-02-

Approximately 30km from the center of Rome.

Within the upscale residential area known as the Beverly Hills of Rome, there stands a three-story mansion that is particularly striking.

With terracotta columns and roughly textured stone walls that seem to transcend time, embodying the aesthetics of ancient Rome, yet possessing the sleekness characteristic of modern architecture, the mansion achieved a delicate balance between classical and modern styles.

Passing through the main gate and entering inside, meticulously cultivated olive and cedar trees cast their shade, and the splendid flower garden and verdant garden, which changed their fragrance and color with each season, were particularly the pride of this place.

However, this place, usually overflowing with leisurely elegance, was bustling today. It was all because of the young master, who had returned home earlier than usual.

“Where’s Tony?”

He, barely acknowledging the servants who had rushed to greet him at the entrance, quickened his pace, looking for the majordomo, the butler who oversaw the entire mansion.

While tilting their heads at his unusually hurried demeanor, one of the servants quickly spoke up.

“He’s in the study on the third floor. He went up to air it out a little while ago…”

There was no need for further explanation. The young master’s study on the third floor was accessible to only a handful of authorized staff.

Without a word, he passed through the wide hall and bounded up the stairs two steps at a time, almost running. To the servants who were unconsciously following, wondering if they should take his coat or prepare something else,

“Don’t follow me.”

He uttered one more word after reaching the top of the remaining stairs.

Leaving those who had stopped in their tracks behind, the man turned back, stirring up a gust of wind.

“He seems… angry, doesn’t he?”

“Did Antonio make some kind of mistake?”

Those left behind put their heads together belatedly, but there was no one left to give them an answer.

Bang! The walnut door, flung open with force, slammed against the wall, making a loud noise.

The man in his early sixties, who had just finished lightly dusting and re-checking the desk that had nothing to organize, turned around in surprise, then took hurried steps with an even more astonished look.

“Young Master? Why are you here at this hour…? Has your schedule changed?”

Despite the question, his ‘Young Master’ was only wearing a scowl on his unusually handsome face.

Except for his childhood, it had been a long time since he’d seen such an annoyed expression. Knowing this wasn’t the time, he looked up at the man as if seeing his grown-up grandson, filled with a faint nostalgia.

At that moment, a low voice flowed from between twisted lips.

“What’s going on?”

“Pardon?”

It was absurd to question the master’s words, but the nonsensical question was difficult to understand.

As Tony narrowed his brow, the man’s face crumpled even more fiercely. Then, he finally burst out in a roar.

“A marriage proposal! What’s going on? I heard you’ve been advertising all over Italy, looking for someone to marry me!”

“…Ah.”

He finally understood why his beloved Young Master Marteo Averto had returned home at this hour. However, the reason for the outburst was still unclear.

“Please, sit down first. Chamomile or lemon balm would be good to calm you down, shall I bring some herbal tea?”

“Antonio!”

Marteo, shaking off the arm that was trying to lead him to the sofa, even uttered his full name instead of his nickname. As if to say, ‘Is this the time to be drinking tea?’

The butler, frowning slightly at the still ominous atmosphere, sighed. Then, he finally voiced the earlier question.

“Isn’t this something you entrusted to me, Young Master? Don’t you remember?”

“What?”

“When I mentioned that you should start thinking about marriage and succession, you clearly said, ‘Do as you see fit,’ didn’t you?”

To think you would trust me so completely. I was truly touched…

His chest, proudly displayed, was indeed filled with satisfaction and pride. However, Marteo’s head was now throbbing at the sight of the butler.

Of course, he remembered it too. That day’s conversation, and what he had said.

However, he never imagined that the interpretation of ‘Do as you see fit’ would be so different.

The large body, clutching his forehead, collapsed onto the sofa with a thud.

“Are you trying to stage a protest because you want to retire or something?”

“What? Unless God hurries to call me, I intend to take care of the Young Master’s child, and that child’s child as well!”

He still didn’t get it. He had been by his side, upholding his loyalty since his most vulnerable childhood, but right now, he really wanted to hit him. Marteo gritted his teeth.

“‘Do as you see fit’ meant I would do it myself. Not that you should step in!”

“…Yes?”

“How many of those damn proposals did you send out? Don’t tell me you sent them to every bird in this country?”

Ah… Seeing the whites of his eyes, Tony finally realized his mistake with difficulty. Still, the embarrassment didn’t last long. He straightened his posture, which had faltered.

“Excuse me, Young Master. Even if you had done it yourself, the situation wouldn’t have been much different, would it?”

“What?”

“Isn’t that right? If you’re going to get married anyway, you have to choose a suitable individual, a suitable family, but you made it clear to the main family that they shouldn’t interfere with the marriage issue… and Madam wouldn’t step in either. In the end, you would have entrusted the matchmaking preparations and subsequent receptions to me anyway, wouldn’t you?”

“So, you’re saying you did a good job?”

“Of course, I admit there was a small mistake in communication. If you want to cut my salary… I will sadly but humbly accept it.”

He was repeatedly taken aback by the sight of him widening his eyebrows and acting like a martyr. Of course, Tony wasn’t entirely wrong.

To consider the species that would suit the family, the success of the breeding, the family composition of the other party, all of that would have required the help of a skilled butler.

Nevertheless, one thing was clearly wrong. From the beginning, he had no intention of ‘considering’ any of that.

How to explain this? It was when Marteo was clutching his forehead again that Tony, clearing his throat, cautiously opened his mouth.

“And… while we’re on the subject, there’s one more thing I’d like to correct.”

“What else!”

“You asked if I sent the proposals all over Italy… but aren’t we Morpheus? Nationality is nothing compared to that.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“It’s a marriage proposal for the Young Master, why would I limit it to Italy? While I was at it, I sent them to France, Switzerland, and Spain as well.”

Marteo’s eyes widened greatly.

Seriously. Even when he screws up, he does it so comprehensively?

But it was too early to be surprised. Ah, he was rubbing his chin again.

“And… there’s one more place. It’s also related to the Young Master’s business…”

It was when the smoothly connected words ended.

“…What? Where did you send it?”

Marteo, who had been shouting again, jumped up from the sofa.

Pupils that had shrunk to a single point in an instant, two hands reaching forward as if to grab his collar, he was truly like an Eagle right before the hunt.

Tony’s heart shrank to the size of a bean. Fearing that sharp claws would pierce his heart at any moment, he reflexively squeezed his eyes shut.

But… fortunately, the ferocious momentum didn’t lead to action. After a long time, with only silence flowing, Tony tentatively opened one eye.

“Y-Young Master?”

Marteo, who had stopped right in front of him, was gnawing on his lips with glistening eyes. If the first was excitement and the next was anger, this time it felt like anxiety.

It was only natural to feel unfamiliar and bewildered by the rapid and diverse transformations of his master, who was always rational, unlike his age.

Whether he knew such feelings or not, Marteo, who was even clenching and unclenching his fists, suddenly spat out a low question in a hoarse voice.

“So… the answer.”

“Yes?”

“Did you get an answer from them!”

The subject was unclear, but in this situation, the meaning of ‘them’ was only one. Tony quickly gathered his dry lips.

“The confirmation is not yet in. …Still, there’s no reason for them to refuse, is there.”

It was a conviction worthy of him, who had served the Averto family for generations. But it wasn’t time to be relieved by the optimistic answer.

Two hours ago. He had heard from a business partner he met for business that the damn marriage proposal had been written in a certain way, along with the question of whether he was getting married.

Even at first glance, it was more like an arrogant act of charity than a proposal.

Marteo, whose head was throbbing, began to pace back and forth in his place, like an Eagle looking for prey.

After doing so for a while, he stopped abruptly and spat out a decisive word.

“Make a call.”

“Where… surely not to that house?”

“Tell them I’ll be visiting soon. We’ll talk about it again then.”

“W-Wait a moment. That, you don’t mean you’re going there yourself, do you?”

Then we’ll look like we’re desperate! Tony’s face openly showed signs of dissuasion, but Marteo didn’t retract his words.

There was no one who could break his stubbornness at times like this.

“…I’ll adjust the schedule.”

“……”

“We’ll say you’re entering the country to establish a branch.”

Tony, who had no choice but to swallow a sigh, even decided on a plausible excuse before bowing deeply. He also thought that this matter would somehow pass safely with this.

But the peaceful belief was shattered the very next day.

His precious Young Master’s study on the third floor. On the table in the room he had entered to do some light tidying as always, there was a crisp note.

The sentence written with Marteo’s cherished quill pen was only one line.

Vacation.

Don’t look for me for a while.

♥ ♥ ♥

A week after the family dinner at the main house.

It was two more days after that that Yeon-ho received a call from Seo-jin again.

“…Hello.”

Unlike Yeon-ho, who was still mumbling sleepily, Seo-jin’s voice was as sharp as ever today.

「What is it. Still in bed?」

He checked the time with a frown. 7 a.m. It was an unfair time to be scolded for lazing around.

「No. Why do you always wake up late? Aren’t you a rooster? Doesn’t your neck hurt?」

All the sleepiness that had been clinging to the end of his words vanished, and Yeon-ho, touching his eyelids, gritted his teeth.

“Get your facts straight. The Anima is a rooster, not me.”

「Hmph. It’s all the same.」

Their claims were each right and each wrong.

Generally, Morpheus have some degree of their inherent nature.

For example, Morpheus whose Anima is a canine tend to be particularly sociable, or Morpheus whose Anima is a reptile are particularly vulnerable to the cold.

From that point of view, Yeon-ho, who is a ‘cockerel,’ should not be sleeping in.

Wouldn’t crowing at the top of his lungs every morning be the essence of a rooster?

However, humans are also creatures of will.

In fact, until his teens, Yeon-ho used to wake up bright and early every morning. And after waking up from sleep like that, as if by instinct, he was deeply struck by the dawning light outside the window.

‘It’s not like I have an alarm clock inside me….’

He decided then.

‘Okay. Let’s try to go to bed as late as possible! If my body is tired, there’s nothing I can do, right?’

The effort finally paid off. Yeon-ho, who had entered his thirties, now routinely opened his late mornings. Because of that, he was being scolded for being ‘a rooster.’

“Don’t pick a fight from the morning. Why did you call?”

「Have you thought about it?」

“Thought about what.”

「Averto. How are you going to handle the marriage thing.」

He shouldn’t have answered if it was such a trivial matter.

But it was difficult. Like many animals, roosters had the ability to hear a wider range of frequencies than humans and were also excellent at sensing vibrations.

It meant he couldn’t ignore the phone buzzing by his head and sleep.

Yeon-ho, who had now completely raised his upper body, stretched and left the bed, heading for the refrigerator. He opened the Rumba and found water.

A habitual action he did without realizing it when he woke up. He avoided opening the early morning by reflecting his will… but this much was unmistakably a rooster.

Replenishing body fluids was an instinct akin to survival.

While he was quenching his thirst, Seo-jin raised her voice, “Are you listening?” Yeon-ho, who threw the empty glass haphazardly into the sink, finally returned a grumpy answer.

“What can I do? How can I do anything about it as I please? If I say I’ll get married, will they say okay right away?”

Seo-jin closed her mouth at the pointed words. Although the Averto side had sent a marriage proposal, as he guessed, it wasn’t a matter that directly led to marriage.

‘Maybe they sent it to most houses and forgot about us.’

Beyond the hopeful circuit of thought, Yeon-ho also closed his mouth. After a while, Seo-jin composed herself.

「Half right and half wrong. Even if they don’t say okay right away, they definitely want to meet us. They contacted us again.」

“Contact?”

「I heard the third child of that family is coming to Korea next month.」

The feet that had been leaving the kitchen and heading for the living room stopped in their place.

“What… don’t tell me they’re coming all the way here to see me?”

「Hehe. Since you said ‘me,’ I guess you’ve narrowed down the marriage target to ‘you’?」

It was a mistake. And Seo-jin didn’t miss that mistake. Seo-jin, who smiled faintly, changed her voice.

「Unfortunately, it’s not to see ‘you,’ but he has some business to attend to. He said he’d like to see your face while he’s at it.」

“Ha. How gracious. They sent that kind of card first, and now they’re saying ‘while they’re at it’?”

「Don’t be so cynical. Whatever happens, there’s no harm in getting acquainted with that family, is there? Of course… the best connection is marriage.」

“I haven’t said I’m meeting yet? You’re not even thinking about the person who’s going to give the rice cake.”

「I don’t know. Strictly speaking, that’s what they should be saying.」

“What?”

「You said it too. Honestly, is there any guarantee that they’ll like you? Do you think he’ll fall head over heels as soon as he sees you? Now that I see it, Do Yeon-ho, you’re so confident?」

“Did you call just to pick a fight? Is that how you persuade someone?”

「I looked it up a bit, and the people in that family are no joke. You like handsome men, don’t you? Maybe. Will you end up clinging to him?」

It wasn’t a fight, but teasing?

It was a remark that added fuel to his already twisted mind. Without looking any further, Yeon-ho pressed the end button in quick succession and threw the phone onto the sofa.

As Seo-hee had confidently said, Yeon-ho had completely forgotten the name Averto for the past week. But the black Eagle that came to mind again with the name he heard again still scratched his insides.

‘While they’re at it? Does he think I’m waiting in line to get a ticket!’

The marriage proposal they sent unilaterally, and the subsequent response. The more he thought about it, the more arrogant it was.

Just because he’s an Eagle, does he think he’s all that? He’s still just got one beak and two wings.

‘I’ll never meet him!’

With unfounded fault-finding and stubbornness, the determined resolution was very firm.

♥ ♥ ♥

“Huh? Who is this. Isn’t it the Managing Director, who’s harder to see than the CEO?”

The man, who was entering the office with a coffee in one hand at 10 a.m., joked with a surprised look.

Yeon-ho, who was lounging more comfortably than the owner in the ownerless room, turned his head.

“You’re late.”

