Rhino paid no mind and flaunted their relationship by holding Bernard’s waist tightly. His attitude made it seem as though he’d completely forgotten about the phone call they’d had in the car earlier.
“Rhino, it’s been so long.”
“So long? It’s not like we were that close.”
His response was lukewarm to Elliot’s delighted greeting. When Bernard tapped the back of Rhino’s hand a couple of times, a “hmph” sound came from behind him. At this sudden lion’s den encounter, curious faces appeared from all around. Several people who seemed to know Rhino tried to strike up conversation, but Rhino waved them off as if annoyed.
“Be as friendly as you were back in college.”
“When was I ever?”
“You always do that when you’re embarrassed.”
Elliot casually responded while grinning broadly. It was Rhino who was disgusted by this. It was actually a stranger who broke the tension.
“McPherson! To show up this late…”
“Horden-ssi, you didn’t do another boring initiation ritual, did you?”
“A boring initiation ritual? You’re just too refined.”
Rhino seemed to be on friendly terms with Horden. He responded to Horden’s boisterous greeting and exchanged a few words, then laughed lightly. People quickly gathered around Rhino. They asked about how he’d been and why they hadn’t seen him around, and laughed easily even at trivial remarks—overflowing with goodwill.
McPherson came from a nouveau riche family. They’d started with construction as their base, but gradually expanded their business one industry at a time. There were reviews that they expanded their business in a vulgar manner befitting the nouveau riche. Then they struck gold in the culture and arts industry they’d expanded into. It wasn’t particularly rare for jackpots to occasionally hit in the arts business. Rhino’s father rode the momentum and expanded his businesses into advertising as well, and whether due to good business acumen, the company gained a decent standing.
Some in the upper class sneered that the McPherson people were working class pretending to be refined, but in reality, McPherson had been wealthy even before the jackpot hit. Going back further, hadn’t his grandfather’s grandfather owned vast amounts of land since those times?
Nevertheless, the standards of the upper class involved holding their noses high while wanting to debate that refinement, so it was unavoidable that Rhino would be excluded from that crowd. But Rhino didn’t care about their childish behavior, and only those who became curious about Rhino because of his attitude of acting as if it didn’t matter struggled awkwardly.
Rhino’s appearance also played a part in people’s changed attitudes. With his splendid looks that wouldn’t be lacking even if used as a photo subject right away, and his somehow sensitive-looking impression, he drew up the snobbish desire to become intimate with him.
“You didn’t torment my friend too much, I hope.”
“Friend? You two?”
“Ah… no, I should be precise. I’ll tell you that he’s someone I confessed to but who keeps rejecting me.”
A small commotion arose. Bernard was the one who became uncomfortable at Rhino’s unrestrained words. His face turned white as he urgently grabbed Rhino, but Rhino only smiled good-naturedly.
“…A confession? Really?”
“I’ve been getting rejected since college.”
“Oh… The Weil people really are overflowing with charm.”
Though Horden tried his best to package it nicely, no one failed to understand the true meaning contained in those words. The younger Weil was unilaterally famous even within the upper class. An appearance different from his twin brother, a gloomy atmosphere, a stiff attitude that didn’t know how to act endearing. And they had just confirmed that reputation today.
But for Rhino to be so desperate for such a person? They examined Bernard even more closely, wondering if perhaps there was some other charm they didn’t know about.
“Don’t look. You’ll wear him out.”
Rhino pulled Bernard tightly into his arms while sulking. Then the person standing in front sneered silently. Rhino’s gaze immediately fixed on Rubens. Rubens spoke gently.
“How long are you going to keep that up?”
“Ah, yes. No. I mean, no.”
“What does it matter to you?”
Bernard tried to approach him as if entranced, but Rhino grabbed him. The caught Bernard looked between the two people with anxious eyes. Rubens wasn’t generous about being refused. He didn’t know about if the target was Elliot, but when an existence like Bernard didn’t comply with his words, he knew how to become more cruel than anyone. Rhino spoke sarcastically.
“Take good care of your lover.”
“There’s no problem between us that McPherson-ssi needs to worry about.”
“Then there shouldn’t be any need for Bernard either.”
Even at Rubens’s slow counter-question, Rhino scoffed. He was truly acting like someone who feared nothing. At such an indulgent attitude, several who were on friendly terms with Rhino poked him in the ribs. Bernard also anxiously grabbed Rhino’s arm, but he didn’t seem to care.
