“Congratulations, Gye!” 

Yejun raised his glass with everyone else, smiling as everyone at the table began to eagerly talk amongst themselves. It wasn’t common that the full imprint got together to celebrate, but it also wasn’t common that an American celebrity’s memoir cracked the top five domestic nonfiction charts in its first week. 

Someone had reserved the upstairs floor of a trendy, low-lit restaurant in Mapo, with wide tables already covered in empty side plates and half-poured soju bottles. The noise was louder than usual, warm with the kind of shared pride that only came from an uphill climb finally turning in their favor.

Yejun stuck close to the outer curve of the group. That was his comfort zone. Not too far from the energy, not too close to its center. His blazer hung neatly over the back of his chair, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and he’d only just started on his first drink, ice slowly melting into the amber. It didn’t take long for Woojin to excuse himself, standing up to weave through the crowd toward someone calling from the acquisitions table.

Jieun stayed beside him, her shoulder brushing his lightly as she leaned in to murmur something to one of the layout editors sitting on her other side. Her laugh was low, confident, and smooth; it turned a few heads nearby, as it always did. Yejun paid it little mind, sipping his drink and letting the warmth from his throat settle into the rest of him.

“Congrats, Team Lead Lee!” Across the room, a fresh round of clapping broke out near the translation team, where someone had just clinked their glass. Yejun turned his head slightly at the noise and caught sight of her; tall, with her dark-blond hair pulled back in a sleek twist, standing half-raised from her chair with a hand lifted in polite acknowledgement.

“I brought the sweet one for you,” Woojin said, holding out a second glass as he grabbed Yejun's attention.

Yejun accepted it, though he barely sipped it. “Thanks.”

“You seem distracted.” Woojin asked, dropping into the chair beside him with a knowing look. “Someone ask about Baekwon again?”

“No, not yet.” Yejun tapped a finger against the base of the glass. “ It's not impolite. Just standard small talk.”

“Well, no one else knows about how awful your grandparents are,” Woojin scoffed, rolling his eyes as he picked up a slice of pear from the fruit plate between them. “They probably think you’re just being modest.”

Yejun didn’t respond. He looked down at his drink instead, swirling the melting ice slowly against the curve of the glass. The condensation left his fingers damp, but he didn’t move to wipe them off. Woojin wasn’t wrong, exactly—but he also wasn’t right. The subject of Baekwon was one he avoided for reasons that didn’t need to be named aloud, especially not in a room full of colleagues.

He looked up just in time to catch movement across the room again. Lee Minjae stood near the bar, his blond hair still slightly tousled from the humidity outside. He was talking to Dayhun from editing, and Yejun frowned slightly as he noticed. He didn’t know Dayhun and Minjae knew each other, and he sipped his drink as he tried to recall whether they'd ever worked on the same project. 

Yejun looked away before he realized he was staring.

“Something up?” Jieun’s voice brushed close to his ear, her breath warm and scented faintly with her last sip of soju. He felt her fingers slide just slightly along the inside of his knee. Not overt. Just enough to send a message.

Yejun’s breath deepened, his hand shifting almost instinctively to rest against her wrist in return. He didn’t look at her, not right away, but the tension in his shoulders was gone. He set down his glass and leaned slightly toward her, the corner of his mouth curving into something faint and knowing.

“We could leave early,” she purred, her hand sliding higher. “It’s our anniversary after all. Somewhere quiet. Just the two of us.”

“I’ll settle the tab,” he said softly.

Jieun stood, smoothing her skirt with one hand and adjusting her blouse with the other, her expression all polished elegance again. She pressed a kiss to his cheek; light, practiced, just warm enough to avoid suspicion. “I’ll wait outside.”

Yejun watched her go without moving for a moment, letting her slip through the crowd like she belonged to the room and not to anyone in it. Then he stood, retrieved his blazer, and made his way to the bar to handle the bill. On his way, he caught Woojin’s eye.

“Heading out?” Woojin asked with a lopsided smile, though his voice was low, unreadable.

