DG 80

“President.”

“Yes, Ryu Jeong.”

He had never thought he needed a driver’s license. But seeing Lee Do-hyeon driving with a tired face like this, the thought suddenly occurred to him. He remembered seeing driving school cars with ‘Trainee’ signs on them, and Ryu Jeong cautiously decided to ask.

“Driving… when you learn, um…….”

Having a school meant he had to go there and learn. Would the tuition be too expensive? He wanted to learn if he could save up little by little to cover it. But when he actually tried to bring up the cost, the words didn’t come easily. He had heard the question of how much every day while working part-time, but when he tried to ask it himself, he couldn’t open his mouth.

As he hesitated without saying more, Lee Do-hyeon, who was quick to grasp the meaning with just a word or two, looked at Ryu Jeong.

“Why? Do you want to learn to drive?”

“Yes…….”

“It’s not that difficult. If you get enough driving practice before getting your license and going on the road, Ryu Jeong, you’ll be able to do well too.”

“No, that…….”

Lee Do-hyeon, happy that Ryu Jeong wanted to learn something, added an explanation in a kind voice. But somehow, Ryu Jeong didn’t seem relieved by his encouragement. It seemed like there was another reason, and he tried to guess the reason in various ways, but none of them seemed right.

“The cost…….”

Ryu Jeong, who had been hesitating for a while, mumbled in a very small voice.

His hand, which had been fidgeting with the seatbelt diagonally across his chest, was now resting neatly on his thigh. A little embarrassed, Ryu Jeong clasped his hands tightly and wriggled awkwardly.

He should have just looked into it separately later. Imagining how pathetic he would look in front of Lee Do-hyeon, who could nonchalantly hand over his card, his face flushed.

Lee Do-hyeon, who had been staring silently at Ryu Jeong, who couldn’t even make eye contact and was just rolling his eyes, turned his gaze back to the front. Lee Do-hyeon, who pondered Ryu Jeong’s difficult words in his mind, realized belatedly that it was no use telling him not to feel pressured.

Lee Do-hyeon, who took in Ryu Jeong, who couldn’t even make eye contact and was just rolling his eyes, turned his gaze back to the front. Lee Do-hyeon, who pondered Ryu Jeong’s difficult words in his mind, belatedly realized that he had a long way to go no matter how much he told him not to feel pressured.

How could he make him accept this favor as a right? Lost in thought, Lee Do-hyeon tapped the steering wheel.

“Ryu Jeong.”

Lee Do-hyeon, who paused for a moment, opened his mouth in a calm voice.

“We’re dating, right?”

“Yes?”

Ryu Jeong’s eyes widened suddenly. Lee Do-hyeon continued to speak without explaining again.

“I’ve said it before, but I have a lot of money. So much that spending some won’t even make a dent. I said I wanted to give Ryu Jeong only the best with this money, do you remember?”

“Yes…….”

“But why do you keep looking at me like that? I get really upset every time you do that.”

“…Upset…….”

Ryu Jeong, who gasped in surprise, stared blankly at Lee Do-hyeon without even thinking of closing his open mouth. Lee Do-hyeon seemed very serious, as if he wasn’t just saying it. Ryu Jeong, who couldn’t believe that he was the one who upset him, bit his lower lip tightly. His two hands, which had been clasped tightly, were now anxiously interlacing and releasing.

“You’re… upset?”

“Yeah. A lot.”

“B-but… it’s just… it’s expensive, and…….”

It was true that he wasn’t used to receiving such things in his situation. Ryu Jeong, who couldn’t finish his sentence and lowered his head, bit his lips tightly. His lips, which were bitten so hard that they hurt, quickly turned red.

“I know it’s a burden. I don’t think it’s strange that you feel burdened. But if you keep drawing lines and distancing yourself, I’ll really be upset.”

“…….”

“It’s like Ryu Jeong keeps questioning whether you’re qualified to receive it.”

Ryu Jeong’s eyelids fluttered slightly. Having been hit right on the mark, there was no excuse coming out of his trembling lips.

“Do you think you’re not qualified?”

“…….”

“Then how much love do I have to give you to be qualified?”

It was a considerable challenge for Lee Do-hyeon. Affection wasn’t something that had a shape, and if he could, he wanted to open his heart and show it to him.