The usual working hours were 9 a.m. However, no one would blame the company’s top executive for being an hour late. The man, Seung-won, who checked the clock that had just added one minute to 10 o’clock, scoffed.

“You’re the one who skips work like it’s nothing. Are you one to talk?”

Although their titles were CEO and Managing Director, the two, who were practically co-owners of the company, had been together for over 10 years.

As Seung-won naturally sat down on the opposite sofa, Yeon-ho, who was reaching for the coffee he had put down, frowned slightly.

“Smells like alcohol….”

“Huh? Still? I went to the sauna.”

“Instead of that, you should have changed your clothes first. Don’t tell me you stayed up all night and just went to the sauna?”

Now that he looked, Seung-won’s suit was subtly wrinkled, unlike his neatly washed face. The tie was nowhere to be seen.

There were no particular regulations on attire, but his brow furrowed once more at the strong smell of alcohol.

“How much did you drink to be like this.”

“When do I ever count when I’m drinking? More importantly, what’s really going on? Even coming to work on time at this hour?”

“Just. I had something to wake up early for.”

He was curious what that something was, but judging from his expression, he didn’t seem like he was going to explain. Seung-won, who snatched back the coffee Yeon-ho had taken, took off the lid and gulped down the still steaming coffee.

“Ugh, I feel a little better now.”

“Will that be enough? Shouldn’t you get a proper hangover cure?”

“I don’t feel like it. I’ve eaten too much one way or another, so my stomach feels bloated.”

He had waited for nothing. He had come to the company thinking he would have breakfast with Seung-won this morning since he woke up early…

Yeon-ho, grumbling inwardly at the messed-up plan, spoke in a sharp voice.

“Who did you drink with?”

“The CEO of Yeollim. I thought I was going to die trying to deal with him until dawn.”

The name Lee Ho-rim was the first thing that came to mind, even before the CEO’s flustered face, upon hearing the reply.

“Because of Lee Ho-rim?”

The news of Lee Ho-rim’s childbirth had recently swept through the entertainment sections. He was, in name and reality, Yeollim’s poster boy. When Lee Ho-rim announced he would be taking a break from his activities, the CEO of Yeollim was utterly crestfallen… This time would be even worse, not better.

Seung-won, after taking a few more sips, put down his coffee cup and rummaged through his pockets for a cigarette.

“Don’t even mention it. He’s lost so much weight in just a few days. CEO Kim didn’t even know.”

“About the pregnancy, the childbirth?”

“Both.”

“……”

“Luckily, there aren’t any projects starting immediately, but commercials are another matter. I heard some places are talking about penalty fees. I mean, how could CEO Kim have known Lee Ho-rim would do this? He’s not even an actress.”

“If he signed a contract with Morpheus, he should have been prepared for that kind of risk. Surely he knew his actor was a Morpheus, right?”

Seung-won took a long drag of his lit cigarette and shrugged.

“Apparently, he didn’t disclose it himself. I guess he just assumed he was a regular person.”

When a contract is signed, there are naturally many documents exchanged. Among those documents, there are documents that indicate an individual’s gender.

The official term for Morpheus is usually ‘Polmel,’ derived from Poly. Like CEO Kim, he may not have specifically requested it because it’s a private matter.

“He’s too soft.”

Upon hearing the cold remark, Seung-won glanced at Yeon-ho and hesitantly opened his mouth.

“Could it be… that you insisted on that because of this?”

“What?”

“We get all the gender documents, whether they’re Morpheus or not.”

It was one of the rules they established when founding the company: to carefully consider contracts with Morpheus whenever possible.

Thanks to that, how many talents have they missed out on so far… Seung-won was secretly feeling regretful.

With some exceptions, Morpheus generally had superior appearances compared to regular people. Due to their genetic traits, they often possessed unique abilities, making them good material for various entertainment programs.

As such, many other agencies prominently promoted their talents as Morpheus from the time of their debut.

Yeon-ho, realizing the implication, gave Seung-won a crooked look.

“Are you still regretting Morpheus after seeing what happened to CEO Kim?”

“If you’re talking about profit and loss, there’s no marketing strategy as great as Morpheus. You only criticize something if you’re interested in it.”

“……”

“Speaking of which, that girl group that debuted from TY this time. One of the members is also a Morpheus. A paper… rabbit, was it? Anyway, thanks to her, the promotion went really well. I heard she already signed a contract for some health drink commercial.”

“What. You want to see a rabbit gulping down vegetable juice?”

“Come on, man. I’m just saying, from the company’s perspective, there’s nothing bad about it.”

“If you’re chasing marketing, you could end up like Lee Ho-rim, gone in one shot. If they set their minds to it, avoiding the company’s eyes is nothing to them. Can you handle that?”

Seung-won tilted his head as if asking what he meant, so Yeon-ho scoffed and took out his phone. He searched for something and then held the screen out to Seung-won.

It was an SNS photo of someone, or rather, a fairly famous male actor.

The feed contained several photos of everyday scenes featuring his pet dog. Seung-won, moving his finger aimlessly, looked back at Yeon-ho.

“That’s Ji Chang-soo. What about him?”

“Look closely at the photo. Does it just look like a dog photo to you?”

“……?”

“That’s not a dog, that’s Ji Chang-soo himself.”

“…Wh, what?”

Seung-won’s eyes widened at the shocking words that came out unintentionally. He didn’t even bother to find an ashtray and quickly stubbed out the remaining cigarette on the bare floor. This time, he grabbed the phone again with both hands.

[Today’s walk. Everyone, try taking a night walk. The weather is nice.]

[Delicious. Yum yum. This food passes.]

[The small happiness of running in the fields. Is freedom anything special?]

[A dog’s life is the best~]

Seung-won’s eyes, wandering up and down, were very busy. The ordinary sentences briefly written on each dog photo now caught his attention. When Yeon-ho took the phone back, Seung-won, who had a blank look, swallowed hard.

“…Really? Is this really Ji Chang-soo?”

“If you don’t believe me, check with his company. Oh, but maybe even this company doesn’t know?”

“How did you know? I thought Morpheus couldn’t recognize each other?”

“I ran into him once at a restaurant. He was drinking so much like you that he couldn’t control his pheromone and was leaking it everywhere. Judging by the look of him, he was about to crawl home on all fours.”

“……”

“So don’t trust them easily. Who knows what’s inside.”

Seung-won looked again at Yeon-ho’s phone screen, which was already off. Then, after wetting his dry lips, he spoke awkwardly.

“By any chance… are there others besides Ji Chang-soo? Kids who are hiding their identities and working?”

“Well. There’s one kid I suspect.”

“Who?”

Seung-won narrowed his body towards the table. The lingering smell of alcohol, mixed with the smell of coffee and cigarettes, still wafted around.

Chicken Pigeons have fewer olfactory receptors than humans, but unfortunately (?) half of Yeon-ho is human. Yeon-ho frowned and leaned back against the sofa before speaking.

“Jo In-young.”

“Jo In-young? You mean Jo In-young from C&G?”

“She filmed a vacuum cleaner commercial this time. There’s a cat in it.”

“…So?”

“Think about it. Do you think a normal cat would stay still and focus on filming for that long? Especially while a vacuum cleaner is running? Don’t they look alike too? Maybe they’re relatives. If they’re relatives, there’s a possibility she’s also a Morpheus.”

“……”

“Besides, I saw her jumping on some variety show before, and that height for that height is a bit… unusual.”

Vertical lines appeared on Seung-won’s forehead. Yeon-ho, confirming this, added indifferently.

“Well. This is just a guess, so I’m not sure.”

But it was an unnecessary addition. Because Seung-won, who had been silent for a while, said something unexpected.

“No… you might be right.”

“……?”

“I had a chance to eat with the Changbyeol Production team before? The Jo In-young story came up briefly at that time, and they did that CF there. But the cat was filmed separately.”

“Separately?”

“There was originally a cat they had secured, but because it wasn’t cooperating, the filming was delayed, so they decided to film her first. And Jo In-young suggested that since her cat was well-behaved, they could bring her cat later and film the cut of her riding the vacuum cleaner separately….”

“……”

“……”

“Creative economy. Her model fee plus the animal model fee. She’s going to be rich.”

Yeon-ho was the first to offer a cynical observation among the two people who had been silent for a while. On the other hand, Seung-won’s feelings were complicated.

Listening to it, Yeon-ho’s words were not wrong. If it’s a small species like a rodent, it’s possible to hide from the manager’s eyes, and it might be impossible to control a large species.

Above all, if they release their Anima and cause an accident, who would know if they were our kids or not.

As his thoughts continued, he suddenly became suspicious. Seung-won looked at Yeon-ho and lowered his voice.

“Um… I’m asking just in case, but have you ever done that?”

“Done what?”

“You know. Like Ji Chang-soo or Jo In-young, releasing your Anima and secretly wandering around here and there….”

“What are you talking about. How can you say that?”

“You can’t recognize them anyway once they transform, right?”

“Ha? It depends on the species! Try having a Chicken Pigeon walking around in the middle of Seoul. Far from not recognizing it, they’ll take pictures of it right away. Do you think I’m crazy enough to become someone else’s spectacle?”

“Ah……”

He’s right. It’s one thing if it’s a common pigeon or sparrow. A rooster strolling down the street… The owner of a chicken restaurant would be thrilled.

Seung-won belatedly backed away at the words he had chewed on until now. Even so, the way he looked at Yeon-ho was unfamiliar, and Yeon-ho’s handsome brow furrowed repeatedly.

‘Why did I reveal that I was a Morpheus to this guy! Could it be that this guy also told Lee Sung-min that I’m a Morpheus?’

Basically, Yeon-ho doesn’t reveal that he is a Morpheus. Not to mention that his Anima is a Chicken.

But there were exceptions. Yoon Seung-won, who met as college seniors and juniors at the age of twenty and is now a business partner. He is one of those exceptions.

Seung-won, who happened to find out the school Yeon-ho graduated from, asked, ‘You were a Morpheus?’ That was the trigger.

Although not all of them are like that, just as boys’ high schools and girls’ high schools are separated for various reasons, the schools that ordinary people and Morpheus attend are also often separated.

In the teenage years when pheromones are not stable, there is a risk of unfortunate accidents.

The high school Yeon-ho graduated from was famous for only accepting Morpheus. After learning that Yeon-ho’s family was Gyelim Foods, his Anima was naturally revealed.

Seung-won was more amazed by this part than the fact that Yeon-ho was a Morpheus.

‘I knew it…. You were from a wealthy family…….’

And yet, now he’s treating him like a chicken he’s seeing for the first time.

Yeon-ho, who had become twisted, jumped up from his seat.

“Anyway, stop worrying about other things and get to work.”

“Going? Hey. Wa, wait a minute. I’m not done talking yet.”

“What else.”

Yeon-ho shot a cold look at Seung-won, who was hurriedly holding him back.

‘Hick. Look at those eyes. Not a Chicken, but a beast, a beast~.’

Seung-won, swallowing the thought that Yeon-ho would peck him with his beak if he knew, hurriedly cleared his throat. A somewhat humble smile followed.

“It’s not that…. What’s your schedule like on Friday? You don’t have anything busy, right?”

It’s not something you should say to someone with the title of Managing Director. Usually, it’s normal to be busy.

But when starting the company, Yeon-ho had declared. I’ll provide the initial capital. Instead, you do the work, hyung. I’m going to play around as much as possible.

Yeon-ho had been faithfully keeping that promise for several years. That’s why he was surprised to see Yeon-ho at the company early in the morning.

But whatever the reason, it was an opportunity that had come on his own two feet.

“I was going to call you later anyway…. If you have time on Friday, go to Paju. No. Show your face even if you don’t have time.”

“What are you talking about. What the hell is Paju all of a sudden?”

“What the hell is Paju. It’s the crank-in for ‘Next Icon’ that day, right? Surely you haven’t forgotten that we invested in the production?”

“……Ah.”

It was an ambiguous exclamation, whether he had forgotten or not. And then Yeon-ho finally frowned.

“There’s a staff member.”

“Are you perhaps saying that staff member is Rani?”

“……”

“Hoo. Don’t you know? Everyone around me keeps asking me if I haven’t submitted my resignation yet. This is just a title of CEO, but what I do is almost a company slave. From work to practice, and even serving drinks instead of the real Managing Director! Look at me now. How else would I not have time to change my clothes!”

“……”

“It’s a joint production in name only, but you only showed your face at the first meeting. Go and pretend to check on things at least!”

“Just me…?”

“I have another meeting that day.”

“If you go after it’s over….”

“Do Yeon-ho. I’m human. An ordinary and pitiful human with a clear limit to my physical strength! Do I have two bodies or three? If you’re going to act like this, let’s break up the partnership! Break it up and catch a cow or horse Morpheus and put them in the CEO seat. They’ll have the strength!”

The voice that slammed the table at the end pierced the ceiling. Seung-won is usually a nice person, but when he shows these signs, it’s best to back off.

‘I came to eat breakfast and ended up getting work….’

Anyway, nothing good ever comes out of talking about Morpheus! Yeon-ho’s face, lamenting and self-deprecating, became blurred.

♥ ♥ ♥

Contrary to his initial plan, Yeon-ho had to skip not only breakfast but also lunch. The employees, who had discovered the Managing Director who had come to work after a long time, brought all sorts of pending issues that they had been putting off as if they had been waiting for him.

─Managing Director, do you have a moment right now? I have something to discuss with you about So Min-woo.

─Managing Director, about the project I mentioned last time, will it be possible to get approval within this week? The CEO said to proceed after receiving the Managing Director’s order….

Would it have been better if he were a Managing Director who only occupied a position without real ability? Even though working hard didn’t suit his aptitude, Yeon-ho was actually a useful boss.

From broad business strategies to financial and budget management, to small-scale networking with partners, personnel placement according to planning proposals, and risk response. He didn’t do it, but there was nothing he couldn’t do.

Among them, his judgment was particularly outstanding. The dramas Yeon-ho picked were at least mid-tier hits, and the people Yeon-ho noticed made their names known at least.

