Yet, to receive so many warm and sturdy new clothes overnight like this. Without any price.
‘How should I express my thanks…’
A man who willingly gave his weekends and time after work for the child. A man who bought more drinks and snacks for the child to eat all at once than Jeong had ever bought until now. A man who bought warm chicken porridge for the child to eat. And Yoonkyung’s oppa, who prepared clothes so the child could wear them warmly all winter.
Though he’d never seen his face once, the man who left only the scent of white sandalwood was already a warm and grateful person to Jeong, enough to bring tears. He was as good a person as Yoonkyung, his lifelong benefactor.
‘So, next time for sure.’
Though he couldn’t speak, he decided to write a letter. When he got home later, he’d write a letter. He didn’t have proper stationery, but still…
Walking alongside Yoonkyung who was shouting “Dokyung-ah, we have to go together!” Jeong tightly gripped the notebook in his pocket.
*
“Yeodanhwa?”
“Yes. The… Executive Director specifically asked for it to be there… so.”
Trailing off, Minho glanced at Wookyung through the rearview mirror.
“Hah…”
Wookyung irritably checked the watch on his wrist. Unlike last time when he’d been comfortably entertained by a subcontractor’s representative, this time he was in a position where his side also had to pay attention.
He himself didn’t even touch the hostesses, but when entertaining or being entertained, the biggest ordeal was having to watch the spectacle of them blatantly groping the hostesses right before his eyes. And today’s appointment was with the type who quite enjoyed playing around with hostesses in these kinds of places.
Moreover, since there was one more thing to be careful about at Yeodanhwa from now on, Wookyung found today’s meeting place a bit more irritating.
‘…Of all places.’
He had to avoid encountering Dokyung’s father.
Based on his previous experience, he’d now figured out his pheromones, so if he came in, he could immediately send him out. Thinking that, Wookyung sighed and rested his elbow against the car window.
Was Dokyung wearing the clothes he sent well? Wasn’t the baby’s father feeling burdened?
He’d looked at the photo Yoonkyung sent several times. When he was busy with tasks on his phone for a while, he’d slyly think of that photo. Then he’d unconsciously enter his gallery and click on the baby’s photo.
Since he wasn’t usually the type to take photos, in Wookyung’s almost empty gallery, three or four photos of Dokyung were positioned at the very front. The photo wearing the fur hat, the photo wearing the padding, the photo wearing the fur boots. Looking at the baby’s face smiling brightly without a care somehow brought a smile and gave him strength.
It was truly funny to be smiling like a father while looking at someone else’s baby’s photo. But strangely, Wookyung looked at the child’s photos repeatedly. He felt like he understood just a little bit the feelings of all fathers in the world. Why everyone kept family photos on their desks while working, why they hung dangling framed photos in their driver’s seats.
‘I want to see him again.’
Thinking that, Wookyung chuckled. If he went to see him too often, the baby’s father would probably feel burdened. Last time too, the clothes he gave… were a bit too much all at once, weren’t they.
Well, seeing as Yoonkyung didn’t say anything special, it must have been fine. Casually concluding that, Wookyung flicked his gaze out the window.
As they entered the street of the busy entertainment district, the car moved slowly. Since it wasn’t that late yet, crowds of people moving energetically kept blocking the car. Wookyung checked the time once more. Fortunately, there was still quite a bit of time until the appointment, and right now Wookyung was almost near Yeodanhwa.
Soon after, the car stopped in a spacious parking lot. An employee in a suit bowed and approached to valet park.
“We’ve arrived, Executive Director.”
Wookyung slowly got out of the car. Looking up at the sophisticatedly arranged building exterior with indifferent eyes, he strode into the building with his dress shoes clicking. Thinking that it seemed like he’d been coming here often lately.
“Choi Wookyung.”
“Ah, Executive Director Choi. Welcome.”
Yeodanhwa’s manager wore a smooth smile on her face as she guided Wookyung inside. When Wookyung arrived, the room was empty, but not long after Wookyung entered, his appointment also entered the room. Wookyung put on a business smile and extended his hand. The two men’s hands clasped firmly, shared warmth briefly, then separated without lingering.
“Executive Director Kim, it’s been a while.”
“My, really. Executive Director Choi seems to be getting more handsome by the day.”