It felt as though ominousness was stuck in his throat. Bernard bit his lips shut and shook Rhino once more, but Rhino didn’t budge. Rubens’s gaze persistently licked Bernard’s profile. Bernard was tormented by the impulse to run out of this place right away but forcibly suppressed it.
“This is somehow…”
Horden’s interjection inserted itself. Strange gazes swept over the four of them. Elliot had a somewhat aggrieved look on his face. He was someone who was always at the center everywhere, always the one leading the flow, not someone who would just stand there like a useless sack of barley.
Elliot was greatly displeased about something, but couldn’t express why he was displeased. Because that wasn’t like Elliot Weil! Therefore, he chose a more gentlemanly attitude.
“Ah!”
The champagne glass in Elliot’s hand fell. Because it shattered into pieces on the floor, people’s attention focused again. As if quite embarrassed, Elliot’s cheeks flushed red.
“I’m sorry. I’m a bit nervous… Did it get on you?”
“No, it’s fine. You’re not hurt, are you?”
Elliot acted bashful and turned around quickly to bury his face in Rubens’s arms. At the sight of him blushing all the way to his ears, sighs burst out among several people. They found him cute. Only Bernard in front stared at Elliot with a bewildered face. At the same time the champagne glass broke, Bernard had reached out his hand to Elliot, but Elliot very naturally brushed it away. Bernard, whose hand had been slapped away, just stared blankly at his brother, not understanding. Without even looking back at Bernard, Elliot whispered to Rubens.
“I feel a bit dizzy too. Can’t we leave first?”
“It’s not difficult. As much as you want.”
Rubens pressed his lips to Elliot’s forehead and whispered affectionately. At the ticklish breath, Elliot’s shoulders shrank a little. The two really looked like a loving couple.
“Oh my. I was planning to grill you about what you talked about with Orland.”
“There will be another opportunity to talk.”
“Can’t be helped. Knowing when to let go is also a virtue.”
Horden sighed exaggeratedly. Rubens answered with a dry smile, and Elliot burrowed even deeper into his arms like someone acting shy.
But Rubens’s gaze swept over Bernard. His gaze lingered long on the waist that Rhino held. It was Rhino’s declaration of war. It was his intention that no matter what, he ultimately wouldn’t give up on Bernard Weil, and to Rubens it was merely laughable sulking.
As if Rubens not moving was strange, Elliot called to him.
“Rubens?”
“…Let’s go.”
Bernard cherished Elliot excessively. That incomprehensible relationship was close to abuse perpetrated by family over a long time, but Rubens had no intention of correcting it. Because a broken appearance suited him better.
Elliot, held in Rubens’s arms as he left the hall, kept glancing at Bernard. His beautiful green eyes curved gently. Bernard just stood there blankly, watching the two people moving away endlessly. Then Rhino’s head tilted slightly.
“What are you so worried about?”
“Just now… it seemed like Elliot rejected me.”
“He’s at the age to be independent.”
“Rather than that.”
Bernard swallowed the uncomfortable feeling inside. He felt strongly wary of something, but dismissed it as a momentary illusion. Swallowing dry saliva at the stinging feeling on one side of his chest, he just clenched and unclenched his hands. Rhino clearly knew that was a different behavior, yet he reached out and interlaced their fingers. Bernard’s fingertips flinched at being caught, but couldn’t move any further under the fingers pressing down firmly.
“Can’t you pay attention to me?”
“What are you even saying, really.”
“Pay attention to me. I even wore the tie pin you told me not to wear.”
He pulled the caught hand and kissed the back of it. Rhino’s eyes disappeared into a thin smile.
“What do I have to do for you to look at me?”
“…Don’t act like a fox.”
“That’s right. I’m wagging my tail for attention. So be nice to me.”
The broken champagne glass and Ben’s curses swirled through Bernard’s mind. What followed was Rubens’s one remark. That he didn’t regret losing one contract. The expression that had spread under the dim light had looked so sincere that the more he mulled it over, the more his stomach sank.
“…Don’t try too hard.”
Bernard murmured while keeping his gaze on a distant place. Because he was looking at the doorway as if recalling someone who had already left, his eyelashes cast long shadows beneath his glasses. A sneer crossed Rhino’s face for a moment.
“Why?”
“If you don’t get repaid, you’ll only get hurt.”
It looked as though Bernard was speaking toward himself. He looked very anguished.
