RB 136

Side story

There was probably no one who would deny that ‘Haegang’ was a representative company of South Korea. The chairman leading such a company was only in his early 30s.

Some people believed that Choi Yeorok naturally took over the company because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. After all, it was a life he could never have enjoyed at that age had he been born into an ordinary family. Yet even such people acknowledged Choi Yeorok’s management abilities.

Choi Yeorok was certainly a born entrepreneur. It would take more than a day to explain just how busy he was and how valuable every single minute and second of his was.

For a man for whom time is money, he was scheduled down to the fifth minute of every day. Even meals were a means to an end for business. He read reports in his car, begrudging even the time spent traveling. With tens of billions changing hands with a single decision of his, he must even sigh cautiously.

However, he always left work promptly at 6 p.m. It was a habit he always maintained, except for unavoidable external activity schedules.

And there was people who spent their day busier than the chairmen of prominent companies.

This was exactly the case for students preparing for an exam.

Yeorok quietly entered the house after work. Two pairs of shoes were placed in the entrance hall.

It was time for the tutor to arrive. Yeorok took off his shoes as carefully as possible. Even the chairman, who was treated like a king outside, was bound to be mindful of the student preparing for an exam once he entered the house.

He crossed the living room silently. Bustling sounds could be heard from inside the kitchen. The housekeeper, who had been busy with household chores, spotted Yeorok and hurriedly wiped her hands on her apron. Yeorok responded with a nod to the middle-aged woman who greeted him respectfully.

“You can go home now.”

As soon as the order was given, the housekeeper quickly finished what she was doing and took off her apron.

Yeorok took over the kitchen where the housekeeper had been standing. The movement of taking off his jacket, hanging it on the dining chair, and rolling up his shirt sleeves was as natural as flowing water.

Preparing snacks for Eunho was a small pleasure for Yeorok. He personally poured juice into two glasses and carefully arranged bite-sized desserts on a small plate.

Yeorok took the tray and headed to a secluded room on the first floor. He knocked, and after a short delay, the door opened.

“Ah, hello!”

A man wearing horn-rimmed glasses expressed his delight at seeing Yeorok. With a humble expression, he bowed and took the tray.

“Thank you for always taking such good care of us. I will enjoy this!”

The tutor kept bowing his head as if he had received a royal favor. Yeorok glanced over his shoulder. Eunho was sitting at his desk. He paid no attention to anything else and was solely engrossed in solving practice problems.

Eunho’s concentration was unrivaled. Yeorok didn’t even feel disappointed. He smiled and closed the door for him.

He settled down on the living room sofa. He planned to camp out there and wait until the tutoring session was over. Yeorok spent his time aimlessly with a glass of whiskey in his hand. It was a stark contrast to his appearance when he was working.

He had become used to a reality that was not only relaxed but even boring.

Yeorok intended to devote the entire year to Eunho. That was because it was such a crucial turning point in Eunho’s life. Since there was no one as important as Eunho in Yeorok’s life, taking care of him was the only natural thing to do.

He had started studying for the entrance exam later than others. Sim Eunho set his sights on the Department of Business Administration at Korea University, Yeorok’s alma mater and major. No matter how smart he was, realistically, getting into a prestigious university on the first try was unrealistic. Besides, he had taken a break from studying for a few years.

Eunho was anxious at the thought that he was falling far behind current high school seniors. He devoted himself to studying every day, even sacrificed sleep. As a result, Choi Yeorok had been relegated to the back room.

It was already June. He had to endure five more months for it to end.

Yeorok was willing to endure loneliness. Furthermore, he wanted to help Eunho in every way possible.

To create an environment where he could focus solely on his studies and to help Eunho, who wanted to self-study instead of attending an academy, he commissioned a top instructor in Daechi-dong to create customized workbooks for each subject.

Eunho generally had an excellent memory, but he struggled quite a bit with math problems. To address this, a tutor who was a student at Hankuk University was assigned to him. This student, who had a history of achieving a perfect score on the CSAT, was said to impart to Eunho things like the mindset a test-taker should have and valuable study tips. He heard that it was helpful.

Laughter flowed from beyond the closed door. It seemed they were taking a moment to clear their heads now that they had had snacks.

“…….”

Yeorok rolled the ice in his glass. Even though they lived in the same house, the sight of them standing so isolated and unable to laugh together was pitiful, even to himself.

But what could be done? After all, a benefactor just needed to spend the money wisely. He smiled as he sipped the chilled liquor.

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Even though the appointed time had long passed, the closed door showed no signs of opening. Yeorok just held the empty glass in his hand with no purpose.

Just as the wait was starting to get tedious, the door finally opened. The tutor came out with the sound of slippers dragging.

“You’re doing well, so you don’t need to be too impatient. You know my contact information, right? If you have any questions, feel free to contact me anytime, even if it’s the middle of the night.”

