DrinkyL C15

Chapter 15

 

Once the man of overwhelming presence vanished, the corridor sank into a silence so deep it felt suffocating.

As Seolgu looked around the empty passageway, he continued tidying up the mess from the broken flowerpot when—

“Mr. Seolgu! Are you alright? You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

“Oh, Assistant Manager Yoon…!”

Bursting through the door, Yoon’s first concern was Seolgu’s palm.

“Goodness, I couldn’t step away earlier because of the ceremony. You must have been terribly startled! I saw you picking things up with your bare hands!”

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry.”

“When you work as a gardener, accidents like this happen all the time, but you can’t get injured while trying to clean it up!”

The guilt-laden look on Seolgu’s face slowly shifted to surprise. From Yoon’s tone, it sounded as though the greater mistake wasn’t breaking the pot, but touching the shards barehanded and risking injury.

While Seolgu stood speechless, Yoon fetched gloves and a plastic container from a cabinet at the end of the corridor, continuing his scolding.

“Keep an eye on the plant for a while, but it’s rare for something like this to make it wilt. No need to act like you’ve committed a mortal sin.”

“Uh… thank you?”

“No need to thank me.”

Mr. Baek Seolgu, honestly, you’re something else. Yoon laughed softly as he carefully set the orchid inside the container.

“Um… may I take care of the orchid myself?”

“You? It’s rather delicate…”

“I’ll do my best to take care of it!”

At Seolgu’s earnestness, Yoon paused in thought. He had said it would be fine, but the plant’s high value did give him pause. Still, saying no might crush the already deflated Seolgu, who looked about ready to bury himself six feet under.

“Well then, we’ll take care of it together. If there’s anything you’re unsure or uncomfortable about, tell me immediately. Alright?”

“Yes, yes! I’ll make sure to do that!”

Seolgu bent deeply from the waist in gratitude. Flustered, Yoon waved a hand, protesting that such formality wasn’t necessary.

As he handed over the container, Seolgu’s eyes sparkled. Simply being spared anger or harsh words already filled him with relief, and hearing that his safety was more important than the accident itself moved him deeply.

He almost teared up at how genuinely kind Yoon was.

The results from the follow-up medical examination he’d taken with Secretary Yang soon came in.

“Your blood levels have improved a great deal. Still, keep taking your iron and nutritional supplements regularly. Oh, and make sure to get a vitamin D injection before leaving.”

“Yes, doctor.”

Beaming at the compliment, Seolgu smiled shyly. His body indeed felt lighter than when he had first left the forest.

Secretary Yang, reviewing the report, wore a neutral expression that wasn’t unfavorable.

“Secretary Yang, you’ll show this to Mr. Ban Dayeong, right?”

“Yes. I’ll report to the Vice President as soon as we return.”

“I… I see.”

Yang eyed him curiously. The man fidgeted and glanced anxiously his way, like an impatient puppy about to have an accident.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Um… since I’m not working today, I have a lot of free time.”

“I see,” Yang replied cautiously, now slightly narrowing his eyes.

“So… would it be okay if I brought the report to Mr. Ban myself?”

The tips of Seolgu’s ears flushed a faint red, as if confessing something embarrassing.

Yang’s brows lifted at the unexpected request. To deliver the report personally? To the man who quite literally thirsted for his blood? What was there to prove by showing him he was healthy and tasty again? This kid’s mind was… unfathomable.

“I’ll ask the Vice President. For now, please go get your injection.”

“Oh, yes!”

As instructed, Seolgu went to get his vitamin shot—the second one in his life, and just as sharp a pinch as the first.

When he came back out, Secretary Yang was waiting. Seolgu looked up at him with an innocent, wordless question: “Can I go?”

There it was again—that pure, unguarded gaze. For someone as far removed from innocence as Secretary Yang, that look instinctively unsettled him every time.

How could his boss bear it? Then again, a being born of perfect darkness would have no such feelings of discomfort or hesitation.

“Come along. The Vice President is waiting.”

Recognizing permission in those words, Seolgu broke into a wide, sunny smile.

Stop smiling like that… Yang’s brow twitched involuntarily at the sight of that harmless grin.

