-06-

Having experienced the tragedy of his Anima running wild several times recently, Yeon-ho was unknowingly stressed.

Not being able to control his own body was a fundamental annoyance, but what made him most anxious was the possibility of Marteo finding out about his changed appearance.

Of course, if he had revealed from the beginning that he was a Morpheus, there would have been no problem. But it was just a sponsorship relationship. There was no reason to blab about his origins, which were close to his roots, in a relationship that would soon end.

Moreover, after hearing Marteo say that he liked chickens the most, that decision became even more solid… The reason was simple.

Reality is always different from ideals.

He may say he likes chickens, but if he actually witnessed him turning into a chicken, his thoughts might change? He had a unique taste for chickens being so cool, so it was a consideration to protect his dream.

Thanks to that, Yeon-ho’s morning routine these days started with checking if all his fingers and toes were attached before he even opened his eyes.

But now that all those worries were gone, Yeon-ho could finally enjoy the same lazy and relaxed awakening as usual.

Because he had already experienced Marteo, who wouldn’t be surprised even if he turned into a chicken again, but would be thrilled.

Following that thought, Yeon-ho stretched out with a pleasant groan, pulling at his lips.

Unlike the motel he had stayed in recently, the soft, high-quality sheets felt good on his fingertips. The pillow was fluffy, and the bed cushion was undeniably great.

But the satisfying feeling was only temporary. At the end of the groan, which was half a nasal sound, a question mark quickly appeared.

It was because he felt that the perfectly furnished bed was missing just one thing.

Yeon-ho’s hand, which had been stretching, groped the empty space next to him. And then, he belatedly opened his eyes wide.

The warmth that had completely become a habit lately. Marteo’s spot was empty.

Judging from the fact that he couldn’t hear any sound beyond the double doors to the bedroom, he hadn’t gone to the bathroom either.

‘What? What time is it that he’s already up?’

The smile he had been wearing just a moment ago had disappeared, and Yeon-ho frowned as he looked for his phone. Then, he let out a groan as he saw the numbers that came into view.

1:30 PM.

‘…Looks like I’m not going to work today either?’

He usually didn’t wake up early, but this was a proper late sleep. Was it because he had taken care of everything and his stomach was comfortable… Come to think of it, he seemed to be sleeping more these days.

Beyond the shameless act of attributing his absence from work to oversleeping, Yeon-ho stepped out of bed.

Then, he stepped out of the bedroom and entered the living room.

Click, the hallway opposite the bedroom. A door that he didn’t usually use opened. It was naturally Marteo who had just left the room, just like Yeon-ho.

He carefully closed the door and turned around a beat later. When he found Yeon-ho standing in the living room, he twitched his back for once.

Yeon-ho, frowning at the man who had skipped the usual greeting of ‘Did you wake up?’, spoke first.

“What are you doing there?”

His eyes naturally scanned Marteo and caught sight of the phone in his hand. Marteo, looking down at his own phone, slowly but surely shoved it deep into his pants pocket. The usual smile came next.

“I had something to talk about on the phone.”

“Then just do it in the living room. Why go all the way in there?”

“I thought it would be noisy while you were sleeping… More importantly, when did you wake up?”

“A little while ago. When did you wake up?”

“I haven’t been up for long either.”

Liar. After washing up so neatly, where did you learn to lie?

In fact, Yeon-ho thought Marteo also slept in a lot. He had never seen Marteo wake up before him when he was anxious about his Anima running wild.

But the situation he learned after the chicken reveal was different from what he thought. It wasn’t that he slept a lot, but that he was simply matching his sleep pattern.

For example, these days Marteo woke up before Yeon-ho every time. Nevertheless, he mostly stayed by his side until he woke up, without leaving the bed like today.

In other words, he had been ignoring his dignity, which he used to check to see if he had turned into a chicken.

‘Anyway, the young ones are unnecessarily cautious?’

Beyond the ambiguous thought of whether it was praise or sarcasm, Yeon-ho pouted and turned to enter the kitchen.

But he didn’t need to bother opening the refrigerator himself. Marteo, who had quickly followed behind, found the water bottle before Yeon-ho could.

Then, he even watched Yeon-ho drink the water with a rather expectant look. His desire was clear.

After Yeon-ho quenched his thirst for a while, Marteo reached for the bottle as if it was his turn.

However, the bottle he had picked up was placed back on the table. What the man’s lips sought wasn’t water but Yeon-ho’s water-soaked lips.

It was a new morning routine.

His moist tongue swept through his mouth several times, and just as Yeon-ho’s breath became a little faster, he pulled back.

“Good morning.”

Yeah, it must be good.

Unlike his sticky tongue, his smile was so refreshing. Yeon-ho, a wicked adult, frowned, unlike his heart, which was strangely bubbling.

“It’s not morning. It’s already past lunchtime.”

“Are you going to be like this?” Dissatisfaction settled on Marteo’s brow for the first time. Yeon-ho, feeling even better at that, chuckled and then stopped laughing.

“Oh, right. Come to think of it, what time is it there?”

“…There?”

Marteo tilted his head. Yeon-ho’s chin pointed to Marteo’s pants pocket, where his phone was.

“The phone call just now. Wasn’t it a call with your family?”

Since they had been together, Marteo’s phone had rung so few times that he could count them on one hand. Thanks to Marteo, who sometimes ignored them, saying he didn’t have to answer, Yeon-ho had never even seen him talking on the phone.

Judging from what he had seen, it was clear that he didn’t have any relatives or even acquaintances in Korea, so if he had made a call, it would naturally be to his family on the other side of the world.

Yeon-ho’s guess was half right.

Antonio, who was in some ways much closer to family than his blood relatives.

He was withering away day by day, as his precious young master still showed no signs of returning. Yeon-ho didn’t know, but he was sending a barrage of text messages, almost begging him to come back, about once every two days, asking when he was coming back.

Moreover, today’s call was even worse.

─Lorenzo’s movements have been unusual lately. A few days ago, he said he had something to discuss with the master about young master’s marriage… Please come back soon!

It was ridiculous. A man who had never treated him like a brother had something to discuss with his father about his marriage.

Well… as always, it wouldn’t be good news for me.

Marteo’s expression briefly turned bleak as he thought of Lorenzo, who was only a figurehead of an older brother. Yeon-ho’s voice, who didn’t miss it, lowered by half a tone.

“Why… what, did you hear something bad?”

Marteo, realizing his mistake, belatedly changed his expression, but it was already too late.

“What did they say? Perhaps… did they nag you? Telling you to drop everything here and just come back….”

“No. It’s not that.”

“…….”

“Really. It was just a check-up call.”

The repeated denials weren’t very believable.

In today’s world, the status of celebrities is great enough to be called new nobility, but the process of becoming a star is never easy.

The proportion of those who debut but don’t see the light of day and suffer from financial difficulties is even higher if you count them.

Moreover, since he was taking on that challenge in a foreign country, it was only natural for his family to worry about his ‘well-being.’

‘Certainly… I should slowly start to seize opportunities that could be beneficial.’

Just as thoughts he had completely forgotten were rushing in, the phone rang from the bedroom. It was Yeon-ho’s phone.

“Let’s talk about this later….”

Yeon-ho quickly turned towards the bedroom as if to hide his bitter face.

The caller was Yoon Seung-won. With the Gunsan incident and all, he wouldn’t usually be happy about the call, but the situation was different now. Yeon-ho answered the phone right away.

“Yeah.”

「Hello. Director Do. You didn’t come to work today either? Seeing this, our company is really a good company, you get paid regularly even if you don’t come to work. Should we change our business to social welfare?」

Judging from the joking tone from the beginning, it didn’t seem like it was urgent. It wouldn’t be too late to hear the main point and then bring up his story. Yeon-ho, holding the phone tighter, sat on the edge of the bed.

“Aren’t you tired of that preamble? What’s the matter this time?”

「Tch. Seriously, this guy is useless. And his personality is a pain in the ass. If it weren’t for my reputation, I would’ve ended our partnership a long time ago. You know that?」

“What is it?”

「Good news.」

“Good news?”

「Oh Tae-jin is doing well with his filming these days. I guess Director Do going down there made a difference?」

I don’t know. All I did in Gunsan was turn into a chicken. Well, I did yell a lot at Oh Tae-jin over the phone the next day.

“That’s good news?”

「What could be better news than your agency’s actor doing well? Besides, it seems like Director Choi is feeling much better about you. I was worried because you two were at odds for a while, but it seems like you smoothed things over pretty well?」

“Don’t tell me you’re calling to praise me?”

「Tsk tsk. Just listen to the end, you idiot. The really important thing is this… Did you happen to take him there with you?」

“Him?”

The moment I asked, I saw Marteo following me into the bedroom. At the same time, Seung-won mentioned the same person.

「I’m talking about Tony.」

‘Who is it?’ Marteo asked with his lips only, and Yeon-ho gestured for him to wait, focusing on the phone call.

“Why are you asking…?”

「I just got a call from Director Choi. I thought Oh Tae-jin was acting up again and my heart dropped… But Director Choi asked me who the guy was who was looking for the Executive Director that day.」

“What?”

「He said he looked like a mixed-race guy, and he asked if he was with our agency. Does that ring any bells?」

“……”

「He said the kid has a good look. A junior in the entertainment department is preparing a show with multinational people, and he was wondering if you’d be interested.」

It seems Choi Jae-young saw Marteo looking for me.

Well, even if he were thrown into a flea market, he’d stand out, so how could he not catch the eye of a director who’s used to seeing faces on camera?

What I was going to say came out of Yoon Seung-won’s mouth first. But why? I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Yeon-ho unknowingly spoke in a sulky voice.

“Has it been scheduled?”

「Scheduled?」

“It’s not like it’s rare for things to be all talk and no action, with people saying they’ll make this and that, only to fall flat. Besides, if it’s multinational or whatever, that means there will be a lot of guests.”

「So?」

“It’s not good to mix him in here and there, and if his image gets ruined by starting with a variety show, who’s going to take responsibility then?”

「Hey? A lot of kids start with variety shows these days.」

“Anyway, it doesn’t suit his image. Tell them to come back when they have a proper plot.”

Seung-won seemed a little taken aback by the unexpected firmness on the other end of the line.

Knowing but pretending not to know, Yeon-ho cut him off.

“Is that all you needed?”

