DOGC Ch 4

“It turns out I have some time left over.”

“How did you end up here?”

“I was nearby, and then I saw the back of your head and before I knew it.”

After he finished speaking, Yeonho gazed intently at Seorim. With his hair neatly styled and wearing a tailored suit, he certainly looked quite different from how he appeared at home. So this is what Ryu Yeonho is like in a public setting, Seorim thought.

“Was it because you were rejected this morning, so you just couldn’t pass me by? Out of sorrow.”

“What do you mean, rejected.”

“You left without me.”

For someone with whom he had a peculiar relationship, Yeonho was saying things a lawful wife would say, which was absurd. Seorim narrowed his eyes and shot him a hard look, but Yeonho continued the conversation placidly.

“Why the casino? Do you have some money?”

“I got some pocket money, from your father.”

“Looks like you did something pretty for him this morning.”

Though his tone was bland, when he delivered the last sentence, there was a strange lack of warmth in his voice. Yeonho stared at Seorim for a moment before unexpectedly raising his arm. His thumb gently pressed down on the round, swollen part of Seorim’s forehead.

“Did my father give you this on your head?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“I got into a scuffle.”

As if it were an unexpected answer, Yeonho burst out laughing.

“So, did you win?”

When Seorim nodded, Yeonho chuckled lowly again. It was not a very amusing story, yet his reaction was excessive. When Seorim raised his arm to pull Yeonho’s hand away, Yeonho first gently squeezed the back of Seorim’s hand before letting go.

“Good job, but don’t use your face so carelessly. Damaged goods sell for cheap, you know.”

What does that have to do with anything. Seorim, filled with displeasure, briefly swatted Yeonho’s hand away. Ryu Yeonho seemed unbothered by the prickly attitude.

“Try to win big by gambling with your pocket money.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“A little.”

He is like a loafer. He must be the type to enjoy picking fights with people and getting cursed at. Then he would be closer to a pervert than a loafer. It was a fact he already knew. It was just truly regrettable that he happened to be loitering right in front of him and caught the pervert’s eye.

“You’ve come all this way, aren’t you going in?”

“Gambling is a shortcut to ruining your life.”

“But selling your body is okay? What a half-baked conviction.”

Why does he keep messing with me. Annoyance surged, and Seorim glared. Just then, Yeonho suddenly lowered his body and gently pulled on Seorim’s cheek. It was a contact that carried considerable intimacy, enough to startle Seorim.

“What are you doing?”

“Because you’re looking at me like that.”

Seorim silently looked at Yeonho, then nonchalantly wiped his own cheek with the sleeve of his dress shirt.

“Don’t act friendly. It’s sickening.”

“……”

“After taking something precious of mine.”

Yeonho’s gaze shifted back and forth between the reddish cheek and the sleeve that had wiped it. He replied in a voice that seemed intrigued.

“When someone tells me not to, it makes me want to do it more.”

“Please stop.”

“Are you going to get into a scuffle with me, too?”

At the leisurely spoken words, Seorim let out a dry laugh and took a step away from Yeonho. A gaze that seemed to ask where he was going followed him, so he spoke first.

“I’m going to the duty-free shop.”

“Why, is there something you want?”

“I’m going to buy a gift for Husband.”

Husband. Yeonho moved his lips, tracing the grotesque pet name. He took a step closer to Seorim and asked.

“You buy gifts for Father too?”

“I’d like to live a little more comfortably, too. People like receiving gifts, don’t they.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. It would be a novel act, though.”

“I don’t know. I just, don’t want to be hit and don’t want to suffer……”

Seorim trailed off without realizing it. It was a very frank, pure sincerity. He simply hated being in pain. Pain is a kind of sensation that you can never get used to, no matter how familiar it becomes. If possible, he wanted to be thrown into an environment with even a little less pain.

A brief silence fell between them, then Yeonho raised his arm and wrapped it around Seorim’s shoulders.

“Let’s go together. I’ll help you pick.”

“Do you really have nothing to do?”

“It turned out that way.”

He was about to remove the heavy arm draped over his shoulder but stopped. Even if he shrugged it off, it would quickly be back. So Seorim let Ryu Yeonho do as he pleased.

🦅

At the duty-free shop on the first floor, he bought a tie pin. It was a rather flashy piece with a large blue jewel set on a silver base. While picking out the gift, Ryu Yeonho said that he knew Chairman Ryu’s taste very well. He said he just had to buy the opposite of his own taste, which was not funny at all.

His errand was done and the sun had set, so he was thinking of heading back soon. It was the moment Seorim opened his mouth to say goodbye.

Bang, bang—.

Suddenly, an inexplicable loud noise erupted from outside. A startled Seorim looked around, and Yeonho casually informed him of the sound’s source.

“Looks like they’re having a fireworks display.”

“A fireworks display?”

“On the deck. Do you want to see it?”

He had only ever seen fireworks on TV, never in person. While he hesitated, the sound of more fireworks exploding came from outside. He had wondered why there were so few people indoors, and it seemed they had all gone to see the fireworks.

It was just about dinnertime, so there was still some time before Chairman Ryu would return. Seorim hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded his head.

Without another word, Yeonho led Seorim to the deck. Matching his steps to Yeonho’s long strides, he contemplated his actions. Is this kind of thing fun? What meaning does watching fireworks together have for this man? If he had come to a party on a ship, it would be far more enjoyable to clink glasses with an acquaintance, but Ryu Yeonho does not do that.

The two went outside and crossed the deck, where new fireworks embroidered the sky moment by moment. Yeonho’s steps stopped in a secluded corner where there were few people. Phew, the sound of fireworks shooting up echoed in his ears one after another. At the same moment Seorim looked up, a firework exploded and scattered in the shape of a yellow sea anemone.

The fireworks varied in both color and shape. Depending on the pouring light, Yeonho, as seen by Seorim, also took on different colors. He briefly glanced at his side profile, but their eyes met, so he quickly turned his gaze back to the sky.

Watching the fireworks that rushed toward the sky like moths to a flame and exploded, Seorim quietly opened his mouth.

“How much is one of those?”

“Well, probably a few hundred thousand won, I guess.”

Expensive. As expected, beautiful things are precious, and precious things come at a high price. After Seorim fell silent, this time Yeonho broke the silence first.

“Is it pretty?”

“It feels like a waste of money.”

