By Zephyria 
Episode 70
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“Hey, come here. Take off your mask.”
“Why all of a sudden? I’m tired. I want to rest.”
It was suspicious that a man who usually threw off his mask and hat the moment he stepped inside the house, complaining of how suffocating they were, was now acting so reluctant. After a bit of a struggle, Yeon-rok finally managed to see Choi Hwan’s face. At the same time, the mask and cap slipped from the hands of a shocked Yeon-rok.
“You… you… what happened to your face!”
His voice rose instinctively from the shock. Choi Hwan rubbed his cheek awkwardly and let out a small groan. That arrogant face, which he claimed made up 9.99 million won of his 10-million-won body, was mottled with bruises and swelling. It was a clear sign that he had been unilaterally beaten. Suddenly, heat rushed to the top of Yeon-rok’s head.
“Fuck, who did this to you?! Spit it out right now!”
“Wow. You’re actually kind of sexy when you swear.”
Despite the interrogation and the swearing, Choi Hwan just blushed and gave an absurd response. Since he had treated his acting career as if it were his own life, he wouldn’t have gotten caught up in a random street fight. Yeon-rok asked, fearing the worst.
“Did you meet your family?”
Choi Hwan didn’t deny it; he just rubbed his toes on the floor awkwardly. Yeon-rok couldn’t believe it. No matter the circumstances, had it really come to the point of physical violence? And to hit an actor in the face?
“Maybe it’s because it’s been a while, but it really hurt.”
“Did those people come looking for you again?”
Honestly, he wanted to call them pieces of shit, but he held back out of courtesy since they were Choi Hwan’s family. Despite his wrecked face, Choi Hwan had a silly grin on his lips.
“No. I went to see them this time. I just… intentionally picked a fight and provoked them so they’d hit me.”
“Why on earth would you do something like that…?”
He wasn’t a masochist, so Yeon-rok couldn’t understand the reasoning. The following answer left Yeon-rok stunned.
“So you wouldn’t get as much hate.”
“What?”
“You’re getting a lot of flak because of the interview my mom and dad did. So I did it to collect evidence. You’re my family, right? I… if it’s for family, I can do this much. Getting hit a few times is nothing.”
“…”
Yeon-rok felt a strong sense of kinship with Choi Hwan as he said those words. The way he gave money to those exploiters just because they were family, and the way he was acting so desperately for him—someone he had known for less than a year—just because Yeon-rok had taken his side and been kind to him.
Understanding that feeling left Yeon-rok speechless.
The anger and resentment he had felt when Choi Hwan’s scandals almost exposed his face nationwide melted away like snow under the sun. The stream of emotions that melted and flowed down sweetly soaked into Yeon-rok’s heart, which had been parched for affection. With a deep sigh, he took Choi Hwan’s hand.
“Do you not need to go to the hospital?”
“I already got a medical certificate.”
“I’m not talking about the certificate… Forget it. Come here. I’ll put some medicine on you.”
Whatever the hospital had done, there wasn’t a single trace of ointment on Choi Hwan’s face. Despite having been beaten, Choi Hwan followed Yeon-rok with a beaming smile, looking far too happy.
Because he had been injured so many times in unfortunate ways in the past, Yeon-rok always kept a stock of first-aid supplies. Naturally, he had ointment that worked well for bruises. After pulling him into his room and making him sit, he brought over the medicine box. Squeezing out the ointment, Yeon-rok asked worriedly.
“Did you show Jun-ho Hyung? Your broadcast is tomorrow.”
“It’s radio, so they won’t see my face anyway. I’ll try to hide it as much as possible. Besides, what else is he going to do but nag me?”
The Manager’s heart must be really burning… Yeon-rok felt pity for Jo Jun-ho as he carefully applied the ointment to the bruised areas. Choi Hwan winced in pain, yet the corners of his mouth twitched. Yeon-rok gradually felt a surge of irritation.
‘I mean, how could anyone hit such a handsome face?’
Those cursed people. He hoped they would trip and crack the back of their heads, buy all their stocks and houses at the peak and sell them at the bottom. He hoped they would suffer from chronic illnesses without knowing the cause and live long, miserable lives. As Yeon-rok poured out these curses, he generously applied the ointment until every inch of the face was glossy. Even after the treatment was finished, Choi Hwan didn’t leave immediately. He lingered, glancing at Yeon-rok, and then fumbled through his pockets.
“…? What is this?”
Choi Hwan suddenly handed over several hundred thousand won, and Yeon-rok took it, puzzled. Was this payment for the treatment? After hesitating for a while, Choi Hwan spoke slowly.
“Um, could you… give me a hug for a bit?”
Money offered as payment for a hug; Yeon-rok was momentarily speechless. When he stared blankly, Choi Hwan looked confused.
“Why? Is it not enough?”
Yeon-rok recalled how Choi Hwan had been so offended just by the mention of an escort service. He didn’t seem to realize at all how his current behavior might appear. Since there seemed to be no malice, Yeon-rok thought about it for a moment and silently stood up. He opened his arms, stepped forward, and hugged Choi Hwan tightly.
