RB 118

Morning arrived. After sleeping for a single night, the atmosphere inside the house had noticeably changed.

Eunho, however, looked the same as always. He got up, washed, and ate a simple breakfast. After that, he headed to the annex to pack his things.

None of the bodyguards stopped him. They even cleared the way on their own. If it could be called a positive change, then it was one.

Eunho opened the front door of the annex and stepped inside. From the moment his foot crossed the threshold, cold air blew against his skin. The long neglected house looked like a refined ruin. Dust rose lightly, out of place.

“……”

Eunho stood still in the entrance hall and quietly looked around the interior.

He had thought he would feel angry the moment he entered the annex, but instead, everything he saw made old memories surface. He could feel that his heart had cooled. He had reached a point where he couldn’t even muster anger anymore.

Eunho took a deep breath. His legs, which had been rooted in place, finally moved toward Choi Yoonho’s room.

He packed his bag as simply as possible. There were only a few things to take. A few sets of underwear to change into, and a couple of T shirts. He didn’t spare even a glance for anything else. None of it belonged to him.

Eunho slung the bag over his shoulder, closed the door behind him, and went to the main residence. Finding Choi Yeorok wasn’t difficult. When he entered the first floor reception room, Yeorok, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa, met his gaze.

Even though it was already past 10 in the morning, Yeorok was still at home. He seemed to know Eunho would be leaving today. His face looked even paler than usual, and he seemed troubled. Eunho said nothing, set his bag down, and sat across from him.

Yeorok, who had been holding his forehead, shifted his gaze to follow Eunho. His eyes lingered on the modest bag in silence. He understood it in his head, but seeing it with his own eyes made a headache surge.

Eunho was leaving him.

A roughly wrapped bandage covered Yeorok’s left hand, which hung limply at his side. Without realizing it, Yeorok clenched that injured hand into a fist. As an intense ache spread, his stalled thoughts began to swirl again. He let out a long, resigned sigh and straightened his posture.

“Do you really need to rush like this?”

“There’s nothing to put off.”

“If you leave… where are you planning to stay?”

Eunho didn’t answer. From the outside, it was hard to tell whether he had no plan or simply didn’t want to respond. It was probably the latter. Yeorok barely managed to swallow the impatience clawing at his chest.

With the same flat expression as always, he opened a bag he had prepared in advance. Inside were stacks of documents, bankbooks, and Choi Yoonho’s seal wrapped in a leather cover.

If he was going to send him away, he had to send him with all of Choi Yoonho’s assets. Eunho had no attachment to money. If no one deliberately prepared things for him, he might leave empty handed. It had always been his share. It was only right that he take it.

“As I explained last time, Sim Eunho-ssi’s inheritance portion is quite large. I’ve prepared the real estate registration documents and stock certificates so you can review them directly. Rental income will be deposited into your account monthly. Make sure you keep your ID and seal safe and don’t lose them.”

Yeorok continued in a calm voice. He added a business card beside the documents.

“For matters related to inheritance tax, contact this person. I’ve spoken to him in advance, so he’ll handle everything thoroughly.”

“……”

Yeorok lifted his gaze briefly. He couldn’t tell if Eunho was listening. There was no response. His lips were tightly sealed.

Sim Eunho had always been easy to read, but now his thoughts were completely hidden. That indifferent face made the person facing him uncomfortable. Had I been like this too? Yeorok fell into a brief, unfamiliar regret as the silence grew longer.

“Among the properties under Choi Yoonho’s name, the only place you can move into immediately is a villa in Yongsan. Even if it doesn’t suit you, stay there for the time being.”

Even as he handed over the password and card key, Eunho gave no response. He only wore a listless expression, like someone who wanted this conversation to end as soon as possible.

Secretary Hong stepped forward and began carefully placing the items on the table into the bag. It was the only movement in the quiet reception room.

That was when Eunho finally spoke.

“Chairman.”

“Yes.”

“I need cash I can use right away.”

It was an unexpected request. Yeorok immediately stood up, without hesitation. He went to the study and opened the safe. He grabbed checks and cash indiscriminately.

