By Zephyria Ryu Jeong’s heart was leaning towards accepting Lee Do-hyeon’s offer. However, he had no solution for the most important issue—money—and Ryu Jeong felt uneasy even after returning home.
He barely managed to cover last month with the check Lee Do-hyeon gave him, but the repayment date at the end of the month was another problem. Ryu Jeong, who never thought he would ever consider academics again, and who was swayed by Lee Do-hyeon’s earnest and resolute proposal that he was needed, was now facing numbers he couldn’t grasp and had to rub his forehead. He was even considering quitting his part-time job for the first time.
“……”
After finishing a hearty meal of soup and Eggs Benedict he had packed on the way home, Ryu Jeong got up to clear the dishes and was led by Lee Do-hyeon to take a bath. The warm water embraced his tired body, but it didn’t wash away the complicated thoughts in his head.
Should he tell him now that he has debts to repay in place of his father? The thought suddenly crossed his mind, but it seemed too late. Before, he was afraid that the fact would burden Lee Do-hyeon and make him leave, but now he was more worried that Lee Do-hyeon would pay it all off.
Ryu Jeong agonized repeatedly until his fingers were swollen and wrinkled, but in the end, he couldn’t make any decisions and left the bathroom. As he rubbed his wet hair with a towel and walked into the living room, Lee Do-hyeon, who seemed to have already showered in the other bathroom, was sitting there with a rather serious expression.
Lee Do-hyeon, who was reading something in front of a square laptop, looked up at the sound of Ryu Jeong approaching. The look in his eyes beneath his thick eyebrows was more serious than ever.
“Why aren’t you drying your hair?”
Lee Do-hyeon put the laptop aside and gestured for him to come closer. Hesitatingly, Ryu Jeong approached, and Lee Do-hyeon pulled Ryu Jeong’s wrist and sat him on his lap. There were plenty of other places to sit, but Ryu Jeong bit his lip slightly at the action of being placed on his knee.
“Your hair has grown a lot.”
Lee Do-hyeon, who was rubbing his wet hair with the towel he had been given, carefully stroked the back of Ryu Jeong’s head. As he removed the strands of hair clinging to his white neck and murmured as if noticing it for the first time, Ryu Jeong felt awkward and covered his neck with a listless hand. He was embarrassed to be pointed out for not being neat.
“I didn’t have time to trim it……”
Ryu Jeong said in a small voice, as if making an excuse, and lowered his head. Not being able to trim his long hair on time was a trivial and repetitive occurrence, so he hadn’t been very conscious of it until Lee Do-hyeon mentioned it. It was starting to poke his eyes, so he thought he should cut it soon.
“What… were you… doing?”
Ryu Jeong, who was embarrassed by the close distance, looked around and abruptly changed the subject. It was an awkward voice with obvious intentions, but Lee Do-hyeon didn’t point it out and naturally accepted it.
Lee Do-hyeon lifted Ryu Jeong, who was sitting next to him, and sat him between his legs so that he was facing the same direction as him. He lightly buried his nose in his hair, which was not yet completely dry, and picked up the laptop that he had put down for a moment and placed it on Ryu Jeong’s lap.
Ryu Jeong, who was suddenly hugged tightly by Lee Do-hyeon and unable to move, fixed his gaze on the laptop screen, which he couldn’t help but see. On the white background displayed on the screen, black letters were lined up in rows, and at first glance, his name was included in each paragraph.
“What is this?”
“A contract. Read it.”
“A contract?”
“Yes. I just wrote down what I could think of for now, but let me know if there’s anything you need to add. Tell me right away if there’s anything you don’t like.”
A contract. Ryu Jeong, bewildered by the incomprehensible words, inadvertently turned his gaze back to the screen. Lee Do-hyeon moved his fingertips over the trackpad and slowly scrolled down.
As Lee Do-hyeon said, the document that started with ‘Contract’ was more meticulous and specific than he thought. Below the simple title, the names of Ryu Jeong and Lee Do-hyeon, meaning the contracting parties, were written side by side, and below that, items divided by numbers were listed separately.
“What is this……”
Before he could even finish reading the first sentence, Ryu Jeong made a bewildered expression. It was because the positions of ‘A’ and ‘B’, which briefly referred to the contracting parties, caught his eye.
This contract is concluded between
Ryu Jeong
(hereinafter referred to as A) and
Lee Do-hyeon
(hereinafter referred to as B), and in order to prove this contract, two copies of the contract are prepared, signed and sealed by A and B, and then kept by each party.
Ryu Jeong, who couldn’t understand why he had to be A instead of B, couldn’t bear to read any further and looked back at Lee Do-hyeon. Lee Do-hyeon smiled and told him to read it all the way through and then talk about it, but he was already so uncomfortable that he couldn’t focus on the rest of the content.
However, it seemed that there would be no progress in the conversation unless he read it, so Ryu Jeong reluctantly sighed and slowly read it. And soon, he was greatly shocked.
In a nutshell, the content was that Lee Do-hyeon would spare no support in helping Ryu Jeong become a hotelier, and that included financial support. Lee Do-hyeon would be responsible for all expenses related to tuition, living expenses, housing, and medical care, and Ryu Jeong would have no obligation to repay them separately. Even to his ignorant eyes, it was all unfair, so Ryu Jeong was at a loss for words.