「Oh? Wait, one more thing. Well… it’s also related to Tony. Lee Chang-hoon, you know….」

“Lee Chang-hoon? What does that guy want now?”

「No, this writer also has a proposal.」

“A proposal?”

「Lee Chang-hoon is going into the Go Jae-kyung photo book shoot this time. But he says he’s looking for a male partner to use in it. He was asking if Tony might be interested. Well, Go Jae-kyung is the main focus, so there won’t be much cut allocation… but still, the other person is Go Jae-kyung, right? It’ll be less image-consuming than a variety show, and if it goes well, it could be a hot topic. How about this? Doesn’t it sound good?」

By the end, his voice had regained its confidence. But this time, there was no need to think about it. Yeon-ho immediately cut him off.

“No way.”

「…No way?」

“Do you even think, hyung? Who is Go Jae-kyung?”

Who is she? An actress who, well into her mid-30s, still has beauty and ticket power that rivals those in their 20s?

That’s how the world sees Go Jae-kyung. But Yeon-ho knew the other side of her all too well.

A history of scandalous affairs with everyone she’s worked with. A tenaciousness like a black widow who never lets go of what she sets her eyes on. Even Yeon-ho was taken aback by her male conquests.

And now you’re telling me to hand her a meal?

Yeon-ho gritted his teeth, imagining Go Jae-kyung sticking to Marteo.

“Cut off contact with Lee Chang-hoon! Seriously, every time….”

「Every time? What happened during the profile shoot? Lee Chang-hoon seemed to think highly of Tony?」

Exactly. Who is he to think so highly of him that he’s even setting him up?

“Is that all you had to say? I’m hanging up if you don’t have anything else to say.”

「Hey, wait a minute!」

Seung-won continued to say something, but Yeon-ho abruptly pressed the end button. He was still fuming and panting when he felt the bed tilt with a creak.

Before he knew it, Marteo was right in front of him with a worried look on his face.

“What’s wrong? It sounded like CEO Yoon on the phone.”

“…It’s nothing.”

“……?”

“Just….”

……Just, I did something stupid.

A belated realization, a belated moment of clarity.

‘Seriously, what am I doing right now?’

Before I answered the phone, I didn’t intend to do this. I was going to ask him to sort through the scripts that came in and see if there were any roles that Theon could fit, and to use his connections, but…

As you can see, the call went in a completely different direction.

Variety shows? Of course, there’s image consumption, but you can also gain familiarity.

Scandals with Go Jae-kyung? If you have the guts to use it, it’s not a problem.

Isn’t it common for new actors to grow quickly by using existing actors as stepping stones?

If you think about it rationally, it’s that simple, but instead of accepting the good fortune that came my way, I crushed the whole box.

Should I call him back now? Should I say yes to both?

But…….

“Do Yeon-ho?”

Looking at Marteo stroking the back of my hand as he waited for me to finish speaking, the brief moment of contemplation crumbled uselessly.

It was a waste. It’s such a waste!

That this pretty boy would become public property. That everyone else would see the face that only I know. The opportunities that came my way were not at all, not even a little bit, welcome.

‘I’ve really screwed up. Seriously…….’

I dropped my back onto the bed with a thud. I covered my face with both hands. My cheeks were burning, whether it was from embarrassment or from the chronic throbbing in my chest these days.

But one thing is certain. That my condition would be a hindrance to Marteo.

After suffering alone for a while, Yeon-ho finally parted his twisted lips.

“Theon.”

“Yes?”

“Hit me.”

“…Wh-what do you mean?”

“No, just step on me. Step on me and leave.”

“What are you talking about?”

Marteo grabbed Yeon-ho’s hand covering his face and pulled it away. Yeon-ho’s face, which hadn’t fully returned to its original state, was exposed in front of him. This time, it was definitely embarrassment.

Yeon-ho raised his voice.

“I just screwed things up. I turned down all the work that came your way! And… I can’t guarantee that I won’t do it again. So step on me and leave. I’m not qualified to be a sponsor.”

He looked like he was going to ask what I meant again. He should have told me to explain myself.

But even after several seconds, there was no question in return. No. The face that had been silently looking down at my wrist began to crumble little by little. And then, Marteo finally burst out laughing, turning his head to the side.

“Why are you laughing?”

It was Yeon-ho’s turn to question him. Marteo smiled again at Yeon-ho. And then, it was completely out of the blue.

“Should I… not do this job?”

“What…?”

“If you’re not going to sponsor me, I was wondering if I should quit. I don’t think it really suits me anyway.”

“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden? Hey. If your face isn’t suited for being a celebrity, who is?”

“But you don’t like it, right? Or… is that why you don’t like it?”

It was a sudden question. A question that implied that he knew everything I was saying.

Yeon-ho’s lips faltered. Even the mask of a cunning and wicked adult was useless this time.

As Yeon-ho finally bit his lip, Marteo lightly kissed it as if to tell him not to.

Perhaps now was the perfect time. With a look of determination on his face, Marteo began to move his lips again.

“Let’s go on a date.”

“…What?”

“How about Friday?”

“What are you talking about? Is this really the time to be saying such carefree things? Can’t you understand what I’m saying?”

“I understand, that’s why I’m saying it. I don’t think we can wait any longer.”

“……?”

“So, let’s go on a proper date, not just sightseeing. I have something to tell you.”

Something to tell me…?

No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t sound like he was just saying it. Yeon-ho frowned.

“What is it? Can’t you just tell me now?”

Do Yeon-ho hates waiting the most. Even in the midst of all this, his personality hadn’t changed. Marteo smiled, but shook his head.

“I can’t. It’s a story I want to tell properly, slowly.”

“…….”

“Oh, and… one more thing. What you said earlier, it’s too much for me.”

What are you talking about again? What did I say?

Yeon-ho tilted his head, thinking back. In that instant, Marteo suddenly pulled his body, which was still stuck on the bed, into his arms.

“How can I step on you? I don’t even have enough arms to hold you.”

Ah…. He’s definitely teasing me at least half the time.

But the corners of his mouth were instantly pulled up, and his eyes were mischievously curved.

Yeah, I really don’t want to share him with anyone.

♥ ♥ ♥

‘Date’ – An occasion when two people who are attracted to each other spend time together. Or an appointment to do so.

The meaning of this famous loanword, which is also registered in the dictionary, is widely known, even to newborns.

Stage 0 of a relationship. The cornerstone for getting to know each other.

But this childish word, which is, in a sense, hopelessly old-fashioned, was something more unfamiliar to Yeon-ho than anything else.

Wasn’t the ultimate goal of a date to end up in bed?

We’ve already kissed and had sex enough… so we know each other’s erogenous zones inside and out, so why a date now?

Even thinking about it again, it’s an unnecessary waste of energy and time.

But… what’s really unfamiliar is that, unlike my cold reason,

Tony

Did you forget our appointment today?

Even a short confirmation text made the area below my collarbone throb severely.

‘Why am I so nervous about this?’

Yeon-ho, who was holding his phone tightly, bit his tongue several times before finally sending just two vowels, ‘oo’, after a long deliberation.

The answer came back immediately.

Tony

Should I pick you up…?

The reason why he’s saying this when we live together is simple.

Yeon-ho, who had neglected going to work until now, was actually going to work today, when he had a date.

The superficial reasons were ‘Yoon Seung-won is being too annoying’ and ‘I have a lot of work to do’.

But I know it myself. Even if I say it’s childish and a waste of time, honestly… doesn’t a date start with ‘meeting separately’ at the meeting place?

In short, I’m completely immersed in the standard date route.

As I became aware of this, my cheeks, which were already flushed, became even more flushed. Seeing this, I definitely did the right thing by choosing to go to work today.

How can I show this side of myself to someone so much younger than me?

I slapped my cheeks and grabbed my phone again.

Tony

It’s okay. Just come on your own.

Unlike before, the reply came after a pause.

Tony

Okay…

The ellipsis at the end seemed to contain a slight disappointment.

Tony

Don’t rush and be careful on your way.

And then he quickly added his concern and consideration.

Yeon-ho put down his phone without replying, and a smile finally leaked from his lips. That smile became even deeper after he thought of the ‘meeting place’.

─But…… what are we going to do on our date?

─First of all, you’ll be hungry, so let’s have a meal.

─Hmm. What are we going to eat?

─…Crest, is French okay?

The hotel that Marteo mentioned in response to the question was the place Yeon-ho had asked for on the day of the profile shoot. It seemed that he was still worried about the fact that he had refused to eat that day.

‘When I see things like this, I realize he definitely has a cute side.’

It was the moment when Yeon-ho’s smile finally turned into a sound.

Knock knock.

“Executive Director?”

Someone came into the office. Yeon-ho, who raised his head with a smile that he hadn’t fully erased, saw an employee rolling her eyes in a circle.

“Team Leader Ji.”

“Do you have something good going on? Your face is beaming?”

“Ahem. I have a lot of work… I’m a little out of it.”

“Ah…….”

What am I supposed to be if you’re convinced by that?

She seemed to have completely understood my joke, and she finally closed the remaining distance.

“It’s the karma of slacking off, I guess.”

“Do you get paid more if you say such righteous things?”

“Hehe, here are the documents you need to approve.”

It was true that I had a lot of work to do, but she added another file to the already piled-up documents. Yeon-ho immediately frowned.

At that moment, Team Leader Ji opened her mouth again.

“But is today really a special day?”

“If you want to tease me for coming to work on time, please do it later.”

“Oh, no. Not that. It seems like you put extra effort into your outfit today.”

“…Pardon?”

“Oh, of course you’re always handsome. But today you especially have a lot of energy? You don’t usually use wax.”

I have to give it to the people in this industry for their keen eyes. She pointed out the differences from usual and scanned Yeon-ho up and down once more.

Yeon-ho, who had reflexively tried to reach for his hair, clenched his fist and coughed dryly.

“I just… thought my hair was a little long. But….”

“……?”

“Is it too obvious? Does it look like I put too much effort into it?”

I touched my hair after coming to work. But after hearing Team Leader Ji’s comment, I wondered if I had overdone it.

She narrowed her eyes again at the worried question. Then she snapped her fingers.

“No. I’m saying you look really handsome? Like someone going on their first date.”

“…….”

I’m screwed. I’ll go to the bathroom later. I’ll wash my hair.

