Ch 17

<17>

 

4 Months Before That Day (4)

 

After showering, Yoonjae walked to the underground parking lot first. As soon as he got into the car, he recalled that day in the past and pondered the exact date. If he remembered correctly, it was mid-March. He vaguely remembered the meeting content from that day, but there was nothing helpful. Everything changed when they gave up B-gate and invested in Studio G.

 

Then he had to remember any significant events from the news articles of the previous day or week, but because he repeated the company-home pattern, no special issues came to mind.

 

“Ah…”

 

He remembered that a few days before the container warehouse fire, it was noisy all day with news articles about the separation of GH Chemical’s affiliates and the NASDAQ listing of Studio G. For now, wouldn’t it be possible to keep a close watch on the situation for two or three days based on that day?

 

“…Hoo.”

 

If Hyunjun and Eunho’s circumstances were the same as in the past when that day returned, he would somehow separate Hyunjun from Eunho. Yoonjae took out a pad from the briefcase on the passenger seat and checked the schedule for mid-next month.

 

***

 

On a spring morning filled with the scent of cherry blossom buds pushing through the dry branches, the day Yoonjae had been waiting for so eagerly returned.

 

『GH Chemical Spins Off Battery Business for Global Leap』

 

Yoonjae, who made sure to check the news articles that came out every morning as soon as he opened his eyes, checked this week’s schedule after seeing the breaking news about GH Chemical and then called Chief Yoon.

 

“Chief Yoon, about the Jeju Island business trip scheduled for Friday, can we move it up to Wednesday?”

 

-Ah, it seems difficult to adjust the schedule. That’s the only day that Assemblyman Choi and the CEO of Hanseong Construction are available.

 

Chief Yoon explained the situation with a difficult nuance at Yoonjae’s sudden decision. It was already a schedule that was difficult to arrange, and he was cautious because it would take at least two weeks to reschedule if it went awry.

 

“Then keep the schedule as it is and move up the ticket to Wednesday. I’ll go ahead for a vacation and check out the investment sites.”

 

-Yes, I understand.

 

“Ah, and book a ticket for Secretary Yoo too.”

 

There was a pause in the conversation as if he was contemplating the words Secretary Yoo.

 

-…Yes? Secretary Yoo? You’re talking about the Wednesday ticket, right?

 

“Yeah.”

 

-I understand. Executive Director.

 

Yoonjae, who was staring blankly at his cell phone after hanging up, opened the calendar app and organized his thoughts once again.

 

Now all that remained was the day the container warehouse fire occurred. Based on his guess, it was two or three days later, but since the accuracy could be low, he had to keep Eunho with him from the day before going to Jeju Island.

 

Nearly a month had passed, but as Yoonjae had expected, Eunho had not even uttered the word “breakup” to Hyunjun.

 

Since returning to eight months ago, he had reorganized all the investments he had regretted at the time and adjusted them as he wanted, but the only thing that had not been resolved yet was Eunho’s problem. Yoonjae kept him close and deliberately changed the secretarial staff to an accompanying secretary to avoid danger. As he spent more time with him than in the past, he learned more about Eunho, his feelings deepened, and he began to actively intervene between them, but the results were not as good as he had expected.

 

Perhaps it was also Yoonjae’s fault for dragging his feet in the initial stages. When time returned, he was simply going to play a supporting role and step back, but from some point on, he got caught up in Eunho, worried, and was a little late in resetting the direction. But the time he could no longer delay had returned. Putting aside dating, he had to prevent the incident at all costs. As he could see from the other incidents that had occurred so far, once he made a different choice, the future changed completely. The same would be true for Eunho. Once his lover’s rut day passed, the relationship between the two would definitely be very different from the past.

 

The front door opened and Eunho came in. His neatly smiling eyes were as exciting as the March spring breeze. Eunho was about to receive his shirt from the housekeeper and go out, but after seeing Yoonjae following behind, he matched his pace and walked through the garden together.

 

Forsythias and azaleas blooming profusely under the fence were announcing the early spring first. Eunho’s eyes sparkled as he looked down at the colorful flowers that stole his attention.

 

“We’re going to Jeju Island the day after tomorrow, so be prepared.”

 

“…Huh? Wasn’t it Friday?”

 

“I have something to check, so we’re leaving on Wednesday.”

