RB 27

Choi Yeorok poured the liquor with a blank face. The glass, without any ice, was filled halfway with whiskey the color of honey. His hand as he passed the glass was just as indifferent.

Eunho wrapped his hand around his share of the glass. He inhaled it, and the liquor gave off the smell of burning wood. He thought it might be alright, so he tested a small sip while watching Yeorok’s reaction.

From the moment the liquor went down his throat, his esophagus felt like it was burning, and the strong taste that surged up made his brows scrunch on their own.

“Kof, kof!”

He also started coughing. Eunho covered his mouth and ended up gagging.

Yeorok watched with cold eyes. He took in every detail, from the furrowed brows and trembling eyelashes to the fingertips desperately covering his mouth.

“You said you could drink.”

“Yes… if you give me time, I can finish it.”

Even then, he smoothly replied. With a face that looked like he was suffering to death, Sim Eunho brought the glass to his lips again. The amount he sipped was as tiny as bird feed, but he still swallowed half.

“……”

Yeorok tapped the end of the table lightly with his fingertip and let out a small laugh.

But separate from the laugh, he wasn’t in a good mood. The problem was he couldn’t pinpoint where this displeasure came from. With only vague doubt, Yeorok struggled inwardly.

He thought that if left alone, Eunho would finish it, so he reached out and snatched Eunho’s glass. He pushed it far away out of reach and instead placed a bottle of water in his hand.

Eunho drank it like it was life water, quickly wetting his throat. The burning in his throat eased a little.

“Sim Eunho-ssi looks like the type who would die if I told him to die.”

It sounded like he was mocking him.

Eunho set down the half-empty water bottle and wiped his wet lips with the back of his hand. He met Choi Yeorok’s gaze.

“Is it hard to say you’re struggling?”

“…Chairman, are you in a bad mood today?”

“Why do you think that?”

“It feels like you’re venting on me.”

Yeorok answered by swallowing a lukewarm mouthful of whiskey. At the same time his gaze stayed locked on him. Eunho rubbed his cheek for no reason. He thought his face might get pierced through.

“Yes, I am venting.”

Yeorok sighed and ruffled his neatly arranged hair. His face was full of fatigue with a trace of irritation mixed in.

“What’s the reason? I don’t know if it’s because I hate how you act low, or if I hate how frustrating you seem.”

“……”

“Maybe both.”

That meant the cause was him. Eunho bit down on his lower lip. He wondered if trying so hard had only upset Yeorok more. His chest felt heavy, and he couldn’t raise his head.

“I’ll fix looking frustrating. I didn’t think my attitude would bother you.”

Eunho forced the words out. He pulled the glass Yeorok had pushed aside and drained the rest. His stomach felt like it was burning, but he chased it down with water to cool the heat.

After that he raised his head and looked at the man sitting across from him. Meeting Choi Yeorok’s eyes wasn’t hard anymore. He seemed to have grown used to that face.

“But I hope you don’t think of me as low. I only follow whatever order you give.”

Yeorok leaned his head on his hand, pressing his temple. His left cheek puffed up like he was holding candy in his mouth.

“Eunho-ya.”

The low voice cut through the still air. The friendly address, the first he had heard, tickled Eunho’s ear like it would melt it.

“What do you think I’m going to order?”

Eunho silently stared at the fine smile in front of his eyes. He was smiling, but his face was on edge. Depending on his answer, Choi Yeorok’s mood could swing either way.

“If you told me to die, I’d at least pretend to.”

Eunho calmly spoke his thoughts. It was an honest feeling.

Maybe the truth reached him, because Yeorok scoffed. His stiff face softened, and faint traces of good humor touched his smooth features.

“I can’t handle you.”

The murmured words carried a faint smile. Thanks to that, Eunho could finally catch his breath. His rigid back slumped and the tension left his shoulders.

Yeorok picked up the square bottle. Seeing Eunho’s glass empty, he glanced at him.

“Can you drink more?”

“…Honestly it’s hard. My throat feels like it’s burning up.”

“Should I switch to wine?”

“Wine too… I don’t want to look at it for a while.”

He said the truth even without being drunk. Yeorok raised his brows slightly, showing satisfaction. He ignored Eunho’s empty glass and poured only into his own.

