By Zephyria “Since when have you been curious about things like that?”
“No, we were together just now, and he showed no signs of it.”
“What are you talking about, you punk? Are you going to announce that the investor and the lead actor are meeting privately in front of everyone there?”
“……”
“He asked if I could spare a moment after the dinner if I didn’t have any other schedules. He’ll be waiting at P Hotel nearby.”
P Hotel was a luxury hotel closest to the wine bar where they had the dinner.
“Here, the key.”
CEO Myeong handed over a card key, which he must have received from his escort in advance.
“He decided to invest because he found you attractive, so do well. You know that some people don’t immediately demand to go to bed, right? He might want to feel like he’s in a relationship, so match the mood. Don’t offend him.”
CEO Myeong interpreted the reason Lee Hae-sung had taken him home without incident last time in this way.
CEO Myeong’s words made sense. Just as people are all different, so are those in the so-called upper class. Even they don’t all enjoy being eccentric, violent, or deriving pleasure from humiliating their partners. Although the proportion of such people was overwhelmingly high.
Perhaps he was the type who, while having the same goal of entertainment, didn’t want to feel like he was exploiting the other person or forcing a relationship in the process.
Some people occasionally wanted to believe it was merely a mutual attraction that led to them ending up in bed.
He exited not at the hotel’s main entrance but in the underground parking lot, moving directly to the elevator. His reflection, wearing a bucket hat pulled low to cover his face and a mask, appeared on the gleaming elevator walls. He looked exactly like a celebrity coming for a secret rendezvous. Or perhaps a celebrity rushing to a VVVVVIP’s summons.
The room where he was waiting was at the end of the corridor on the 22nd floor.
Before ringing the bell, Choi Hong-seo took a deep breath. One, two, three… He counted down, folding his fingers one by one.
He armed himself, so as not to be hurt or disappointed by whatever might happen inside. Hurt or disappointment? He wasn’t that much of an amateur.
“You’re here?”
The man who opened the door was smiling warmly, as if genuinely glad to see him. It wasn’t the same smile he’d worn all through the company dinner, the kind seen in news photos. Though, his features themselves weren’t the kind you’d commonly see.
“You’re all bundled up.”
“……”
“You look like a real idol dressed like that.”
His hand reached out, lightly touching the brim of the hat before pulling away. Startled by the touch, Choi Hong-seo fumbled to take off his hat and pull it down.
“Hello.”
“We just met, so it’s strange to greet me like that. Come in.”
He pulled the door wider, and Choi Hong-seo disappeared inside.
After washing his hands in the guest bathroom right next to the entrance, he emerged to find the room was a suite with a spacious living room boasting a magnificent view. It was as expected.
The city’s nightscape, so grand it was almost overwhelming, unfolded beyond the floor-to-ceiling window. With his jacket off and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up past his elbows, he looked like a scene from a commercial.
He seemed like the owner of everything spread out behind him.
The living room where he stood, this city glittering behind him.
The thought that he owned this city. Even with a bit of exaggeration, the idea that it might not be entirely false made him let out a hollow laugh.
Sensing his presence, he turned around.
“Come here and sit.”
“Yes.”
Various kinds of desserts and coffee were laid out on the table. He hadn’t just been making small talk about coffee; he’d expected him to offer alcohol instead…
“Thank you for coming.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“I thought it would be more comfortable for you, Hong-seo-ssi, to meet here rather than outside, so I suggested we meet here.”
“Thank you for your consideration. Still, you’re more famous than I am, Vice President.”
“No matter how famous a businessman is, it’s not the same as someone on TV. Is the coffee okay? It’s late, so I prepared decaf.”
As he nodded, the man poured hot coffee into Choi Hong-seo’s cup.
“I’m tall, so most people stare at me. I suppose I’m a bit too tall for Korea.”
Does he really think people stare because he’s tall? He must know he’s handsome when he looks in the mirror.
“They probably stare because you’re so handsome.”
“……”
Lee Hae-sung, who had paused while pouring coffee into his own cup after filling Choi Hong-seo’s, stopped and looked over. His expression suggested he doubted his ears, wondering if he’d heard correctly.
