RB 18

It was close to midnight.

Eunho came out to the first-floor reception room and he was spending time alone.

Seo Taehwa had an important matter in the evening and he was away from home for the whole day, so in the annex there was no sign of anyone else but Eunho.

No one was there to watch him, but Eunho was doing his tasks. He never even thought about doing something that could cause trouble. If anything, the fact that he came out of his room could be called unusual.

He thought he would just get sleepy if he stayed in the room, so he deliberately moved to the empty reception room. He spread the printed materials on the wide tea table and he focused on the remaining study. The material, which retraced a person’s entire life, reached 500 pages. There was a mountain of things to memorize.

Even sitting directly on the floor, his butt did not ache or feel cold. The carpet’s texture was so soft that his hand kept touching it out of habit. Behind him was a soft sofa, but Eunho used the sofa as a backrest. From the start he was more used to living on the floor than on the sofa.

He had opened the glass wall window, and a breeze was flowing in. Maybe because the lawn had been mowed in the morning, every breath carried the scent of grass. Eunho lifted a mug to moisten his dry mouth, and his eyes scanned the printouts. His focused eyes did not leave the dense letters.

“You should drink with your left hand. Have you not built the habit yet?”

A voice came from behind him.

Eunho’s flinched, he hurriedly turned his head and he saw Yeorok already inside the annex. He had not even heard the door open. He did not know since when Yeorok had been watching him. Yeorok leaned casually on one leg and looked down at Eunho’s dazed face.

“Ah… yes. I am sorry.”

Eunho quickly put down the mug. He always tried to be conscious of it, but sometimes he used his right hand without realizing. While he opened and closed his empty right hand, his awkward gaze wandered and stayed only on the table.

“There is no need to be sorry.”

Yeorok walked closer without caring. He sat on the sofa as if it were his own home. Even though it was late, he was still in formal wear. Only the uncomfortable jacket and tie were gone, so he looked much more at ease.

“……”

“……”

No one spoke, so the silence continued.

Yeorok only quietly looked at Eunho’s back. Compared to the shabby T-shirt he usually wore, the expensive brand-name shirt on him looked different. It was surprising that just one T-shirt made him lose his shabby air.

Yeorok’s eyes stayed on Eunho’s reddened nape for a long time. Even though they were not facing each other, Sim Eunho shrank his thin body further, like he was being modest.

“You must have been studying.”

Yeorok stretched out his arm and took the printout Eunho was reading. He leaned comfortably on the sofa and he flipped through the papers without much care. The section Eunho had been looking at happened to be about Choi Yoonho’s preferences. He laughed.

“Did you pick up some knowledge about luxury goods?”

“Roughly…”

“Choi Yoonho has clear preferences in brands. But that does not mean he has no interest in other luxury goods. He liked unfamiliar things, and the harder a brand was to obtain, the more he wanted it.”

“……”

“Why do you think that was?”

“I don’t know.”

Eunho answered in an uncertain posture, not turning fully but not showing complete reserve either. At least his wandering gaze reached as far as Yeorok’s lap. It was his attempt at courage.

“It is because he was privileged. He did not even want to glance at what any dog or cow could easily have. Ah, the words ‘dog or cow’ is wording Choi Yoonho himself often used.”

Yeorok curved his lips slightly and showed a fine smile. Eunho thought the way of speaking didn’t suit him.

Eunho only nodded and he didn’t say anything for a while. After quite some time, he parted his lips with difficulty.

“Are you … also privileged, Chairman?”

His eyes, which had stayed on Yeorok’s knees, slowly lifted and met Yeorok’s gaze. Maybe the question was unexpected, because Yeorok did not even blink and he looked down at Eunho’s pale face.

“Wouldn’t I? I think I don’t show it myself, but when others look, they might feel it.”

Yeorok answered obediently. His voice was gentle, he didn’t look like someone who had ignored Eunho for days.

But Eunho no longer fell for Choi Yeorok’s kindness so easily. He could now clearly read the falseness hidden in the mask-like smile.

“Do you think I’m privileged, Sim Eunho-ssi?”

“Rather than that… you are a little different.”

“In what way?”

Yeorok’s eyes lit up, as if he found this conversation interesting. His upper body sank deeper into the sofa and he lifted his nose high. It was the attitude of someone willing to listen as much as needed.

“……”

Eunho bit his lips.

To be honest, Choi Yeorok was the embodiment of vested power itself.

Along with his handsome face, the relaxed and seasoned gestures were very aristocratic. His gaze, which never held anything carelessly, made Eunho sometimes feel a chill deep in his bones.

In this age, ranks between people might seem absurd, but Choi Yeorok, with the conditions he had, was someone who could easily make others lie beneath his feet.

