By Zephyria 
Since Choi Hwan alone had been a handful, Yeon-rok began his meal feeling somewhat intimidated. Dinner time was incredibly quiet. Yeon-rok glanced around, wondering if the atmosphere was always this solemn. He felt a strange, subtle tension in the air. After wetting his throat with a drink, Yeon-rok spoke for the first time.
“Since I don’t have my memories, would it be alright if I asked a few things?”
“What are you curious about? Ask anything.”
Moon Gyeon-woo, who had been picking at his food, answered as if he had been waiting for the chance. What Yeon-rok was most curious about was his relationship with these three men.
“I thought Choi Hwan was my lover. But now that I see you all, I feel like that might not be the case…”
“That’s right. We’re just pretending to be lovers. A scandal broke out—unfortunately—so we had to officially explain that we were dating. In reality, we weren’t.”
Moon Gyeon-woo explained quickly. So that’s how it was. Yeon-rok recalled Choi Hwan’s confession, telling him that he liked him. It had been so long since someone had liked him that much. Although he was a bit angry that the information about the other name partners had been intentionally hidden, he could forgive it if it was because Choi Hwan wanted to monopolize him.
“Then, exactly what is my relationship with the three of you?”
A strange silence descended upon the three men for a moment. As Yeon-rok looked around, trying to gauge their reactions, Choi Hwan—who had been clenching his fists since Moon Gyeon-woo started answering—replied hastily.
“We’re family.”
“Family?”
Yeon-rok’s eyes sparkled at the most ideal answer. Yeom Cheon-ho and Moon Gyeon-woo, who had quickly exchanged glances behind his back, quickly chimed in.
“That’s right. We’re like family.”
“We were a close-knit family who relied on and respected one another.”
He had thought one name partner would be enough, but suddenly he had three family members.
Overjoyed, Yeon-rok’s cheeks flushed with a rosy glow. Meanwhile, Moon Gyeon-woo quickly pressed his finger against his twitching eye to hide it. Yeom Cheon-ho’s pace of eating slowed down, and Choi Hwan tore his salad to shreds.
“You don’t have to worry too much about Choi Hwan. It’s just that your condition was so poor that we had to engage in close contact.”
Moon Gyeon-woo, having sensed the traces of sexual intercourse remaining on Yeon-rok’s body, spoke in a voice as soft as cotton candy. As he did, he gave Choi Hwan a smile as brilliant as a poisonous flower.
“Thank you for taking such good care of Yeon-rok, almost like a lover, while we were busy.”
“Haha, don’t mention it. It’s not like Yeon-rok and I are strangers. I can do that kind of thing anytime. Tomorrow, the day after, and every day after that.”
This time, a twitch appeared at the corner of Moon Gyeon-woo’s mouth, but he quickly hid it by pretending to eat some stew. In a fit of irritation, Choi Hwan reached for the high-calorie braised short ribs. Yeom Cheon-ho, who had been politely watching the scene like a comedy play, spoke in a voice laced with amusement.
“I am the eldest, so I’m like the big brother, the Hyung.”
“….”
Not satisfied with the short ribs, Choi Hwan reached for the royal tteokbokki. Moon Gyeon-woo gulped down cold water. Only Yeom Cheon-ho continued in a leisurely voice.
“In order of age, the second son, and then the youngest?”
“Why am I the youngest?!”
Ultimately, Choi Hwan reacted with a burst of anger, but even that made him seem exactly like the youngest. When Yeon-rok couldn’t help but let out a laugh, everyone’s gaze shifted toward him. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yeon-rok rubbed his mouth. Though he still felt confused, it seemed he had waited nearly four years for this. It was worth it.
“I’m so happy that it feels like I’ve gained a family overnight.”
He had wondered why the house felt too big for just him and Choi Hwan to live in. It was this large because two more family members lived here. Yeon-rok’s chest swelled with pride. He was now someone who had a family.
“Then, what are your occupations?”
Yeon-rok marveled as he listened to their introductions one by one. From a businessman running a famous domestic company to a researcher, they were all impressive. Come to think of it, there was something he was curious about. What work was he doing now?
“Then what is my job? Did you contact the place where I work after the accident?”
“Uh…”
For some reason, Choi Hwan couldn’t answer immediately and hesitated slightly. Instead, Moon Gyeon-woo spoke in a kind voice.
“Yeon-rok, you do various productive things at home.”
“Productive things?”