His eye for talent was better than the CEO’s? That’s why Yeon-ho, who played hooky here and there, was even more annoying.

Anyway, for the above reasons, Yeon-ho was helplessly held back by the employees and had to be stuck in the office, missing the chance to escape.

Several hours passed like that. Even after dealing with only the urgent matters, when he checked the time, lunchtime had long passed. In the meantime, no one even asked if he wasn’t going to eat.

‘Indeed… is this the karma I’ve accumulated?’

Yeon-ho, looking around the office where there were now fewer people, nodded. One of the things Yeon-ho is good at is also understanding the situation.

After observing the situation for a while, Yeon-ho finally grabbed his phone. Then, he carefully got up from his seat with a crab-like walk.

“Huh? Where did the Managing Director go? Has anyone seen the Managing Director?”

He heard someone calling for him just before crossing the hallway and getting on the elevator, but… he pretended not to hear.

Karma is steadily accumulating today as well. But I have to go on a business trip on Friday, so this is enough for today, right?

Click, click. Yeon-ho’s hand quickly pressed the close button.

Yeon-ho’s dark gray Audi, leaving the company parking lot, passed the barrier and entered the access road. He woke up early and hadn’t eaten a single meal yet, but he felt much better than before just by successfully escaping the workplace.

As expected, leaving work is better than going to work. But the joy of humming along didn’t last long.

‘…Huh?’

Following Seung-won and the employees, someone unexpected blocked his path again. Yeon-ho, reflexively stepping on the brakes, furrowed his brow.

One meter ahead. Gray masses huddled together right in front of the access road, diligently pecking at the ground. It was a flock of pigeons.

As is usually the case with pigeons living in the city, they continued their carefree pecking even with the car so close.

What are these things?

He honked the horn briefly, but it was a futile attempt.

What the hell are they eating that they’re like that? Surely… it’s not vomit, is it?

With a shudder, he took his foot off the brake. But even as the distance slowly narrowed, they still didn’t leave.

If he was unlucky, one of the dull ones could get crushed under the wheels. They’re the kind who prioritize running over flying, right?

“Anyway… that’s why you guys are called Chicken Pigeons….”

He inadvertently clicked his tongue and was hit with a strong sense of reality.

Why is Chicken coming out again here….

The expression, which had almost become a scientific name, was no exception for Yeon-ho.

His mouth was bitter in many ways. He rubbed his chin and eventually shifted the gear to park. When he opened the car door and stepped outside, a few of the pigeons that had been happily pecking at the ground finally hesitated. But would they be afraid of people when they’re not even afraid of metal?

“Hey, aren’t you guys going to get out of here?”

Even with the shout and the relentless gestures of waving them away, they only scattered for a moment. Gathering back in front of the car was the same.

Hmph. Do you think you can chase us away just by doing that? Pathetic human!

The fact that not even one feather on their armpits was spreading seemed to be mocking Yeon-ho.

‘No. At this point, aren’t their wings almost atrophied?’

It was when he narrowed his eyes with deep suspicion.

Twitch! Suddenly, a few of the flock stopped their nodding heads. And then, in less than a few seconds, all the others stopped moving at once.

It was a very different aspect from when Yeon-ho got out of the car. When they knew the presence of a person, it was closer to, ‘What’s the obstruction?’ but now….

The incident happened in an instant as his thoughts continued.

Flap! Flap flap flap!!

The ones who hadn’t moved no matter what he did all flapped their wings at once and soared into the sky.

“Ugh!”

He reflexively covered his head at the flapping of a dozen or so wings that narrowly brushed past him. Even so, his gaze naturally followed their trajectory.

He had been mocking them for having atrophied wings…. The ones who scattered in an instant, difficult to follow with his eyes, hurriedly hid somewhere in the building and eventually disappeared from sight.

‘What the hell? Why are those things like that?’

It was when Yeon-ho, who had become dumbfounded, blinked his eyes. Something flickered above the sky where the flock of pigeons had disappeared.

‘……Huh?’

His eyes, already wide, widened even further.

Unlike the pigeons that flapped noisily, elegant wings spread horizontally as if dominating the sky. Even so, the dignified flight, which felt strong, was not a common species.

‘…Bird of prey?’

Yeon-ho, who had deduced the minimum classification, even gathered both hands above his forehead. The only bird of prey that can be seen relatively commonly in the city is the Kestrel, but… it was too big for that.

Above all, unlike the fast and agile Kestrel, the one circling overhead, riding the wind, was, even looking at it again, doing a much more majestic and stable flight.

“Could it be, a member of the Eagle family….”

He didn’t know the exact species, whether it was a White-tailed Eagle or a Golden Eagle, because of the distance, but anyway, if that was an Eagle, the pigeons’ reaction was understandable.

A predator suddenly appeared in the relaxed bird world….

Basically, their prey isn’t the same birds, but when they’re hungry, it’s a different story. Some Eagles are ruthless enough to target individuals larger than themselves.

In short, if things go wrong, you’re dead, so how can a pigeon possibly resist? It can only run away with its tail feathers falling out….

Yeon-ho unintentionally received help. Still, it was strange.

“Goodness. What Eagle out of the blue?”

If it were a migratory bird, it might have accidentally entered the migration route, but Eagles are usually residential birds. Especially being spotted in such a downtown sky is almost unheard of.

Yet, it’s still circling above his head. It doesn’t seem particularly intent on chasing pigeons either…

‘Could there be a bird that’s directionally challenged?’

He chuckled at the thought. Even if they’re not migratory birds that fly millions of kilometers every time, birds generally have excellent navigation skills.

Eagles, unparalleled in chasing prey, need no further explanation.

……But, you never know.

There are species that are birds but can’t fly, so why wouldn’t there be exceptions?

‘Gee, your life must be a bit tiring.’

Yeon-ho, who had been looking up at the sky for a while longer, shook his head and got back into the car.

Another strange thing happened then. The Eagle, which had been circling in the same spot as if unable to decide where to go, suddenly changed direction.

While concentrating on driving, Yeon-ho’s eyes occasionally glanced out the window.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but he felt like the Eagle was following him.

‘Am I just imagining things…?’

Yeon-ho frowned and looked up at the Eagle flying in a similar direction to him once more. After a while, a signal he hadn’t noticed changed to red.

Oops! He quickly slammed on the brakes. His heart pounded as the car barely crossed the stop line.

Even in the midst of that, his eyes were still fixed on the sky outside the window. Then, he stopped moving.

‘Huh. Where did it go?’

The Eagle had disappeared somewhere.

♥ ♥ ♥

「Next news. As stalking crimes continue to emerge as a serious social problem, there are increasing cases that require more attention. Reporter ○○○ reports.」

「On the 8th, Mr. Jeong, residing in ○○ District, visited the police station. Mr. Jeong, who complained of stalking damage, reported Mr. Kim, a colleague from the same company. Mr. Kim has been boldly approaching Mr. Jeong for several months, loitering around him or even entering his home. Of particular note is the fact that Mr. Kim was a so-called Morpheus, a dual-gender activating gene.」

Startled, Yeon-ho, who was finishing buttoning his shirt, turned his gaze to the TV, which he had left on without much thought, at the familiar string of words.

「Rarely, Mr. Kim, whose DASG characteristics were recently expressed, appears to have continued stalking by transforming into a field mouse using his Anima. Mr. Kim continues to make excuses that he was only trying out his transformation ability, that is, Morphosis, but….」

The screen, which had shown a reporter explaining the outline of the incident, was now showing the perpetrator, Mr. Kim. Yeon-ho picked up the remote control and turned up the volume a bit more.

「I really didn’t intend to stalk. I lived for decades thinking I was a normal person… After being diagnosed at the hospital, I wondered if…」

The man, whose face was mosaicked and voice altered in the name of protecting the rights of criminals, continued to mumble shabby excuses. Yeon-ho’s already crooked eyes contorted mercilessly.

“Ha. That bastard is disgracing all Morpheus?”

The transformation ability of Morpheus has brought outstanding achievements in various fields such as medicine, science, and pathology since the past, but there are always two sides to everything.

There have been quite a few cases of committing or participating in crimes using their Anima, like now.

As such, Morpheus receive thorough education on values and ethics from a young age.

Of course, those whose Anima is rarely expressed late, like Mr. Kim, often fail to establish such values.

‘Tsk. The Lee Ho-rim case hasn’t been long ago. There will be a lot of noise about Morpheus for a while. I hope he gets a heavy sentence!’

Yeon-ho, mixing human displeasure with personal feelings, glared at the screen once more before turning off the TV.

However, the hand that was finishing tidying up his clothes soon stopped moving again.

‘Stalking, huh…….’

Come to think of it, there was something bothering him too.

For the past few days, the feeling around him had been strangely different? It was definitely a place where no one was around, but he strangely felt a gaze or… his spine would suddenly tingle…….

He had dismissed it as not feeling well, but after seeing the news, he felt strangely uneasy.

Just before grabbing his car keys and leaving the house, Yeon-ho looked back at the entrance keypad.

─The password hasn’t been changed yet.

Seong-min’s words came to mind. His hesitating hand eventually opened the keypad cover and pressed the reset button.

‘No, just in case…’

Only after reorganizing the six-digit number did Yeon-ho’s feet move quickly again, satisfied.

Friday, 12 o’clock, it was a day with outside work.

♥ ♥ ♥

From the Gangnam mansion to the Paju studio set, it’s about an hour and a half.

Yeon-ho’s Audi, which had enjoyed the wide-open outer roads for the first time in a while, entered the filming location’s open space, which was disguised as a parking lot.

The set, which was in full swing preparing for filming, had large trucks with open sides parked in a row.

The staff were busily unloading various equipment, from lighting, cameras, and steadicams to props and costumes needed for filming, and connecting cables to the set or inspecting them.

Yeon-ho, waving his hand at the dusty scene, grabbed a staff member who was pushing a trolley.

“Excuse me. Can I ask you something?”

The staff member, who was sweating profusely like it was midsummer even though it was only April, exclaimed “Ah…” with an unknown exclamation as soon as their eyes met. Then, as if by automatic reflex, they spoke quickly.

“You can wait inside the set. Get a number over there and go to Section A.”

“……?”

Yeon-ho, not understanding, tilted his head and grabbed her again as she quickly turned to leave.

“Excuse me, not that, but I’m here to see the PD… Where should I go?”

“P…D?”

“PD Choi Jeong-yun. Hasn’t she arrived yet?”

After a few more questions, she looked Yeon-ho over again. Only then did her eyes widen in surprise.

“Are you a staff member? Not a contestant?”

He finally realized her misunderstanding. Of course, it wasn’t an unpleasant misunderstanding. Yeon-ho raised the corners of his lips as if to show off.

“This is Do Yeon-ho from Doit.”

They may not know the name, but they know Doit. The agency that invested in the production of this program. Judging by his face, they must have thought he was a participant… It seemed he was a company executive. Her face flushed red, and she hurriedly continued.

“The PD is inside the set. She’s probably preparing for the rehearsal. You’ll see her right away if you go in there.”

“Thank you.”

Perhaps feeling even more embarrassed by the cool greeting, she bowed her head and quickly disappeared, pushing the trolley.

Yeon-ho, covering his mouth with his hand against the dust that was rising again, slowly moved his feet, avoiding the equipment and staff, after the air had somewhat settled.

It was then.

Caw, caaw.

A sudden commotion arose above his head. A flock of birds, a dark mass, stirred in the air. Not only Yeon-ho but also the staff who were busily moving looked up at the sky at the urgent alarm.

“What is it? What crows are making such a racket from the first day of filming?”

As someone muttered, it was crows that were flapping their wings and making noise. But the expression “unlucky” was not correct.

When crows with a strong sense of territory make such a fuss, it means an intruder has appeared. And a very threatening target to them….

What’s unlucky now is the crows’ side.

Yeon-ho rolled his eyes and quickly scanned the opposite side from where they were flying. Then he found it. A huge bird circling around the tense flock of crows.

The flying skills looked familiar.

‘What is it? Is it another Eagle?’

It was the same with the pigeons last time, and he had witnessed a rare sight twice.

‘No. Did word get out about the bird sanctuary? Why are Eagles flying around the city like this?’

Compared to the Seoul metropolitan area, Paju is an outer region, but it still wasn’t a good condition for Eagles to thrive.

“Could it be…… a Morpheus?”

The words slipped out of his mouth unintentionally. But soon his head shook. Bird Morpheus, who are not numerous, also have independent alliances or networks that are fast.

As far as Yeon-ho knew, there would be no one who would be flying around like that at this time. At most, just someone lazing around like that?

‘Well… I can’t even fly like that…’

Yeon-ho, swallowing his bitter thoughts, turned his back on the still cawing noise and entered the set without regret.

The set built inside the large prefabricated building was as busy as the outside.

The main stage was a steel frame structure covered with reinforced glass. Above it were densely packed lights. The technicians, who were each inspecting various equipment, were showing off their sharp movements even in the midst of the chaos.

“Move the camera 20 centimeters to the left. Move the microphone up a bit more. Make sure the sound doesn’t echo on the stage.”

The one who was generally controlling these people and giving quick instructions was a young woman with a short haircut. He quickly closed the remaining distance to the familiar back, which he didn’t even have to look for.

“PD Choi.”

As he approached and tapped her on the shoulder, she quickly turned her head. Then, with widened eyes, she took out the in-ear she had plugged into one side. The somewhat harsh and sarcastic greeting came next.

“Oh my. Who is this? Isn’t it Director Do, who’s so rare to see?”

Like Seung-won a few days ago, Yeon-ho’s appearance on set was met with a very unexpected reaction. As expected, Yeon-ho chuckled.

“How have you been.”

What came out was casual, informal speech. She glared at him once more and also dropped the honorifics.

“What about you. I thought you were dead because I hadn’t seen you all this time… So you were alive?”

