By Zephyria 
Swaaaa—
Seo Yi-kyung, who had stayed in the shower booth longer than usual, turned around. Transparent droplets of water flowed down his entire body. He threw on a robe, tied it loosely around his waist, and ran a towel through his wet hair. As the scent of Han Seung-jae’s white musk, which had filled his mind during the shower, faded, the heat that had spread through his body gradually disappeared.
Click. Seo Yi-kyung stepped out of the bathroom and passed through the bedroom. Lost in thought, he wasn’t even aware that he had left the bedroom wearing only a shower robe. Not until he stepped off the elevator and faced Min Ra-hyeon on the first floor.
Yi-kyung.
Seo Yi-kyung looked at Min Ra-hyeon as he approached. Only after seeing Min Ra-hyeon’s face did he realize that this was no time to be lost in sentiment. Moreover, wasn’t he supposed to go see Han Seung-jae’s mother with him today? He knew it in his head, but he couldn’t stop the discomfort in his stomach.
Min Ra-hyeon added with a smile.
“Other people are watching; isn’t it a bit much to walk around like that?”
Min Ra-hyeon looked down at the water droplets flowing from Seo Yi-kyung’s hair, passing over his Adam’s apple and disappearing inside the shower robe. Seo Yi-kyung’s skin was beyond white; it was transparent. A few droplets of water had even pooled in his hollow collarbones. Seo Yi-kyung turned and continued walking.
He didn’t feel it was worth answering. Well, coming down in a shower robe might be an issue, but hadn’t Seo Yi-kyung roamed around in pajamas even when Han Seung-jae was there? Very occasionally, he had even walked around without wearing drawers. And there was no one who could criticize what Seo Yi-kyung wore. Except for Han Seung-jae.
As Seo Yi-kyung entered the dressing room, Min Ra-hyeon followed closely behind, pushing open the door as it was about to close.
“They’re all suits.”
One wall was lined with the suits Han Seung-jae wore. Beside them, suits for Seo Yi-kyung were also prepared. However, since Seo Yi-kyung spent most of his time inside the house, he tended to prefer comfortable clothes over suits. But today was different.
Seo Yi-kyung lowered the towel he had been rubbing through his hair and stood before the rows of suits. Min Ra-hyeon looked around at the watches, cufflinks, tie pins, and belts on the display.
Meanwhile, Seo Yi-kyung pulled out a suit. It was the cream-colored suit that Butler Do had previously recommended for him to wear on dates with Han Seung-jae. I wonder if this will do.
Ms. Yi-kyung, are you wearing that?”
Despite the commotion this morning, Min Ra-hyeon approached as if nothing had happened and examined the clothes Seo Yi-kyung had taken out. Just then, there was a knock, and the door opened. It was Butler Do.
“Were you here?”
He seemed to have come to say that breakfast was ready, but Seo Yi-kyung felt it would be better to skip breakfast and eat lunch instead. If he ate breakfast with Min Ra-hyeon and then rode in a car with him, he would undoubtedly end up with indigestion.
“I’ll skip breakfast. I have no appetite.”
“Then I shall assist you with the clothes you’ll be wearing. Will you be wearing that suit?”
“Yes.”
Unlike when Min Ra-hyeon spoke, Seo Yi-kyung held the suit forward so Butler Do could see it clearly.
Perhaps feeling deeply apologetic about the morning’s events, Butler Do could hardly lift his head as he bustled around Seo Yi-kyung. He matched a tie to the suit Seo Yi-kyung had chosen and efficiently pulled out a watch, tie pin, and belt from the display. He was so skilled and agile that there wasn’t a single gap for Min Ra-hyeon to intervene.
Once Butler Do finished by setting out the matching shoes, Min Ra-hyeon, who had been observing with his arms crossed, murmured.
“Still a child.”
Seo Yi-kyung, who had ignored him until then, looked back at him. Min Ra-hyeon uncrossed his arms and moved.
“I’ll go change my clothes too.”
As he exited through the open door, he glanced back at Seo Yi-kyung. As if he had never looked, he began talking while looking at the accessories Butler Do had brought out.
“I think I’d prefer a different belt.”
“Then, how about this one?”
Min Ra-hyeon shook his head and closed the door.
* * *
Myeongjun Financial Group, Director’s Office.
Buzz— Secretary Park fumbled in his inner pocket. He pulled out his phone. In front of him, Han Seung-jae sat on the sofa, flipping through documents.
The man seated to the right wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. Even so, he continued to explain incessantly in accordance with the documents Han Seung-jae was reviewing.
“As for our company, as you can see for yourself, sales have been on a steady upward curve since last year.”
Suddenly, Han Seung-jae slammed the pile of documents shut.
“That’s enough. I don’t think I need to hear any more.”