“……”

Suddenly, Yeorok looked down at the bundles of money in his hands. He had already handed over assets of immeasurable value, yet giving Eunho cash left him with a lingering discomfort. He could no longer deny that their relationship had ultimately been nothing more than a transaction.

Yeorok bit the inside of his cheek, then took out the money from his own wallet and added it all to the pile. He couldn’t remain steeped in self pity forever. He decided to face reality.

Returning to the reception room, Yeorok placed the stack of money on the table.

“This is everything I can give you right now. If you need more, withdraw it from the account. The credit cards are still active, so use them freely.”

“……”

Eunho stared silently at the money piled on the table. Then he shoved it into the duffel bag he had brought with him. He didn’t bother counting it. He only took the money, as if the amount didn’t matter.

Eunho gathered both his own bag and the items Secretary Hong had packed, then stood up. The way he slung the bag over his shoulder made it look like he could leave at any moment. Yeorok looked up at him in silence.

“Sim Eunho-ssi.”

“Yes.”

“Have lunch before you go.”

“……”

“Just one last meal together.”

Yeorok spoke with his back straight. His expression and posture were as upright as ever. But there was a strong attachment to the proposal he made.

To be honest, he wanted to stop him from leaving. Even now, he was holding himself back from reaching out. He was wringing out what little patience he had left to keep himself under control. It couldn’t get any worse than this.

The relationship had already ended yesterday.

“……”

Eunho quietly looked down at Yeorok. The bandaged hand and the shadow beneath his eyes felt far removed from the Choi Yeorok he had known. The way Yeorok was acting at a loss was the same.

However, Eunho didn’t waver. He tightened his grip on the bag strap with his right hand.

“I’ll pass. I think it’d make me sick.”

“……”

“Goodbye.”

After bowing briefly, Eunho turned away. The coldness of his departing figure was painful.

“……”

Yeorok remained seated, staring at the spot where Eunho had been sitting. Strength drained from his entire body. The emptiness he felt was impossible to put into words.

Eunho crossed the wide lawn. Bodyguards’ gazes followed him from all sides, but he continued walking straight ahead. When he reached the front gate, it opened on its own.

He stepped decisively beyond the massive iron gate. Only after leaving Haegang’s solid enclosure did reality finally crash down on him. The sunlight beating down on his head was dazzling enough to make him feel disoriented.

Eunho closed his eyes briefly and inhaled. Cool spring air flooded his chest, and he couldn’t tell if what he was feeling was relief or hollowness.

He casually threw the heavy briefcase of documents Secretary Hong had prepared under the wall of the Haegang estate. He hadn’t decided where to go, but for now, he moved his feet wherever they took him.

Yeorok remained in the reception room for a long time after Eunho left. The way he stared out the window in silence looked uncharacteristically listless. Even though everything around him was bright, a dark shadow lay over his face. The fact that he hadn’t slept at all through the night weighed on him.

With both hands into his trouser pockets, Yeorok thought of Eunho. He replayed the expressionless face that held not even a trace of feeling toward him.

Even now, he was torn by conflict. Only a few minutes had passed since he let him go, yet he wanted to bring Eunho back. If that wasn’t possible, he wanted to know every detail of Sim Eunho’s movements. At the same time, the thought that he should let Eunho live as he wished held him back.

He wished for Eunho’s happiness, yet he also hoped Eunho wouldn’t smile too much in a place without him. He wanted him to hurt a little, to miss him, to think of him.

After ruining everything himself, his greed had no end. Just as Sim Eunho had said, it was selfish and twisted. If Eunho heard it, he might come to loathe him completely.

“…What I want is disgusting.”

Yeorok laughed at himself. If only it were like that. He could even accept being hated. But even that had become difficult.

Yeorok returned to the company in the afternoon. If he stayed at the estate, he felt like he’d be eaten away by thoughts of Sim Eunho. The pile of work waiting for him was enough to serve as an escape. He deliberately immersed himself, erasing meaningless thoughts from his mind.

Knock, knock.

The sound of knocking came while Yeorok was deeply immersed in work. Secretary Hong carefully opened the door and stood before him with a grave expression.

“We’ve caught Seo Taehwa.”

“……”

Yeorok raised his gaze, chilly and silent.