deep sigh, sprawling himself on the couch.
"Prof. Yeon wouldn't be happy if he heard that… Plus, you were my hoobae!" Yoojin jokes, taking a seat at the wooden desk.
"Gahh, don't tell him that!" Myeongwoo jolts up, taken aback by the not so jokey joke.
"Hahahaha, anyway, what's for lunch? I'm craving sushi."
"Sounds good! I'll order then," Myeongwoo says, already scrolling through the food delivery app from the couch.
Yoojin's attention was then briefly caught by the news running on the TV in the corner of the room. It wasn't a large screen, just twenty inches, typically used for background noise or occasional news updates. But this time, it was a live broadcast from a major news company.
On the screen, Yoojin saw an ocean of news reporters and photographers, their microphones and cameras almost drowning several men and women in formal uniforms—firefighter uniforms. He'd seen that uniform countless times, there was no mistaking it. That single occupation pulled Yoohyun to the center of Yoojin's mind. Why was his brother there? On TV, with so many of his workmates?
Then, the memory hit him. Yoohyun had been complaining that their station was likely to be sued by a building owner after a recent fire. Apparently, Yoohyun and his crew had saved a child trapped in a storage room, only to discover the entire incident had been planned.
Yoojin shook his head, patting his cheek. The air suddenly felt thin. No, don't think about it too much. They'll be fine.
"When's Yerim coming in?" Yoojin asks, turning to Myeongwoo, still sprawled on the couch.
"On the second shift."
"Ask her if she wants lunch too." Yoojin turns back to the TV.
"Okay."
That was when his eyes widened. Not at the sea of shouting reporters, nor the overwhelmed firefighters, but at the man walking idly up the courthouse stairs dressed in a maroon red coat over a beige three-piece suit. A smile stretched thinly on his lips, wide enough but not enough to reach his eyes, a smile so sure that radiates a knowing agenda, one that said he knew he was going to win this case.
There you are.
**
The air in the courtroom felt sterile, a stark contrast to the gritty reality of a burning building. Yoohyun sat, a knot of tension tightening in his shoulders, watching the legal theatrics unfold. This wasn't just another legal proceeding; this was about his crew, his station, and the ridiculous claim that saving a child somehow warranted a lawsuit.
And then there was Sung Hyunje.
The man stood before the jury, not behind a podium, but a few steps away, radiating an almost casual confidence. He wasn't yelling, wasn't grandstanding – not in the way Yoohyun expected a high-powered lawyer to. Instead, he spoke with a smooth, almost conversational tone, his voice carrying easily through the hushed room.
"So, Mr. Kim," Hyunje began, addressing the plaintiff, the building owner, with a polite, almost saccharine smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You claim that in the efforts to rescue the child, your property suffered irreparable damage due to, shall we say, 'excessive force' by the fire department?"
Mr. Kim, a portly man with a perpetually aggrieved expression, puffed out his chest. "That is correct. My storage unit was perfectly safe, a state-of-the-art facility. Their reckless behavior caused more harm than good! And for what? A minor inconvenience to a child who could have been retrieved without such... destruction."
A low, collective murmur rippled through the gallery. Yoohyun felt his jaw clench. A minor inconvenience?
His blood ran cold remembering the panicked screams, the flickering flames. He wanted to leap over the railing, to scream the truth of that day, but he remained rooted, his hands folded in a fist at his sides.
Hyunje merely inclined his head, his smile unwavering. "Indeed. And this 'minor inconvenience,' as you term it, involved a five-year-old child trapped in a smoke-filled room, correct? A room which, by the way, fire safety inspections from just last month declared unfit for storage due to a faulty wiring issue you had yet to address?"
The plaintiff blustered, "That's beside the point! Property rights are property rights! They broke down my door, flooded my inventory—"
"And yet," Hyunje cuts in, his voice still gentle, almost curious, "the child was retrieved, unharmed. Alive. A negligible detail, perhaps, compared to the integrity of your plywood door?" A flicker of amusement, subtle as a breath, crossed Hyunje's features.
He wasn't asking; he was goading. He was stripping away the plaintiff's pretense, exposing his callousness, but doing it with such an infuriatingly pleasant demeanor.
Yoohyun saw it. The casual lean against the railing, the way Hyunje's eyes would briefly dart to the jury, gauging their reactions. He was playing them. Playing everyone.
The judge, Justice Lee Junho, remained impassive, occasionally interjecting to keep things moving, but never truly reining Hyunje in. It was like he was enjoying the show too.
Across the room, the Prosecutor, Song Taewon stood, his posture rigid. His gaze, fixed on Hyunje, held a cool, almost detached assessment, a practiced mask that betrayed nothing but a faint, almost imperceptible tightening around his lips.
Song Taewon didn't openly bristle or narrow his eyes; instead, his stillness was the loudest protest, a clear message that while Hyunje might be a nuisance, he wasn't worth the effort of an overt reaction. He simply looked at Hyunje with the quiet disdain of someone who had seen this act countless times and found it tiresome.
Yoohyun felt a growing unease settle in his gut. This wasn't about justice for Hyunje; it was a game.
A calculated display of power and intellect, where human lives and safety seemed secondary to winning, to proving a point, to just… fun.
He didn't like it. He didn't like him.
