Sehun met Yoonshin’s eyes as if confirming this suspicion and added, “Unfortunately, I’m different from all the people that you encountered so far. I’m already used to people using me. Still, I refuse to do things at my expense. If you want something, don’t just wait naively until I say something—you say it first. And obviously, you should put an offer out. Then, I’ll make the judgment on whether to settle or not.”

“Wait a minute. I never said that I wanted to use you. Is it so bad that I just want you to stay by my side when I’m lonely? No, if you’re not even going to do that, why are you going out with me? At least I—!”

Sehun didn’t allow Yoonshin to completely state his rebuttal and cut him off. “I didn’t say that I like you yet. Aren’t you the same?”

Yoonshin was enraged. “I can’t tell what you’re thinking sometimes. Are you sure I could become your weakness?”

“I don’t have such a thing.”

“You don’t know that you won’t have one in the future.”

“I won’t have one.”

“You don’t always win. Don’t you sometimes lose in court?”

Sehun glowered at Yoonshin, grimacing. Yoonshin didn’t know whether it was because he was uncomfortable that he was told that he lost sometimes or because Yoonshin was the one who said it. However, despite being incensed, he didn’t necessarily refute that. “I do, although it’s extremely unlikely.”

Yoonshin was about to make a rebuttal when Sehun’s phone vibrated. The older man glanced at the screen then pushed Yoonshin’s forehead with his palm. “This is an important call. You’re distracting. Get out.”

Then, he turned his back to Yoonshin, answering his phone, “Yes, this is Sehun Kang speaking.”

Yoonshin couldn’t even grab his arm because he coldly walked off to the windows, looking outside the building. He glared resentfully at Sehun’s slim back, then he felt a stone in his throat when Sehun waved Yoonshin away without even looking at him. Eventually, he picked up the button that was rolling on the floor and quickly got out of the office.

The door closed with a click.

In fear that he would get attention from the secretaries, he quickly absconded like a soldier of a defeated army to his room and sighed. Then, he slammed down the cup that Sehun returned to him and flumped on his sofa. The veins in his body throbbed like they were just freed from immense pressure. He massaged his hands thoughtlessly.

“I thought the mood between us was nice these past few days. Why’s he suddenly like that? I have no idea what’s going on with that man,” Yoonshin muttered.

Yoonshin had witnessed a lot of terrible situations before. They were never his issues, and he could count on his fingers the number of cases where he defended it like it was a personal matter. Life was always a continuous string of skirmishes. He thought that he fought and lived quite well so far, but in Sehun’s eyes—who had led a life with more hardships—Yoonshin probably looked like an unseasoned and naïve child.

Sehun always toyed with Yoonshin.

“That sadist, really,” Yoonshin grumbled.

He felt a complicated mix of feelings as he mused on Sehun’s enigmatic words.

Even if Sehun had never formed a relationship like theirs before and felt awkward, Yoonshin thought that Sehun showing his claws was a bit too much. It seemed like they both wanted each other in the same way, but Yoonshin couldn’t understand why Sehun would suddenly go back to being defensive again. Sehun had already warned that he could hurt Yoonshin, so Yoonshin could push down the desire to grill the older man further. However, the ache in his heart lingered.