As he frowned and pondered repeatedly, an idea flashed through his mind. Without hesitation, Lee Do-hyeon immediately blurted out what came to mind.

“Should we imprint?”

“…Yes?”

“Imprint. Then Ryu Jeong, you won’t have any more qualifications to question, right?”

Lee Do-hyeon, who glanced at the side mirror at the newly changed signal, stepped on the accelerator deeply. The two people’s bodies shook greatly with the rattling car body. But Ryu Jeong just stared blankly at Lee Do-hyeon.

When there was no reaction from Ryu Jeong, Lee Do-hyeon, who found it strange, turned to the side. He had his head bowed so deeply that his chin touched his collarbone, and his dazed face was very unusual. Lee Do-hyeon asked suspiciously, wondering if that was the case.

“Imprint. You don’t know what it is?”

“…….”

Silence was affirmation. Lee Do-hyeon chuckled without realizing it. He said he had been living alone for quite some time. His biological mother died early, and his biological father was addicted to alcohol and gambling and neglected his children. Not only was there no one to teach him the basics, but he had been focusing on paying off his debts without any leeway, so it was only natural that he didn’t know.

How would an ordinary person react? Would they feel sympathy for the past? Or would they be pathetic for not even knowing the basics? It was true that he was embarrassed, but Lee Do-hyeon had to work hard to hide the fact that he was about to burst out laughing without realizing it.

He felt like a child leaving footprints for the first time in a field of snow that no one had ever stepped on. Lee Do-hyeon swallowed the saliva that had gathered in his mouth, as if he were a beast in front of its prey.

He seemed curious about what imprinting was, but Lee Do-hyeon deliberately decided to change the subject. There was no point in letting him know in advance what imprinting was and what the consequences would be. He had to coax and soothe him with sweet words, and if he just did what he wanted, it would only backfire.

“Ryu Jeong, you’re qualified enough. There’s no need to doubt, and there’s no need to worry. I can’t do anything about you feeling burdened, but I hope you don’t refuse. There’s so much I want to do for you in the future, and if you refuse everything, I’ll be hurt.”

Hurt. Ryu Jeong pondered Lee Do-hyeon’s words in his mind. Hurt was a word that didn’t suit Lee Do-hyeon, who had always shown the aspect of a strong adult.

“Just because I like you, aren’t you qualified enough to enjoy what I give you?”

“…….”

“Or does Ryu Jeong doubt my feelings?”

“N-no!”

At the unexpected question, Ryu Jeong was startled and shook his head. Even though he had already denied it twice with words and actions, he looked at him with a very earnest look, as if he wanted him to know that he had never done that. Lee Do-hyeon smiled as if he thought Ryu Jeong was cute. It was as if he was saying that was enough.

“Then promise me one thing.”

“Yes…”

Lee Do-hyeon was about to point out that he was nodding his head without even listening to all of his words, but he stopped.

“You have the card I gave you a while ago, right? Use it. You’re not using it enough to make it seem like I gave it to you for nothing.”

“Card…?”

For Ryu Jeong, who had always lived thinking only of reducing expenses, the word ‘spend money’ was awkward and unfamiliar in itself. Ryu Jeong, who was about to reflexively answer that it was okay, hesitated and opened and closed his mouth. If he refused, would he be hurt……? Ryu Jeong, who swallowed hard, hesitated and put the alternative he had found by racking his brains into words.

“H-how much…….”

“How much… as much as Ryu Jeong likes me?”

“…….”

“Then wouldn’t a penny or two be enough? It doesn’t seem like buying juice or sandwiches like last time would be enough.”

Lee Do-hyeon smiled mischievously and looked at Ryu Jeong. Ryu Jeong seemed to be at a loss for words and couldn’t answer easily. His attempt to compromise at a reasonable level had been thwarted. Wiping his palms, which seemed to be sweating, on his pants, Ryu Jeong answered in a very small voice, as if whispering.

“…Yes.”

“…….”

It was a joke he had thrown out to lighten the mood a little, but Ryu Jeong nodded his head too seriously. At the unexpected answer, he almost turned the steering wheel or stepped on the brakes. Barely regaining his senses, Lee Do-hyeon firmly gripped the slightly shaken steering wheel. Fortunately, Ryu Jeong didn’t seem to know what had happened.

