By Zephyria 
“That much is nothing to me. It’s an amount I can give as much as I want for a precious Name partner. So don’t feel burdened by a few clothes.”
The face that said that was just nonchalant. A few clothes? It was easily over dozens of clothes? But he couldn’t return or refund them, so he hesitated and gave his thanks.
“Thank you. I’ll wear them well…”
He was talking like a king giving out his private funds, showing how much wealth he had. Yeon-rok felt a bit of distance. At the same time, however, he thought the composure he was wearing was cool. The person who said that spending over 100 million won was nothing confessed with the restaurant lights shining like a halo over his head.
“Actually, I find Yeon-rok the most difficult.”
“Yes?”
Yeon-rok asked, puzzled. If you were to pick the person with the lowest status among the Name partners, wouldn’t it be him? Unlike even the rude Choi Hwan or Moon Kyeon-woo, he was confident that he could be friendly.
“What about me?”
While they were talking, the next dish came out. This time, it was horse mackerel sashimi, which was said to be a seasonal fish, and it melted as soon as he put it in his mouth. Yeon-rok smacked his lips without realizing it, wanting to pile up a whole plate full of it and eat it. Then, Yeom Cheon-ho exchanged his untouched plate with the empty plate, telling him to eat more. Yeon-rok was very touched.
“I can invest in Hwan’s current filming project and in Gyun-woo’s ongoing research. But it seems like that’s not the kind of thing Yeon-rok wants.”
Yeon-rok fiddled with his chopsticks, thinking that this was how you could say that he had no background or a decent job. He rubbed his thigh for no reason, then awkwardly massaged his neck.
“No, I was grateful that you paid off my loan.”
“But aren’t you feeling even more guilty?”
Of course, he was right. The emotion Yeon-rok felt when he heard that Yeom Cheon-ho had paid off all his loans was embarrassment. He was grateful, but on the other hand, he felt burdened. He still wanted to pay it back if he could. But after seeing him spend money like water today, he wondered if it was worth it.
“But recently, after hearing Yeon-rok’s story, I was happy because it seemed like we had a lot in common.”
Yeom Cheon-ho said in a pleasant tone, and Yeon-rok was puzzled again. He had no idea in what way they seemed to have a lot in common. He said the same thing as before again.
“What about me…?”
“The attitude of pursuing capital, I guess.”
Huh? Me?
“I’m talking about how you calculate the other person’s psychological aspects and wealth, and set and present your labor value high.”
Yeom Cheon-ho leaned forward slightly and raised the corners of his mouth. His eyes were twinkling secretly, but it didn’t seem to be just because of the lighting. No way… Is he talking about getting a high errand fee from Choi Hwan? If it’s that, it’s not so much about pursuing capital as it is about wanting to tease Choi Hwan a little.
“Besides, you bought gold with that money. That’s a good decision. It’s a symbol of wealth that’s accepted everywhere, and it’s a safe asset that will never plummet in value.”
Yeon-rok recalled the answer he received when he jokingly told Kim Jeong-seong that he might have to buy a safe because he had no place to spend the cash and it was just piling up. As expected of the boss and his employee, what Yeom Cheon-ho had just said was similar.
‘If you’re going to keep it in a safe, I recommend gold. It’s fine even if there’s a fire in the house, and its value won’t drop in the future, and it’s good as a safe asset.’
Yeon-rok, who was very tempted by the words that it would be fine even if there was a fire, asked him to buy some gold. He was briefly fascinated by the shiny, pinky-sized gold before carefully putting it in the corner of the small safe that Kim Jeong-seong had installed. It’s not like he bought it because he liked gold.
But thanks to that, it seemed like he had gained Yeom Cheon-ho’s favor, so Yeon-rok could only smile awkwardly without denying or affirming.
As he quietly observed Yeom Cheon-ho, who was eating the next course, he seemed to be in a good mood. In fact, he had looked quite cheerful since earlier. While eating the melt-in-your-mouth seaweed and beef tartare roll, Yeon-rok asked.
“But you seem to be in a good mood today.”
“Is it that obvious? I invested in a business last time, and it made a bigger profit than expected. I’m checking to see if there’s a special reason.”
Yeon-rok nodded. I see. Of course, you’d be in a good mood if you made a lot of money. But… Yeon-rok was slowly starting to get a sense of what kind of person Yeom Cheon-ho was.