Even while giving such an answer, he could not tear his eyes away. It was so beautiful that if he had the means, he would want to buy fireworks every day and just look up at the sky. The second time he saw it, the third time, the tenth, the hundredth, it would not be the same as this first emotion he witnessed, but still.

“Is this your first time seeing fireworks?”

“Yes.”

“They have them at university festivals.”

So they have fireworks at university festivals. Seorim, with his gaze fixed on the sky, answered casually.

“I couldn’t go to the festival.”

Feeling a sense of unfamiliarity, Seorim unconsciously touched his lips. Only a few years had passed, yet the days when he had lived an ordinary life felt so distant.

He rolled his eyes for a moment to observe Ryu Yeonho, and their gazes met again. Is he even looking at the sky? Without a single blink, capturing Seorim in his eyes, Yeonho asked.

“What did you originally want to do after graduating from university?”

Although he had not even attended for a full year, his major was in business and economics. In truth, what he really loved was drawing. Of course, for a poor family, art was not even a dream he could have. To be of some help, he had chosen the business major for quicker employment, but in the end, he could neither get a job nor draw.

Speaking of the Baek Seorim of the past brought up a myriad of emotions. It was nostalgic yet uncomfortable, heart-pounding yet miserable. To face the dazzlingly bright past from a world that had faded to black and white was far too blinding.

“Something I wanted to do……. I didn’t have anything.”

Taking refuge in a lie, Seorim bit his lip. Above his head, brilliant fireworks exploded with loud bangs. He had talked too much about useless things because of the atmosphere. To a person he did not even know well.

Ryu Yeonho was not smiling, which made him uncomfortable. Seorim, fidgeting, clenched his fists tightly. The shopping bag in his hand, bearing the logo of a luxury brand, crumpled slightly.

“I should get going now.”

“Already?”

“I think I’ve seen enough. I plan to go before Husband arrives.”

There was still no trace of a smile in his eyes. As Seorim took a step back, Yeonho grabbed his bony wrist.

“Do you call him Husband even when Father isn’t around?”

“Then what should I call him.”

“Well, something like ‘old geezer’.”

Ryu Yeonho’s lips curved into a smile. Seorim clutched the shopping bag containing the tie pin tightly and turned around.

“I’m leaving.”

Whoosh, pow. The last firework, as if seeing Seorim off, rose, scattered like little fish swimming, and sank into the sea.

Not long after, Seorim arrived at the cabin where he was staying. After washing up, he lay down in a robe and waited for Chairman Ryu. A small sound rumbled from his hungry stomach.

The owner of the room opened the door and came in a little after ten o’clock. It was an earlier return for both of them than the day before. Seorim, deliberately not tidying his disheveled robe, ran and threw himself into the old man’s arms. He rubbed his exposed shoulder against the man’s torso, which smelled of alcohol, and offered an affectionate greeting.

“You’re back, Husband.”

“It seems my baby has been waiting a long time. Did you have fun.”

“Yeees, I even went to the casino but I lost all my money. I’m sorry.”

Chairman Ryu’s hand slipped under the robe and kneaded his soft bottom.

“You have to use your head to win at gambling, too. It can’t be helped if you’re stupid.”

“But I saved a little money, so I bought Husband a present.”

“You did?”

Seorim shyly blushed and pointed to the table where he had placed the shopping bag.

“Open it.”

Chairman Ryu’s wrinkled hand tore open the shopping bag and then untied the black ribbon. When the jewelry case was opened, the tie pin purchased in the evening revealed its form.

“I was wrong before, but thank you for continuing to cherish me.”

“……”

“I always want to be by Husband’s side. I’ll do better from now on.”

Flattery flows most easily when it is not from the heart. As if savoring every sentence Seorim uttered, Chairman Ryu chuckled, cackle, cackle.

“Where did you learn to say such things.”

Contrary to the scolding words, a satisfied smile filled his wrinkled face. He tossed the tie pin aside carelessly and swept Seorim up in his arms. With a light laugh, the two figures flopped onto the bed.

Chairman Ryu parted his wide lips and stuck out his tongue. Seorim, hiding his trembling lips, sucked on the wet tip of the tongue.

“Husband’s tongue is delicious.”

“Yes, it is. Suck on it a lot. My baby.”

“Hurry and hold me. I want to eat other things, too.”

After a light kiss, Chairman Ryu flung Seorim’s robe wide open. While greedily licking his fair, flour-like nape, he suddenly interrogated him.

“But why did you mess with your pheromones earlier.”

At the unexpected remark, his shoulders tensed slightly. He did not say anything this morning, surely he did not notice that his own son’s pheromones had clung to him, right? Seorim took Chairman Ryu’s hand, rubbed his cheek against it, and then gently planted a kiss.

“I saw it in the bathroom and the scent was nice……. I didn’t know it was a pheromone perfume, I’m sorry.”

“Seorim’s own body scent is sweet, that’s why Husband likes it when you cling to him like this, so why cover it up.”

“I won’t do it again.”

Fortunately, it seemed he had not noticed. Chairman Ryu twisted his head and pressed his lips against his again. A foul odor wafted from the short, blunt tongue. The passively flickering tongue was waiting for Seorim to show some skill.

Ryu Yeonho’s had licked the roof of his mouth without a single gap, had roamed everywhere on its own, exploring the delicate mucous membranes like a fish released into a pond.

Why he suddenly came to mind was something he could not understand. Was it because he was his son? Even so, it was hard to find even a trace of resemblance between the father and son.

“Ugh, Husband.”

The robe, which had been hanging precariously, tumbled to the floor with a thud. The last night on the ship was ending like that.

🦅

The mansion was much closer to the end of summer compared to before he left.

A light gray foreign car passed through the winding road and reached the backyard. Soon, the smoothly rolling wheels stopped, and the car’s engine was turned off. Yeonho, dressed in a black turtleneck, opened the driver’s side door with a blank expression. The damp, grassy smell of the mansion wrapped around the tip of his nose.

He had stayed in Seoul for a while and then boarded the ship, so it had been some time since he was at the mansion. Yeonho leaned against the car and took out a cigarette. As he drew on the filter, he felt his blood circulation quicken, and a sense of refreshment washed over him.

After tossing the finished cigarette into a corner, he went inside and opened the main door. The drawing room, filled with old furniture, greeted Yeonho.

“Hyung!”