No matter how much Eunho breathed in the same space and shared good things together, he could not imitate his superiority. The noble aura and overwhelming presence were qualities Yeorok was born with.

That was why Yeorok’s question felt even more strange. That man was obviously someone who was always praised by others.

“Do you want to… hear compliments from me?”

“Rather than compliments, I am curious about what Sim Eunho thinks of me.”

“What meaning would my thoughts have? For you, Chairman, the only important thing is whether I can play Choi Yoonho’s role well. That is the nature of our relationship.”

Eunho answered in a calm voice, but his words contained hidden hostility. Quick-witted Yeorok could not have missed it. His smooth lips curved up on one side.

“You must be quite displeased with me.”

“I am not.”

“You told Ahn Jaehwan honestly, but you will pretend otherwise in front of me?”

“Did the doctor tell you that?”

Eunho’s eyes grew as wide as a basin. Such a dramatic change of expression was rare for him. As if he had expected it, Yeorok’s sneer deepened.

“Why? It was not a secret, was it?”

Of course it had been a secret between him and the doctor. Eunho murmured in shock.

“That was… something that came up during counseling.”

“If it were a normal psychiatric consultation, yes. But your situation is special, right? And originally, everything that happens in this house is made to reach my ears.”

At Yeorok’s way of casually dismissing confidentiality, Eunho lost even the will to argue. After all, since even Choi Yoonho’s counseling contents were shared with him, it was natural that his own secrets would go around too.

When Eunho stayed silent, unable to speak further, Yeorok touched the corner of his mouth and erased his smile. His crossed legs unfolded and he slowly stood up.

“Follow me.”

Eunho awkwardly pushed off the floor and stood. Even while following Choi Yeorok into the dining room, he could not guess the reason why Yeorok had called him. All he could do was quietly trail behind.

In one corner of the dining room there was a wooden shelf. Bottles of alcohol, packed tightly and displaying unknown labels at the front, stood as an expensive interior decoration on their own.

Yeorok’s fingertips brushed the smooth hardwood shelf lightly. As expected, there wasn’t a speck of dust.

“What kind of alcohol do you like?”

Eunho did not answer carelessly. His brown eyes calmly observed Yeorok’s face. He was sure Yeorok was not really asking about his preference. After thinking carefully, Eunho answered.

“I do not drink anything but wine.”

Yeorok’s lips curled up gently, as if it was the right answer.

“Which kind do you prefer?”

“Montrachet…”

His voice lacked in confidence.

Yeorok asked no more questions and simply picked up a bottle. With a heavy wine knife, he neatly stripped the pale yellow foil from the neck and pulled out the cork. His hands showed the skill of someone who had done it many times before.

Clear white wine filled the transparent glass. Yeorok swirled the glass lightly and smelled the fragrance rising inside. When he handed it over, Eunho quickly took the glass with both hands.

When Eunho glanced at him, Yeorok only tilted his chin slightly without a word. Following his lead, Eunho took a sip. A slightly tangy taste lingered to his tongue. Eunho swallowed the small amount of alcohol all at once.

“How does it taste?”

“Just like alcohol…”

“You have a long way to go.”

Yeorok murmured as if it was regretful and poured another glass for himself.

Eunho quietly studied the man in front of him. The fingers holding the thin neck of the glass were more delicate than anyone’s. There was something in the way he sipped the wine and appreciated its taste and aroma that Eunho could not imitate.

Eunho adjusted his grip on the glass he was holding tightly, but the transparent surface was already smudged all over with his fingerprints.

“Wine has many tastes mixed in. For example, in the Chassagne-Montrachet you are drinking now, you can notice lemon peel, almond, vanilla, and lily scents.”

Yeorok poured into Eunho’s glass again. Eunho carefully rolled the wine in his mouth. Even though he tried to taste it seriously, all his tongue caught was sourness.

“…I can’t really tell.”

“It is probably because you are not familiar with it.”

“……”

“The taste also changes depending on the year it was produced, and sometimes it goes bad if it was stored poorly. Unless you are a sommelier, you do not need to know everything about every wine, but at least you should know the kind Choi Yoonho liked to drink, shouldn’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“You should also learn drinking manners.”

Yeorok tapped the part of the glass where Eunho’s fingerprints were left with his index finger. It felt like he had pointed out a flaw, so Eunho clenched his fingers tightly.

There was so much he had to learn. Even just holding the wine glass for the first time showed how clumsy he was. He could clearly see how worthless he must look in Yeorok’s eyes, so he had no choice but to lower his gaze.

“Well, you can learn step by step.”

“I will do my best.”

“Every Wednesday, around this time should be good. How about it?”