“You brat.”
“Ugh.”
Choi Hwan let out a muffled sound as he was squeezed tight in Yeon-rok’s arms. Even though Yeon-rok rubbed his hair roughly, he seemed satisfied. After hugging him for a few minutes, Yeon-rok returned the money he had received.
“Here. Now you hug me back the same way.”
Even with wide eyes, Choi Hwan didn’t miss the opportunity. He lunged forward and pulled Yeon-rok into his arms. Even though he held on much longer than Yeon-rok had, Yeon-rok just let him. With his aching face buried in Yeon-rok’s shoulder, Choi Hwan mumbled.
“…You don’t need my money?”
“I don’t need it for this kind of thing.”
But I should definitely take payment for cooking ramen… Wait, I think ointment is getting on my clothes. It feels damp.
“You’re a money-grubber.”
“I am not.”
While there was no one in the world who hated money, he didn’t want to receive it this way. Choi Hwan whispered almost inaudibly.
“Every single one of my family members was crazy for my money. I’m glad you’re not like that.”
After a while, the sound of a faint, suppressed sob could be heard, but Yeon-rok pretended not to hear anything and simply patted Choi Hwan’s back.
“Aaaagh!”
The Manager, who had come to pick him up, let out a wretched scream upon seeing Choi Hwan’s face. As is typical with bruises, they had worsened over time. Even Yeon-rok had been shocked when he saw it in the morning and had applied the ointment once more.
“You, you! What—what happened!”
“I got hit.”
Choi Hwan replied in a nonchalant voice. Jo Jun-ho clutched his hair and then wiped his face with his hands. Perhaps because Choi Hwan had caused trouble more than once or twice, he forced himself to snap out of it and began to assess the situation.
“Where did you get hit? Why? Did you fight? Was it mutual? Spill it quickly. I need to clean this up!”
“Ah, it’s fine. I was hit by my dad. It wasn’t mutual.”
Jo Jun-ho, who had been urgently calling the CEO on his phone, snapped his head up. Frowning, he put the phone down and asked cautiously.
“Why? Did your family come looking for you again?”
Choi Hwan repeated the explanation he had given to Yeon-rok. As he listened, Jo Jun-ho’s expression looked quite complicated.
“First of all, I’m really glad that you’ve finally decided to cut ties with your family. Hwan, you made the right choice. But the thing is…”
Trailing off, Jo Jun-ho looked at Choi Hwan’s bruised face with pity and said,
“Actually, I’ve gathered quite a bit of evidence over time.”
“What?”
“The things I recorded are mostly just verbal abuse, but… the CEO probably has even more than I do. He told me he’d been secretly filming since the time he was your manager.”
Jo Jun-ho’s words were surprising, yet in a way, they made sense. If it were him, he would have consistently gathered evidence after seeing how cruelly Choi Hwan was treated by those people he called family. However, having not expected this at all, Choi Hwan jumped up.
“Why didn’t you tell me! I got beaten up for nothing! Do you know how much I struggled to make sure it was caught on the dashcam?”
“No, you went crazy whenever your family was mentioned! How was I supposed to tell you I was gathering evidence, you brat!”
Seeing Jo Jun-ho looking so aggrieved, Choi Hwan just pouted and replied,
“…Well, I don’t think it was entirely for nothing.”
“You’re an actor, is that really how you talk! Anyway, we still have time, so let’s stop by the hospital first!”
Whether out of gratitude or guilt toward the Manager, Choi Hwan was led obediently to the hospital. This was the first time Yeon-rok learned that there was laser treatment to remove bruises. While waiting in a luxurious lounge funded by the money of celebrity patients who obsessed over their looks, Jo Jun-ho spoke.
“Thank you, Yeon-rok-ssi.”
“…Me?”
Yeon-rok was puzzled, not knowing why he was suddenly thanking him.
“I think Hwan finally made the resolve to cut off his family because you’re here, Yeon-rok-ssi. He’s a kid who endured and stayed attached to those nuisances just because they were family; his life will be much better now. The CEO will be happy too.”
“I didn’t really do anything.”
Yeon-rok replied shyly. At the same time, he thought it was a relief that a good person like Jo Jun-ho was by Choi Hwan’s side. Just as the atmosphere became heartwarming, Choi Hwan, who had come out after his treatment, deliberately squeezed himself between the two.
“Don’t act like you’re close.”
…Is he perhaps jealous? Yeon-rok wondered if he would be this childish when the other person was his close Manager, but thinking it was entirely possible for Choi Hwan, he quietly shifted away. Jo Jun-ho, who had been pushed aside, stood up in disbelief. He clicked his tongue while looking at Choi Hwan’s treated face.
“You definitely can’t go to the salon.”
So, they decided to have the agency’s stylist, whom they had seen during the last shoot, fix his hair and face. Upon being called, she rushed over by taxi and looked deeply distressed upon seeing Choi Hwan’s face.
“The bruising is this severe, and you’re telling me not to cover it up?”