Yeonwoo, who was sitting in a corner of the sofa, recognized his brother and ran over. Yeonho placed a hand perfunctorily on his younger brother’s head and scanned the drawing room. On the sofa opposite from where the child had sprung, one more person was sitting.

He had wondered why he was with the kid for a change, but they were sitting so far apart. Yeonho cast an indifferent glance at Chairman Ryu, then casually asked his brother.

“Did you have fun?”

“Uh-huh, hyung, are you here because it’s the weekend?”

“I came to see Yeonwoo.”

“Is your vacation over? Does that mean you won’t live with us anymore?”

“Would you like it if we lived together?”

Yeonho lifted his young brother into his arms and walked toward the sofa. As he sat down opposite Chairman Ryu, the old father wore an indifferent expression. It was a face quite different from the artificial one he had put on to be conscious of public opinion on the ship.

“I’m seeing you soon, Father.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t seem very happy to see me.”

“We saw each other just a while ago, should I have come out with flowers to greet you or something? Don’t talk nonsense.”

In a conversation that was clearly far from affectionate, Yeonwoo, caught in the middle, darted his eyes back and forth. His little fern-like hand clutched the hem of his clothes tightly. Yeonho, expressionless, gently pulled the small head closer.

“Have you eaten?”

“I ate.”

Yeonwoo, nestled in his arms, peeked his head out. Then, with his small, delicate lips, he whispered into his ear.

“Did you eat, hyung?”

“No.”

“I’ll eat with you. Because hyung must be bored.”

So good-hearted. The father who sent away two wives, the half-brother, the dead mother who gave birth to him, all were rotten on the inside, so who did he take after? Rubbing his thumb on his brother’s rounded forehead, Yeonho opened his mouth.

“I guess I’ll have to live here. Since Yeonwoo is here too.”

Although the words were not directed at him, Chairman Ryu’s thick eyebrows twitched. He slammed the newspaper he was reading onto the table. The thin paper fluttered weakly from the impact.

“Why the hell would a guy who needs to be working his ass off commute from here.”

“I’ll take care of that, but I miss my family so much I can’t focus on work.”

“What trick are you up to now. You snake with hundreds of serpents in your gut.”

“That can’t be, I’m a soft-hearted person too.”

Yeonho, who had been leisurely looking at Chairman Ryu, gestured with his chin at the open newspaper.

“There’s an article about it right there. About me working my ass off.”

[Taehwa Construction’s High-End Brand ‘Project R’, Now Plants its Flag in Daejeon]

An article about a luxury apartment complex moving in took up an entire page. It was a project that Taehwa Construction had been preparing and refining for years to target the upper-class housing market.

Chairman Ryu seemed unable to find a retort and twisted his upper lip. It was a shame that he kept making the atmosphere so tense, which scared the child. Yeonwoo, trembling in his arms, was like a small wild animal.

“I’ll be taking my leave first. Please rest.”

With Yeonwoo still in his arms, Yeonho calmly left the drawing room. Walking down the carpeted hallway, he put his brother down in front of the stairs. Yeonwoo, standing awkwardly, tilted his head.

“You’re not coming with me?”

“I have something to do. Go play by yourself.”

“Uh-huh, okay.”

After confirming that Yeonwoo was ascending the stairs with the pitter-patter of a small bird, Yeonho turned and headed towards his room at the end of the hall.

When he opened the wooden door, the same scene as two weeks ago awaited its owner. His deeply sunken eyes scanned the well-organized desk and bed. After confirming the luggage he had ordered to be moved in advance, Yeonho stood in front of a drawer.

His neat fingertips fumbled in his coat pocket and retrieved a silver locket. It was the necklace Baek Seorim had been so desperately searching for. He had left the broken chain in Seoul to be repaired, so a metal chain of the same color as the locket was now attached.

Yeonho, rubbing the locket with his thumb, pressed the button to open the lid. Seorim, with a youthful face due to his full cheeks, and a certain couple were smiling happily. Yeonho looked down at the photo for a while, then opened the drawer.

Click, the necklace holding the Baek Seorim of the past slid into the darkness of the drawer.

🦅

Under the peaceful midday sun, Seorim lay on the bed, his eyes diligently scanning the words. In his pale white fingers was a hardcover literature book. The gold foil, flaked off here and there on the spine, barely revealed the title ‘Tess’.

It was something he had secretly taken from Chairman Ryu’s study. The reason he was reading was not so much that he was afraid of becoming stupid, but rather that he simply had nothing else to do. It would be too much of a torture to be told to just lie in bed when a male prostitute woke up during the day.

The study had enough books to last a lifetime of reading, so even if one or two disappeared, Chairman Ryu would surely never notice.

However, reading the book was a separate matter from understanding its contents. The elegant and lyrical poetic expressions felt to Seorim like a frantic combination of exaggerated words. It seems he was right about his mind becoming stupid.

It was when Seorim, troubled, was chewing on his lip and turning the page.

Knock, knock. There was a knock on the door, and then the bedroom opened. What squeezed through the gap was a small head.

“Hyung-ah, hello.”

Yeonwoo, carrying a large bag in his hand, waddled to the bedside. Seorim looked down at the child, his lips twisted. He could see something sharp sticking out of the black bag.

“What is that?”

“Hyung bought me a present. Let’s go plant flowers together.”

“Flowers?”

This child’s hyung could only be Ryu Yeonho.

“Your hyung told you to plant that?”

“Uh-huh, he said growing flowers makes your heart pretty.”

Hearing that, it seemed the bag contained a trowel and seeds. It was utterly dumbfounding. Did he say such things because he himself possessed such a noble heart? It seemed that for a while now, he had not known how to look at himself and was only trying to raise his younger brother well.

“Why with me……”

“Because it’s fun to play with hyung-ah, huh? Let’s plant them together.”

“Where did the person who bought you that go?”

“He said he has something to do. He told me to play by myself for a bit.”

He could have just given him a moderately expensive toy, for what purpose did he buy a high-maintenance gardening set and then not even take responsibility for it.

“Hyung-ah, do you not like playing with Yeonwoo?”

“What?”

“Since hyung-ah is a grown-up, it’s not fun to play with me. Right.”

“That’s……”

His chest ached seeing the little one, on the verge of tears, trying his best to smile by twitching his cheeks. The sight of him forlornly gathering the things in the bag was pitiful. He looked like a discouraged baby bear.

