Chapter Text
The silence dragged on far too long.
Joon Woong’s hands were starting to hurt. It felt ridiculous, standing there with his arms stretched out like some desperate second male lead in a K-drama, hoping to win over the icy female lead. And let’s be clear: Joon Woong was male lead material, thank you very much. He was handsome enough to stop traffic. But Ryung Gu? Too cold. Too feisty. Nothing a dazzling smile and his pearly whites couldn’t fix.
“You made a mini you?” Ryung Gu raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Choi, explain yourself.”
His voice was annoyed, but he still reached out and took the teddy bear and the pen with the cat design from Joon Woong’s hands.
Their fingers brushed. For a second, the world paused. It was electric. Joon Woong sucked in a sharp breath. God, Ryung Gu’s hands were soft, almost criminally so. It made him want to kick his legs in the air and write love notes like some lovesick side character in a cheesy rom-com. And no, he wasn’t the irritating one, duh.
“Mr. Choi?” Ryung Gu prompted.
Wait, was that a hug?
A sound escaped Joon Woong’s lips before he could stop it. Ryung Gu was hugging the teddy bear, and he had even placed the pen in his hair. Mini Joon Woong was even nestled securely in his arms, its blue shirt barely visible beneath the fold of Ryung Gu’s sleeves. It was a warm, unfairly adorable sight.
Joon Woong pouted and stomped his foot. Why couldn’t he be in those arms? That bear had better not think it was replacing him. That’d be pure evil. His own child!
“Mr. Choi.” Ryung Gu sounded exasperated now. “If you’re done wasting time, I’ll be leaving. I’ve other things to do.”
“No, wait! Don’t go,” Joon Woong blurted, grabbing the sleeve of Ryung Gu’s navy jacket. God, he looked good. Too good. And, oh no. Blood was rushing south. Not now, not here. He gasped, mortified.
“I’m listening,” Ryung Gu said dryly, thankfully oblivious to… anything suspicious.
“It’s for you,” Joon Woong said. “The bear, I mean. For when you’re alone. When you miss me, now you’ll have mini Joon Woong to keep you company.”
Ryung Gu gave him a long, unimpressed look. “And that’s your grand idea?” He sighed. “Fine. I’ll accept the bear. It’s cute. But Mr. Choi, you seriously need to stop watching porn. If we’re on a mission and your pants are that tight again, it’s going to reflect poorly on reapers everywhere.”
Joon Woong slapped a hand over his mouth in mock horror. “You do think I’m cute!” A ridiculous grin spread across his face. “It’s not porn. It’s you! I keep telling you. Do you even realize how hot you look in that turtleneck? It’s criminal.”
Ryung Gu’s cheeks turned faintly pink. “You. I cannot deal with you. Weren’t you the same person who called me ugly just the other day? Are you this bored?”
“I’m an idiot,” Joon Woong admitted. “I didn’t mean it. I was mad. But I really, really like you, Mr. Lim. I swear on—on my future grave!”
Ryung Gu shook his head. “You don’t like me. You’re just confused. Have you ever even been with a man before? Why me, of all people? You think love works like your dramas?”
Joon Woong puffed up. “Of course I know what I’m feeling! I almost died confessing to Madam Koo that I was in love with you!” He crossed his arms in defiance. “No, I haven’t been with a man before. But I’m willing to learn! I can—”
“Please don’t finish that sentence,” Ryung Gu interrupted, clutching the bear tighter. “There’s something deeply wrong with you.” He scoffed. “In love with me… I’ll let you in on something, Mr. Choi. I’ve been with men before. And I’m always on top.”
Joon Woong’s eyes widened. He stared. “What?”
That couldn’t be right. That meant… he’d have to give up his precious—
He gulped.
Before he could finish spiraling, Ryung Gu’s phone beeped. He glanced at it, then smirked.
“Looks like we’ve got a mission. Let’s go, Mr. Choi. And remember what I said.”
Always on top?
What the hell did he mean by that? Did that mean if they got together, his ass wasn’t safe? Oh god. How did that even work? Was there a manual? A diagram? Joon Woong stared at the car door, momentarily frozen by the existential threat to his backside.
He yanked the passenger seat open anyway, determined to claim his rightful throne.
But Ryung Gu was suddenly there, silently judging him like always. “Mr. Choi,” he said. Calm. Dangerous. “You need to go to the back.”
“The back?!” Joon Woong gawked at him. “I’m not a child!”
“No. But you’re not sitting here.”
Ryung Gu gently nudged him aside and then did the worse thing imaginable! He placed Mini Joon Woong in the passenger seat. And buckled him in.
He buckled the damn bear in.
“What, what is this betrayal?!” Joon Woong hissed, glaring at his own stuffed child. “Why isn’t he in the back?!”
“He doesn’t complain,” Ryung Gu replied, not missing a beat.
“I am never making you anything ever again,” Joon Woong muttered, storming around the car and yanking open the back door. “I’ll have you know I made that bear! With love! With tears! I bled, making that bear!”
Ryung Gu didn’t look at him. “You didn’t make that bear, Mr. Choi. The reaper did. Get in. The case is in the red; it’s already ninety-seven percent and jumping. We don’t have time to argue.”
Joon Woong paused. Damn it. He couldn’t let someone die just because he was in a petty argument with the love of his life!
“Fine,” he huffed, collapsing into the back seat. “But I’m not happy! How dare that bear built in my likeness steal all my thunder! That traitor shouldn't get shotgun.”
Ryung Gu’s hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
From the back, Joon Woong reached out, swinging his hand over the car seat, fingers curling around the bear's head. He tried to lock eyes with his professional nosepicker, but alas, no such luck was on his side. Instead, he made tiny heart fingers toward him, his face the very picture of betrayal, if betrayal was a cute pouty child.
“Stupid bear. I'm cuter than him,” he whispered bitterly.
The car engine started. No one said anything for a while.
But just before they turned out of the parking lot, Ryung Gu glanced at the mirror.
“…You are an idiot, you know what. You went through all this trouble to make him for me, why?”
Joon Woong looked up, surprised. “Obviously, because I wanted to win your heart, but you chose the bear over me!”