Han Ji Pyeong Start Up X Reader - Tumblr Posts

More Than Business

Pairing: Han Ji Pyeong x Reader (You) Genre: Subtle Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Growth Word Count: ~2,500 words

Synopsis: You’ve always admired Han Ji Pyeong's blunt honesty, but lately, the quiet moments between you two have stirred feelings you’re unsure of. Your shared dedication to work and loneliness brings you together, yet you can’t help but feel insignificant when you see Ji Pyeong with Dal Mi. After a vulnerable moment at the office, Ji Pyeong takes it upon himself to care for you while you're sick, leading to an emotional confession. Both of you must navigate the unspoken connection, with Ji Pyeong revealing his true feelings in a gentle, heartfelt resolution.

You had always known Han Ji Pyeong was blunt, brutally honest in a way that left little room for sugarcoating. But it was one of the things you liked about him. His sharp words never pierced as deep as they should have because you admired the man behind them—one who gave, even when it wasn’t required, who worked late nights in silence because he was all too familiar with the feeling of being alone.

You had the same tendency—your work often became your escape, your way of avoiding the uncomfortable loneliness that settled in whenever you had too much time to think. Maybe that’s why you ended up being the last two people in the office on holidays like Chuseok, the rest of the team long gone, leaving only you and him, tapping away at your keyboards.

Ji Pyeong had noticed your work ethic early on. It wasn't just that you were good—more than good—but that you didn’t back down. The first time he criticized one of your project ideas, calling it "amateurish" in front of the entire board, it was like a slap to the face. Yet, instead of wilting, you fired back.

“Alright, Ji Pyeong, I hear you. Now give me something better to work with,” you had said, holding his gaze with a smirk.

It had earned you a rare smile—a dimpled one that made your heart do strange things.

Since then, you and Ji Pyeong had developed a dynamic that worked for you both. You were unafraid to stand up to his sharp tongue, and he seemed to appreciate that you didn’t crumble under pressure. Still, something had shifted lately. Every time he smiled that dimpled smile or made a sarcastic comment, you found yourself… wanting more. The quiet moments between you both seemed to mean more than they should. But you weren’t sure he felt the same way.

One evening, you found yourself in his apartment, working on a project too urgent to put off until tomorrow. You had both fallen into a comfortable rhythm—papers and laptops scattered across the living room floor, the only sound being the clacking of keys and occasional sighs of frustration.

At some point, you had dozed off, head resting on a pile of notes. You woke to the soft rustling of a blanket being draped over you, and when you blinked your eyes open, you caught Ji Pyeong mid-motion, his face unusually soft, his eyes lingering on you in a way that made your breath catch.

“You should get some real sleep,” he whispered, awkwardly pulling his hand back like he hadn’t just been caught being gentle.

“Were you… tucking me in?” you teased, your voice still heavy with sleep, making the moment more intimate than it should’ve been.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he mumbled, his ears turning a shade of pink.

The unspoken tension simmered between you, but neither of you addressed it. It was too much to deal with. So, like always, you let the moment pass, though the image of his soft smile lingered.

Everything came crashing down the day Dal Mi showed up at the office. Seeing the way she interacted with Ji Pyeong—how naturally they seemed to fit together, laughing about something you couldn’t hear—hit you in a way you hadn’t expected.

Dal Mi was beautiful, smart, and everything you weren’t. You felt small. It was obvious why Ji Pyeong had never moved on from her. They made sense.

You spent the entire meeting lost in thought, forcing smiles when necessary, contributing only when directly asked. Ji Pyeong’s gaze kept darting toward you, concern etched into his face. You waved it off, but after the meeting, you collapsed at your desk, burying your face in your arms, feeling the weight of your insecurities crashing over you.

A light tap on your shoulder startled you. You looked up, and there he was—Ji Pyeong, leaning over your desk, his brow furrowed.

“You look terrible,” he said, but his tone wasn’t harsh. In fact, it was almost… gentle.

“Thanks,” you muttered, still in a daze.

“Are you sick?” he asked, placing the back of his hand on your forehead without waiting for permission. The warmth of his touch sent a wave of emotion crashing into you, making it hard to think straight.

“I’m fine,” you mumbled, though the truth was, you felt awful—physically and emotionally.

“Stop lying,” he said, clicking his fingers in front of your face. “What’s going on?”

You hesitated, trying to find an excuse. “I’m just… tired.”

“Well, let’s get you home,” he said, pulling your chair back without giving you the chance to argue.

“You don’t have to—"

“I’m taking you home,” he insisted, his voice leaving no room for argument. “And don’t bother trying to talk me out of it.”

The next morning, you texted Ji Pyeong, letting him know you wouldn’t be in the office. You kept the message professional, but truthfully, you didn’t want him to see you like this again. It was embarrassing enough that he had seen you looking so defeated yesterday. The last thing you needed was for him to realize how much his presence—his attention—affected you.

What you didn’t expect was for him to show up at your apartment later that day. When the doorbell rang, you opened it, groggy and still in your pajamas, only to see Ji Pyeong standing there, holding a plastic bag filled with medicine and food.

“Ji Pyeong?” you blinked in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“If you’re here to give me more work, I still have ten hours of sick leave left,” you joked weakly, trying to lighten the mood.

He chuckled softly, stepping inside. “No, I’m here as Ji Pyeong, not as your boss.”

You let him in, too tired to argue. As you watched him unpack the bag—setting out hot broth, medicine, and even a small dessert—you felt an overwhelming wave of emotion hit you. It was stupid, but seeing him take care of you like this, when you had always been the one to handle things alone, made your chest tighten.

You stood there, staring at the table as tears filled your eyes.

Ji Pyeong noticed immediately, his expression softening. “Hey… what’s wrong?”

You shook your head, wiping away the tears quickly. “I’m sorry, I just… I’m not used to this. Being taken care of.”

His hand hesitated in the air before gently patting your back. “I get it,” he said quietly. “But you don’t have to do everything alone.”

You gave a watery chuckle. “Is it the beef broth? It’s always the beef broth.”

He grinned, his dimple showing. “Yeah, definitely the broth.”

As you sat down to eat, you glanced at him, your heart pounding in your chest. “Ji Pyeong… if you keep this up, I might actually fall for you.”

He looked at you, eyes shining with something you hadn’t seen before. “Then fall for me,” he said, his voice steady. “Because I already have.”

Your breath caught, and for a moment, you couldn’t speak. “What about… Dal Mi?”

“She’s with Do San,” he said softly, his eyes never leaving yours. “I’ve been over her for a long time.”

More tears spilled down your cheeks, but this time they were tears of relief. Without thinking, you leaned forward and kissed him—on both cheeks, where his dimples rested.

“Thank you,” you whispered, feeling lighter than you had in a long time.

Ji Pyeong’s face flushed, his ears turning red as he tried to keep his cool. “I… I don’t know what to do with you.”

You laughed softly. “You could always wait until I’m not sick, and maybe I’ll kiss you properly.”

His face turned even redder as he pulled you into a hug, burying his face in your hair. “Yeah… I think I’ll do that.”