Ah, seriously.

“Why wouldn’t it be fun, let’s go.”

“Really?”

“I like planting flowers.”

Of course, he had never planted one before.

About to reluctantly leave the room, Seorim stopped his actions. It was because a scene had suddenly flashed through his mind.

“But, you.”

“Huh?”

What came to mind was the image of Yeonwoo playing with a dead rat before. The small hands mashing the peeled-off skin and dangling innards with a stone. Seorim frowned and looked down at Yeonwoo’s innocent eyes, then turned his head away.

“It’s nothing.”

“Wow, I like hyung-ah so much. Thank you.”

Yeonwoo, excited, jumped up and down on the floor and grabbed Seorim’s hand. Seorim, with a troubled face, took the bag the child was holding.

Before coming to him, the child had wandered around the mansion and decided on a place to plant the flowers, the child said with a bashful smile. And the place he led him to was the empty backyard of the mansion. When asked why he chose this place, he said the ground looked lonely.

Seorim, who was looking around the empty backyard, which literally had nothing but a few weeds growing here and there, opened his mouth.

“This is where your hyung smokes.”

“Whaat, really?”

“If you plant them here, the flowers will all die. Or you could kick Ryu Yeonho out.”

It would be difficult to even get them to sprout in the first place, and they would never grow properly while absorbing cigarette smoke. As Seorim was about to add more, he realized something and let out a low groan.

“……It doesn’t matter since I’ll be going to Seoul, I guess.”

What am I supposed to do if that son of a bitch takes my necklace and leaves. As Seorim narrowed his eyes at the empty air, Yeonwoo tapped the bare ground with the trowel and said.

“No, hyung decided to live with us.”

“What?”

Suddenly, a foreign car parked in the backyard caught Seorim’s eye. And in the next moment, as if it were a lie, the owner of the car and the man at the center of the conversation appeared.

“What are you planting flowers in a place like this for.”

Thump, Ryu Yeonho tossed a cigarette butt he had been holding, and it rolled on the dirt ground along with his words. This is why flowers can’t grow here. It seemed he had been smoking nearby.

“Hyung, are you done with work?”

“Yeah. Good job, coming out to plant flowers.”

“Then watch me plant flowers. Watch me, okay?”

Yeonwoo’s face lit up, showing how much he truly liked his brother. He earnestly asked him to watch him plant the flowers and then squatted down with the trowel in hand. Before he knew it, Seorim was standing side by side with Yeonho, as if he were a guardian.

Instinctively, Seorim took a step back, but Ryu Yeonho spoke to him first.

“You’re going through a lot of trouble playing with the kid.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Do you like kids?”

“Not really.”

Yeonwoo poked at the ground with the trowel, scooped up some dirt, and then turned around with a bright smile. Ryu Yeonho formed a faint smile and then continued in a low voice.

“But you’re playing with him well.”

“It’s because you bought something weird and then pretended not to know, so the trouble fell on me.”

“I guess you must have played with him before. He doesn’t act like that with just anyone.”

“Why do you keep using informal language.”

“Then you do it too.”

Is he crazy. Seorim openly scowled and then replied.

“You seem to pay some attention to the kid. It doesn’t suit you.”

“He’s my only younger brother, so.”

“You look far apart in age, isn’t he your son?”

“I haven’t gone around spreading my seed everywhere. Unlike my father, maybe.”

Seorim watched blankly as Yeonwoo sprinkled seeds into the hole he had made. Seeing his hands covered in dirt, another scene came to mind.

“You should pay more attention. He was doing something a bit strange.”

“What strange thing.”

“I saw him playing with a rat. A dead one, crushing it with a stone.”

In this house, the only person who could be called Yeonwoo’s guardian seemed to be Ryu Yeonho, so he thought it would be good for him to know. He had delivered some rather shocking information, but Ryu Yeonho did not seem particularly surprised. He seemed lost in thought for a moment while looking at the child’s back, then muttered briefly.

“Ah, right. I guess that’s what happened.”

Is this bastard really a guardian. Seorim looked up at Yeonho with cold eyes.

“He shouldn’t take after his mom too much. His mother was a psycho.”

“Now she’s……”

“Dead. Can’t you tell by looking?”

There was not a single normal person in this household. Not a single one. Seorim did not hide his fed-up expression and looked at Yeonwoo, who was smiling brightly towards him.

“Do you really cherish him?”

“I come here to see him.”

“You said he’s not even your full brother.”

“Because I feel sorry for him.”

So he was not a person completely devoid of emotion. From his actions, he just seemed like a madman, but it appeared even a madman could have attachments.

While they were talking, the child’s hands had created several shallow mounds that held seeds. Would the sprouts be able to bud, would the flowers be able to bloom. In this harsh and unforgiving environment.

🦅

It was a few days later, early in the morning.

From the day he entered this mansion as Chairman Ryu’s concubine until now, Seorim had never had a meal with anyone. It was a matter of course. An employee was not a member of the family, and moreover, the task assigned to him was utterly vulgar.

However, today was different. After dealing with Chairman Ryu the night before, a servant had shaken Seorim, who had collapsed into sleep, awake. The Chairman wished to have breakfast together, an unsettling invitation.

Did I win his favor by gifting him the tie pin? I only gave it to him in the hopes that he would not hit me, this kind of treatment was burdensome.

Perhaps there was another intention. Chairman Ryu had an unusual sexual appetite, so maybe he had called him to make him do something shameless during the meal. In the first place, the intentions of a rich old man who takes a male concubine are not easily fathomed.

Swallowing these and other stray thoughts, he opened the dining room door.

It was a splendid space, as befitting a chaebol family’s mansion. Seorim briefly looked up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling before lowering his gaze. At the table, three people were already seated, looking at him.

Chairman Ryu, Ryu Yeonwoo, and Ryu Yeonho.

“Baby, come here and sit.”

Chairman Ryu pointed to the seat next to him. He never thought he would use such a term of endearment in front of Yeonwoo. There was nothing to be ashamed of at this point, but his face was not thick-skinned enough to answer proudly, so Seorim bit his lip slightly as he walked.

“Hy, hyung-ah is also ea, eating with us?”

“Can’t you speak properly.”

“I’m so, rry.”

The child stutters, though it seems he did not used to be like this. Come to think of it, today was the first time he had seen Chairman Ryu with Yeonwoo, let alone acting affectionately towards him. Moreover, the answer to the question came not from Chairman Ryu, but from Yeonho, who was sitting beside him.

