RB 108

The bright sunlight made his eyes open on their own. Eunho frowned and woke up to find himself moved to the mansion without even realizing it. And this was Choi Yeorok’s bedroom.

Instantly, a sense of emptiness washed over him, and he quickly kicked off the bed. As he opened the door and stepped out, Yeorok blocked his path. He looked as neat and tidy as ever.

“Did you sleep well? How’s your headache?”

Eunho glared at him. The very fact that Choi Yeorok was asking how he was made him snort.

“You’re being a bit of a jerk.”

“Eat. You didn’t even eat dinner last night.”

“Since when have you been taking care of my meals?”

“Eat first.”

Eunho sneered, but Yeorok simply ignored him. He dragged Eunho away as if he couldn’t hear, and then forcefully seated him at the table.

A breakfast table was laid out. The smell of freshly baked bread whetted his appetite. Hungry, of course, Eunho stopped resisting, and picked up a fork and knife.

After that, a long silence fell over the spacious dining room. Eunho, with a look of displeasure, vigorously cut through his food, shoving it into his mouth without a pause.

Yeorok simply drank coffee. His gaze lingered on Eunho’s voracious appetite. He had been agonizing over what to do all night. But there was only one conclusion: to tell Eunho the truth.

It might have been a bit provocative, but there was no other way. There was no reason to hide it anyway. Sim Eunho had to face reality. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“You’re not Choi Yoonho. Choi Yoonho has been dead for quite some time.”

“Talking shit first thing in the morning.”

Eunho chuckled as he poured syrup over his French toast. He looked up and saw Choi Yeorok’s stern expression. It wasn’t the face of someone joking at all.

“Sim Eunho. Twenty-five. This is you.”

Yeorok took out a photo and slid it gently in front of Eunho.

He had high school photos of Eunho, along with recent photos. Some of them were from when he lived in that house. He also added the contract he’d originally signed.

“You came here to stand in for the dead Choi Yoonho. Don’t you remember?”

“…”

Eunho put down the glass jar containing the syrup and scanned the photos and contract. Seeing someone who looked exactly like him surprised him a little. The contract itself was equally absurd. But he quickly lost interest and tossed it aside, continuing his meal.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“If you don’t believe me, take a DNA test. You can test yourself to see if you and I are related.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Eunho, you’re just out of your mind from the shock right now. You’ll get better with treatment.”

Eunho chuckled. He then picked up his glass and drank some fruit juice. Yeorok continued talking, but Eunho just laughed. It was obvious that he wasn’t listening.

“I don’t know what kind of nonsense you’re trying to tell me, but it’s funny how you keep babbling about this, uncle.”

“…”

“Why do you keep calling me ‘Sim Eunho’? Even the evidence you brought up looks completely fabricated. What, if you bring up something like this, am I supposed to take it seriously?”

“…”

“Choi Yeorok wouldn’t be this sloppy. This is really a mess.”

It was natural to be incredulous. That’s how fictional the situation was. Eunho leaned back in his chair, arms folded.

“What exactly do you want from me?”

“I just want you to come to your senses.”

“I’m sick of being treated like a lunatic. Even if I’m crazy, who cares about that?”

“…….”

“No matter how much I think about it, I just can’t understand. My uncle hated being my guardian. Wasn’t he the one who wanted the trust to be over quickly and for us to split up?”

“Because you’re not Choi Yoonho.”

Eunho rubbed the bridge of his nose at those words. He tried to hold it in, but his expression seemed unmanageable, and he laughed.

“You really should go to the hospital.”

He even offered a rare bit of advice. Claiming he was Sim Eunho was just absurd. No matter how he looked at it, Choi Yeorok was crazy.

“Come with me. Get a proper diagnosis. Then I’ll let you do whatever you want.”

“You’re mistaken. I can still do whatever I want. You’re not my guardian anymore. Do you understand?”

“Otherwise, you can’t leave this house.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Eunho slammed his fist on the table. The juice glass spilled over, making a mess of the table.

“Does this look like a joke to you?”

Yeorok didn’t react to the provocation. Instead, he retorted with a blank expression.

Eunho quietly gritted his teeth. He knew how persistent Choi Yeorok was. He soon lashed out, “Fuck, I’m so annoyed.”

***

That afternoon, a somewhat coercive hospital tour began. The treatments and checkups were conducted secretly, as requested by the VIP.

