By Zephyria 
Ack! Yeon-rok screamed inwardly. He glanced around to make sure no one was listening and spoke in a low voice.
“I told you, just because you heard a confession doesn’t mean we’re dating! Who says you’re my boyfriend?!”
Hearing Yeon-rok’s scolding, Choi Hwan spoke with a sulky face.
“But everyone coming here is probably going to think that anyway…”
Hearing those words, it finally clicked for Yeon-rok. There had been a scandal not long ago, and although the faces were blurred, anyone who knew Choi Hwan would recognize him. Consequently, this entire party was Choi Hwan’s calculated move.
Should I drag him to a secluded spot and give him a few hits…? As Yeon-rok narrowed his eyes, Choi Hwan suddenly began pretending to check his equipment busily and looked for the club manager.
As 5 o’clock—the start of the party—approached, the line of people waiting outside grew longer. It grew so endlessly that Yeon-rok began to worry. Can they even handle this many people…? Around that time, Moon Gyeon-woo arrived. It was ten minutes before the party started.
“Yeon-rok-ah, I’m here.”
He approached Yeon-rok immediately with a refreshing smile. Choi Hwan quickly scanned Moon Gyeon-woo from head to toe and looked disappointed. It seemed he had intended to find fault if the outfit was poor, but he couldn’t. Come to think of it, not only Moon Gyeon-woo but also Yeom Cheon-ho tended to dress quite well. Moon Gyeon-woo offered a compliment that tickled the ears.
“The clothes you’re wearing right now really suit you. I’m sure you’ll be the most handsome person here today.”
“I’m the one who dressed him,” Choi Hwan interjected, but Moon Gyeon-woo only gave him a brief, cold look and didn’t even pretend to listen. He simply spoke in a slightly arrogant tone.
“The escape route?”
“There’s a guy over there with a name tag that says Choi Tan-hwan.”
The two of them turned their heads in the direction Choi Hwan gestured. Yeon-rok doubted his own eyes.
“Choi… Tan-hwan…?”
Sure enough, there was a waiter wearing a name tag that read Choi Tan-hwan. When their eyes met, the waiter gave a wink, causing Moon Gyeon-woo to scowl. As he stared with a rudely skeptical look, as if questioning if that was actually a human name, Choi Hwan flexed his club pride.
“You have to have a standout name here. You need at least one waiter with a nickname based on my name for me to feel, ‘Ah, I’ve really become famous.’ You’ve lived your life in ignorance not knowing this.”
Yeon-rok thought to himself: I feel like this is a culture I don’t need to know at all. And that name is incredibly tacky.
“Anyway, as soon as Yeom Cheon-ho leaves, follow him immediately. If you go close to that waiter and slip him some money, he’ll guide you. My friends said they’d help out this time too.”
At the mention of having to pay a fee, Moon Gyeon-woo looked at him with contempt and spoke.
“You talked so big, are you sure you can actually succeed?”
“If you don’t want to trust me, then you can opt out. It’s enough if just Yeon-rok and I go. This was between the two of us to begin with, and you’re the one who wedged yourself in.”
“Ha! ‘The two of us’? Don’t make me laugh.”
As the two began to growl and exchange fierce glares again, Yeon-rok quickly stepped between them. Watching these two lately, he had been worrying that they might actually start a brawl given how bad their relationship was.
“It’s time for people to come in, so we should get ready. You’re not going to fight on my birthday, right? You said today’s birthday party would be amazing.”
At Yeon-rok’s words, the two immediately put on artificial smiles as if trying to restrain themselves. As he said, it was already time for the party to open. A few minutes later, at 5 o’clock, the club entrance swung wide open. People flooded in, cheering.
“Choi Hwan! I’m here!”
“Happy birthday, Lee Yeon-rok-ssi!”
“Happy birthday, Lee Yeon-rok~!”
People he had never seen in his life entered while shouting birthday wishes for Lee Yeon-rok. With dozens of people tossing out comments, it became noisy in an instant. Overwhelmed, Yeon-rok stepped back and instinctively hid behind Moon Gyeon-woo. He was frightened in advance because of the scandal that had broken out recently. Moon Gyeon-woo glanced back at him with a satisfied look.
Fortunately, a significant number of people were more interested in the perks than the birthday boy. About half of them rushed to claim rooms, about half of that half headed straight for the drinks, and the rest were busy taking proof photos. Choi Hwan scowled, grabbed a microphone from somewhere, and shouted.
“If you came here to party for free, give your presents first before you go!”
What he pointed to was a giant dog plushie, and Yeon-rok had no idea why it had been installed. He wondered if it was okay to be so openly blunt, but the people just burst into laughter, finding it amusing. Wait, Yeon-rok realized belatedly. Is that dog plushie modeled after Yeondu? A bewildered voice escaped his lips.