Fortunately, the test results had been ready by lunchtime, so meeting Ban Dayeong wouldn’t disrupt his schedule.

As he stepped out of the car, Seolgu gazed up in awe at the grand building towering before him and hurried to follow Secretary Yang.

In the elevator bound for the Vice President’s office, he bounced lightly on his heels. Riding an elevator was nothing to him now.

The clumsy country boy who once clung to the handrail, dizzy and nauseous, existed no more. Now able to navigate Seoul’s modern life with some ease, he felt quietly proud of himself—until, before he knew it, his feet had crossed the threshold of the Vice President’s office.

“Mr. Baek Seolgu.”

Ban Dayeong was, as ever, devastatingly handsome. The room’s warmth had prompted him to shed his jacket, leaving only his vest on, which drew sharp focus to his broad shoulders and firm chest beneath.

He was like a wild predator pretending to wear a man’s skin.

Catching the way Seolgu’s wide-eyed gaze roamed over him, one corner of Ban Dayeong’s lips curved slightly.

“Mr. Baek Seolgu. Answer.”

“Ye—yes!”

Only after hearing his name again did Seolgu realize how rude his staring had been, and he blurted out the reply with flustered energy.

“I heard you had something to show me.”

“Yes! Yes, I do!”

Snapping into attention, Seolgu stretched the same arm and leg as he stepped toward him.

“This! I was told to bring this to you.”

Behind him, Secretary Yang quickly placed the document in Seolgu’s hand.

“Oh right! Thank you!”

Halting midway, Seolgu turned to bow deeply to the secretary.

As if the boy were possessed by the spirit of unrequited courtesy. Ban Dayeong folded his arms, the slight crook of his lips deepening.

“Here. The results show that I’m really healthy now!”

Unaware of the cynicism behind that stare, Seolgu held out the report with the bright pride of a student showing off a perfect test score.

But Ban Dayeong’s eyes didn’t land on the report—they lingered instead on Seolgu’s pale palms.

He recalled the sweetness he had tasted there just the day before. Instinctively, saliva gathered in his mouth, his abdomen tensing in restraint.

“My anemia’s gone, and I’m no longer malnourished! My vitamin D’s a little low, though, so I got a shot for that!”

“I see.”

Replying absently, Ban Dayeong debated whether to drink from him right now—swiftly ending his hunger—or wait until evening, when it would taste all the richer.

Even to such a perfunctory response, Seolgu beamed, shoulders bouncing with cheer. The thought of finally being able to fulfill his role perfectly left him giddy.

“Is your hand alright?”

Knowing he’d otherwise be trapped listening to him chatter all through lunch, Ban Dayeong cut in swiftly.

Startled by his show of concern, Seolgu hurriedly scrubbed his palms against his thighs.

“It’s perfectly fine! Totally fine!”

He held up his clean, unblemished hands. The wound had always been minor, and Assistant Manager Yoon had applied salve the day before. Now, after a day’s rest, you’d have to look closely to notice where it had been.

Still, being worried about by someone else always made him quietly happy. His ears flushed red once more.

Watching him in silence for a while, Ban Dayeong lifted a large hand and reached toward Seolgu’s ear.

An elf’s small, rounded ear—without his divinely sweet blood or traces of magic, Baek Seolgu could easily be mistaken for human.

“Uh…?”

He’d asked about the cut on his palm, and now he was… playing with his ear? Confused, Seolgu’s hands twitched awkwardly, unsure of where to go.

“It’s soft.”

Ban Dayeong offered his assessment evenly, as though noting a simple fact.

Of course ears made of cartilage were soft—what else would they be? Or was this his roundabout way of saying they looked less dignified than other elves’ pointed ears?

Guessing too quickly, Seolgu’s eyes flickered nervously.

After a moment, Ban Dayeong released his ear, smooth and unbothered. The gesture nonetheless made Seolgu shrink further, convinced it meant disapproval.

“I’ll come by this evening. Let’s have dinner together.”

The words, unexpected and kind, lit up Seolgu’s face. He nodded so vigorously it worried one might see his small head come loose.

Watching their odd, awkward exchange, Secretary Yang quietly averted his gaze. He had felt uncomfortable at the hospital, and this atmosphere wasn’t any better now.