His First Love

Chapter 11

Chapter 11 — Breakfast with Devils

The smell of pancakes drifted through the halls of the Shadow Mafia's mansion. Jeonghan blinked awake, stretching under the silk sheets before realizing the bed beside him was empty. His heart dropped for a second until the door creaked open.

Seungcheol walked in wearing a black T-shirt and sweatpants, his hair slightly damp from a shower. He had two mugs of coffee in his hands.

"You left me," Jeonghan pouted dramatically.

Seungcheol smirked, setting the mugs on the nightstand. "Relax, butterfly. I only went for coffee. I'd never leave you in my bed unattended for too long—God knows what kind of trouble you'd get into."

Jeonghan narrowed his eyes, but the smile tugging at his lips gave him away. He sat up, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders like a cape. "What kind of trouble could I possibly cause in your room?"

Seungcheol leaned down, murmuring into his ear, "Plenty. And I'd happily let you."

Jeonghan smacked his chest, laughing. "You're shameless."

Before Seungcheol could retaliate, a sharp knock sounded at the door. Then Soonyoung's whiny voice carried through:

"Hyuuung, are you seriously skipping breakfast? Mingyu made pancakes, and if you don't eat them he'll sulk for days!"

Jeonghan pressed a hand over his mouth, muffling his laughter as Seungcheol rolled his eyes so hard it looked painful. "I should've had Jihoon soundproof this damn floor," he muttered.

"Come on," Jeonghan teased, tugging on his arm. "Let's not make Mingyu cry."

Seungcheol sighed, grabbing one of the coffees and handing it to Jeonghan. "Fine. But if Soonyoung says one more stupid thing, I'm putting him in the ground."

The kitchen was already alive with chaos when they arrived. Mingyu was at the stove flipping another batch of pancakes while Chan was arguing with Vernon about syrup distribution. Jihoon sat at the table with a notebook, clearly pretending he wasn't part of this circus.

The moment Seungcheol walked in with Jeonghan trailing behind him, the noise screeched to a halt.

Soonyoung's jaw dropped. "Look who finally decided to grace us with his soft boyfriend aura."

Seungcheol's eyes narrowed. "Do you want to keep breathing, Soonyoung?"

Jihoon didn't even look up. "Hyung, please. Kill him after breakfast. I'm hungry."

That broke the tension; the younger boys laughed while Jeonghan shook his head. "You all really aren't scared of him, are you?"

Vernon shrugged. "We are. We're just... used to it."

"Or stupid," Jihoon muttered.

"Or both," Mingyu added with a grin. He finally noticed Jeonghan properly and pushed a plate toward him. "Here, hyung. Pancakes. Eat before Soonyoung steals them."

"I don't steal food—"

"Don't lie," Chan interrupted.

The table dissolved into bickering again, and Jeonghan found himself laughing harder than he had in months. He slipped into the seat between Mingyu and Seungcheol, cutting into the pancakes. Warmth spread in his chest, unfamiliar but comforting.

Halfway through breakfast, Soonyoung leaned across the table with a mischievous grin. "So, Jeonghan-ah, tell us... how do you put up with Devil Hyung? He's insufferable, right?"

Jeonghan's eyes gleamed with mischief of his own. "Oh, it's easy. He melts if you pout hard enough."

The room went dead quiet for a beat.

Then all at once—

"WHAT?!" Chan choked on his juice.
"No way." Vernon's eyes widened.
Even Jihoon looked up, startled.

Seungcheol's fork froze in mid-air, his expression dark. "Jeonghan."

But his butterfly only batted his lashes innocently. "What? It's true, isn't it?"

The entire table erupted in laughter, and for once, Seungcheol didn't stop them. Instead, he stared at Jeonghan, that rare softness flickering across his face.

This was dangerous, he thought. Letting him in like this. Letting him turn the Devil into something human.

Later, as Jeonghan helped Mingyu clear plates, his eyes caught on a folded newspaper left on the counter. The headline was all business jargon, but one word made his breath hitch.

YOON INDUSTRIES.

His family's company. His family's name.

He reached for it instinctively, but before his fingers touched the paper, Seungcheol was there. His hand closed over Jeonghan's wrist, gentle but firm. "Not now, angel," he said quietly. He folded the paper without looking at it and set it aside.

Jeonghan searched his face, uneasy. "Cheol—"

"You're safe here," Seungcheol cut in, his tone brooking no argument. He brushed his thumb over Jeonghan's knuckles, grounding him. "That's all that matters."

And even though the unease lingered in his chest, Jeonghan nodded. For now, he would believe him.

For now, breakfast with the devils was enough.