“Anniversary,” Yejun said, reaching for his card.

Woojin gave a slow nod. “Right. Have fun then.”

“Thanks,” Yejun replied, slipping the receipt into his pocket as the bartender returned it. “Don’t stay too late.”

“I won’t.” Woojin grinned and Yejun quickly headed to the stairs. Knowing Jieun, the hotel wouldn’t be far, and he wouldn’t be expected to say much once they got there. Jieun preferred to have things handled ahead of time, and Yejun enjoyed it. 

Jieun stood near the curb, scrolling idly through her phone. She looked up as he approached, tucking her phone away with a practiced smile.

“All set?”

Yejun nodded. “Always for you.”

She caught his lips before he could say more, her hands already slipping around his waist as she drew him in. Her lips were soft and warm, parted just enough to deepen the contact, drawing him in as her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. He melted into her, his height barely mattering when he could feel her arousal pressing into him. She was always good at that. Making him feel like the only one in the world that mattered.

Her lips lingered like a promise before she drew away, her green eyes slightly narrowed in satisfaction.

“Good.”

***

Minjae glanced over to where Yejun had been, only to notice that the engaged pair had already disappeared. The alpha shrugged as he sipped his drink, glancing around for the table his team was at. Most of the acquisitions team were heavy drinkers, so Minjae knew he would be playing babysitter more than anything.

“Was that him?”

Minjae turned as he heard his twin’s voice, surprised to find her standing behind him. Her shirt was still neat, but her expression was already showing signs of drunkenness.

“<English, Seulgi,>” Minjae corrected, watching as Seulgi rolled her eyes. “<Who are you asking about?>”

“<The one you let get away.>” Seulgi scoffed and Minjae shook his head. It was obvious his sister was drinking just a bit too much, enjoying the team’s success and her recent promotion to head of translation. “<You kept glancing that way.>”

“<He seemed bothered. I was just making sure he was alright.>”

“<Sure. Whatever. They got a date for that wedding or what?>”

“<Not yet.>” Minjae answered, nodding politely as another co-worker made their way over to the bar. “<Maybe soon.>”

“<You would think humans would be more considerate of the time they have.>” Seulgi slurred and Minjae frowned, finally taking away his sister's drink. “Hey!”

“<Seulgi, we’re only 28.>” the alpha replied calmly, watching his sister with a mix of frustration and acceptance. She always teased and pushed him over his decision to remain on the sides but he knew it only came from a place of love. “<And no, you've had enough.>”

“<I can judge my own limits, thank you. And that's not what I meant.>” Seulgi insisted, motioning back to where Yejun had been. “<He doesn't have forever to be happy. We do.>”

“<We do.>” Minjae agreed, accepting his sister's touch as she leaned her head against his shoulder. There was a good chance that most could now see the pair were twins, with their matching heights and blond hair, but a part of Minjae hoped they wouldn't. He didn't want his sister's success to be overshadowed by his position or for others to claim it was favoritism.

Minjae had been worried when his sister decided to accept a contract with Gye, but he was proud to watch her earn a full time position. He had gotten hired full time thanks to their mother's connection with American publishing, but Seulgi insisted on earning her place. A decision he was glad she made.

His eyes slowly drifted to where the editor table was and where Yejun and Jieun’s empty seats were. He knew it was their anniversary and had expected them to leave early, but seeing Yejun's expression worried him. When he was in a good mood, he'd walk around and mingle, but he had chosen to remain seated, even when Woojin and Jieun left his side.

But he had still left with his fiancee when she rejoined him and that was enough to put Minjae at ease. Yejun wasn't the type to celebrate if he was truly in a bad mood and it was likely he was still tired from overworking. Seulgi moved against Minjae’s shoulder and the alpha shook his head, carefully adjusting his stance. 

“The one you let get away.”

Minjae smiled, wishing he could make his sister understand. He didn't need to be the one by Yejun's side. He didn't have to make one lifetime count and it was more an indulgence to his own feelings to make sure Yejun was cared for. 

Yejun was happy. That was all Minjae needed.

***