Side story 3. Ch 1.1

1. The Nameless Guest

Royal Golf Club.

The newbie, now just entering his second week on the job, was mopping the floor of the hall. What a waste of money—no, this was money blown to a whole new level. The entire floor was laid with marble, and to maintain its shine, it had to be swept and polished dozens of times a day. And it wasn’t even just large—it was enormous. Big enough to play a football match. By the time he finished cleaning, half the day would be gone.

Moving sluggishly with a face full of boredom, he happened to run into the owner entering through the front. The newbie quickly stood the broom upright and bowed his head.

 “Hello.”

 “…Hi.”

 A face so pale it looked like it had never seen sunlight. That only made the small, red lips that barely moved stand out even more. The owner briskly passed by the newbie without a glance.

The newbie’s eyes quickly swept over the absurdly young owner’s back. Everything he wore screamed luxury. A wave of inferiority surged inside him.

From the first moment he saw him, he figured the guy must’ve been born with a silver spoon. A baby-faced man, barely in his mid-twenties at most, running a massive golf club like this? No way that could happen without serious backing. It was something an average person couldn’t even dream of. The thought left a bitter taste on his tongue.

And it wasn’t just him thinking that—he’d overheard murmurs in the locker room a few days ago. While the staff were organizing customers’ golf bags, they whispered among themselves.

“You know the owner here? Why’s he so young?”

A colleague who joined around the same time asked. One of the longer-tenured employees scoffed before responding with something that made the newbie pause.

“When I first got here, the guy in that seat was a total pig—looked like he had ‘I’m the boss’ written all over his face.”

 “And then?”

The veteran employee stretched his neck out, glancing around. The eavesdropping newbie buried his face in his phone to play dumb. Only then did the whispering continue.

“That boss originally came in as a regular employee. Got lucky with his boyfriend and climbed the ladder.”

“…What? Here?”

“Shh, quiet.” Someone hushed the rising voices. It was silly—they all knew the newbie could hear anyway.

“But he looks so… proper?”

“Some people are obsessed with that kind of guy.”

They kept whispering until they left the locker room. Once the door shut, the newbie’s face twisted. Hearing that story only made the already annoying owner seem even worse.

That flawless face untouched by hardship, the well-proportioned frame draped in lean muscle—it grated on him. Some people worked themselves to the bone just to survive, while others smiled their way through life with a pretty face and a well-connected lover. The world felt unfair.

A dull life, a boring afternoon. With no assignments, he was serving room service at the hotel to kill time.

“Excuse me.”

He knocked on room 1104, the innermost penthouse suite. A man he’d never seen before opened the door.

“Come in.”

A towering, broad-shouldered man. His jet-black eyes were as striking as his pitch-dark hair. According to the client file, this man was likely the infamous CEO Jang—the young tycoon known for making and spending vast amounts of money.

He was strikingly handsome, yet the newbie began to understand why people rarely mentioned his looks. It wasn’t that he lacked appeal—it was that his presence simply overpowered his appearance. As he set up the tray on the table, the newbie quietly speculated to himself.

Then, he noticed a ring on the man’s fourth finger as he lifted the wine bottle. …Married? He didn’t recall seeing that detail in the file. Though outwardly composed, the newbie’s thoughts were full of questions. That’s when a deep, weighty voice dropped over his head.

“Can you call the owner for me?”

“Yes, sir. Did you schedule an appointment in advance?”

The man stared at him in silence. Was I supposed to take care of even that myself? That was the kind of look he gave. Alarmed, the newbie quickly tried to recover.

“I’ll contact him right away.”

He set down the tray and was just about to leave when the man’s eyes shifted toward the door. Leaning deep into the leather sofa, he murmured,

“He’s here.”

A knock sounded on the door.

“Yes, who is it?”

The newbie opened the door and found the owner standing outside. Stepping back, he let him in. The owner took a seat on the sofa across from the guest.

A brief silence fell. The guest sipped his wine. The thick column of his throat moved up and down as he swallowed. The owner simply watched him with half-lowered eyes.

Then the guest put down his wine glass and spoke with damp, glistening lips.

“Heard your sales dropped a lot.”

“Well, it is winter.”

The owner’s voice barely registered. The man’s jaw tightened, and his lips curled into a smirk.

“Everyone knows you’re just a puppet owner.”

Ha—this time, the man let out a low chuckle, his chest rising with the motion. With a hand as large as a golf club head, he brushed the owner’s neck and softly coaxed him.

“Say it again.”

“…Everyone knows you’re just a puppet.”

“You don’t even flinch anymore.”

