By Zephyria 
Yeon-rok couldn’t believe it. Moon Gyeon-woo was repenting? How could that be? Regardless of how well he treated him, Moon Gyeon-woo was someone who simply didn’t listen to others. It meant that even if Yeom Cheon-ho told him to reflect on his actions, he would never actually do it. Yeon-rok asked suspiciously.
“Did you perhaps tell him to kiss you again?”
“Haha! No, I did not.”
“That, the way you kissed Gyeon-woo Hyung yesterday…”
Since yesterday, it had been weighing on his mind, and as he hesitated, not knowing how to continue after bringing it up, Yeom Cheon-ho gave a beaming smile.
“That was simply work.”
Calling a kiss that felt so punitive ‘work’—Yeon-rok didn’t know whether to call that rational or a sign that the action was heavily laced with personal feelings. He was still a difficult person to read. In truth, ever since Yeon-rok had laid eyes on Yeom Cheon-ho, he hadn’t known what to do. He was far too conscious of the man. After letting out a sigh, Yeon-rok asked cautiously.
“Did you perhaps get very stressed because of this incident?”
Holding hands alone didn’t solve all of the contact deficiency. Yeom Cheon-ho lightly touched the nape of Yeon-rok’s neck, where mottled marks still remained, and smiled. Then he denied it.
“No.”
Yeon-rok gulped. In a different sense than Choi Hwan, Yeom Cheon-ho was a man who was very good at lying. After a moment of silence, Yeom Cheon-ho asked politely.
“Yeon-rok-ssi, may I kiss you?”
“Yes, of course… You’re suffering from contact deficiency.”
He nodded quickly. Since Choi Hwan had already sufficiently relieved the contact deficiency, he had been inwardly worried about Yeom Cheon-ho. Yeom Cheon-ho leaned down. However, the place where those dry lips landed was the nape of his neck, where Moon Gyeon-woo had left his marks.
“Uh…”
Yeon-rok let out a momentary dazed sound before shutting his mouth. His chest heaved with tension. Yeom Cheon-ho slowly pressed his lips against Yeon-rok’s neck several times. It felt ticklish, but at the same time, it felt as if he were tracing every single mark Moon Gyeon-woo had left, making the hair on his neck stand on end. He felt strangely immoral. It was as if he had an existing lover but had made another…
“Ah!”
Startled, Yeon-rok let out a short cry. It was because Yeom Cheon-ho had sucked the skin hard enough to be slightly painful. After that final contact, Yeom Cheon-ho pulled his lips away and smiled, his complexion looking more flushed than before. Even though Yeon-rok had made a sound of pain, he didn’t apologize.
“Thank you.”
“Y-you’re welcome.”
His voice trembled as he replied. His face had turned so red that he felt a burning sensation all the way to his scalp. Despite not exercising, he broke into a hot sweat. It was truly too difficult to handle this man. …It was difficult, but on the other hand, he didn’t know what to do because he liked it so much. Under Yeom Cheon-ho’s steady gaze, Yeon-rok fidgeted with his hands, gathered together, before asking.
“CEO, perhaps… I’m just asking just in case.”
His voice naturally trailed off, but Yeon-rok squeezed out his courage. Now, his face felt as if it were literally on fire. The gaze Yeom Cheon-ho directed at him was very gentle and affectionate. No, was it really just that?
“If I asked you to date me, would you?”
Only after blurting out his inner thoughts could he finally look up at Yeom Cheon-ho. The gaze staring back at him was exceptionally dark. Ever since that trip to Japan—after hearing those words that, no matter how much he chewed over them, sounded like a confession—he had wanted to know the man’s true intentions.
“Of course. However…”
As Yeom Cheon-ho trailed off, Yeon-rok’s heart leaped up to his throat and then tumbled back down. However?
“Before entering into a formal relationship, I believe I must obtain the positive consent of the other two people.”
“What?”
Yeon-rok really liked Yeom Cheon-ho, but in this moment, he couldn’t help but think: What kind of bullshit is this? Wondering if he had heard correctly, Yeon-rok chewed over the answer for a moment and spoke in a flat voice.
“Um, if you just don’t want to date me, you can just say so.”
“Becoming Yeon-rok-ssi’s lover is something I have also strongly desired. But unfortunately, yes. It must be done.”
“You’re saying we can only date if we get permission from Gyeon-woo Hyung and Choi Hwan?”
“That is correct.”
