RB 115

In the spacious conference room, a long, dark mahogany table stretched out. At each seat, the solemn faces of high-ranking executives were visible.

A board meeting was in progress. Amid the solemn atmosphere, countless eyes exchanged glances. And the end of every glance always led to the young man seated at the head of the table.

Choi Yeorok was unusually quiet today. His tightly shut lips showed no sign of opening. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t listening to the meeting. The directors, burdened by the weight of the unexplained silence, had to swallow repeatedly.

A continuous buzzing sound came from Hong Namyeong’s jacket pocket. Upon checking, he found several text messages from the security head guarding the mansion.

Secretary Hong’s lips tightened. Sim Eunho had committed another bizarre act. It was something he couldn’t ignore, so he quietly scribbled down a note. He then approached Yeorok and secretly placed the note next to his laptop.

“…….”

Yeorok’s gaze shifted to the note. He read it and then covered it with his palm. His expression hadn’t changed. It was still dry and inscrutable. Only the veins bulging on the back of his hand covering the note were noticeable.

“The risks are too great to continue. The losses are significant… There’s no need for us to continue this!”

Someone voiced their opinion. Though unrelated, it seemed to penetrate Yeorok’s concerns.

‘Even if we push ahead with the treatment, if Eunho’s condition doesn’t improve, we might have to stop. Forcing treatment on a patient who doesn’t want it could backfire. In that case… perhaps letting him live as Choi Yoonho might be a solution.’

A suggestion Ahn Jaehwan had once made came to mind.

Yeoorok crumpled the note under his palm. He dismissed it with a curt reply.

“If we didn’t have the courage to take risks, we wouldn’t have even discussed this agenda in the first place. Doesn’t that mean the added value is that high?”

Isn’t it too early to give up? The same went for Sim Eunho. His greed was too great to let him go. Even if it meant facing countless hardships, he simply couldn’t give up.

He’d already tasted a fleeting glimpse of hope. Someone who had even a little and then had it taken away was more desperate than someone who had nothing at all.

Soon after, the meeting concluded. Yeorok stood up without a second thought. The greedy crowd swarmed him, eager to talk, but were easily stopped by Hong Namyeong.

Meanwhile, Yeorok went down to the underground parking lot and got into his car. There was no time to waste. The sedan sped up and quickly exited the parking lot.

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“What do you mean, ‘he has a guest?'”

He asked as soon as he got out of the car.

The waiting security head lifted his stiff face. He hadn’t expected Choi Yeorok to come in person. It seemed the matter he reported to Hong Namyeong as more serious than he’d thought.

“He said…. He’s an acquaintance.”

“There’s no decent person among his acquaintances.”

Rough shoe soles trampled the grass. Yeorok entered the mansion without even taking off his shoes. Eunho’s laughter could be heard not far away.

Who could it be? What kind of bastard dared to enter his house? Yeorok’s eyes blazed with fire. Even to himself, his unrefined thoughts felt alien.

Following the sound, he turned a corner and immediately met Eunho’s eyes, sitting on the living room sofa. Eunho looked Yeorok up and down. He snorted softly when he saw Yeorok breathing heavily without even taking off his shoes.

“Was there a war? You look like you ditched work to come here.”

The remark was mocking. Yeorok didn’t respond and glared at the man sitting closely next to Eunho.

When he’d heard the news, he’d assumed it was Son Jinhyung or his group. But the man was a complete stranger. His short-cropped hair and lean, athletic build were very much in line with Choi Yoonho’s preference for men.

“…..”

Yeorok raked his razor-sharp gaze over the man. Eunho, who had been staring at him, flaunted his closeness by wrapping an arm around the man’s shoulder.

“Isn’t he handsome? His body’s amazing too. He says he boxes.”

“What are you trying to do?”

“It’s inconvenient without Seo Taehwa. I figured I need at least one person to attend to me.”

“…”

“I’m going to be surrounded by bodyguards all day anyway. What’s the problem with hiring someone I like?”

Eunho smiled wickedly. With every word he spoke, Yeorok’s face twisted into a hideous grimace. He stared intently at Yeorok, as if he found it quite amusing.

“You promised me.”

As long as he took his medication properly, Yeorok would grant him whatever he wanted.

Eunho tore open the packet of pills in front of Yeorok and popped a pure white pill into his mouth. He crunched the bitter pill down like candy. His gaze remained fixed on Yeorok’s face. Every move, every look, was the vicious Choi Yoonho.

Yeorok pressed his forehead and sighed. When the real Choi Yoonho was alive, he’d never been manipulated this much by his nephew. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally. It was excruciating.