“Uh…?”
People began tossing the gifts they had brought into the plushie’s arms or around it, as if offering tributes. Since it wasn’t just one or two people, a massive pile accumulated in an instant. Is this okay? Is it okay to receive this much? Choi Hwan looked back at Yeon-rok with a proud expression, as if saying, See this?
“How is it? This is my birthday present to you.”
Then Moon Gyeon-woo criticized him with a cold attitude.
“Those people don’t even know Yeon-rok’s taste, do they?”
“You don’t get it. In cases like this, quantity over quality.”
Usually, it was the opposite, but seeing such an overwhelming amount, Yeon-rok couldn’t bring himself to deny it. After a moment, Choi Hwan asked Moon Gyeon-woo with a mocking face.
“What about your present?”
“Anything is fine for me. Really. Don’t worry about it.”
Yeon-rok offered a polite modesty, but his eyes held a subtle sense of anticipation. In truth, he didn’t care about other people’s gifts. However, since Moon Gyeon-woo was his name partner, he couldn’t help but expect something. Of course, as expected, Moon Gyeon-woo had prepared a gift.
“Here.”
Confused, Yeon-rok took the card Moon Gyeon-woo handed him. Opening the envelope, he found a business card for a brand called ‘Dajeong Dasom.’ Moon Gyeon-woo explained.
“Do you know about doll hospitals? They say it’s a place that restores old dolls perfectly. It’s a very famous place, so it was hard to get a reservation, but I barely managed to do it. Yeondu’s ears and tail are about to fall off anyway.”
“A doll hospital?”
He had never heard of such a thing in his life. Moon Gyeon-woo showed the curious Yeon-rok photos of restored dolls. The craftsmanship was so exquisite that he couldn’t help but admire it. He wanted to send his own old, worn-out doll too.
“They said if you send it by next week, they’ll fix it and send it back within a week.”
“Wow, I didn’t even know a place like this existed. Thank you. I’ll definitely send it.”
Having lived thinking that it was inevitable for dolls to wear out over time, Yeon-rok was truly grateful for Moon Gyeon-woo’s thoughtfulness. He carefully tucked away the business card. Moon Gyeon-woo looked at Choi Hwan with an expression that said, Did you see this? His gaze treated Choi Hwan like an ignorant nouveau riche who tried to solve everything with money. Just as Choi Hwan glared intensely and clenched his fists—
“Ah, you’re here! Yeon-rok-ah, long time no see!”
Wondering who would actually acknowledge him, he turned around to find Choi Hwan’s acquaintances. They swarmed over, each offering a word.
“Happy birthday! This is my gift.”
“Wow, I had a feeling you weren’t Hwan’s manager. I didn’t know you were his name partner.”
“This is my first time seeing a name manifestor.”
Everyone seemed to find the fact that Choi Hwan and Yeon-rok were name partners very fascinating. As Yeon-rok gratefully accepted the gifts, Choi Hwan familiarly wrapped an arm around his waist. It was quite embarrassing, but since they were publicly recognized as name partners, Yeon-rok couldn’t push the arm away.
“Back then, we pretended I was the manager because we couldn’t let an article get out. But now, we can reveal it proudly.”
He looked triumphant, as if wanting someone to see. This time, the corners of Moon Gyeon-woo’s mouth trembled. Unaware that the two were exchanging murderous glares, Yeon-rok chatted warmly with the acquaintances. It was then. The faces of both Moon Gyeon-woo and Choi Hwan crumpled simultaneously. Yeom Cheon-ho had appeared.
The moment he entered, he drew everyone’s attention. The reason he attracted so much interest wasn’t just because of his handsome face, but rather because of the overbearing yet relaxed aura characteristic of a powerful man. After scanning the surroundings, Yeom Cheon-ho walked straight toward where the three were.
“CEO! I thought you said you were coming at 6?”
Despite feeling burdened by the large crowd, Yeon-rok was happy that Yeom Cheon-ho had come and welcomed him with a smile. Because he was so excited today, his eyes were sparkling and his cheeks were flushed red. This was the best birthday party he had ever experienced.
“I made time specifically because it is Yeon-rok-ssi’s birthday. Since you gave me some leeway last time, I was able to clear my schedule.”
All three people present understood the ambiguous meaning behind those words. Instantly plunging the moods of the other two into the depths, Yeom Cheon-ho handed over a birthday present. When Yeon-rok opened the luxuriously wrapped box, a wristwatch came out.
“Wow, thank you. I’ll make good use of it.”
As he clicked the watch onto his wrist, it fit coolly and snugly. It had a brilliance that was undoubtedly expensive, whether he asked or not. Yeon-rok decided not to worry about the price of the watch…