First, he went to a plastic surgeon to get his torn forehead treated. Fortunately, it wasn’t a deep wound, and he was told it would heal without a scar if properly cared for.

After that, a psychiatric examination followed. He underwent several hours of psychological and mental health assessments. The data would be shared with Ahn Jaehwan, and the results would be available in three days at the earliest.

“What about the DNA test?”

While waiting at the hospital, Yeorok brought up genetic testing again. Eunho’s expression immediately hardened.

“How long are you going to keep saying that nonsense?”

“Once you get tested, you’ll know whether what I’m saying is true or not.”

Every time he heard it, it sounded absurd, Eunho laughed. For a moment, he couldn’t figure out why Yeorok was acting like this.

The problem was that Choi Yeorok didn’t seem like he’d give up easily. Eunho clutched his hair, his scalp practically peeling off. He was so frustrated and stressed that he wanted to throw something at him.

But with Choi Yeorok by his side, he couldn’t let his natural tyranny run rampant. The man had acted as his guardian for years, his mere presence restricted Eunho’s actions.

“I don’t trust you, uncle. No, I can’t. You can just falsify the DNA test results. Why should I?”

“You choose the lab yourself. Choose a lab that’s both trustworthy and reliable. Don’t tell me which one it is. You handle it from start to finish.”

The way he offered alternatives was incredibly shameless. Eunho furrowed his brow and muttered curses under his breath.

Finally, he searched for a suitable lab on his phone. He didn’t know what ulterior motives Yeorok had for him, but he felt that at least he had to give him his wish to get the job done.

Eunho called and placed the order. Yeorok gave him a piercing glare, as if to ask if he was satisfied. Yeorok plucked out a few strands of his own hair on the spot. With a look that suggested “do the same,” Eunho had no choice but to pull out his own hair.

After sending the samples via courier service and handling the cumbersome process of paying for them himself, it was already 6 p.m. Only after completing the last of the remaining tests could he leave the hospital.

“Drop me off at Sinsa-dong.”

“…”

“Drop me off at Sinsa-dong.”

No matter how much he asked, the person sitting next to him remained silent. Eunho glared and pulled the doorknob of the moving car. The door was locked, and there was no way to open it. He screamed and lashed out, but the sedan continued on its way to Haegang’s mansion, his original destination.

Only after he entered the gate did the door unlock. Yeorok got out first, holding onto the door and staring intently at Eunho, as if to demand he get out.

“…This is driving me crazy.”

Eunho frowned. There were many things that annoyed him, but the way Choi Yeorok stared at him was the most irritating.

“…”

Why does he look at people with such pathetic eyes? Like ex-lovers?

Eunho’s shoulders trembled. After shaking off the goosebumps, he got out of the car and shoved Yeorok, who was blocking his path, with his arm.

He didn’t obediently move aside. Instead, he grabbed Eunho’s wrist and continued on his own. His feet were heading towards the mansion.

“Let go! I said let go! You told me it would be over after I went to the hospital!”

Eunho braced himself, and Yeorok lifted him completely. He carried him onto his shoulders and into the house. Despite carrying the body of a grown man, he walked easily.

The mansion was filled with strangers. The bodyguards in black suits bowed politely to Yeorok. Eunho huffed at the sight, knowing Yeorok was trying to trap him here.

“Choi Yeorok, you bastard! I knew all that shit you spewed was bullshit!”

Eunho shouted as much as he could. As soon as Yeorok put him down on the sofa, he got up and headed to the front door. However, the human wall of the bodyguards was strong, so every time he tried to escape, he bounced out.

“Move! You all want to die!?”

Eunho panted harshly, glaring with fury, but the bodyguards didn’t flinch. They stood still, deaf and blind to his rage, focused only on their duty.

Eunho still couldn’t hold back his anger. The arrow of fury is now aimed at Yeorok. He walked to the man who was standing tall like a statue, and glared at him with big, wide eyes.

“What the hell are you doing? Uncle has no right to keep me here.”

“Stay put until the results come out.”

“You’re the one breaking promises! Have you kept a single promise you made to me?”

For a moment, Yeorok’s brow furrowed, as if he’d been stung by something.

“That’s right. I… broke all my promises.”

Yeorok let out a short sigh. His gaze on Eunho was deep and gloomy.

He then slowly rubbed his face, and the emotion that had lingered on his face vanished as if it had never existed. He returned to his original form and looked down at Eunho. He carried the still furious Eunho upstairs, and threw him into his bedroom.