Comments
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ looks like someone came after reading a novel]
[Coming into a Name Manifestor cafe talking about polyamory]
[Even though you need a Name Manifestor certificate to join this cafe, regular people somehow always get in]
[If I had to answer, wouldn’t it be YES? I also had a lover when I first manifested my Name, so I was in serious denial, but later my heart eventually went there. It’s fate. Just look at the divorce rate that isn’t even in the single digits.]
[It would be a headache if you have multiple Name Partners ㅋㅋ]
That’s right! It’s fucking headache-inducing! At this rate, my head’s going to split open completely! Even here, Yeonrok couldn’t talk about having multiple Name Partners. Weren’t there already two famous people, Yeom Cheonho and Choi Hwan? It wasn’t for nothing that Kim Jeongseong and Choi Hwan earnestly pleaded to keep it secret.
“Ugh, I don’t know…”
Polyamory with Yeom Cheonho, Moon Gyeonwoo, and Choi Hwan…? Is it even possible…? He couldn’t quite imagine his future together with these three people. At least there was one comforting comment.
Comments
[But not all Name Manifestors live sexually. I’ve been with my partner for 10 years already just holding hands or hugging. We’re just like best friends. There must be some people like me?]
This seemed like it might actually be possible. Even after scrolling through more community posts, his head just became more complicated, so he tossed and turned for a while before he could finally fall asleep. And soon an incident occurred that blew away all of Yeonrok’s worries at once.
* * *
When he came down for breakfast, Kim Jeongseong and Jo Junho were sitting together drinking coffee. Perhaps because of the common ground that came from their positions of assisting someone, the two got along quite well.
“Hyungs, good morning to you both!”
“Good morning, Yeonrok-nim.”
“Yeonrok-ssi, good morning!”
While greeting them energetically, Yeonrok looked around. Just in case Moon Gyeonwoo or Choi Hwan might be there.
For the past few days, Yeonrok had been trying hard to avoid encountering those two as much as possible. Fortunately, or perhaps not, neither of them took any further special action toward Yeonrok. However, it wasn’t because their feelings had disappeared or changed, but rather felt like they were silently waiting beneath the surface for now. Yeonrok’s policy was to pretend not to notice as much as possible no matter what.
‘You never know. Maybe their feelings will cool down in the meantime.’
The reason Yeonrok didn’t dare to date anyone was ultimately because he was afraid of when they’d break up. If his Name Partner, not just anyone else, became his lover, he would surely give his whole heart. But if they broke up even so, he felt like he’d be really deeply hurt. He didn’t have the confidence to act cool and calm like these three people.
“Our Young Master, today’s breakfast is Western-style.”
Yeonrok, who still held the position of Ms. Park’s number one darling, gratefully started his meal. It was when he pressed down on the sunny-side-up yolk to pop it. The phones of Kim Jeongseong and Jo Junho, who were leisurely drinking coffee, rang almost simultaneously. The two who checked their phones soon choked at the same time. Though coughing severely, they didn’t take their eyes off the screen. Yeonrok asked worriedly:
“Are you both alright?”
“I’m, I’m fine. I’ll just…”
Oddly flustered, Kim Jeongseong stood up from his seat. He moved while hurriedly calling somewhere.
“Is it true? Where, where was it spread? What about damage control?”
Jo Junho rubbed his face dry, then glanced at Yeonrok and said awkwardly:
“Come to think of it, is Hwan done showering? I need to go help him get his clothes ready!”
Left alone like that, Yeonrok narrowed his brow. What? Why are those two leaving while being so conscious of me?
Curious about what issue could fluster Secretary Kim Jeongseong and Manager Jo Junho simultaneously, Yeonrok tilted his head. Then, thinking they’d let him know if it was important, he was continuing his meal when it happened. Somehow the upstairs became a bit noisy, and he could hear what sounded like someone rushing out. And around when the meal was finishing, Kim Jeongseong returned.
“Yeonrok-nim, I have something to tell you…”
Getting an ominous feeling, Yeonrok put down the juice he was sipping. Something must have happened, and it must have happened big.
“Why? What happened?”