She may have meant it as a compliment, but Yeon-ho’s face was crumpled again, not relieved, after hearing her words that hit the nail on the head.

Knock knock. The sound of knocking was heard again.

“CEO.”

As Team Leader Ji, who recognized him first, said, it was Seung-won who knocked on the open glass door.

Seung-won raised his hand as if to say it was okay to Team Leader Ji, who was about to bow.

Usually, he would receive greetings and jokes at the same time, but the atmosphere seemed different.

Team Leader Ji, who had quickly read the room, hurriedly retreated.

“Then, I’ll be on my way.”

She even closed the door tightly, and Seung-won approached the desk after she was gone.

“Are you busy?”

Yeon-ho, who was touching his hair, spoke casually.

“Yeah. Don’t even think about adding more work.”

There was an hour left until I could leave work. I had to finish the remaining work and wash my hair again, so time was tight.

But Seung-won didn’t scold Yeon-ho, who was completely distracted. Instead, he picked up the small remote control on the desk and pressed the button.

The CEO’s office that Seung-won uses is a separate room, but the Executive Director’s office that Yeon-ho uses is a semi-open space with one side of the office partitioned by a glass wall.

Usually, executives use it to manage employees, but in Yeon-ho’s case, it was the opposite. Because he runs away so often if you don’t keep an eye on him.

Anyway, with a single gesture from Seung-won, the vertical blinds on the glass wall were lowered in an orderly fashion.

The feeling of silence came over me as the empty view was blocked.

What was most concerning was Seung-won’s subtly frowning face. Yeon-ho finally took his hand off his hair.

“What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”

Seung-won rubbed above his eyebrows with his thick fingertips. Only then did words flow out.

“……I was going to ask you that too. Have you been okay lately?”

For someone who had been holding back for so long, it was a nonsensical question.

What could be wrong with me? Could it be… did this guy notice I’m going on a date?

There was only one thing that came to mind. Yeon-ho, who had been hesitant, deliberately poured out a complaint.

“What do you want to say? Stop posing and just say it.”

“…….”

“I told you I’m busy?”

At this point, Seung-won should have relaxed his face. Even if he intended to tease me, he wouldn’t have dragged it out this long. But what Seung-won chose was a heavy sigh.

“……It’s not exactly you, but your family.”

“……?”

“Really, haven’t you heard anything?”

Yeon-ho isn’t stupid. The questions were vague every time. He said, ‘Haven’t you heard anything?’, but this… meant that Yoon Seung-won had heard something.

Yeon-ho unknowingly stiffened his shoulders.

For some reason, it didn’t feel good.

“What about my family…? Are you talking about my family, or the company?”

“…….”

“Hyung.”

As his voice became somewhat louder before long, Seung-won looked back at the blinds that were already tightly closed.

As if worried that someone might see or hear him. Then he rubbed his forehead again.

“It’s not that, but today… I had a meeting, so I met someone. But when I came out after finishing my meal, your sister was in the next room.”

“My… sister?”

“Do Seo-jin. It looked like your sister was also being wined and dined for business….”

“And. Don’t stop there, keep talking.”

“That’s a little… the atmosphere wasn’t good. So I couldn’t even say hello and wondered what was going on… My companion recognized the person who was with your sister.”

“Who was it…?”

It was a natural question. But Seung-won stopped speaking again at these words. The hesitation on his face was clearly concern and worry.

I can’t show it, but Yeon-ho’s insides are simmering. After a while, Seung-won spat out a heavy voice.

“HB Bank Corporate Finance Department Head.”

…What?

Yeon-ho’s eyes blinked slowly. On the other hand, his mind was racing faster than ever.

Having connections with bank officials while running a business is nothing new. There are many times when you need to raise funds one way or another.

However, for a typical loan, that level of position wouldn’t be necessary.

A department head-level figure is involved in coordinating funds worth tens of billions of won at the very least.

As mentioned earlier, it could simply be for networking purposes, but if that were the case, the atmosphere wouldn’t have been bad.

‘Ah…….’

Yeon-ho’s groan was crushed in his mouth.

What he could guess… there’s probably only one thing. There’s a problem with the company’s fund management, or there’s an obstacle in its credit rating.

These thoughts weren’t unique to Yeon-ho, as Seung-won, who had kept his distance, cautiously opened his mouth.

“I hope it’s just unnecessary worry… but shouldn’t you still check on how things are with your company?”

“……”

Yeon-ho, who had been silent for a long time with his lips sealed, finally stood up from his seat.

Seung-won naturally didn’t stop Yeon-ho, who rushed out of the office before quitting time.

♥ ♥ ♥

“Seo-jin’s inside, right?”

Seo-jin’s secretary immediately recognized the owner’s family member who skipped the greetings and went straight to looking for Seo-jin.

Yeon-ho, signaling her not to rush to get up, quickly crossed the anteroom and shortened the distance to the president’s office in one go.

“Excuse me!”

“The tea is fine.”

She was about to tell him that she would announce his arrival, but her mouth was blocked again as Yeon-ho grabbed the doorknob.

She has been Seo-jin’s secretary for three full years this year. In that long time, she has only encountered Yeon-ho once or twice. Still, recalling past memories, he was never the type to rush like this.

‘What’s going on?’

With a face full of embarrassment and doubt, she tilted her head. Of course, Yeon-ho, who didn’t even pay attention, finally pushed open the office door. And he had to frown from the start.

The thick wooden door had barely opened when the acrid smell of cigarettes stung his nose. It couldn’t even be compared to the faint scent he had smelled from Seo-jin before.

Seo-jin, standing by the window, was engrossed in a phone call, unaware that someone had entered her office.

“Of course, I understand your concerns. But CEO Choi……”

In her other hand, not holding the phone, was a half-burnt cigarette.

Yeon-ho, glaring at his sister shrouded in hazy smoke once more, slammed the door shut with a thud!

Only then did Seo-jin, startled, turn around. Looking surprised, she hastily readjusted the receiver.

“First… I understand. Yes. Then… I’ll contact you again next time.”

After finishing the call, Seo-jin stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. When the cigarette’s life ended with a small hiss, the look of bewilderment had also disappeared from her face.

Facing Yeon-ho, who was standing at the door, Seo-jin narrowed her eyes with her usual expression.

“What is it? Without contacting me. What’s wrong?”

Contact? He had tried to contact her several times while coming here. But every time, Seo-jin was on the phone. Yeon-ho, who had witnessed the reason, shortened the distance to Seo-jin’s desk instead of answering.

Getting closer, he noticed the ashtray piled high with cigarette butts. Noticing his gaze, Seo-jin pushed the ashtray to one side and turned her back to the window.

She seemed to be trying to ventilate the room, but the scratchiness in his throat wasn’t just because of the smell filling the space.

Unable to bear it, Yeon-ho opened his mouth right away.

“What was that phone call about just now? Who is CEO Choi?”

Seo-jin, who was opening the window, stopped her hand. Her younger brother’s voice was different from usual.

Yeon-ho repeatedly moved his lips.

“What concerns did you say you understood?”

“……”

Seo-jin slowly turned to face Yeon-ho. Then, after a moment, she snorted as if she was dumbfounded.

“What is it? Are you interrogating me now? Did some internal audit come out?”

However, unfortunately, Yeon-ho noticed that it was a deliberate gesture. If the phone call was nothing, she would have said, ‘It’s a secret,’ and acted mysterious.

When she was in trouble or had a problem she wanted to avoid, his little sister tended to deflect the question.

Yeon-ho’s clenched fist naturally tightened.

All the way here, he had thought, ‘Surely not…’ but now the uncertain anxiety was taking on a more concrete form.

Yeon-ho bit his lip. He hadn’t intended to beat around the bush in the first place, but it didn’t take long for a more definite question to slip through his teeth.

“Could it be… is our company in trouble?”

“……What?”

“Is there a problem with the finances?”

For a moment, Seo-jin’s pupils wavered. Yeon-ho didn’t give them a chance to settle.

“I know you had dinner with the HB Bank Finance Department Head today. You wouldn’t have made a separate appointment unless you needed a corporate loan.”

“……”

“What’s going on? Why are you even involved, noona?”

After being silent for a long time, Seo-jin rummaged through her pockets and took out a new cigarette. Then, she lit it, took a deep drag, and moved her feet to the sofa.

“Noona.”

“Let’s sit down first. Let’s talk sitting down.”

Her voice, flowing out with a cigarette in her mouth, clearly showed signs of fatigue. Eventually, Yeon-ho reluctantly sat down in front of her as Seo-jin repeatedly inhaled smoke instead of air.

The ash, which had already begun to lengthen, was precariously hanging on the end of the cigarette. Only after it fell to the floor did Seo-jin open her mouth.

“Who did you hear it from?”

“Yoon Seung-won. He said he saw you at a meeting.”

“Wow… we should have recruited him. He’s surprisingly well-connected? How did he recognize Director Lee? Your company and the headquarters are far apart, right?”

Someone else recognized him, but that wasn’t necessary to say right now. The more Seo-jin joked around, the more his anxiety increased.

Whether she knew his feelings or not, Seo-jin asked with a smirk.

“Don’t worry. I won’t touch your retirement plan.”

“Do Seo-jin!”

Yeon-ho’s voice finally rose. Seo-jin, who would never have let such insubordination pass under normal circumstances, stubbed out the shortened cigarette on the floor and rummaged through her cigarette pack again.

But the inside was already empty. Seo-jin, pausing, clicked her tongue and leaned her back deeply against the sofa.

“The coffers are empty, and the cigarettes are empty… it’s really a mess.”

“…What?”

A low murmur. But just as Seo-jin had done earlier, this time Yeon-ho’s eyes wavered.

Seo-jin, who had been running her hands over her face several times with empty hands, turned back with a bitter look. The words that followed were next.

“That’s right.”

“That’s… right?”

“Our company, the financial situation is bad right now, that’s right.”

“……!”

He had guessed and prepared himself, but the confirmation that fell from Seo-jin’s lips carried a different weight.

He hadn’t paid attention to the company all this time, but in other words, it was because there were no problems with its operation even without his interference.

It wasn’t a large corporation, but it was a company that had built up its substance for a long time…. He never thought Seo-jin would say so definitively that the situation was bad.

He couldn’t even guess what problems had arisen and how.

Yeon-ho, who couldn’t find the words to say for a long time, barely held on to his mind.