“Like supporting the three of us in various ways, cooking, sculpting, doing various handicrafts…”
Though it was phrased politely and indirectly, there was only one conclusion no matter how he heard it. I’m an unemployed loafer. He must have just stayed home because his name partners earned a lot of money. Had he become this lazy in just one year?
“I’ll find a job soon…”
However, upon Yeon-rok’s declaration to get a job, objections erupted from all sides.
“Why? What for? There are three people to support you. You’ve worked hard until now, so just relax and rest.”
“That’s right, Yeon-rok-ah. Your head was injured, so you need to stabilize for a while.”
“I share the same opinion as these two. Since there is no issue with your livelihood anyway, wouldn’t it be better to take your time and find a job that suits your aptitude? Just like these two.”
Yeon-rok was a bit surprised. All three of them seemed to strongly dislike the idea of him working. Of course, he himself had been full of will to support his name partners once he met them, but he hadn’t expected to be on the opposite side. They were probably just very worried about his condition, especially since he had lost his memories, right? His name partners really seemed like wonderful people. Yeon-rok replied shyly.
“Then I’ll rest for a while.”
“Don’t worry and rest as long as possible. Is there anything else you’re curious about? If there’s anything else you need, please feel free to tell us.”
Yeom Cheon-ho spoke in a very generous voice, as if he would buy anything Yeon-rok wanted.
“What was our first meeting like? I assume we first met at the name matching center?”
Yeom Cheon-ho answered Yeon-rok, who was curious about their first encounter. The other two simply listened in silence. Strangely, they looked like people who had a guilty conscience. Of course, it was probably just his imagination.
“It was quite surprising to have three name partners. Yeon-rok-ssi manifested first, followed by Choi Hwan-ssi, Moon Gyeon-woo-ssi, and finally, I manifested.”
The story of their first meeting was very interesting. He felt it was a shame that he had no memory of it. It felt heartbreaking to think that the various memories they had built from then until now had vanished forever. By the time he heard stories about going to a filming set together, visiting the research lab, and traveling to Japan, dinner time had already flown by.
“One last thing I’m curious about.”
Since half of them had to go to work tomorrow, Yeon-rok suppressed his curiosity and asked the question he was most curious about.
“Is our relationship, perhaps, something like polyamory? I mean, a relationship where everyone is intimate with each other…”
Since he had three name partners, Yeon-rok naturally assumed they would all get along well. And hoping that was actually the case, he looked at the three men with sparkling eyes. Anyone could tell what his intention was. Suddenly, the dining table became deathly quiet. Moon Gyeon-woo suddenly looked at his quiet phone with great interest and sprang up from his seat.
“Oh dear, there’s something at the lab that needs to be handled quickly, so I have to go now. Don’t mind me and enjoy your meal, Yeon-rok-ah.”
Then, like someone who had suddenly lost their appetite, he quickly left the seat and disappeared. It was a bit puzzling, but he seemed incredibly busy. Soon after, Yeom Cheon-ho accidentally spilled his drink. Clicking his tongue, he naturally stood up.
“I’ll have to change my clothes. It’s late, so I shall go attend to my business. Choi Hwan-ssi will explain the rest. It was a pleasant dinner.”
With that, Yeom Cheon-ho also left the scene. What’s going on? It felt as if the two of them had intentionally avoided the situation… When he looked at Choi Hwan, the man’s face was flushing red and blue. Suddenly, Choi Hwan swept the nearby japchae and fried dishes onto his own plate and answered.
“You could say that, and you could also say it’s not, so it’s… in a word, a complicated relationship that’s hard to explain. It’s only been half a year since we met. Wouldn’t it be too early for the relationship to be properly established…?”
The answer was so rambling that he couldn’t understand it immediately, but he couldn’t ask any further. This was because Choi Hwan proceeded to devour everything, including dessert, without pause, like a starving man.
Ever since he had sex with Choi Hwan once, his body had felt light and his condition had been good. He had no dizziness or headaches, but no particular memories surfaced either. Thanks to that, Yeon-rok, who woke up after a deep sleep today, started by fiddling with the safe in the room. What on earth was the password? He tried various combinations, but nothing seemed to work.
Maybe someone else knows? With the intention of asking, he went down to the first floor, where Mrs. Park greeted him warmly and prepared breakfast. After eating deliciously, Yeon-rok looked around the house and found Choi Hwan standing blankly in front of the scale in the gym.
“What’s wrong?”
His expression was dark and not good at all. Just as Yeon-rok was worrying if something had happened, Choi Hwan clutched his hair in agony.
“I gained weight…”