“Look me in the face with confidence, don’t shrink in front of me, don’t say sorry, express yourself honestly. Is there more?”

“…You told me to stop thanking you too.”

“You said you blacked out, but it looks like you remember.”

Yeorok lifted his glass as he spoke. The corner of his lips curved gently. His posture leaned back in the chair looked more relaxed.

Then the severe edge in his attitude faded. His mood seemed to have fully lightened. Eunho finally let go of his tension. He fanned his hot cheek with his palm.

“…Yes.”

“Sim Eunho-ssi looked pretty cute drunk. Don’t you remember shoving your head forward asking me to pat it?”

“…I never did that.”

“You like being praised, don’t you?”

Eunho’s face flushed so red it looked like blood would spurt if pricked. From his nape to the top of his head all turned crimson in an instant.

“Because I was drunk… nonsense.”

“No, that wasn’t it. When Sim Eunho drinks, all the words he keeps inside come out. At least in that moment, they’re all the truth.”

“Ah, Chairman.”

Eunho covered his face and let out a groan. In front of someone who remembered all his disgrace, pretending ignorance was impossible.

“If you drink moderately so you don’t get drunk, it will be fine. Besides, the more you drink the better you get. Choi Yoonho used to attend drinking gatherings often, so there’s no choice. It’s a pity, but you’ll have to adapt.”

“How often did he drink?”

“Every two or three days? He had a set group of friends he spent time with.”

“I know. Son Jinhyung-ssi…”

Choi Yoonho’s connections were deep but narrow. Not long ago, Seo Taehwa had made a short list of his acquaintances. Eunho had memorized their faces, names, ages, and occupations from the summary.

Yeorok quietly observed Eunho’s calm face. He stared at him wordlessly for a while, then cleared his muddled head with the lukewarm liquor.

It was impossible to imagine Sim Eunho, that soft and overly gentle boy, mixed among that pack of beasts. He was the type who stood on the exact opposite side of debauchery and decadence.

“I doubt Sim Eunho-ssi could even fit in.”

“I’m prepared.”

Eunho expressed his determination. Yeorok gave him a small smile. He clearly didn’t yet know reality. But wasn’t it already too late to pull back?

“What are you learning these days?”

Yeorok changed the subject smoothly.

“I’m watching videos and copying actions… since yesterday Taehwa-hyung started voice training with me too.”

“Does voice training help?”

“I just started… I’m practicing intensively on how to make sound.”

Yeorok asked a few questions, and Eunho answered sincerely. The calm conversation linked on and on, and before long Eunho had explained everything about his daily routine.

Even though Yeorok already knew all of it, he listened as if it were the first time he was hearing it. From time to time he added his own thoughts while drinking.

Compared to Sim Eunho, who lacked conversation skill, his eloquence kept the awkward talk flowing. As time passed, Eunho grew more comfortable with his manner and tone. He sometimes unconsciously let out a silly laugh.

They talked at length about left-handed practice. Yeorok reacted disdainfully to Eunho’s writing practice, which wasn’t even at the level of an average adult. When the uncharacteristic nagging continued, Eunho just laughed.

“Funny? You’re writing ‘ga, na, da’ right now and you can laugh?”

“You treat me too much like a kid…”

“It’s because your level is so lacking. By next week I expect you to finish learning Hangul.”

Yeorok rolled up his sleeve slightly. The clock already pointed to 2 a.m. They had only talked a little, yet somehow so much time had passed.

“I should go.”

When he pushed on the table to stand, the chair scraped across from him too. Eunho hurried to see him off.

Yeorok changed into his shoes and looked down at the top of Eunho’s head. Before leaving, there was the customary thing to do.

“You worked hard today too.”

With that typical praise, he patted Sim Eunho’s head once. Eunho didn’t reply or even nod. He only wore a blank face like someone hit on the back of the head.

Yeorok didn’t mind and turned to leave. As the front door opened and closed, a short draft swept into the entryway. Left standing alone there, Eunho ruffled his hair without reason. His whole body felt ticklish and his chest felt oddly full in a way unfamiliar to him.

“…Thank you for giving me your time.”

Only after a long time did he mumble it. The greeting he barely worked up the courage to say never reached the other person and only floated through the empty entryway.