 

Eunho stopped walking and turned his head, asking if something was wrong, but Yoonjae, who had not yet calculated what to make up because it was a hastily arranged schedule, mumbled vaguely and quickly brought up the next words.

 

“Prepare by tomorrow, and take the car after work to bring your suitcase.”

 

“Tomorrow?”

 

“Sleep at my house tomorrow and we’ll leave together.”

 

Eunho laughed lightly as he showed signs of rushing. Even he thought it was a situation of roasting beans in a flash of lightning, and with such an abrupt proposal on top of that, it was no wonder Eunho looked puzzled.

 

“Executive Director.”

 

“Please. Okay?”

 

“…”

 

“I want to be with you.”

 

It wasn’t a lie. He meant it. It was just that his sincerity carried a touch too much goodwill, and that made him feel a little uneasy.

Yoonjae, who couldn’t have been cute even if one searched him with a magnifying glass, made the suggestion in a tone that sounded almost like a complaint, then, embarrassed, rubbed the bridge of his nose and stepped back slightly. Eunho slowly lowered the corners of his lips, which had seemed about to reach his ears, and pressed his lower lip with his upper one.

“I will.”

His whisper fluttered softly in the breeze and drifted leisurely between them.

When the news that Studio G was preparing to go public on NASDAQ following its global success became more concrete, the stock price in the over-the-counter market skyrocketed within two months.

In fact, fifteen days earlier, Yoonjae had met with the CEO of Studio G and reviewed the one-year roadmap. Some parts had gone exactly as he wished, while others were beyond his foresight, things yet to come. Still, it seemed that if they continued steadily along the set direction, everything would proceed smoothly without much trouble.

Eunho was so surprised to see the article that he compared and analyzed the stock price at the time of Studio G’s investment and the price specified by a certain securities company through financial statements. It had jumped exactly a little over ten times. When Yoonjae’s joke-like bet became a reality, goosebumps ran down his spine.

 

The company was noisy all day. It was said that the performance in the first half of this year would be the highest among earnings surprises, and that the company would achieve the best performance since its founding.

 

Unlike the excited atmosphere of the company, Yoonjae, who had actually made the investment, was no different from his usual atmosphere. It was a mystery of the century how he could be so indifferent and calm. Eunho, who had brought the audit report from the bond management division into his office, scanned Yoonjae, who was staring intently at the monitor, with strange eyes.

“Is he trying to act serious just because he’s the leader of the organization?”

Eunho put the report on the desk and leaned his face slightly near the monitor as if asking him to look at him.

 

“Executive Director, you won.”

 

The gaze that had been scanning the monitor drew a parabola and moved to Eunho. He arched his eyes into an arch, as if he immediately understood what Eunho meant, and smiled faintly.

 

“I’ll grant you a wish if you tell me.”

 

“…Not now, when I want to use it.”

 

The end of his words was too indifferent to be called a winner. But Eunho read the joy in his eyes. Yoonjae didn’t show it much on the outside, but joy was subtly revealed in the tone of his voice, which had risen half a note.

 

“Sure. Ah!”

 

“?”

 

“Instead… it has to be a wish that I can grant.”

 

Yoonjae answered firmly and grabbed Eunho’s wrist as he quietly turned around and tried to leave, and pulled him slightly. Eunho looked back at Yoonjae with a questioning expression as if asking what was wrong.

 

Yoonjae covered the wrist he was holding with his other hand and stroked it gently. He wanted to express something to Eunho, but he was suppressing his emotions because it was at the company.

 

“I’ll have to think about it when I get home after work.”

 

“Didn’t you make a bet after deciding on a wish?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

I thought you were betting because you wanted something, but it was an impromptu bet. Eunho ambiguously raised the corners of his mouth, answered that he understood, and left the seat.

 

The more Yoonjae did, the more emails Eunho had to review piled up. If he printed it out as a document, it would probably be an average of three finger joints per day. It was an amount of work that he could barely finish before leaving work if he read and organized it without any other work. But recently, he had frequent meetings and external meetings, so he had to take work home every time.

 

Eunho, who went into Yoonjae’s house together after work, was fiddling with his cell phone while eating dinner prepared by the housekeeper. It was the first month of emotional confusion. His heart had almost turned to Yoonjae, but he was still dragging his feet without making a decision.

 

He made lame excuses, saying, ‘If it weren’t for Hyunjun’s exam,’ but Eunho knew his personality well. He knew that it was very difficult for him to do things that hurt others.

