Into The Thrill-Chapter 11.7

“Bring your passport and bag to the airport. Be there by five.”

“...Are we going on a trip?”

“Can’t exactly disappear to a deserted island forever, but we’ll go for three nights, four days. Somewhere nearby.”

“Where?”

“Bangkok.”

“Seriously?”

Haewon’s eyes widened in disbelief—it was the place he hadn’t been able to go before because Woojin had blocked him.

“Just pack a few summer clothes. Be at the airport by five. Oh, and don’t bring your violin. You won’t have time to touch it.”

Woojin kissed his cheek as Haewon nodded quickly, promising to be there on time and telling him not to worry. Then Woojin left for work.

He wrapped up his tasks early, grabbed his suitcase, and headed to the airport. Haewon had arrived first and was waiting for him. They received their boarding passes at the first-class check-in counter. A flight attendant took their luggage and escorted them through the fast track.

They waited at a quiet lounge for the gate to open. Woojin, reading a newspaper, pulled out his phone when a chime rang.

“...”

Haewon, who had been playing a game on his phone, whipped his head toward Woojin like he’d been expecting this exact moment to arrive.

Haewon knew better than anyone that Woojin wasn’t someone who could just travel leisurely. After spending a year with him, he understood Woojin’s world. Just earlier, Haewon had tried to snatch his phone and turn it off, convinced something would happen before they could board. That, of course, was what the incoming call signaled to him—Haewon’s face turned anxious, as if he feared being left behind.

Woojin waved a calming hand in the air, silently telling him not to worry, then stood from the sofa and walked away to take the call in a more private area.

“Yes.”

―What’s going on? Why haven’t I been able to reach you?

It was Kim Jung-geun. He must’ve grown frustrated after the special prosecutor bill was submitted to the National Assembly and his defense team couldn’t give him answers, so he reached out to Woojin directly.

“You’re aware that the Chief Prosecutor gave me proxy voting rights for your shares, sir.”

Woojin had warned him this might happen. Kim Jung-geun had ignored the warning, forcibly handing over his voting rights to Woojin. Now that the prosecution had discovered it, he was probably well aware of the awkward position ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Woojin was in.

―Well... this is a problem. What did the Chief say?

“He told me to pull out. That I could get dragged into it if I don’t.”

―That’s troubling. I’d feel a lot more at ease if you were handling things, Woojin.

“I’m on my way out of town. I’ve been assigned to assist with the investigation there. I’ll monitor the situation from afar.”

―For how long? Will it take a while?

“My phone’s not safe, so I can’t talk long. What’s most important right now is to stay calm and communicate closely with Team Leader Song.”

―You’ve been in contact with Song?

“Of course. That’s only right. I’ll do my best.”

―Alright, Woojin. I’m counting on you.

“Please cooperate with the investigation. It’ll help quiet the public.”

―I’m doing that.

“Then I’ll hang up now. Take care of yourself.”

Woojin ended the call and immediately blocked the number as spam. Beyond the glass wall in front of him, he could see the plane that would take them to Bangkok.

Sliding his phone into his pocket, Woojin turned back—and saw Haewon talking to someone. A young woman who looked like a college student was waving a piece of paper in front of Haewon with a bright, starstruck smile. She bounced on her toes excitedly. Haewon waved his hands in refusal, slipping on his sunglasses. She looked like she’d just spotted a celebrity she adored.

Woojin walked over.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, Manager Hyun. Can you handle this?”

“What?”

Haewon flapped his hand impatiently, motioning for Woojin to get rid of the girl already. Shoo her off, deal with it—whatever. Just fix it.

Woojin turned to the girl. She flinched as their eyes met.

“What is this about?”

“I’m just... I’m a huge fan of oppa. Could I maybe get his autograph? No photo, just a signature, please?”

“Autograph?”

Was she a classical music fan? Haewon wasn’t that well-known of a violinist. In the orchestra, he sat near the back of the second violins.

“I still have that photo book, you know!”

“Manager Hyun...”

Handle this now, shoo her off, the impatient twitch of Haewon’s hand practically shouted. Woojin’s brow furrowed as he politely told the girl that he was sorry, but it wouldn’t be appropriate here. Her smile faltered, and she walked away reluctantly, glancing back at Haewon the whole time.

“What was that call about? Do we have to leave now?”

Haewon slid his sunglasses down his nose and asked in a quiet voice.

“Who’s this manager, exactly?”

“It’s not like that,” Woojin replied, sitting down and giving Haewon a look that said, what the hell was that stunt?

Haewon pulled his sunglasses back up and muttered low.

“My face stands out. People mistake me for a celebrity sometimes. That girl said she was a fan, but she’s never even seen me before.”

“How does that make any sense?”

