RB 35

Eunho held out the DVD with confidence. It was the one Seo Taehwa had recommended.

“……”

But Yeorok’s eyes on the DVD looked displeased. He gave a curt notice.

“Rejected.”

“Why….”

“I don’t watch melodrama.”

Eunho looked up at him with a baffled face, then lowered his head. Still attached, he could not put the DVD down and only stared endlessly at the cover.

“Do I have to pick a movie the chairman likes?”

“At the very least, you should consider the person you are watching with.”

“You told me to choose on my own….”

He continued speaking with his slow, soft voice. Looking down at his short head, Yeorok wore a crooked smile.

“Now you even talk back.”

Eunho slowly lifted his gaze. His eyes argued that this was not talking back.

The DVD, dismissed as melodrama, slipped from Eunho’s fingertips. Yeorok tossed away what he had snatched without a care. Then he turned his upper body and pulled out a suitable movie from the shelf.

“Try having a more popular taste.”

The movie he chose was a globally successful superhero film. It was so famous that even Eunho had heard of the title.

Without a chance to express his feelings, he was dragged into the theater room. Eunho stared blankly at the screen. The movie began with sound pounding against his ears.

And was Yeorok’s choice to his taste? By the time the end credits rolled, Sim Eunho’s pupils were dilated, and he could only let out exclamations. What was all this? His first blockbuster turned out to match his taste perfectly.

Throughout its runtime, the movie gave him overwhelming thrills. He now knew what it meant when people said they had chills. The shock of his first experience left his head still dizzy.

After the post-credit scene ended and only the soundtrack flowed over the black screen, Yeorok paused the video and turned on the lights. As the room brightened, Eunho’s flushed face was fully revealed. His brown eyes were still wide open.

“Sim Eunho-ssi, do you know?”

Yeorok was calm as always. It was hard to believe he had watched the same movie. He closed his laptop and began to prepare to leave.

“This movie is a series.”

“Really?”

“The sequel is even better.”

His casual voice somehow sounded teasing. Indeed, his eyes curved faintly. He smiled like an adult who toyed with a child, about to give candy but not really.

“You will not sleep tonight.”

“Surely not?”

“I guarantee you will suffer with anticipation all week.”

‎

‎

Eunho already felt it. Since the movie ended, he kept replaying the story in his head, thinking only of what came after. How could it be so fun? What happened next? He couldn’t think of anything else.

“Doctor, do you like movies?”

Eunho wanted to grab anyone and talk about what he had seen. And just in time, a counseling session was scheduled. Ahn Jaehwan was skilled at listening.

“Movies? Hmm… yes. Few people dislike them, right?”

“I watched Ixxx Man yesterday.”

Eunho rambled, his voice cracking with the dialect. It was the first time he had been this talkative. Ahn Jaehwan, from the position of an observer, found it interesting and his eyes showed it.

“Ah, that one is well made. I have seen it several times too.”

“…Is it true the sequel is better?”

Eunho sighed as he asked. He was so restless he scratched at his thumbnail.

To the expert, his feelings were obvious. He is burning with curiosity about what happens next. Seeing Sim Eunho so caught up in a piece of entertainment was both endearing and pitiful.

Ahn Jaehwan deliberately exaggerated.

“It is incredibly good. The first one is nothing.”

“Ah….”

“There are three parts. At the end, Tony…”

“Doctor! I have not seen it yet! You cannot say that!”

Eunho threw up both arms to block the spoiler. Yet his eyes showed he was dying of curiosity. He held his forehead and groaned alone.

“Why is it only Thursday?”

“Beg Yeorok directly. Tell him you cannot bear the suspense.”

Eunho lifted his eyes. His drooping brows made him look like a puppy.

“I absolutely can’t.”

“What kind of big request is that?”

“He will definitely dislike it. The chairman is busy… I cannot take more of his time.”

“Well then, nothing to do. You just have to endure.”

