Realizing the Misunderstanding

Oh my God! Is my mouth blessed or something? I just make random guesses, and they turn out to be true!

Leo was caught off guard. He had only been joking when he guessed that Feder might be involved with Noah, based on Feder's usual habit of teasing Noah. But seeing Noah's reaction, he realized he had hit the mark.

"Ahem, uh, I'll just pretend I didn't say anything," Leo stammered, trying to backtrack. He turned to leave but was yanked back by the collar as Noah forcefully dragged him into the break room.

"I can't breathe! Take it easy!" Leo complained, though he didn't resist, following Noah into the room.

Once inside, Noah shoved Leo against the wall, pinning him with a foot to the stomach, his eyes full of menace.

"I swear I won't tell anyone, really," Leo immediately surrendered, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. He understood Noah's concern—after all, the Dupont family and the Feder family were at odds, and Feder working for the Feder family made him an enemy in their eyes.

"If you dare say a word, I'll make sure you regret it," Noah threatened, applying more pressure with his foot, his gaze sliding meaningfully downward.

Leo understood the implication all too well, grimacing. "I'm your friend. Can't you trust me?"

Noah's expression remained skeptical. He knew Leo had a habit of making jokes without knowing when to stop.

Seeing the seriousness in Leo's eyes, Noah reluctantly eased up, lowering his leg.

Leo exhaled in relief, rubbing his sore stomach. "You really don't hold back, do you?"

"You should be thankful I didn't use bullets," Noah retorted, still irritated.

But Leo just laughed, slinging an arm around Noah's shoulders. "So, with Feder, are you the bottom in this relationship?"

"Say his name again, and I'll kill you," Noah snapped, shoving Leo away, his temper flaring as he stormed out of the break room.

"Someone's shy," Leo muttered with a chuckle, but his smile quickly faded as he thought about the situation. Feder messing with Noah? If their boss found out, this could turn into a big problem.

"You can mess with anyone, but if you mess with my friend, it's a different story," Leo's eyes grew cold as anger simmered beneath the surface.

Meanwhile, in Richa's office, Kyle sat on the sofa, his face burning with embarrassment. He couldn't understand why Richa was suddenly being so gentle. Wasn't he about to break up with me? How could he be so tender now?

Confused, Kyle stole a glance at Richa, who was buttoning his sleeve cuffs. As if sensing Kyle's gaze, Richa looked down at him, their eyes meeting.

Kyle panicked, quickly looking away as he fiddled with his clothes and hair, too nervous to hold Richa's gaze.

Richa's lips curved ever so slightly, a barely noticeable smile.

"Is that person your cousin?" Richa asked.

It took Kyle a moment to realize Richa was referring to Mark, and he nodded obediently.

"He's a good kid, not a bad person," Kyle hastily explained, worried about the earlier misunderstanding.

Richa didn't seem concerned; after all, Mark hadn't managed to land a hit.

"Are you mad?" Kyle asked hesitantly, growing anxious at Richa's silence. He glanced up at Richa, trying to gauge his mood.

"I'm not mad," Richa replied before leaning down to kiss Kyle.

Kyle was startled, feeling both flattered and nervous. He was completely at a loss. Despite not understanding what was going on, it seemed clear that Richa had no intention of breaking up with him. In fact, he seemed even more affectionate than before, kissing Kyle whenever he got the chance.

Richa pulled away from the kiss, only to plant another quick peck on Kyle's lips.

Breathless and bewildered, Kyle stared at Richa. Did I misunderstand the whole situation?

"Did you eat breakfast?" Richa asked, caressing Kyle's face before kissing his forehead.

Kyle's face turned a deeper shade of red, his heart racing. He had never seen Richa be so gentle before. Usually, their interactions were brief, with Richa holding him for a bit before sending him home with Noah.

Kyle didn't answer, so Richa asked again, "You didn't eat?"

"I did. I had breakfast with Mark," Kyle quickly replied, snapping out of his daze. He nervously pulled his hands away from Richa's neck, his face still flushed as he looked down, avoiding eye contact.

Seeing Kyle's avoidance, Richa frowned slightly. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No, I'm not afraid of you," Kyle hurriedly explained, shaking his head and looking back at Richa, meeting his gaze.

"Did I do something wrong?" Richa asked, indirectly referring to Mark calling him a scumbag and trying to hit him. He had heard every word clearly.

Kyle's heart sank with guilt, and he nervously clasped his hands together, his voice barely a whisper. "I think… I might have misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" Richa raised an eyebrow, his expression indicating that he wanted Kyle to continue.

Kyle bit his lip, feeling a bit wronged. Richa hadn't contacted him for a whole month, and every time Kyle tried to call, his phone was unreachable.

"Why didn't you contact me?" Kyle finally mustered the courage to ask, looking directly into Richa's eyes. He wanted an explanation.

Richa, however, seemed genuinely confused. "Didn't I tell you I was going on a long trip?"

"When?" Kyle asked, growing slightly frustrated because he had no memory of such a conversation.

But then he paused, a vague recollection surfacing. Did he mention that?

Kyle pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to remember, but nothing came to mind.

"In the car, when you were sitting on my lap," Richa reminded him.

With Richa's reminder, Kyle recalled that Richa might have mentioned something about a trip while they were in the car. But at the time, Kyle had been too flustered by the close physical contact and the unexpected kisses to pay attention to anything else.

So, the trip he mentioned was that?

Realization dawned on Kyle, and he felt his face burn with shame. So, it was my fault for not listening properly.

"How distracted were you back then?" Richa asked, his gaze fixed on Kyle as if to say, "How could you not pay attention to what I was saying?"

Kyle's face immediately turned crimson, and he stammered defensively, "Well, it's not like you made it easy to focus. How could I listen when you kept distracting me?"

Kyle grumbled, feeling a bit resentful. Richa always moved so fast, leaving Kyle in a daze, struggling to keep up.

Just like earlier, Richa had wordlessly scooped him up and carried him to the office, making Kyle think he was about to be dumped.

"Can't you check to make sure I understand next time? If you did, I wouldn't have misunderstood," Kyle muttered softly, chiding Richa.

Richa took a moment to reflect, realizing that he had indeed been a bit hasty. But the sight of Kyle's face had made him lose control.

"I'll be more careful next time," Richa promised.

Kyle nodded, feeling a bit relieved that Richa was willing to reflect on his actions. He decided to apologize as well. "I'm sorry too. I'll listen more carefully from now on. I almost ended up hurting you earlier."

"It's not a big deal. No need to apologize," Richa dismissed the concern, not minding since Mark hadn't actually managed to hit him.

Richa sat down on the coffee table across from Kyle, his gaze steady as he watched Kyle.

Kyle, feeling increasingly flustered under Richa's intense stare, instinctively averted his eyes. Even though Richa wasn't doing anything, Kyle still felt embarrassed.