 

He and Hyunjun only exchanged obligatory calls every other day, and now they were almost strangers. Eunho had been supporting his monthly rent and living expenses for the past month and this month, so that’s how this relationship was maintained, and Eunho was well aware of that fact.

 

Yoonjae knew what Eunho’s hesitation stemmed from, but he was watching for the timing. He wondered if he should induce him to turn off his cell phone, but he had to leave it as it was in case the date was different from the past and Hyunjun’s rut had changed to another day.

 

“What about the casino development report that’s being newly built in Jungmun?”

 

“I’m collecting it now, but please wait a little while as it will take about an hour or two.”

 

Eunho’s eyes sparked as he sat in the living room after dinner and processed the work he had not finished. He was not the type to postpone today’s work until tomorrow, and Yoonjae was by his side, so he was in a hurry.

 

His fingers rippled across the keyboard and his eyes checking the monitor rolled non-stop. Yoonjae, who returned to the living room with a can of beer, glanced at Eunho’s laptop screen and smiled awkwardly, patting him on the shoulder.

 

“Do it tomorrow, not now.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“It’s not urgent. There’s plenty of time.”

 

It seemed like he was hugging Eunho from behind as he put the can of beer down next to him, and then Yoonjae’s finger came up on the touchpad, saved the work he was doing, and pressed the exit button. Eunho frowned as he watched Yoonjae calmly close the laptop.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I didn’t bring you here to work. You’re too focused on work.”

 

Eunho glared at him with a crooked look as he handed him a can of beer and told him to rest. It was strange that he was going down to Jeju Island early, and that he was asking him to sleep together and leave the day before departure. Recently, Yoonjae kept squeezing into the gaps in his personal time to the point where the distinction between work hours and personal time was blurred.

 

“But. What’s the real reason you’re trying to go so quickly?”

 

“Are you curious?”

 

“Yes… well…”

 

The thread of his relationship with Hyunjun had become thinner, but it was not over yet. But as time went by, Yoonjae didn’t care about Hyunjun and arbitrarily wielded Eunho.

 

Yoonjae, who had swallowed half of the can of beer in one gulp, leaned back on the sofa and answered in a serious tone.

 

“You could say it’s a chance to change fate.”

 

“…Fate?”

 

“Is it too grand… um.”

 

Yoonjae trailed off as if he couldn’t think of a word other than that word. Eunho, who had narrowed his brows at the vague answer, thought that he had found a fantastic investment opportunity with his excellent prediction ability and spoke again.

 

“Is it more spectacular than Studio G?”

 

“It’s not certain yet, but… you could say so.”

 

It’s not that, it’s your fate. He swallowed the words that were hovering on the tip of his tongue back into his throat and twisted the meaning, and Eunho, who had misunderstood, smiled faintly.

 

“Then of course we have to go.”

 

Yoonjae nodded as he looked at Eunho. In fact, the results of Hyunjun’s background check that had been coming in on his cell phone for the past few days were a sight to behold. Reports kept coming in that they were together so much that it was questionable whether he was studying. The food that Eunho received living expenses for and ordered for delivery always included alcohol, and they spent more time lounging at home than at the academy.

 

He wanted to reveal the truth to Eunho in detail and advise him to break up, but thinking about Eunho in the past, he had to approach him carefully because he was very sensitive to shock.

 

Last month, the reason he confessed his feelings even though he could have just endured and moved on one more time was to give him emotional comfort that there was someone to hold his hand by his side, not standing alone on the edge of a cliff, in case Eunho ever witnessed Hyunjun’s two-timing. It was a kind of buffer so that he would be less upset when he witnessed a trashy scene in the future, even though he would be groaning with guilt right now.

 

Before he knew it, they had each drunk more than three cans of alcohol. Eunho’s body tilted to the side as he got drunk. At that moment, Yoonjae grabbed Eunho’s shoulder. A residual heat was transmitted over his reddish cheeks.

 

Yoonjae carefully lifted Eunho by sliding his arms under his back and knees. The body that wrapped around his arms was fluttering. His eyes, which had lost focus and were blurred, scanned meaningless space, not knowing where he was looking.

 

Yoonjae quietly went into the bedroom, laid Eunho down, and pulled the blanket that had been pushed aside up to his chest and covered him. In the meantime, Eunho closed his eyelids and quietly sank into a deep sleep.

