By Zephyria 
“Fuck, that scared the shit out of me.”
Choi Hwan sighed, placing a hand over his chest. His face was pale, as if he still hadn’t grown accustomed to this kind of fan no matter how many times it happened. Held back by the bodyguards, the sasaeng fan was struggling desperately, trying to grab onto Choi Hwan’s clothes even once. Because of this, it took two bodyguards to keep them pinned. A kitchen knife even clattered to the ground from inside the jacket. Yeon-rok was horrified.
So, Choi Hwan’s parents had called him out on purpose for this. But what benefit was there for them? Simply to harm their son? There had to be another malicious goal.
Ah… Yeom Cheon-ryul. This is that bastard’s doing.
The moment the realization hit, someone familiar leaped out from a blind spot and lunged forward. Yeon-rok let out a short scream. Thud! However, there was no impact against his body. Park Chung-seong and Jeong Bo Eun subdued the attacker in time, pinning them to the ground.
“Hey! You lying piece of shit! You said you were Gyeon-woo Hyung’s name partner! Then why are you screwing around with Choi Hwan! Don’t live your life like that!”
The opponent screamed at the top of their lungs, their voice filled with a sense of injustice and sorrow. It was the ex-lover he had encountered previously in the laboratory restroom while following Moon Gyeon-woo. With a look of disgust, Park Chung-seong rummaged through the person’s pockets and found a hammer this time. Jeong Bo Eun, who was pinning down Moon Gyeon-woo’s stalker, sighed.
“Ugh, what a total shitshow, seriously.”
Yeon-rok agreed. It was the first time he had seen so many crazy people in a single day.
“Agh! Let go of me! It hurts!”
Bringing the bodyguards had been worth it. This was why Yeom Cheon-ho had provided them on a regular basis. Feeling a sense of relief, Yeon-rok distanced himself from the criminals. However, surprisingly, today’s attacks were not over.
“Aaaaah! For the sake of Hwamyeong!”
This time, a man who had been pretending to be a bystander suddenly charged. Before his racing heart could even settle, it leaped into his throat. This time, not even a scream came out. The terrified bodyguards shouted.
“Young master!”
Since all the bodyguards were occupied subduing the first two attackers, Yeon-rok was left defenseless and exposed to the attack. Surprisingly, however, it wasn’t Yeon-rok who fell, but the attacker. The moment the man lunged, Yeon-rok instantly performed an over-the-shoulder throw, sending the man rolling across the ground. He had fully utilized the self-defense techniques he had learned from the bodyguards every morning.
“Agh! You crazy bastards, knock it off!”
Only then did Yeon-rok scream, and without thinking, he delivered a finishing stomp to the man’s abdomen, neutralizing him completely before he could even make a sound. Looking at the man’s face, he seemed familiar. It was Kim Hyeon-seo, the one who had approached Yeon-rok in the Hwamyeong Cult village, asking to have a meal together.
“Who is this guy now…?”
Panting for breath, Yeon-rok quickly retreated to an open area with no blind spots, fearing another lunatic might jump out. Still, once the urgent situation passed, a sense of pride washed over him. All that hard work learning self-defense every morning had paid off. Just as he was about to turn to Choi Hwan and the bodyguards with a bright smile to show off, Choi Hwan, who had been staring at Yeon-rok with his mouth agape, shouted urgently.
“Lee Yeon-rok! Behind you!”
Behind…?
“Whoa! Move! Get out of the way!”
By the time he heard the warning and looked back, it was already too late. The faces of two people, who had been speeding down the sidewalk on an electric scooter and were startled to see Yeon-rok, were right in front of his nose. Soon, a violent collision slammed into Yeon-rok’s body.
Thud! Because he headbutted the other person, a heavy impact struck his head. The two people, who had been riding the electric scooter on the sidewalk without following a single safety rule, also flew off and rolled across the ground. Watching Choi Hwan rush toward him in horror, Yeon-rok felt a deep sense of injustice.
I defeated Choi Hwan’s sasaeng fan, Moon Gyeon-woo’s stalker ex-boyfriend, and even a fanatic of Yeom Cheon-ho, but it ends like this—colliding with an illegally driven electric scooter? Seriously, isn’t this too much, my life…
Lamenting his terrible misfortune, Yeon-rok lost consciousness.
