Chapter 315: What took you so long?
We finally got back to the mansion and as I walked in, I stretched my body.
Whew, it had been an awfully long day. But enjoyable too. Haha, I had fun.
The moment I stepped into the mansion, someone suddenly enveloped me in a hug. From the scent, I could immediately tell it was...
"Master Jin?"
Not that I’m totally surprised, but I didn’t expect Jin-Yeok to be the one to suddenly embrace me at the door.
"Jo-Pil, I’ve missed you quite a lot," he said, looking at my face and smiling, but it didn’t look like he was going to let me go anytime soon. "Tell me, did you miss me as well?"
He asked, and I smiled awkwardly. Not really, but if I said that, I’d probably be breaking his heart.
"I did think of you quite a bit," I said, and this pleased him.
"I knew it. I have a very special place in Jo-Pil’s heart." It was as if I had fed his ego.
"I also thought about the rest of my masters, haha," I added, hoping I didn’t create a staggering effect by telling just him that I thought about him all day.
Hearing this, his smile dropped a bit and he clicked his tongue.
"I think I would’ve been better off not hearing that last part," he said, and I laughed.
"Well, it’s fine," I said, brushing his hair as he released me from his hug. "How was your day?"
"Quite tedious," he said, sighing in exhaustion.
"Even when you came back halfway?" Min-Cheol asked from the back as we turned to find him leaning on the wall, staring with his arms folded.
He let his hair down in quite a messy way, wore a skin-hugging shirt, and some cargo pants.
What was up with him? He looked... kinda hot today.
Or is it just me?
(I believe your eyes are finally opening up, haha)
"Stop sticking to Hyung like a leech and step back, old man. Hyung doesn’t like lazy people and you give off a lot of lazy energy," he said quite harshly, and Jin-Yeok did not take it lightly.
He smiled, but his smile was dark and hinted at danger.
"Oh well, I can’t help that I ended work earlier than you." He shrugged his shoulders. "I’m just that efficient," he said and turned towards me, planning to ignore Min-Cheol and move on. "By the way, you said you were coming back a while ago, but you still took a long time to get here."
I blinked as the conversation once again dragged me in.
"What took you so long?"
Why was he asking me that? Seo-Jun was the one who called the shots.
But when I turned my head, hoping to get Seo-Jun to make up one of his reasons and die this matter, I found him staring at his phone.
Come on. You can’t do this to me now that I really need you, you jerk.
He seemed to have noticed my anticipating gaze and raised his head. But once our eyes met, he simply smiled and said,
"Let’s do this again sometime." He leaned in, kissed my forehead, and then walked away.
There were eyes following him as he walked away, and the gaze got heavier on Min-Cheol’s side.
It looked like he was ready to kill Seo-Jun, but Seo-Jun didn’t care. He glanced at Min-Cheol briefly as he walked past him and then walked away, as if nothing else concerned him.
What the...? What was with him all of a sudden?
And then, I got a notification on my phone.
"Ah, excuse me. Let me take a look at this," I said, using this pop to turn away from Jin-Yeok and check my phone.
I knew that notification sound anywhere, but I wanted to be sure I didn’t mistake it.
When I opened my phone, my jaw nearly dropped at the multiple numbers I saw I had been credited with.
Seo-Jun just credited me. Wait, for my smiles?
Did he really count it?
I couldn’t keep count even if I wanted to because I smiled a lot today. I smiled at him so many times that while it felt fleeting, while it shouldn’t even have mattered, it mattered a lot to him and he took note.
Wait, maybe he just sent a random amount because he also lost count.
But still... I bit my lip. This was an awful lot of money. Almost half of what I already have, and mind you, I was already living the life of a billionaire with the money in my account.
I didn’t mention it all the time, but the Alphas never failed to send me money at the end of each day.
Even if I smiled at them just once, they would send it. And the days where I didn’t see them, they decided to send half of the agreed amount. Half of 9,999,999.
This was the amount, right? I’ve also lost track because of the large sum they keep sending me.
It was as if they were investing in me. A wolf, generous and grand investment.
Even the money that was loaned under my name didn’t even hold a candle to the current amount I possessed.
And all this... just because I said I liked money and never wanted to feel that helplessness of not having any... They’re just too much.
But my heart warmed up once more as I thought about it.
Such generous, loving, and caring masters. I really want to make it up to them now.
I turned around, smiling with little droplets of tears at the corners of my eyes.
"Alright, what matters is that I’m home, right?" I clutched my hand and walked towards Min-Cheol, still smiling brightly. "What are you waiting for, Little Min? Let’s go eat."
Min-Cheol looked at me as he was for a few seconds and then his face softened. I did like how he looked so manly and hot when he frowned with a hidden storm in his eyes, but I don’t want to see that.
It only reminds me that Min-Cheol holds a heavy grudge and how his character could take a 180-degree turn with the right trigger.
I want my cute, adorable Min-Cheol instead.
"Alright, Hyung," he said, smiling. "Let’s go eat."
I planned to eat first and then take my bath. I asked May to call Ki-Hoon and Seo-Jun down for dinner, and while Ki-Hoon came down, excited to finally see me after a long day, Seo-Jun sent May back with a message.
He didn’t want to eat.
That was odd.
I don’t think he ate while we were at the office. He didn’t even touch the snacks he brought for me, so why didn’t he want to eat?
It made me worry.
"Don’t worry about him," Min-Cheol said, munching slowly on the food in his mouth. "He’s probably doing this to catch your attention."
While that might sound right, I don’t think that was the right call.
Seo-Jun knew a lot of flashy ways to catch my attention. Refusing to eat... that was just not like him.
"He’s probably tired from working so much," I mumbled as I ate, and they looked at me.
Their thoughts were spilling all over the table.
They were probably wondering how much closer I had gotten with Seo-Jun and if they could also fill that gap.
If they could impress me and give me as much fun as it seemed like I had today.
"Jo-Pil," Ki-Hoon suddenly called, placing down his chopsticks. What was so important that made him drop his chopsticks?
I looked at him with cheeks full, and while he did look serious at first, he had no choice but to stifle a laugh.
What? What was so funny?
"Hyung, your face is so stuffed right now," Min-Cheol quickly answered that question for me. "You look like a chipmunk hiding acorns in its mouth," he said, laughing softly, and the others laughed.
My face gradually grew red. This was so embarrassing.
Did they have to call me a chipmunk?
Now, I have to hurry up and swallow, but what if I suddenly choke? That will be more embarrassing.
"Don’t rush it," Jin-Yeok said, as if knowing what I was going to do. "Or you might choke."
I turned my face away. They were so mean.
I quickly finished the food in my mouth, swallowed, and gulped down water while glaring bolts of electricity at them.
They laughed.
"You look so cute," Jin-Yeok said while poking my cheek, which was gradually getting on my nerves.
Could he not do that?
Jeez.
But even though it looked like I didn’t like this, I secretly felt at ease.
"Hyung," I called out to Ki-Hoon. "It looked like you had something important to say. What was it?" I asked, bringing the topic back, and he nodded, silently clearing his throat.
"I know I said I would take you to my company tomorrow, and you were probably looking forward to it, but I’ll have to disappoint you. I’m sorry," he said, and I stayed silent, trying to understand completely what he was trying to say.
"Did... did something happen?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Yes. It’s a bit complicated, so I can’t explain it, but I’m sorry. I promise to make it up to you another time."