A broadcasting station PD and an entertainment agency director. Besides their professional relationship, the two had another connection.

Including Yeon-ho’s business partner Seung-won, the three were from the same university. Seung-won was their senior, but the two who met through Seung-won were even in the same class.

The surrounding staff glanced at the two people who were speaking informally.

“I’ll be away for a moment.”

Jeong-yun naturally entrusted the scene to the assistant director and pulled Yeon-ho’s arm. Only after going around to the back of the set with the wooden outer wall did she glare again.

“What took you so long? Your colleague is working her butt off and is about to cross the river of no return, while you’re just living the high life?”

“A snack truck will be coming later. With coffee and snacks.”

“Tsk. You’re trying to get away with just that.”

“I ordered your lunch separately. You like Pyunbaekjib, right?”

Jeong-yun, who was about to say something more, flinched at those words. Look at him preemptively striking. But the initially twisted heart had already been more than half resolved. Jeong-yun lightly hit Yeon-ho’s shoulder.

“Seung-won oppa ordered it, didn’t he?”

“I paid for it?”

“Hmph, you’re going to expense it.”

“How’s the on-site preparation going? No other problems?”

“If you’re so curious, you should have come earlier. Your company’s money went into this too, you know?”

“That’s right. I mean, it’s nerve-wracking when the guy who put in the money is hanging around.”

The excuse was good. Jeong-yun pouted and looked down at her wristwatch.

“Standby in an hour. You’re going to watch, right?”

“Um….”

Yeon-ho showed a lukewarm reaction. He was planning to just pretend to work and run away since he was out on business….

Jeong-yun, who noticed, sighed.

“Seung-won oppa is such a pushover. How can he be in business with someone like you……. Ah~ You should at least take care of the affiliated celebrities, even if you don’t know about the on-site stuff. I see there are a few of your kids here.”

Next Icon is a survival-style entertainment show that gathers actors, singers, models, celebrities who haven’t gained much fame yet, and raw rookies to pick one star.

As she said, Doit affiliates also participated in this program. One of them was someone Yeon-ho knew especially well.

Lee Sung-min. The one he sponsored until a few weeks ago. Yeon-ho, recalling his face, looked around and lowered his voice.

“How are the kids?”

“How are they what.”

“You’re dropping half of them today, right?”

“You managed not to forget the format.”

“Do you think there’s potential?”

“Does that sound like you’re asking me to nurture them? This is clearly a solicitation, you know?”

“The more the merrier.”

Yeon-ho smiled without denying it. She said it meanly, but blood is thicker than water. As a university colleague and a participant from an agency that invested in the production, she would inevitably pay more attention to them. Jeong-yun pouted.

“Well. They seem usable. Especially Lee Sung-min? He seems like he’ll survive for quite a while. His style is good, and his personality is easygoing.”

As expected. You had to be somewhat shameless in this industry. In that respect, Seong-min, who was ambitious enough to use Yeon-ho, was especially perfect for this.

Maybe he’ll make it to the top 5 at least?

Yeon-ho, reflecting on his own judgment, shifted his gaze to the area over there.

“The contestants are in Section A?”

“What. Are you really going to meet them?”

Jeong-yun rolled her eyes as if surprised, even though she was the one who first told him to take care of the affiliated kids. Then, before long, she scrunched up her face.

“Is it this?”

Jeong-yun raised her pinky finger and wiggled it. Yeon-ho’s sexual preferences were known since college. Of course, there were rumors he had heard since entering this industry as well.

“See you later.”

Yeon-ho, without saying anything else, lightly tapped Jeong-yun’s shoulder once and moved his feet.

Ah, from vocal exercises pulled up from the stomach to stretching that twisted the body here and there. The hundred or so contestants, gathered and buzzing while waiting for the main filming, couldn’t hide their excitement and tension.

Yeon-ho, who was rolling his eyes to see who was usable and who would be his kids’ rivals, and Seong-min’s eyes met.

“Director……!”

Seong-min, who was about to shout loudly without realizing it, hurriedly closed his mouth and approached Yeon-ho with quick steps.

Only after retreating to a secluded spot, as Jeong-yun had done earlier, did Seong-min burst into a bright smile.

“What. What’s going on? When did you come? You didn’t say you were coming today.”

“Am I supposed to report to you for everything I do?”

“Hey. You should have told me in advance. You didn’t come to see me? You came because you were worried about me, right?”

His dream was quite ambitious. Yeon-ho snorted and looked Seong-min up and down. Seong-min, who was neatly dressed in a suit, lowered his eyes and clapped his hands.

“That’s right, you bought this for me before. Do you remember?”

Did he? It seemed like he did, and it seemed like he didn’t.

“I put in some effort. There won’t be anyone dressed as well as me today, will there?”

The basic makeup was done by the beauty team, but the costumes were separate. Of course, there were cases where the company prepared them, but the contestants’ attire varied widely, as those without affiliations had to prepare on their own.

In this situation, would a luxury suit be a benefit or a detriment? It’s not good to be too buried, but being too flashy is also a bit…….

It was when Yeon-ho was internally turning over his thoughts.

Startled! Suddenly, an unknown cold feeling swept across his lower back. It wouldn’t be strange for outside wind to enter the set built on the open space, but it was a fundamentally different sensation.

Not unpleasant, but not comfortable either. Not hostile, but with a sense of persistence somewhere… someone else’s presence.

What is it? Yeon-ho, who immediately narrowed his brow, quickly scanned his surroundings, leaving Seong-min, who was still showing off his style, behind.

Then, in the next moment, ah…… with an exclamation that burst out without him realizing it, his eyes became fixed in one place.

Could he be a program participant? A large man standing over there was staring intently at him.

A towering height that seemed overwhelming even though the distance was considerable. The shoulders that were opened at right angles, and the prominent muscle lines that couldn’t be hidden by clothes, and the long limbs to the physique, anyone could see that he was 100% not Korean.

But what was most surprising was that the face, as eye-catching as the body, with its upright balance, was unbelievably perfect.

Even if an ordinary person’s face is neat, there is bound to be a slight imbalance… from the distance between the eyes to the angle of the nose to the thickness of the lips. The beauty of the blend of East and West was almost like a sculpture.

‘What country is he from? He looks like a mixed race.’

‘With that height, is he aiming to be a model? No… but his face profile is too good for that?’

The initial wariness was gone, and Yeon-ho was mindlessly scanning the man with continuous admiration.

“Director? Are you listening to me?”

Seong-min grabbed his arm. Yeon-ho, who had completely forgotten his existence for a moment, faltered, and Seong-min, pouting, crossed his arms.

“What are you thinking about so much? Even if we’re over, I’ll be sad if you’re like this?”

The form was displeasing, but the tone in his voice was a strange and bold coquetry. Yeon-ho, regaining his senses, hurriedly pulled Seong-min away.

“Get off. Where do you think you are?”

“Tch. Then why were you looking away? Did you see someone better than me?”

From what he was saying, Seong-min didn’t seem to have noticed the presence over there at all. He even pretended to look around. Had they heard their conversation? Yeon-ho, realizing his mistake, quickly averted his gaze.

…However,

“What. There’s no one here?”

As Seong-min said, the man had vanished without a trace in that short time. Yeon-ho, raising an eyebrow, looked around once more before striding off.

‘It would be troublesome if rumors spread….’

Emerging from the corner and turning another, he saw the performers still gathered in groups of three or five in one space. But the man was nowhere to be found here either.

Could he have gone to the bathroom? The staff… surely not?

“Is there another waiting room besides this one?”

“Maybe over there? But why?”

Undaunted by the warning, Seong-min stuck his face close to Yeon-ho’s over his shoulder, tilting his head. Yeon-ho scanned Seong-min anew.

Just a moment ago, he thought the overly flashy outfit might be a minus…… That was a naive thought. Yeon-ho twisted his lips.

“You, go and get your makeup redone. Have them fix your hair again too.”

“Huh?”

“Do your best, as much as you can.”

Even if he somehow made it to the Top 5… he didn’t think he could take first place.

♥ ♥ ♥

There were things to consider, and since he had come all the way to Paju anyway, he thought he would watch at least the first take before leaving… but as it often happened with on-site work, unexpected situations occurred one after another.

One of the jimmy jibs that had been working perfectly suddenly malfunctioned. The technicians, sweating as they struggled with the crane that wouldn’t move, had barely managed to fix the situation when they received word that the main MC would be late.

The excuse was vehicle trouble, but it seemed like just an excuse.

“That bastard must have been drinking again!”

As Jeong-yun gritted her teeth, the male actor, famous as a heavy drinker in the industry, was someone whose notoriety Yeon-ho was well aware of.

‘What should I do….’

Before he knew it, the time was 4 PM. If he didn’t leave soon, he would definitely be stuck in rush hour traffic on the way back to Seoul.

‘It’s not like him coming late will make him come any sooner if I just stand around….’

The responsibility of his job versus the sweetness of Friday night. The scale didn’t last long and easily tipped. Yeon-ho lightly tapped Jeong-yun’s shoulder, who was repeatedly getting angry at the unanswered phone, and gestured that he was leaving.

“Hey?” Jeong-yun, raising an eyebrow, grabbed Yeon-ho, but with coincidental timing, a languid voice came from the other end of the receiver, “PD-nim….”

Jeong-yun, with a fierce expression, but a voice as sweet as could be, hurriedly opened her mouth, “Hae-jun-ssi? Where are you now?”

Her fist gripping the phone tightly, veins bulging, but her voice gave no hint of such a sight.

‘Seriously, being a PD is no easy task…. Hang in there, office worker.’

Yeon-ho, not missing the opportunity, left behind a ‘good work’ with multiple meanings and darted off.

The outer roads were wide open, but as soon as he entered Seoul, the traffic increased rapidly.

Could it be that it would take longer to get home than it took to get from Paju to Seoul?

Boredom was written all over Yeon-ho’s face as he tapped the steering wheel to the increasingly congested road conditions.

About ten minutes later, the phone rang. The caller was Seung-won.

He thought about ignoring it, but it seemed better to at least make some noise to chase away the boredom. Pressing the call button, Seung-won’s voice poured out.

「Where are you.」

“Where else? On site.”

「Don’t lie. I just talked to Choi PD?」

……Tch. That bitch. Couldn’t resist telling on me.

Even though his lie was exposed, Do Yeon-ho was still Do Yeon-ho. Yeon-ho retorted shamelessly.

“Then you know where I am, why ask?”

「Whatever. You’re not home yet, are you? Then come over here. It’s Royal.」

Royal. One of the hostess bars Seung-won frequented when entertaining. He said he had a meeting today, so this must be an extension of that.

Regret quickly washed over him for even answering the call. Despite the still congested road conditions, he rattled off another barefaced lie.

“I’m at my doorstep. Just about to enter the password.”

「Don’t lie. At this hour, you’re still on the Olympic Expressway. And even if you were home, you have nothing to do.」

“What?”

「It seems like you and Lee Seong-min are done. You don’t have a new partner yet, so what’s the point of going home? Stop playing hard to get and come over. There’s someone here who wants to see you.」

“…Someone who wants to see me?”

Setting aside the fact that he was meddling in his personal life, the latter bothered him. But Seung-won omitted any explanation beyond ‘You’ll know when you come.’ Instead, he added a threat.

「It’s before 6 PM now? Don’t you dare leave work without permission. I might not approve your expenses.」

He must be referring to the snack car he had ordered for the set.

Seriously. How much does that cost to be so petty?

His face crumpled, but his mind was calculating.

Jamsil is closer than home anyway…. Whether I go straight home or stop by, it’s probably the same?

‘I should claim overtime pay on top of the expenses this time.’

Just like he said, how much is overtime pay anyway, it was the same kind of pettiness.

♥ ♥ ♥

A flashy printed vest and a red bow tie. The waiter, reaching the end room of the hallway a few steps ahead of Yeon-ho, knocked. But all that flowed out beyond the thick door was the sound of a karaoke machine; there was no reply to come in.

The waiter raised his fist again. Yeon-ho, stopping him, told him to go ahead and pushed the door open instead of knocking.

Walls finished in purple velvet and a huge sofa stretched out in a U-shape. Various snacks and half-empty bottles of alcohol were scattered on the marble table. In the middle of it all, singing his lungs out, was none other than Seung-won.

‘He’s here too. Poor office worker….’

Just as his eyes narrowed at the sight of him blatantly being a drinking buddy, as he had said before, Seung-won discovered Yeon-ho.

“You’re here?”

The sharp sound from the microphone echoed as he greeted him with the same volume he had been singing with. Yeon-ho, without further ado, found the remote and turned off the machine. As the echo that had been hitting all sides subsided, Seung-won poured out a disgruntled voice.

“Ah, why. It was just the climax.”

From what he was saying, it seemed there was no value in feeling sorry for him at all. It looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself?

He was about to say something, dumbfounded.

“You came. You came earlier than I thought?”

Someone on the other side of the sofa greeted Yeon-ho once more with an unceremonious tone.

He hadn’t been able to see the other person’s face because he had been flirting with a woman until just now. At the familiar voice, Yeon-ho’s eyes quickly turned to the man. And then, this time, his brow openly furrowed.

Raising his glass as if to show off to Yeon-ho was the son of Jeil Dairy. He was quite familiar with the second son of the food manufacturer whose main product was dairy products.

“Don’t tell me he’s the one who wanted to see me?”

Ignoring the man, Seok-jun, who was acting like he knew him, Yeon-ho muttered to Seung-won. With a face still not cooled down, Seung-won nodded.

“Yeah. I heard you were classmates with Executive Director Yang? And in the same class for two years. I was surprised when he asked about you. If I had known in advance, I would have sent someone else from the set.”

No. If I had known in advance, I wouldn’t have come here.

He chewed on his tongue at the unknowing nonchalance, but it was water under the bridge. If Executive Director Yang and Seung-won had met, it was obviously about a contract, and judging by the fact that they were even entertaining, the amount must be quite large.

