|| 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐑 || HeeJake ||

• || 24 || •

Jay sat at his desk, staring at the pile of documents before him. His office was quiet except for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall, but his mind was far from still. No matter how hard he tried to focus on the political matters at hand, his thoughts kept drifting to Jungwon.

His stepbrother.

Jay frowned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He couldn't let himself get distracted like this, not with so many decisions hanging in the balance. The city was waiting for him to act, his career demanded attention, but here he was, thinking about the one person he shouldn't.

"Jay, are you okay?" a voice interrupted his thoughts. It was his assistant, Mrs. Park, a seasoned woman who had worked for him for years. She noticed the distant look in his eyes and the way he was fidgeting with his pen.

Jay snapped out of his reverie, blinking a few times before nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... tired. What's next on the agenda?"

Mrs. Park gave him a skeptical look but didn't press. "You have a meeting with the urban development board in an hour, and you need to review the budget proposal before that."

Jay sighed and rubbed his temples. "Right. I'll get to it."

But as soon as Mrs. Park left the room, his mind returned to Jungwon. The way his younger brother smiled, the subtle glances they exchanged when they thought no one was watching. Jay hated the pull he felt every time Jungwon was near. It was wrong, wasn't it? They were family — or at least, supposed to be. But the way his heart raced whenever Jungwon was in the same room said otherwise.

"Why can't I stop thinking about him?" Jay muttered under his breath. He stood up, pacing the room, trying to shake the feeling off. His mind flashed back to last night, to the way Jungwon had looked at him, eyes full of something Jay was afraid to name. Was it love? Longing? Did Jungwon feel the same way he did?

"Stop it," Jay scolded himself. He couldn't go down that road. Not now. Not ever.

Just then, his phone buzzed on his desk, and he snatched it up, hoping for a distraction. But it was a text from Jungwon. His heart skipped a beat.

Jungwon: "Are you coming home for dinner tonight? I made your favorite."

Jay hesitated, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. How could such a simple message make him feel like this? He knew he couldn't keep avoiding Jungwon forever, but every interaction felt like a test of his willpower.

His phone buzzed again. This time, it was a call from his boss, the mayor, Mr. Choi.

"Jay," came the firm voice on the other end. "I hope you're prepared for the meeting later. We need to lock down these plans. No room for distractions today."

Jay cleared his throat, trying to push all thoughts of Jungwon aside. "Of course, Mr. Choi. I've reviewed everything. I'm ready."

"Good. Don't lose focus. The city's counting on us to make the right decisions."

As the call ended, Jay stood frozen. The weight of his responsibilities pressed down on him, but all he could think about was how Jungwon had looked at him that morning before he left for work, the soft smile that tugged at the corner of his lips, the way their fingers had brushed for just a second too long.

Why was it so hard to concentrate? Why did everything keep coming back to Jungwon?

Mrs. Park re-entered, holding a few more documents. "Jay, you have a phone call waiting from the finance department. Do you want me to transfer it?"

Jay shook his head. "No... I'll handle it later."

"But it's urgent, sir," she insisted.

Jay let out a heavy sigh, knowing he couldn't keep putting off his responsibilities. But as much as he tried to bury his emotions under the weight of his work, he couldn't escape the truth gnawing at the back of his mind.