RB 89

Eunho straightened his slouched back. Yeorok’s presence was so vivid that it was hard to mistake it for a dream.

“Chairman, when did you come?”

“Why are you here?”

He coldly replied. It had been a while since they met, but Yeorok’s voice held no trace of joy.

“I don’t remember calling you, Sim Eunho-ssi.”

His expression was the same. Yeorok’s expressionless look was nothing new, but this time even his gaze was particularly wary. Enough to make Eunho freeze.

“Who told you you could come in without permission?”

He was treated like an uninvited guest. Maybe Yeorok was in a bad mood. Eunho swallowed the saliva that had pooled in his mouth and finally managed to speak.

“It’s your birthday… I came to give you a present.”

“……”

The ensuing silence was painful. Under that suffocating atmosphere, Yeorok’s sharp gaze continued to pierce Eunho’s cheek. He slowly lowered his head.

Then a short, hollow laugh came from above his head. It sounded exasperated, or maybe mocking. Eunho lifted his head slowly. He couldn’t understand. Why did Choi Yeorok suddenly look at him with such hostility? Why was he keeping distance like he was someone to be avoided? It felt like they had gone back to the awkward days from before.

He spoke without thinking.

“Did I… do something to upset you?”

Yeorok quietly lowered his eyes. His expressionless face was cold, almost inhuman. In fact, this was Yeorok’s true nature. His anger, his smiles, everything else had always been fake. Even though he knew it, his spine tingled.

“Sim Eunho-ssi, you like me.”

He spoke out of the blue. But it struck a chord with Eunho. His hands visibly trembled.

“…What?”

“When you had a fever and lost your senses, you hugged me and said you liked me.”

The color drained from Eunho’s face.

‘Chairman, I like you. I really… like you so much.’

‘You’re not in your right mind.’

‘Can’t I like you?’

‘If I tell you not to, will you stop?’

‘I can’t… I’m sorry… I tried… but I couldn’t.’

So it hadn’t been a dream. His whole body froze, and he wasn’t even able to close his lips.

“I was going to let it go, since it was nonsense from a sick person.”

Yeorok glanced at the gift and cake box on the table. Then his gaze returned to Eunho’s face.

“I told you before. Your face gives everything away.”

“……”

“And now, from what you’re doing, it doesn’t look like you even want to hide it.”

“Chairman…”

Eunho barely managed to respond. His heart trembled violently. His hands, resting on his knees, also shook. Why couldn’t he say anything properly? This only made him look like he was confirming Yeorok’s suspicions.

“If this is about what I said… that I liked you, I’m sorry…”

“So you know it’s something to apologize for.”

Tears fell from his lowered face. Eunho quickly wiped his eyes. It wasn’t the time to cry. He bit down on his lip and swallowed his burning tears.

“I never wanted you to return my feelings. How could I even think that?”

“You don’t seem to understand that’s not the issue.”

Yeorok untied the ribbon on the box. Inside, blue liquid swayed in a transparent glass bottle.

“Choi Yoonho doesn’t do things like this.”

“……”

“He never celebrated my birthday.”

It was a sarcastic remark pointing out Eunho’s improper behavior. His hidden feelings had been exposed, and his vision darkened.

“It’s not even an extravagant gift… It’s just a diffuser.”

“Whatever it is, I’m saying I don’t like this attitude of yours.”

Each word Yeorok spoke was like a sharp knife cutting into his chest. Eunho swallowed his trembling breath. He could endure physical pain well, but the wounds carved into his heart hurt too much.

“You told me I didn’t have to act like Choi Yoonho in front of you. Do you still not trust me?”

“You’re good at acting. That’s why I’ve tolerated you until now.”

“……”

“But it’s becoming annoying. You’ve grown arrogant just because we slept together a few times. You’ve crossed the line.”

Yeorok shoved all the gifts Eunho had brought into the trash bin. Then he leaned casually against the desk, the same one where a few weeks ago their lips had met.

“Let’s keep our boundaries from now on. We’ve done enough.”

“……”

Eunho watched his actions with a blank expression. Standing by the window, Yeorok was wearing the suit Seo Taehwa had shown off a few days ago as a birthday present. It looked even better than Eunho had imagined.

His broken head immediately turned. He had expected this kind of result if Yeorok found out about his feelings, but being rejected without any warning left his mind blank. The feeling of being plunged to the ground without a lifeline was despairing.

He had never been arrogant, and he had never expected anything in return. He had only tried his best to be someone Yeorok would like. All he had wanted was for things to stay as they were. But the result was miserable.

