CNC 250

Special Side Story: Come Back To Its Original Owner Episode 4

“I’m going to tie this to your Sal belt today as a decoration. I’m glad you’re showing such an interest in it, Hyun-seo.”

The General Manager wrapped a jade-colored Sal belt around Choi Hong-seo’s waist and decorated it by attaching a red scent pouch.

Choi Hong-seo carefully supported the pouch hanging from his waist with his hand and looked down at it. After hearing the General Manager’s explanation, the crane on the pouch seemed to be flapping its wings desperately toward somewhere.

Once dressed, Choi Hong-seo looked at himself in the full-length mirror.

It was hard to take his eyes off his reflection, wearing the quilted clothes with the red pouch at his waist. His heart kept fluttering violently. It felt as if a precious memory, forgotten for a very long time, was stretching beneath a thick layer of oblivion.

Why?

Aside from shoots, he had never worn a hanbok before.

He felt he could now understand what Lee Hae-sung had said during their phone call a moment ago.

The feeling of something not being unfamiliar, even though it was clearly the first time seeing it. A longing feeling, as if he had already known it.

“General Manager, by any chance… is this pouch something I could purchase?”

“Do you want it, Hyun-seo?”

The General Manager seemed quite surprised.

“Strangely, I keep feeling drawn to it. If it’s a product you sell, I would really like to buy it…”

“It’s a personal collectible, so I’d have to decide if I’m willing to sell it…”

Choi Hong-seo suddenly grabbed the General Manager’s hand with both of his. It was an assertive action that came out unconsciously due to his urgency.

“If it’s not impossible, I beg of you, General Manager!”

An editor, who had worked on several visit our siteshoots with him since he became ‘Hyun-seo,’ noticed stolen contentthe scene stolen contentand said with a passing smile.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Hyun-seo want something so badly. He’s the kind of person who viewed even the most amazing luxury goods as mere props for the shoot.”

Choi Hong-seo found it strange himself.

Whether as Choi Hong-seo or as Hyun-seo, he had never experienced material greed.

“Then let’s do this, Hyun-seo.”

“Yes?”

“Working together today is a kind of fate. I’ll give you the scent pouch as a gift.”

At the General Manager’s words, Choi Hong-seo shook his head firmly.

“No! I can’t do that, General Manager! I didn’t mean to put you in a difficult position.”

“I’m not such a good person [stolen content]that I’d give away a prop Read on Read BL Novelsjust because the person I shot with likes it, even if it’s inconvenient, Hyun-seo.”

“……”

“An object is just an object. But in the hands of someone who truly desires it, it becomes more than just an object. Being inexplicably and intensely drawn to a certain item… perhaps the object recognized its owner?”

“……”

“Perhaps you are the true owner of this item, Hyun-seo.”

She looked down at the pouch with affectionate eyes, then met Choi Hong-seo’s gaze again and smiled.

“It might be a bit old-fashioned, but I’m the type of person who finds meaning in things like that. I’d be happy if you accepted it.”

In the past, even when receiving this kind of kindness, he was the type of person whose feeling of apology preceded his gratitude. Someone who would stubbornly refuse for fear of being a burden. In the past, he thought that was being polite.

But now, he knew that gratefully accepting sincere kindness was also an important form of politeness. That refusing sincere kindness could sometimes be a greater discourtesy to the other person.

It was thanks to Lee Hae-sung.

Having received sufficient affection and love, he naturally opened his eyes to the joy of sharing, giving, and receiving it with others.

He decided to gratefully—very gratefully—accept her beautiful kindness.

Choi Hong-seo gently stroked the pouch and spoke with sincerity.

“Thank you, General Manager. I will cherish it dearly.”

■

“Tiffany, I’m home.”

As soon as he entered the front door, Choi Hong-seo looked for Tiffany first.

Dodo-dodo, the sound of the little one’s footsteps echoed softly in the quiet house.

Meow.

Then, the little one poked its face out from the hallway in front of the entrance. Choi Hong-seo picked her up and stepped inside.

“Did you play well?”