Ahn Jaehwan crossed his arms and rocked his chair side to side. But his gaze stayed fixed on Eunho’s troubled brows. Is he halfway there already? A little more coaxing, and he might cross the line.

Sim Eunho feared Choi Yeorok too much. Everyone did, but considering the role he had to play, being stuck in such a rigid superior–subordinate frame was not ideal. It needed to be broken once.

When the chair stopped spinning, Ahn Jaehwan placed his forearms on the desk. With his usual gentle smile, he spoke softly to Eunho.

“If you want something, isn’t it natural to beg your uncle?”

“……”

“Eunho-ssi, right now you are Choi Yeorok’s nephew, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Then just ask. There is nothing hard about it.”

Eunho straightened his hunched back. The words Ahn Jaehwan spoke so calmly all made sense. Besides, had not Choi Yeorok once told him not to act so submissive? Even if he had not said it directly, he must have found Eunho’s attitude frustrating.

“Teacher… you are too good at coaxing people.”

“Thank you for the high praise.”

Eunho laughed at his joke. His face looked more at ease, so Ahn Jaehwan picked up the phone at his side.

“Let’s strike while the iron is hot. Ready?”

“Yes.”

Eunho took ‎ deep breath, still a little stiff. Ahn Jaehwan observed his face and pressed the stored contact.

It was uncertain whether the busy Choi Yeorok would answer at this hour. But since the call was related to Sim Eunho, he figured it was sure to be taken.

“Yes.”

Yeorok answered. Thanks to the speaker mode, Eunho also heard his dry voice.

“Can you talk for a moment?”

“Get to the point.”

“Eunho-ssi has something to say.”

So suddenly? Eunho tightened his mouth and swallowed dryly.

Without further explanation, Ahn Jaehwan handed him the phone. The call was connected, and time stretched on. He could not keep the other waiting, so Eunho forced his trembling voice out.

“Chairman… will you be home late today?”

“Why?”

“I… want to watch the movie sooner.”

Was this something a twenty-four-year-old man should say? He felt like a child throwing a tantrum and closed his eyes.

Yeorok stayed silent for a while. The pause made Eunho feel choked. Then he suddenly heard laughter from the other end.

“I will be there by nine.”

The call ended with that short reply.

Neither the laugh nor the agreement felt real. Eunho stared blankly at the dark phone screen.

“See? It’s simple, right?”

He asked a teasing question. Eunho only nodded. Then he went over the call again in his mind.

He felt like he had achieved something, big. Not because he would get to see the movie, but because Yeorok had so easily allowed his request.

‎

‎

That evening, Eunho binge-watched parts two and three. Through the entire runtime, Yeorok sitting beside him did not matter. By the time he reached the satisfying conclusion, it was already late at night.

“How was it?”

Yeorok closed his laptop and asked in a calm tone. While Eunho had been absorbed in the films, he had spent the time drinking wine. The empty bottle in front of him proved how long the night had been.

“It was amazing.”

Eunho spoke honestly. How should he describe this feeling? He wanted to say more, his mouth itching, but thoughts tangled in his head.

“You are soaked in dopamine.”

Yeorok pointed out his state.

It was true. Eunho nodded, his mood still floating.

“So the protagonist, he actually is not a superhuman, right?”

He shared his thoughts: about the abilities, about the wealth, about how the villain in the second part felt too weak. Once the dam opened, he talked endlessly.

Yeorok tilted his wine glass and looked at him with careful eyes. His damp lips lifted slightly.

“Was Sim Eunho always such a fast talker?”

Eunho immediately shut his mouth. His face, still flushed, showed embarrassment as he came back to his senses.

The way his expressions shifted was worth watching. Yeorok leaned slightly closer, turning his shoulder toward him.

“Will you be able to sleep tonight?”

Probably not. He was so excited, he was sure to toss and turn all night like before.

“I… I think I will have trouble sleeping.”

“Then the dopamine needs to be calmed down.”

Yeorok drained the rest of the wine in one go. He set the empty glass on the low table and stood up without hesitation.

“Let’s go out and clear our heads for an hour.”