 

“…I hope the timing is right.”

 

Yoonjae, who was tidying up Eunho’s disheveled bangs, whispered as if chanting a spell. It was the last remaining schedule in the process of reversing the things he had regretted since time had returned in the direction he wanted. Hoping that it would go as expected, Yoonjae lowered his upper body and placed his lips on Eunho’s plump forehead.

 

His consciousness, which had sunk far away, was in the process of rising above the surface of the water. Eunho tried to rub his face with his hand, but he realized that he could not move his body as he pleased as if he was tied to something, and slowly lifted his eyelids.

 

‘When did I fall asleep?’

 

Strangely, he fell into a deep sleep easily when he was with Yoonjae. He wondered if it was because of the pheromones flowing out of Yoonjae. Eunho, who usually slept lightly enough to wake up even with the vibration of his cell phone, lost consciousness and revived like he was anesthetized when he was with Yoonjae.

 

Yoonjae, who was wearing a silk robe and sleeping while hugging Eunho, was also fast asleep, and did not react to Eunho’s presence. The pheromones of the two people were faintly rippling in the room.

 

“…”

 

His clear features were so admirable that they made him admire him the more he looked at him. He had given one of his shoulders to Eunho, so it must have been quite numb and painful, but there was no sign of discomfort on his sleeping face. Eunho rubbed his cheek against his muscular chest and closed his eyes again. Just by touching his body, he felt emotionally stable and his complicated mind calmed down.

 

Yoonjae, who opened his eyes, took a glass of cold water and leisurely went into the fitness room and turned on the TV. The departure time was 11:50, so he had more time than usual.

 

『Next is the news. The fire that started at the Incheon Sejin Container Factory at 1 a.m. today has been burning for more than six hours. Helicopters have also been mobilized to put out the fire, but the flames are not easily…』

 

Yoonjae, who was sprinting, slowed down again and walked slowly. A strange sense of relief was lingering on his face as he encountered the unfortunate news article.

 

The day of his memory had returned. At that time, Eunho received a call from Hyunjun during the meeting and left work early, and after that, he fell into a quagmire that was difficult to turn back.

 

Yoonjae was about to increase the speedometer again, but he got off the treadmill. He came out of the fitness room, thinking that it might not be a situation where he could leisurely exercise, and went straight into the shower room.

 

Eunho, who woke up briefly in the early morning and fell asleep again, lifted his drowsy eyelids at the vibration ringing by his head and groped for his cell phone.

 

‘Why so early in the morning?’

 

It was unusual for Hyunjun, who usually barely contacted him before going to bed, to contact him first early in the morning, so his hazy mind perked up. Eunho, who had quickly shaken off his sleepiness, quickly pressed the call button.

 

“Oh, Hyunjun.”

 

He continued, trying to clear his throat, but his throat was dry and a cracking voice leaked out because he had just woken up.

 

-Eunho. I miss you.

 

“…Huh?”

 

-I miss you, …Eunho. Please come quickly.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

-…I miss you. Please….

 

The voice heard through the speaker was too rough. Eunho was startled by the urgent breathing that pierced his ears, and roughly combed his disheveled hair with his hands and got up from his seat. He checked the time on the wall clock and it was 7:10 a.m., a long time before the plane’s departure time.

 

Eunho, excited by Hyunjun’s urgent call after so long, gnawed on his fingers, lost in thought. If he went today, he’d have to stay in Jeju Island until Friday. Should he at least show his face for a bit? Listening anxiously, Eunho rushed out of the room to find his suitcase.

 

“Just a minute, wait for me. I’ll call you again when I’m leaving.”

 

Hyunjun’s pleading voice, rougher than usual, made Eunho’s heart race. What on earth was going on? He wasn’t usually like this.

 

Eunho opened the suitcase he had left in the living room and packed toiletries and clothes to wear. He paced around the room before hurrying into the shower.

 

Time was short, but he didn’t know where to start. Eunho picked up the showerhead and then put it back down. Showering and drying his hair would easily take 20 minutes, and he couldn’t afford to be leisurely. Eunho gave up on showering, quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, changed his clothes, and rushed out of the room.

 

“!”

 

When he went into the living room, Yoonjae, who had just come out of the shower, was standing there holding Eunho’s phone. More precisely, he was answering a call from someone.