RB 13

“I’ll admit it. He resemble Choi Yoonho about 80%. The foot size is quite different, but that can be fixed with insoles…. The skeleton shape is almost the same, so that will not be a problem. The muscle shape and posture can be adjusted with meridian treatment. The skin texture and nail shape depend on care.”

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Not sure.”

“You know that is the thing I hate to hear the most, and you still say it?”

“So what, you perfectionist.”

Eunho’s ears perked up. The two of them seemed very close.

He quietly listened to their conversation while pulling on his T-shirt. The bandage stuck on his cheek got scraped by the fabric and loosened. Seeing that, Ahn Jaehwan put down his chart and came closer to Eunho.

“Eunho-ssi, did you get proper treatment?”

“Ah… the Chairman did it for me.”

Eunho carefully checked their reactions. When his name came up, Yeorok unfolded the arms he had kept tightly crossed, then stood up from the sofa. The way he adjusted his clothes looked casual.

“Treat him properly. Don’t leave scars.”

Even the scars he already had needed to be erased. Ahn Jaehwan answered that he understood, while Seo Taehwa stayed at Yeorok’s side and kept discussing the plan.

Yeorok was slowly preparing to leave the annex. Since they had been together the whole time, Eunho was not mentally ready to be separated. He kept staring at Yeorok with anxious eyes, hoping he would give some instruction.

“Let me know once the plan is organized. For now, handle it on your own. I am busy.”

But contrary to Eunho’s wish, Yeorok only gave instructions to Seo Taehwa. It seemed true that he was busy, as he kept checking his phone often.

Only when he was about to leave did Yeorok look at Eunho. Even though their eyes finally met as Eunho wanted, he could not move his lips at all.

There wasn’t a trace of emotion on his well shaped face. Eunho even doubted if this man was really the same Choi Yeorok who had taken him in last night.

In the end, he left the annex without saying a single word.

Left behind, Eunho realized that what he had just seen was Choi Yeorok’s true nature.

After Eunho received proper treatment for his wounds from Ahn Jaehwan, he began looking around the house with Seo Taehwa.

The two-story annex surprisingly had corners that felt more comfortable than the main mansion. Of course, even so, it was far from something one could call a family home. It took an hour just to explore the house. There were so many rooms that he thought he would need some time to avoid getting lost.

“From now on, you can stay here.”

“Ah… yes.”

Eunho slowly looked around. Beige wallpaper, simple lighting design, and furniture that matched. The room had a living room, a bedroom, and even a small study. It was surprising, but the room Yoonho had used was more ordinary than he had expected.

“It feels more ordinary than you thought, right?”

When Seo Taehwa asked like he had read his mind, Eunho wondered if he had said it out loud without knowing, and moved his lips. Seeing his startled face, Seo Taehwa smiled softly with his eyes.

“Even though he was crazy, he kept his room clean. He was secretly a bit obsessive about cleanliness.”

“I see.”

“Of course, whenever he lost control, he threw and broke things, so the furniture never lasted…. And for the past year, he almost never came home. He spent more nights outside.”

Seo Taehwa gently led Eunho with his hand. This is the bedroom, that is the dressing room, the TV remote is here. He kept explaining as they walked through the spacious house. After finishing the tour, he brought Eunho back to the living room and had him sit on the sofa.

“As for a phone… Yeorok has not given permission yet. So for now, use this.”

What appeared in front of Eunho was a rough-looking walkie-talkie. While handing it to him, Seo Taehwa gave an embarrassed smile.

“It is easy to use. Just hold the button and speak. I am on standby twenty-four hours a day. If you need help, call anytime.”

He tapped the in-ear device worn on his ear. Eunho only nodded with a calm face. Even if he had a phone, he had no one to call.

“Taehwa-ssi, will I be staying in this house with you?”

“Yes. My room is the last one at the end of the second floor. Ah, and just call me Taehwa-hyung. We are going to be living together anyway, it is too formal to use titles. Right?”

