By Zephyria 
Names appear in about two or three out of every 100 people. Among them, one in a million is almost one in 50 million when converted to the entire population. In other words, it means that there is barely one person like that in Korea. At this point, Yeon-rok could no longer claim it was an error.
“I should have just won the lottery…”
Why did this happen to me, who has been living a good and honest life every day?
Could misfortune be expressed in this way? He was stunned by the shocking reality that he had never imagined or hoped for, when his secretary, Kim Jeong-seong, strode over. The center employee flinched and became restless. Kim Jeong-seong, glancing at the center employee with a cold look, said politely.
“Lee Yeon-rok, I’ve been looking for you. From now on, you must tell me your destination in advance whenever you go somewhere. And what is your schedule for today?”
Yeon-rok, still unable to shake off the shock, answered blankly.
“My schedule today? …I don’t have one.”
When he had taken a half-day off while getting thoroughly scolded, he had planned to meet his Name partner, have dinner with him, and chat at a cafe. The reality was that his three Name partners had despised him and left him within minutes of meeting him.
“Then, would it be okay to proceed with the moving process right away?”
“…Moving?”
“It is necessary to move in together as soon as possible due to security and health issues. Ah, don’t worry. Yeom Cheon-ho will provide all the necessary living space, appliances, and furniture for the three of you. Now, let’s go. The car is waiting.”
Pushed by the secretary’s forcefulness, Yeon-rok came to his senses and found himself in a car heading to his house. As soon as he got into the expensive foreign car that he had never ridden in before, the seat comfortably wrapped around his body. His butt was almost feeling honored.
“I never said I was moving…”
Yeon-rok, belatedly protesting, lost his words. He hadn’t even said the address, but people in black suits were already waiting in front of his house, wearing work gloves in an orderly fashion. Anyone could tell that they were sent by Yeom Cheon-ho to help with the move.
He was intimidated by the sight of the people standing in neat rows. Yeon-rok belatedly took out the black business card and read it again. What kind of company is HM Capital? Who are these people anyway? Are they company employees? Or a service company…?
It was such a one-sided process that he couldn’t help but resist, but he definitely had to move. Once a Name fully manifests and a Name partner is encountered, one’s condition deteriorates if they cannot be together for a certain period of time. If it gets worse, they may suffer irreversible injuries or even die.
“Then, I’ll just pack some of the things I need right away.”
As he trudged toward the house, the neighborhood residents gossiped about what was going on. Yeon-rok quickened his pace, afraid of running into someone he knew.
Arriving at the house, Yeon-rok sighed. It was his precious house that he had bought with a loan after making a big decision, but it looked small and shabby today. What about my loan? My loan… With a blank look, Yeon-rok crammed clothes and cherished items into his bag.
“I’ll carry that for you.”
Kim Jeong-seong, who had followed him unnoticed, hurriedly took Yeon-rok’s luggage. No matter how much he asked for it back, he remained firm. Yeon-rok, who had never experienced anyone attending to him so devotedly, kept sweating.
The car started again. Leaving the neighborhood he had lived in for years and going to live in a new house with new people felt like a bolt from the blue. Kim Jeong-seong politely asked Yeon-rok, who was wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“Do you intend to continue with your current job?”
“…Can’t I continue?”
Instead of answering, Kim Jeong-seong lowered his eyebrows and smiled. It meant that it was very difficult.
“If it’s okay with you, I’ll take care of the retirement process.”
He was saying it indirectly, but it was clear that he had to quit. It was highly likely that this was Yeom Cheon-ho’s intention. Yeon-rok had been feeling uncomfortable with the situation where he was constantly being swayed, but after hesitating, he finally nodded. He was already conscious of his Name partners. He was constantly bothered by the fact that he was the latest and the most shabby today, and his stomach was burning.
Having become unemployed in an instant, he headed to his new home. Arriving in a wealthy neighborhood he didn’t even know the location of, Yeon-rok flinched. He had expected the residence to be impressive after seeing the scale of the people he was employing earlier, but the exterior of the new house exceeded his imagination. It wasn’t because it was magnificent or beautiful.
‘Is it some kind of fortress?’
The building, composed of light gray, resembled a solid castle wall. In fact, there were no windows on the first floor at all, so it looked like a prison at first glance. As if reading his mind, Kim Jeong-seong said.
“It’s a Courtyard structure, so the exterior is somewhat unsightly, but it has the great advantage of protecting privacy. Now, this way, please.”
