By Zephyria 
‘I did it with CEO Yeom Cheon-ho…’
To be precise, as he had said, they hadn’t gone all the way, but it was still the most unconventional event in his twenty-five years of maintaining his purity. Suddenly feeling hot, he kicked off the blankets. He stepped out onto the terrace and looked out into the dark night to calm himself down.
After pacing for a while, he lay back down to try and sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come. Yeon-rok reached for his phone and checked the screen without much thought, only to be startled.
“Why are there so many messages?”
Because he had kept it on silent while at the hospital, he hadn’t realized how many calls and texts had piled up. Most of them were from Choi Hwan, who had gone abroad for a pictorial shoot, and the contents were as follows:
[Call me as soon as you see this]
[You’re not ignoring my texts on purpose, are you? ㅜㅜ]
[Are you still at the hospital with Yeom Cheon-ho? You’re really just holding hands, right?]
Yeon-rok pondered for a moment on how to reply, but decided to just ignore them. It felt awkward to say yes, but equally awkward to say no.
Feeling a bit grimey, he first washed up and ordered room service. Perhaps because it was the early hours of the morning, it tasted even better. Or perhaps his appetite had returned because his physical condition felt light as air. Being in his vibrant twenties, he had this thought mid-meal.
‘It felt really good… I’d like to do it again.’
But if things were like this, could they still be called roommates? Since when did roommates have such promiscuous relationships? While feeling uneasy, Yeon-rok soon changed his mind. It was just as Yeom Cheon-ho had said. As a name manifestor, this was an act close to a survival instinct. He decided to cast aside his shame.
After finishing his meal, Yeon-rok looked around as he prepared to head home.
“Come to think of it, where did my money clip go?”
Thinking carefully, he recalled leaving it near the hospital bed. Since it was an item containing gold bars worth tens of millions of won, Yeon-rok rushed out of the hotel. The bodyguards, who followed immediately, asked him worriedly as he headed toward the hospital.
“Young master, are you feeling unwell? As expected, the head injury from yesterday…!”
“Ah, no! I just left something at the hospital.”
Since he had said he was processing the remaining paperwork, would Yeom Cheon-ho still be in the room? Worrying that someone might steal the wallet, he quickened his pace. The lights were brightly lit in Yeom Cheon-ho’s room. Just as a relieved Yeon-rok was walking toward it, he suddenly heard voices.
“…It is a relief that your condition has returned like this after all your hardships, Mr. Yeom Cheon-ho.”
The first voice he heard was Kim Jeong-seong’s. Then Yeom Cheon-ho replied.
“Ah, yes. I suppose so, since I am a flower name bearer. Especially with Yeon-rok-ssi…”
Hearing his own name, Yeon-rok’s pace slowed. He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop on others’ conversations, but he couldn’t help it when they were talking about him. His ears instinctively perked up.
“His contact efficiency is much higher than the other two. It’s just as Mr. Moon Gyeon-woo’s thesis stated. Of course, the only standard for comparison is something like holding hands, but it is certainly palpable.”
Yeon-rok’s mouth parted slightly. His heart thumping, he pressed his body tight against the wall and steadied his breathing.
“I try to treat the three of them fairly and without bias as much as possible, but naturally, my heart leans more toward him. …Well, yes. Strangely, I feel like things work out luckily whenever I’m with him. I shouldn’t show favoritism, though.”
The voice, which had been tinged with amusement, fell silent before taking on a self-deprecating tone.
“Lucky… I never thought I’d be saying something that sounds like a superstition with my own mouth.”
“It’s perfectly natural to feel that way. Since your physical condition has improved, isn’t it natural that your work is going well too?”
After that, the conversation shifted to ordinary business matters. Yeon-rok hesitated, glancing at the hospital room, before simply turning back. He felt strangely uneasy. It wasn’t as if Yeom Cheon-ho had been badmouthing him, but hearing things like ‘contact efficiency’ didn’t feel particularly pleasant.
‘Contact efficiency?’
Did that actually vary from person to person? And what was this about Moon Gyeon-woo’s thesis?
Regardless, it seemed that for Yeom Cheon-ho, yesterday’s event was nothing more or less than an act necessary for recovering his condition. As Yeon-rok returned looking a bit sullen, Jeong Bo Eun asked.
“Did you find your item?”
“Yes, I’m going home now.”
Though he hadn’t found the money clip, Yeon-rok simply nodded. He figured that whether it was Kim Jeong-seong or whoever cleaned the room, they would contact him once they found it.
Upon returning home, Yeon-rok looked up Moon Gyeon-woo’s thesis from his bed. Following a method taught by a kind stranger on the internet, he searched for papers by the author’s name and ended up clicking his tongue in disbelief.
“How did he publish this many papers?”
From those where he was the lead author to those where he was a co-author, there were far too many to count. The biggest barrier was that a significant number of them were written entirely in English. Yeon-rok struggled through them using a translator, but before long, he fell fast asleep as if he had taken a sleeping pill.