I see. So that’s why he was singing so happily….

Yeon-ho, who had been chewing on his tongue, spat it out this time and reluctantly sat down in the empty seat.

“Long time no see. Has it been almost 7 years?”

As if he had been waiting, Seok-jun grinned and poured a new glass of alcohol, handing it to him. He wanted to slap his hand away, but this is money, this is cash, he steeled his heart.

“Yeah. I heard you went to study abroad… Executive Director?”

“My father was so insistent that I’m just pretending to be one. Oh, by the way, how are your sisters? Is your grandmother healthy?”

“Fine.”

“I see Seo-jin noona once or twice at the forum, but how do you always miss it? You’ve completely cut off contact with the alumni association too.”

“…….”

“Oh, that’s right. Do you remember Jin-young? The class president when we were seniors in high school. She’s getting married this time?”

“Yeah.”

“But do you know who the groom is?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why, it’s Lee Min-hee, who was the class president in the next class. They used to fight so much when they were in school. You never know what might happen? It’s at the Cheongdam Wedding Hall the week after next, do you have time?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Ah, why do you keep saying ‘I don’t know’?”

“As you can see, I’m busy with work on set these days.”

“Puh-ha. What a half-assed excuse? You’re still acting expensive as ever.”

“…….”

“What. You don’t want to hang out with lowly carriers?”

He had been excitedly talking to himself all along, but the end of his sentence suddenly rose, seemingly intentionally. The women who had been picking at the snacks paused at Seok-jun’s words. They had been pushed to the back by the two men’s conversation, and their eyes widened.

“What are you talking about? What carriers all of a sudden?”

Pretending not to notice such an obvious reaction, and clearly aiming for it, Seok-jun drew out an “Ah~” and leisurely draped one arm over the back of the sofa.

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m a Morpheus.”

“Oh my, really? I knew there was something different about your aura…. What’s your Anima, Executive Director?”

The youngest-looking woman among them revealed a great deal of curiosity. Seok-jun slowly stroked her shoulder with his fingertips and raised the corners of his lips once more with a smirk.

“It’s ordinary. Just a wolf.”

“Wow. What’s ordinary about a wolf? That’s so cool!”

“Even so, it’s not a Gobi or Iberian, but a Gray Wolf. The Senior Managing Director over here is much more special than someone like me.”

“Special?”

“He’s a bird, no less.”

At the sharply cut words, Seok-jun gestured towards Yeon-ho with his chin, and the women’s eyes poured onto Yeon-ho in unison.

The fact that there were few avian Morpheus individuals was well known even to the general public. Above all, flying in the sky has been one of humanity’s long-held desires since ancient times. The women clapped their hands.

“Really? Are you really a bird?”

“I love parrots so much.”

It was a bonus that they were all chirping like they were sparrows themselves. The atmosphere that was created in an instant made Yeon-ho’s eyes, which were already downcast, even colder.

By this point, Seung-won couldn’t help but notice something strange in the air. He looked back and forth between the two of them and hurriedly jumped into the table.

“Alright, alright, a reunion of old classmates is good, but these glasses are empty. Executive Director, please accept a drink from me. Yeon-ho, you too.”

But his efforts were in vain. Seok-jun’s glass and Yeon-ho’s glass were still full. Seung-won, realizing his mistake, hesitated with the bottle in his hand. The women, not missing the gap, repeatedly sparkled their eyes.

“What’s his Anima?”

“An eagle? Or a hawk?”

Those were the first things that came to mind when you thought of a bird that flew in the sky. The utterly stereotypical reaction wasn’t even funny. However, Seok-jun, smiling at that not-even-funny reaction, tilted his head.

“Eh. How can you compare it to those? It’s a species that’s much more helpful to humanity. Oh, that’s right… it’s right in front of your eyes right now?”

“In front of our eyes…?”

The women, tilting their heads and repeating his words, followed Seok-jun’s gaze. And before long, they discovered it.

A table full of various snacks. In the middle of it all, there was a ‘chicken’ salad.

“…….”

“…….”

The voices that had been chattering loudly suddenly stopped, and silence swept through the room all at once. After a few seconds of that.

“……Ah.”

Someone let out a short exclamation. This was closer to disappointment than admiration.

Well, they had been talking about eagles and hawks, but it was just a chicken….

It couldn’t be helped that even from the perspective of the average person, it was somewhat anticlimactic. Pretending not to know, Seok-jun widened his eyes.

“What’s wrong with a chicken?”

So… it really is a chicken.

This was an outright confirmation. The woman who seemed to have the most experience among them hurriedly waved her hand.

“T, that’s right. Chicken, delicious……. No, goo…d.”

“I know, right. It’s still a bird in name, even if it’s more common than a wolf. Only birds and primates walk on two feet, even if they can’t fly. Don’t you think?”

Sh, shit. Are you even taking his side!

All the excitement from just now was nowhere to be found, and cold sweat dripped down Seung-won’s back every time Seok-jun continued to speak.

Seok-jun had happily started talking, saying that he was friends with Do Yeon-ho from your company, that they were classmates and hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and had called Yeon-ho over, thinking it was a good thing…. Looking at it now, this was a mistake like no other. Anyone could see that Seok-jun was trying to mess with Yeon-ho.

‘Sorry…. Just kill me.’

Seung-won, biting his lips tightly, turned to Yeon-ho with a pale face. It was then. Yeon-ho, who had been expressionless all along, suddenly raised his lips.

And then, as if showing off, he shook his clinking glass of alcohol…

“Hyung, I told you to accept a drink, right?”

“Uh, uh?”

“Wait a moment.”

His hand, tilted to the fullest, began to empty the alcohol contained in the glass.

Not into his throat, but between the crotch of the swaggering Yang Seok-jun.

“Mom!”

The women who had been next to Seok-jun and had been caught in the damage along with him recoiled in horror. Even during that time, Yeon-ho poured every last drop of the remaining alcohol in the glass onto Seok-jun’s pants.

Seok-jun, who had been blankly opening his mouth at the crotch that had suddenly become damp as if he had peed, belatedly widened his eyes.

“You, you bastard, what are you doing!”

The bursting shouts were a bonus, along with everyone jumping up from their seats. Towards Seok-jun, Yeon-ho waved his hand around his nose as if to show off.

“Ah, now the smell is fading a bit. There’s nothing like alcohol to get rid of bad smells, right?”

“What. What did you say?”

“And Seok-jun, you should stop barking so much. You’ve already spilled all the beans about your dogfighting ring, haven’t you?”

“Do Yeon-ho!”

Seok-jun, his veins bulging blue, let out another shout. But Yeon-ho, ignoring Seok-jun, curled up the remaining lips towards Seung-won, who was spaced out.

“What are you doing, not following? My glass is empty now.”

Ah…… It’s a relief that I signed the contract first.

It wasn’t just wolves that were ferocious. Even a rooster could be just as fierce.

♥ ♥ ♥

Son of a bitch. No, you wolf son of a bitch!

Yeon-ho, leaving Seok-jun behind and exiting the hostess bar, spat out curses through his teeth. Ten years could change the landscape, but Yang Seok-jun was surprisingly the same as he was back then.

‘Even in school, he was so desperate to pick fights with birds….’

Of course, birds were also partly responsible for Seok-jun acting like that. Even he found it annoying to see those winged creatures acting like there was no other species above them in the world.

However, Yang Seok-jun’s gangster tendencies were especially focused on chickens.

Their pride would be crushed if they were confronted with facts by those who pretended to fly and were easy targets… or something like that.

I never boasted that I could fly, so why do I have to suffer? And why did the snack have to be a Cajun salad!

He had been holding it in in the room, but Yeon-ho, who had been quite scratched, was seething and rummaged through his pockets. But when he took out his car keys, the one glass of alcohol he had drunk out of spite caught him.

It was definitely a crime to drive in this situation….

Should I call a driver? But just for one glass of liquor?

He was already pissed off, and it didn’t even add up financially. Yeon-ho tapped his feet.

The more he thought about it, the more fucked up the situation was, and the more fucked up he felt….

In this case, it seemed better to go somewhere and have another drink. Fortunately, most of the streets where the sun had set were pubs.

Yeon-ho’s feet flew towards dinner like a chicken looking for its nest.

[I broke up with Executive Director Yang now.]

[Sorry. I didn’t know that bastard would do that.]

[Are you home? Should I go there?]

Yeon-ho, ignoring all the messages that had been coming in for a while, ordered another drink from the bartender.

“You seem a bit drunk. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Instead of filling the empty glass, the elderly bartender cautiously expressed his concern. Indeed. If you put together all the alcohol he had ordered so far, it would easily be a bottle of liquor. Nevertheless, Yeon-ho stubbornly shouted for another drink.

Nodding as if there was no other choice, he soon placed a glass on a newly laid coaster. However, what he brought out wasn’t just alcohol.

“I noticed you haven’t touched the nuts since earlier. It’s a service we only give to our regulars.”

This was truly…… a grateful and unnecessary consideration.

He winked at Yeon-ho, who was looking down at the bar, and soon turned his back towards the newly arrived customer. Yeon-ho’s drinking speed, while moving the glass to his mouth, became even faster in the meantime.

And then, without even touching the service, he stuck a few bills on the coaster and got up from his seat.

The bartender, who had returned to the seat where Yeon-ho had been sitting after a long time, tilted his head.

“Does he… not like eggs?”

The service snack he had brought out was a poached egg.

Was the last drink he had hastily drunk a fatal blow? His legs, which had been shaking since he came down the stairs of the pub on the second floor, couldn’t quite regain their strength even after stepping on the ground floor. To make matters worse, he was confused about the direction of the hostess bar where he had parked his car.

‘A bird that can’t fly and is bad with directions… that’s me.’

Because it was absurd, a self-deprecating laugh came out with self-deprecation. His staggering feet headed somewhere on their own.

After passing the block lined with bars and the alley filled with restaurants… Quite some time had passed.

Just as I was giving up on my car and heading toward the road to catch a taxi, a sudden chill of air hit my body.

Even though it was April, the weather after sunset was plenty cold. The alcohol had somewhat worn off while walking, so it might have felt even colder.

But the eeriness I felt now definitely wasn’t just because of that.

The sense of unfamiliarity I’d occasionally felt over the past few days. And… the strange vibe I’d sensed hours earlier at the Paju set.

It was unfamiliar, yet clearly a type I’d experienced before.

As his thoughts raced, Yeon-ho widened his eyes and frantically scanned his surroundings. The problem was, when he turned his head, his drunk body turned along with it.

His dizzy body, unable to maintain balance, finally lost its center.

Huh…?

By the time he realized his legs were giving way, his upper body was already closer to the road than the sidewalk.

Ah, damn it. This…

At the very least, my head shouldn’t get smashed.

It was already too late to reverse course, and instead of struggling, Yeon-ho braced himself.

But what was this? The catastrophe he’d prepared for didn’t happen as expected.

Whoosh! Someone yanked Yeon-ho’s body, which was losing direction and plummeting downward, inward with all their might.

The large hand that gripped his wrist and then wrapped around his shoulder was tough and strong. The hurried, rough breathing also pierced his ears.

More startled by that than almost falling, Yeon-ho widened his eyes. Then, wobbling unsteadily, he turned to look at the person holding him and even dropped his jaw.

An overwhelmingly tall, large build. A face with sculptural beauty as if carved.

It was someone he knew. Well, not exactly knew, but recognized.

It was that very man he’d seen at the Paju set.

Even after receiving unexpected help, for a long time…

Yeon-ho couldn’t remove the hand holding him, nor could he utter words of thanks, his dizzy mind fixated on just one thought.

Just why…

How is this guy here?

This wasn’t just a physical question. Today was the first filming day for Next Icon. Until a few hours ago, he was at the Paju set, and unless his eyes had turned into frozen fish, the man should still be there.

But reality had him rescuing a drunk in the middle of Jamsil.

In this utterly incomprehensible situation, Yeon-ho, who kept scanning the man up and down, finally moved his dry lips.

“You… by any chance, did you get dropped?”

“……?”

“Did you get eliminated?”

It was then that a subtle change occurred on the face of the man who still hadn’t let go of his supported body. Eyebrows raised as if not understanding, head slightly tilted to the left. Even that small movement was art.

Still half-held in the man’s embrace, Yeon-ho wondered, Does he not understand Korean? This time, he switched to English with a more urgent tone.

“What about the filming? Why are you here? Did you really get eliminated?”

Of course, Yeon-ho knew this wasn’t the time for such questions. But the man’s outstanding looks, enough to make Seong-min look like a squid, were definitely not the type to face elimination on the first day.

To drop someone like this… Is everyone out of their minds? How can the program succeed like this?

Just as he was beginning to doubt the success of his rare investment…

“…Are you alright? You seem quite drunk.”

The man spoke his first words. It wasn’t an answer to the question, but Yeon-ho’s eyes widened once at the unexpected Korean, and again at the soft, rich voice.

To have such a good voice on top of everything else…

“Ah, shit. This really sobers me up.”

But contrary to his words, his slightly swaying body still lacked proper balance. Perhaps deciding he couldn’t leave him like this, the man glanced around and led Yeon-ho to a nearby bench. Then, after forcibly seating Yeon-ho on the empty chair, he lowered himself to eye level.

“What did you drink, and how much?”

“……”

“Can you get home?”

It seemed like concern, but unfortunately, the words still didn’t reach his ears.

At the set, there must have been distance, so he couldn’t grasp the details, but now, properly at eye level… The man’s features were becoming visible anew.

Thick, abundant hair. Flawless skin tone hard to find fault with. A nose bridge so perfect you’d think plastic surgery clinics in Gangnam should all take down their signs.

But most surprising of all… were his eyes. Now he could see the man’s eyes were different colors.

One was golden like the rising sun. The other was red like the sunset. Elements hard to find in native East Asians.

‘Could it be… that’s why he got dropped?’

As a model, it would be fine, but mixed-race or foreigners often faced restrictions in dramas or movies.

