#28

“Ah, I’m sorry. We’ve known each other since we were children, so… I still can’t get used to calling you ‘CEO.’”

“You may call me whatever you feel comfortable with.”

It had been a casual remark, but the owner’s expression brightened visibly at the words.

“It must have been when he was five.”

Ho-jae looked up at the voice that sounded like a monologue, and the man met his eyes with a beaming smile.

“That was when Jung-hyun, holding his mother’s hand, first found my small three-stall tailor shop.”

“…….”

“Since then, every year, I have personally crafted the suits Jung-hyun wears. Excluding the time he was in the States, it’s been exactly fifteen years this year.”

As if by habit, the owner continued speaking while diligently tidying the nearby items.

“I cannot tell you what a great joy it is for an old man like me that he still seeks out such a small tailor shop, even after becoming the son of such a large corporation.”

“…….”

“The fact that the shop grew to be this respectable and that I am still healthy enough to work is, if you think about it, all thanks to the CEO. I couldn’t afford to be negligent in my studies, fearing that he might be looked down upon elsewhere for wearing a tacky suit I made. And naturally, it turned out like this.”

As he spoke and smiled, a sense of pride was evident on the owner’s face. Seeing Ho-jae silent and lost in thought, the owner perhaps thought the story was boring and stood up, gathering his tools.

“This is the first time the CEO has brought someone along, so this old man has been talkative and presumptuous. I worry if I’ve bored you.”

“…No.”

“Ah, it seems he has arrived. I will go bring him in.”

At the sound of a car outside, the man left the reception room.

“…….”

Ho-jae shifted his gaze, slowly chewing over the owner’s words.

‘Even after becoming the son of such a large corporation.’

It was a strange thing to say.

One wouldn’t use the phrase “became the son of a large corporation” for someone who had been a third-generation chaebol from birth.

The tailor shop was the same. It felt a bit too modest to be a place where a third-generation chaebol had his suits made every year. Of course, being a chaebol didn’t mean one had to wear only luxury brands from department stores, but…

Just then, a chime sounded, and the sound of dress shoes approaching followed. Ho-jae unconsciously moistened his dry lips.

Kwon Jung-hyun entered the reception room dressed in a suit. With not a single strand of hair out of place and a faint smile hanging on his lips, he looked exactly as he always did.

“I’m sorry. Have you been waiting long?”

“…No.”

Ho-jae cleared his throat before answering, but his voice still cracked slightly. Though it was only for a moment, the fact that he had been anxious enough for that to happen wounded his pride, and his expression stiffened slightly.

The owner, who followed behind Kwon Jung-hyun, asked in a worried tone.

“You’ve lost weight again.”

“That again. You always say the same thing.”

“Do you think you can deceive the eyes of an old man who has spent thirty years making clothes? You must have had another fever.”

Instead of answering, Kwon Jung-hyun simply smiled and sat in the seat across from Ho-jae. Ho-jae instinctively scanned his body. While perhaps not as much as the owner, Ho-jae was also sensitive to changes in a person’s weight.

It was because his profession was one where the body was his asset. Even to him, it looked as though Kwon Jung-hyun had lost at least two or three kilograms over the past week.

Another fever. Did he get fevers often?

“He’s not usually one to talk so much; he must have taken a liking to you, Ho-jae.”

“…….”

“What were you doing? You weren’t badmouthing me, were you?”

Shin Ho-jae stared at Kwon Jung-hyun in silence without answering. As if this reaction were expected, Jung-hyun didn’t seem to mind and took the teacup brought by the owner. He smelled the tea and smiled faintly.

“It’s silver moon.”

“Of course. I always make sure to have it in stock.”

“…….”

Silver moon must be the name of the tea. Ho-jae unconsciously murmured the name to himself, finding it somewhat romantic.

“Shall we make a new summer suit today, then?”

“I didn’t come today for myself, but to get a suit for Shin Ho-jae here.”

“Ah, you were an athlete. I apologize for not recognizing you. Looking at your physique, I thought you had an unusual profession, but I am truly a layman in that field.”

“He’s an ice hockey player.”

“Ice hockey, you mean the ice ball? That’s a wonderful sport.”

“Indeed. It’s very cool.”

The corners of Ho-jae’s mouth twitched.

“Please take your time and talk. I will go bring the fabric samples and the measuring tape.”

The owner smiled and left the room.

Ho-jae spoke quietly toward Kwon Jung-hyun, who was slowly sipping his tea.

“…CEO.”

“I’m not just saying this because he’s my regular, but the owner’s skill is truly excellent. The more well-fitting suits made of good fabric you have, the better, so just accept it.”

The answer came immediately, as if he had known exactly what Ho-jae was going to say.

