RB 125

The owner was busy with a group of customers. Eunho was the only one left to serve the new arrival. He tried to delay it as long as possible by slowly restocking the liquor fridge, but once he finished, he couldn’t ignore the situation anymore.

Eunho exhaled and closed the fridge door. Holding the order pad, he stood by the round iron table. Yeorok spoke to him as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Could you recommend something from the menu?”

Eunho slowly raised his eyes. Yeorok met his gaze, acting as if he had done nothing wrong. His calm face made Eunho’s temper flare.

Eunho took a breath deep enough to expand his chest.

“People order the pork belly a lot.”

“Then I’ll have two servings of that.”

Eunho didn’t say a word and just made a mark on the order pad. As he turned to leave, a voice stopped him. “Ah, and also…”

“We should have something to drink. Do people usually order soju?”

He’s really doing the most, Eunho thought.

Eunho looked at Yeorok with contempt. This was a man who wouldn’t even touch soju. In fact, Choi Yeorok probably hadn’t even stepped foot in a place like this before. To Eunho, every move Yeorok made felt fake.

Eunho wasn’t the only one looking at him with disbelief. Hong Namyeong, sitting next to him, was also wide-eyed. Alcohol was the last thing Yeorok should be having in his current condition.

However, there was no way to stop him. Hong Namyeong’s lips twitched as if he wanted to object, but he eventually kept his mouth closed.

“Which soju?”

“Just give me anything.”

Eunho grabbed the order pad again. He drew a line with the pen in a rough, aggressive motion. He hurried away before Yeorok could catch him again. He entered the order into the system and moved according to the manual. He brought out the side dishes and set up the burning charcoal and the grill.

Yeorok watched every move Eunho made. Suddenly, he murmured to himself.

“The work seems very hard.”

“…….”

Eunho pretended not to hear and moved his hands quickly. He dumped two slabs of high-quality pork onto the heated grill. He adjusted the exhaust fan with the skill of someone who had done this many times.

“Excuse me!”

“Coming!”

When a customer at another table called, Eunho put down the tongs and ran over. While delivering the beer the customer requested, he remembered that Yeorok had ordered soju. He sighed and grabbed a bottle and two glasses.

Tak!

Eunho set the soju bottle down roughly. Since the table was made of iron, it made a loud noise. Someone nearby jumped in surprise. Even the owner glanced over.

Yeorok calmly picked up the bottle. He twisted the cap open and smiled as if he didn’t mind.

“Be careful. The bottle might break.”

“…….”

Eunho didn’t respond. He had decided not to engage with him.

Despite this, Yeorok kept his eyes fixed on Eunho’s face. He could tell Eunho was in a bad mood just by looking at his furrowed brows. But even then, he couldn’t look away because Eunho’s cold face was beautiful to him.

Eunho’s hair was overgrown and messy, and he was wearing cheap clothes. He hadn’t applied any lotion, so his usually smooth skin looked dry. The tips of his fingers holding the tongs were starting to show calluses.

It wasn’t pleasant to see him choosing to suffer like this, but Yeorok continued watching. Just being near him made Yeorok feel like he could breathe again, as if the day’s exhaustion was fading away.

Yeorok tilted the soju bottle. He swallowed the bitter alcohol while keeping his eyes locked on one spot. Eunho silently grilled the meat. Even though he could clearly feel the persistent gaze, he didn’t look back once.

Suddenly, there was the sound of coughing. Yeorok covered his mouth with his sleeve. It wasn’t just a simple tickle; it was a dry, metallic sound that scratched his throat. He looked clearly ill.

Secretary Hong quickly handed him a glass of water. While Yeorok struggled to suppress the cough, Eunho remained focused only on the meat. After flipping the pieces for a while, they were browned perfectly.

Eunho put the tongs down and left, as if his job was done. Smoke rose from the grill. Even with the well-cooked meat in front of them, no one picked up their chopsticks.

Yeorok gave a look to Secretary Hong, who had no choice but to start eating. His cheeks moved as he chewed, but his face gave no hint as to whether the food tasted good or not.

Soon, the restaurant owner approached the table. The middle-aged man with graying hair gave a friendly smile.

“Is the meat to your liking?”

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

“Try it with the side dishes. We made them all ourselves. The pickled vegetables are good, and the kimchi is great if you grill it too.”

Yeorok nodded and gave his typical, manufactured smile. When he relaxed his stiff expression and laughed, his handsome face looked even better.

The owner caught himself staring at Yeorok’s face.

“Wow… you are very… handsome.”

When the owner complimented him sincerely, Yeorok gave a small bow. The man looked out of place. His clothes, his features, and his upright posture made him stand out.