But… it’s only the first day? Even so, for a blue-chip stock like this, they should keep him around, right? Just a few seconds on screen would be promotion enough…

Thinking this way and that, it still didn’t make sense. In that moment, perhaps because Yeon-ho had been spacing out for a while, the man similarly furrowed his brow and narrowed the distance again.

“Do Yeon-ho… are you listening to me?”

And this was precisely the point. Through the breath spreading across his face, it was as if someone had splashed water on him – his mind snapped back to attention.

‘Do… Yeon-ho?’

What? This guy. Did he just call me?

Thinking about it, it made sense. It all happened so suddenly, compounded by alcohol, so he could only think of one thing… but the strange thing wasn’t just that the man had been dropped from the program.

Even giving the benefit of the doubt that the judges’ eyes were all like needle holes and they dropped him, and even if the fate of the newly launched program was seriously concerning…

If he got eliminated, where would he go to down soju? What are the chances he’d coincidentally appear right in front of me as I was about to fall?

Is such a coincidence possible without intention??

The reason that had evaporated with alcohol properly rose up. As if bouncing up from the bench he was sitting on, Yeon-ho stood up again. The recoil was so strong that the man reflexively reached out an arm, fearing he might fall again. But Yeon-ho smacked that hand away without mercy.

Simultaneously, a cold question with a different tone than before split his lips.

“What are you? …Do you know me?”

The man’s eyes, looking down at his pushed-back hand, wavered for a moment. It was clearly a different aspect from his calm attitude of looking after Yeon-ho until now. Not missing it, Yeon-ho drove the wedge home.

“You know who I am, don’t you? My name, and you were watching me earlier at the set too.”

The man, neither denying nor affirming, even bit his lip. He looked troubled and embarrassed. Thanks to that, suspicion became conviction. From Yeon-ho’s twisted lips, another cold voice poured out.

“What is it, you. By any chance, were you the one lurking around me lately?”

“……”

“…Seems like it.”

Yes. The unfamiliar feeling occasionally sensed in empty places. The feeling that someone had been watching me these past few days. It fit perfectly.

“Answer me. Why have you been following me?”

“……”

“If you don’t talk, I can report you as a stalker.”

“……”

“What’s your purpose. You.”

Silence alone was no longer the best policy. After internally choosing his words several times, the man finally parted his bitten lips.

“I wanted… to talk with you.”

“Talk? What talk? What could you possibly have to say to me when we’ve just met?”

Just met.

That sharp word pricked his tongue again. From the moment he asked if he knew who he was, he had anticipated this, but the bitterness spreading in his mouth was unavoidable.

Even after watching the timing for days and making various assumptions, he hadn’t known their first conversation would happen like this. Still, he couldn’t have ignored the falling Do Yeon-ho.

Meanwhile, Yeon-ho, scanning the man up and down anew, sharply raised his eyebrows.

“Wait, wait a minute. By any chance, you… is it that kind of business?”

That kind, of business? The man’s eyebrows rose as well. On the other hand, Yeon-ho, with an expression suggesting he’d grasped something, began tapping his foot.

“If you participated in Next Icon, you must be aspiring to be a celebrity. You probably know our company invested in that program too. …By any chance, did you hear rumors about me and want me to… take you under my wing too, or something?”

The embarrassment felt from the previous words was nothing compared to now.

Take under my wing…? Who, whom?

He obviously wasn’t talking about his own height, over a span taller than the facing Yeon-ho. Instead, what crossed his mind was the scene he’d witnessed hours earlier at the set. Yeon-ho’s job as an entertainment company executive. The faces of men fawning clingily over him…

Ah…

In this situation, there was only one predictable implication.

The man, swallowing back his words repeatedly, chewed his tongue anew, wondering where to start unraveling this absurd misunderstanding. But in the end, it was pointless worry.

“Wow… I heard kids these days have no fear, but you really have no sense of fear? What is this, so baseless? Without even knowing that… I changed my number for nothing?”

This time, rather than getting displeased and angry as expected, Yeon-ho let out a deflated snort. And almost simultaneously, the previously cold eyes and twisted thin lips began to curve weakly.

‘……!’

The man’s widened eyes naturally fixed on Yeon-ho’s face. A shallow, faint smile that made people focus even more…

There was no room for any other thoughts to intrude.

Meanwhile, contrary to the momentum when he stood up, Yeon-ho plopped his body back onto the bench with sluggish movements. Then, after scanning up and down, he let out a light sigh.

“…You, how did you know to follow me here?”

“……”

“Seeing you can’t answer, it probably wasn’t through legitimate means…”

“……”

“Your age… you don’t seem to be a minor.”

“……”

“Your agency? Are you under any separate contracts?”

Well. If he didn’t have one, that’s why he targeted me. The sight of repeatedly asking and answering himself was absurd, but his aloof expression and muttering voice were also cute.

He suddenly wanted to rub his ears and chest. Suppressing the ticklish feeling, the man kept scanning Yeon-ho’s face.

Then, finally stopping his soliloquy, Yeon-ho met his gaze with narrowed eyes.

“Honestly, this situation isn’t exactly pleasant… but what can I do? I have to appreciate earnestness.”

“……”

“Consider yourself lucky. I happen to be alone right now.”

Combining his words so far, the conclusion was unmistakable. But again, he couldn’t correct the increasingly massive misunderstanding.

“Instead, answer one thing properly.”

The next moment, an unexpected question flew in.

“You… are you a Morpheus?”

The words had an edge again. The momentarily startled man rolled his tongue inside his mouth, then carefully returned the question.

“Why… do you ask that?”

“Seems you couldn’t investigate this far, huh?”

Yeon-ho pulled up the corner of his mouth provocatively. The voice that wouldn’t allow even a needle’s point to enter fell clearly next.

“I don’t take in Morpheus. Especially raw ones, I detest.”

“……!”

“So answer. Are you a Morpheus or not?”

His eyes had grown sharper. It seemed if he said yes, he’d leave the spot immediately. Caution was unnecessary at this moment. An unprecedentedly quick immediate answer split his lips.

“I’m normal.”

Hmm. Is that so? A satisfied-sounding throat sound. Yeon-ho, relaxing his eyes, smiled languidly.

“Good, then. Let’s stop here for today. Let’s stop here… and try to catch a taxi.”

“…Huh?”

“I said go catch a taxi.”

As if the conversation was really over here, his fingertip pointed toward the roadside. The attitude of arbitrarily controlling the atmosphere between tension and relaxation, squeezing and releasing, was brazen beyond nonchalance.

Even if he’d received orders and lived, he’d never been ordered around like this with a fingertip. At the excessively bold request, a flustered expression spread across the man’s face.

But,

“What are you doing? Are we going to stay up all night like this?”

At the sulkily urging words, as if intoxicated not by alcohol but by Do Yeon-ho, his feet automatically headed toward the roadside.

♥ ♥ ♥

Picking up abandoned puppies. Buying chicks sold in front of schools.

The mistakes children often make due to brief sympathy and impulse are almost nonexistent among Morpheus.

Who knows if that’s a real animal or a Morpheus dreaming of a momentary deviation.

But it seems I’ve made a mistake even young Morpheus don’t make, and much later at that.

Last night’s memory clearly stopped at opening the front door… but on the bedside table when he turned, there were neatly folded outer clothes and a neatly placed water glass.

Perhaps concerned about dust, the water glass even had a cover neatly placed over it – no matter how you looked, it wasn’t the tidiness a drunk human would manage.

‘Don’t tell me I brought that kid into my house? We definitely took the taxi together, but…’

In many ways, with his throbbing temples, Yeon-ho, who had been checking, then examined his body with bleary eyes. His head hurt quite a bit, but fortunately or unfortunately, his body showed no traces he didn’t know about. Though his belt was undone, his pants buckle was still firmly fastened.

‘Seems the line wasn’t crossed…’

Letting out a sigh of vague unease, Yeon-ho reached for the water glass. But the movement soon stopped. The water was colder than expected. As if it had just been poured.

As soon as he realized, Yeon-ho flung the glass away and hurriedly left the bed. And bang. After pushing open the door and stepping into the living room, his eyes widened again.

The mistake I impulsively made last night. But the face that should never be disparaged as a mistake was on my home sofa.

At the noisy sound, the man who turned around slowly rose from his seat.

“…Good, morning.”

The voice, rich in resonance just like yesterday’s memory, was good to hear again. Unusually missing the timing to respond, Yeon-ho fumbled with his mouth before barely finding his voice.

“What are you… don’t tell me you slept here?”

“…I was going to leave, but you held me back.”

I, held you back?

For the record, Yeon-ho’s question was whether he slept on the sofa. But the answer he got back was of a more astonishing kind.

I’ve kicked out guys who wouldn’t leave before, but I’ve never held anyone back telling them not to go.

With my memory blacked out, what nonsense did I spout?

As Yeon-ho’s face automatically scrunched up, the man, similarly gathering his eyes, hurriedly closed the distance.

“What’s wrong? Does your head hurt?”

I wish that were the case. What hurts isn’t my head, but my shame.

As if about to reach a hand toward his forehead, Yeon-ho belatedly stepped back.

“Never mind.”

The following voice was quite chilly even to his own ears. The momentarily halted man stopped his steps in place again.

Yeon-ho simply turned his body toward the kitchen. Only then did a small sigh escape.

He couldn’t sit back down, nor could he look away. Because he could feel the man’s gaze fixed solely on his back.

‘My voice, was it too harsh?… Well. Even if he’s uncomfortable, he’s probably more so.’

After all, he’d served a drunk guy and even worried about him. His attitude toward a young kid wasn’t good.

Eventually, keeping some distance, Yeon-ho turned to look back.

Unlike earlier, perhaps trying not to repeat the mistake, even when their eyes met, the man didn’t move rashly. He seemed to be gauging a distance Yeon-ho wouldn’t find uncomfortable.

‘Brat. He’s got sense.’

Having good perception is an important virtue in this field. Without realizing it, Yeon-ho gave him points, and his voice relaxed a level.

“Why are standing there blankly? Don’t just stand there, come sit down.”

His chin tip pointed toward the dining chair. With a proper invitation now given, the man closed the distance again and pulled out the chair to sit down.

Compared to his height, his sitting height isn’t that high. Meaning over half his body composition is legs. After scanning his stretched-out body, he let out a fake cough.

“By any chance, did you do some kind of sports?”

“……?”

“Your posture is good.”

Actually, saying his posture was good was an understatement. Even when pulling out the chair, that large body moved without any grating movements or sounds at all.

Is he a model after all? But thinking back, even among models, Seong-min tended to have lighter, noisier movements.

Waiting for an answer, for the first time, the man smiled faintly.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Excuse me?

Once at the smile spreading across his face, again at the composed answer, Yeon-ho’s eyes narrowed. Whether intentional or not, it was a skillful verbal evasion that avoided answering while not making the other feel bad.

But still… looking at his pulled-up lips, he couldn’t bring himself to ask why he was withholding the answer. Instead, a slight mischievousness stirred, wanting to shake that smiling face.

Cutting off the gaze, Yeon-ho pretended to let it slide gracefully, reaching for the coffee machine, then moved his lips again.

“But… why did you do that yesterday?”

“……?”

“Looking at it, we didn’t sleep together? You said I held you back. It was a meal set up for you, but you couldn’t even eat it when given?”

Using vulgar expressions was beyond joking into spitefulness. He’d even taken off his outer clothes and undone his belt… but there wasn’t the slightest trace beyond that. It made him wonder if he was that unattractive.

But the hope for a bit of embarrassment didn’t last long. The momentary strangely raised eyebrows were brief. Because the man gave an unexpected answer.

“Eating hastily goes against aesthetics.”

“…What?”

“It’s not proper dining etiquette either.”

It was Yeon-ho whose eyes rounded instead. And before long, he even burst out laughing.

“Ha, haha… Ahaha!”

Only then, as Yeon-ho held his stomach, did the man show an embarrassed face.

Hehehe. After pouring out laughter for a while, Yeon-ho finally wiped his eyes.

“Aesthetics? You, do you have a character?”

“……”

“Want some coffee?”

Do Yeon-ho is equally someone with a definite character. To ask such an ordinary question after laughing heartily as if teasing someone.

I didn’t make any mistakes, did I? What really happened yesterday? There was no perfunctory confirmation, and he didn’t even seem to want to hear the answer, just asking the question as a formality.

Yeon-ho, taking a coffee capsule from the dispenser on the kitchen counter, opened the freezer door and looked back at him again.

“Iced Americano?”

Huh… iced?

“How much ice should I put in?”

He understood the question only after it was asked.

Iced Americano.

Without a second thought, he cut him off.

“I’m okay.”

Unlike his words, his expression was far from okay. The way he looked at the ice piling up in the tall glass was openly disgusted. Yeon-ho tilted his head.

“Do you prefer it hot? Then I’ll just brew it.”

The man’s eyes turned once more to the machine waiting to be used. The coffee machine, now almost a daily necessity for modern people, was, however, a sin to the man in its very existence.

‘How can anyone drink coffee made with that kind of machine? And even put ice in it?’

He tried to choose his words carefully but gave up.

“I… don’t like coffee.”

Ah, Yeon-ho made a face as if he understood. Well, yeah. Looking at his face, he seemed five or six years younger than him. Right. He probably doesn’t know that there are things in the world more bitter than coffee yet.

“You must be young….”

He muttered as if for Yeon-ho to hear, and the man narrowed his brows. Regardless, he rummaged through the refrigerator. Even so, he still didn’t let go of the spite he felt.

“Then what do you want to drink? Milk?”

The face, young but still manly enough, crumpled properly this time.

♥ ♥ ♥

In front of Yeon-ho was an iced Americano filled with ice, and in front of the man was sparkling water instead of milk.

Instead of focusing on his own drink, his sullen eyes lingered on Yeon-ho, who was sipping the iced Americano, much more often.

