RB 102

“……”

Yeorok spent a long time reading the document in his hand.

[Eunjung Hospital]

The contract was completely nullified. The weight on his shoulders was finally gone. Now that everything was settled, his resolve to keep Eunho with him for the rest of his life only grew stronger.

Yeorok put the contract, a reminder of his past choices and his flaws, back into the envelope and sealed it deep inside the drawer.

Knock knock.

A small knock came from outside the study. He softly smiled as he recognized who it was just from the sound. “Come in,” he answered, and the door opened.

“…Chairman.”

Sim Eunho had come, wearing the beige sweater Yeorok had given him. He looked nervous, but maybe because of his outfit, he looked gentler than usual today.

“Are you done getting ready?”

“Yes.”

Yeorok pushed back his chair and stood up. He moved to the nearby sofa, and Eunho came to sit beside him, naturally keeping close.

A fresh, green scent rose from his body. He’d even put on the perfume Yeorok had given him.

“It looks good on you.”

“……”

Eunho nodded.

The tips of his ears turned red again. Every gift Yeorok gave him suited him perfectly, but showing that feeling in front of Yeorok embarrassed him.

“You’ve worked hard. There’s still something important left… but I wanted to tell you thank you for following all my unreasonable requests until now.”

Yeorok spoke calmly, legs crossed. Today was an important day. Choi Yoonho’s birthday, and the end of the trust. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he had endured seven years for this moment.

“You won’t have to worry much when we get there. No need to try hard. You just have to act the same as usual, like Choi Yoonho.”

“…Yes.”

His voice lacked confidence. He was nervous because of the occasion. But Yeorok didn’t point it out. Instead, he watched him with a thoughtful gaze. Even though Eunho looked gentle and quiet now, Yeorok knew he’d perform well enough to satisfy him once the moment came.

“We should settle accounts too.”

Yeorok brushed Eunho’s bangs, careful not to ruin the hairstyle made to resemble Choi Yoonho. Even though Eunho happened to look exactly like his nephew today, Yeorok saw only Sim Eunho. It was as if a filter had been applied.

“Settle… accounts?”

“You remember the inheritance you’ll receive once the trust ends.”

Yeorok held his tablet and shared the screen with Eunho, explaining the inheritance item by item.

“The cash and stocks are written here. The accounts are temporarily locked, but they’ll reactivate the moment the trust ends. With seven years of interest and dividends added, the total may differ a bit from what’s listed.”

“…Yes.”

“If you want, I can introduce you to my financial consultant. They’ll handle tax issues like inheritance tax, and help you manage your assets from now on.”

“…Please do that.”

Eunho nodded again and again. He listened to the explanation, but he didn’t seem very interested. Just like when he had first signed the contract with Yeorok, he didn’t think much of the inheritance he was about to receive. Besides the cash and stocks, Chairman Choi had left behind a large amount of real estate.

Eight buildings in prime areas of Seoul, a large plot of land in Gimpo, villas in Jeju and Gangneung, and even a guesthouse set to transfer to Choi Yoonho’s name.

The monthly rent alone from those properties brought in tens of millions of won. He could live idly and never worry about money. Chairman Choi knew his grandson couldn’t live a normal social life.

So he set everything up so the boy could live comfortably without doing anything. Yeorok looked at him from the corner of his eye. He scrutinized Eunho’s profile for a long moment, then smiled wearily.

“Your reaction is lacking.”

“…It doesn’t feel real yet.”

“Well, nothing much will change anyway.”

Yeorok tossed the tablet aside. Then he rested his head on his hand and began watching Eunho carefully. Eunho, who had been calm the whole time, started becoming aware of Yeorok beside him. His restless eyes finally settled on Yeorok. The two stared at each other quietly for a while.

“Sim Eunho. What do you want to do from now on?”

“Me?”

“Didn’t you ever have a dream?”

Yeorok reached out and gently rubbed Eunho’s reddened ear. The unexpected question made Eunho’s eyes widen.

“A dream… you mean like a future goal?”

“The word future goal feels too grand. I mean simply, what direction you want to take?”

“…I’ve never thought about it.”

Even as he said it, Eunho felt his answer was pathetic. He really had lived without a plan. As Sim Eunho, he had just survived day by day. And as Choi Yoonho, he only focused on achieving whatever Yeorok wanted.

“Think about it from now on. What kind of life you want.”

“……”

“You can start your own business or live lazily forever. If you want to study more, you can. You’re smart, so you’ll do well no matter what.”

“I think… I’d be satisfied as long as I can stay with you.”

“That’s already a given.”