“Why? What happened, how did it happen? Is it very serious…?”

Seo-jin twisted her lips. A slow sigh squeezed through the gap.

“You know Executive Director Shin, right? The one in charge of accounting.”

“Who? …Are you talking about Uncle Woon-hak?”

As he said, he was one of his grandmother’s longtime loyalists, enough to be called an uncle. Seo-jin nodded her heavy head.

“He’s been subtly tampering with the reports quite a bit without making it obvious. But… this time, he caused a pretty big accident.”

“Accident…?”

“He even touched the public funds that were supposed to go into new facility investments… Moreover, the problem is the timing of when he touched them. The contract to export to the Middle East this time fell through. The initial investment has already been made.”

“…So?”

“The facility lease payments have also started, and other expenses are high. It’s like adding insult to injury.”

“…Lawsuit. Did you file a lawsuit?”

“Even if we do, he’ll just say he’ll pay it back with his body. It’s uncertain whether the money that went out will be properly recovered. Above all, if this kind of problem leaks out, the company’s image will inevitably be damaged. It’s our responsibility anyway since we didn’t manage it internally.”

The price of trust was cruel. Yeon-ho’s face was contorted. But Seo-jin’s words weren’t over yet.

“But what’s funny is that at this timing, Jeil Yo-up is reaching out.”

“Jeil… Yo-up?”

The person who immediately came to Yeon-ho’s mind was Yang Seok-jun, whom he had met at the room salon a while ago. The expression on his face when he asked about his family’s well-being.

“Isn’t the situation a coincidence?” As far as I know, Executive Director Shin isn’t capable of causing such a big accident with his guts. At most, he’d just fill his own pockets a little. That’s why Grandma has been turning a blind eye to it all this time.”

Yeon-ho bit his teeth tightly again.

“……So. What’s the conclusion now?”

“Well… we’ve been properly caught? The overseas deal fell through, the grain prices have risen, so paying for feed is not easy. The lease payments too… and additional loans are impossible.”

“Why? You still have credit!”

“Because that credit has a problem. Jeil probably leaked it. Thanks to that, pressure to recover the loans may start soon……”

Seo-jin, who was rummaging through the empty cigarette pack again even though she knew it was empty, threw the crumpled pack far away.

As Yeon-ho’s mind aimlessly followed that trajectory, the documents Seo-jin had been looking at when he had come earlier came to mind.

A document with the titles and phone numbers of many people listed. Seo-jin had used Grandma’s eightieth birthday as an excuse, but… that wasn’t it.

She must have been looking for a new source of funds.

“Does Grandma know about this?”

Yeon-ho spoke again. Even so, he thought it was a ridiculous question. There was no way she wouldn’t know if things were this bad.

Yeon-ho twisted his lips once more at Seo-jin’s silent affirmation.

“Then what about Big Noona?”

“……”

Another silence was also an affirmation this time. His head was rather becoming calm. Finally, Yeon-ho burst out laughing.

“So, I’m the only one who didn’t know.”

“……”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know until recently.”

“When was that? No, whenever you knew, you should have told me right away!”

“What would change if I told you? Are you going to sell your company and hand it over? Can you afford that?”

“Noona!”

“Anyway, I’m the one in charge of the company, and it’s a problem I’ll handle on my own. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Is that what you should be saying!”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

Seo-jin turned her head sharply and couldn’t help but snap.

“Are you really going to get married or something? You said you didn’t want to. You said you’d never get married no matter what!”

What…? Yeon-ho’s movements, who had been arguing back, stopped at once. Seo-jin, realizing her mistake, bit her lip.

But the words had already been spilled. Seo-jin nervously ruffled her hair, and all sorts of emotions flashed through Yeon-ho’s eyes.

A new source of funds. A way to overcome the blocked funding. Yes, there was… one way.

Marteo Averto. To form a relationship with that ATG Group through marriage…. The Eagle family had the power to benefit the company with just a small possibility of marriage.

The moment he understood why Do Seo-jin had brought up marriage so many times, and why Seo-hee had come over to give him side dishes and support him.

With a face gradually hardening, Yeon-ho finally bit his teeth tightly.

“Was it because of this…? Is that why you kept talking about marriage to me?”

Seo-jin also frowned. She looked more desperate for a cigarette than ever.

“Do Yeon-ho. I know what you’re thinking right now… don’t make a melodrama. At least not Grandma and Seo-hee.”

“What do you mean not?”

“If they really intended to sell you off to save the company, they would have revealed everything a long time ago!”

“……”

“I found out about Executive Director Shin’s matter on the day Grandma brought up the marriage story. I thought it was strange. No matter how much she wanted to see her grandson get married, she brought up such a story right away when Seo-hee had such a thing happen. Grandma… she was just really impatient. In case the company goes wrong, if it really goes to the worst… she was afraid that all our futures would be blocked.”

“……”

“Seo-hee is the same. She’s too busy taking care of her own body… On the day she found out about the company’s situation, do you know what she said first? She said she hoped you didn’t know. She was just pushing you away from this situation. So… if you want to curse someone, curse me. Because I’m the only one who made such calculations.”

A cold voice…. But the latter is a lie. If she had really made up her mind, would that quick-witted Do Seo-jin have cared whether Seo-hee stopped her or not? She would have opened her mouth right away on the day she was caught with the documents looking for investors.

But Seo-jin made excuses. She didn’t hold on to him when he left the office, not knowing anything, and didn’t contact him afterward.

She defends all the other family members, but there is no excuse for herself.

That was Do Seo-jin. The same twin, but she gave all the affection and kindness as a sister to Seo-hee.

But so… on the one hand, he felt reassured. He could leave anything to Seo-jin, and her virtue was the biggest reason for his indulgent freedom.

What kind of day was today for such a Do Seo-jin?

While she was smoking a whole pack of cigarettes, what was I doing?

Fixing my hair, looking at my watch, excited by the word ‘date’ and just being a fool….

Like the cigarette pack that Seo-jin crumpled, Yeon-ho’s face was crumpled more miserably once again. Seo-jin finally got up first.

“If you have nothing more to say, leave. I don’t have time to be doing this with you.”

Her words were still cold, but her somewhat bitter profile seemed to be saying that she couldn’t bear to see Yeon-ho’s expression any longer.

Seo-hee’s words from a while ago came to mind.

─Maybe Seo-jin is just holding it in?

─Think of it as the price. The price for being so carefree on your own.

He had snorted at that time… but he couldn’t do that anymore. If he went back like this, Seo-jin would look for the phone again with a regretful voice.

No matter how you looked at it, it was time to lend a hand, even if it was just grabbing at straws.

But… even knowing all that, even at this moment.

‘…Theon.’

Someone’s face weighed more heavily on his heart than the company’s situation.

The cell phone, which had already passed the appointment time, vibrated inside his chest. That tremor mixed with his heavy heartbeat and didn’t stop for a long time.

♥ ♥ ♥

「The customer is not answering the phone, so you will be connected to the voicemail after the beep. Call charges will apply after the connection…」

The same announcement he had heard more than ten times this time also split the receiver. Marteo, who didn’t listen to the rest and hung up the phone roughly, hurriedly played with his hands again and opened the message window.

Do Yeon-ho

Where are you?

Are you late?

Is something wrong?

Call me when you check the message.

The screen, where his anxiety was lined up in a row, still had no call history. Marteo, who finally threw his phone through his clenched teeth, messed up his hair in a mess.

11:30 PM. The time had long passed the promised 7 PM and was now almost midnight.

But Yeon-ho had not returned to the hotel, nor had he returned home yet.

He could bear the first hour.

He thought he might be busy with work or stuck in traffic.

But the phone was repeatedly unanswered. The indefinite wait was causing more and more anxiety.

What if he had an accident on the way? What if he was in a situation where he couldn’t answer the phone?

Unable to control his imagination, he couldn’t wait quietly at the meeting place any longer. He left the place right away and headed straight to Yeon-ho’s company.

But what came back was the message that Yeon-ho had already left the company several hours ago. Marteo, who drove the car again in a frenzy after hearing from the employee that he didn’t know where he went, visited the hotel again.

While driving, he wished that they had just missed each other.

But this time, it was a waste of time again. Only the hotel employee, who remembered Marteo sitting in one place for a long time, looked at him with a questioning look, wondering what was going on. He barely left a request to contact him if anyone was looking for ‘Theon’ or ‘Tony’ and returned to Yeon-ho’s mansion.

That was already an hour and a half ago. There has been no contact from the hotel yet, and Yeon-ho, whom he was waiting for the most, still doesn’t even answer his phone.

“Cazzo!”

Marteo was feeling anew that waiting was such a thirst close to begging. If he didn’t hear Yeon-ho’s voice right now, his head would somehow be messed up with anxiety and unease.

Marteo, who had even spat out a vulgar curse, snatched the phone and car keys he had thrown away.

He was thinking of going back to any place he could guess.

It was when such rough steps were quickly crossing the living room, which had not been lit all the time.

Beep. Beep beep beep. Beep beep.

Suddenly, a sound rang out from the entrance. The unique rhythm was exactly the habit Yeon-ho had of pressing the keypad.

Marteo’s eyes widened as he realized it. His feet, which had reflexively stopped, ran to the entrance as if flying.

Beep beep, click.

It wasn’t a long distance, but his chest, which had been swelling as if about to burst, finally calmed down when he saw the figure entering.

It was Yeon-ho after all. The person he had been waiting for so anxiously was standing in front of the door, unharmed.

“…….”

“…….”

Their eyes met then.

The anxiety that had been tormenting him was nothing in this moment. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief, so much so that he felt like his legs might give way for the first time in his life.

Just like Marteo, who couldn’t think of anything to say, Yeon-ho’s gaze, also silent, tangled with his in the air once more.

After some time, Yeon-ho was the first to move.

Without hurrying, Yeon-ho leisurely took off his shoes and lightly frowned at Marteo, who was standing in front of the inner door.

“Why are you standing there like that?”

“…….”

“Move. Let me in.”

His voice was as casual as if he were returning home from work as usual.

He had imagined all sorts of things while he couldn’t reach Yeon-ho, but this reaction was unexpected.

He even sent a text an hour before their appointment. Could it be… had he forgotten their promise already?

