By Zephyria 
“Oh, really?”
Since he said it himself, he had an excuse to tell Moon Kyeon-woo later. Yeon-rok quickly walked over and took Yeom Cheon-ho’s other hand, and strangely, Choi Hwan looked very wronged.
“I, I’m holding it!”
“…? Yeah. But it’s more efficient if two people hold it. Don’t you remember when you did that for me when I was sick last time? Name partners have to help each other.”
Yeon-rok scolded him, wondering why he was acting like that. Yeom Cheon-ho said in a voice that seemed to be holding back laughter.
“If you’re trying to get on my good side because of the card, I think you’ve reflected enough, so I’ll release it.”
“Hey, it’s not because of the card…!”
Choi Hwan couldn’t finish his sentence and mumbled, his face turning red. Even so, he seemed quite tempted by Yeom Cheon-ho’s words, and he pouted as he replied.
“Are you really going to unfreeze it?”
“If you promise not to ditch your bodyguards again.”
“I won’t.”
Choi Hwan agreed quickly and insincerely. Yeom Cheon-ho could see that clearly, so he advised in a gentle voice.
“If this happens again, I will double the number of bodyguards and entrust the card to Manager Jo Jun-ho.”
Choi Hwan shuddered at the thought and nodded with a dejected expression. Yeom Cheon-ho’s words didn’t end there.
“And how about entrusting your asset management to someone else at this opportunity? I think Hwan has shown enough sincerity to his family at this point.”
Choi Hwan, who had been happily planning to run to the department store right away and sweep up all the new items, paused. He became defensive and pursed his lips. Yeom Cheon-ho also knew about Choi Hwan’s situation, but he hadn’t been able to touch on it because the person’s attitude was like this and it was a sensitive issue.
“If you don’t trust anyone else, well, Yeon-rok, for example.”
“Excuse me? Me? Manage his assets?”
Yeon-rok was greatly surprised when his name was suddenly mentioned. There was no way Choi Hwan would accept such an absurd proposal. He looked over, expecting him to go wild, but unexpectedly, Choi Hwan had a tempted expression on his face. He met his gaze and raised his head slightly.
“You said it, all my money is your money.”
“No, that’s…”
Anyone could tell that he didn’t mean it sincerely, right? Of course, he had launched a counterattack to drive out the troublesome parents!
However, on the other hand, he also thought. Considering the parents who had shamelessly come and caused trouble, taking almost all the money that Choi Hwan had earned with his son’s hard work…
It wouldn’t be strange if Choi Hwan went bankrupt soon and became dependent on Yeom Cheon-ho. If he left Choi Hwan, who couldn’t say a word in front of his unfairly treating parents and just listened, the same thing would definitely happen again.
Still, Yeon-rok was wondering if this was right, and Yeom Cheon-ho winked at him. Seeing him, Yeon-rok realized. Ah! Is this all a joint operation to save Choi Hwan from being exploited by his parents? He figured that Yeom Cheon-ho would help him from behind, even though he was only saying that he would manage the assets, so Yeon-rok quickly nodded.
“Okay. Then I’ll manage it from now on.”
Perhaps because it was money that had been constantly taken away by his parents, Choi Hwan seemed quite happy that someone else was managing his assets. Yeon-rok felt a little sorry for him, thinking that he was entrusting it to him in order to be taken away less by his parents.
Yeom Cheon-ho, smiling as if he had done well, smiled at Yeon-rok with a wink. Yeon-rok felt a little proud. He was happy that he was protecting Choi Hwan’s assets and receiving Yeom Cheon-ho’s trust and support. Soon, Yeom Cheon-ho changed the subject.
“So, about the cherry blossom viewing we were talking about earlier, there happens to be a suitable place.”
Yeon-rok, who had been recommended to go to a certain island in Namhae and was left alone with Moon Kyeon-woo in a landscape full of cherry blossom petals, thought.
‘Why did it turn out like this…?’
He had definitely been proposed to go by Choi Hwan and recommended a place by Yeom Cheon-ho, but the person next to him was Moon Kyeon-woo with a sour expression. He recalled the process leading up to this.
‘Then shall we go play this Tuesday?’
Choi Hwan had said confidently, but Jo Jun-ho, who hadn’t consulted with the agency at all, had immediately rushed over after unilaterally being notified of the schedule. He scolded him, saying what cherry blossom viewing was he talking about during this busy time, saying he could see it just by going to Yeouido, and after trying to appease him, he finally gave him permission to go for a short time on Sunday afternoon. And two days later, Yeom Cheon-ho said this.
‘I think I can also take some time on Sunday, would it be okay if I joined?’
