Beneath the Surface I Seungsung [✓]

Chapter 2

As the early morning light began to seep through the blinds, Seungmin lay still, his chest rising and falling with each slow breath. He could feel Jisung's warmth beside him, his arm draped possessively across his waist. For a moment, he stared at the ceiling, letting the silence of the room settle around them.

This was always the hardest part—waking up in the aftermath of something so intense, something they both refused to acknowledge. He felt the weight of Jisung's arm, the heat of his body pressed against his back. It was comforting in a way that made Seungmin's stomach churn. There was no place for comfort between them.

Carefully, he shifted, moving out from under Jisung’s arm without waking him. The cold air hit his skin immediately as he stood up, gathering his clothes from the floor. Every movement was quiet, deliberate. This was the unspoken rule—they never talked in the morning. There was no lingering, no room for anything more than what had already happened.

Seungmin dressed quickly, smoothing down his shirt and adjusting his glasses as he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His face was emotionless, but inside, his mind raced. The night had left its mark on him, just as it always did.

He didn’t understand why he kept coming back here. It wasn’t like he needed Jisung—or so he told himself. Seungmin was successful in his own right. He ran his company with precision, focused on growth and stability, while Jisung operated with ruthlessness and flair. They were complete opposites in every way, which only fueled their rivalry.

Yet, here he was. Again.

His fingers hesitated on the door handle, a part of him wondering if he should say something, do something different this time. But he shook his head, dismissing the thought. It wasn’t worth it. It never was.

As Seungmin slipped out of the room, the cool air of the hallway hit him, grounding him in reality. His mind shifted gears, already thinking about the meetings he had lined up for the day. He had a reputation to maintain—a fierce, determined leader who let nothing stand in his way. The world outside of this room was different. There, he couldn’t afford to be vulnerable.

---

Jisung stirred slightly as the door clicked shut. He was awake, but he didn’t move, his eyes remaining closed as he listened to the sound of Seungmin leaving. He’d known the second Seungmin started gathering his clothes. He always did. But Jisung never stopped him. This was how it worked between them—there was no room for morning conversations, no shared breakfast, no lingering touches.

It was better this way, or so Jisung told himself. He didn’t need Seungmin, not really. What they had was nothing more than an outlet, a way to release the tension that always built up between them.

Still, as he lay there in the quiet of the empty room, Jisung couldn’t shake the small, nagging thought that had started creeping into his mind lately. What if there was more? What if they weren’t just enemies with a secret between them?

He shook his head, sitting up and running a hand through his messy hair. That kind of thinking would get him nowhere. They hated each other. That was a fact. And the nights they shared? They meant nothing.

But as Jisung stared at the empty space beside him, a space that felt colder now that Seungmin had gone, he couldn’t quite silence the small part of himself that wondered.

---

Later that day, the two of them met again, this time in the boardroom. The meeting was a high-stakes negotiation, a merger between their companies that would either make or break both of them. Their teams sat on opposite sides of the table, but Jisung and Seungmin stood at the center of it all, eyes locked in a familiar battle of wills.

Seungmin’s expression was unreadable, as usual. His voice was calm, collected, and sharp as he outlined his company’s terms. Jisung listened, leaning back in his chair with that same cold, calculating look he always wore.

No one in the room would have guessed that just hours before, they’d been in a completely different kind of negotiation. One where words had been replaced by touches, where control was the only thing either of them sought.

“You expect me to agree to that?” Jisung finally spoke, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Your terms are laughable.”

Seungmin’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “Then perhaps you should take this more seriously. After all, your company stands to lose the most if this falls through.”

The tension was palpable. Their teams exchanged nervous glances, aware of the animosity but unaware of the deeper layers beneath it. The rivalry between Han Enterprises and Kim Industries was legendary, but what no one knew was that the real battle was fought behind closed doors, in whispered breaths and stolen nights.

As the meeting dragged on, Jisung couldn’t help but glance at Seungmin every now and then, wondering what the other was thinking. Did Seungmin hate this as much as he did? Did he feel the same tug of conflict whenever they met in these settings, knowing full well what had transpired the night before?

But Seungmin’s face gave nothing away, as usual. He was an enigma, one that Jisung hated yet found impossible to ignore.

The meeting ended with no resolution, both sides agreeing to reconvene at a later date. As the room emptied, Seungmin made to leave, his shoulders squared as he prepared to face the day as he always did—alone.

But Jisung wasn’t done. Not yet.

“Seungmin,” Jisung’s voice called out, stopping him in his tracks.

Seungmin turned, his expression unreadable. “What?”

For a moment, Jisung considered saying something different, something that might crack the ice between them. But the words caught in his throat, and instead, all he said was, “Don’t be late next time.”

Seungmin’s eyes flashed with something—annoyance, maybe even hurt—but he quickly masked it. “Don’t worry. I won’t be.”

And with that, Seungmin walked out of the room, leaving Jisung alone once more.

Jisung let out a breath, his mind swirling with thoughts he didn’t want to confront. This was how it always was, how it always would be.

At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

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