THE BLIND DATE MIX-UP||L.HS X P.SH

T W E L V E

CHAPTER TWELVE: LINE ARE GETTING BLURRY

Sunghoon’s life was starting to feel like one giant game of dodgeball—except instead of balls, it was his feelings for Heeseung that he kept dodging. And Heeseung, who used to be a far-off blip on his radar of worries, was now the epicenter of his entire existence. Every time Heeseung smiled at him, laughed at one of his awkward jokes, or simply showed up with another random cup of coffee, Sunghoon’s resolve weakened. It was a slow, torturous unraveling of his sanity.

Today, however, was a new low. Sunghoon had been tasked with helping Heeseung prepare for an important board meeting, which meant spending the whole day together. In Heeseung’s office. Alone.

Sunghoon’s heart raced as he knocked on Heeseung’s door, a small stack of documents in his hands. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. It’s just work, he reminded himself. Nothing more. It’s not like you’re walking into a date. But when Heeseung opened the door with that familiar warm smile, Sunghoon felt a rush of heat in his cheeks that screamed otherwise.

“Hey, Sunghoon. Come in,” Heeseung said, stepping aside to let him in.

Sunghoon nodded, mumbling a quick “thanks” before practically tripping over his own feet as he entered. He sat down at the conference table, avoiding Heeseung’s gaze and focusing on the papers in his hands as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

Heeseung joined him, sitting a little too close for Sunghoon’s liking—or maybe it was exactly how close he liked it, which was the problem. “Thanks for helping me with this,” Heeseung said, glancing at the paperwork. “I’m still trying to get used to all this CEO stuff.”

Sunghoon chuckled nervously, trying to mask his growing tension. “Oh, no problem. You’re doing great, really.”

Heeseung smirked, resting his chin on his hand. “You think so? Because sometimes I feel like I’m just winging it.”

Sunghoon glanced up, and for a second, their eyes met. “Well, winging it seems to be working for you,” he blurted out before realizing how flirtatious that sounded. He quickly cleared his throat. “I mean... you’re smart. You’ve got this.”

Heeseung’s smile softened, and Sunghoon felt his pulse quicken. “Thanks, Sunghoon. That means a lot.”

There was an awkward silence, the kind that made Sunghoon want to crawl under the table. Heeseung was watching him too intently, and Sunghoon didn’t trust himself not to say something stupid, so he focused on the task at hand. They spent the next hour going through slides and discussing strategies, with Sunghoon doing his best to keep things professional.

📌🖇

Heeseung couldn’t help but steal glances at Sunghoon as they worked. There was something about the way Sunghoon’s brow furrowed in concentration that made Heeseung smile. He didn’t know when it started, but Sunghoon’s presence had become something he looked forward to every day. Sunghoon’s awkwardness was endearing, his sarcasm was oddly comforting, and his unintentional cuteness was driving Heeseung up the wall.

As they wrapped up the meeting prep, Heeseung found himself wanting to prolong the time together. “Hey, Sunghoon,” he said, trying to sound casual. “Do you want to grab dinner after the meeting? My treat.”

Sunghoon looked up, startled. “Dinner? With you?”

Heeseung chuckled. “Yeah, with me. Unless you have other plans?”

Sunghoon hesitated. It was just dinner, right? No big deal. “Um, no, I don’t have plans. Dinner sounds... fine.”

Heeseung grinned, delighted by the reluctant agreement. “Great. It’s a date, then.”