The hand teasing his ear slid down and held his nape. A gentle kiss followed. Warmth, like the heat in his ears, filled Eunho’s lips.

“We also need to find a place to live together.”

Yeorok whispered, his lips still wet. Eunho swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth and slowly leaned back.

“A place to live…?”

“I gave the officetel to Seo Taehwa. We’ll need a new place to stay together.”

“…What about this house?”

“I’m thinking of selling the whole family estate. Ah, but the annex is under Choi Yoonho’s name, so I’ll need your permission.”

“You can do whatever you want. Just… you can take everything, Chairman.”

He didn’t need stocks or real estate. Eunho wanted to give Yeorok everything he was about to inherit if it could help him in any way.

The foolish statement made Yeorok frown. He grabbed Eunho’s cheek and pinched hard enough to hurt.

“You’ll get stabbed in the back that way.”

“Ow, it hurts!”

“You won’t learn unless someone takes everything from you.”

“You won’t do that.”

Eunho grabbed the fingers holding his cheek and carefully pulled them away. His cheek was swollen red as he quietly looked up at Yeorok.

Yeorok’s eyes narrowed. Those brown eyes that stared at him were slightly wet, shining softly. Anyone could see it was the face of someone in love. Sim Eunho’s love for him was evident.

“That face… is dangerous.”

“It’s fine. I can get ready right away.”

Eunho had already caught on and was ready. Once the smile disappeared, he miraculously transformed Choi Yoonho. The eyes that had sparkled with affection earlier were now cold.

Yeorok tilted his head and studied the change for a long time.

“We’ll wait a bit.”

He cupped Eunho’s cheek. At that touch, the Choi Yoonho expression he had been trying so hard to maintain vanished into nothingness. Eunho’s eyes widened. Choi Yeorok was now seeking him out first. Eunho didn’t doubt his sincerity.

‎

‎

‎

The process of ending the trust was simpler than expected. With the lawyer present, they confirmed both identities, then confirmed Choi Yoonho’s birthdate.

It was just a series of confirmations, yet Eunho had a hard time hiding his nervousness. But he still followed the lawyer’s instructions while sitting arrogantly, legs crossed and shaking.

“Yes. Last step is here, your fingerprint.”

Eunho pressed his inked thumb onto the marked space. Yeorok did the same.

While both wiped the red ink off their fingers with wet tissues, the lawyer carefully checked that nothing was missing.

After a long moment, the lawyer stamped the final seal.

It was Chairman Choi’s personal seal that had been kept locked away for seven years. Seeing that seal meant every condition of the trust had been fulfilled.

With this, Choi Yeorok was no longer the guardian, and Choi Yoonho gained the freedom to live however he wanted.

“Congratulations. You both worked hard.”

“I was sick of it.”

Eunho stood up first.

The sound of the chair scraping the floor was loud, but Yeorok didn’t even glance at him. He was checking the documents with a satisfied expression.

He smiled and reached out to shake the lawyer’s hand.

“Thank you for your work.”

“You’ve worked hard as well.”

While they exchanged greetings, Eunho left the law firm’s VIP room without a word. No one cared whether he remained in control or not. He really was free to act like Choi The eyes that had sparkled with affection ear lier were now cold. now.

“Let’s have dinner together sometime.”

“I’d be glad to. You’ll be even busier from now on.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

“You’ll do well. I wish you luck.”

The lawyer firmly believed Choi Yeorok was the one destined to lead Haegang. That noble, perfect nature suited the very top. He sincerely hoped Yeorok would stand higher than ever.

Now that everything was wrapped up, it was time to part. After saying his final farewell, Yeorok left with a light heart.

A familiar sedan waited in a quiet corner of the underground parking lot, engine running.

To stay fully immersed in the situation, Yeorok and Eunho had come separately to the law firm, each riding a car driven by Hong Namyeong and Seo Taehwa.

Yeorok approached and knocked on the backseat window.

Seo Taehwa got out immediately. As soon as Yeorok climbed into the backseat and closed the door, he kissed Eunho. The pull was strong and urgent.

He had acted calm until now, but from their joined mouths alone Eunho could feel how excited he really was.

“If it were up to me I’d book a hotel room right now. Know that I’m holding back.”

Yeorok spoke, gasping for breath. Eunho nodded, dazed. What could he possibly say in this state? He, too, was excited.

“Passport and boarding pass.”

“I packed it.”

“Show me.”

Eunho grabbed the bag he’d left beside him and handed it to Yeorok. Yeorok carefully checked each and every item Eunho had packed.

His passport and tickets were fine, and the new phone l’d given him had plenty of battery. He chuckled softly when he saw he’d even managed to pack a travel brochure about France.