RB 80

Eunho’s eyes moved up and down. It didn’t take him long to recognize who the man was.

He was the CEO of a startup, someone who had a business connection with Haegang. He wasn’t part of the same crowd as Choi Yoonho, but they had slept together once. He had approached to get close to Haegang, but ended up hitting it off with Choi Yoonho instead. Even so, it was only a one-time thing.

The man looked very pleased to see him. From the way his hand fidgeted, it was obvious he still had a crush on ‘Choi Yoonho.’

“Keep your hands to yourself, are you in heat?”

Eunho shook off his hand in irritation. The warmth from someone else’s touch felt disgusting, and that made the acting feel more real. But the man didn’t look embarrassed. Instead, he stood even closer.

“Why so cold? Are you in a bad mood today?”

“No matter how shameless I am, I don’t fool around in a place like this.”

“That’s strange. You used to go to the bathroom and suck cock when you got horny.”

The man wound Eunho’s hair around his finger and slowly twirled it. They had only slept together once, but he acted like there was something deep between them.

“Choi Yoonho, if you’re annoyed, want to go out and fuck? I’ll screw you so good you’ll lose your mind.”

Eunho lifted his eyes. When their gazes met, the man’s face filled with expectation. Eunho tilted his head and whispered close to his ear.

“Your dick’s so small it’s pathetic. I’d rather have a finger inside me.”

“……”

The man clenched his teeth in humiliation. But he smiled. He couldn’t get angry because of where they were.

Eunho patted the man’s shoulder as if to comfort him.

“Give me your card. I’ll call you if I feel like it.”

His smile was sensual and beautiful. Choi Yoonho knew exactly how to make people find him attractive. He even knew they wouldn’t be able to resist his temptation. He was rotten that way.

The man laughed weakly. Even after being insulted to his face, he couldn’t refuse Choi Yoonho.

“Why the card? You know my number.”

“My phone’s smashed.”

“Want me to buy you a new one?”

That made him laugh. Eunho leaned his head back lazily and asked again.

“Do I look broke to you?”

Not at all. The prince of Haegang looked like money was dripping from every inch of his body. Even the tiny gem dangling from his necklace was a top-grade diamond.

“Call me. Let’s meet soon.”

The man handed him a business card and left. He would probably go talk to someone else to build another connection.

“……”

Eunho crumpled the card in his hand and tossed it at Seo Taehwa. For someone who had asked for the number first, his attitude was indifferent.

Right then, his eyes met the eyes of Haegang’s CEO. The CEO smoothly wrapped up the conversation he had been in and walked over.

“Mr. Choi Yoonho, it’s been a while. Thank you for coming. I heard from the chairman that your health hasn’t been good, is that true?”

“Yeah, kind of.”

Eunho answered like he couldn’t care less. Even in front of an older CEO, his arrogant attitude didn’t change.

It wasn’t the first time, so the CEO’s face showed a smile. He began explaining things about today’s event to Eunho. It was his way of showing courtesy to Haegang’s owner.

“You look like you’re trying too hard. It’s Haegang’s anniversary, so why is CEO Yoo showing off? Does he think he’s the main character or something?”

Eunho mocked him directly with contemptuous eyes.

“He’s basically a tenant farmer, right?”

Then he turned to Seo Taehwa behind him and asked, “Isn’t that right?” Seo Taehwa couldn’t answer and only gave an awkward smile.

“Of course, Mr. Choi Yoonho, you’re right. I just work for a paycheck at Haegang. Oh, the event’s about to start, let me take you to your seat.”

The CEO personally led them. The front of the banquet hall was filled with round tables. Each place had silver-rimmed dishes and glassware neatly arranged.

Eunho slumped into his chair and read the card placed on his plate. The dinner had seven courses from appetizer to main. He hadn’t even reached the dessert page yet. The attention to detail showed how important the event was.

The seats around the table started to fill. Eunho’s table was at the very front, the most prestigious one. Everyone sitting there was a company head with some kind of power.

What was strange was that not a single one of them looked at Eunho. It was as if an invisible person was sitting there.

The ten seats were almost full, but the one to Eunho’s left was still empty. He glanced at the name card on the table.

[Choi Yeorok / Chairman of Haegang Foundation.]

A moment later, the seat’s owner arrived and pulled out the black chair. Just by sitting down, he changed the atmosphere of the place.