Not content with just stroking Eunho’s head, the tutor gently pulled his earlobe. The scene was clearly visible from Yeorok’s seat. As if they had become close in the meantime, he did not hesitate to touch Eunho.

Eunho was a year older than the tutor, but he was using Choi Yoonho’s identity. That was why Eunho consistently called the tutor “hyung”. Seeing the tutor acting like an older brother without even knowing the truth, all Eunho could do was let out a wry laugh.

Yeorok put down his glass and smoothed his crooked lips. Then, he slowly rose from the sofa. As his tall frame stood up, his presence grew so imposing it was hard to ignore.

The tutor also sensed this and quickly turned around to bow to Yeorok. It was a greeting so earnest that the hood of his hoodie covered the back of his head.

“I’ll be going now. I’m sorry it’s getting so late!”

“Thank you for your effort.”

Yeorok replied maturely. He stuffed both hands into his pants pockets and did not take a single step. Choi Yeorok was not the kind of person to see off a mere college student. Fully aware of this, the tutor quickly walked to the entrance and put on his shoes.

“Eunho, I’m leaving. See you on Wednesday.”

“Be careful on your way in.”

With a brief greeting, the front door opened and closed. The house fell silent again. Yeorok remained rooted to one spot, waiting for the time to himself that was about to begin.

Eunho turned around. The sound of his bare feet pattering on the ground was unusually weak and slow. However, his steps were heading toward his destination. Standing before Yeorok, Eunho opened his arms and wrapped them around his waist. It was a weak embrace, but one filled with warmth.

“You’re here?”

“Isn’t your greeting too late?”

A gentle smile bloomed over Yeorok’s face, which had appeared bleak at first glance. It was a face he did not show to anyone, a face that only Eunho could see.

“Chairman, I missed you.”

Eunho still addressed him as “Chairman.” Yeorok had no objections to this. He would generally refuse to be called “Uncle.” Yet, it felt shameless to ask him to call him “Hyung.” In the end, “Chairman,” which was familiar to Eunho, was the perfect fit.

Yeorok kissed Eunho indiscriminately on the crown of his head, forehead, cheeks, and even the tip of his nose. Even though he was exhausted from studying, Eunho accepted Yeorok’s full display of affection without a hint of displeasure. However, in the end, he shook his head. It was obvious that it would never end otherwise.

Yeorok lifted Eunho up and headed toward the stairs. He skillfully held a fully grown adult like a child. Eunho also wrapped his arms around Yeorok’s shoulders and naturally surrendered his body to him.

Their bodies separated only after entering the dressing room. Yeorok began to change his clothes only after seating Eunho on the side table.

“What happened during your tutoring? It finished quite late today.”

He asked while loosening his tie. A weary sigh came from behind him.

“I just… wanted to talk about a problem. I’m anxious because my grades aren’t improving.”

It was the answer he expected. Yeorok turned around and leaned against the wall. Eunho, who was sitting listlessly on the side table, met his gaze with hollow eyes.

“It seems like the tutor is a reliable presence.”

Eunho nodded. Unfortunately, it was not a very pleasant answer for Yeorok. Sim Eunho was reserved when talking about his exam preparation to Yeorok. He never confided in him about what was stressing him out or what his worries were.

He could understand. Yeorok also rarely asked. It was largely because he did not want to burden someone who was already having a hard time. He had already resolved to strictly attend to him.

After changing clothes, they came down to the first floor together. As always, Yeorok decided to take charge of dinner.

Dinner did not require much effort. All that was needed was to set the table with just a little touch on the ingredients the housekeeper had prepared in advance.

Eunho tended to eat mainly vegetables, fruits, and protein because he felt sleepy after eating. Those eating with him had no choice but to adapt to that.

A plate of well-grilled sirloin, garnished with Brussels sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes, and asparagus, was placed in front of each person’s seat. Yeorok also had a glass of wine. As he savored a sip of the drink, which had just the right amount of acidity, he felt a gaze staring at him from the front.

“…….”

Eunho’s eyes were filled with envy. Now that he had learned to drink wine, he could imagine its taste.

“Do you want to drink?”

“Don’t tease me.”

“It can’t be helped. You just have to put up with it.”

Yeorok put down the cup and cut elegantly. He sprinkled Maldon salt onto a bite-sized piece of beef and brought it to Eunho’s lips.

Eunho opened his mouth without avoiding it. The sight of him eating so well, like a baby bird, was simply lovely. Yeorok’s eyes naturally curved into a soft smile.

“Just hang in there for a few months. I’ll open the best wine for you on the day of the CSAT.”

“You promised.”

Eunho actively engaged in the meal. Yeorok drank wine, using the sight of him as a gourmet accompaniment.

He prided himself on being the person in South Korea who looked forward to the CSAT day the most. Just as Eunho was refraining from drinking, Yeorok was also suppressing his greed. Each day felt like his blood was drying up.