It was unlikely, but his current attitude couldn’t be explained otherwise. Unlike his words, Yeon-ho pushed past his shoulder and entered the living room, and only then did Marteo unfreeze his feet and hurriedly follow him.

In the meantime, Yeon-ho turned on the lights in the dim house.

“Why didn’t you turn on the lights? Did you just get home too?”

It was another casual voice. It was impossible to suppress the bewilderment that followed the relief any longer. Marteo followed Yeon-ho, who turned on the living room lights and moved to the kitchen, once more. Then, he finally blocked his path.

“What… happened? Where have you been?”

“…….”

“You didn’t… forget that we were supposed to meet today, did you?”

It was a question that was more cautious than accusatory. Yeon-ho slowly scanned Marteo.

His face was still superficially the same as usual. But inside, he was in turmoil.

Unlike when he saw him in the morning when he left for work, Marteo was dressed in a formal suit. It had been a long time since he had seen him so perfectly dressed up, except for when they first met. He knew this wasn’t the time, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang in his chest.

Of course, he had such a great figure that he would shine even if he were wearing rags. Still, he looked much more natural and at home in these clothes, unlike his age.

Where did he get these clothes? He didn’t live with me….

Did he rent them from a rental shop again?

If so, there was only one reason he could think of. Like him, who had uncharacteristically put wax in his hair, he must have put a lot of effort into today’s ‘meeting’.

He couldn’t show it, but a bitter taste rose in his throat. While he barely suppressed it, Marteo was calmly waiting for an answer. Finally, Yeon-ho parted his frozen lips.

“No. I didn’t forget.”

“Then… why….”

“Just. Something more important than you came up.”

“……Excuse me?”

“Someone wanted to see me when I was about to leave. You weren’t waiting the whole time, were you?”

“…….”

Marteo’s eyes wavered for the first time. His dry lips, which repeatedly moved as if trying to digest the words he had heard, were clearly visible to Yeon-ho. Yeon-ho waited for what would come next.

He thought Marteo would get angry this time.

How could he be so one-sided? If that was the case, he should have at least contacted him.

Of course, he had an answer prepared for that.

But after a long silence, Marteo, having composed himself, said something completely unexpected.

“Anyway, nothing happened to you, right? As long as you weren’t hurt or in an accident… then that’s enough.”

“……What?”

“Let’s go on a date again next time.”

At this rate, it seemed like he would be the first to break down.

Although he didn’t answer the phone or check his messages, he knew how many times the man had contacted him during these past few hours.

But… that was it?

Without asking who he met or what happened?

His chest began to churn in a different way than before. This young man, who was endlessly lenient with him, seemed so solid that he wanted to whine and cling to him as much as he could.

But he couldn’t do that. Yeon-ho clenched his fist without showing it and turned around again. It seemed like he needed to revise the scenario a little.

“Where are you going?”

Yeon-ho didn’t answer the man who was following him again and entered the dressing room. After rummaging through a corner, Yeon-ho found a large Boston bag and began throwing clothes into it.

“What are you doing now?”

“…….”

“Do Yeon-ho!”

Finally, Marteo grabbed Yeon-ho’s wrist with a raised voice. The throbbing sensation that started from where he touched him wasn’t just because of the grip.

Yeon-ho bit his lip. And when he turned to look at Marteo after a moment, only an endlessly light expression remained.

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m packing.”

“So… what luggage? Are you… going on a business trip or something?”

Was the person he met today instead of him related to work? His expression was half expectation and half worry. As he had hoped, Yeon-ho simply pointed to the bag with his chin without any weight.

“No? Not my luggage, yours.”

“……What… did you say?”

“If you’re not going to let go of my hand, pack it yourself.”

As he said, Marteo still didn’t let go of his hand and looked into the bag again. Then, before long, his face began to harden rapidly.

The clothes that were thrown in haphazardly without being folded were all familiar.

The things Yeon-ho bought him on the day they decided to live together and went out for the first time. Only then did the meaning of his words reach his ears.

As the strength left the hand he was holding without him realizing it, Yeon-ho shook off the remaining wrist without missing the opportunity and kicked the bag with his toe.

The still-light luggage bag that touched his feet created an endlessly heavy feeling. Marteo’s eyes gradually darkened. The voice that flowed out as if scraping was the same.

“What, does this mean.”

Yeon-ho flinched for a moment at the honorifics he hadn’t heard in a long time, but this time, he spoke as if nothing was wrong. Even he thought his acting skills were outstanding.

“You’re more slow-witted than I thought.”

“…….”

“There’s an officetel we rented under our company’s name. Live there from now on. Or find a room quickly if you want.”

“…I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He disparaged him for being slow-witted, but both Yeon-ho and Marteo knew.

That he wasn’t really asking because he didn’t understand the meaning, but because he knew it too well.

In front of the man who insisted on an answer, the words he didn’t want to say until the end finally poured out.

“I told you earlier. Someone more urgent than you came up. You should have guessed this much when I canceled our date. How much do I have to explain one by one?”

“……!”

He must have asked first and expected it. But Yeon-ho had experienced a few hours ago how different the weight of a guess and a confirmation was. Even though he knew, Yeon-ho repeatedly drove the wedge in. He even made a face as if he was disgusted with himself.

“You wanted to go on a date again? …I should have done this from the moment I heard the word date. It really woke me up. What am I doing with this kid, what kind of misunderstanding did I give him.”

“……Mis…understanding?”

“Of course, it’s entirely my fault. I should have trained you well from the beginning. It was fun because you acted a little differently from the other kids. I spoiled you and failed. I made a kid who came to me asking me to raise him ask me if he should quit his job? So… let’s stop here.”

“……What?”

“This is the end with you.”

So you should come to your senses quickly too. Yeon-ho added one more word. But Marteo’s head was completely blanked out by that last word.

Yeon-ho’s expression, which didn’t feel like he had any regrets, was too clean. It was difficult to understand his changed attitude.

When I said let’s go on a date, you didn’t say no. You didn’t say anything until this morning, so why so suddenly….

Did I really cross the line? Was it really a misunderstanding that I felt Yeon-ho’s heart was leaning towards me more than just a sponsor?

The thoughts that were tangled up in his empty head stopped at one point. He didn’t want to admit it or hear it, but he couldn’t help but ask.

Finally, Marteo gritted his teeth.

“Don’t tell me… you found someone else, did you.”

“…….”

“Is the person you said was more important than me, is it that kind of person?”

Thank goodness. So he wasn’t slow-witted after all. Yeon-ho was relieved that Marteo was finally confirming the clue he had deliberately dropped. Then, he cut him off in an incomparably refreshing tone.

“Yeah.”

“…….”

“You said you were going to give up on becoming a celebrity anyway, right? Then you don’t need a sponsor either. You should give the opportunity to someone who’s desperate.”

“So… who is it, that person.”

The voice that asked again after a pause sank deeper once more. On the other hand, Yeon-ho’s expression was still nonchalant.

“I don’t have an obligation to tell you that. My story ends here, so finish packing.”

Of course, Marteo didn’t comply. Yeon-ho, who had waited for a while, sighed as if to show off.

“Okay. Never mind. It’ll be faster for me to leave.”

Then, he was about to turn around as it was. Suddenly! Marteo grabbed Yeon-ho’s wrist more strongly than before and pulled Yeon-ho into his arms. Yeon-ho’s body, which lost its balance for a moment, was sucked into the man’s chest.

At the same time, Marteo realized one more thing.

The strong smell of cigarettes that was deeply ingrained in Yeon-ho’s body. It was a pungent scent that he had never smelled from Yeon-ho, who didn’t smoke.

He still had hope, but it seemed to be true that he had been with someone until the smell was so ingrained.

The anxiety he felt while waiting for Yeon-ho was nothing compared to now.

The man who was just standing still without even trying to get away, even though he had hugged him without permission, was hateful and made him anxious.

It was like saying that nothing would change even if he did this.

The teeth he was already clenching tightly were almost ground down. Marteo, who put more strength into his arms, chewed out the words through his teeth.

“My story isn’t over yet.”

“…….”

“I’m sure I told you. I have the confidence to be pathetic if you say you want to end it.”

Yeon-ho, who hadn’t reacted all along, finally raised his eyes slightly. And the next moment, he burst out laughing unexpectedly.

“That’s good.”

…What?

“Then I’ll get rid of the remaining feelings properly. If you don’t want to end it nicely, do whatever you want.”

Anyone could see that he was serious. There was no lie in his expression, which seemed to want him to do that. Yeon-ho repeatedly stared at Marteo’s face, which was now completely frozen. Even so, he had to do everything he could to keep his eyes from shaking.

The guy would never know, but maybe he was the one who desperately wanted this moment to last a little longer.

Should he just tell him honestly? Wouldn’t he understand if he told him?

That was also one of the reasons why he couldn’t easily come to meet the man.

But he was a guy who worried about him instead of getting angry at him for showing up so late for their appointment. How could he put unnecessary pressure on someone like that? A sponsor without money was worthless, and when he thought about what would happen in the future, it was better to be a mean and frivolous guy. He hated being remembered as a pitiful melodrama character.

Finally, Yeon-ho pushed Marteo’s chest outwards.

“If you change your mind and want to stay in this industry, I’ll ask Yoon Seung-won to find out about your work. Well. Someone like you can find a new sponsor anytime.”

“…….”

“But try not to mention me, and let’s pretend we don’t know each other even if we run into each other. Wouldn’t that make your new partner like you more?”

With those words, Yeon-ho completely shook off Marteo and left the dressing room. As if he didn’t need to pack his own luggage, he headed straight for the front door. Only after hearing the sound of the door clicking shut did Marteo finally come to his senses and chase after Yeon-ho in a daze once more, shouting “Do Yeon-ho!”

Even so, he thought he would be ignored. That he would go straight outside as it was. But Yeon-ho readily stopped in front of the front door.

Without shaking off the hand that was grabbed again, he looked up at Marteo once more. But the hope he couldn’t let go of was soon mercilessly crushed.

“Why. Do you want to do it one last time?”

A gesture as if that was all they were to each other. Yeon-ho tilted his head as if he really didn’t know why he was doing this, and he was speechless.

“If not, never mind. I’m too tired for two rounds.”

“…….”

“Oh, right. When you leave the house, please throw away the condoms you used to use.”

Before long, Yeon-ho even added a smile. A request that felt heavier because it was so light until the very end.