“Hyung-ah is a precious guest, so Father called for him.”

“But why didn’t he eat with us before?”

“Because he’s a sleepyhead. Say something to him, tell him not to sleep so late at night.”

At those words, Seorim raised his head. His eyes naturally met Ryu Yeonho’s across the table. He could feel the light brown eyes move languidly, sweeping over his cheek. As their gazes intertwined, Seorim saw the lips below, which had been closed in a straight line, curve thinly.

He says things he does not need to. Does he find things like that fun.

A servant brought rice, soup, and utensils and placed them in front of him. The others were already eating, so Seorim awkwardly picked up his spoon and chopsticks. Seeing this, Chairman Ryu suddenly spoke.

“Eat a lot. You worked hard last night.”

Has he gone senile. It was not a remark to be made at the breakfast table where a young child was present. Chairman Ryu would not be unaware of this either.

“I’m worried if you have the stamina to be worked hard, being so elderly.”

“……”

“Shall I get you some separate medicine?”

This time too, it was Ryu Yeonho who caught the words that fell into the void. Bulging veins rose on Chairman Ryu’s hand holding the spoon. It was obvious at a glance that he was displeased, but Ryu Yeonho, who had thrown the spark, simply chewed his rice nonchalantly.

“Thanks to my baby, there’s no need for that.”

“I’m curious. How devotedly does he serve you.”

As Seorim barely managed to pick up a little rice with his chopsticks, Yeonho asked in a voice tinged with laughter.

“Why do you eat as little as a bird. Is it because your mouth is small.”

His tone was as if he knew the size of his mouth. In fact, he had plunged his member into it several times, so he would know well. His already non-existent appetite plummeted. He had not gifted the tie pin to enjoy the unwelcome honor of attending such an uncomfortable gathering.

It was a mystery what the old geezer was thinking, calling him here to feed him. Was he so proud of his male prostitute that he wanted to show him off to his sons.

“Hyung-ah, eat this.”

Suddenly, he turned at a small whisper and saw Yeonwoo holding out a plump piece of rolled omelet. His hand did not have enough strength, and the tip of his chopsticks trembled as if the heavy side dish was too much for him. Seorim quickly brought his own spoon close and whispered. ‘Thank you.’

Yeonwoo smiled faintly. You have such a pretty heart, so why did you play with a dead rat. The question flashed through his mind, but Seorim diligently suppressed it.

“Is the child pretty.”

Chairman Ryu, who had seen them exchanging the side dish, asked. It was bizarre for a concubine and a son to be on good terms, yet his tone was strangely gentle. Seorim quietly raised his gaze and looked at the old chairman. The tie pin he had gifted him was pinned in the middle of his navy blue tie, sparkling.

“Well, Yeonwoo needs a mother too, doesn’t he.”

He had not answered anything, yet an absurd reply came back. Does he mean to make him his wife? Unless he has really gone senile and his judgment has regressed to that of an adolescent brat.

He could not hide his momentarily horrified expression, but Seorim quickly came to his senses and raised the corners of his mouth. Suddenly, he heard a sound like air escaping from in front of him.

“Are you planning to get remarried?”

He kept bursting into small laughs, what was so funny. The sound of Chairman Ryu’s temper fraying seemed to be vividly transmitted to his ears. Not wanting to get caught in a useless fight, Seorim put on the cleanest smile he could muster and met Chairman Ryu’s eyes.

“The child’s eyes are really pretty. He resembles Husband.”

“Is that so.”

“And his heart seems pretty, too.”

He could feel Yeonwoo’s eyes sparkling. He showed a sense of excitement at being praised, which was very childlike. Chairman Ryu looked at the two, fiddled with his tie pin, and then opened his mouth.

“Hyunjun is coming to Korea this afternoon and will be staying here for a while, so be aware of that.”

“Why is he coming here when he has his own house.”

“His family is in America right now. Since I adore him so much, he must want to see me early.”

He did not know who this visitor was, but Ryu Yeonho seemed to not approve of him. He twisted his firm lips into a slanted smile and said.

“He’s treated better than your own son. I’d be touched.”

With those words, Ryu Yeonho arranged his utensils and rose from his seat.

“I have some work to do, so I’ll be leaving first. Please take your time eating.”

Yeonwoo, who looked up at his brother, followed him without a word. Seorim also had no desire to push anything more down his throat. It would be a relief if what he had just eaten did not get stuck.

Seorim, with an awkward smile, looked at Chairman Ryu and opened his mouth.

“I’m not feeling well either.”

“But your food is untouched.”

“I guess it’s because I’m used to not eating breakfast. Shall I be your conversation partner by your side until Husband finishes eating?”

Please refuse. Not a single word of what he had just said to Chairman Ryu was sincere.

“That’s alright. Go and rest.”

Luckily, Chairman Ryu gave the answer he had hoped for. As he got up, Seorim, out of habit, was about to clear the utensils he had touched but stopped himself.

It was the most uncomfortable meal he had ever had. He could not remember at all what food had been on the table. Seorim clenched and unclenched his faintly sweaty palm and left the dining room.

His room was on the second floor, so he was passing through the hallway to go up the stairs.

Suddenly, a door to some room opened, and a strong force pulled his arm. Without even a chance to scream, Seorim was dragged into a room he did not even know. Click, the sound of a wooden door closing was heard, and he was pushed against a wall by someone else’s will. It was Ryu Yeonho.

“Mmph, ngh……!”

Their lips were forcibly sealed. His lower lip was bitten, causing his mouth to open naturally. Ryu Yeonho did not miss the opportunity and pushed his tongue in. The wet flesh skillfully licked the inside of Seorim’s mouth.

Holding the small face with his hands, Yeonho persistently sucked on his lips. Seorim’s neck bent back, and he let out a pained sound. He was out of breath, but he would not let go of his lips, so he slammed his fist into his shoulder.

However, the situation did not change. Only after hitting him a couple more times did the distance between their lips widen. Of course, the gap was only in that area; their bodies were still pressed tightly together.

“What did you do with such devotion at night.”

Yeonho began in a low, sunken voice. What did he mean by being devoted or not in the night’s work. Seorim, revealing his displeasure fully, stared at him and then wiped the saliva from his mouth.

“Why are you suddenly acting like a dick.”