Executive Director Kim, today’s appointment, smiled broadly and greeted him warmly. Executive Director Kim, nearly twenty years older than Wookyung, was an executive of an organization in a friendly relationship with Daneum, and was someone who met with Wookyung regularly to build rapport even when there were no particular matters to contract or adjust.
“It’s been a few months for us, hasn’t it? The last time I drank with Executive Director Choi feels like about half a year ago.”
Sitting comfortably, the hand that loosened his tie casually was unrestrained. About ten years older than Wookyung, he was a generous man who would smile and suggest they call each other hyung and dongsaeng when he got very drunk.
“Indeed. Please have a drink.”
“My, I’ll gratefully receive a drink from our Executive Director Choi.”
The back of the hand extending the glass with a big laugh was covered in scars. The organization Executive Director Kim belonged to was no different from the one Wookyung was in. Though they pretended to be refined wearing suits and calling each other by respectful titles, in reality they were people who committed illegal and disgusting things behind the scenes without thinking anything of it.
He couldn’t feel any reward in materialistic and meaningless work, but what living meant—a life dragged along by inertia—was making Wookyung today as well face each other and exchange drinks at Yeodanhwa like this.
“President Lim is still healthy, right? Well, he’s still young.”
“Of course. He’s a person with such strong spirit, isn’t he.”
He wasn’t unaware that even though they maintained a friendly relationship, they were people who could turn around at any time and stab a knife into each other’s necks. Wookyung also leisurely smiled and deflected the probing disguised as concern, asking about his boss.
Just then, the door opened carefully and the manager and hostesses entered. Wookyung unconsciously put his glass down on the table. It was the first time he’d been this on edge watching hostesses enter.
“Good evening. These are the girls who will serve you today.”
One beta man and one woman entered and bowed. Wookyung secretly let out a sigh of relief that Dokyung’s father hadn’t entered. It seemed Minho had made the reservation to match Executive Director Kim’s preference for female hostesses. Anyway, as long as it wasn’t an omega, it didn’t matter to Wookyung, so he probably just put in a beta male.
“Ah, hello sir. We met once before, didn’t we. You came back again.”
“Yes.”
The beta male smiled warmly and sat next to Wookyung. Unlike other hostesses who snuggled close, he sat maintaining an appropriate distance from Wookyung and poured alcohol first. Seeing this, like his words that they’d met before, he seemed to know the fact that Wookyung didn’t reach for hostesses. Wookyung also lightly nodded to the beta male greeting him warmly.
Come to think of it, he remembered this was the hostess who had remained alone in the room after sending out one omega who was in heat cycle when he came with Representative Ha.
“…Ah, from last time.”
“Yes. I’m Min.”
Had they even exchanged names? He didn’t remember, but Wookyung silently accepted the drink Min poured.
“Hahaha, what’s this, Executive Director Choi? You don’t usually even touch hostesses.”
“Yes. It’s the same now.”
“I see. I thought you two were on name-exchanging terms.”
Wookyung smiled faintly without answering. He didn’t particularly care what Executive Director Kim misunderstood, so he silently poured alcohol directly into his glass. The sticky golden liquid poured down into the small glass with a splash.
“Kya! The alcohol is overflowing. Must be because I’m seeing Executive Director Choi’s face after so long.”
“Haha, same for me.”
The alcohol burns down his throat as it goes down. Unlike Executive Director Kim, who had already started groping the prostitute sitting next to him in earnest, Wookyung had nothing particular to do, so he idly drank the alcohol Min poured for him.
“You seem to hold your liquor well, sir.”
Min said in a whisper. The way he smiled with his eyes prettily folded might have seemed quite coquettish to others’ eyes, but Wookyung nodded without much feeling.
“Yes. I suppose I have the build for it, too.”
“Your voice is also… really nice.”
Cutting off Min’s ingratiating words midway, Wookyung set his glass down on the table with a thud. His voice was indifferent as he stared straight at the prostitute sitting next to him.
“You don’t need to give me service talk like that. Just sit comfortably and then leave.”
“It’s not service talk… I’m being sincere.”
Min scratched his face with an awkward expression. Feeling a bit sorry for inadvertently embarrassing him, Wookyung picked up the heavy whiskey bottle.
“Want a drink?”
“Ah, if you’re offering, I’d be grateful.”
He tilted the whiskey bottle he held lightly toward Min’s glass, filling the small, transparent glass. Min smiled faintly and drank down the glass of alcohol in one go with his head turned.