“If that’s the case, does that mean you’re willing to invest—”
The man’s face rapidly brightened. However, Han Seung-jae cut straight to the point.
“Why should I take a loss? There’s no way to get money back even if I invest. What’s the point of sales increasing? It’s not all profit.”
Han Seung-jae tossed the documents onto the table.
“What? D-Director Han. Please look through this until the end.”
The man placed the closed pile of documents back into Han Seung-jae’s grip. Then, he grabbed Han Seung-jae’s knee. His two legs slid down from the sofa, and he knelt before Han Seung-jae.
“Please, just help me once. Director Han is the only one I can trust now.”
He clung to Han Seung-jae’s pant leg as if putting in his last ounce of strength, but it was useless. Soon, he was dragged out by a burly man who entered at Secretary Park’s call.
Just as Secretary Park was about to gather the scattered documents, the phone vibrated again. Buzz— Han Seung-jae, who was about to stand up, looked toward Secretary Park.
The incoming notification was a photo of Seo Yi-kyung.
When Han Seung-jae opened his palm, Secretary Park placed the phone on it. Immediately, another photo was sent. It showed Seo Yi-kyung, wearing a coat over a suit, getting into a sedan in front of the house. He was even wearing a tie neatly.
“Is he going to an art supply store?”
But for someone going to an art store, wasn’t he overdressed? It was almost as if he were going on a date. Han Seung-jae stared intently at Seo Yi-kyung’s face before standing up. Going to an art exhibition wouldn’t be bad. Has he finally felt like doing that? Holding Secretary Park’s phone, he moved to his desk.
Before long, a few more photos arrived. Han Seung-jae, who had been signing documents, picked up the phone as if bewildered.
The place Seo Yi-kyung was looking at after stepping out of the sedan was a familiar location.
There was no way Han Seung-jae wouldn’t know his own family home.
* * *
“She has been waiting for you since this morning.”
Guided by Butler Choi, Seo Yi-kyung passed by a family photo on the wall. For some reason, he felt as if the Han Seung-jae in the photo was staring at him, and he rubbed the back of his neck, which had grown chilly.
“This place is exactly the same. Nothing has changed. This part is completely identical. I remember walking like this when I was young.”
“…….”
Yi-kyung, if you go behind here, there’s a walking path, and it’s really beautiful when the flowers bloom in the garden. Let’s go see them together later. I’ll show you.”
Min Ra-hyeon, sounding nostalgic as if he had come to his own home which he knew like the back of his hand, quickened his pace. It was a season when flowers couldn’t possibly be blooming. A cold wind was blowing outside. Perhaps that was why. Seo Yi-kyung felt a chill in a corner of his chest.
Soon, Min Ra-hyeon spotted Yeon So-jeong sitting on the sofa and ran toward her in one breath.
“Welcome, you two.”
Min Ra-hyeon took a seat beside Yeon So-jeong and acted as if he had met a mother he had been separated from for a very long time.
Seo Yi-kyung, having taken off his coat, slowly sat on the sofa. Yeon So-jeong’s gaze lingered on him.
“Have you been doing well?”
A glow emanated from Seo Yi-kyung’s pale face. Her gaze fixed on his neatly arranged hair, thin eyebrows, rounded tip of the nose, and the slightly red lips that fit together beautifully. Just then, a smile seemed to flicker on Seo Yi-kyung’s lips before they parted slightly.
“Yes. Since the last time I saw you—”
“Nothing has changed here.”
Yeon So-jeong’s head turned toward Min Ra-hyeon. He grabbed her arm and spoke.
“And you are as beautiful as ever, Mother.”
A smile spread across Yeon So-jeong’s face. Then, Butler Choi approached and placed teacups in front of the two of them.
“I will let you know when the lunch preparations are complete.”
Even as he turned away, only Min Ra-hyeon’s voice echoed in the living room.
Seo Yi-kyung stared at the two of them continuing the conversation. As Min Ra-hyeon poured out words incessantly, Yeon So-jeong’s gaze remained fixed on him.
‘It was like this in the original story, too.’
He remembered reading the monologues of the ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ who was hurt because he couldn’t even get a word in due to Min Ra-hyeon chatting so loudly, and who remained pained and depressed even after returning home.
However, Min Ra-hyeon hadn’t brought ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ along simply to flaunt his intimacy with Han Seung-jae’s mother.
Min Ra-hyeon had brought ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ because he feared that if he asked to come alone, Yeon So-jeong might not agree to meet him.
The fact that she had accepted so readily despite the sudden contact made it clear as day who Yeon So-jeong truly wanted to see.
But the ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ who didn’t know that fact and the current me who does are different.
Seo Yi-kyung slowly lifted the teacup in front of him. Then, he spoke briefly.
“Ugh.”