MR.MAFIA AND MR.CEO||C.SB X C.YJ

F I V E

CHPATER FIVE: A FAMILY DINNER

'CHOI SOOBIN'

The clinking of utensils against porcelain was the only sound in the room. Soobin stared blankly at his plate, occasionally taking a bite, but he wasn’t really tasting anything. Across the table, Yeonjun sat with the same expressionless face, his eyes fixed on his meal as if it held the answers to the universe.

They didn’t speak.

Three months into their marriage, and silence had become their routine. It was an unspoken agreement—an avoidance of the inevitable tension that lay beneath the surface. They hadn’t argued, but that was because they rarely exchanged words unless necessary.

Soobin’s phone buzzed on the table, breaking the monotony of the quiet. He glanced at the screen and sighed. It was his mother. He picked it up, his voice laced with frustration.

“Why are you calling?” he asked, already anticipating some unwanted news.

A brief pause followed, with Soobin’s expression growing even more irritated. After a few curt responses, he ended the call. He looked up at Yeonjun, who hadn’t bothered to acknowledge the conversation until Soobin spoke.

“Our mothers have set up a family dinner,” Soobin muttered, leaning back in his chair.

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, the first sign of emotion all night. “I wonder which bomb will be dropped this time.”

Soobin gave a short, humorless nod. “They are unpredictable.”

“Always,” Yeonjun agreed, his tone flat.

Then, just like that, they returned to silence.

Soobin finished his dinner without another word, rising from the table and heading toward their bedroom. He left Yeonjun to sit alone, but he doubted Yeonjun would care. It had been like this since the beginning.

As he lay down on the bed, Soobin stared up at the ceiling, letting out a long, quiet sigh. Three months of this cold, empty routine. How had he survived it? Well, it helped that he wasn’t home most of the time. He kept himself busy, filling his days with work and other distractions. It made it easier to forget how miserable things were here.

But deep down…

Deep down, Soobin wished it was different. He didn’t want to live like this. It wasn’t even about love; he didn’t expect that. But at least, they could be friends. It would make things less awkward, less lonely. Yet, he could never bring himself to make the first move. His ego wouldn’t allow it.

He wasn’t going to ask Yeonjun to be friends. Never.

The sound of the door opening made him shut his eyes quickly, pretending to be asleep. He felt the bed dip beside him as Yeonjun slipped under the covers. For a moment, there was stillness, a breath held between them.

Then, nothing.

Just silence, as always.

'CHOI YEONJUN'

yeonjun sat quietly at the table, barely touching his food. His gaze wandered between Beomgyu and Taehyun, who were practically glaring daggers at each other from across the table. It was only a matter of time before they exploded. The tension was suffocating, and it was irritating yeonjun to no end. He wondered why their mothers had set this dinner up in the first place. He should have known something was off the moment soobin's mother started showering Beomgyu with endless praise.