“I told you, I’m scouting Jeong.”
Lee Do-hyeon spoke softly when he remained frozen without saying anything even after reading it all. Ryu Jeong, who couldn’t grasp the correlation, opened his mouth hesitantly.
“Why are you… doing this much?”
“Any foundation treats its scholarship students like this.”
“Scholarship student?”
“Well, I used that word because I couldn’t think of a more appropriate one… but when you think about it, it’s not wrong. I’m trying to raise Jeong and take him with me.”
“Rai, raise? Me?”
Ryu Jeong asked back with wide eyes. His body, trapped in his arms, shook as if he was quite surprised. Lee Do-hyeon smiled faintly and continued to elaborate.
“I’m going to tear down your house, make you quit all your part-time jobs, and make you give up everything you have. I have to specify how I’m going to take responsibility. This house is now Jeong’s house, and if you quit your part-time job, you’ll have to keep getting money equivalent to that salary to make a living. And if you want to become a hotelier, studying is essential, so academic support is a given.”
“……”
“Of course, it doesn’t just mean I’m giving you support.”
“Ah……”
Of course. There’s no such thing as free kindness. Rather than being disappointed, he felt relieved. Ryu Jeong was about to let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.
“The condition is that you join my hotel within a few years.”
“……”
Ryu Jeong, who was momentarily taken aback by the firm tone, blinked quickly. He waited a little longer, thinking that couldn’t be all, but Lee Do-hyeon didn’t say anything else. Ryu Jeong stared blankly into the air before lowering his gaze again to stare at the laptop screen. He couldn’t believe that there were only clauses for him, A, and that all Lee Do-hyeon was asking for was to join his company.
“Why…?”
“Why what? It’s obvious. There’s no point in supporting you if you’re going to go to another hotel.”
Lee Do-hyeon, who was rubbing his nose against the hair that smelled faintly of shampoo, wrapped his arms around Ryu Jeong’s stomach and placed his hands on the keyboard. He tapped his fingers as if he was about to write something and opened his mouth.
“I’m negotiating to scout Jeong right now. I want you to quit your part-time job as soon as possible. That way, you can study.”
Lee Do-hyeon, who quietly muttered the last words, suddenly felt like a parent nagging his child and chuckled softly. Ryu Jeong, who flinched at the breath tickling his ear, tried to turn around, but Lee Do-hyeon hugged him tightly to stop him.
“Do you still have the card I gave you before?”
“Ah, yes. In my bag… Should I go get it now?”
Ryu Jeong, who was biting his lip awkwardly, was about to get up as if he was going to get it right away. Lee Do-hyeon pressed down on Ryu Jeong and started typing.
“No. I’m not asking for it, I’m just telling you to keep it safe so you don’t lose it. The card is also included in the financial support. And I’m going to give you some money in cash separately.”
Ryu Jeong, who thought the card alone was already too much, took a deep breath at the mention of additional cash. Lee Do-hyeon always approached him in a way that exceeded Ryu Jeong’s standards, so he couldn’t even guess what words he would use to surprise him this time.
Whether he knew Ryu Jeong’s difficult feelings or not, Lee Do-hyeon asked in a calm tone.
“Would about five million won a month be enough?”
“Fi, five million?”
Ryu Jeong’s mouth dropped open. However, Lee Do-hyeon took that reaction to mean that the amount was insufficient and pondered deeply.
“I think I received that much when I was around Jeong’s age. Should I reflect the inflation a little? Then, would ten million won be enough?”
“No! That’s too, too much.”
Ryu Jeong quickly denied, thinking that he might misunderstand again. When the amount of five million won was followed by twice that amount, ten million won, Ryu Jeong was restless and didn’t know what to do. The blood had drained from his already pale face.
“I’m not giving it to you personally. I told you, I’m supporting you as the CEO of the hotel.”
But Lee Do-hyeon was persistent. Ryu Jeong’s words that it was too much seemed incomprehensible to him.
“Still, ten million won a month is a bit……”
“It has to be this extravagant for Ryu Jeong not to look at other hotels.”
“Still……”
“How is it? Does it tempt you a little?”
Lee Do-hyeon, who had moved the cumbersome laptop to the side again, grabbed Ryu Jeong’s chin and turned it. Although there were no tears, his moist eyes turned to Lee Do-hyeon as if he had been waiting for it. Lee Do-hyeon, who was staring into his clear eyes where he could see his pupils, smiled as if urging him to answer.
“……”
He could never get used to the affectionate smile, no matter how many times he saw it. It felt like something was tingling somewhere in his heart, and soon he felt like he was going to shed tears. Ryu Jeong followed Lee Do-hyeon, who was smiling at him, and raised the corners of his lips, but hesitated and stopped smiling.
“…I dropped out of school. I don’t know how long it will take. Is that okay with you……?”
Lee Do-hyeon shrugged as if he didn’t care at all about the confession that he had little education.
“That time that you don’t know how long it will take is also part of the investment.”
Unlike Ryu Jeong, who was terrified of something that hadn’t even started yet, Lee Do-hyeon was full of confidence. Ryu Jeong pressed his lips tightly at the answer that contained the intention to trust and wait for him.
No matter how much they were lovers, the person who should trust himself the most was himself. Should he take a little courage? Ryu Jeong took a deep breath.