After being struck down so many times, it was hard to stay clearheaded. The situation was so unbearable that he even laughed. He tried hard to hold it in, but his eyes burned hot.

Eunho covered his forehead with both hands and remained silent. Though he hid his face, the tears gathering at his chin fell one by one. Yeorok, who had been quietly watching, clutched the edge of the desk.

“Don’t cry.”

“Those words… don’t help me.”

Eunho answered in a tearful voice.

Even now, Choi Yeorok was deceiving him. He always made people misunderstand. He coldly denied Eunho’s feelings, then spoke gentle words that made him falter again.

Eunho bit his lip and wiped his tear-streaked face with his palm. His pale face now showed no trace of sorrow, only exhaustion.

“I don’t understand you, Chairman.”

“I never asked you to.”

“I figured as much.”

Eunho slowly pushed himself up from the sofa. All he wanted now was to get out of this place.

As Eunho stood before the doorknob, his steps weary and languid, he stared at the ceiling for a moment. A deep sigh escaped his lips.

“Happy birthday.”

The voice, weak and slow, sounded as it he had given up on everything. Then the door opened and closed.

Yeorok was left alone in the study.

“……”

Yeorok’s gaze lingered on the spot where Eunho had been sitting earlier. It wasn’t the first time he’d hurt someone, nor had he ever cared about it. If anything, he should have felt relieved, having resolved the situation that had been so irritating.

But the unpleasant feeling remained like dregs, refusing to go away. Instead, it swelled inside his ribs, pressing down on Yeorok’s spleen.

A subtle scent emanated from the trash bin at his feet. The broken pieces of the discarded gift released a fragrance that, ironically, fit his taste perfectly. Since when had Sim Eunho known his preferences so well?

Yeorok rubbed his forehead and let out a hollow laugh.

“I really must be losing my mind.”

***

He threw up all the dinner he had forced himself to eat. It must have been because he ate something he hadn’t wanted.

After holding onto the toilet for a long time, Eunho weakly stood up and rinsed his mouth with cold water. He washed his face while he was at it. When he lifted his head, a pale face stared back at him. Who would like a face like that? Even he thought it looked miserable.

He pretended nothing had happened and went downstairs to the first floor. He took a bottle of wine from the display cabinet. His stomach was empty, and he wanted to fill it with something.

He no longer cared how expensive it was. Habit was frightening that way. And breaking free from familiarity was never easy either.

That was what it felt like to distance himself from Choi Yeorok. Without realizing it, the time he had spent with Yeorok had become a habit engraved into him. His head understood he had to give up, but his body still swayed, soaked in lingering attachment.

“Are you drinking again?”

As Eunho took the wine to leave, Seo Taehwa suddenly asked.

“Yes. I couldn’t sleep, so I’ll have a little and then go to bed.”

“You drank yesterday too.”

Eunho smiled. He ignored Seo Taehwa’s concern and quietly went out to the terrace.

The night breeze was cold today. But the chill helped cool his head. Eunho skillfully pulled the cork. Come to think of it, he had learned that from Choi Yeorok too.

“……”

He was in bad shape. He thought of Yeorok over every little thing. Eunho sighed and leaned his back against the hard wooden chair. The wine in the glass he had poured almost to the brim tilted dangerously, like his posture.

He faced the dark garden where there was nothing to see and continued drinking. As time passed, his body grew stiff from the cold. The wine he had planned to drink only a little of had already passed the halfway mark.

It would be more accurate to say his senses had gone dull. He barely felt the cold anymore. Whether he drank or not, his mind was blank. He felt wronged. He had been rejected without even getting to confess properly.

His one-sided love had been torn apart the moment he had tried to take it out. It was wasteful and hollow. But he wasn’t even in a position to dwell on it. That was what felt most pitiful.

He bent down to fill his empty glass again when a sound came from beyond the gate. A black luxury sedan drove in. The unexpected encounter made Eunho freeze with the bottle still tilted in his hand.

The car stopped, and a tall man stepped out. The mansion and the annex weren’t far apart, so from Yeorok’s place, the terrace would be in full view. As expected, Yeorok’s gaze turned toward Eunho.

He disdainfully looked at him. He clearly didn’t like seeing someone drinking alone at night. Yeorok stood watching for a moment, then turned and went inside. Maybe he felt that even scolding him would be a waste of effort.

“He must really hate me.”

Eunho murmured to himself. He swallowed the bitter feeling down with the wine. Maybe deep down he had been hoping Yeorok would at least say something to him.

He rubbed his forehead though it wasn’t itchy. His mouth twisted into a smile of resignation, but the eyes hidden behind his palm were painfully distorted.