The man was a shark in a tailored suit, and Yoohyun had a bad feeling about what he was capable of.
"Hah, how many more times do we need to go to court? This is getting ridiculous." one of Yoohyun's coworkers brought up, slamming a cup of makgeolli on the table.
After the court was adjourned, pending further evidence, the judge had ruled out that the defendant remained not guilty. Their chief had decided that they all deserved a mini celebratory for making it halfway through.
"Hmm, just one more. Two if it gets ridiculous, but I'll do my best to finish it by the next trial." Hyunje supplies, drinking his own glass of cranberry wine. He was avoiding beer since it makes him feel bloated.
Earlier, when the chief had called for a mini celebratory, Hyunje had answered that he won't be joining when asked if he was coming along. But Soyoung, the interning lawyer (and Hyunje's niece) had insisted to go, even when Hyunje had reminded her that this could be considered crossing the lines of professionalism. Of course Hyunje wouldn't care if it was some other intern, it just so happen that Soyoung was his niece, his only niece at that. So, with a big sigh, he called over to the BBQ diner he used to frequent back when he was in law school, asking to book the place for the rest of the night.
"That's good, that owner is starting to piss me off even more." Yoohyun replies, eyes slowly drooping from the drowsiness he's starting to feel.
"Now now, let's refrain from anything more physical Yoohyun-ssi." Hyunje reminds with that characteristic chesire like smile.
"Uncle's right! We don't want any of you going into another lawsuit, so please don't beat up anyone, please." Soyoung adds, munching on her piece of freshly grilled meat.
"Kid you really don't hide the nepotism do you?" one of the firefighter, seemingly in her mid thirties commented.
"Ah! There's no use…" Soyoung sighs, emptying her own glass. "Everyone in the firm knows. Because someone apparently brought up how he's going to tell my mother if I screw up a presentation."
Hyunje chuckles in his seat, "It's better to be transparent from the start."
"But still-"
Yoohyun's phone then buzzed, signaling a notification for him.
Yoojin hyung
Hyun-ah, did the trial go well?
18.57
Huh? How'd you know?
I didn't tell you
18.57
It's on the news dummy
18.58
Oh… I didn't think you'd watch it
18.59
I was on my break
18.59
Hyung
20.03
Yeah?
20.03
Did you bring the car with you today?
20.05
I did, why?
20.06
Can tyou pick me up?
My head's starting to spin
20.10
You're outside right now?
20.11
Yeah, I'll send you the address
📍live location
20.12
Okay, I'll be there
20.13
The BBQ diner throbbed with boisterous laughter and the sizzle of meat on grills. Yoojin navigated the crowded tables, the scent of charcoal and burnt sugar hitting him hard. He found Yoohyun draped across a booth, a picture of pure, liquor-induced exhaustion and relief from the day's stress.
"Hyun-ah," Yoojin called, nudging him. "Time to go. You look like you've wrestled a fire and a whole bottle of soju."
Only one bottle and look at you…
Yoohyun groaned, lifting his head barely an inch. "Hyung... you came…. Just a bit more... stress relief… heheh…"
"Yeah, for stress relief," Yoojin muttered, prying him upright. As Yoohyun swayed, Yoojin steadied him, and his gaze swept the table. That's when he saw him.
Sung Hyunje sat opposite, a half-empty glass of what looked like cranberry wine in his hand. He hadn't changed from his courtroom attire, save for the absent red coat, and his sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, his tie loosened around his collar. He watched Yoohyun's tipsy state with a faint, almost imperceptible smirk.
Yoojin found Hyunje's appearance unexpectedly tempting, a bit mouthwatering, a casual undone quality that somehow made him even more striking than in his perfectly tailored suit.
"Yoojin-ssi," Hyunje's voice was a warm baritone cutting through the diner. "A concerned brother, I see."
Yoojin gave a curt nod, securing Yoohyun in his arms, "He gets like this sometimes. You still here, Hyunje-ssi?"
"Just wrapping up," Hyunje replied, his gaze lingering on Yoojin's face before flicking to Yoohyun. "Though I admit, the ambiance has been... surprisingly lively." His eyes seemed to twinkle with a private joke.
Yoojin mumbled a goodbye, beginning to maneuver Yoohyun past the tables.
"Oh, Yoojin-ssi, one moment." Hyunje's voice followed him outside of the diner. Yoojin turned, a flicker of irritation. Hyunje was now standing, his presence stilling even after a long day.
"My golden retriever, Barley, he's a bit old now, and I've been meaning to get him a thorough check-up. Nothing urgent, but a preventative measure." He paused, his expression shifting to one of polite concern. "Lately, it seems that he doesn't hear me when I call him, and he's having trouble spotting the food bowl too… so, would you perhaps be an angel and come visit him at my place sometime? At your convenience, of course."
Yoojin's internal alarm bells rang. A house call? At his place? This is an obvious attempt to get me alone, isn't it?
His overthinking kicked in: Was it about the dog at all, or just another game? The image of Hyunje's detached courtroom smile flashed in his mind. But then, the thought of an animal needing care always trumped his personal discomfort.
It's just a check-up. Professional. That's all.
"Fine," Yoojin said, perhaps a little too abruptly. "Text me your address and a good time."
Hyunje's eyes lit up, a genuine, delighted warmth entering them.
"Wonderful. I'll be in touch."