By Zephyria 
Yeon-rok, who was touching his cold fingertips as even his non-existent cold hands and feet had returned, hesitated and then mustered some courage to ask again.
“When can I see CEO again? I mean, not just having dinner together, but personally.”
“Well, I’ll ask Yeom Cheon-ho-nim.”
He wasn’t expecting much, but it was around the time he was finishing dinner. Kim Jeong-seong came back with a look of pure joy.
“Yeom Cheon-ho-nim says he’s available for lunch this Friday.”
“Really?”
To Yeon-rok, who had almost given up on his relationship with Choi Hwan and Moon Kyeon-woo, Yeom Cheon-ho was quite an important person. It wasn’t that he considered him a romantic partner, but he felt like he could get by if he just held his hand once a week like last time.
‘Even if not, I just want to be friends. He’s cool.’
Yeom Cheon-ho was a cool person even when viewed as a man. He was polite, courteous, and considerate to the young Yeon-rok, and he had everything Yeon-rok didn’t have. So, Yeon-rok couldn’t help but admire him.
If I could just have a meal with him, or even if it’s not a meal, just hold his hand once. I don’t want anything more than that. Still, now that I think about it, I should tidy up my appearance before meeting him. He looked in the mirror and touched his hair, which had grown long enough to make him wonder if he needed a hairband, then searched for a nearby hair salon.
“Why is it so expensive……?”
Is it this expensive to just get a haircut? Is it because it’s a wealthy neighborhood? Reservations are also required. Yeon-rok’s fingers hesitated above the phone screen. Even though Yeom Cheon-ho had told him to use his card, Yeon-rok still didn’t feel like doing that. He had never taken anything for free from anyone since he became an adult.
Yeon-rok found a decent hair salon a little further away. The ratings and reviews were good.
‘Then I’ll go get my hair done before lunch, and the clothes……. Ah, I have to buy clothes too.’
He rummaged through online shopping malls. The clothes he carefully chose without realizing how much time had passed didn’t deviate much from his usual style.
As time passed, on Friday, Kim Jeong-seong approached Yeon-rok, who had washed up sparkling clean from the morning and was ready to go to the hair salon, with a hesitant look. As soon as he saw that expression, he could guess what he was going to say. Yeon-rok asked with a voice already filled with disappointment.
“……It’s not going to work out?”
“I’m really sorry. Something urgent suddenly came up, so he can’t keep the lunch appointment. How about another date instead?”
“Well, I’m fine with any time, so please tell him to set it whenever it’s convenient for CEO.”
Kim Jeong-seong lowered his head deeply as Yeon-rok said listlessly, his energy completely drained.
“I’m sorry, Lee Yeon-rok-nim.”
“Why are you sorry, Secretary Hyung? I was a little reluctant to go out anyway.”
Yeon-rok replied listlessly, sticking his cold fingertips into his pockets. Kim Jeong-seong must have been quite busy, because he apologized and then left right away. He changed into comfortable clothes, feeling too lazy to go to the hair salon or anything else. He pinned back the bangs that were bothering his vision, and then something dropped from his nose.
“Huh.”
Yeon-rok, who was experiencing a nosebleed for the first time in his life, was flustered. He pressed it with a tissue, and it stopped after a while. But the chills he felt the moment he saw the nosebleed didn’t go away. Name Awakened usually die within a few years if they don’t have contact with their partner. In other words, it also meant that nothing would happen in just a month, but he felt uneasy.
After washing his hands, Yeon-rok skipped lunch and lay still on the bed like a dried-up carrot. He felt like his cold hands and feet had gotten worse, and now he felt cold to the bone. No, that’s not it. This entity wasn’t cold or chills, but the loneliness that Yeon-rok had felt his whole life. Yeon-rok, who was tossing and turning on the bed, posted a message on the internet with his phone.
[Looking for friends]
As soon as he posted it, he got a reply, and he checked it with a bright expression, but the content was like this.
Are you a girl?
⤷Male
After that, no more replies were posted. Yeon-rok frowned and deleted the post, then wrote it again with more care this time.
[Looking for friends / Male 25 years old / Living in Seoul]
Yeon-rok frowned as he checked the reply that was posted a while later. ‘Are you a girl?’ Below that, Yeon-rok replied with anger.
⤷You crazy bastard, I wrote male in the title
⤷⤷Handsome?
⤷⤷⤷Kind of good looking
⤷⤷⤷⤷Don’t believe you bye
There were all kinds of weirdos in the world. After that, no more replies were posted again. Yeon-rok, who had become a little more lonely after trying to find friends on the internet, hugged his Cherished doll, Lime, and patted it. How nice would it be if this doll was a living creature? Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
“……Should I get a dog?”
