By Zephyria 
“It may be necessary to be careful.”
“Careful? Why?”
There couldn’t be a healthier hobby than knitting in the world. Unable to understand, Yeon-rok tilted his head, but his expression turned serious at the words that followed.
“The screen golf course incident last time was a bit suspicious, so the security team investigated…”
Yeom Cheon-ho trailed off, as if giving the other person a moment to prepare for the shock.
“There was a low-quality swindler in that knitting group. He’s someone who has harmed countless people so far, and he’s using the name ‘Lee Seong-myung’.”
“…What? My knitting partner is a swindler?”
Yeon-rok, extremely shocked, put down his spoon. Lee Seong-myung was a low-quality swindler? Even the way he was talking made it sound like Lee Seong-myung wasn’t even his real name. Yeom Cheon-ho sent him a kind look, as if he understood the shock, and asked.
“I’m curious if you still plan to attend the knitting group.”
“I want to keep attending…”
It wasn’t just because he liked knitting. He hadn’t missed a meeting because he really liked the unique, warm atmosphere and the down-to-earth members. He was closest to Lee Seong-myung, but he was also close to the other people, so he would be very sad not to go. After thinking for a moment, Yeom Cheon-ho said readily.
“Then give me a week. I’ll take care of it so you can continue the group. And it would be good to change your cell phone number as well.”
Yeon-rok nodded, still looking shocked. He had seemed like such a nice person, but he was a swindler; he still couldn’t believe it. He sighed and picked up his spoon again, but Moon Kyeon-woo, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, asked.
“So what is that Lee Seong-myung’s identity? It seems like you know.”
His gaze as he looked at the other person was sharp. Moon Kyeon-woo seemed to feel displeasure at a point that Yeon-rok didn’t even know about. Yeom Cheon-ho, who had paused, smiled gently. As if he had been planning to tell them all along but had just forgotten, he said.
“That man’s real name is Yeom Cheon-ryul, and he’s my father and someone I have a considerable grudge against. So he probably approached Yeon-rok on purpose.”
Yeon-rok put down his spoon again, struck by a second shock as soon as he heard that an acquaintance he was close to was actually a criminal. Choi Hwan also opened his mouth wide and began to focus with a fascinated look. Yeom Cheon-ho apologized in a polite voice.
“I’m really sorry for causing you trouble because of my father’s actions, Yeon-rok. I apologize on his behalf.”
“Ah, no. I’m okay…”
“I’m not okay.”
Moon Kyeon-woo, who had been so affectionate to Yeom Cheon-ho during their so-called flirting period, spoke in a cold voice, erasing all of that attitude. Yeon-rok and Choi Hwan’s heads turned sharply toward Moon Kyeon-woo.
“Those two are just trying to let it go because they don’t know the ways of the world, but I’m not. Why didn’t you disclose information about such a dangerous criminal sooner? You’re supposed to be Name partners, but you’re hiding such important stories?”
“I was going to do it when the time was right.”
“Someday? When is that exactly? It’s already been over three months since I came to this house.”
“Three months, so it’s already been that long. Then it’s time to tell you. Now is the right time.”
The conversation was so tense that he felt suffocated. Unable to bear the suddenly harsh situation, Yeon-rok shifted his gaze from side to side. Then Choi Hwan butted in without any tact.
“Hyung didn’t tell us about his parents either.”
“I’m an orphan. I don’t have parents, so I don’t have any stories to tell.”
Choi Hwan flinched and shut his mouth, looking around, at Moon Kyeon-woo’s icy voice. Before he could be surprised by the unexpected common ground between Moon Kyeon-woo and himself, Yeon-rok just listened to the two people’s conversation, stiffening awkwardly.
“You’re not the kind of person who would feel ashamed because your parents are criminals, are you? So I can’t shake the feeling that you deliberately hid these facts for some purpose. Is it because you’re afraid the Name partners won’t choose you?”
As Moon Kyeon-woo spewed out his venom, Choi Hwan stared intently at the broccoli pieces on his plate with a look that said he wanted to run away. Even after hearing those words, Yeom Cheon-ho’s relaxed attitude didn’t falter in the slightest. Yeon-rok suddenly thought. The reason the two of them didn’t date wasn’t because of their feelings, but because their compatibility was the worst?
