Once he arrived at the office, Tae-won didn't waste time. The building buzzed with its usual energy—phones ringing, keyboards tapping, editors rushing between meetings—but his focus narrowed to a single purpose.
He picked up the phone and dialed an internal extension.
"Yoon," he said when the call connected.
Yoon was the acquisitions editor—the person responsible for onboarding new artists, reviewing portfolios, scheduling interviews. In many ways, they acted like HR for creators, but with sharper instincts and an eye trained to spot raw potential.
"I want to schedule interviews," Tae-won continued, his tone calm, professional. "I'll send you a list of artists. Let's include them in the next round."
As he spoke, he opened the file on his computer and added several names—carefully chosen, varied in style and genre.
Among them was Min-woo's file.
Yoon hummed thoughtfully on the other end.
"Alright," he said. "Send it over."
There was a brief pause, then Yoon's voice shifted—lighter, teasing.
"You know," he added, laughing softly, "you usually don't get personally involved in acquisition lists."
Tae-won said nothing.
Yoon chuckled again, clearly entertained.
"So?" he asked lightly, leaning back in his chair on the other end of the call. "Did you finally find your first love?"
The words were said like a joke—casual, harmless.
But they hit Tae-won straight in the chest.
His fingers froze over the keyboard, the faint clicking of the office fading into the background. For a brief moment, the present slipped away from him entirely, replaced by memories he had tried—unsuccessfully—to bury.
Soft pink lips.
Ears flushed red with shyness.
A library filled with dust and sunlight.
A reckless peck that lasted less than a second.
And later—words spoken in anger, burning like fire in a dark parking lot.
Tae-won swallowed hard and leaned back in his chair, eyes lifting to the ceiling as if staring anywhere but inside himself might help. His chest felt tight, heavy, but his voice came out controlled—almost too controlled.
"Don't joke," he said quietly.
Yoon laughed, clearly missing the depth behind the response.
"Relax. I'm kidding."
But Tae-won didn't laugh with him.
Because somewhere deep inside—beneath professionalism, beneath carefully drawn boundaries, beneath years of pretending things didn't matter—he already knew the answer.
Yes.
He had found him again.
And this time, he wasn't going to turn away.
What Yoon didn't need to ask—because he already knew—was the truth about Tae-won. He knew Tae-won loved a man. He had known for years. Their friendship was built on that kind of honesty. They had met in college, grown close through shared deadlines, late-night ramen, and long conversations about dreams that felt too fragile to say out loud.
They laughed together.
They relied on each other.
They trusted each other.
When Yoon had been jobless, unsure of his future, it had been Tae-won who recommended him for this publishing company—pulled strings, vouched for his talent, stood by him without hesitation.
So when Yoon asked that question just now, it wasn't ignorance.
It was familiarity.
Tae-won finally let out a small laugh—soft, brief, almost self-mocking—as if acknowledging something he could no longer deny.
Yoon's tone shifted immediately. "Really?" he said, genuine surprise giving way to warmth. "Then… I'm happy for you."
There was the faint sound of files being opened on Yoon's end.
"Let me see," he muttered, scrolling.
And then—
"Oh."
Yoon paused.
"This guy," he said slowly, recognition dawning, "he's the one publishing that popular webtoon, right?"
Tae-won didn't answer immediately.
"Too bad he did it under a pen name," Yoon continued, sighing. "If he hadn't, we would've found him months ago."
Yoon hesitated, then asked carefully,
"Did you meet him?"
Tae-won's gaze dropped instantly.
The image of Min-woo standing by his car, flushed with anger, voice shaking as he told him to disappear, flashed vividly through his mind.
He didn't trust his voice.
So he just nodded.
And in that single, silent motion, Yoon understood far more than Tae-won had said.
He had known Tae-won long enough to read the pauses between his words, the way his shoulders stiffened when something hurt more than he was willing to admit. Yoon's teasing expression faded, replaced by something quieter—concerned.
"So…" Yoon said carefully, studying Tae-won's face. "Was he mad?"
Tae-won didn't try to explain. He simply nodded once.
"It didn't end well," he said, his voice low.
He stood up from his chair and walked closer, stopping beside Yoon's desk. Up close, the exhaustion on his face was clearer—the dark circles under his eyes, the tension he hadn't bothered to hide.
"I need you to be very cautious," Tae-won said, meeting Yoon's gaze directly. "Don't mention my name anywhere. Not even casually."
Yoon's eyebrows lifted slightly, but he didn't interrupt.
"If he finds out I'm involved," Tae-won continued, his jaw tightening, "I think he won't join here at all."
Yoon exhaled slowly, then nodded.
"I get it."
He tapped the file on his screen and added, almost thoughtfully,
"Actually… he's applied here before. Two or three times, I think. Since it was under his webtoon pen name, I didn't pay attention to the artist's real name."
That information hit Tae-won harder than he expected.
Yoon went on, unaware of the storm it stirred.
"I'm pretty sure he'd want to join this company. His work fits us well. Don't worry—I won't mention you."
There was a brief pause.
"But," Yoon added gently, "eventually… he's going to find out. You know that, right?"
Tae-won's expression hardened.
He did know.
There was no avoiding it forever. This was the industry. Paths crossed. Names surfaced. Truths had a way of revealing themselves, no matter how carefully one tried to hide.
Yoon saw the look on his face and decided not to push further. Some things didn't need more questions—only time.
"Alright," Yoon said, standing up. "I'll handle it."
He left Tae-won's cabin quietly, closing the door behind him and returning to his work.
Tae-won remained standing, staring at the closed door, his thoughts heavy.
If Min-woo joined this company, their lives would intersect again—inevitably.
And Tae-won knew one thing with certainty.
This time, there would be no running away.