He had wanted to raise one before, but he couldn’t because he didn’t have the money or the time. But now he’s living much more comfortably, isn’t he? Yeon-rok sent a text to Kim Jeong-seong as soon as the thought occurred to him.
[Secretary Hyung, is it okay if I get a dog?]
Perhaps feeling guilty for canceling the appointment with Yeom Cheon-ho, or perhaps feeling sorry for Yeon-rok, Kim Jeong-seong sent a reply right away.
[CEO says it’s okay. However, I need permission from the others, so I’ll ask for their opinions.]
[No, it’s okay. You’re busy, Hyung, so I’ll ask them.]
He must have been really busy, because a reply came back a while later saying, “I’ll ask for your favor.”
Yeon-rok, who had regained a little energy, went to find Choi Hwan. He went to the exercise room, and he was coming out with a look of enlightenment after just finishing showering. When Choi Hwan saw Lee Yeon-rok, he smacked his lips with a hungry look for some reason. It was probably because he was thinking about the chewy ramen he had eaten earlier, but it felt a little strange to have the same man looking at him like that.
“Do you like dogs?”
When Yeon-rok asked out of the blue, Choi Hwan frowned.
“What? What dog.”
“I want to try raising a dog.”
Dog……. The face of Choi Hwan, who was muttering with moist eyes, showed the aspect of a dog lover. In fact, Yeon-rok had learned that he raised a dog at his parents’ house. Sure enough, Choi Hwan readily agreed. With an insignificant condition attached.
“Instead, I’ll often bring Bori from my parents’ house too.”
If there were two dogs, the cuteness would be doubled, so it wouldn’t be bad for Yeon-rok either. Now all that was left was Moon Kyeon-woo’s consent. Yeon-rok took a seat in the indoor garden and waited for Moon Kyeon-woo to return.
Moon Kyeon-woo didn’t return until late at night. The scent of wind buried in his camel coat was particularly cold and chilly. When Yeon-rok woke up from dozing off to a gust of cool wind, Moon Kyeon-woo had already passed him and was entering the entrance.
“Excuse me.”
“…….”
“Excuse me? Moon Kyeon-woo-ssi?”
As he had done until now, he cleanly ignored Yeon-rok’s words and passed by. Since it was an expected action, Yeon-rok moved more actively. When he tapped him on the shoulder, Moon Kyeon-woo turned around with annoyance.
“I clearly told you not to touch my body without permission……!”
Moon Kyeon-woo paused. It was a colorful plastic hand that had tapped his shoulder. To be exact, it was a hand-shaped clapper made for cheering at sports competitions or events. Yeon-rok moved the hand clapper as if to show off, making a clapping sound, and said,
“I didn’t touch you?”
Moon Kyeon-woo gave him a look of blatant contempt.
“Are you trying to play with me right now?”
“Well, you should have answered me earlier, right?”
The feeling of being openly ignored in front of his eyes was really not a good one. Moon Kyeon-woo became annoyed at Yeon-rok’s retort and went straight in. Ah, he’s still ignoring me even after I went this far? Yeon-rok was now a little stubborn.
The next day, Moon Kyeon-woo, who was coming out of his room to go to work, flinched when he saw Yeon-rok holding a hand clapper. Yeon-rok yawned and clapped to attract attention.
“Excuse me, Moon Kyeon-woo-ssi. Let’s ask you just one thing.”
Moon Kyeon-woo ignored Yeon-rok and walked away. Of course, Yeon-rok followed Moon Kyeon-woo and continued to clap. Clack clack clack clack! He stimulated his hearing and sight by shaking the hand clapper flamboyantly throughout breakfast, and finally Moon Kyeon-woo reacted.
He snatched the cheering tool roughly from Yeon-rok with an angry face and threw it in the trash can. Moon Kyeon-woo snorted when Yeon-rok opened his eyes wide. But that didn’t last long either. Yeon-rok had secretly taken out another clapper that he had hidden under the dining table.
“……!”
“Actually, I bought one more.”
Moon Kyeon-woo, gritting his teeth, snatched it again. He was a more temperamental person than he had thought. This time, he even damaged the palm part. Then Yeon-rok opened his eyes wide again and took out a new hand clapper from the sink drawer this time.
“Actually, I bought one more.”
“……I’m warning you. Don’t do it.”
Yeon-rok shook the clapper openly in front of a face that was so cold it could cool even freshly brewed coffee. Clack, clack, clack.
“What are you going to do if I do it?”