Seo Taehwa asked in a playful voice. He was a man whose smiling face suited him well. With his kind looks and friendly speech, it seemed no one could dislike him. He was also skilled enough with people that even stiff Eunho found it easy to open his heart.

“Taehwa-hyung.”

Eunho carefully spoke the awkward title. Seo Taehwa, who was kneeling to match Eunho’s eye level, answered with a cheerful voice, “Yes, Eunho-ssi.”

“I look forward to your help.”

“Yes, leave it to me. Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”

“Your age….”

“Thirty-one, same age as Yeorok.”

“Ah…” Eunho nodded. He looked very young for his age. At most, he looked like he was in his mid-twenties. Suddenly, the way he had called the chairman Yeorok caught Eunho’s curiosity.

“You must be close with the Chairman.”

The smile in Seo Taehwa’s eyes deepened. He relaxed his posture and sat comfortably on the floor, looking up at Eunho.

“Yes, we are close. Our relationship is… unusual, you could say.”

He began to tell the story of his connection with Choi Yeorok.

Choi Yeorok, Seo Taehwa, Ahn Jaehwan, and Hong Namyeong. The four of them were all the same age and very close friends. Their bond was deeper and stronger than normal friendship. They had known each other for nearly fifteen years.

The unique thing was that all of them served Choi Yeorok. Their degree of loyalty differed, but they were all living their lives for him. They were not only his friends but also his close aides.

“We owe Yeorok a debt. Back in high school Jaehwan had a heart disease and almost died, but Yeorok found a donor for him. He paid all the surgery costs… and through the foundation he even supported his medical school tuition. Jaehwan says Yeorok is like his second parent.”

“……”

“As for Hong Namyeong, he is basically Yeorok’s other self. His family situation was tangled, but thanks to Yeorok he escaped hell. He would probably give even his life for him. His loyalty goes beyond the category of a friend.”

Seo Taehwa spoke lightly, but the content was not something that could be dismissed. It carried weight too heavy to overlook. It was not the kind of thing usually said to someone he had just met.

“Is it alright to tell me this?”

Eunho rubbed his hands together, feeling like he was overhearing someone’s secret. Seo Taehwa gave his characteristic gentle smile.

“It was already decided. We are supposed to tell everything to you, Eunho-ssi. If we hide things from each other, how could we trust? Only then can you open your heart comfortably, right?”

“……”

“And you also have to be on our side from now on.”

“Me too?”

“Of course. The five of us are one team now.”

Seo Taehwa clenched both fists and shouted with vigor.

One team. To Eunho it was strange words. He had lived his life without even one friend, and now for the first time he belonged to a group.

“If even one of us is missing, this plan collapses. The most important key man among us is you. Do you know now how important you are?”

“……”

Eunho felt the heavy weight of responsibility, but at the same time he also felt strange. He had never once in his life been an important person to someone. Suddenly having a task and a sense of belonging made his chest feel heavy.

“Should I… also tell my secret?”

“Well, when you want to. You don’t have to force it.”

Eunho put his joined hands between his knees and took a deep breath. His breathing trembled, but Seo Taehwa waited silently. Encouraged by that, Eunho carefully began to speak.

“I… killed someone. It was an accident… but I think I always wanted to kill him deep down.”

“……”

“The Chairman… he took care of it. And in return I took this job. I, I….”

Eunho panted faintly. His chest tightened like he was about to hyperventilate.

Seo Taehwa looked at Eunho’s face seriously and patted his knee.

“I-I want to do well. I don’t know how to do anything… but they say I look like him. I want to do this properly, I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I want to succeed in being Choi Yoonho’s double.”

“You will definitely do well. You are not alone anymore, Eunho-ssi. We will be by your side to help you, so don’t worry.”

Seo Taehwa comforted him for a while.

His voice was calm but still gave him comfort.

On the first day in the annex, aside from what he had expected to be difficult, Eunho met unexpected allies. For him, it was fortunate.