“Excuse me…?”
He really didn’t get it. This wasn’t a rejection based on not wanting to date him? He was serious? Yeon-rok’s lips parted, and looking into Yeom Cheon-ho’s eyes, he realized the man was speaking sincerely. Just in case, he asked Yeom Cheon-ho.
“Do the two of them weigh heavily on your mind?”
This was his way of asking if the man had feelings for the other two.
“Generally, it is only Yeon-rok-ssi who occupies my mind.”
After answering, perhaps thinking that the word ‘generally’ might be misleading, Yeom Cheon-ho added.
“If we limit it to the erotic aspect, it is always only Yeon-rok-ssi who occupies my mind.”
“Then why…?”
Even though he hadn’t actually planned on dating Yeom Cheon-ho, hearing words that sounded like a rejection made Yeon-rok feel uneasy. Yeom Cheon-ho couldn’t answer immediately. After thinking for a moment, he said.
“Aren’t those two also very important people to you, Yeon-rok-ssi? Therefore, I have no choice but to consider that.”
Was that really the reason? For some reason, Yeon-rok couldn’t shake the feeling that there was another reason.
But even if there were another reason, what could he do? He had used up all his courage to ask that non-confession of a confession. Besides, Yeom Cheon-ho’s words made sense. It would certainly be troublesome to date him in a confusing situation like this. Perhaps if things were settled with Yeom Cheon-ryul, it would be different.
Regret hit him late. Why on earth did he ask such a thing when they weren’t even going to date anyway?
“Do you have any other questions for me?”
Yeom Cheon-ho asked in an infinitely gentle, inscrutable voice. Yeon-rok hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. Then he smiled awkwardly.
“No, I don’t.”
The next day, Yeon-rok visited the cult village to meet Moon Gyeon-woo. His companions were, naturally, Park Chung-seong and Jeong Bo Eun. While driving, Park Chung-seong gave Yeon-rok a warning.
“Young master, I’m telling you just in case, but you must be careful when speaking about Yeom Cheon-ho-nim inside the village. I’m sure you wouldn’t say anything bad, but it would be best to avoid mentioning him as much as possible.”
“He’s right. We are believers of the Hwamyeong Cult too, but there are some real psychos among them. Above all, the situation with the four of you is quite unique. Since there are four people with the same Hwamyeong, some people interpret it strangely.”
Grateful for their concern, Yeon-rok readily agreed. Jeong Bo Eun spoke with a satisfied expression.
“Compared to Young Master Choi Hwan, Young Master Lee Yeon-rok is truly easy to serve, which is wonderful.”
Though he didn’t know for sure, it was clear that Choi Hwan had a bad reputation among the bodyguards. Well, he had caused quite a few incidents and accidents…
“Right, right. Young Master Moon Gyeon-woo also caused a massive accident this time. My ears still hurt thinking about how much the General Manager chewed him out for it.”
Park Chung-seong grumbled. Thinking about the hardships the bodyguards faced made Yeon-rok feel sorry for them. Regardless, he was worried about Moon Gyeon-woo. He was a man who loathed superstitions and cults, so he couldn’t imagine how much more stress he was under in that place. Of course, strictly speaking, it was his own fault, so it couldn’t be helped.
Visiting in the middle of the day, the Hwamyeong Cult village looked far from a cult stronghold. At a glance, it looked like an ordinary, lively village near a factory. Kim Beon-yeong, the security guard he had met before, greeted them.
“Oh my, it is an honor to have the flower name bearer visit again. What brings you here?”
“Hello! I’ve come to see Gyeon-woo Hyung.”
As soon as Moon Gyeon-woo’s name was mentioned, a faint look of disapproval clouded Kim Beon-yeong’s face. Nevertheless, he kindly guided Yeon-rok. Yeon-rok became slightly anxious that the believers might be mistreating Moon Gyeon-woo.
The place where Moon Gyeon-woo was staying was a religious facility in the center of the village. According to Kim Beon-yeong, it was called Seongmyeong Hall.
‘…Could it be the ‘Seongmyeong’ as in ‘name’? Probably not, right?’
With that question in mind, Yeon-rok entered Seongmyeong Hall and found Moon Gyeon-woo in a repentance room located deep inside. Moon Gyeon-woo was lying perfectly still on the bedding spread on the floor, as if he were dead. As soon as he heard the door open, he spoke calmly without even looking.
“I’m not eating.”