“An expression of interest.”

“If you’re going to do it, pay for it.”

“It’s fun. Do you look at your father with those eyes too?”

“Of course not. Do you think I want to get beaten?”

Yeonho was feigning a relaxed tone, but he seemed strangely more irritable than usual. Too tired to even curse, his mouth closed on its own. As Seorim turned his head away, the collar of his dress shirt opened slightly. Seeing the sporadic bruises on his collarbone, Yeonho muttered.

“He’s made a mess. The old geezer is so greedy.”

He reached out and swept his hand over the bruises. Seorim’s disgusted reaction of shoving his shoulder away was a natural response.

“Do it in moderation. If I get caught, I’m the only one who will die.”

“Hide it skillfully.”

“Why should I have to? When all you have to do is stay still.”

“Then where do I release my mood.”

“Go be a dick somewhere else.”

“You’re the one Chairman Ryu adores to death, so why would I?”

There was no semblance of a proper conversation. There was no need to be polite to Ryu Yeonho, so Seorim spat out his inner thoughts without holding back.

“You’re being even more of a dick today.”

“Because something annoying came up. You should try to understand.”

Something annoying? Could it be that person named Hyunjun? The name he had just heard flashed through his mind, but the man in front of him did not give him a moment to get lost in idle thoughts peacefully.

Tilting his head slightly, Ryu Yeonho came closer again, trying to mix their breaths. Did he always look like this? A domineering desire flickered in his sunken eyes.

Yeonho’s parted lips instantly swallowed Seorim’s. He intertwined their tongues again, taking his saliva as if he were sick of it. However, this time his hands were not idle. While entwining their soft tongues, he unbuttoned Seorim’s dress shirt.

The warmth that had been fiddling with his lips slowly descended. It pressed firmly on the corner of his mouth, lightly brushed his chin, and upon reaching his nape, left a long trail of saliva. His breathing grew ragged, and Seorim gasped and twisted his body.

“Don’t. It’s daytime, if someone comes……”

I’ll be fucked.

He would gently soothe the soft skin, only to bite down with his teeth. And then he would suck and tighten his lips on the heated skin. Uncontrolled pheromones subtly stirred between the two of them.

“Why on earth are you doing this to me? Do you want to do this with your father’s toy?”

“It’s fun.”

“Really? Is that all?”

“……”

“What do you want? I’ll do whatever you want, so just give me the necklace.”

As he glared up at Yeonho, he, who had been looking down silently, moved his hand again.

“The necklace, ugh.”

It seemed as if he knew everything about how to touch a person’s body to make them desperate. Chills ran down his spine every time his tongue glided along the hollow of his collarbone. His knees gave out, and Seorim ended up slumping against the wall. Even then, he was awkwardly propped up, blocked by Yeonho’s legs.

Yeonho, who had been gnawing on his collarbone, pushed back his dress shirt. His hot breath moved to his exposed shoulder. Trapped between the wall and the broad chest, Seorim could not stop his body from being covered in saliva.

“Agh.”

After pulling Seorim’s arm out of the dress shirt sleeve, Yeonho grabbed his thin wrist and pinned it to the wall. Because his arm was stretched out, his armpit was completely exposed. Seorim resisted by putting strength into his wrist, but the restrained area did not even budge.

“How do you not have any hair here either.”

“What are you doing, wait a minute……!”

A bright red tongue slowly parted his concave armpit. At the unfamiliar sensation, Seorim shook his head wildly. To lick such a place, his eyes grew hot with shame. A part of his body that he had never even touched himself, except when washing, was being licked by another person.

After covering the entire armpit with his tongue, he even buried his nose in it and smelled it. Due to his nervousness, sweat had subtly seeped out. Even that, Ryu Yeonho licked up greedily.

“Ugh, wh, you crazy, crazy bastard.”

Tssp, his lips made a wet sound as if to deliberately embarrass him. Tears he could not understand kept leaking out, so Seorim covered his own mouth with his free hand. Seeing that, Yeonho said, while still holding the flesh of his armpit in his mouth.

“Block it well, if you don’t want to get caught screwing around with Husband’s son.”

While persistently sucking on his armpit with his mouth, his hand slid down to Seorim’s side. His hard thumb gently caressed his ribs. Because he kept touching unfamiliar places, Seorim was afraid.

After licking his armpit until the skin was damp, he kissed below his collarbone. As his body collapsed, Yeonho sat the limp Seorim on his lap.

“Ugh, ugh.”

With his freed arm, Seorim unknowingly clung to Yeonho. His shoulder, which had broken out in a heat rash, trembled intermittently. Yeonho smiled faintly and bit his flushed earlobe.

Starting with a bite, he savored the ear as if he would melt it away, and only then did his tongue detach. Seeing Seorim with tears welling in his eyes, catching his breath, Yeonho muttered.

“It doesn’t taste good, though.”

“Then is an armpit supposed to taste like strawberries or something?”

Regardless of whether Seorim burst out in anger, Yeonho maintained a leisurely attitude. He wiped away the tear hanging on his eyelashes with his thumb and asked.

“Are you always this tearful?”

“They just come out on their own.”

“Because you like it?”

“You’re really making me want to curse.”

Spreading his legs had been a daily routine until now, but he had never offered his armpit. He would have rather been made to perform oral sex; he wondered what Ryu Yeonho gained from doing something like this.

“Straighten your clothes.”

With those words, Yeonho picked up the dress shirt that had fallen to the floor and draped it over Seorim. He was the one who had messed up the perfectly worn clothes, yet he spoke with such audacity. Seorim only traced a small curse with his lips and put his arms into the sleeves to button them up.

“Play well.”

“Play with what.”

“You’re not doing anything in particular. Must be nice, being so carefree.”

With that, Yeonho left the room without hesitation. Seorim stared blankly at the sight of the wooden door slowly closing. He was angry because that man genuinely seemed to be in a better mood than before he had dragged him into the room.

Seorim was about to get up to follow him out of the room but stopped, feeling a strange discomfort.

“Ha, fuck, seriously.”

It seemed he would have to change his underwear.

🦅

Tick, tock—.

The sound of the car’s turn signal blinking spread rhythmically through the vehicle. Yeonho, with his hands on the steering wheel, watched the crowd of people holding suitcases walk in a line. They were so engrossed in laughing and talking among themselves, what was so amusing.