“That’s not what matters right now.”

He sighed and leaned closer to Woojin, whispering. The way he kept whispering by his ear made Woojin’s shoulder twitch.

“What matters, then?”

“You should wear sunglasses too. We already stand out—imagine the rumors if someone sees a prosecutor traveling with another guy. I mean, sure, I’d love it if you got fired, but you actually like your job.”

“What are you even saying...”

Even as Woojin scolded him for talking nonsense, he noticed the glances from others in the lounge. Korean travelers murmuring to each other—

“Isn’t he a Hallyu star?”

“Looks like a model.”

“Maybe a movie actor?”

Haewon grabbed Woojin’s sunglasses from his bag and slipped them onto his face.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure no one recognizes you.”

Like he was guarding some VIP, Haewon gave him a solemn nod, as if to say, Trust me, I’ve got this.

Woojin had no idea what this was or what Haewon was even trying to do. But apparently that earlier woman’s mistake had spread—now the lounge was full of people staring at Haewon like he was a celebrity. Woojin pushed the sunglasses up firmly over his face.

A staff member clearing the buffet passed by. Haewon called out to him.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, sir. Can I help you?”

“No, it’s just... I’ve got like a hundred thousand followers on Insta, you see.”

“Pardon?”

Woojin and the staff member both gave him a blank stare.

“Ugh, come on. Don’t you get it? Being this exposed is kind of a problem for me. Do you have any private rooms? Like a VIP space with some privacy? Manager Hyun, back me up here.”

Haewon jabbed Woojin’s side with his elbow.

What the hell was he doing...

Woojin gave the staff member a helpless look that said, Please just play along. The staffer blinked, glanced around, then nodded.

“There’s a separate VIP room. Would you prefer to wait there?”

“That would be great. Let’s go, Manager.”

Haewon snapped his fingers and pointed Woojin toward his suitcase like he was summoning a bellboy. Then he walked off with the staffer. Woojin silently followed, dragging the suitcase behind.

They were led into a small room with a leather sofa, table, and a monitor on the wall showing flight schedules. The staffer opened the door and asked:

“Would you like me to bring you anything to drink?”

“Croissant with butter and jam, and iced latte, please. Manager Hyun?”

“I’m fine.”

“Our manager’s fine, thanks.”

The staffer nodded and left. Haewon flopped onto the sofa and let out a big sigh.

“God, traveling with a prosecutor is exhausting. My face just stands out too much. I’m too eye-catching.”

He wasn’t narcissistically in love with his own looks—it was more like he was pretending to be tired from covering for Woojin’s government job. Woojin stared at him speechlessly, then picked up his newspaper again.

“Let’s not leave the hotel at all.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Can’t be helped if I want to protect a public official like you, Prosecutor-nim. I’ll endure it. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got it all covered. Just trust me.”

Woojin considered telling him that acting like that only made them stand out more—but in the end, he kept reading his newspaper.

He scanned the papers for the media's stance on the current special investigation and the tide of public opinion. Everything was proceeding smoothly, just as planned. The only one acting out of line, deviating from his calculated strategy, wasn’t Kim Jung-geun—it was the man sitting beside him.

After waiting in the lounge for about an hour, boarding began. To avoid drawing attention to Woojin, Haewon deliberately made himself more noticeable. He was busy putting on an act, pretending to be a D-list celebrity with a severe case of stardom.

Whenever someone glanced their way, he’d snatch the newspaper from Woojin’s hand and use it to hide his face, muttering about how annoying and exhausting public attention was. He made sure to be just disagreeable enough to draw side-eyes from others around them.

The antics continued even after they sat in their seats. When a flight attendant brought them welcome drinks and towels, Haewon beckoned her over like he had a secret directive to pass on. As she leaned in politely, he whispered:

“Excuse me. People keep staring and it’s making me uncomfortable. I’m sort of a public figure, you know. Is there any way to make this area more private?”

“...Excuse me?”

“My Insta followers are over a hundred thousand.”

“...And?”

“You really think I’m comfortable like this? You don’t use Instagram, huh? With this many people around, having over a hundred thousand followers is a pain. People keep talking to you, pretending they know you, sneaking photos—privacy is very important.”

Half the first-class cabin was empty. No one was paying attention to them. In fact, half the passengers were foreigners.

“Manager Hyun. Say something.”

Haewon jabbed Woojin in the ribs with a pointed look, like Why are you just sitting there? Handle it already. He was going all in on this story that he was shielding Woojin, a government official, from scandal.

“If it’s making him uncomfortable, could you do something?” Woojin asked flatly.

The flight attendant hesitated, her voice trailing off. “We can’t draw the curtain, I’m afraid...”