Shin Ho-jae looked reluctant. He knew the meeting place was a tailor shop, but he never imagined it would be a session to get a suit made for him. If he had known, he would have refused from the start.

“Or, would you rather pay for two hours’ worth of something else?”

Jung-hyun wore a mischievous expression. The memory of the messy kissing in the infirmary immediately flashed through his mind, and Shin Ho-jae looked away.

“Then… I will wear it well.”

“Good. Think of it as a uniform for work.”

It was an unwritten rule for ice hockey players to wear suits to the arena on game days.

When he was in Canada, he had two suits made through a sponsorship from a major corporation. He had rotated those two like school uniforms for every game, and they now showed significant wear and tear.

Ready-to-wear clothes didn’t fit his size, and he felt it was a waste of money to get new ones, so he had worn those same suits throughout last year. However, his mother had been visibly upset about it, which had been weighing on his mind.

Well, this works out.

Let’s just take it without overthinking.

“Then, Mr. Ho-jae, please come this way.”

The owner, having returned with fabric samples and a measuring tape, guided Ho-jae to the fitting room inside the reception area.

As he took off his top as instructed, the owner began taking measurements with experienced skill. Kwon Jung-hyun’s voice could be heard from outside the curtain.

“It would be best to make shirts for both summer and winter. It’s hot now, but the season doesn’t end until next winter.”

“Understood. We can embroider the inside of the shirts or jackets; could you decide on the location and the text?”

“Is there anything you want, Ho-jae?”

“…No. No need for embroidery.”

He heard the sound of the curtain being pulled back. Startled, he looked up and saw Jung-hyun’s face reflected in the mirror. He had a smile on his lips, looking amused.

“That won’t do. People who buy clothes usually want to leave a mark showing they were the ones who bought them. If you don’t decide, I’ll do it as I please.”

“…Then just use my name.”

In the meantime, the owner seemed to have finished recording all the measurements and stood up with the tape and notebook.

“Did any of the fabrics catch your eye?”

“Hmm… I think everything would look good on Ho-jae…”

As he spoke, Kwon Jung-hyun draped a fabric sample over Shin Ho-jae’s shoulder. The touch of the fabric against his bare skin was soft and light.

“I’ll bring the shirt samples. It will be easier to choose if you try them on.”

“Then please bring white, black, and blue in various tones, and stripes in different colors.”

“Of course, sir.”

As the owner left, Ho-jae spoke up as if he had been waiting.

“…This is too much.”

“Hmm?”

“One suit is enough.”

Kwon Jung-hyun’s smile widened. Ho-jae’s gaze inadvertently drifted to his lips, so he quickly looked down and narrowed his brow.

“What does it matter? The more good clothes, the better. There’s a saying that what a person wears defines them.”

“No matter what one wears, the essence of a person does not change.”

Kwon Jung-hyun’s eyes widened slightly. Like someone who had heard something unexpected.

“I suppose that’s how it is for you, Ho-jae.”

“…….”

“I like that. I should say that next time.”

Shin Ho-jae stared intently at his face. He thought it was just his usual teasing, but looking at his expression, that didn’t seem to be the case.

The sound of a phone ringing was heard from outside. The owner hurriedly hung the sample shirts on a rack and asked Jung-hyun for a moment of his patience before leaving.

Kwon Jung-hyun sifted through the colorful shirts on the rack with a familiar hand and pulled out a white shirt, handing it over. It was a gesture for him to put it on.

Ho-jae slid his arms into the white shirt. The sleeves were slightly short and the chest was tight, but it was wearable.

As he was buttoning it up from the top, Kwon Jung-hyun took a step forward and draped a deep navy fabric over his shoulder. Ho-jae felt Jung-hyun’s body heat touch his side lukewarmly before pulling away.

“As I thought, blue suits you well.”

“…….”

“Your essence will remain the same regardless of what you wear, but the saying ‘clothes make the man’ exists for a reason. Please understand my little pleasure.”

His hand slowly traced the fabric, lightly brushing against Ho-jae’s chest and stomach.

He could feel his muscles tense instinctively. Shin Ho-jae focused on making sure the sound of his breathing didn’t become too loud.

It was then that Jung-hyun, watching Shin Ho-jae through the mirror, began to speak in a voice that sounded as if he were recalling a happy memory.

“I was very surprised when I suddenly heard the news that you were playing for a Korean team, but there was one thing I liked. The Blue Wolves uniform.”

Shin Ho-jae blinked slowly and looked at Jung-hyun.

It was a sudden thought, but Kwon Jung-hyun seemed somewhat excited today. Was it because he was comfortable being with the owner of this tailor shop, someone he had known for a long time?

29 – Puck Drop