The front door opened and closed with a thud.

The living room lights were on brightly, unlike before, but everything seemed dark all around. The sound of Yeon-ho’s footsteps fading away was more distant than ever.

♥ ♥ ♥

Last year, he paid off all the bank loans he had taken out in full and finally became the sole owner of the newly built apartment. But Seung-won’s steps towards his precious home were heavy.

He had a lot of heavy luggage hanging on the hand that was pressing the keypad.

The reason was simple. A bird that suddenly flew in and made a nest as it pleased a few days ago didn’t seem to want to leave at all.

‘What sin did I commit in my past life? Was I a butcher who slaughtered chickens or something?’

As soon as he opened the front door, he sighed involuntarily at the shoes that were lined up in the same way as in the morning. It accelerated even more after he entered the living room.

What wasn’t the same as the morning?

Even a sofa wouldn’t be stuck together that tightly.

Yeon-ho, wearing a large t-shirt that didn’t fit him and sweatpants with protruding knees, was watching TV in a typical unemployed person’s outfit.

Seung-won, who had been adding his breath to Yeon-ho, who didn’t even turn his eyes at the sound of someone coming in, dumped the bags he was carrying onto the table with a crash.

“Hey. At least pretend to look when someone comes in!”

Only then did Yeon-ho barely roll his eyes and move his eyelids listlessly. He was really begging for a bow.

If the public relations team employee, who had been arguing that it would be twice as helpful to the company to seduce Yeon-ho and debut him, saw this, he would have immediately withdrawn his idea.

Seung-won glared at Yeon-ho and the TV alternately.

The Aesthetics of Laziness: Survival Strategies of Birds That Don’t Fly

He was repeatedly speechless when he saw the title of the documentary he was watching.

Why are you watching something like that? You’re filming the documentary yourself.

“Did you wash your face?”

“…Roughly.”

“Did you brush your teeth?”

“……Roughly.”

“Did you eat?”

“…….”

Yeah. I knew it. Wasn’t even the washing up a lie?

“Sit down! Sit down and eat!”

Seung-won, who couldn’t get rid of his suspicion, narrowed his eyes and began tearing open the plastic bags he had dumped on the table. The identity of the thing that made his hands heavy, not to mention his feet, was dogani soup from a restaurant that was known as a restaurant known for its good food.

But the health food he bought thinking of Yeon-ho, who must have been starving all day, had cooled down on the way home. Seung-won clicked his tongue when he saw the broth that had solidified like jelly and grabbed the bowl he had been pushing towards Yeon-ho again.

“Wait a minute. I’ll heat it up.”

It was at that timing that Yeon-ho’s back twitched, even though he didn’t react even when he was forcibly pulled up or when he was handed a spoon. Then, he looked around at the disposable container and the kitchen and suddenly distorted his face.

“…It’s okay.”

“Huh…?”

“I don’t need it, so don’t heat it up!”

He couldn’t believe it. He was going to heat up the cold food for him, but instead of being grateful, he was being stubborn?

But Yeon-ho couldn’t help it.

─Electricity bill… I’m trying to save it. Housework… is my responsibility.

Someone he had been trying to suppress at Seung-won’s words finally came to mind. That expression on his face as he handled the microwave with clumsy hands and mumbled in an awkward voice.

……Shit.

Yeon-ho fell back onto the sofa.

If he was his own son, he would have slapped him on the back more than twelve times, but the sigh that parted Seung-won’s lips was somewhat different from scolding.

Well. How could something hot go into a boiling stomach.

Looking at the situation Yeon-ho was in now, it was impossible for him to swallow food.

‘I should have bought cold noodles instead of soup….’

Seung-won threw the bowl down as well and sat on the edge of the table.

The words that flowed out after much deliberation came quite a while later.

“You know. I’ve been thinking about it…. How about taking out a loan under our company’s name?”

“What?”

“We have some money invested in co-productions and stuff, so we can’t make a lot of money… but it should put out the immediate fire.”

Yeon-ho raised his eyebrows in surprise at his uncharacteristically serious tone.

“Are you aiming to go bankrupt one after another? How big do you think that immediate fire is?”

“…….”

“The equipment was stopped in the middle of being installed, and the export contract was broken. And if we’re unlucky, the bank will start pressuring us too.”

“So….”

“So, what I’m saying is, we don’t need a bucket to scoop out the leaking water, but materials to block the bottom entirely. If a few billion could solve it, I would’ve liquidated the real estate first.”

It was a cold judgment, unlike his usual lazy demeanor. Seung-won, unable to find the right words, ruffled his hair roughly.

“Ah, I’m frustrated too, that’s why!”

“Don’t worry. I won’t cause you any trouble, hyung.”

“…What?”

“I won’t let my family’s issues bother you.”

“Do Yeon-ho. If you mean that… I’m really going to get angry.”

“……”

“Who do you think I am, getting to where I am now? It’s just a partnership on paper, does anyone not know that I grew up on Doit Ni Seed?”

“Either way, you built it. Everyone knows that.”

“Who’s arguing about that? Besides, trouble? If we’re talking about causing trouble, you taking up my entire sofa is the biggest one, you know? Look. I’m the homeowner, sitting at the table!”

Seung-won, who had seriously threatened him, kicked the corner of the sofa in less than a few seconds and even strained his neck on purpose. Yeon-ho, who couldn’t possibly not know that the forced tension was for his sake, could only smile bitterly.

After that, a few seconds of silence passed again. Seung-won slumped his shoulders again.

“Speaking of which, when… are you really going home?”

“What… you just said who got me to where I am now. I can mess with the company, but not the house?”

“Don’t change the subject. You’re… not going home because of that guy, right?”

“……”

“Tony… that guy. He came to the company again today, I heard.”

It was a sudden change of topic. Yeon-ho’s face, which had been smiling faintly, quickly hardened. His expression looked twice as stiff as when he was talking about family matters, and Seung-won’s brow furrowed even more.

It was the same when Yeon-ho suddenly came to visit a few days ago.

Yeon-ho’s expression was much colder than before he left the office. It was immediately clear that the worry he had been concerned about had come true.

However, Yeon-ho’s first words in response to the question asking what happened were different from what he had expected.

‘I ended it….’

‘Huh?’

‘I said I ended it.’

If he had just said ‘It’s over,’ it would have made sense since it was about the company. But the word ‘ended it’ didn’t make sense at all. And the story he heard right after that was even more dumbfounding.

No matter what the circumstances were. Do Yeon-ho had been living with his sponsor all this time? He even gave him the house and came out himself??

It was something that could never fit Do Yeon-ho’s character.

Moreover, the surprises didn’t end there.

The next day on his way to work, Seung-won was attacked in the company parking lot. A man grabbed his shoulder roughly as soon as he parked his car and got out. ‘Tony’ cornered Seung-won with a menacing look.

─Where is Do Yeon-ho right now? Do you have contact with him?!

The kid’s eyes were completely out of it, and the composed young man from before was nowhere to be seen. Sometimes the stalkers of affiliated celebrities would act out, but even their fanatical fervor was cute compared to the man’s appearance.

Thanks to that, Seung-won instinctively shook his head first.

Why are you doing this? Why are you looking for Do Yeon-ho from me? He doesn’t usually contact me regularly.

The man’s hand, which had been tightly gripping his shoulder as if he would explode, gradually loosened after a while.

‘……I apologize.’

But unlike his words, his eyes still looked like he could do more rudeness at any moment.

That prediction came true, and the man guarded the front of the company all day long. If he hadn’t taken an employee’s car instead of his own and run away early, he probably would have been followed.

However, unlike Seung-won, who shook his head and poured out what happened that day, Yeon-ho, who heard all of it, only had the same expression as now.

An expression that he was so sick that he couldn’t do anything about it….

Seung-won, who had been watching Yeon-ho, finally opened his mouth again.

“Should we… just report him?”

“…What?”

“Honestly, the employees seem to be bothered by him constantly camping out in front of the company like that… and the back of my neck is feeling a bit chilly…….”

“What are you talking about? Is the front of the company all your land?”

“…Huh?”

“People with feet can go wherever they want, what’s wrong with that? What kind of criminal vibe is on his face that you’re talking about reporting him!”

Yeon-ho, who had been lying down, suddenly jumped up from the sofa, and his voice was very loud. Seung-won, who was more dumbfounded than ever, was so flustered that he flared his nostrils. Then he raised his voice just as loudly.

“No criminal vibe, my ass! You haven’t seen it, that’s why. There’s a murderous aura dripping from his face, you know? How else would I not be able to come to work! Besides, if you’re not scared, why are you avoiding him? What are you afraid of?”

“I’m……!”

Yeon-ho, who was about to retort immediately, bit his lip. As if he had something stuck in his throat that he couldn’t digest.

Then, after a long time, he turned his head away and began to move his remaining words.

“Anyway, just leave him alone. …And later, if you see that guy, introduce him to that thing you mentioned then.”

“What?”

“Tell him about the model Lee Chang-hoon suggested, or the entertainment show Choi Director mentioned. If you have time… it would be even better if you could review the contract.”

Seung-won’s eyelids fluttered up and down once again.

“What… what are you trying to do?”

“…What.”

“You said you wouldn’t make him do it. No, you said you ended the sponsorship! And now, why are you worrying about his work? Is this the time for you to do that!”

It was a natural point. But Yeon-ho, who couldn’t stand the tone that was shooting at him as if he was dumbfounded, finally couldn’t stand it this time. Yeon-ho slammed the sofa!

“Then what am I supposed to do? It pisses me off just thinking about it!”

“……What?”

“You said it too, that he’d get a truckload of business cards if he just walked down the street.”

“…So…?”

“If he has a job… if he can make a living, he won’t think about finding another sponsor!”

That’s right. It’s better to be light than pitiful. You can find a new sponsor anytime. I told you to be loved and all that, but there’s no way that was sincere.

Seung-won said that the employees were bothered by the guy camping out in front of the company, but is that concern simply because it’s annoying? Absolutely not.

In front of an entertainment company where all kinds of people come and go, there’s someone like that… what if he really catches the eye of someone in the industry? How can you guarantee that someone like me won’t be tempted? If you have eyes, you’d obviously be tempted!

As his thoughts spiraled, his head really felt like it was going to explode. Yeon-ho buries his back deep into the backrest of the sofa beyond his tightly wrapped forehead.