Thanks to his senile father, he was seeing all sorts of sights. With a hollow laugh, Yeonho leaned back against the seat and tilted his head back slightly.

Ryu Hyunjun was the eldest son of Chairman Ryu Sangman’s younger sister and worked at the American branch of Taehwa Construction. It was amusing to think about the hidden meaning behind making him stay at the mansion immediately upon entering the country, albeit temporarily, and ordering him to act as a chauffeur despite having people he could use. He knew that his father was secretly backing his nephew instead of his son, but was he going to help with even minor-league power rankings? Not even the parents of elementary school students would do this.

It was because he kept doing such useless things that he had ruined Taehwa Construction. His dull mind was deplorable. This is why he could not quit smoking.

The reason he had come all the way to the airport, even though he could have refused, was simply out of interest. He was just a little curious to see if his upright and wholesome face was still the same, and what kind of reaction he would show upon seeing that he had come to pick him up personally.

As he was tapping the cigarette pack in his pocket with his finger, a man holding a small briefcase appeared. It did not take long for the passenger side door to open and the outside air to rush into the car.

“Yeonho-ya, it’s been a while.”

Yeonho rolled his eyes and looked down at Hyunjun, who was slightly shorter than him. Nothing had changed, from his face to his voice. His well-defined lips formed an artificial smile.

“It has. Have you been well?”

“I’ve been well. It’s been a while since I came to Korea, so I’m a bit disoriented.”

As he pressed the accelerator, the car rolled smoothly and leisurely left the airport.

“I didn’t expect you to come yourself, it’s an honor. You’re still as handsome as ever. I thought you were a celebrity.”

“Thanks. You look good too, hyung.”

“I’ve been working out lately.”

At those words, Yeonho turned his head once to look at Hyunjun. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes scanning the passenger seat were as cold as could be. He turned his eyes back to the front and replied.

“That’s good to see.”

“Is the Chairman in good health? I used to see him often whenever I came to Korea before.”

It probably was not often, but rather constantly. Yeonho, expressionless, gently pressed his foot on the accelerator. The roads are a bit congested because it is the weekend. He could not just crash into them, which was troublesome.

“Father is always hale and hearty.”

His lower body and his torso are both quite healthy. The problem was that a rotten head was attached on top of them.

The traffic light precariously turned yellow. The car came to a stop, and Yeonho’s low voice calmly settled in the air.

“I’m hurt that you only see Father and not me.”

“You’re so busy.”

“Still, I can have a meal with you if you come, hyung. I came all the way here to pick you up today even though I’m busy. Because I was happy to see you.”

If he had not been able to bite and suck on Baek Seorim this morning, he might have really caused an accident on the way here or back. Yeonho suppressed his annoyance, curved his lips into a crescent moon shape, and continued.

“Father really cherishes you, hyung. He was insistent that I go out to meet you.”

Anyone would think he was Chairman Ryu’s illegitimate child. While Yeonho started driving again, Hyunjun took out a lip balm from his bag and applied it. He tapped his shiny lips and said.

“I guess he told us to manage the company well together. To get closer. We are the pillars, after all.”

“We?”

Who gave him the right to put them on equal footing. Yeonho, with his gaze fixed straight ahead, muttered sarcastically.

“We’re not kids, we don’t get closer just by sticking together, Father is really something.”

“Please take good care of me from now on. We’ll be seeing each other often.”

“Sure……. I’m looking forward to it.”

It was about time to reach their destination. The cityscape seen through the car window had already changed to green foliage. Yeonho added in an even gentler tone.

“If you need anything, hyung, just let me know.”

With that last sentence, the conversation died down. Not exchanging words was actually more comfortable for Yeonho. The black steering wheel rotated smoothly along the winding road.

Not long after, the mansion where the Ryu clan resided came into view.

As the car passed through the grounds, a servant standing in front bowed politely. He heard Hyunjun, who was looking at the exterior of the mansion from the side, let out a small gasp of admiration. Yeonho glanced at him watching the mansion through the window once, then drove the car towards the backyard.

It was the moment he had parked the car appropriately in a corner. Hyunjun, who had been looking outside, suddenly opened his mouth.

“Who is that?”

When he looked in the direction he was pointing, he saw a familiar figure squatting under a tree. It was Baek Seorim.

Why is he wandering around instead of being cooped up in his room.

“Why?”

“No, I was just curious.”

“A person who works here.”

“What kind of work?”

He did not used to be the type to pry like this, but it seems that being of the same trashy family bloodline, he was just as prone to having his eyes glaze over for an omega. That one is unnecessarily pretty, so his looks stand out.

“Why, is he your type?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Try asking him yourself sometime. What kind of work he does here.”

Even while the conversation was going on, Hyunjun was giving a mesmerized look out the window. Yeonho, without thinking, crushed the cigarette pack in his pocket and said.

“Go on in first. Father will be happy you’re here, hyung.”

“And you?”

“I’m going to have a smoke before I go in.”

“How about you start quitting smoking. The sooner you take care of your health, the better.”

He did not feel like responding to the stupid remark, so he got out of the driver’s seat right away. After watching Hyunjun get out and enter the mansion, Yeonho took out a cigarette, lit it, and watched Seorim, who was still sitting in the same spot, from a distance.

He is tilting something like a plastic bottle onto the ground. Is he watering the flowers or something. A quick look showed there was nothing sprouting from the ground. It is foolish how he is carefully examining the bare ground for something like that.

A small ember lit up at the end of the cigarette, and Yeonho willingly drew on the filter. The hazy smoke rose leisurely into the sky that was just welcoming autumn.

🦅

The mansion was in a state of commotion.

The hallway, which would normally be so quiet you could hear an ant crawl, was noisy. It was probably the sound of servants bustling about; it seemed a guest had arrived. He thought it might be the person whom Ryu Yeonho had described this morning as being ‘treated better than his own son’.

Was his name Hyunjun? Hyunjun, Hyunjun.

Repeating the name meaninglessly, Seorim ran his fingertips over the spines of the books lined up in a row. The book he was reading before was not interesting. This time, he had come into the study to find one that seemed a bit easier.

Come to think of it, even though he had come in and out quite often, he had never seen the owner sitting in the study. He just felt sorry for the books that were only gathering dust. It was when he was wiping the dust off the top edge of a book with his finger.