“Um… the driving school teaches you everything from the written test, so it takes quite a while. You can do it in one day, but that alone takes several hours.”

Lee Do-hyeon, who was uncharacteristically embarrassed, quickly changed the subject. Just then, the car stopped at a stop signal. Lee Do-hyeon tapped his hand holding the steering wheel as he looked at the rear of the car in front. As he tapped the steering wheel with a sound as if he was lost in thought, Ryu Jeong glanced at him, following the sound.

“Now that we’re on the subject, there’s something I’ve wanted to say for a while, and I’ll say it now. Ryu Jeong, aren’t you thinking of quitting your part-time jobs?”

“All… of them?”

“Yes. I felt sorry for you working without being able to sleep or skip meals. Besides, learning to drive isn’t something you can do well in a day or two, and above all, there was something I suggested. If you work as a hotelier, you’ll be doing different work than you did when you worked for a day before. Depending on what you do in detail, you’ll have to study a lot, and if necessary, you’ll have to gain experience abroad.”

Hotelier. Ryu Jeong slowly rolled the word around in his mouth. It felt awkward and uncomfortable, as if there was rough sand stuck between his teeth. But the more he thought about it, the more vague expectations and fears about things he had never done before came at the same time, and his heart began to beat rapidly.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t quit his part-time job right away. If he accepted Lee Do-hyeon’s offer, he would have to pay off his debt every month, and if he refused, he didn’t know what to say, so his head was dizzy. He had been thinking about it for several days, but there was no progress, so Ryu Jeong couldn’t answer easily.

“After we demolish it and level the ground, we’re looking at at least two years until completion. Building the building is something that people working on the site will do better than me, who just plays with a pen at my desk. I’ll be gathering the people needed to run the hotel by then. Only the best people in each field.”

“…….”

“I think Ryu Jeong is one of those talents.”

“…Yes?”

Lee Do-hyeon calmly revealed his ambitions, which Ryu Jeong couldn’t even imagine. He definitely thought that he was a person living in a different world than himself, but when he was included in the plan, Ryu Jeong was flustered and couldn’t say anything.

“I, I… don’t know how to do anything…….”

Ryu Jeong’s voice, who barely opened his mouth, was very small and terrible.

His French skills, which he could barely stammer out, were at a level that was embarrassing to call a skill. Ryu Jeong felt embarrassed for no reason, as if he was being highly evaluated just because he was his lover.

“I trust my judgment. I want Ryu Jeong to work at my hotel.”

But Lee Do-hyeon was firm to the end. Ryu Jeong had no idea where that confidence came from.

“Ryu Jeong. I’m formally scouting you right now.”

“Scout…?”

“Yes. Scout. Not as Ryu Jeong’s lover, but as the CEO of the hotel.”

Ryu Jeong completely froze at the last words that came out of Lee Do-hyeon’s mouth. Lee Do-hyeon held Ryu Jeong’s hand tightly.

“I will complete my hotel no matter what.”

He planned to not only complete it, but also take over all of the hotel business within the Youngang Group. Some openly criticized Lee Do-hyeon, saying that he was coveting a position that was too much for him, but objectively speaking, it was Lee Gyu-hyeon who was too much, not him. Lee Do-hyeon was ready to prove himself.

“And I want Ryu Jeong to be with me there.”

“…….”

Ryu Jeong silently looked down at Lee Do-hyeon’s hand, which was covering the back of his hand with a firm but not painful grip. It seemed to be calming his anxiously shaking heart.

In the meantime, the car, which had been temporarily stopped by the signal, started moving again. Ryu Jeong, who had carefully swallowed in silence, turned his head and looked at Lee Do-hyeon. Lee Do-hyeon, who felt his gaze, briefly made eye contact and then looked ahead again. His profile, which was focused on driving, looked calm at first glance, but his Adam’s apple, which was bobbing up and down, clearly showed that he was quite nervous.

A suffocating silence lingered for a moment. Ryu Jeong, who took a deep breath, silently turned his hand over. As he carefully intertwined his fingers, the large hand flinched for a moment.

At that moment, neither of them added any more words. All the answers were enough with the gentle warmth that touched each other.