The Country Life Diary of a Gangster's Secretary-Chapter 121

[I miss you.]

It was a simple message without any of the usual emoticons, but it took a lot of courage for Hyesung, who had never said something like this before.

Feeling embarrassed, he was about to put his phone down when it suddenly vibrated.

“Ah, that scared me…”

Hyesung set his spoon down and stared at the screen.

“Hello?”

Hyesung.

“Did your meeting end?”

Yeah. But what’s with the message you just sent?

As expected, Lee Hyuk had called immediately after receiving the “I miss you” message.

“What do you mean? It’s not like I said anything difficult.”

Hyesung tried to remain calm, but he could sense Lee Hyuk clearing his throat on the other end of the line.

Oh, I see. Do you really miss me that much?

“Aren’t you at work right now?”

Hyesung wondered what would happen if someone overheard this. It seemed like Lee Hyuk, as usual, was fearless.

I’m alone in my office. So, do you really miss me?

“Yes, I do.”

In the end, Hyesung couldn’t overcome his embarrassment, and his words came out jumbled. When he heard Lee Hyuk laugh on the other end, his face felt like it was going to burst from the heat.

Can you say it directly?

“After teasing me so much?”

I just want to hear it in your voice.

Hyesung hesitated for a moment, but his overwhelming sense of shame prevented him from speaking. As Hyesung struggled, Lee Hyuk laughed again.

That’s enough for now. Make sure you eat.

“…You too, make sure to eat well.”

I will.

Swallowing the words he couldn’t bring himself to say, Hyesung fiddled with his spoon.

I love you, Hyesung.

Lee Hyuk’s deep, resonant voice reached his ears. At that moment, Hyesung’s heart pounded wildly. He took a sharp breath and reflexively hung up the phone.

Staring at the screen showing that the call had ended, Hyesung struggled to calm his breathing.

He had once daydreamed about what it would be like to date someone like Lee Hyuk, imagining what kind of relationship they might have. But in his imagination, Lee Hyuk had always been distant and cold. It was impossible to picture him acting like the stereotypical “romantic lover.”

But reality, as it turned out, was quite different from what he had imagined. In real life, Lee Hyuk—his boyfriend—expressed his love as easily as breathing and had no qualms about showing his feelings.

“I’ll treat you well. I’ll love you so much that you won’t even remember the times I couldn’t be there for you or the hardships you went through because of me. Okay?”

The words Lee Hyuk had once spoken to him in the car suddenly came to mind. It seemed Lee Hyuk was faithfully keeping the promise he had made.

“I was the one who fell in love first, but somehow it feels like I’m losing.”

Hyesung stirred the porridge absentmindedly. This naturally led him to wonder how he was doing in comparison. Unlike Lee Hyuk, who openly expressed his feelings, Hyesung realized he had been rather reserved.

When he had first visited Lee Hyuk’s house and provocatively asked why he wasn’t being more affectionate, it seemed almost like a miracle that he had done such a thing.

Follow curr𝒆nt nov𝒆ls on fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com.

Furrowing his brow, Hyesung picked up his phone and opened a search engine.

[Partner who doesn’t express feelings]

As soon as he typed it in, countless results appeared. Many were personal stories shared by others.

[I’ve been dating my boyfriend for 100 days, but I’m starting to wonder if I should keep going. He liked me first, but he never expresses his feelings. He texts a lot, but when we’re face-to-face, he doesn’t say anything. It was okay at first, but now I feel a little disappointed...]

Reading the complaints in the post, Hyesung felt a slight pang of guilt. He continued to scroll through the comments below.

**[- That just means you’re not compatible. Break up now before you end up more hurt later.

Not expressing feelings? That’s just an excuse. If you really like someone, you’ll naturally want to show it.

I get the previous comment, but some people really aren’t good at expressing their feelings. I almost broke up with my boyfriend over this, but I made a lot of effort, and now we’re doing well! So, try talking it out and working through it.

⌙ What did you do to make it work?

⌙⌙ Instead of just trying to say things, I focused on showing my feelings through actions. I even planned surprise events. Lol.]**

Hyesung became deeply engrossed in the post, pushing aside his meal.

“Surprises…”

Hyesung began to seriously ponder. The only surprise he had ever prepared was for Lee Hyuk’s birthday. That had ended disastrously because of a misunderstanding on Lee Hyuk’s part, but still, it was something.

Apart from that, Hyesung had never planned any kind of event. He wasn’t the type to come up with creative ideas like that.

Then, he suddenly remembered what Lee Hyuk had said earlier that morning when he was half-asleep.

“I have plans today, so I can’t see you. When I’m tired, seeing your pretty face makes everything better.”

He hadn’t been awake enough to respond, but he distinctly remembered the words Lee Hyuk had said and the gentle kiss he had planted on his forehead.

“Should I stay here instead of going home?”

Hyesung looked around the house. What if he lied to Lee Hyuk and said he was going home but stayed here instead? Could he surprise Lee Hyuk when he returned after his meeting? Even though he couldn’t completely agree with Lee Hyuk’s comment about his “pretty face,” he figured that if his presence alone could give Lee Hyuk energy, then maybe it would be enough to make this surprise worthwhile.

Clenching his fist, Hyesung made a firm decision.

After finishing his meal, Hyesung began to move around the house, looking for anything that needed to be done while he was there.

However, since someone came every other week to clean the house, there wasn’t much for Hyesung to do.

“Maybe I should cook something for him when he gets back…”

Hyesung changed clothes and headed to the nearby market. Lee Hyuk’s refrigerator was practically empty, so if he wanted to cook, he needed ingredients.

He carefully selected groceries, bought some fruit, and returned home to organize the items. Afterward, finding himself with nothing else to do, he naturally turned on the TV.

The news was broadcasting a segment about the rising criminal activity of gangs lately, highlighting the social problems it was causing. Time passed slowly, and Hyesung deliberately sent a message to Lee Hyuk, lying that he had gone down to Seoin City.

For dinner, he made himself an omurice.

As the evening wore on and the night deepened, Hyesung finally started cooking in earnest. He wanted to prepare a surprise meal for Lee Hyuk when he returned from his meeting. He chose a light, easy-to-eat dish for a late-night snack.

He cooked leisurely and then sat on the sofa, waiting with a blank expression for Lee Hyuk to arrive. But as time passed, there was no word from Lee Hyuk. He had said he would call when he was leaving, so did that mean he was still at the meeting?

Had the conversation with Executive Director Choi dragged on? Lee Hyuk had read Hyesung’s earlier message reminding him to eat dinner, but there had been no reply. Sure enough, when Hyesung checked his phone, there was still no response.

Growing tired of waiting, Hyesung lay down on the sofa. Eventually, he must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew, his phone was vibrating loudly beside him.

Startled, Hyesung sat up and grabbed the phone.

He noticed that it was past midnight, and Lee Hyuk still hadn’t come home.

But to his surprise, the caller ID wasn’t Lee Hyuk.

“Hello, Director Kang?”

It seemed odd that Sungjin would be calling at such a late hour, and a vague sense of unease began to creep over him.

As Sungjin’s urgent voice came through the phone, Hyesung’s face gradually turned pale.

“Director, wait a moment… What did you just say…?”

Hyesung’s voice trembled. Sungjin had just delivered some shocking news: Lee Hyuk had been seriously injured and was in the hospital.