He must really hate coffee, Yeon-ho thought, glancing at the man. Only when his glass was half empty did he open his mouth.

“I didn’t hear you properly yesterday, but did you really get eliminated from that?”

“…?”

“Next Icon. You participated in that, right?”

The program, where all participants enter a group living situation at the same time as filming, had a format that eliminated about half of them on the first day, as he had said once before.

But even after sobering up, he still couldn’t believe that the guy in front of him, with his handsome face, had been eliminated from the start.

Why did he get eliminated? Was it really because he was a foreigner? Or was he pushed back by the power of his agency?

There were a few possibilities, but none of them were very convincing. The man didn’t say much, as if he felt the same way.

Well, yeah. What’s the point of talking about something that’s already happened? He gave up on getting an answer and changed the subject.

“Looking at you, you seem to be mixed. What ethnicities are you? You speak Korean well, so have you lived here all your life?”

Fortunately, the man opened his mouth this time.

“To be exact, my mother is of Korean mixed descent. I learned the language when I lived here.”

“So you’re not living in Korea now?”

“……”

“Maybe… did you come to Korea to become a celebrity?”

“……”

Silence usually means yes. When did the status of the Korean entertainment industry rise this high?

Yeon-ho, gathering information from the unanswered words, looked over the man’s face anew. After a while, his head tilted.

“Why, is there something wrong?”

“No… it’s just your eyes. Seeing them in a bright place, the color difference is more distinct?”

“……!”

“It’s my first time seeing heterochromia.”

Unique appearance traits are advantageous for celebrities. Especially the beautiful eyes that look like an annular eclipse are highly valuable. Of course, the reddish opposite eye is also attractive.

Yeon-ho tilted his head closer to his face as if to get a better look. It was then that he, who had been blinking with a pause, slowly opened his mouth.

“…Is it your first time?”

“Huh?”

“Have you never seen heterochromia before?”

“It’s not common, is it?”

Yeon-ho casually affirmed. The man, who seemed to have something more to say, soon closed his mouth.

“I see.”

His expression, with only a short reply, didn’t seem good.

Did he think he was being evaluated? No. How can a guy who wants to be a celebrity get upset to this extent? Should I say it was a compliment?

He pondered for a moment, but when he thought about it, he was the boss and the other guy was the subordinate, so there was no need to cater to his mood.

“Listen. I think it’s better to make things clear now. How far are you thinking of going with me?”

“How… far?”

“Seeing you passed out in my house all night like this, it seems like you’ve made up your mind. But I still have to confirm. I was a bit drunk yesterday, too….”

“……”

“The reason you approached me, it’s because of a sponsor, right?”

“……”

“No? Or do you just want to leave?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Okay. Let’s not beat around the bush. Seeing as you followed me, you must have looked into me to some extent.”

“……”

“Even if I have a sponsorship relationship with you, it’s different from dating. You understand that much, right?”

“……”

“First of all, our relationship will be about six months.”

“Six months…?”

“Maximum six months. That’s enough time for us to enjoy each other. If we drag it out and rumors spread, it won’t be good for you either.”

“……”

“Of course, during this period, I’ll support you with what you need. How much you grow depends on your ability, but at least it’ll be easier for you to seize opportunities. You just have to pay the price. After it’s over, we’ll break up cleanly without clinging to each other. Any objections?”

As he said, it was a quick and clean arrangement. The man, whose eyes had slightly sunk, mulled over the words Yeon-ho had spat out, and then spoke about the most concerning part.

“The price… is it still my body?”

“Then should I just hang you on the wall and admire you? From the moment you filmed me, your sexual preference is men, right?”

“……”

“Come to think of it, what’s your position? Top or bottom?”

Yeon-ho, who had delved into the specifics while he was at it, counted on his fingers.

“I think a man should be one of two things? Either cool or delicious.”

Of course, either way, it has to suit my taste. The added condition meant that there was no room for compromise.

The man cleared his throat and carefully returned the question.

“…So. Which one are you?”

“Me? I’m obviously… the cool one.”

Then… does that mean I have to be the bottom?

His pupils narrowed sharply for a moment. But the moment didn’t last long.

As if reading his mind, Yeon-ho, smiling seductively, pressed his bare foot against the man’s crotch. The words that flowed out like a whisper were next.

“The taste… needs a top.”

He understood the meaning right away. The man’s eyes narrowed in a different sense than before at the foot that kept pressing down with intention.

His hand unconsciously reached for Yeon-ho’s ankle. But as soon as his fingertips touched his skin, the foot quickly retreated.

Ah…. A sigh of regret escaped his lips, and Yeon-ho, who had scanned his expression in detail, pulled up the corners of his mouth teasingly.

“Do you understand properly?”

His head moved before his burning mouth. At the neat nod, Yeon-ho raised his chin as if satisfied.

“Good. Then, from now on, call me Director. Don’t call me ‘you’ like you did a while ago.”

“……”

“Why? Do you want to call me ‘hyung’ instead?”

The man’s eyebrows twitched as he chased after the weight and warmth of Yeon-ho still remaining on his lower body.

For some reason, he seemed to hate the word “hyung” more than the word “Director.” He thought he was doing him a favor….

He didn’t intend to say this much. Yeon-ho, holding the almost melted coffee cup, got up from his seat. Then, ah! He turned back to the man again.

“Oh, right. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard your name yet.”

Name…?

“What should I call you?”

He could overlook the fact that he didn’t want to call him “hyung,” but the man didn’t open his mouth easily this time either.

“What is it? Don’t you have a name?”

After a while, at the repeated urging, he barely moved his lips as if he couldn’t help it.

“Anto…….”

“Anto?”

“Tony…nio…….”

“Antonio?”

He had been dragging it out for so long that he thought it was a strange name, but it wasn’t. Yeon-ho, rolling the pronunciation on the tip of his tongue, asked again.

“What’s your full name? What’s your last name?”

“It’s long…. You probably won’t have to call me by my last name anyway.”

Well, yeah. In foreign cultures, the full name is only used when being formal. It can feel distant between close people.

Yeon-ho, convinced, nodded instead of pressing him. A faint look of relief flashed across the man’s face.

However,

“Then can I call you Tony?”

“…Pardon?”

“Antonio is a bit long too. ‘Tony’ is simple, right?”

His face quickly hardened again at the words that followed. Yeon-ho, who hadn’t noticed, just patted the man’s shoulder.

“I should go wash up. Tony, you can use the bathroom if you want. There’s a new toothbrush in the cabinet.”

Yeon-ho’s steps, throwing the empty glass into the sink and heading towards the bedroom, were very light. On the other hand, the man, who had completely disappeared from his sight, sighed deeply and covered his forehead.

‘Why did that have to come to mind….’

‘Tony’s’ face was terribly bitter.

♥ ♥ ♥

As Yeon-ho had said, there were many unopened new toothbrushes piled up in the living room bathroom.

It was too much to be just extra ones he had bought…. The same went for the towels and various cleansers. The aftershaves were even categorized by type.

‘Do a lot of people come to this house to wash up?’

As the thought crossed his mind, he felt very unpleasant. He glared at the various items lined up on the shelf, finished brushing his teeth roughly, and went back to the living room.

He felt a vibration inside his pocket. He could count on one hand the number of people who would know the number of his new cell phone, which he had just opened.

He looked towards the bedroom where Yeon-ho had disappeared. Listening carefully, he could still hear the sound of running water. It would be difficult for the phone to ring like this when he was with Yeon-ho.

In the end, he pressed the call button, but he didn’t put the receiver to his ear right away. As expected, a desperate voice poured out of the speaker in 0.01 seconds.

「Young Master~!」

He was glad he didn’t put it to his ear.

After coughing mixed with the sound of someone shouting something once more, he grabbed the phone that he had been holding far away.

“Ciao. From the sound of your voice, you’ll live comfortably for another hundred years.”

At the familiar sarcasm, the other person’s snorting grew louder. He could easily imagine the other person’s petty expression, which must have been flushed. The person on the other end of the phone raised his voice again.

「Why did you only answer the phone now! Do you know how worried I was, thinking something might have happened to you?」

“How did you find out my number?”

「You may ignore only me, Young Master. I have that much ability! More than that, don’t change the subject. What on earth are you thinking, leaving the house… If you have any complaints about me, you should say something. Running away from home at this age!」

“I should have written it down. It’s not running away from home, it’s a vacation.”

「Mamma Mia! What kind of vacation takes you all the way to Korea? What about the company? And you only left a single text message for Mr. Federico?!」

Now that he knew the number, it would have been easier to know the destination than that. But even at the words that brought up his secretary, the man’s expression didn’t change much.

So much for a few days of quiet peace. He only felt a bitter sentiment.

When the man didn’t say anything, the excited voice barely returned to normal after a few seconds.

「What really happened? If you really needed a break, you should have scheduled it properly.」

“That’s how it happened. Is everything okay?”

「What could be okay when the Young Master has run away from home!」

“I told you, it’s a vacation.”

A groan rang out at the unyielding words.

「Mr. Federico is one thing, but I’ve also received a call from the main family. They want you to come home sometime next week.」

“It’s probably a trivial matter anyway. Take care of it. Ah, this time, ‘take care of it’ means you take care of it.”

「Young Master!」

“More than that, what about what I instructed you to do back then? Did you contact that house?”

「…….」

“Not yet?”

「I did! They responded positively.」

“Well…… it didn’t seem very positive to me.”

「Pardon?」

“No, anyway, that house wasn’t displeased, right?”

「Didn’t I tell you? History is history. Dignity is dignity. What kind of name is Averto?」

The cognome (surname) that he hadn’t told him because it was too long.

His voice, as if he were Averto himself, was overflowing with pride.

The real owner of that name, no, Marteo Averto, who had been pretending to be Tony until just now, wore a bitter smile. The other person, who couldn’t guess his expression, was snorting again.

「Perhaps, is that why you went all the way to Korea, because you were anxious about that? I even told you that I would coordinate the dates. You should have sent me instead!」

Should he go around to all the countries that sent proposals? His voice was tinged with anxiety. But he had no intention of doing that, not even a little bit.

Marteo looked once more towards the bedroom where Yeon-ho was.

How did things turn out like this? That wasn’t his intention….

Yesterday’s memories came to mind involuntarily.

Do Yeon-ho’s expression, which had been unfamiliar as if he were looking at a stranger, both when they collided on the set and at night when he tested him again just in case….

The voice that had said he hated Morpheus, especially the avian type, and the words that it was his first time seeing heterochromia, still rang in his ears.

As such, there was no choice. If he told the truth, he would definitely be rejected before he even started.

Marteo twisted the corners of his mouth bitterly.

“You have to protect the house. And there are things you have to do.”

Things… to do? At the hesitant sound, Marteo continued without dragging it out.

“Is there any place where my photo has been officially uploaded?”

「Why is that……?」

“Contact all the places where you can get photos and take down the data. Even if there are paparazzi cuts, take them all down.”

He had never liked being exposed to the media, but even so, this was the first time he had given such an order.

A sudden vacation, and an absurd request. What on earth was he thinking?

But once the words were spoken, it was the butler’s duty to carry them out.

「I’ll take care of it and contact you again. So please, at least answer the phone on time!」

“We’ll see. Oh, and one more thing.”

「What is it now?」

He was already nervous about what kind of strange thing he would order him to do. Marteo, rubbing his brow slowly at the person he couldn’t even see, cleared his throat for once.

“…I stole one of your things, Tony.”

「Pardon?」

“Let’s just call it even for the salary cut. Then, goodbye.”

「Wait, just a moment, Young Master! What… What did you steal? It’s not my gold watch, is it? Or the Ondmedrun LP that came out for the 30th anniversary?」

What on earth did you take~!

The beginning and the end were similar in volume. Nevertheless, Marteo hung up the phone right away.

He knew that the sound of water had stopped in the bedroom, which he had been paying close attention to even while talking to the ‘real Tony.’

At the same time as putting the phone in the storage compartment, Yeon-ho, wearing a bathrobe, entered the living room. When their eyes met, Yeon-ho raised one eyebrow.

“What is it? Were you still doing that?”

“……?”

“No. I thought I heard voices. I thought you were on the phone.”

“It was a wrong number.”

“Is that so?”

Yeon-ho, who thought that he wouldn’t lie about something like this, easily changed the subject.

“Oh, right. More than that, what’s your schedule like today? Do you have anything planned for the afternoon?”

“No.”

Marteo spat out the answer right away without even asking why.

“Then let’s go out and eat. Anyway, it’s our official first day. But there’s a place I need to stop by briefly before that.”

Again, without any objections, Marteo nodded his head right away.

‘He’s like a dog?’

If he was a Morpheus, wouldn’t his Anima be a loyal hunting dog?

Beyond the absurd thought, Yeon-ho smiled to himself without realizing it.

♥ ♥ ♥

The place he had to stop by was a place that Marteo also knew.

[Royal]

Yeon-ho shrugged at Marteo, who was looking up at the sign of the closed room salon.

“I left my car there yesterday.”

In the parking lot of the room salon, which didn’t do business in the morning, Yeon-ho’s Audi, which had become familiar to him in the past few days, was sitting alone as he had said.

Yeon-ho, who had taken out the key and started the car, continued with a nod.

“Get in. There aren’t many places to eat around here, since it’s mostly evening business, so we have to go out a bit.”

As he got into the passenger seat, Yeon-ho, who skillfully changed gears, slowly entered the alley.

Even though it wasn’t even afternoon yet, the signboards that were stretched out here and there outside to promote the stores were quite annoying.

‘How many of these are there? I should report it to the district office.’

In fact, it was too much of a hassle to do even if he was paid, but the messy road, which was full of traces of the night before, made him think so involuntarily.

It was after they had passed through such an alley for a while. Yeon-ho’s car, which was already slow, stopped right in its place.

Had someone kicked it in a drunken stupor? A signboard of one of the stores was lying face down on the road. Moreover, the problem wasn’t just the signboard. On the opposite side, a large sedan that took up a lot of space was parked there.