“Well… A dating rumor about Choi Hwan-nim broke out…”
Gasp. Yeonrok covered his mouth. A dating rumor—it really hit him anew that Choi Hwan was a famous actor. Extremely curious about who the dating rumor was with, Yeonrok asked:
“A dating rumor broke out? Who’s the other person?”
“The other person… is Yeonrok-nim.”
“…Pardon?”
Yeonrok’s mouth fell open. Choi Hwan hadn’t even properly confessed to him, yet a dating rumor? What on earth did this mean? Kim Jeongseong handed a tablet to the shocked Yeonrok. At the top of an article from some yellow journalism outlet, in a photo as big as a door, Choi Hwan and Yeonrok were kissing. Yeonrok screamed.
“Ah! We never did this! Isn’t this photoshopped?!”
“It’s not photoshopped. Judging by your clothes, it seems to have been taken while you two were exercising.”
Yeonrok racked his memory. Come to think of it, during exercise, Choi Hwan had said something was on his face and removed it. He did think at the time that they were close enough that it wouldn’t be strange even if they kissed, but it really looked like they were kissing because of the angle. Yeonrok started reading the article properly with trembling hands.
[Actor Choi Hwan, obscene behavior with same-sex lover outdoors…]
Isn’t this clickbait title crazy? Even if they had kissed, how on earth is that obscene behavior?! Yeonrok screamed internally while scrolling down, then was at a loss for words.
‘Did Choi Hwan make such a face?’
The way he was looking at him and his expression were so gentle and affectionate that it really looked like they were in a relationship. It was even more so because there was even a photo of Choi Hwan personally opening a water bottle cap and handing it over.
“My arm was in a cast! Why are they cleverly cropping out the casted arm!”
Trembling, he read the article content and gasped even more. They met at a club? He spent Choi Hwan’s money like water at the luxury goods section…?! He dedicates all his settlements to him as soon as he receives them? He prevents him from meeting his family?! It was content that maliciously mixed in bits of truth.
Most shocking of all was the faint mosaic that seemed there but not quite there. It seemed like anyone who knew Yeonrok would notice at once.
“Don’t, don’t they usually keep civilians’ identities secret? Is it okay for the mosaic to be like this?”
“This is such trashy journalism, and it seems like there was outside intervention.”
“Outside, you don’t mean…”
Yeom Cheonryul? As if reading Yeonrok’s thoughts, Kim Jeongseong nodded.
“The tip itself was from Choi Hwan-nim’s family, but the speed at which the material is spreading is strangely too fast. Naturally, we’ll try to block it as much as possible. The company has a separate media response department…”
When Kim Jeongseong refreshed the page a few times, it suddenly showed as a non-existent page.
“It comes down this quickly.”
Seeing that, Yeonrok felt somewhat relieved. However, unable to erase the anxious feeling in one corner of his heart, he asked just in case:
“Is this the only article that went up?”
“…No.”
“How many went up?”
“Um… Wouldn’t it be better not to know? For now, how about staying home just for today? It would be good to stay away from the internet too.”
Yeonrok was dumbfounded by the unimaginable incident. The upstairs had been noisy earlier, so it must have been the sound of Choi Hwan and Jo Junho rushing out after receiving the news.
“Please don’t worry too much. We’ve fought this kind of media battle more than once or twice.”
After carefully consoling Yeonrok, Kim Jeongseong also hurriedly left. Ms. Park comforted Yeonrok too, but it was no use. He fell into a half-panic state. When lunchtime came, even the knitting group message chat started talking about Yeonrok. Precisely, this kind of conversation was being exchanged.
[Reposted. This photo. Quality is crap but. Choi Hwan’s lover Yeonrok. Doesn’t he look similar? haha]
[Oh really. He does look like our youngest~~~]
[But somehow he really does look similar…?]
Kim Jeongseong said to stay away from the internet, but he ultimately couldn’t overcome his anxiety and ended up accessing a portal site.
When he searched for ‘Choi Hwan,’ there were still dozens of articles. Fortunately, in photos caught by famous media outlets, Yeonrok was properly mosaicked, but his heart sank. Suddenly, he recalled what Choi Hwan’s father had said in the department store parking lot.