At the sharp remark, the owner clammed up. The man pressed, “Hm?” but the owner remained silent. Smirking faintly, the man trailed a thick finger along the rim of the owner’s ear.

Watching his hand graze such an intimate spot, the newbie’s mind filled with a question: What is this?

He had been staring blankly without realizing it—until he felt eyes on him. The owner was glancing sideways at him.

Snapping out of it, the newbie quickly placed the fork and knife set onto the table.

“You may leave now.”

“Yes, enjoy your time.”

At the owner’s words, the newbie gave a silent bow and stepped out of the room.

As he pushed the tray down the hall, a frown crept over his face. Even as he took the elevator down and walked back to the lobby, he couldn’t shake the scene from his mind.

There was something disturbingly vivid about the way CEO Jang’s nail had scraped lightly against the edge of the owner’s ear…

 

01.

I stared silently at the man who had come to the golf course without so much as a word of notice. Thick eyebrows, slightly pronounced cheekbones, a solid jawline. The man also stared straight back at me. His gaze swept down from my face to my clothes, and then he grinned, eyes gleaming.

“This is just pathetic. You’re practically a kid playing dress-up.”

The back of my neck flushed with heat from being treated like a child showing off in front of adults. I already knew that this clumsily put-together suit didn’t suit me at all, but having it mocked so bluntly was indescribably humiliating.

A stiff white collar pressed against my nape. A navy tie choking my neck. A jacket that fit perfectly across the shoulders. It was definitely a custom-made suit tailored to my body, and yet it felt like I was borrowing an adult’s clothes. I didn’t understand why.

The first time I stood in front of a mirror wearing this suit, I’d fidgeted awkwardly, completely unfamiliar with the look. I held the tie in one hand, unsure of what to do with it, and ended up tying a clumsy knot. I re-tied it several times, but the awkward feeling never went away. Just as I was struggling in front of the mirror—

‘What are you even doing?’

The man’s exasperated eyes clung to my reflection. In the end, I had no choice but to walk out the door with that awkwardly crooked tie still hanging around my neck. I got into the back seat—the door held open by one of his subordinates—and sat beside him as we headed to the golf course. The man sitting next to me looked down at me with amused eyes. I almost wished he’d throw a fit and accuse me of trying to steal something from him right then and there.

Unfortunately, that never happened.

And so, here I was, looking like this.

“This kind of outfit doesn’t suit me at all… and I’m not good at talking, so I can’t deal with clients.”

The man’s fingers swept my hair behind my ear. The gesture, in itself, might have seemed gentle—but coming from CEO Jang, it felt completely indifferent.

The tips of his fingers intentionally brushed the curve of my ear. A shiver ran down my spine, so sudden and sharp that my shoulders instinctively tensed up.

“Ugh… I’ll only ruin the image of the golf club if I show up like this.”

“Then who do you think you’re talking to right now?”

“……”

“Isn’t that a client?”

The man slowly closed and reopened his eyes. His expression said, “Go ahead, try saying something more.” It felt like talking to a stone wall. I shut my slightly parted lips again. What more could I say? This whole disaster was no one’s fault but mine.

Let’s go back—two seasons ago, to the summer of last year.

***

It was a month before graduation. Classes were over for the day, and I was leaving campus to head home when my phone buzzed. The screen showed a mass message from the department office.

「Advisory session scheduled at Junghwa Chinese Restaurant in front of the school at 6PM on the 23rd. Attendance mandatory for graduation approval. – Dept. of Physical Education」

I frowned as soon as I saw it. It would take at least an hour, and the thought of sitting among a bunch of unfamiliar faces already had me feeling drained.

I walked away from campus toward a quieter part of town. I checked my watch—thankfully, there were still five minutes left before the hour. My schedule always had to be perfectly on time because the man constantly suspected I was up to something behind his back if I had even a little free time.

A luxury sedan parked discreetly on the side of the road was still drawing curious glances from passersby.

Sighing, I stared into the air. I raised my right hand to shield my face halfway and quickly got into the back seat.

“Mm, Yeowon, you’re here?”

Kim Joongdeok, who was sipping an Americano in the driver’s seat, offered me a cup too.

“…I’m fine.”

I declined softly, and Joongdeok casually put the cup back into the holder. I cautiously spoke as he started the car.

“Hyung, could you park a bit farther away next time?”

“Why?”

He asked with an exaggeratedly innocent face. Strangely, the back of my hand broke out in goosebumps.

“People keep staring.”

“Staring? No way.”

Joongdeok rolled down the window and stuck his head out. The people who had been curiously trying to guess who was in the dark-tinted car recoiled at the sight of his intimidating appearance.

