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

T W E N T Y F O U R

CHAPTER FOUR: THE AFTERMATH AND CONFESSIONS

The office was buzzing with activity the next day, but Sunghoon felt like he was stuck in a slow-motion nightmare. After Heeseung’s revelation yesterday, Sunghoon had spent the night tossing and turning, replaying every awkward moment of their accidental blind date in his head. The embarrassment was still fresh, but somehow, Heeseung’s relaxed reaction made it all worse.

Why didn’t Heeseung freak out? Why was he so... okay with it? Sunghoon couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Sunghoon sat at his desk, half-heartedly typing, when Heeseung strolled in, looking far too chipper for Sunghoon’s taste. Heeseung was dressed sharply, exuding confidence as usual, but today, Sunghoon could feel that mischievous aura radiating from him even stronger.

“Morning!” Heeseung chirped, leaning against Sunghoon’s desk with a cheeky grin.

Sunghoon didn’t even look up. “Morning,” he mumbled, hoping Heeseung would just keep walking.

No such luck.

“So,” Heeseung began, settling in like he had all the time in the world, “I’ve been thinking.”

Sunghoon finally looked up, dreading whatever Heeseung was about to say. “Oh no,” he muttered under his breath. “This can’t be good.”

Heeseung laughed. “It’s nothing bad. I just wanted to say... it’s kind of funny how things worked out, don’t you think?”

Sunghoon frowned, his nerves already on edge. “Funny? You call this funny? I’ve been trying to avoid you since day one, and now we find out we were never supposed to be each other’s date in the first place. It’s like the universe is playing a prank on me!”

Heeseung shrugged, unbothered by Sunghoon’s flustered state. “Maybe it’s not a prank. Maybe it’s fate.”

Sunghoon rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. Fate? More like a bad rom-com plot.”

Heeseung chuckled, crossing his arms. “Hey, I think it’s kind of romantic.”

Sunghoon’s face heated up. “R-romantic? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Not kidding,” Heeseung said, his voice softening. “Look, I know this is awkward for you, but... I’ve been enjoying spending time with you. And not just because you’re my secretary or because of this whole date mix-up. I like being around you, Sunghoon.”

Sunghoon blinked, momentarily stunned by the sincerity in Heeseung’s tone. For once, there was no teasing glint in his eyes, no smug smile on his lips. Just Heeseung, being honest.

“I...” Sunghoon started, but his words got tangled up in his throat. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

“You don’t have to say anything right now,” Heeseung said, his expression gentle. “Just think about it. And maybe... let’s try to get past the weirdness. We’ve been stuck in this awkward space because of what happened, but we can change that.”

Sunghoon nodded slowly, feeling a strange mix of relief and confusion. Heeseung was right; they had been in this limbo for too long, and maybe it was time to move forward—whatever that meant.

Heeseung straightened up, giving Sunghoon one last smile before heading back to his office. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

📌🖇

Sunghoon spent the rest of the day distracted, Heeseung’s words echoing in his mind. The thought of Heeseung liking him—actually liking him—was something Sunghoon hadn’t been prepared for. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t hate the idea.

Later that afternoon, Sunghoon found himself in the break room, staring blankly at the coffee machine as it sputtered and hissed. Heeseung’s confession played on repeat in his mind, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

Sunghoon’s friends, Jiwon and Youngbin, wandered in, immediately picking up on his distracted mood.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Jiwon teased, grabbing a cup of coffee. “What’s going on with you?”

Sunghoon sighed, rubbing his temples. “Heeseung. He told me... stuff.”

Youngbin’s eyebrows shot up. “Stuff? What kind of stuff?”

Sunghoon groaned, debating whether to spill his guts. But these were his friends—they’d been there through all his embarrassing moments, so what was one more?

“He told me he likes me,” Sunghoon said, keeping his voice low. “Like... not in a work way.”

Jiwon nearly choked on his coffee. “He said that? Just like that?”

Sunghoon nodded, his cheeks burning. “Yeah, and I don’t know what to do about it. I mean, I don’t hate him. Actually, I think I might like him too, but... it’s all so messy.”

Youngbin smirked. “Messy, huh? Sounds like someone’s got it bad.”

Sunghoon rolled his eyes. “It’s not that simple. There’s too much history, and I’m still reeling from the whole date fiasco.”

Jiwon clapped him on the shoulder. “Look, if Heeseung’s willing to look past all that and make it work, maybe you should too. You’ve been running from this for so long, Hoon. Maybe it’s time to stop.”

Sunghoon sighed, taking a sip of his coffee. “Yeah... maybe.”

📌🖇

Back in his office, Heeseung couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. He had finally put his feelings out there, and Sunghoon hadn’t run for the hills. Progress.

As Heeseung glanced at the framed photo on his desk—a picture of him and his father at the company’s opening gala—he felt a renewed sense of determination. This whole journey with Sunghoon had been unexpected, but he wouldn’t change it for anything.

He was willing to wait, to be patient. Because in the end, Heeseung knew one thing for certain: Sunghoon was worth it.

Heeseung picked up his phone, scrolling through the photos of their various work events, candid shots of Sunghoon smiling or lost in concentration. Each image only solidified what he already knew—he was falling, and he was falling hard.

But maybe, just maybe, Sunghoon would be there to catch him.