By Zephyria 
“Why aren’t you eating? You have to make sure you keep your strength up.”
As soon as he heard the welcoming voice, Moon Gyeon-woo sprang up from his seat. A bright, flower-like smile bloomed over a face whose default expression was usually cold.
“Yeon-rok-ah! You came to see me…!”
Moved by the sight, he strode forward, but Park Chung-seong stepped in his way and gave a polite warning.
“Young Master Moon Gyeon-woo, you are still in the no-contact period.”
Flustered, Yeon-rok immediately retracted the hand he had reached out. Now that he thought about it, Yeom Cheon-ho had said he could go see Moon Gyeon-woo, but he hadn’t said he could touch him. Of course, he didn’t think the man would scold him for touching, but feeling the eyes of those around him, he kept his distance for now. Moon Gyeon-woo gave Park Chung-seong a chilly look, but he seemed to decide that the fact that Yeon-rok had come to see him was enough.
“Have you been locked in the confession room since yesterday?”
Feeling sorry for him, Yeon-rok looked around the bleak interior, which contained nothing but bedding, a low desk, a laptop, and a mountain of research materials. At this, Kim Beon-yeong complained with a look of injustice.
“Regardless, he is a flower name bearer. We provided him with a reasonably good place, but he is staying here of his own volition.”
Whether that was true or not, Moon Gyeon-woo didn’t particularly deny it. He gave a slight shrug and spoke.
“Other places were too noisy with people constantly coming and going, so I moved. This place is the quietest.”
Whenever Yeon-rok looked at Moon Gyeon-woo, he wondered how someone who seemed to loathe humans with every fiber of his being could have had so many ex-lovers. He tried his best to think from Moon Gyeon-woo’s perspective. Gyeon-woo Hyung must have felt like he was dropped alone in the middle of enemy territory, so that’s probably why. Surely, it’s not that he hates all humans…
“Did you eat anything?”
Seeing no sign of food other than a water bottle, Yeon-rok grew worried. Moon Gyeon-woo rubbed his arm with a desolate expression and said,
“I just… haven’t had much of an appetite…”
Beside him, Kim Beon-yeong’s lips twitched as if he had a lot to say, but Yeon-rok decided to ignore it. Instead, he decided to rescue the man who looked like he wouldn’t step a foot out of the confession room for fifteen days if left alone. And while he was at it, he’d help the believers here who were likely troubled by the fact that Moon Gyeon-woo wasn’t eating.
“Don’t be like that, let’s go have lunch together. I’m hungry.”
“…Shall we?”
After a bit of coaxing and soothing from Yeon-rok, Moon Gyeon-woo changed his mind and stepped out of the confession room. He certainly got enough contact, but having lacked sunlight, the man—who was already fair-skinned—now looked almost pale. Kim Beon-yeong looked inwardly relieved.
“Is there any particular food you desire? There are still chickens and pheasants bestowed by the High Priest in the food storage.”
Chickens were fine, but pheasants…? He felt a spark of curiosity at the unfamiliar ingredient. However, looking at Moon Gyeon-woo’s face, it seemed he would never touch ingredients prepared by Yeom Cheon-ho, so Yeon-rok exercised his sociability.
“Where do the people here eat? If possible, I’d like to eat the same thing as the believers.”
He asked politely with a beaming smile. He had never seen an adult who disliked this approach. Kim Beon-yeong’s face immediately filled with fondness as he guided them more kindly.
The destination was a building next to the factory. People were coming out in small groups, as lunch had just ended. Those who recognized the High Priest’s flower name bearer widened their eyes and approached, trying to strike up a conversation. However, as Kim Beon-yeong, Park Chung-seong, and Jeong Bo Eun quietly glared from behind, they quickly took the hint and passed by with only polite greetings.
“Hello, Flower Name Bearer.”
“Welcome, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Yes, hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you too. Did you have a nice lunch?”
Unlike Moon Gyeon-woo, who didn’t utter a word, Yeon-rok responded politely to every greeting. Aside from being formally addressed as ‘Flower Name Bearer,’ it felt like he was just exchanging ordinary greetings with workers who had finished their meal. In other words, it was a familiar situation for Yeon-rok, who had once been a diligent worker himself. Thus, Yeon-rok gained a great deal of favor from the believers.
Yeon-rok entered the believers’ communal dining hall, which, no matter how he looked at it, looked like nothing more than a factory cafeteria. Naturally, his eyes first flew to today’s menu.