“See? No one’s looking.”

Even as a baby in a stroller started wailing upon seeing his face, he casually rested an arm on the window, humming cheerfully and driving along. His bear-paw-like hand tapped lightly on the car door. A tattoo extended past the cuff of his jacket, and I could feel the cars around us subtly pulling away to keep their distance—but Joongdeok looked completely unfazed.

He met my gaze through the rearview mirror.

“So, where shall I take you?”

“…Where’s the CEO?”

A wide grin spread across his otherwise intimidating face in the mirror. I turned my gaze out the window, feeling strangely embarrassed.

“He’s at the office, of course. He’s the successful CEO of a respectable company, after all.”

…He really loves calling it a “respectable company.” I let his words drift out one ear while pulling up the 13-digit number for the man on my phone. I hesitated, wondering whether to press the call button. He was always busy, and his evenings were usually packed. As if reading my hesitation, Joongdeok spoke casually.

“He’s about to get even busier with a new contract coming up.”

He’s already busy—how could he get even busier? I felt exhausted just thinking about him living as if each day had 42 hours. Eat, sleep, sex, and work—that was his entire life outside of the time he spent with me. I figured I might as well ask if he had dinner plans, and with that thought, I firmly pressed the call button.

After a short ring, his voice came through.

“CEO.”

– Yeah, what is it?

“If you don’t have plans tonight… I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me.”

There was a brief silence on the other end, and then his voice answered, “Alright.” Even before the call connected, Joongdeok had already begun slowing the car, now chuckling to himself as he turned the steering wheel hard and changed direction.

“I’ll find us a good spot.”

The restaurant Joongdeok found had great atmosphere. The night view through the full-length windows was gorgeous, and the food was clean and well-prepared. The man looked satisfied. His expression was never easy to read, but I knew the subtle signs when he was pleased.

“Today was my three-lecture day, so I had some free time after lunch and just hung out at the main library.”

As I recited my day and watched him closely, I sensed this was the perfect moment.

“CEO.”

The man paused mid-cut with his knife. I looked at the knife in his hand and then quietly continued.

“There’s a department event this Thursday. I think I need to drop by for a bit.”

I put emphasis on the word “a bit.” The man’s thick eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“They said if I don’t attend, I won’t be able to graduate… I think it should only take about an hour—just a quick meal.”

I quickly added an explanation and anxiously waited for his reaction.

The man’s paused knife work resumed again. Seeing that he wasn’t making a fuss, it seemed he’d given permission. That was a relief, but I wasn’t done with what I had to say yet.

“And also…”

The man tilted his head back, raising his chin as if to say, What now?

“I was thinking of trying to work a few hours a day.”

The professor recommended a good position. If I could be financially independent, wouldn’t that make our relationship a little healthier?
The follow-up I had prepared in advance stayed trapped in my throat.

“…Hm.”

Letting out a low sound, the man set down both his fork and knife. Clang!
The sharp utensils scraped against the plate, making a shrill sound. I winced at the noise and then opened my eyes again.

With a clean motion, the man picked up the napkin in front of him and dabbed at the corner of his mouth. Then he clasped his large hands together and leaned his upper body over the table. A massive shadow spread across the surface.

“Seo Yeowon.”

As he uttered my name, a smile played at the corners of his lips. But while his lips were smiling, his eyes were completely expressionless. The dissonance between his eyes and his mouth sent a chill down my spine.

“You tried to charm me into dinner just to say that?”

“…No, sir.”

The man raised one eyebrow. He clearly didn’t believe me, and I knew this was my cue to shut my mouth.

“Things were going smoothly until just a moment ago.”

A crease appeared between his thick brows. He looked like someone whose evening had just been ruined. I felt my insides twist. Sitting there in front of a man who looked like he was silently accusing me of ruining his dinner, I took a sip of wine to wet my dry lips.

On the way back home, a heavy, indescribable tension filled the car. As the strangely cold atmosphere settled between us, Kim Joongdeok glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror.

All his effort spent looking up romantic restaurants on his phone during the ride here had gone to waste. Feeling bad, I offered him a sheepish smile—but then felt a painful grip on my arm.

“…Ah!”

The man yanked me toward him in one swift motion. I stumbled awkwardly, one hand landing on his thigh for balance. When I looked up at him, he was staring straight ahead.
Kim Joongdeok met his eyes in the mirror and let out a nervous laugh.

“…Ha ha.”

He quickly grabbed the rearview mirror with both hands and turned it away to block his view.

I decided I wouldn’t bring up this topic again anytime soon. I carved that promise quietly into one corner of my mind.