He looked like the type who only frequented expensive, high-end restaurants.

This wasn’t a famous spot, nor was it in a busy area, so the owner wondered how he had ended up here. Curious about this strange guest, the owner picked up the tongs himself. He flipped the meat that was starting to dry out on the grill and asked a question.

“What do you do for a living?”

“I just work at a company.”

“You must work for a big company.”

The owner couldn’t have imagined Yeorok’s real identity. Ironically, a news report was playing on the television in the corner of the shop, showing a series of corporate chairmen attending a forum. Choi Yeorok was among them.

Yeorok was someone who always attracted attention, so the camera lingered on him for a long time. But the owner didn’t realize the person on the screen was the same man sitting at the table. It was too unrealistic.

The owner smiled warmly, told them to eat well, and moved to another table. A long while later, Eunho approached with a fresh grill. He wanted to ignore Yeorok completely, but he had no choice; the smell of burning meat was coming from this table only.

Yeorok spoke as if he had been waiting for the chance.

“Please grill two more servings of meat.”

“…….”

Instead of answering, Eunho glared at him. A pile of dried-out, shriveled meat was already sitting next to the grill.

From the start, Choi Yeorok had no intention of eating. Confirming this again made the anger Eunho had been repressing finally boil over. After holding it in as long as he could, Eunho spoke.

“Leave.”

His voice was low, barely a whisper, but his breathing was heavy. Yeorok looked at Eunho’s angry face and replied.

“I don’t think I’ve even been here an hour yet.”

“…….”

“Give me another bottle of soju, too.”

Eunho slammed the tongs down with a loud clack. He turned around abruptly and walked over to the owner.

“Boss, I can’t serve that table.”

The owner looked stunned by the sudden remark.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Those people aren’t customers. They only came here because of me.”

‘I don’t want to deal with them.’ Eunho muttered in a small voice.

The owner’s expression turned rigid. Eunho was someone who rarely complained or asked for favors. Though he didn’t know the details, the owner figured there must be a good reason for Eunho to plead like this.

What kind of relationship is this? He had already been suspicious about a young man who looked like a rich heir working in a meat restaurant.

“Are they… loan sharks or something?”

“…….”

Eunho said nothing, but the owner was already convinced. He immediately dropped what he was doing and walked over to the table. He turned off the burner and pushed the exhaust fan up and out of the way.

“I won’t charge you, so get out.”

“…….”

“I said get out! How dare you harass our kid! We don’t take customers like you!”

Yeorok, who hadn’t flinched at the owner’s shouting, murmured a certain phrase as if it had caught his ear.

“Our kid.”

“Yes, he’s my son!”

The owner lied, stepping in to protect Eunho. With the loud voice and the finger-pointing, everyone in the shop was staring. Eunho was mortified as the situation grew bigger than he expected. Even the cook in the kitchen poked her head out to see what was happening.

Yeorok let out a short sigh. He stood up, folded several fifty-thousand-won bills, and set them down next to the soju bottle.

“I’m sorry for the trouble.”

Yeorok gave a polite bow and left the restaurant.

Hong Namyeong followed him out in a hurry and checked Yeorok’s condition. Yeorok stood still, pressing a palm against his forehead, which was burning with fever. He let out a hollow sigh.

“This isn’t easy.”

It was the first time he had ever been scolded or kicked out by someone. It didn’t feel insulting so much as draining.

Sim Eunho wasn’t completely alone. It was a relief to know there was someone who treated him like family. But on the other hand, it made it clear that Yeorok was nothing to him, just an unwelcome guest.

Chewing over this bitter truth made his mouth feel dry. Yeorok brushed back his hair, which smelled like grilled meat, and laughed weakly.

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At 11:00 PM, the shop’s sign went dark. As soon as Eunho stepped outside, he spotted Choi Yeorok standing in front of a dark alley.

“…….”

They exchanged a silent look from a distance. But Eunho was the first to turn away.

He let out a frustrated laugh. How long had it been since Yeorok was kicked out? It must have been at least three hours. Yet, Yeorok had been standing there, waiting only for him. It was a waste of time. He was just tired of Choi Yeorok throwing his time away like this.

Since he didn’t have a shift at the convenience store today, he turned toward his house. After walking for a few steps without hesitation, Eunho stopped.

He exhaled a long breath that scattered his bangs, then turned around and walked back the way he came. He grabbed Yeorok by the collar and dragged him into the alley.

Yeorok followed obediently but looked surprised. Eunho pinned him against the wall and glared at him. His brown eyes were full of poison, as if he were about to explode.