“Whoa. It’s spicy stir-fried pork!”
Seeing the meat side dish that everyone loves, Yeon-rok swallowed his saliva and quickly grabbed a tray, rushing to the serving line. He smiled brightly and spoke to the cooks.
“Hello, Aunties! If it’s okay, could you give me plenty of rice and meat? I’m really hungry.”
Back when he worked at the factory, Yeon-rok’s specialty was being the darling of the cook Aunties and getting generous portions of his favorite foods. Naturally, he made the request warmly, mixing in plenty of aegyo as per his old habit. At the request of Yeon-rok—who was already young and handsome, and a flower name bearer to boot—the cooks’ expressions melted, and their cheeks rose. And the result was:
“Wow! This looks delicious!”
Yeon-rok’s tray was piled high with spicy stir-fried pork. There were even tangerines on there, which weren’t on the menu. On the other hand, looking at Moon Gyeon-woo’s tray, the difference in quantity was pitiful. Although the man himself didn’t seem to mind, Yeon-rok shared some of his pork and side dishes.
“Hyung, eat a lot.”
“Thanks. I’ll eat well.”
“I’m not just saying it. You have to eat it all without leaving any. Are you taking your stomach medicine? You’re not drinking coffee these days, right?”
As Yeon-rok nagged, Moon Gyeon-woo’s hesitant chopsticks became slightly more active. It was while they were in the middle of their meal.
“Hello, Flower Name Bearer. If it’s alright, may I sit here and eat with you?”
Just like before, Park Chung-seong and Jeong Bo Eun glared from behind, but this believer ignored them and placed his tray in front of them. He was a young believer who seemed like a good person at a glance. Since Yeon-rok naturally liked people and wanted to chat with the believers, he quickly swallowed a wrap and welcomed the man with a smile.
“Hello. I’m Lee Yeon-rok.”
“Lee Yeon-rok! Of course I know your name. You are our High Priest’s precious flower name bearer; how could I possibly not know your name? Hahaha! You don’t need to introduce yourself to each of us believers individually.”
Moon Gyeon-woo, who had been staring blankly at the mountain of pork wondering how he’d ever finish it, immediately narrowed his eyes sharply. Yeon-rok also sensed a certain uncomfortable dissonance, but he simply tilted his head.
“I am believer Kim Hyeon-seo. We’ll be seeing each other often, so I look forward to your kindness. Before long, the High Priest will be putting me to great use. Haha!”
“Ah, yes. I look forward to it too.”
Something felt off, but since he couldn’t pinpoint the specific reason, Yeon-rok tilted his head again internally. It was what one would call a ‘creepy’ feeling. He looked toward Park Chung-seong and Jeong Bo Eun to get more information about this person, but the two were completely preoccupied with eating their pork. He didn’t look like someone who would cause physical harm to the point where the bodyguards would need to be tense.
Yeon-rok glanced at Moon Gyeon-woo, who was not only quick-witted but sensitive. However, Moon Gyeon-woo was simply eating his meal calmly. Wait. Is this Hyung actually eating meat? Only the lettuce has decreased a bit.
“Hyung, eat the meat too…”
Just as Yeon-rok was about to urge him, believer Kim Hyeon-seo suddenly spoke to Moon Gyeon-woo.
“By the way, Flower Name Bearer Moon Gyeon-woo, does the food suit your taste? I’m quite curious.”
Moon Gyeon-woo, who was picking at his food with a face that clearly showed a lack of appetite, looked up and stared at the man indifferently. That was the entirety of his reaction. Being blatantly ignored, Kim Hyeon-seo’s face flushed. He cleared his throat and spoke to Yeon-rok.
“Flower Name Bearer Lee Yeon-rok, do you know what our High Priest does here?”
“Uh. No…?”
“Well, since you’ve only recently become our High Priest’s flower name bearer, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know. I shall inform you well of the work our High Priest does. Every week, our High Priest personally distributes daily bread for our believers…”
Yeon-rok liked Yeom Cheon-ho, but he didn’t particularly want to know about his persona as a cult leader. The very doctrine that regarded name manifestors as beings chosen by heaven was a burden for him to accept. Hadn’t Yeom Cheon-ho himself stated that his goal was to tear down this cult? Above all, the way he kept saying ‘our High Priest, our High Priest’ every time he opened his mouth was subtly grating.
While Yeon-rok was focusing hard on his meal, letting the words go in one ear and out the other, Kim Hyeon-seo’s topic had shifted to something else.