Snake Venom Ch 72

Chapter 72

Cheon Sejun’s corpse, once fed warm soy milk and nuts for breakfast, still lay in the icy morgue. No one mentioned that today was his death anniversary, yet the two of them had observed their own silent, solemn ritual.

Crunch, crunch. The damp air clung around Seolkyung as she chewed her nuts in wordless grief. Her slender shoulders seemed especially small. Finger tracing the rim of her glass, Cheon Wooshin took a sip and murmured,

“It still tastes bad.”

Her eyes reddened immediately—unable to restrain the sting any longer, bloodshot and wounded, they shot toward him.

“Haha.”

Forcing a bright laugh, she set her empty glass down with a loud clack. The face that looked moments away from breaking into tears cleared instantly. With a swaggering tone, she said,

“Hey. Get your head straight.”

Wooshin snorted softly. Exactly who was she telling to get it together? It was she who was wavering. Yet even if she bent and swayed helplessly, she would not break. Instead of responding, he simply emptied the soy milk she had made.

Just then, his phone vibrated. Yeonwoo’s name flashed. The quiet sorrow clouding his gaze brightened, light slipping in. He let it vibrate twice more, settling the emotions that had rippled through him, then answered.

“Should I buy you some hangover medicine?”

The slight tug of his lips, the softening in his expression—Wooshin himself was unaware of the change.

Catching it by accident, Seolkyung froze mid-sip. Her eyes darted rapidly as though she had witnessed something monumental. Call it intuition—something beyond science or words, a woman’s instinct—that told her she had just seen something significant.

Was a mere phone call enough to change a man’s face like that? As the question crystallized, her instinct sharpened, curiosity flaring. Then her eyes widened. She had seen Wooshin’s readings.

Previously calm biometrics suddenly spiked across the graph. Swallowing her soy milk, she glanced between him and the screen.

“Come safely.”

The gentle line and fleeting smile that followed—she had never seen them before.

Descending to the first floor, they saw Yeonwoo hovering awkwardly in the lobby. The moment he spotted Wooshin, the tension vanished from his face, replaced by a bright, innocent smile. He noticed Seolkyung next and waved broadly before bowing deeply at the waist. He seemed naturally polite.

He looked healthier than when they first met—Seolkyung took note. So Wooshin’s claim that he treated him well hadn’t been empty words.

Seolkyung greeted him warmly.

“I heard from Wooshin. Hard to believe you were on an overnight mission.”

In response, Yeonwoo’s already-soft expression brightened even further.

“Team Leader buys me a lot of good food. He’s getting me soup soon too.”

At that, Seolkyung’s expression shifted in surprise.

“Soup? He’s buying it for you? Eating with you?”

Had Wooshin ever eaten gukbap? As far as she remembered—not even with Sejun’s memories added—he had never touched the stuff. He found the smell unpleasant and refused it outright.

“Yes. Do you not like it?”

He must have misunderstood, assuming she was included in the meal plan. Seolkyung stole a glance at Wooshin. Seeing him feign ignorance with a neutral face nearly made her laugh, but she continued naturally,

“No, no. I’m just far too busy and far too precious to join.”

Her playful excuse made Yeonwoo pout disproportionately.

“That’s a shame. I really wanted to eat together.”

He sounded genuinely disappointed. His gentle, cute demeanor made Seolkyung think privately: Yes, he’s definitely Wooshin’s type.

“We’ll go somewhere expensive next time.”

Yeonwoo’s face broke into a warm grin.

“I’d rather you take me somewhere delicious. If it happens to be expensive, then… that can’t be helped.”

So naturally charming. Seolkyung finally gave in and laughed. The word “cute” hovered at the tip of her tongue, but she held it back. Her instinct insisted she do so.

“…….”

Wooshin alternated glances between them—if he didn’t intervene, those two would chat endlessly. Yeonwoo’s natural warmth extended even to Seolkyung.