“Can’t you use something like a newspaper to block the view?” she asked, directing her question to Woojin, only for Haewon to butt in.

“If it’s too uncomfortable, would you like to move to the front row? There’s less traffic since the restroom’s in the back.”

“Oh? What do you think, manager? Should we do that?”

The very front row was empty. Woojin sighed inwardly, but went along with it. After they moved, Haewon finally took off his sunglasses and let out a sigh of relief. Woojin unhooked his own and hung them on his shirt collar.

“Now everyone’ll just remember me as that crazy diva. No one’ll notice you. I should act up more. Use my face to draw all the attention.”

Haewon continued pestering the flight attendants with endless requests—this, that, and the other. And in between, he scolded Woojin for being a useless manager, playing out his one-man drama for the cabin.

Woojin just sat there quietly, watching him. After takeoff and finishing their meal, Haewon finally glanced around, making sure no one was looking, and returned to his seat properly.

“God, I’m exhausted. How many newspapers are you planning to read?”

“I’m done now.”

Woojin had gone through every morning paper from every major publication. He leaned back in his seat, intending to rest his eyes until landing. But Haewon reached over and gently took his hand.

Woojin opened his eyes. Haewon was subtly massaging his hand while scanning the cabin once more like a meerkat on alert. Woojin chuckled at the sight of his busy little decoy. Meanwhile, Haewon’s fingers kept gently fidgeting with his hand.

Woojin took that hand and guided it to his lap. Haewon startled, turning toward him with wide eyes.

“No one’s watching. Relax.”

“You’re pretty bold for a government official.”

“A little vacation with you isn’t going to get me fired. Don’t overreact.”

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“...You sure?”

“Just sit back and relax.”

Haewon turned toward him and leaned into the seat, letting his hand naturally rest atop Woojin’s lap. As his fingers subtly moved, Woojin’s cock stirred under the fabric. Haewon’s breath caught.

Woojin’s slacks tented slightly, like a neatly folded umbrella. Haewon’s eyes followed the silhouette with fascination, tracing the shape lightly with his fingers. The ridge of the glans was clear through the fabric.

As his fingers moved along that ridge, Woojin’s thigh twitched.

“...Ugh...”

His breath hitched. Haewon kept touching, and Woojin reached up to gently cup Haewon’s cheek, brushing his lips.

“When the lights go off later... I’ll use my mouth... Manager, how do you feel about that?”

Just then, a shadow suddenly loomed overhead, making Haewon jump. He quickly snatched his hand away and threw the newspaper open over Woojin’s lap.

“Seriously? I told you I was sitting here. Manager, how could you miss something like this?”

He snapped irritably at Woojin, who turned to see a smiling flight attendant placing a snack on Haewon’s table.

“Here are your peanuts. Would you like me to open them for you?”

“I don’t eat peanuts.”

“Would you like something else?”

“Could you draw the curtain or something? It’s really uncomfortable. People just appear out of nowhere—it’s shocking. Jeez...”

Despite Haewon’s grumbling, the flight attendant kept smiling, seemingly unfazed by his diva routine.

“I’ll be more careful not to disturb you. If there’s anything else you need, please press the call button.”

“It’s not that. It’s just... you’re being too attentive. Can you pretend I’m not here? Please. I don’t think you understand how hard it is for someone with only a hundred thousand followers.”

“My apologies, sir. I’ll let the other attendants know to be cautious as well. Again, if you need anything, just press the button.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks. Now, shoo.”

Haewon waved her off like he was chasing birds away from a freshly planted field. The attendant chuckled and walked off. Haewon cautiously peeked around to make sure no one was watching, then slumped back in his seat with a deep sigh.

“Whew, thought my heart was gonna stop. You realize we nearly got arrested just now? Public official, public indecency, there’s some clause about maintaining moral conduct, right? Isn’t that real?”

Woojin calmly folded up the newspaper covering his lap.

“Cover your face with the eye mask.”

“Huh?”

Woojin pointed to the complimentary eye mask in the seat pocket.

He hadn’t thought it was just men who found Haewon attractive, but it was clear now women were drawn to him too. There was no denying it. Haewon had the kind of face that made it a pain to be seen in public.

Haewon held the mask to different parts of his face.

“How’s this supposed to hide anything? And besides, if I draw the attention, it keeps people from noticing you.”

“Stop with the nonsense and cover your face. Or wear a hat.”

“...Ah, damn. I forgot to pack one. I was so thrown off when you suddenly suggested a trip this morning. Who would’ve guessed cold-as-ice Prosecutor Hyun Woojin had something like this planned? That same Hyun Woojin who—ugh—was all over my mouth this morning, just—ugh, so rough I couldn’t even close my—”

“Just. Cover. Your. Face.”