In front of Yeon-rok, who was looking around for the entrance, Kim Jeong-seong pressed a panel so small that it was almost invisible. Then, the door, which had been perfectly disguised as a wall, opened. Tense at the sight of the unusual entrance, Yeon-rok hesitated and followed the guide inside.
As soon as he entered, he was greeted by an indoor garden, brightly decorated with all kinds of plants and lush greenery. White and black pebbles like Go stones were laid on the floor, and crape myrtles, birch trees, and various shrubs were harmoniously combined. Sunlight streamed through the glass ceiling near the entrance, where a waterfall was installed, and classical music was faintly heard from somewhere.
It was a landscape quite different from the concept of a house that Yeon-rok had experienced so far.
He passed through the fairly large garden and went inside. Unlike the closed-off exterior, the atmosphere was bright and stylish. Expensive furniture, works of art, and vases placed throughout the interior revealed the wealth and power of the possessor.
Yeon-rok, who was far removed from such things, was overwhelmed by the atmosphere he had never encountered before. The space and building walls were large and enormous, seeming to boast the luxury of empty space.
Unconsciously feeling discouraged, Yeon-rok inadvertently wiped the sweat from his neck. He felt like an uninvited guest who had set foot in a place he shouldn’t have. He just followed Kim Jeong-seong, wanting to return to his own small and shabby house.
“This is Lee Yeon-rok’s room.”
Kim Jeong-seong announced after passing through winding walls, doors, and corridors. Inside the room he entered after opening the door, everything was already perfectly filled, to the point where it made him wonder if it was worth packing his belongings. None of what Yeon-rok had brought would fit in this space. Just like Yeon-rok himself.
“Then, please rest.”
Kim Jeong-seong bowed and left, closing the door. Yeon-rok hesitated and then unpacked the luggage he had packed. First, he organized his clothes into the empty furniture. He wandered around the luxurious room that he couldn’t get used to, then suddenly grabbed his hair.
‘Name partners, three of them, and all men!’
He knew he was a bit unlucky, but how could this happen? Okay, let’s say the men thing is fine. But having three, and two of them already hating him, isn’t that too much? What am I supposed to do from now on…? He was at a loss when he heard a knock. When he told them to come in, Kim Jeong-seong politely asked.
“Lee Yeon-rok, what moving items should we bring from your house?”
“…Just bring the computer and leave the rest at home.”
There was nothing here to bring in, whether it was a dresser that someone had thrown away and he had picked up, a used wardrobe, or an old bed. He already felt a strange sense of guilt just storing his old clothes in the luxurious furniture.
“Understood. Is there anything else you need?”
“I want to eat dinner…”
He had skipped lunch today and worked straight through, and he was so nervous that he was very hungry. But unexpectedly, the answer he received was a refusal.
“I’m sorry, Lee Yeon-rok. Eating is prohibited because you have a health checkup tomorrow.”
“A health checkup?”
Yeon-rok’s eyes widened at the story he was hearing for the first time.
“If there is anything wrong with Lee Yeon-rok’s health, we must take immediate action.”
He was hungry but couldn’t eat dinner? Feeling a bit wronged and sad, Lee Yeon-rok asked.
“Then, are the others also getting a health checkup tomorrow?”
“The other three have recent health checkup records, so they are excluded.”
When was my last health checkup? Was it about a year ago? Everyone else had a recent health checkup, so the reason was valid, but even so, Yeon-rok already felt a strange sense of alienation.
“You must be very hungry, so I will schedule the health checkup as early as possible. Is 6 a.m. okay?”
“No… Yes. No, yes… It’s okay, yes.”
Yeon-rok, who had been deprived of dinner and had become listless, lingered outside the room for a while before returning to his room. He even got lost once because he was unfamiliar with the structure of this huge house. He collapsed on the bed. Hungry, he blankly replayed the events of the day, then muttered.
“…At least one of the three will be my match, right?”
He rummaged through his bag and took out the business cards he had received today. Yeom Cheon-ho, Choi Hwan, and Moon Kyeon-woo. All three had the worst impressions, but still, he had three Name partners, so at least one of them would be right for him…
He tried to think positively, but he couldn’t overcome the rising irritation and tossed and turned, taking out a notebook from his bag. The orphanage he grew up in had a rule that he had to write a diary every day, and the habit he had developed at that time was still continuing. He was hungry and sad, so the handwriting he scribbled in the notebook was quite fierce.
xx year x month x day
This is fucked
Those three words perfectly summarized today.