He stroked and kissed the little one in his arms.

She kept meowing as if protesting some kind of injustice.

It seemed to be a complaint about the servants, including Manager Kang, having left earlier than usual.

“Were you that sad to be alone?”

Meow.

“I only got the message that Manager Kang was leaving 20 minutes ago, though?”

This time, the little one just licked her lips, pretending not [stolen content]to know, [Read on Read BL Novels]and made no [visit our site]sound. At times like this, he really wondered if she understood everything he said.

This was also the reason why he strongly insisted to Lee Hae-sung that he would never have sex in front of Tiffany.

If she was in the same space, he was too conscious of her to concentrate. Lee Hae-sung knew this about Choi Hong-seo and would occasionally be more mischievous on purpose. Though… he had never actually ignored his words until the end.

After washing his hands in the bathroom near the entrance, Tiffany had disappeared. However, he felt he knew where she was.

As he passed the hallway and entered the living room, the blinking lights of the tree decorations welcomed him.

And there was the back of Tiffany, sitting quietly in front of it.

He laughed at the sight of her cute back, her tail swaying as she looked up at the tree.

Setting his bag down, Choi Hong-seo sat closely beside her, stroking under her chin as they looked up at the large tree together.

“Our house’s tree is the prettiest in the world, isn’t it?”

Meow.

She answered as if in agreement.

Having never had a Christmas tree once while growing up, Choi Hong-seo marveled every time he saw this tree. Even though he had seen it every day for about a month, it was beautiful every time. He still took a photo of the tree more than once a day.

It was similar to how he still felt a flutter for Lee Hae-sung, even though they lived in the same house and saw each other’s faces every day. It was hard to imagine becoming so accustomed to it that he would no longer feel gratitude.

Sitting side by side with Tiffany, gazing entranced at the blinking small lights, Choi Hong-seo began to rummage through his bag as if remembering something.

“I should decorate this here too.”

He took out a small box and opened the lid with an excited heart. The beautiful scent pouch he received as a gift from the hanbok stylist General Manager lay quietly inside.

“Tiffany, look at this. Isn’t it gorgeous?”

He held the string of the pouch and carefully lifted it out of the box to show her. Her eyes sparkled with interest. Then, she tapped the pouch with her front paw.

“No. Look with your eyes only.”

When he spoke in a stern voice, she looked up at him with resentful eyes. Choi Hong-seo bent his waist, stroking her head and rubbing his nose against hers.

“Still, no. It’s a very old item, so it must be handled carefully.”

After carefully gauging where it would look best, he hung it on the tree. Perhaps because of the red silk, the Joseon pouch blended quite well with the Western culture of the Christmas tree.

“They said it’s likely from the late Joseon period. I wonder who the owner was?”

Choi Hong-seo couldn’t take his eyes off the pouch, as if possessed.

“The person who gifted this must have loved the recipient very much, right?”

A feeling of longing, not unfamiliar.

It was exactly as Lee Hae-sung had said.

“That’s why they would have gifted something so beautiful and precious, right?”

No matter how much he looked and looked again, he didn’t tire of it.

Like a precious gift received from someone he loved enough to give his life for. He kept wanting to see it, to touch it. As if the heart of a lover were contained within the object.

He sat in front of the tree for a long time, gazing at the scent pouch.

Because he had woken up early since dawn to prepare and spent six or seven hours on the pictorial shoot in the cold weather, drowsiness washed over him. Choi Hong-seo checked the time. There were still about four hours left before he had to leave for the airport.

“I can sleep for a little bit, right?”

He had washed his face at the site, so he thought he could close his eyes for an hour or two, then shower and leave.

《I’m home.》

《I’m going to rest for a bit.》

Lying long on the sofa, he sent a message to Lee Hae-sung. He must [stolen content]have been incredibly sleepy; he dropped the phone stolen contenton his chest twice while sending the message.

Gently stroking the head of Tiffany, who had come to lie on his stomach, he looked at the scent pouch one last time and closed his eyes.

Beside the blinking lights of the tree, he drifted languidly into sleep.