It was a kind of sales pitch he used with other VVIPs, and unlike those usual insincere remarks, this time it felt genuine. Yet, as he looked at him, Choi Hong-seo felt flustered, as if he had just confessed something.
Choi Hong-seo clutched his teacup with both hands and mumbled defensively,
“Everyone at the company dinner earlier was saying how handsome you are, too.”
“I know that not everything people say in front of me is sincere.”
He said this with a smile, quietly placing the coffee pot on a white napkin without a sound.
“No, really. You seemed very popular. More so than people on TV.”
“Are you perhaps talking about the company dinner?”
Choi Hong-seo nodded, and he leaned his elbows on the table, holding his coffee cup and saying playfully,
“Usually, that’s called flattery.”
He couldn’t argue when the man himself denied it so strongly. He wanted to say, No, you’re genuinely handsome, and you were so popular at the dinner that you couldn’t even properly greet me because people were surrounding you. But he couldn’t insist on that.
As Choi Hong-seo brought his cup to his lips, his eyebrows twitched for a moment.
Hmm? Was I that unhappy about it?
That I couldn’t even have a proper conversation with him at the company dinner?
“You’re not touching the snacks.”
Before he could answer his own question, the man’s voice cut in. He looked down at the beautifully arranged assortment of desserts on the table with a hint of disappointment.
“I thought you liked these.”
“……”
“Ah… I did some research.”
“Me?”
“I wanted to earn some points with you, Hong-seo-ssi. As part of gathering information.”
Come to think of it, knowing the location of his dorm, information about him liking snacks seemed trivial. What was incomprehensible was why someone like Lee Hae-sung would conduct preliminary research on him, why he wanted to earn points. He was someone who could have anything he wanted just by saying the word.
“Well, anyway, I prepared them thinking you’d like them.”
“I do like them. I do, but… I can’t eat as much as I want because I gain weight. I only eat them as a reward when I’ve done something well.”
He glanced at Choi Hong-seo’s arm, exposed below the short sleeves. He wore an expression of incomprehension.
“Then today should be fine, shouldn’t it? You’ve been confirmed for the casting.”
“I gain weight easily…”
Lee Hae-sung’s gaze drifted down to Choi Hong-seo’s wrist again. His eyes, fixed on the wrist wrapped around the coffee cup, held a look of pity.
“You’re so thin. Shouldn’t you gain a little weight instead?”
He merely looked at Choi Hong-seo’s slender wrist, not daring to touch it. It was within reach if he just stretched out his long arm, and he must have known that Choi Hong-seo wouldn’t be able to resist even if he did touch him. Yet, he only looked.
It was completely different from the host of the party last week, who had grabbed his wrist and rubbed the flesh inside without permission.
With a gaze full of pity, as if looking at a whimpering puppy, Choi Hong-seo picked up a macaron and took a bite. The crisp shell and the filling, perfectly chewy yet soft, were heavenly. After popping the remaining half into his mouth, his expression finally softened.
Even if he liked snacks or pastries, he wasn’t the type to be particular about such high-end items. Snacks, bread, or ready-made cookies from convenience stores were perfectly fine. He occasionally received gifts from fans, giving him opportunities to eat pastries from high-end bakeries, but his palate wasn’t refined enough to discern the difference. Even Choi Hong-seo’s eyes widened in surprise at how delicious this macaron was.
“It’s really good. You should try some too, Vice President.”
“Shall I?”
He chose a macaron that looked green, like matcha, took a small bite as if tasting it, and placed the rest on a small plate.
“I didn’t expect you to come to the meal today.”
“Really?”
“It wasn’t just me; everyone seemed surprised.”
“If I go there, I can see Hong-seo-ssi. So, of course, I had to go.”
“……”
Then why hadn’t he contacted him for a week?
If he had called, CEO Myeong would have presented Choi Hong-seo before him, prioritizing him over any other schedule. A VVIP didn’t need to adjust their schedule for Choi Hong-seo. No one had ever done that before.
Was he joking? It must be a joke.
“Did my saying I came to see Hong-seo-ssi make you uncomfortable?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Then, were you happy?”
“……”
As he couldn’t answer immediately, the man smiled, a little bitterly, as if he had expected this.
“It’s difficult to answer my questions honestly, isn’t it?”