That unsettling feeling stirred again in his chest, just like last night while listening through the earpiece. An unnamed sensation he had deliberately ignored, now taking root like a stubborn weed. Weariness crept in, and he looked away.

When he turned back, Yeonwoo was already looking at him. Their eyes met, Yeonwoo’s widening in quiet surprise.

He wrapped up the conversation with Seolkyung with a polite bow, then stepped beside Wooshin. Wooshin glanced down at the top of his head—his gaze not particularly pleasant.

“What is it.”

What did he sense to suddenly attach himself like a dog realizing its leash? Irritating—yet he pretended not to know. Oblivious to the thorny thought behind the question, Yeonwoo tried to answer honestly.

“Just… felt like I should be here.”

“……”

Wooshin said nothing. It wasn’t that he couldn’t respond—he simply failed to interpret Yeonwoo’s voluntary obedience as he always had. The knot in his chest loosened and dissolved through his entire body, leaving a strange chill in its wake.

The absurdity wasn’t amusing. Scoffing inwardly, he looked away.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir.”

Yeonwoo followed a step behind without hesitation.

In the end, they didn’t have time to eat before heading in, so they packed the gukbap. Before ordering, Wooshin checked with the team, but everyone had just eaten.

Back at the office, he set the bags on the table and shot Yeonwoo a brief glance.

“Eat slowly, then wash up.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

Wooshin held a meal-replacement shake.

“Don’t worry about me. Enjoy.”

“Yes.”

He answered brightly, but worry tugged at him—what if Wooshin wasn’t feeling well and had to drink that instead of eating? Slowly unpacking the food, he watched Wooshin’s movements.

Wooshin walked to his desk, sat down, skimmed documents, and opened his monitor. When Yeonwoo finally saw him take a sip of the shake, his heart settled. At that moment, someone shot at him sharply:

“You stink.”

There was only one person who would speak to him like that. Sure enough, Joo Doyoung strode past with his tumbler.

“Do I… smell?”

Yeonwoo asked foolishly, and Joo Doyoung glared.

“Did your fancy nose break? How do you not know?”

Pinching his nose, he clicked his tongue. Even his retreating back bristled with hostility.

Well… he had drunk and slept without showering.

There were valid reasons for the hostility, so Yeonwoo wasn’t too wounded. If anything, he admired Joo Doyoung’s persistent chihuahua-like ferocity. Such unwavering consistency might well earn him a living. That carefree thought faded when Yeonwoo suddenly stiffened.

Had Wooshin been bothered? They’d ridden together and been side by side all morning. If he smelled that much, surely Wooshin had noticed. Yeonwoo’s heart dropped.

He stole a glance. Today as always, Wooshin looked devastatingly handsome and perfectly focused. Better eat quickly and shower. Yeonwoo hurried his hands—but before he could finish unwrapping, Im Sehan arrived dragging Joo Doyoung by the scruff of his neck. Dangling by size disparity alone, Doyoung protested sharply.

“Hey, let go.”

He was clearly annoyed, yet surprisingly didn’t shake off the grip.

“No.”

With ruthless finality, Im Sehan planted him in front of Yeonwoo.

“You really say that to someone who just pulled an all-nighter for the mission? Apologize.”

“Please. Like we weren’t working? No.”

Of course that temper wouldn’t change. But the instant he refused, Im Sehan’s expression hardened. His neat, upright appearance suddenly took on an imposing weight.

“Apologize, Joo Doyoung.”

His voice dropped low, firm and undeniable. Doyoung flinched, though he clenched his mouth and hesitated. Im Sehan shook him by the collar with measurable irritation.

Silence stretched. Chewing his lower lip, Doyoung finally bowed his head—expression sour as if forced to swallow unripe persimmons.

“…Sorry.”

As soon as the words left him, Im Sehan released his grip. Doyoung rubbed the back of his neck irritably and snapped—

“Damn it, so embarrassing.”

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