~[Chapter 12] Tension~
Moon ended his call and slipped the phone back into his pocket, exhaling slowly.
That had been harder than expected. Lying always was.
He turned and headed back inside. Ms. Lim was just leaving, pulling on her coat.
"Oh, Mr. Kim," she said when she saw him.
"Mr. Lee was looking for you earlier."
Moon's stomach dropped slightly. "He was?"
"Yes. Maybe five minutes ago? He went back to his office."
"Alright, thank you."
Moon walked quickly down the hall and stopped outside Alex's door. He raised his hand to knock, then hesitated.
Through the frosted glass, he could see Alex's silhouette—sitting at his desk, completely still.
Moon knocked softly.
No response.
He opened the door carefully and stepped inside. Alex sat in his chair, head tilted back against the leather,
eyes closed.
His breathing was even. Controlled.
But he wasn't asleep.
He'd heard the door open. Heard Moon's soft footsteps on the tile. Felt Moon walk forward and stop beside his chair.
He kept his eyes closed.
He should open them. Should ask what Moon needed. Should reestablish the professional distance that kept slipping further away whenever they were close.
But he couldn't. He didn't want to.
Alex could feel Moon's presence like heat—close, careful, hesitant.
His pulse kicked up a notch, though he kept his breathing steady.
What was Moon doing?
Moon stood frozen beside Alex's chair, looking down at him.
He should leave. Should turn around, walk out and close the door behind him.
But his feet wouldn't move.
Alex looked different like this.
The sharp edges of his expression softened in rest. The constant tension he carried had eased from his shoulders, his jaw, the line of his mouth.
Moon's eyes traced over features he'd forced himself not to notice.
The strong line of Alex's jaw. The way his dark lashes rested against his cheeks. The slight part of his lips—full and soft, not pressed into their usual tight line of control.
"Beautiful."
The word escaped his lips before he could stop it.
He'd known Alex was attractive—objectively, clinically.
But seeing him like this, vulnerable and still, something about it hit different.
Hit deeper.
Moon's breath caught in his chest.
He crouched down slowly, carefully, bringing himself to eye level with Alex's face.
This close, he could see everything.
The faint shadows under Alex's eyes from too many sleepless nights. A small scar near his left temple, barely visible. The way a strand of dark hair had fallen across his forehead. The subtle rise and fall of his chest with each breath.
Moon's heart pounded loud in his ears.
He was too close.
Way too close.
This was crossing every line he'd drawn for himself.
But he couldn't pull away.
His eyes traveled down to Alex's lips, hypnotized by their curve. The way the evening light caught the angle of his cheekbone. The steady rhythm of his breathing.
So beautiful it almost hurt to look at him.
Alex felt as Moon moved closer.
Felt the air shift as Moon crouched down.
Felt the weight of Moon's gaze on his face like a physical touch.
His heart rate spiked despite his best efforts to control it.
What the hell was Moon doing? Isn't he supposed to be keeping a professional distance?
Alex's fingers twitched against the armrest. His breathing wanted to quicken, but he forced it to stay even.
Moon's presence was so close now that Alex could sense the warmth radiating from his body. Could catch the faint scent of his cologne mixed with something uniquely—Moon.
The silence stretched, taut and electric.
Alex's chest felt tight. His skin hyper-aware of every molecule of air between them.
Too close.
At this point, Alex couldn't hold it together anymore. Couldn't think.
The intensity of the situation cracked something inside him.
He had to move. Had to break this before—
Alex's eyes snapped open.
Moon froze.
Their faces were just inches apart.
Alex's eyes—dark, wide, hungry—locked directly onto Moon's.
For one suspended heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Moon could see every fleck of color in Alex's irises. Could see his own reflection in them. Could count his eyelashes if he wanted to.
Too close.
Panic flooded Moon's system.
He jerked backward, at the exact same moment Alex sat up abruptly.
Their trajectories collided.
Moon's lips crashed against Alex's.
The world stopped.
Everything—sound, breath, thought—ceased to exist.
There was only the pressure of Alex's lips against his. Soft. Warm. The tiniest gasp of surprise escaping between them. The accidental brush of Alex's nose against his cheek.
Moon's brain short-circuited completely. Every nerve in his body ignited at once. His lips tingled where they pressed against Alex's. His heart slammed against his ribcage so hard it hurt.
The kiss lasted maybe two seconds.
Maybe less.
But Moon felt it in his bones.
He pulled back instantly, stumbling backward so fast he nearly lost his balance.
"I'm sorry—" Moon gasped, face burning hot, words tumbling out in a rush. "I didn't mean—I was just—you were—"
Alex sat frozen in his chair.
Eyes wide. Lips slightly parted.
His chest rose and fell with quick, uneven breaths.
He and Moon had just shared a kiss.
An accident, maybe.
But his lips still tingled with the ghost of it. The pressure, the warmth, the shock of contact.
Moon stood a few feet away.
Neither of them moved.
They stares at each other.
Face flushed, eyes wide with panic and something else Alex couldn't name.
Neither of them moved.
They stared at each other, the air between them crackling with everything unsaid.
"Sir, I'm so sorry," Moon broke the silence, voice trembling slightly. "That was an accident. I shouldn't have been—I didn't mean to—"
Alex's hands gripped the armrests of his chair hard enough to hurt.
He should say something. Should dismiss Moon. Should pretend this never happened.
But his voice came out quiet instead. Controlled despite the chaos inside him.
"Come here."
Moon blinked. "What?"
"Come here." Alex's voice was steady now, controlled.
