HAUGHTY-To Love ✔

CHAPTER 23

AUN POV

"What are you both doing here?" JungYun's tone was impassive, indicating his displeasure with the presence of the boys. He scrutinized them one by one, pausing when his eyes met mine.

"Did you call them here?" he asked, his brows furrowed in a questioning manner. For a moment, I was at a loss for words, unable to answer him.

"I called them here, Sunbae," Lily stepped forward and responded to JungYun. However, his expression remained unchanged, giving her the same stern look. "Didn't I tell you not to invite or allow anybody in?"

Lily fell silent, unable to retort. She hung her head low, directing her gaze towards the ground. "JungYun, Aun experienced shoulder pain this morning, so Lily called us to check on her," Tae-Sun interjected, disregarding JungYun's lack of attention towards him and focusing solely on Lily.

JungYun glanced at me and then at my shoulder before shifting his gaze back to Lily. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I tried, Sunbae, but your phone was not reachable, so I called them for help," Lily explained her reason and fell silent, waiting for his response.

After a minute or so, JungYun looked at everyone and opened his mouth to speak. "I want everyone to leave," he said firmly, waiting for the boys and Lily to exit. I glanced at Lily, who was ready to leave, seeking relief from the tense atmosphere.

"See you tomorrow, Aun," she hugged me and left the apartment. JungYun continued to wait for the boys to depart, but they remained seated on the couch, unmoving. "I said to--"

"We're not going. You may be able to intimidate others, but not us," Jae-Min interrupted, asserting himself as he settled more comfortably on the couch. From the expression on JungYun's face, I could tell he was struggling to control his temper in the face of Jae-Min's defiance.

Tae-Sun looked at the boys, sharing a heated gaze, and decided to intervene. "Jae-Min, I think we should leave," he suggested. As soon as Tae-Sun spoke, Jae-Min glanced at him, his brows furrowed in protest.

"What are you--"

"It's better if we leave now. We can visit them tomorrow, right, Aun?" Tae-Sun turned to me, and I nodded my head without looking at JungYun. Tae-Sun then pulled Jae-Min out of the condominium, despite his objections, leaving JungYun and me alone.

I remained silent, waiting for his response. JungYun moved closer and sat beside me, making himself comfortable. Just as I was about to ask him about his day, I gasped and widened my eyes as he pulled me onto his lap, positioning me sideways, his gaze was fixed on my shoulder.

"Are you feeling any pain?" He gently inquired about my well-being, his hand softly caressing my shoulder blades. "I'm feeling better now. The pain was only in the morning, but it has subsided," I replied. He nodded, then proceeded to undo the knot of my shoulder strap.

As the strap loosened, my dress slid down on my right side, revealing a generous amount of skin to him. I didn't attempt to cover myself, but instead, I grabbed the fabric near my breast to prevent it from slipping any lower.

JungYun's gaze focused on my shoulder, noticing that I wasn't wearing any bandages or brace. I trusted only him to tend to my wound, as Lily didn't have the knowledge, and I wasn't comfortable asking the boys for help. He delicately ran his fingers over my skin, examining the area for any signs of redness or swelling after applying the heat plasters.

"It appears that your shoulder has healed remarkably fast. Take three days to rest and gradually start moving your arm," he advised, looking at me expectantly.

"Does that mean I no longer need to wear the bandages?" I queried.

"No, there's no need for that," he responded, leaning in unexpectedly to place a gentle kiss on my shoulder. I was momentarily taken aback by his actions and stammered, "Why did you do that?" My eyes met his intense gaze, searching for an explanation.