“I guess I really don’t have a brain for studying…”
Waking up awkwardly in the morning, Yeon-rok went down to the first floor. He wasn’t particularly hungry since he had eaten in the early morning, but it was due to his innate nature of naturally seeking out people. The kitchen was filled with the fragrant scent of coffee. It seemed Moon Gyeon-woo was awake.
“Yeon-rok-ah, good morning.”
Moon Gyeon-woo, who was brewing coffee, greeted him and quickly pulled out the chair next to him. Not yet fully adjusted to Moon Gyeon-woo’s constant kindness, Yeon-rok sat down awkwardly.
“You’re going to eat, right?”
“Uh… no, I ate before coming home, so I’m okay today.”
Moon Gyeon-woo, who had been carefully pouring warm water for the sake of his health, paused. His gaze scrutinized Yeon-rok’s complexion as he drank the water. He looked more flushed and energetic than usual. A thought that was not welcome at all flashed through his mind, and he closed his eyes tightly for a moment before opening them. Then, he asked calmly.
“How is CEO Yeom Cheon-ho? Has he been discharged?”
“Yeah. He got really better. He went straight back to the office.”
As Yeon-rok answered without much thought, a heavy silence followed. Finding it strange, he looked up to see Moon Gyeon-woo’s face had turned pale.
“I see. He really got better…”
His eyebrows trembled slightly, and he bit his lip hard. Only then did Yeon-rok realize his mistake and shut his mouth. He realized what it would mean to Moon Gyeon-woo that Yeom Cheon-ho, who had collapsed from overwork and contact deficiency, had recovered and been discharged in a single night. Moreover, the other party was an expert who had published several papers on name manifestation information.
It was then. Choi Hwan, who said he would fly back immediately after finishing his overseas shoot, appeared with a crash, half-dressed after a shower.
“Lee Yeon-rok! I heard you stayed out all night!”
Despite asking so persistently via text, it seemed he still hadn’t given up. Choi Hwan looked at Moon Gyeon-woo and poked at him.
“Why do you look like you chewed on a bug since this morning?”
Moon Gyeon-woo didn’t answer, silently draining his bitter coffee. Feeling awkward, Yeon-rok opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. He wanted to say that while he had some intimate contact with Yeom Cheon-ho, they hadn’t gone all the way, but it felt weird to answer something that hadn’t been asked.
“Where were you and what were you doing last night? You didn’t sleep with someone, did you? Oh, come to think of it, I heard Yeom Cheon-ho was sick. No…”
Catching Mrs. Park’s eye, Choi Hwan quickly corrected himself to “CEO Yeom Cheon-ho.” Mrs. Park glared at Choi Hwan while preparing the meal.
“Yeah, he was hospitalized.”
“Give me a break. He’s such a drama queen. I’m not in great condition either, but I’m working hard. I even had a nosebleed yesterday.”
As he said this, he repeatedly glanced at Yeon-rok, holding out his palm as if asking for it to be held. Wanting to escape this topic, Yeon-rok quickly took his hand. However, Choi Hwan did not stop his interrogation.
“But why aren’t you answering what you did while staying out?”
Looking closely, he was anxiously shaking his leg.
“Nothing special happened. I just slept at a hotel. Like a staycation.”
Since Choi Hwan was so oblivious, Yeon-rok thought he could deceive him. However, while he lacked tact, Choi Hwan was someone who could instinctively sense when someone was acting. He immediately saw through Yeon-rok’s calm facade.
“You, you…! You didn’t just stay out, did you?! Who is it! Who did you sleep with!”
As expected, Choi Hwan jumped up and caused a scene, demanding answers. Moon Gyeon-woo, who had been staring at his empty coffee cup, scoffed at him.
“Idiot. Who else would it be if not the two of us?”
“But why…?”
Choi Hwan looked devastated, as if he couldn’t believe it. As no one spoke in the strange atmosphere, Yeon-rok had no choice but to explain. He felt like he was making excuses for no reason.
“The CEO was very sick, so I just helped him. I recovered quickly because you and Gyeon-woo Hyung helped me when I was sick. It’s like that. A… duty toward a name partner?”
Far from being convinced, Moon Gyeon-woo’s face remained bloodless, and Choi Hwan looked deeply sorrowful. Thus, Yeon-rok added.
“And also, the CEO has been kind to me from the very beginning. So I should be kind to him too.”
After saying this, the two, who both had something to feel guilty about, shut their mouths tight. Choi Hwan, his face exhausted from the overseas shoot, clenched his fist.
“Then I’ll also do it with you…!”
The moment those dreaded words came out, Yeon-rok quickly bolted from the spot. Fortunately, Choi Hwan didn’t chase him. Returning to his room, he let out a sigh. He would have to do it someday, but for now, not today.