RB 30

Eunho let out a groan in pain as he woke from sleep. His head throbbed unbearably. The lingering flu-like ache drained his strength.

He thought he had a nightmare, but when he opened his eyes he remembered nothing. All that remained was a body drenched in cold sweat and the headache.

Eunho sat up. He held his forehead and stared at the floor for a long time. Maybe it was because he was sick… his mood also hit rock bottom. Feeling stifled and pent-up, he tapped his chest a few times.

When he checked the time, he saw that an entire day had passed without him knowing. He had slept for fifteen hours. Eunho reached for the talkie walkie on the bedside table. He pressed the button out of habit and spoke in a low voice.

“Hyung… I woke up.”

-Yeah, wash up and come down.

Hearing Seo Taehwa’s bright voice finally made him feel a little awake. Eunho shook his head and stood up. It was time to shake off the unpleasant drowsiness and start another day.

‎

‎

‎A bowl of white porridge sat on the dining table. Seo Taehwa and Ahn Jaehwan were waiting by it, watching him eagerly.

Eunho bowed to them and sat at the table. Under their devoted attention he lifted his spoon. He quickly scooped and swallowed the porridge.

“Your fever’s almost gone, but your face looks worse than yesterday. Did you not sleep well?”

Ahn Jaehwan carefully examined Eunho’s condition. He checked his temperature and prepared medicine for after the meal.

“No, I slept deeply… maybe it’s because I had a dream.”

When Ahn Jaehwan’s expression started to turn serious, Eunho forced a smile to show it was nothing.

“I don’t really remember the content.”

“Most dreams are like that.”

Ahn Jaehwan scratched his nose bridge as he replied.

Everyone dreams. Nightmares or sleep paralysis are common. The problem was that Sim Eunho’s situation was far from ordinary.

As a psychiatrist, Ahn Jaehwan closely monitored Eunho’s psychological state. He checked things like his stress level and whether any symptoms of anxiety were showing.

Because he was conscious of Ahn Jaehwan’s troubled look, Eunho’s eating pace slowed. Ahn Jaehwan smiled warmly to make him less anxious.

“Chew carefully. When you’re sick, even porridge can upset your stomach.”

“Yes.”

Eunho scooped the porridge gently with his spoon. Watching him slowly eating, Ahn Jaehwan quietly left his seat. He approached Seo Taehwa, who was busy preparing something inside the dining room, and spoke softly.

“How many hours a day does Eunho watch Choi Yoonho’s videos?”

Seo Taehwa looked at him closely at the sudden question. He took jujube syrup from the cupboard and turned toward Ahn Jaehwan.

“He doesn’t fix a time. He just watches constantly.”

“Estimate it. About how many hours do you think?”

“Hmm… maybe ten hours? Or even more?”

Hearing the answer, Ahn Jaehwan fell deeper into thought. His low hum showed his concern.

“Wouldn’t it be better to cut down on video time?”

“Why? For what reason?”

“For Eunho’s mental health.”

“You know that’s impossible.”

Seo Taehwa shook his head. He knew exactly what Ahn Jaehwan was worried about. But right now was a time to push forward, not put on the brakes.

Thick jujube syrup filled the mug. Seo Taehwa poured hot water into it and stirred slowly with a wooden spoon. He handed one finished cup to Ahn Jaehwan. The other was for Eunho.

“Don’t ignore what a psychiatrist says.”

“Haa, what do you expect me to do when it can’t be helped. Just because you’re a doctor, am I some errand boy? All the reporting and nitpicking from Choi Yeorok falls on me.”

Seo Taehwa sighed, he sounded frustrated. But he whispered so his voice would not leak outside.

“I’m paying a lot of attention too, you know? I don’t want anything bad to happen to Eunho either.”

“Then at least set counseling every day.”

Ahn Jaehwan said it as if he had been waiting. His demand was so persistent that Seo Taehwa raised his brows.

“Did you see some kind of sign that makes you say this now?”

“No, I want to stop it before a sign shows.”

Ahn Jaehwan blew on the steaming cup. He took a sip of the jujube tea that was said to be good for a flu-like state, but his eyes stayed on Eunho the whole time.