Eunho turned his eyes ahead. Then he noticed the name card in front of him. When he noticed it had only a name, ‘Choi Yoonho,’ with no title, he sneered.

Soon the dinner began. A string quartet played at the front to make the meal pleasant.

The servers moved quickly with the plates. Carpaccio of raw salmon with dill herb and caviar came first, followed by grilled scallops covered with butter.

The rich smell filled the air. Every appetizer looked good enough to awaken appetite, but Eunho didn’t touch any of them. He tore bits of bread and only drank champagne.

While chewing the bread, he glanced sideways. Choi Yeorok also hadn’t touched his food. He probably wasn’t eating because it was raw.

“……”

The picky owner’s habits made the people around him too cautious. Only this table ate much slower than the rest.

“Chairman, there was something I wanted to ask you.”

Someone spoke to Yeorok then. When Yeorok answered kindly, the conversation opened up.

Eunho heard words that were hard to understand. They seemed to talk about stocks, voting, and company affairs.

“It would be better to discuss that later. The board meeting is soon. Shall we have a drink before that?”

Yeorok’s calm voice beside him kept ringing in his ear. He couldn’t ignore it even if he tried. With nothing else to do, Eunho stared at his plate with an irritated face, but his ears was open.

When he started to feel restless, the plate changed. This time it was a lamb steak cooked perfectly. Eunho finally picked up his cutlery. When he put a piece in his mouth, the savory flavor of the meat spread on his tongue. The texture was so soft it made him want to admire it.

Yeorok still hadn’t touched his food. Why isn’t he eating when it’s meat? The question grew in his mind. His curiosity made him look at him again.

Feeling his gaze, Yeorok suddenly turned his head.

“Why do you keep stealing glances at someone else’s plate?”

Eunho froze at the cold remark. Then he loudly exhaled.

“When did I?”

It was the kind of exchange an uncle and nephew could have, but everyone knew the two didn’t get along. The table fell into uncomfortable silence.

Eunho dropped his cutlery. He rested his chin on his hand and turned his body toward Yeorok with a crooked posture.

“Are you worried someone might have poisoned it? Too bad, I didn’t think that far.”

Yeorok lifted his wine glass as if it wasn’t worth replying. Even the way he took a sip of wine was graceful.

When he got no response, Eunho straightened his crooked posture again. He sighed, his face showing loss of appetite, and went back to sipping alcohol.

Harsh looks came from all around. Since it was the head table, his rude and arrogant attitude stood out even more. But he kept acting defiant as if nothing mattered.

He didn’t care about their looks. The problem was that his whole focus was on the man sitting next to him.

The anniversary event was dull. The CEO of Haegang, the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, and the opposition party leader each took turns giving long speeches at the microphone.

Sometimes everyone raised their glasses when told to, but Eunho never joined in. He looked like someone dragged into another person’s celebration.

“Ha, boring.”

His body slumped on its own. His posture had already fallen apart, and the hand that held his chin now covered his forehead.

Then the knife on his plate caught his eye. It was a steak knife, and the blade looked especially sharp.

Eunho gripped the handle and jabbed at the cold piece of meat. Each time the sharp tip sank into the cooked flesh, his dull eyes brightened. It was like he finally found something amusing.

“Choi Yoonho.”

Yeorok looked at him and gave a warning. His voice was low, but Eunho ignored it completely.

When the knife play didn’t stop, Yeorok uncrossed his legs. The tip of his black shoe hit Eunho’s shin bone.

“Ugh.”

Eunho groaned and bent forward. The people across the table looked confused. Since the kicker sat there with a straight face, no one realized that Choi Yeorok was the one who did it.

Eunho glared fiercely at him, but Yeorok didn’t care. His graceful pose as he drank his wine made Eunho snort. Then he stood up from his chair.

The scraping noise of the chair was loud, and everyone turned toward him.

“Sit down, Choi Yoonho.”

“……”

“Don’t act as you please. Stay until the event ends.”

Yeorok spoke while still looking ahead. Even in this heated moment, his face didn’t change.

“Do I even have a seat here?”

Eunho threw his napkin onto the name card in front of him. The dinner wasn’t even over yet, but he left his seat and walked on purpose toward the back of the hall where no one sat. Then he dropped onto a sofa as if it were his place.

Eunho crossed his arms and looked around at all the faces watching him. The looks toward him were always the same. Contempt, annoyance, disgust. Those were the eyes of the world he would have to endure from now on.