Cadillac Celestiq?

Yeon-ho’s eyes narrowed as he identified the model. If it had been abandoned in front of a bar, he would have thought there was another human like him…. The place where the car was parked was a claw crane machine center that kids frequented.

“What is it? What bastard parked his car in a place like this?”

Just as he was unconsciously muttering a complaint, he heard a small cough from the side.

“There must have been… circumstances.”

“What circumstances?”

“Maybe he had something urgent to do….”

“Like a sudden urge to poop?”

“…….”

He was being sincere, but for some reason, Marteo’s expression turned awkward for a long while. Then, with a sigh, he opened the car door.

“I’ll go clean it up.”

“Yeah. I’ll throw a fit if it gets scratched.”

The one throwing a fit was clearly the car owner. Marteo’s eyes clouded over once more. Still, the question didn’t linger for long.

Because Marteo’s upper arm, as he effortlessly lifted the sign and moved it inside, was more important than that.

‘Damn, he’s strong? He’ll be useful at night too.’

A small exclamation escaped Yeon-ho’s lips as he watched. In the meantime, Marteo dusted off his hands and returned to the car.

Finally having secured the space, he took his foot off the brake.

Marteo glanced at the slowly receding Cadillac, and then his eyes caught something else. Yeon-ho, who also looked in the side mirror, smirked.

“You like cars?”

“……?”

“You seemed interested.”

“…Just. It’s rare for a man to dislike them.”

“Then you must know how to drive. Did you apply for an international driver’s license by any chance?”

“Why would I…”

“If you don’t have a car, you can drive mine. I have one just sitting at home. It’s not a Cadillac, though.”

“Drive Do Yeon-ho’s car, you say?”

He was supposed to call him Executive Director, but it was Do Yeon-ho. Still, minor issues could wait. Yeon-ho nodded casually.

“While the relationship lasts. Well, if you behave, I might even give it to you.”

“…….”

He expected him to be happy, but even after adding that, his face didn’t brighten. Was it because he saw the Cadillac? Even Yeon-ho felt a bit awkward.

“Do you give such favors to other people too?”

A low voice spat out an unexpected question. Yeon-ho’s eyes widened, and Marteo turned his body forward, repeating in a blunt tone.

“Never mind. I don’t need a car.”

“……?”

He clearly meant well, but something felt off. If the other person acted like this, even a good heart would naturally sour. After a few seconds of being dumbfounded, laughter finally burst from Yeon-ho’s lips.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something. I’m not doing this because I care about you.”

“…….”

“I hate waiting. I need you to come running whenever I call. Can you do that without a car? I told you, we’re not dating.”

“…….”

“If you don’t like it, forget it.”

The rapidly cooled conversation ended there.

‘I thought he was like a dog… but he’s not a hunting dog, more like a mastiff.’

His thoughts were revised once.

♥ ♥ ♥

After leaving the alley where the room salon was located, another 15 minutes passed. Throughout the drive to the next destination, there was hardly any conversation between them.

And surprisingly, it was Yeon-ho who felt uncomfortable with this atmosphere.

It wasn’t the first time kids had acted immaturely… Maybe he had been too cold from the start.

With those feelings in mind, he chose pasta for the menu. Since he had been drinking the night before, he was desperate for hangover soup, but a man’s appearance would stand out too much in a hangover soup restaurant.

Besides, what’s easier to appease kids with than pizza or pasta?

But this ambitious choice seemed to have gone wrong again.

From the moment they entered the fusion restaurant decorated with the Italian flag, the man’s expression, which had seemed uneasy, reached its peak when he opened the menu.

‘Rosé… they mix cream with tomato? And what’s Hawaiian pizza?’

Yeon-ho noticed the strangeness in his trembling eyes and tilted his head.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like pasta?”

“…No.”

No, but why that expression? Just as he was about to ask again, the server approached.

“Are you ready to order?”

Marteo’s eyes scanned the confusing menu once more, and Yeon-ho readily spoke.

“One rosé, a Caprese salad, any kind of ade for the drinks, and a Margherita pizza. …What do you want to eat?”

The fact that the rosé, which he had been so horrified by, came out first, made Marteo lose his will to fight.

If there was any silver lining, it was that he hadn’t ordered the Hawaiian pizza.

Without looking any further, he closed the menu and barely moved his lips.

“…Carbonara.”

The server, who had been constantly stealing glances at the two noticeable men, regretted the early end to the order and placed it.

The food came out faster than expected. Just like with the coffee, Marteo kept his eyes on Yeon-ho’s rosé much more than his own pasta, until he heard, “Aren’t you going to eat?” and barely picked up his fork. Even his small gestures were elegant, and the way he handled the utensils was impeccable.

He made the right choice coming here instead of a hangover soup place. Yeon-ho, feeling that even the lingering displeasure had been completely washed away by the eye candy, even felt pleased.

Marteo, who had swallowed a mouthful of carbonara twirled on his fork, stopped chewing. Then, with narrowed eyes, he began to stir the contents of his plate in a way he hadn’t done before.

“What’s wrong? Is something off?”

Confused, Yeon-ho asked, and Marteo barely stopped his hand.

“It seems like… there’s whipped cream in it.”

“Whipped cream? Why whipped cream?”

“I ordered… carbonara.”

“So?”

He had a face that didn’t understand. Of course, Marteo couldn’t understand either.

Why is there whipped cream in carbonara? Moreover, the meat wasn’t guanciale but store-bought bacon. No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t carbonara.

That’s when it happened. Yeon-ho, who had paused, began to shoot the man with a much more suspicious look than before.

“Hey, didn’t you say your mother was of Korean mixed heritage?”

“……?”

“Then what about your father? Could your father be… Italian?”

“……!”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t even heard where you’re from.”

If Tony had seen this, he would have been horrified, exclaiming, “Young Master, what kind of manners are those!” Marteo, who still had food in his mouth, swallowed hard.

The slippery sensation was terrible, but he had to endure it. With his mouth empty, Marteo quickly racked his brain.

“Scotlan…d.”

“Scotland?”

It wasn’t a complete lie. One of the habitats of the Golden Eagle was the Scottish Highlands.

“Hmm. I thought… I guess cream pasta isn’t good there either?”

The meaning behind ‘I thought’ and ‘there either’ was obvious without asking. Marteo recomposed his expression once more.

Do Yeon-ho, who would never raise a Morpheus and especially hated birds, couldn’t be given information that would remind him of Averto.

With half the truth and the other half hidden, Marteo defiantly picked up his fork again and forced himself to swallow the pasta.

But despite his best efforts, another crisis came when he chewed on the Margherita pizza.

This was truly hard to bear.

Not all green vegetables are the same. What was used instead of basil was… none other than spinach.

There really couldn’t be a greater insult.

Whether he was eating a meal or being tortured, the meal, during which he swallowed curses along with the food several times, was coming to an end.

Yeon-ho, who had been silently watching Marteo wash the remaining taste out of his mouth with cold water, suddenly opened his mouth.

“By any chance. Are you, perhaps, from a well-off family?”

“…Pardon?”

“No, it’s just, your table manners and your whole vibe, you seem well-raised. Besides…”

Besides?

“Isn’t that an Audemars Piguet watch?”

Yeon-ho’s eyes fell to Marteo’s hand. Until now, his face had been so overwhelming that everything else had been glossed over, but he had been using his hands throughout the meal, so his wrist couldn’t help but catch his eye.

Moreover, he was always seeing celebrities, and Yeon-ho himself was in an environment where he didn’t lack money.

Marteo, who almost hid his hand from Yeon-ho, who was carefully examining the watch’s dial and bezel, barely maintained his composure.

“It’s fake.”

“Fake? It looks pretty elaborate for a fake…”

“These days, the quality of replicas is high.”

“Then what about the clothes?”

The watch was one thing, but what about the clothes? The difference between fake and real was clear in the texture of the fabric.

Yeon-ho, who couldn’t easily accept it because his outfit looked much more plausible than the suit he had bought for Seong-min, frowned even more.

As if to properly block the suspicion, words that Marteo had never used in his life flowed from his mouth once more.

“I rented it from a rental shop. If I could afford to buy something like this, I wouldn’t need to look for a sponsor.”

True. If the watch and clothes were all real, they would easily exceed the price of a car. Why would someone like that be doing this?

Just as Yeon-ho nodded, it happened.

“Can I ask you something too?”

Marteo straightened his posture. Yeon-ho also met his gaze, as if asking what he was curious about.

Usually, those who had been sponsored would ask what kind of meetings would take place, or when they could get work. That kind of thing.

He was in the middle of mentally sorting out plans, assuming that something similar would come out.

“Morpheus… why do you hate birds?”

An unexpected question split the air. When he only blinked at the unexpected question, Marteo carefully added more words.

“From a social standpoint, they would rather be admired. Especially birds, since their numbers are relatively small.”

“…….”

Even after the following words, Yeon-ho still didn’t respond. Instead, he turned his gaze out the window. Marteo’s head also unconsciously followed.

When he realized that what his eyes were scanning was the sky beyond the building, Yeon-ho finally opened his mouth.

“Because. The way they act like there’s no one above them is annoying.”

“…….”

“Eagles are the worst of all. Don’t you know? How arrogant and selfish they are. King of the birds, my ass.”

“…….”

“But why are you asking this all of a sudden?”

“No. It’s nothing. …Let’s get up if you’re done eating.”

Marteo, who quickly shook his head, turned the conversation and picked up the bill. It was at this moment that a chuckle spread across Yeon-ho’s face, which had been sulky at the strange question. Yeon-ho grabbed Marteo’s hand.

“Hey. Would I ever let you pay for my meal? Give it here. This is my treat.”

He even snatched the bill and took a big step, leaving behind the words, “Come on, hurry up.”

However, instead of following, Marteo unknowingly looked down at his empty hand.

It wasn’t just that the bill had been taken away without precedent, but the skin where Yeon-ho’s fingers had tightened felt hot.

It felt like his heart had been caught.

“Are you tired?”

Marteo asked Yeon-ho, who yawned lightly as they left the restaurant.

He had been drinking yesterday, unintentionally woke up early this morning, and after driving a short distance and eating, he was feeling sleepy.

When he didn’t deny it, Marteo immediately looked back at the car.

“It would be best for you to go home and rest.”

“…What about you? You said you didn’t have any plans today.”

“I have to go home too.”

His nonchalant attitude, which didn’t cling, was commendable, but on the other hand, his too-cool attitude made him feel slightly offended.

Does he really only see me as a ‘connection’? No. Even if he only saw me as a connection, wouldn’t he usually try to get closer at this timing?

But it would be embarrassing to insist that he was fine when the other person was telling him to go home first. After a brief moment of contemplation, Yeon-ho changed his words.

“Where do you live? I’ll drop you off.”

“It’s okay.”

“…….”

“I’m not a child.”

Another refusal. However, the subtle emphasis in the added words made him feel like a child instead. Yeon-ho laughed heartily.

“Are you perhaps prideful?”

“…Pardon?”

“You don’t want me to give you a car, you don’t want me to drop you off, why do you keep saying it’s okay?”

“…….”

“Seizing an opportunity when it comes is also a skill. To survive in this industry, you have to know how to throw away your pride.”

“Does Do Yeon-ho do that too? Do you throw away things like pride when you work?”

“Me?”

I… threw alcohol on a business partner.

Suddenly, he thought of the bastard he had met at Royal yesterday. He didn’t know if he had asked knowingly, but Yeon-ho cleared his throat at the words that subtly poked at his conscience and lightly narrowed his eyes.

“Am I the same as you? And fix that too. Answering a question with a question.”

“Is that also a virtue for surviving in this industry?”

He told him not to, but he did it again. But he couldn’t help but laugh at the attitude of not missing his words anyway.

Yeon-ho intentionally narrowed the distance to his handsome face.

“No… it’s just my preference.”

With a languid voice, his sweet breath reached Marteo’s lips.

His chiseled jaw jutted out slightly. It was obvious to anyone that it wasn’t because he was displeased.

Yeon-ho, who had kept a distance, widened his eyes with a smile and quickly dropped his body this time.

Since he acted like he wasn’t sad to part with him, he deserved this much mischief.

“Go in. I’ll contact you.”

He turned towards the car, leaving behind Marteo, who was standing blankly.

Just as he was about to turn the steering wheel, the large body, which had been standing still in its place until he started the engine, suddenly approached the car.

The figure, which completely blocked the driver’s seat window, tapped on the glass.

What is it? Did he change his mind now? Yeon-ho, who hid his amusement, slowly lowered the window. Marteo also slowly bent down to match it.

“Why…?”

“I remembered something I couldn’t say earlier.”

“……?”

“I… like birds.”

“What?”

It was a completely irrelevant sound to make after stopping someone who was about to leave. But soon, he remembered the conversation they had while eating. Yeon-ho let out a sarcastic snort.

What a variety of excuses to hold someone back. But there was no need to not match his tune. Yeon-ho winked as if to show off.

“So. What kind of bird do you like?”

“…….”

“You said you like birds. What kind of bird do you like the most?”

He started it first, but didn’t he think about it that far? That’s all he thought.

But he was wrong. As if he had deliberately taken his time, his handsome face, which had pulled up the corners of his lips for a moment, leaned closer to his face, just like Yeon-ho had done earlier.

It felt like a ticklish breath was rubbed against his lips along with the whispered answer.

“Chicken…. I like chicken the most.”

Yeon-ho’s eyes widened without him realizing it. It was rather him who hadn’t thought of a response.

Marteo, who had been looking down at Yeon-ho for a long time, dropped his smile and readily stepped back behind the car.

“Then don’t doze off, and go in safely.”

Yeon-ho’s gaze frantically clung to his back as he slowly turned and walked away. Then, with an exclamation that soon burst out, he buried his forehead in the steering wheel.

“What is that guy…”

There was no need to worry. His sleepiness had completely disappeared.