Even now, Eunho was eating porridge while mimicking Choi Yoonho. At this point it was no longer mimicry, but behavior that was ingrained in him.

Imitating another person was not easy. On top of that, Eunho’s burden was heavy. Watching closely so he wouldn’t collapse was part of Ahn Jaehwan’s duty.

‎

‎

Even though he had been given a day off, there was nothing in particular to do.

Eunho sat on the sofa with a remote in hand. He could have watched variety shows or movies, but he only played Choi Yoonho’s videos repeatedly. He didn’t know how to rest. If he didn’t do what he did every day, he felt more uneasy.

On the screen, Choi Yoonho was behaving badly as usual. By now Eunho was used to it and didn’t even find it surprising. He felt like he had seen this scene in a dream.

“Maybe I dreamt of it because I’ve watched it so much….”

Eunho rubbed his neck and thought that must be it. He had already replayed the video over fifty times and could recite the lines without missing a word.

The playlist finished one cycle and stopped, and Eunho was about to press the replay button.

Knock knock

Eunho stood from his seat at the knocking sound and walked to the door. He thought it would be Seo Taehwa as usual, but Secretary Hong stood outside instead.

“Sim Eunho-ssi.”

“Hello, sir.”

Aan awkward silence followed after the greeting. Eunho stared blankly at Secretary Hong. The tall man wore his usual dry expression.

“The Chairman would like to see you.”

“…Right now?”

“Yes. I will escort you to the main house.”

More than the fact that Choi Yeorok had called for him, what shocked Eunho was that he was invited into the main house. Of course, Yeorok’s residence was just a short walk away, but to Eunho it was a forbidden place.

Is this real? Can I really go inside? Even as Eunho stepped into the mansion, he could hardly believe it. Compared to the annex, the luxurious house felt unreal no matter where he looked. He thought he had grown used to the life of a chaebol, but being here made him feel he was still far from it.

“…Is nobody here?”

Eunho asked cautiously. In this huge and wide house, there was only himself and Secretary Hong.

He worried someone might see him, and his uncovered face kept bothering him, so he kept covering his lower face with his hand. Chief Hong, walking ahead, turned slightly to explain.

“Yes. The staff only come at set times.”

So there really is no one… Eunho let out a breath of relief. Even so, his anxiety didn’t ease. He still stepped carefully and glanced quickly around the mansion.

He thought they would head to the study of course, but Secretary Hong turned in another direction, going deeper inside. When he even stepped onto the stairs, Eunho stared at him in puzzlement.

Perhaps noticing the look, Chief Hong added again.

“The Chairman is upstairs.”

It felt like stepping into a private space. Eunho repeatedly steadied his breathing as he too climbed the stairs. On not even a creak could be heard as he stepped on the carpeted wooden stairs.

As he held the railing and went up, he felt strange déjà vu. Eunho looked around for a moment. It was clearly his first time upstairs in the mansion, yet it didn’t feel unfamiliar. The railing, the carpet. Everything his eyes caught.

Knock knock.

Secretary Hong’s knock snapped Eunho out of his wandering thoughts, and he turned his head quickly. Come in, a low voice replied from inside, and suddenly Eunho’s chest tightened.

As the door opened, he was gently pushed into the room.

The room brightened by sunlight looked like a small parlor inside a grand castle. White silk wallpaper and vintage furniture with floral patterns blended together into the elegance of a painting.

Even in that splendid background, Choi Yeorok stood out. Standing before the mirror adjusting his clothes, his hair was slicked back with pomade. The suit he wore shone with a glossy finish under the light. He looked more polished than usual, as if he was about to attend an important party.

“Did you rest well?”

His monotone voice asked after him. Eunho had been staring blankly at him, then hurriedly came to his senses.

“Ah… yes.”

“How is your body?”

Yeorok turned smoothly. As he tied his black necktie into a Windsor knot, he gave a light glance at the stiff Eunho.

“From your face alone it looks like you might go into cardiac arrest.”

Eunho exhaled, knowing it was rude. But he couldn’t just stand there frozen with tension.

“I’m fine. I took medicine and I slept a lot.”

“That’s good.”

Now fully dressed, Yeorok left Eunho standing and walked away. He stopped before a gracefully curved side table, opened a drawer, and took out a pure white box.