He gestured to the desk. "Closer."
Moon hesitated, every instinct screaming at him to run.
But he stepped forward.
"Sit," Alex said, nodding toward the edge of the desk.
Moon obeyed slowly, perching on the corner of the desk, hands gripping the edge.
Alex stood and moved to retrieve the first aid kit Moon hadn't even noticed sitting on the side table.
He returned and opened it, pulling out antiseptic and cotton swabs.
"Your mouth," Alex said simply.
Moon's hand went unconsciously to his bruised jaw.
"It's fine, sir. Really—"
Alex's look silenced him, making clear there was no room for argument.
"Stay still."
He stepped closer, positioning himself between Moon's knees.
Moon's breath caught.
Alex dipped the cotton swab in antiseptic, then carefully brought it to the corner of Moon's mouth where the skin had split slightly.
The touch was gentle. Almost reverent.
Moon sat perfectly still, barely breathing.
Alex's face was close again—not as close as before, but close enough that Moon could see the focus in his eyes, the slight furrow of concentration between his brows.
"This will sting a little," Alex murmured.
It did. But Moon barely felt it.
All he could focus on was the careful pressure of Alex's fingers holding his chin steady.
The warmth of Alex's body so close. The scent of his cologne.
The ghost of their accidental kiss still
tingling on Moon's lips.
Alex worked in silence, cleaning the wound with careful precision.
Moon's heart hammered.
This was too much. Too intimate. Too—
"There," Alex said softly, stepping back.
The absence of his touch felt like a loss.
"Thank you, sir," Moon managed, voice rougher than intended.
Alex's eyes met his for a brief, charged moment.
Then he turned away, closing the first aid kit with a soft click.
"You can go," Alex said, not looking at him.
Moon stood quickly, almost too quickly.
"Yes, sir."
He moved to the door and was about ti turn the handle when he heard Alex call out.
"Moon."
He stopped, but didn't turn around.
"Thank you for this morning,"
Alex said quietly.
Moon's chest tightened.
He left before he could do something stupid.
Like turn around.
Like ask what any of this meant.
Like kiss Alex. Properly, this time.
The drive home was quiet.
Traffic had built up on the main road, cars moving at a crawl.
Moon sat behind the wheel, Alex in the back seat as always, the partition between them lowered slightly.
Slowly, Moon's mind drifted, unbidden, to the office.
To the moment their lips had touched.
Accidental.
Completely accidental.
But it had felt—
Moon's hand moved unconsciously to his mouth, fingers brushing his lips.
Soft. Warm. Electrifying.
He could still feel it.
The car behind him honked.
Moon blinked, realizing the light had turned green.
He glanced up at the rearview mirror—
And his eyes met Alex's.
Alex was watching him. Had been watching him.
Their gazes locked for a heartbeat.
Moon's face flushed hot and he looked away immediately, pressing the accelerator.
The car moved forward.
But Moon could still feel Alex's eyes on him.
Could still feel the ghost of that kiss burning on his lips.
This was dangerous.
This was so, so very dangerous.
And Moon was drowning in it.
[Later that night]
Moon sat at his desk, laptop open in front of him, staring at the search bar.
He'd been sitting here for twenty minutes, cursor blinking, unable to type the words.
Finally, he started typing.
symptoms rapid heartbeat around one person
He deleted it.
Tried again.
physical reaction to my boss
Delete.
is it normal to feel nervous around someone constantly
Delete.
Moon groaned and rubbed his face.
This was ridiculous.
He shouldn't be googling... whatever this was.
But his hands were already typing again before he could stop them.
racing heart when someone touches you
The search results loaded.
Articles about anxiety. Medical conditions. And then—
Signs you have feelings for someone
Moon clicked it before he could think better of it.
The article listed symptoms:
∙Constant thoughts about the person
.Physical reactions to their presence (increased heart rate, nervousness)
∙Wanting to be near them every time
∙Feeling jealous when they pay attention to someone else
.Prioritizing their safety and happiness
Moon's chest tightened as he read.
He thought about Alex constantly.
Check.
His heart raced whenever Alex was close.
Check.
He'd throw himself in front of any danger aimed at Alex without thinking.
Check.
Moon scrolled further.
How do you know if it's real feelings vs. circumstantial attraction?
He clicked.
Circumstantial attraction can occur in high-stress situations where two people are forced into close proximity. This is common in work environments, shared living situations, or dangerous circumstances. However, if the feelings persist beyond the immediate situation and include emotional connection rather than just physical attraction...
Moon leaned back in his chair.
Emotional connection.
He thought about the way Alex had looked at him this morning, terror raw on his face.
The way he'd lied to his father to protect him. The way he'd cleaned his bruised lips with such careful gentleness.
This wasn't just circumstantial.
It wasn't just stress or proximity.
This was—
Moon closed the laptop abruptly.
No.
He couldn't think about this.
Couldn't name it. Couldn't acknowledge what it might mean.
Because if he did, everything would become infinitely more complicated.
His mission. His purpose. Everything.
All of it would crumble if he admitted what he was actually feeling.
Moon stood and moved to the window, staring out at the dark grounds.
Somewhere in this mansion, Alex was probably in his room. Maybe lying awake like Moon was. Maybe thinking about the kiss.
Maybe touching his lips and remembering.
Moon's fingers unconsciously moved to his own mouth.
He could still feel it. The accidental pressure. The warmth. The shock of contact.
His chest ached with something he refused to name.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
Because naming it would make it real.
And Moon couldn't afford real.
Not when everything else in his life was a lie.