“You must have been lucky!”
“That’s right. I was lucky. It’s an achievement that can only be described that way. Thanks to that, I’m able to remodel the office building that I was planning.”
It must have cost a lot of money to remodel such a building, so he must have made a lot of money. Yeon-rok agreed and said.
“You already have a lot of money, but are you still that happy?”
“Of course! The more money, the better.”
Yeom Cheon-ho’s eyes curved into a round shape. Displaying impeccable dining etiquette, he carved the sea bream, which the chef had sourced from dawn and meticulously grilled with sauce. After savoring an expensive wine imported from abroad, he flashed a smile, showcasing a watch on his wrist whose price was beyond estimation.
“Isn’t it true that there’s almost nothing in this world that money can’t solve?”
“I suppose so…”
“Ah, of course. Money alone doesn’t solve everything. So, if you add just one more thing to it, it becomes perfect.”
“And what would that one thing be…?”
Even though the other party was still very kind and gentle, Lee Yeon-rok cautiously asked, feeling somehow intimidated.
“People.”
The capitalist, who seemed the wealthiest of anyone Yeon-rok had ever met in person, said cheerfully. As he shifted his posture, the restaurant’s lighting, which seemed to surround him like a halo, cast shadows on his handsome face. Strangely, Yeom Cheon-ho looked sinister for a moment.
“Money and people. With just these two, there’s nothing you can’t do in this world. Houses, cars, watches, clothes, shoes, people, time… and even gold, which Yeon-rok likes.”
Of course, it’s nice to have, but it’s not like I’m so blindly fond of gold…
“So, Yeon-rok is important to me. Because he’s my precious Name partner. Thanks to him, I’ve become so healthy, haven’t I? Health is also a value that can’t be solved with money alone. So, enjoy all of this. Yeon-rok is entitled to it.”
Becoming a Name Awakened is like a double-edged sword. If the partner is not around, you might die, but conversely, if the partner is just by your side, the incidence of all kinds of diseases decreases, and the average lifespan increases significantly. This was a statistically proven fact. That’s what Yeom Cheon-ho was talking about.
Yeon-rok just nodded his head endlessly, agreeing with Yeom Cheon-ho’s words. He just thought that the other person was like the incarnation of capitalism, and that the food was delicious. And on the other hand, he was uncomfortable, as if sitting on thorns, because he was worried about his ex-lover, who would be waiting outside while he was enjoying himself like this…
Contrary to Yeon-rok’s desire to go home quickly, the meal lasted a full two hours, with new dishes constantly appearing. When they came out, full, Min So-yul greeted them with a smiling face. Yeon-rok stared at Min So-yul for a moment, because it had been a while since he had seen her face, which he couldn’t read, and it felt unfamiliar.
“Did you two enjoy your meal?”
“I was enjoying my conversation with Yeon-rok so much that the meal took longer than I thought. Come to think of it, Secretary Min, didn’t you say you had a daughter? How old is she this year?”
Yeon-rok’s fidgeting, who was still embarrassed and fiddling with the hand Yeom Cheon-ho was holding, stopped.
“She’s one year old now, CEO.”
“Oh my, she’s at the age when she’s looking for her parents, but it’s getting too late. Go home for today. Go on.”
With those words, Yeom Cheon-ho handed over a check, saying it was for taxi fare. Min So-yul hesitated, then gratefully accepted the check and hurried away, saying she would leave work first. As Yeon-rok walked to the car holding Yeom Cheon-ho’s hand, he muttered without realizing it.
“She looks so young, but she already has a child.”
“That’s right. She got married to another employee last year. I remember them being a well-suited couple in many ways.”
I see. A well-suited couple in many ways. He could definitely say that he had no feelings for her anymore, but somehow, he felt strangely lonely.
Yeom Cheon-ho drove on the way back. Yeon-rok also had a license, but he couldn’t dare to drive such an expensive car. Considering his unlucky day today, he would definitely scratch it somewhere on the way home. Yeom Cheon-ho would probably say it was okay, but if that happened, Yeon-rok’s heart would definitely be hurt.
Having returned home like that, Yeon-rok went up to the rooftop instead of washing up. He had received a text message from an unfamiliar number.