But no matter how much he acted like Choi Yoonho, it was still Sim Eunho. Knowing that, Choi Yeorok had no choice but to suppress the growing revulsion.

The hand covering his eyes slid down. Yeorok wiped his face and revealed a dull, indifferent expression, as if nothing had happened. He took a step closer to the sofa. He reached out to the man, who was cowering under his pressure.

“Resume.”

“Ah… yes, here.”

The man pulled a piece of paper from his bag. He was a high school graduate, only twenty-one. His only experience was competing in amateur boxing competitions. The contents were as insincere as the crumpled resume itself.

Yeorok was so dumbed that he couldn’t even laugh. Normally, this resume would have been discarded without even reaching his hands. But he couldn’t immediately reject such a ridiculous offer.

Because of the promise, Eunho was taking his medication regularly. Perhaps due to that, he briefly returned to his normal self. That fleeting moment became a chain, shackling Yeorok.

He had to endure each day, clinging only to the hope that things would improve with time. He felt miserable. Long, sunken eyes glared at Eunho with a fierce intensity.

“If you cause any trouble, you’re fired that day.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll get along.”

Eunho smiled and stared intently at Yeorok. He was no pushover either. In the living room, their eyes exchanged fiery glances, as if they were engaged in a power struggle.

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As he had declared, Eunho and his bodyguard were on good terms. The only problem was that their relationship seemed too good. Sim Eunho spent all day with the bodyguard he’d hired, chattering and giggling.

But when he was alone with Yeorok, he was quiet, without any of the usual friction. It would be more accurate to say he treated Yeorok like an invisible being. Eunho paid no attention to Yeorok, he treated him like he didn’t exist.

Yeorok, having to watch this, felt utterly devastated. It was self-inflicted. He’d granted the wish expecting Eunho to recover, so he had no choice but to sit back and do nothing.

Jealousy was a more humiliating and unpleasant emotion than he’d imagined.

Yeorok deliberately immersed himself in work to suppress the petty feelings. It was already a hectic time, having just taken office. Overworking himself might have worn himself out, but he could distract himself, even for a moment.

While Yeorok was out of the mansion, Eunho quietly entered the library. The man who had been glued to him lately, was wide-eyed as he looked around, overwhelmed by the intimidating presence of the library he’d visited for the first time.

“…….”

Eunho stood silently, staring intently at the bookshelf. Where he had stopped, movie DVDs and albums were neatly displayed.

“…What’s wrong?”

The bodyguard glanced at him. Choi Yoonho’s mood fluctuated several times a day. It was common for him to suddenly become silent, but there were moments when his entire vibe changed. Like right now.

“…I’m just a little annoyed.”

His expression was unsettling. The furrow between his eyebrows seemed more like torment than annoyance. However, the bodyguard wasn’t close enough to fully grasp his feelings.

Eunho took a step forward. He wandered around the library, pulling out books he could find. He tore up the paper and scribbled pen marks on the covers of precious volumes to vent his anger.

The bodyguard followed him. Instead of trying to stop him, he simply watched his actions closely to ensure he didn’t get hurt. This chaebol’s madness wasn’t surprising anymore. He was already insane, so he figured he was having another fit.

He was well aware of Choi Yoonho’s behavior. He was known for his lack of common sense, and even more so for his promiscuity. However, he hadn’t really touched him while they were together.

Honestly, it was surprising. The bodyguard had always assumed he was hired for the usual hookups. He’d planned to play the lover role and pocket some cash. But the prince of Haegang’s affections were limited to Choi Yeorok’s presence. As if it were for show, as if he was trying to piss him off.

At that moment, an unusual noise came from nearby. Eunho was breaking things again.

“Stop… Stop it. You’re hurting yourself.”

As the outburst intensified, the bodyguard, unable to bear it any longer, tried to stop Eunho. While the bodyguard was momentarily lost in thought, Eunho had left the library in shambles. The once beautiful library had been reduced to a mess, resembling a landfill.

“Ha.”

Eunho exhaled. His chest heaved, as if he still was unsatisfied, and his cheeks were flushed. The man carefully stroked his back.

“Let’s try something else.”

“…Something else?”

“Can I help you?”

The man brushed back Eunho’s sweat-soaked bangs. His smooth skin was really beautiful. It made one wonder how he could be so doll-like.

Eunho looked away silently. Through the window, he saw Yeorok’s car pulling into the mansion. The timing was truly funny. Only then did a smile spread across Eunho’s face.

“Would you?”