His heaving chest rose and fell busily.

Even in the midst of all that, Marteo’s face kept flashing before his eyes. The expression that had hardened white at the many words he had uttered.

He watched the terribly boring documentary with his eyes glued to it for hours for this reason. Because if he didn’t concentrate on anything, he would easily end up like this.

Before he knew it, a heavy silence had settled between Seung-won and Yeon-ho.

Seung-won, who had been repeatedly opening and closing his lips, finally pressed his temples.

“If you’re going to be like this… why did you say you were going to end it?”

“Do you really not know that?”

“I’m saying it because I know! Because of family matters, you’re going to have a blind date with Averto or whatever? Frankly, if it were your usual personality, you wouldn’t even be happy to see the blind date, and you probably wouldn’t do well anyway… so you would have vaguely glossed over it. No. Even if things went well and you got married, you would have just said, ‘I’m getting married’ and ended it with a notification. Because that’s easier for the other person to accept. But you, you didn’t say a word about these circumstances to that guy, did you?”

“…That’s!”

“I’ll concede a hundred times that you didn’t have the energy to worry about anything else. So you started by ending the sponsorship. But if that’s the case, that should be the end of it. Why are you hesitating at such an important point? Are you the type to look back on what you’ve decided?”

“……”

“If you’re going to keep doing this… you might as well just meet him.”

“What… did you say?”

“If you miss Tony that much, just meet him until you get rid of your lingering feelings!”

He knew. That Seung-won was saying that for his sake. But soon, Yeon-ho’s eyes were filled with a blue premonition. The voice that parted his lips was so cold that ice seemed to drip from it.

“Are you saying… to make him my kept man?”

“…What?”

“Not only a sponsor, but to put an affair label on that guy?”

In the end, his voice rose again as if it were exploding. On the other hand, Seung-won’s eyes, which had been blank, widened.

Kept… man? A, affair? What is all this?

Let me tell you, Seung-won was only talking about before the marriage. Even if things went well and he stamped the marriage certificate, there would still be some time, so he was advising him not to rush and to adjust the situation.

But Yeon-ho’s question was naturally pointing to a more distant future. He didn’t know if he was aware of it himself, but anyway, just listening to Yeon-ho’s words made him feel like he had become trash.

Seung-won, flustered, waved his hand roughly.

“Ah, no. Who said to meet him even after getting married?”

“Then what!”

“I mean, nothing’s been decided yet, so take your time…….”

“So you’re saying that it’ll go as I please? If it seemed like it would, I would have done that too! What if I hold onto that guy until right before the wedding? What are you going to do then?”

……Huh? …Huh?

“Am I going to throw not only my life but his life into the mud? Isn’t it natural to clean up before it’s too late!”

Really, he never thought he would hear these words from Do Yeon-ho’s mouth.

It would have made sense if he had said that it’s right to get rid of the sponsor before the blind date knows. Or that it’s best to cut it off before Tony gets any unnecessary feelings….

What is he worried about right now? What does this even mean?

“Do… Yeon-ho….”

Seung-won squeezed out his voice with an incredulous look.

At that moment, a vibration sound came from somewhere. Seung-won, who had been out of his mind for a while, reflexively turned his gaze.

He saw Yeon-ho’s phone, which had been thrown down on the corner of the sofa. Seung-won swallowed hard as he checked the screen.

“It’s that guy….”

There was no need to ask who he was referring to. Yeon-ho, who had already expected it, cut him off without even turning his head.

“Hang up.”

The vibration sound soon disappeared. Instead, the screen showed a history of dozens of missed calls. He didn’t know for sure, but the message box probably wasn’t much different.

“If you’re going to be like this, just block him.”

Yeon-ho’s eyes shot up at those words.

“He… doesn’t know anyone here.”

“So what?”

“If something happens, I have to receive that call!”

“……”

He said it’s right to clean up before it’s too late. In my opinion, it seems like it’s already too late.

Should I tell him this? Should I not tell him….

Seung-won repeatedly distorted his face. At that moment, the phone started ringing again. He thought it was Tony again, but his prediction was wrong.

“…It’s your little sister.”

Twitch. Yeon-ho’s eyelashes, which had been raised, trembled slightly.

“Should I… hang up?”

This time, Seung-won asked first. For some reason, he felt like he shouldn’t hand this phone over to Yeon-ho.

But before long, Yeon-ho snatched the phone.

“Yeah. …What happened.”

There was no emotion left in the voice that answered the phone.

♥ ♥ ♥

The ringing tone, which hadn’t even rung a few times, was cut off midway.

Blue veins popped out on the back of Marteo’s hand, which was holding the receiver, at the fact that this had already been repeated dozens of times.

It had already been three days since he had broken up with Yeon-ho. Yeon-ho hadn’t come to work today either. Marteo’s anxiety, who hadn’t even heard his voice, had already reached its peak.

It would be a relief if Yeon-ho’s absence was to avoid him…… but when he remembered what Yeon-ho’s reason for being absent was while he was living with him, he felt like his stomach was turning upside down.

Is he in the arms of another guy right now?

Wouldn’t he give a sweet smile, saying that there’s no need to worry, like he did to me, when asked whose call it is…….

As the unpleasant imagination became more concrete, the already clenched teeth were practically grinding away. Even so, his mind began to sink coldly.

‘…This won’t do. It’s not time to wait anymore. Let’s just release the Anima. Release it and threaten the surroundings…….’

He was coldly calculating his next move.

Brrr, brrr. The phone he was still clutching suddenly started ringing.

‘Do Yeon-ho?’

The reason he had barely managed to piece together collapsed rapidly at the sound of the ringtone. Even though he thought it couldn’t be, his urgent hands and eyes hurriedly checked the screen first.

‘Ah…….’

Of course, the emptiness and bitterness that followed were incomparable to anything else.

The caller was Tony. He had already scolded him yesterday for constantly urging him to return home these past few days.

Thanks to that, he thought he would lie low for the time being… he didn’t have any tact, but he seemed to have courage unexpectedly.

Marteo, who let out a twisted smile, eventually rubbed his eyes and changed his mind and pressed the call button.

「It’s me, young master.」

His voice, which was more trembling than usual, was full of tension. Even so, Marteo suddenly felt envious of Tony.

He could yell, he could sneer, how nice would it be if Yeon-ho would answer my call too….

As the thought reached him, a sigh escaped his lips. Perhaps he noticed it, but Tony’s stiffness over the receiver felt even more severe.

It was just a vent to get angry at him like yesterday against someone like him, even if he thought about it himself. Marteo, who repeatedly pressed his throbbing forehead, barely managed to open his mouth after a long time.

“What’s wrong again…. I clearly said I couldn’t go in for the time being.”

「That’s… well, I was actually calling to tell you that.」

“……”

「That… young master, are you still in Korea?」

Anyway, Tony was checking his movements in many ways. Marteo narrowed his eyes at the incomprehensible confirmation.

“Why do you ask.”

It was an ambiguous but positive sign. Finally, Tony cleared his throat in a tone that had somewhat lost its previous tension.

「That’s… I finally got a call.」

“A call? What call.”

「From Dalla famiglia Do. They said that they would agree to the blind date.」

Thump. Thump. It sounded like an air castle was collapsing somewhere in his chest.

Whether this was because of joy or confusion. He couldn’t even judge it for a moment. The veins on the back of his hand, which was holding the phone tightly, bulged rapidly more than before.

Then, he came to his senses at the sound of “Young master…?”

Marteo, who couldn’t easily open his mouth, repeatedly opened and closed his dry lips several times and barely spat out a word.

“Is it… true?”

「Yes. I just spoke with the second child of that family. They asked when you would be coming to Korea, and that they would like to arrange a meeting as soon as you arrive. They even said that if you were going to be late, they could come to Italy directly…… what should we do? I said I would check and contact you first.」

The commotion in his chest grew even louder. His thoughts were not easily refined as if his cerebral blood vessels were twisted. But even in the midst of all that, there was one thing he had to confirm. Marteo’s voice sank more carefully than before.

“Who… is agreeing to the blind date?”

Pause. It seemed like Tony had stopped moving for a moment over the receiver. Then, he let out a small laugh for the first time in the call. As if to say, where would you get such a strange question.

「Of course, Mr. Do. Isn’t it the third son of that family? How old are his older sisters?」

He couldn’t hear the added words. Finally, Marteo’s eyes widened to the fullest. In that state, his different colored eyes shook with the same wave.

Do Yeon-ho…… agreed to the blind date? He, who hated marriage so much?

What about the new partner he found? Was it a lie!

If so, this alone is fortunate. But it wasn’t time to be happy.

Was this blind date really proceeding according to his will?

If I met him using the name Averto… what kind of expression would he make?

He still wanted to meet Yeon-ho right away, but the fact that he couldn’t reveal the truth with his own mouth was tearing at one corner of his heart.

Of course…… he didn’t intend to hide it forever.

The day he formally asked Yeon-ho for a date. He had actually decided to tell him everything.

Why he came all the way here. What kind of feelings he had held for him for a long time. And, how he felt about seeing you again… he was going to confess everything properly….

The button that was fastened wrong from the beginning was misaligned even at the end.

Should he face Yeon-ho in this state? Even in the form of a blind date?

…His mind was not easily organized.

「Um… I’m sorry, but young master, are you perhaps not interested? Should we just call off the marriage issue with Gyelim?」

Tony, who had been waiting for an answer, carefully moved his lips. At the same time, a sound burst out before he could think.

“No. Absolutely not!”

He could clearly picture the face of his butler, who would have been startled without even seeing him. Even he himself thought it was a much louder voice than the day he got angry at him.

His face, which had been pale with unpleasant imagination, turned red. Like a whining child…… what is he doing.

But of course, he had no intention of withdrawing his words.

No matter how anxious and uneasy he was… this was a hundred times better than not being able to see Yeon-ho as he was.

Marteo, who had made up his mind, clenched his fist.

“Set a date. No need to come to Italy. Let’s meet here,”

「Understood. But, the specific time… how?」

“Today. Tell him to meet me right away.”

「Huh? Even so, that’s… a bit… We need to decide on a place, and you need to prepare things on your end….」

“Then tomorrow.”

「Tomorrow… you say…」

“No, wait. Just a moment. Three days… three days from now would be good.”