“I certainly don’t feel ashamed about the fact that he’s my father.”
Finally, Yeom Cheon-ho also put down his spoon. His elegant attitude was still the same, but his eyes were gleaming darkly.
“That’s because a certain feeling I have for him is so great that I don’t have time to feel ashamed.”
A glimpse of undisguised hatred and anger could be seen in his eyes. But it wasn’t because he couldn’t control his emotions, but because Yeom Cheon-ho deliberately wanted to show it. For the first time, Yeon-rok agreed with Moon Kyeon-woo’s assessment that Yeom Cheon-ho was a calculating person.
“It’s a common family affair. A father who inflicts domestic violence and a child who survives under him… It wasn’t something worth talking about, so I was refraining from it. But I’ll make this one thing clear.”
Yeom Cheon-ho continued in a sincere voice, without any calculation.
“I want us four to continue being together in the future. I will do my best to take responsibility so that everyone is safe and happy.”
He seemed like someone sincerely confessing a heart he had cherished for a long time. Yeon-rok was deeply impressed by his words, but Moon Kyeon-woo was not at all, answering coldly.
“I don’t care about such responsibility.”
“You can’t always live only receiving what you want from others. If you’re worried, should I add more bodyguards?”
Moon Kyeon-woo didn’t say anything more, but he seemed quite annoyed. Yeom Cheon-ho only smiled as if he couldn’t help it, without showing any signs of being upset.
After that, the meal continued, but Yeon-rok couldn’t tell whether the food was going into his mouth or his nose. As soon as the meal was over, the bodyguards confiscated his phone and returned it an hour later. Lee Seong-myung’s contact information and the messages he had exchanged with him had been completely erased from the phone.
Yeon-rok, holding the phone, returned to his room and agonized, feeling very disturbed. Lee Seong-myung is Yeom Cheon-ho’s father? And even a con artist? Why did he approach me? Was he trying to find Yeom Cheon-ho’s weakness through me? While Yeon-rok was confused by the betrayal and shock, there was a knock, and before he could answer, the door burst open. Of course, it was Choi Hwan.
“Is there any point in knocking?”
Ignoring Yeon-rok’s words, Choi Hwan came in, plopped down on the bed, and said,
“I knew it, con artists never come from far away. They always rip off someone close!”
Choi Hwan was angry as if it had happened to him, even though it was Yeon-rok who had experienced it. Perhaps he had a similar experience. Come to think of it, maybe he was so excited during the last drug case because of a defense mechanism. Were they very close? Feeling a little sympathy, Yeon-rok shrugged.
“Still, it’s a relief that we found out before suffering a big loss.”
Now that he thought about it, there was definitely something suspicious about Lee Seong-myung.
‘It felt like he was particularly trying to dig into my family situation.’
Anyway, even though he felt a bit bitter, it was over now, so Yeon-rok decided not to worry about it anymore. Choi Hwan, without asking for permission, comfortably lay down on Yeon-rok’s bed and fiddled around before exclaiming, “Huh?”
“You like MarbleDino too?”
“Marble what?”
Looking in the direction Choi Hwan was pointing, he saw a mottled dinosaur doll sitting next to an old dog doll. Without realizing that Yeon-rok’s eyes were turning fierce, Choi Hwan excitedly chattered.
“I really like this doll too. Should I give you some of mine as a gift? I received so many from fans.”
“Hey. Don’t you remember?”
Only then did Choi Hwan notice something was amiss. Looking bewildered, he cautiously asked,
“Remember what?”
“I gave this to you as a gift. The next day, I saw you left it in the living room? So I picked it up.”
The memory of trying so hard to get along with Choi Hwan and Moon Kyeon-woo in the early days of moving in was still vivid. But Choi Hwan was living a good life, vaguely forgetting about it, which made him very annoying. As if he remembered something, Choi Hwan was sweating profusely. He belatedly reached out to take the dinosaur doll, but Yeon-rok ruthlessly slapped his hand away.
“Where do you think you’re touching? It’s my doll now. I even gave it a Name.”
“A Name…… what is it?”
“Yeon-eo.”
“Yeo, Yeon-eo.”
“Yeah, Yeon-eo.”