Choi Hwan showed that he didn’t like it with his whole body, but Yeon-rok readily agreed. He felt like they were going on a picnic and that they had become a family, even if only a little. Whether he heard that Yeom Cheon-ho was going or not, Moon Kyeon-woo also took time off to go with them.
But on the day of departure, Choi Hwan, who had a sudden filming, dropped out with a dead face. The same was true for Yeom Cheon-ho. He couldn’t join because he had urgent matters to take care of, so he asked them to have a good time instead. Perhaps because it was his boyfriend’s request, Moon Kyeon-woo reluctantly accompanied him. As a result, only the two of them went to see the cherry blossoms.
“Haa… I have so much work to do.”
Moon Kyeon-woo sighed next to him, openly showing that he didn’t like it. Regardless, Yeon-rok was busy looking around.
They had arrived at a small island owned by Yeom Cheon-ho in just a few minutes by yacht. Cherry blossom trees and beautiful ornamental trees were planted everywhere, and it was neat and tidy, showing that people often managed it.
‘He really must have a lot of money. He even has his own island.’
Yeon-rok, who was standing still and looking around, felt a stinging gaze and raised his head. Moon Kyeon-woo was glaring at Yeon-rok. He felt a similar sense of déjà vu to when he had gone to the club with Choi Hwan.
“Ah, what is it now?”
“Nothing.”
He replied like that, but he didn’t stop looking. Yeon-rok glared back and asked suspiciously.
“You don’t misunderstand that the CEO and I were trying to meet alone, do you? I was originally going to come with Choi Hwan, but the CEO said he would join.”
“I said it’s nothing.”
“Or is it because I held the CEO’s hand last time?”
“I said no, didn’t I?”
It seemed to be the right answer. Yeon-rok, who had been through this kind of thing with Moon Kyeon-woo more than once or twice, snorted. Moon Kyeon-woo didn’t say anything more about it and started walking. Yeon-rok quickly followed behind.
“Speaking of which.”
He wondered why that hadn’t come up yet. However, Moon Kyeon-woo’s words that followed were different from Yeon-rok’s expectations.
“I’m not dating Yeom Cheon-ho CEO.”
Yeon-rok was a little surprised by the unexpected words. He had thought that they were definitely dating because he had been quite affectionate and kind to Yeom Cheon-ho recently. But when he thought about it, neither Moon Kyeon-woo nor Yeom Cheon-ho had said that they were dating, and even though they were close, they hadn’t had any particularly intimate physical contact.
“If you’re not dating, then are you just in the flirting stage?”
“If I had to say, you could see it that way.”
He could feel a sense of disillusionment in Moon Kyeon-woo’s tone as he said that. Of course, he expressed it in a more sophisticated word.
“I’ve been feeling a bit of a sense of futility lately.”
Why he was telling him such a private story, Yeon-rok stared at him blankly. It seemed like an extension of the time he’d been his drinking buddy. Walking along the path where cherry blossoms fluttered, Moon Kyeon-woo spoke calmly.
“You said I have no eye for people, right?”
Yeon-rok had casually tossed that out the day they were drinking, but Moon Kyeon-woo seemed to have taken it seriously and remembered it.
“CEO Yeom Cheon-ho seemed like a decent person no matter how you looked at him. At least, he seemed like he’d protect what he needed to protect. But…”
Moon Kyeon-woo’s brow furrowed slightly as he watched the petals fluttering and falling in the sea breeze.
“He’s too cold and calculating to have a personal relationship with.”
He flicked a petal off the sleeve of his cardigan with his well-groomed fingers and let it fall to the ground.
“Dating is something you do with someone who has at least some kind of feeling for you, but if the other person is so aloof, I don’t feel much like it either.”
“CEO Yeom Cheon-ho is cold?”
Yeon-rok asked, bewildered, unable to understand the words at all. To Yeon-rok, he was the most affectionate, kind, and dependable person he had ever met. To use the expression cold and calculating to describe such a person was hard for Yeon-rok to accept. Moon Kyeon-woo scoffed at Yeon-rok.
“You’re still young.”
“I told you I’m twenty-five. Should I show you my ID?”
“Does Choi Hwan seem like an adult to you?”
That’s not it, but… No! Choi Hwan is a different story. He’s the kind of person who would probably stay that way even if he turned thirty, but he’s different. Yeon-rok glared at Moon Kyeon-woo, who had been treating him like he was lacking ever since he visited the lab, and said,
“I know from experience that being without a Darling isn’t so bad. Life is originally lived alone.”
He said it with some sincerity, but Moon Kyeon-woo just chuckled. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a sneer. Strangely, Yeon-rok felt like the other person found him really, just a little bit, cute. Of course, that could never be…