Joo-won woke the next morning with a knot in his stomach. The lingering sensation of Kim's touch from the night before hadn't faded, and it seemed to grow stronger with every passing minute. He lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to gather his thoughts. What had happened? What had he allowed to happen?
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling him from his spiral of thoughts. It was a message from Kim, the name on the screen causing his heart to race.
From: Kim Joon-ho
Message: "We have a meeting at 10 AM. Be prepared to discuss the new strategy proposals."
Joo-won stared at the message for a moment, trying to steady his breath. Was this a test? Was it just business as usual, or was there something more? The uncertainty gnawed at him, but he pushed the thoughts aside. He had a job to do, and he couldn't afford to let his emotions cloud his focus.
The office was its usual busy self when Joo-won arrived, the hum of productivity surrounding him. But today, it felt different—he felt different. He couldn't shake the tension between him and Kim, and it weighed heavily on his shoulders as he made his way to the boardroom for the 10 AM meeting.
When he entered the room, his eyes immediately found Kim. His boss was already there, his back to the door as he conversed with a few senior executives. His presence filled the room, and Joo-won couldn't help but feel drawn to him. As if sensing his gaze, Kim turned and met his eyes across the room. The brief moment of eye contact sent a shiver down Joo-won's spine, his breath catching in his throat.
Kim nodded, as though acknowledging him silently, before returning to the conversation.
Joo-won took his seat at the table, keeping his head down to avoid drawing attention to himself. His nerves were on edge, but he tried to focus on the presentation at hand. The meeting began, and the team reviewed various proposals, discussing numbers and figures that seemed to float past Joo-won's mind.
But even as he pretended to follow the discussion, he couldn't help but feel Kim's eyes on him. Every glance, every shift in his posture, made Joo-won's pulse race. The air in the room felt thick with unspoken tension, and he couldn't focus on anything except the magnetic presence of his boss.
Finally, the meeting reached the part where Joo-won was expected to present his data. As he stood and began to speak, he noticed Kim's gaze fixed on him, unwavering and intense. The weight of it was almost too much to bear, and Joo-won's hands trembled slightly as he laid out the figures and analysis.
But Kim's gaze didn't falter. There was something almost predatory in the way he watched Joo-won, as if scrutinizing him, analyzing him on a deeper level than just his work.
When the presentation ended, Kim leaned back in his chair and gave a slow, thoughtful nod.
"Good work, Joo-won," he said, his voice carrying a weight that made Joo-won's heart race.
Joo-won barely managed a quiet "thank you," but the words felt hollow. Kim's praise only seemed to add to the tension between them.
As the meeting wound down and people began to leave the room, Joo-won remained seated, reluctant to leave. He knew that Kim had something else in mind, that the boundaries between them were continuing to blur.
Kim stood from his chair, walking over to Joo-won's side of the table. The others had already filtered out of the room, leaving just the two of them alone.
"You did well," Kim said, his voice low, a hint of something else beneath the surface.
Joo-won's breath caught in his throat. "Thank you, sir," he replied, the words automatic, but his heart wasn't in them.
Kim raised an eyebrow. "We've been through this before, Joo-won. There's no need for formalities." He stepped closer, and Joo-won could feel the heat radiating from his body. "Call me Joon-ho."
The words felt like a command, but Joo-won was powerless to resist. His body reacted to Kim's proximity, his pulse quickening.
"Joon-ho," Joo-won whispered, barely able to breathe.
Kim's lips curled into a faint smile, his eyes dark with something Joo-won couldn't quite place.
"You're learning," Kim murmured, his voice so soft, so intimate, that Joo-won felt like he was drowning in it.
Before Joo-won could respond, Kim reached out and gently touched his arm. The simple contact sent a jolt of electricity through Joo-won, and he instinctively took a step back.
But Kim's eyes never left his, the silent challenge clear.
"I have a few things I need to take care of," Kim said, his voice calm and steady. "I'll see you later, Joo-won."
The way he said his name sent a shiver down Joo-won's spine. As he watched Kim turn and leave the room, Joo-won was left standing in the silence, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.
The fine line between duty and desire was growing thinner by the day, and Joo-won didn't know how much longer he could keep his composure.