“This is seriously so exhausting.”
Returning home with a worn-out and tired body, Yeon-rok lamented unconsciously. He dropped his bag and scanned his precious home, which he had acquired through a loan. Thanks to his hard work in decorating, the house lacked for nothing, from various furniture to home appliances. Although it wasn’t located in the center of Seoul, it had two rooms, plenty of sunlight, and the neighborhood safety wasn’t bad. The only downside was that the interest payments were breaking his back.
Actually, the physical exhaustion was nothing. Even if he worked overtime and came in on weekends like it was a daily routine to pay off loans in the hundreds of millions, life was manageable as long as he ate well and slept deeply. However, he couldn’t help the feeling of loneliness and solitude that hit him every time he returned home. He was lonely. The inside of the house was so warm, yet the depths of his body felt cold, as if exposed to a winter wind.
He usually had a good appetite, but today he didn’t feel like eating. After drinking a glass of water, he turned on the TV first. After making sure he could hear human voices, Yeon-rok stripped off his clothes and went into the bathroom to wash up. While waiting for the hot water to run through the showerhead, his gaze drifted to his reflection in the mirror. The clover-shaped name engraved on his chest had appeared nearly four years ago.
A gloomy expression clouded Yeon-rok’s face. Most people met their name partner within a year of manifestation, so why hadn’t his appeared yet? Every time he heard stories of people who lost their name partners to unexpected accidents or illnesses before meeting them, he felt afraid.
Am I destined to live alone and lonely like this for the rest of my life?
To meet his name partner, he had waited endlessly without even having a lover. Lately, it was starting to become too difficult. He needed family—or more accurately, someone to love and be loved by. The warmth that comes from human body heat, the exchange of tender words caring for, worrying about, and comforting one another…
Finally, the hot water came out, and he began his bath. However, no matter how long he washed with hot water, or how he lay under thick blankets on a well-maintained, plush bed, the empty chill lingering deep inside Yeon-rok’s body showed no sign of fading. Clutching Yeondu, the attachment doll that had been with him since childhood, Yeon-rok tossed and turned for a long time. He was tired, but sleep wouldn’t come.
Could it be that my name partner really died before meeting me?
When he thought that, a sudden surge of fear washed over him. Comforting himself by saying that his manifestation was simply very late, Yeon-rok muttered.
“I have to sleep now if I want to wake up early tomorrow. Let’s sleep.”
And I should come back as late as possible. One of the reasons Yeon-rok immersed himself in physically demanding work was that he didn’t want to return to this lonely house. Only after a long time was Yeon-rok finally able to fall asleep.
How long did he sleep like that…?
Suddenly, Yeon-rok woke up with an unpleasant feeling. His entire body ached, but his head was the most painful, and everything was spinning so much that he felt nauseous. And above all, it was blindingly bright.
‘Is the sun already up…?’
He didn’t feel that bad before going to sleep yesterday. Did he catch a cold because he’s been working too hard lately? Frowning deeply, Yeon-rok groaned and reached his hand to the side. He wanted to know what time it was for it to be this bright. If he was late, the team leader would nag him relentlessly… It was then.
“Yeon-rok-ah! Are you awake?”
What, what is this? Who is in my house? Startled, Yeon-rok forgot his pain and forced his heavy eyelids open. Through his blurred vision, he saw someone throwing something in their hand and rushing toward him. The moment the person grabbed his hand, the chill vanished and the pain eased significantly.
“How are you feeling? They said you have a concussion. Are you okay?”
Only after blinking a few times did Yeon-rok’s vision return to normal. The moment he confirmed who the person calling his name so anxiously was, Yeon-rok froze completely.
“…Choi Hwan?”
Why on earth is Choi Hwan here? Am I dreaming right now? The person he had only seen on TV or the internet was tightly gripping his hand, eyes brimming with tears. Seeing him this close, he was incomparably more handsome than on screen. He wondered if he had mistaken the person. However, the other man had called his name correctly.
“For now, don’t move and just stay still. I’ll call the doctor right away.”
Misinterpreting his stunned silence, Choi Hwan jumped up from his seat. He rushed outside and immediately brought in the medical staff. The doctor’s face brightened upon seeing that Yeon-rok had woken up.
“Patient, you’ve regained consciousness.”