‎

‎

‎

Since that day, Eunho had seen Choi Yeorok a few more times. Yeorok remained cold and openly kept his distance. On the surface, not much had changed. Only their personal contact had been cut off. Yeorok was strictly keeping the boundaries he had spoken of.

Through this, Eunho had come to know his place clearly. What he thought was closeness had been nothing but his own illusion. His relationship with Choi Yeorok was one that could be severed anytime if Yeorok wished, and that was all it ever was.

Maybe it was punishment for harboring improper feelings, he had been completely removed from Yeorok’s attention. Choi Yeorok was precise about beginnings and endings. He was a heartless man.

But that doesn’t mean he can just sit there helplessly. Even if Yeorok ignored him, that didn’t mean he could neglect his own responsibilities.

As the sun set, Eunho hurried to get ready to go out.

He had to attend an important event today. It was said to be the grand opening party of a luxury hotel, and he had heard that the hotel’s owner had long been close with the Choi family.

Only selected guests could attend the party, and the invitation had been sent to Choi Yoonho a month ago. It seemed absurd to think about enjoying a party in his current state, but it was his duty, so there was no choice.

Eunho’s body and mind were both in pieces. His gloomy mood was reflected exactly on his face when he looked in the mirror. His fine clothes and his miserable expression didn’t match at all.

“What’s wrong with you… pull yourself together.”

Eunho slapped both cheeks hard enough to sting. After repeating the words to himself as a reminder, he looked in the mirror again. At last, the proper Choi Yoonho stood there.

Seo Taehwa was supposed to drive him to the event. Lately, Eunho had smiled less and talked less, and maybe that worried him, because he kept talking while driving.

“When you get there, you’ll probably end up drinking a lot. I can’t go in, so pace yourself, alright?”

“……”

“You’ll probably run into Choi Yoonho’s group there too, and if they find out you’re…”

“I know.”

Eunho responded briefly. He held his forehead as if it ached. From his curt tone alone, it was clear he had already stepped into his Choi Yoonho act. Seo Taehwa quietly looked away.

“Choi Yeorok said he’s going too. You won’t be completely alone, so don’t worry too much.”

At that, Eunho lifted his eyes. He let out a long sigh while still holding his head.

“That makes it worse.”

***

As soon as he stepped into the venue, the sticky rhythm of the music hit his ears. Since it was a boutique hotel, stylish interior details filled every corner his eyes landed on.

It was nothing like the elegant atmosphere of Haegang’s anniversary event. This setting had a more raw atmosphere, and the crowd was noticeably younger. Most of them wore whatever fit their own taste rather than formal dresses or tuxedos.

Since the event mixed business with socializing, everyone behaved differently. Some kept up appearances with polite manners, while others were already drunk and laughing loudly.

Eunho showed his invitation and was allowed to enter. Without Seo Taehwa, he had to endure it all alone. His mouth felt dry with tension.

“Whiskey, straight.”

He went straight to the bar and ordered a drink first. He couldn’t handle this sober. He forced the harsh liquor down his throat when, without a sound, a man approached.

“Our pretty Yoonho, how have you been?”

Son Jinhyung slyly greeted him. The moment Eunho recognized him, his throat tightened. But his eyes curved smoothly in response.

Eunho put his glass down and cupped Son Jinhyung’s cheek. He responded with his prettiest smile on purpose.

“Long time no see.”

Son Jinhyung held the hand on his cheek and rubbed his lips against Eunho’s palm. His eyes sparkled with a disturbing shine as he stared at him. His mind was full of indecent thoughts.

Yet, he maintained a near appearance. Son Jinhyung wasn’t foolish enough to act lewdly in front of others. Instead, he leaned in close to Eunho and whispered.

“You must’ve lost your touch after resting so long.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m planning to go wild tonight.”

“Did you get permission first?”

Eunho opened his eyes wide.

“Permission from who?”

“Who else, your uncle.”

“Oh, that bastard? I don’t care.”

Eunho snorted and finished the rest of his drink. It was the first time in a long time that he’d heard such harsh words, and Son Jinhyung couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Oh? Speak of the devil, there’s that bastard now.”

Son Jinhyung pointed toward the entrance. As if perfectly timed, Choi Yeorok walked into the hall.

Eunho’s eyes met Yeorok’s immediately. Yeorok was dressed in a tailored suit, and since he had looked first, there was no way to avoid his gaze. A soft whistle sounded nearby. Son Jinhyung grinned and wrapped an arm around Eunho’s shoulder.

“Look at that, handling things the moment he walks in. It’s fucking scary.”