He said to meet today right away, then changed it to three days later; it was uncharacteristic confusion.

But for Marteo, it was understandable. Of course, it wasn’t a lie that he wanted to see Yeon-ho right away. However, as Tony said, preparation was necessary on his end as well.

More than anything, if he had some time… wouldn’t Yeon-ho’s mind change? That he’d ditch the blind date and answer his calls…?

As he continued to think, he truly felt pathetic.

Foolish expectations. A hopeful wish. It was like jealousy he felt toward himself.

If Yeon-ho didn’t show up at the blind date, this waiting might continue indefinitely. Yet, he had the contradictory desire for him to strongly reject the blind date.

‘Do Yeon-ho….’

Even in the name he called inwardly, a wind stirred, rummaging through his heart.

It seemed like it would be a very long three days.

♥ ♥ ♥

He woke up before the set alarm rang.

Yeon-ho, who blinked for a moment at the unfamiliar wallpaper that blocked his view, then crossed his arms and completely covered his face.

The hotel he’d checked into last night after leaving Seung-won’s house.

A neatly ironed suit hung gracefully on one side of the bedroom. The shoes placed neatly to match also gleamed with polish.

But he hated all of it. What good were nice clothes? They were all like prison uniforms.

He’d never empathized with her before, but he felt like he understood Shim Cheong’s feelings as she was sold for three hundred sacks of rice.

At least Shim Cheong received payment in advance. He even had the burden of the rice sack weight changing depending on his investment score.

Whenever he thought of that, even he couldn’t easily manage his expression.

That’s why he left Seung-won’s house. Seung-won, who kept asking if he was okay like a puppy needing to pee, was awkward. Of course, even after that, he didn’t go to his family home, as you can see.

His grandmother, who didn’t know everything he knew, would just act happy that her grandson had changed his mind, and Seo-jin would have to play along… enduring even that was a burden in many ways.

But… last night, when he was finally alone.

Even lying in the incredibly cozy bed, he couldn’t sleep a wink.

Unceasing thoughts and anguish flooded in. The conclusion was always the face of one person, as always.

What was that bastard doing right now? Was he still camped out in front of the company today?

They say people think of their first love the day before their wedding… it felt like this kind of feeling.

After a bitter smile finally spread, he only dozed off briefly after dawn had passed. And now, he’d opened his eyes again.

The morning of the blind date, with even the tail end of yesterday completely gone.

Yeon-ho, who had been lying there for a long time on the day that had finally come, finally released his arms and picked up the phone at his bedside.

6:40 AM.

Messages had been pouring in since early in the morning, as if he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep all night.

Do Seo-jin, Yoon Seung-won, Seo-hee. And…

Yeon-ho’s hand, which had been scrolling through the messages in order, stopped at one point.

“……”

The owner of the message that stole his gaze far more than the previous names was, needless to say, the person who had also stolen his sleep last night.

After hesitating for a while, Yeon-ho opened the message box for the first time, which had been piling up for the past few days but had never been looked at.

The messages that started from a few days ago were filled with excitement and worry. After that, impatience and anxiety. The very end was… pleading.

He’d turned away so terribly, but there wasn’t even a hint of resentment.

A heavy sigh finally escaped from his twisted lips.

His head throbbed, and his stomach churned.

Unable to bear it, Yeon-ho dropped the phone and buried his back on the bed. A bleak feeling as his body continued to be sucked into the depths.

He felt like it would be a hundred times better to just plunge into the sea.

♥ ♥ ♥

He woke up half a day earlier than the appointment time, but it was almost 1 PM when Yeon-ho finished all the preparations.

After buttoning the last shirt button and looking in the mirror, he saw a face that looked haggard, as if he hadn’t slept properly. His hair, which he’d washed and left unkempt, wasn’t a pretty sight either.

“…The first impression is ruined.”

It was a tremendous lack of sincerity compared to the days he’d put effort into for dates. He didn’t particularly feel like he had to fix it.

Yeon-ho roughly wiped his face, combed his hair like that, and grabbed the car keys.

The newly worn shoes were uncomfortable every time he walked. He hadn’t even taken a few steps, but he decided to blame the already heavy steps on that.

He’d stayed at a hotel deliberately close to the meeting place, so he had plenty of time despite the late preparations. But after getting in the car and driving for about ten minutes, Yeon-ho was losing his composure.

The throbbing headache and churning in his stomach that had started in the morning. The uncomfortable sensation was getting worse.

He’d already judged that the first impression would be ruined anyway, given the state of his face, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to add cold sweats to that.

‘What if they think I was scared by Averto’s name for nothing? I can’t let them see that.’

Yeon-ho, gripping the steering wheel with pale knuckles, quickly scanned the surroundings. Then, he slowed down the car at the cross mark that soon came into view and stopped it on the side of the road.

The place he found was a pharmacy located on the roadside.

As he entered with the sound of the jingling doorbell, the unique smell of the pharmacy stung his nose. He would have thought nothing of it normally, but today the smell was strangely unpleasant.

As he reflexively held his breath, the pharmacist, who had been sitting in a chair, recognized Yeon-ho and got up from her seat.

“Welcome. Is there anything you need?”

Yeon-ho, who had approached the counter without delay, quickly spoke.

“I’d like a painkiller.”

“What’s wrong?”

The pharmacist, who had been smiling routinely, frowned slightly as she examined Yeon-ho’s expression.

“I have a headache. And my stomach feels a bit queasy.”

“Since when have you been feeling like this?”

Yeon-ho hesitated at this question. He’d been feeling like this since this morning, but in fact, he hadn’t been in good condition yesterday either. Did he have to say even this? After hesitating, he eventually changed the subject.

“Give me something strong. Something fast-acting.”

There were some patients who didn’t want to reveal their condition. The pharmacist didn’t ask any further and turned her back to the shelves. But after looking at a few painkillers for a moment, she soon came back to Yeon-ho with hurried steps. She didn’t have anything in her hands.

“Excuse me, this is a rude question, but are you… a Morpheus?”

“……?”

“Ah, I’m not asking with any other intention, but I’m also a Morpheus….”

She hurriedly added an explanation, but the intention was still unclear. When Yeon-ho frowned repeatedly, she looked even more cautious.

“It’s just that your pheromones have been unstable since you came in. I was wondering if it might not be a simple headache.”

“What do you mean?”

“So… is there any possibility that you’re… pregnant right now?”

With a slightly raised voice, she glanced down at Yeon-ho’s stomach. Yeon-ho, who also looked at his stomach, wrinkled his nose.

“No. Not at all.”

But even with his firm denial, the pharmacist’s expression, which was half in doubt, didn’t ease. An ordinary person wouldn’t know, but she was also a Morpheus. Moreover, she was the mother of two children. The symptoms Yeon-ho was feeling looked familiar no matter how she looked at them.

She swept over Yeon-ho again and swallowed a small sigh.

“Still, just in case, shouldn’t you take a test before taking medicine?”

A test…?

“I’m not really trying to sell you something, but you have to be careful about what painkillers you take in the early stages of pregnancy. I’ll give you acetaminophen for now. And… this too.”

She turned to the shelves again in the middle of her sentence and took out a small box along with the painkillers she had chosen. The rectangular box she held out was a pregnancy test, as she said. A picture of a pregnant belly was drawn on it.

Yeon-ho’s eyes contorted even more mercilessly.

He’d come to get rid of a headache, but he felt like the headache had gotten worse. But he didn’t feel like arguing with her any further.

Yeon-ho roughly snatched the two boxes of medicine.

“How much is it?”

He was going to take the medicine right away at the pharmacy… but he gave up at the pharmacist’s watchful gaze.

Back in the car, Yeon-ho endured the headache and drove to the meeting place without stopping this time.

12:35 PM.

The employee explained that the room in the restaurant reserved under Do Seo-jin’s name was not yet occupied. Yeon-ho, who had entered the hallway without accepting guidance, suddenly stopped.

‘…This.’

He belatedly became aware of the two boxes he’d shoved into his jacket. The bulging pocket was not a good look to anyone. But he couldn’t just ask the employee to throw away the pregnancy test.

After hesitating for a moment, he turned his body toward the bathroom instead of the room. He planned to take the painkiller with tap water and throw away the test in the bathroom.

However, it took longer than expected to carry out the planned task.

Why was it so reluctant to swallow just one pill…? He couldn’t readily pour the medicine in his hand into his mouth.

Dull skin. Hollow eyes.

─Is there any possibility that you’re pregnant?

His face, which was faintly reflected in the bathroom mirror, looked much paler than before he left the hotel.

Was this really just because he couldn’t sleep properly?

What if it wasn’t and the pharmacist’s words were actually true…?

The throbbing headache was getting worse and worse at the thought that came to mind. Nevertheless, Yeon-ho finally threw the pill in his hand into the sink. His hesitant gaze turned to the very end stall of the bathroom, where no one was.

‘I’m just… checking. It’s not too late to check and then eat. Why are you hesitating when it can’t be true?’

He repeated the murmur as if telling himself.

But the bathroom stall, which was only about half a pyeong, ended with a silent scream after a brief rustling sound.

‘This is… what is this?’

The long stick in his hand was shaking mercilessly. The pupils of his eyes, which had been glancing sideways, were no different.

Two thin lines that were dyed bright red in the reagent window.

Pregnancy….

It was pregnancy.

In the face of a reality that he couldn’t believe even after seeing it, Yeon-ho’s mind went completely blank. He felt like the ground under his feet was caving in and he was being sucked into it endlessly. His body, which had lost all its strength, finally collapsed onto the toilet.

How much time had passed in that state? Messages started to fly in.

Tony

Are you really going to end it like this?

There’s still something I haven’t said. Please answer the phone.

Please… I’m begging you.

Beneath the trembling eyelids, his bloodless lips were bitten as if they would burst.

His heart ached, and his mind was still a mess.

How could a child be born between that bastard and him?

How was he supposed to explain this?

He wanted to plead instead. Please, I beg you, let all of this not be true.

But even until this point, Yeon-ho didn’t know.

That even if you can throw away the test kit, how difficult it is to throw away a relationship that has been marked once. How loud the sound of a heart falling like lightning can be.

─You… why are you here….

─I’m late with the introduction. I’m ‘Marteo Avertone,’ whom you were supposed to meet today.

Compared to the catastrophe that unfolded an hour later, this was nothing.