Thud—.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps spread. At first, he thought the sound came from downstairs, but it grew louder, as if approaching the study. A startled Seorim turned his head towards the door.

He had not done anything seriously wrong, but he felt like he would be misunderstood if he was caught. Whatever that might be. Seorim looked around and then quickly scrambled under the desk in the corner.

“Ugh.”

He hit his head in the process of hiding but swallowed the groan. As he was rubbing his aching head, the study door opened. Now unable to even make the slight noise of moving his hands, Seorim curled up as much as possible and held his breath.

The intruder crossed the study at a pace that was neither fast nor slow. At one point, he even stopped, as if to inspect the inside.

Judging by the lack of any particular sound, it did not seem to be a servant who had come to clean. Judging by the quiet breathing and the gait, it was not Chairman Ryu either. Then is there anyone else who would come into the study? Whoever it was, he wished they would just finish their business and leave quickly.

As he was repeating this wish to himself, he buried his face between his knees for a moment and then lifted it.

“Hiek, ugh.”

Suddenly, a man’s face filled his vision. He was standing in front of the desk, bent at the waist, looking down at him. Seorim barely managed to cover his mouth, which was about to let out a scream. He was so surprised it felt as if all his organs had plummeted to the floor.

“Oh, you scared me.”

It was a terrifying entrance, but the other person also seemed quite surprised. Not expecting to encounter someone in this position, Seorim could only move his lips in bewilderment.

“What are you doing here?”

The man with a furrowed brow asked. What am I doing, I was trying to secretly take a book, but someone came, so I went under the desk. Of course, he could not confess honestly, so Seorim used his wits as much as possible to answer.

“Cleaning.”

His hands were bare for someone who was cleaning, so he slyly hid both hands behind his back. Fortunately, the man did not seem to care what others were holding. As he was gazing at Seorim’s face, he brought up a story that made no sense.

“Don’t you remember me?”

“Pardon?”

“First, don’t stay there, come out and let’s talk.”

Did he mistake him for someone else? The man smiled with what seemed like kindness and held out his hand, so Seorim awkwardly took it. Soon, his bottom was easily lifted from the floor by the other’s will.

“I recognized you at a glance, I’m disappointed.”

“Excuse me?”

When he looked at him properly and slowly, he seemed somewhat familiar. He was not a customer from his former establishment or a debt collector who had come for money, but a faint memory flickered as if he had met him relatively recently. As Seorim frowned and mumbled his lips, the man gave a faint smile.

“We met on the ship, at the casino.”

“The ship……. Ah.”

With that brief explanation and another look at the man’s face, the memory became clear. That person from that time, who was unnecessarily kind and meddlesome.

“I remember now.”

“How do we meet here like this.”

It seemed this man did not know for what reason he was staying here. Seorim chose his words to answer but then closed his mouth.

“Why are you cleaning?”

“Because it’s messy.”

“Weren’t you in the garden area earlier?”

“The garden?”

The only place he had gone outside the house today was the backyard. What kind of garden was that bare, empty ground; he was a person with a very generous assessment.

It did not matter. He nodded awkwardly and was about to leave, but the man threw another question with a smiling face.

“You don’t seem like a distant relative, so what kind of work do you do here?”

He had thought it before, but he was more interested in others than necessary. He had no desire whatsoever to have a long conversation with another person after secretly entering Chairman Ryu’s study.

Moreover, the question the man posed was so simple yet extremely awkward for Seorim. He was not shameless enough to proudly boast to a stranger that his job was to attend to Chairman Ryu’s needs at night.

“Just odd jobs.”

“Odd jobs? So that’s why you’re wandering around here and there.”

A smile of goodwill appeared on the man’s neat face. While Seorim was looking for an opportunity to escape this situation, he took out a wallet from the inner pocket of his jacket. A crisp business card followed, held between his straight fingers.

“This is who I am……. I’m Chairman Ryu’s nephew. I’ll be staying with you for a while.”

[Ryu Hyunjun, Head of North American Regional Headquarters, Taehwa Construction]

Ah, so this person is that Hyunjun. Seorim, who had scanned the words engraved on the business card, quietly looked up at Hyunjun standing before him.

He said he was a nephew, so he must have some blood mixed with Ryu Yeonho, but they did not resemble each other at all. Unlike that person, who exuded a cold and elegant atmosphere, this person had a soft impression. Though they both looked rich. Was it because of this person that he had seemed displeased this morning? Why?

Before he knew it, Seorim took the business card and replied, yes. At that, Ryu Hyunjun, with a constant beaming smile, extended his arm. He grabbed Seorim’s hand, which had been hanging loosely, held it lightly, and said.

“I look forward to working with you.”

Perhaps because he is from overseas, he grabs hands without hesitation. Seeing a person who was purely kind made his guard go up. His instincts screamed that it would be better not to encounter this person anymore if possible.

“So what’s your name?”

“Me?”

“Well, is there anyone else here besides you. I told you mine first, so there should be something in return.”

This person must have a mother. Judging by how he introduced himself first even though he was not his subordinate.

Seorim, remembering what Ryu Yeonho had said, looked away, gently pulled his caught hand away, and replied.

“I’ll tell you when we meet next time.”

I hope we don’t have to meet as much as possible. Hearing the vague answer, Ryu Hyunjun said in a light tone.

“You must be quite a talent. Seeing as the Chairman even brought you on the cruise, he must cherish you a lot.”

A talent. After knowing what part he cherishes, it would be difficult to attach the word talent. Perhaps he would find out soon. If he stays in this house, this person too.

Seorim looked down silently at the business card placed on his palm, then put it in his pocket.

“I should probably head down now. See you again.”

After checking the watch on his wrist, Ryu Hyunjun left the study with a friendly farewell. Seorim, left alone, looked at the closed door and then turned his body. He picked a random book from the ones that filled one wall.

The title, engraved in gold foil on a brown hardcover, is <Demian>. Seorim silently inserted his finger into the middle of the book and opened to a random page. His eyes, as black as the night sea, slid along the line written at the bottom.

A line about how we know all too well, yet every day we want to forget ourselves.

Wanting to forget oneself every day.

Even while knowing all too well.

🦅

Reading the books in Chairman Ryu’s study was a simple way to pass the time, but he became so engrossed in that sentence that he did not even realize it was time for Chairman Ryu to sleep and rushed to his room. Seorim, while swaying under Chairman Ryu, imagined the rest of the book’s story.