Displeasure and disillusionment showed on his pale face. However, contrary to the expectation that he’d get angry, he looked up at the ceiling, took a deep breath to steady himself, and exercised patience.
“…Fine. What do you want to ask?”
Only after childishly doing something like this could Yeonrok finally have a conversation resembling a proper conversation with Moon Gyeonwoo. If he’d answered earlier, Yeonrok wouldn’t have done such an annoying and childish thing either. Perhaps extremely annoyed, or like Yeonrok lacking contact with his Name Partner, his pale face was more pallid than usual.
“Do you like puppies?”
“I hate them.”
Moon Gyeonwoo narrowed his eyes. Whether he’d been tipped off by Kim Jeongseong or was quick-witted enough to realize why Yeonrok was asking, he preemptively answered.
“Dogs.”
As if to counter the word ‘puppies’, he deliberately chose a word that killed the mood, then continued stiffly.
“I have a fur allergy. I don’t want them anywhere near me.”
It was truly an exceptionally cold voice. He put down the completely cold coffee and picked up the necktie he’d draped over the chair. Hanging it on his shirt collar and slowly tying it, he stared silently with a chilly gaze. Then he warned the silent Yeonrok.
“I already told you, but don’t mess with me. I don’t want to exchange a single word.”
Then he got up from his seat and left for work without even finishing his breakfast. Yeonrok sighed. If he just disliked dogs that would be one thing, but saying he had allergies meant getting one was completely out of the question. Of course, he didn’t know if he really had allergies or was just pretending because he disliked Yeonrok. Returning to his room, Yeonrok petted Yeondoo.
* * *
“Huh?”
Yeonrok, waking up from oversleeping, made a dazed sound. Overnight, various parts of the house had become colorful. A collaboration of vivid red and green. Christmas decorations had been hung everywhere. Since becoming an adult, he’d never properly celebrated Christmas, so his mood naturally lifted. He recalled memories of enjoying Christmas together at the orphanage when he was young. It was a rare good memory.
“Merry Christmas!”
Yeonrok shouted energetically as he ran to the kitchen. Park Yeoin, who was busily making something, received Yeonrok’s greeting.
“Merry Christmas, Young Master.”
“Wow, it smells delicious.”
Yeonrok wrinkled his nose. The sweet and savory smell unique to freshly baked bread came from all directions. Park Yeoin’s skills were truly amazing—not only Korean and Western food, but she also baked delicious bread and cookies. Recently, this woman’s joy had been feeding Yeonrok deliciously and fattening him up. As soon as Yeonrok sat down, cinnamon rolls drizzled with sweet icing were placed on the table. They were really delicious.
“Here, don’t just eat bread, eat this too.”
Perhaps because it was Christmas, today’s breakfast consisted of Western food from the start. Of course, Yeonrok ate any kind of meal well without being picky, so anything was fine. Park Yeoin watched Yeonrok diligently eating the roasted broccoli she’d made, then suddenly sighed.
“I don’t know why this Young Master doesn’t gain weight at all… There’s no reward in feeding you, no reward.”
“I naturally don’t gain weight easily.”
Although he said that, Yeonrok himself definitely felt he was gaining even less weight these days. It was probably due to the lack of contact with his Name Partners. From a few days ago, every time he lifted his sleep-stuck eyelids in the morning, his condition was so low he wondered if he might die young at this rate.
“If you don’t gain weight, it’s good because you can eat a lot!”
“Oh my, of course. If you eat a lot, it’s fortunate and good.”
Because he liked being adored by Park Yeoin, Yeonrok showed off by listing praises for the food. Park Yeoin, who giggled like a young girl, urged him to eat this and that.
“I’ve made this much food for our Young Masters to eat, so heat it up well and eat it. This needs to be boiled in a pot, and that just needs 2 minutes in the microwave.”
“You’re not staying home today?”
Yeonrok asked in surprise. Park Yeoin usually came out early in the morning, worked until lunch, then left before evening. So Yeonrok could at least eat breakfast and lunch without feeling lonely. But from the way she was talking, it seemed she’d be away starting from lunch today.
“Well, it’s Christmas. My grandchildren said they miss me so much. I took a half-day off to spend just today with my family.”
“Ah, you’re spending it with your family.”
He tried to speak casually, but his disappointment must have shown. Park Yeoin looked at Yeonrok with a worried face.
“Should I make lunch before I go?”
“Hey, how much must your grandchildren be waiting! Just go quickly now!”
Yeonrok stopped Park Yeoin, saying he’d do the dishes himself, and quickly sent her off. After sending Park Yeoin away, Yeonrok thought.
‘It’s nice that she has family.’
I wish I had family too. He recalled friends he’d once been close with at the orphanage. Although they’d grown up together like brothers and sisters from childhood, most of them had lost contact now. Unlike Yeonrok, it was because they’d been adopted or their family situations improved so they went back to their families.
Perhaps because the friends he’d been especially close with had all left to find their families, Yeonrok spent a rather gloomy and difficult adolescent period. Thanks to that, after becoming an adult, he had almost no connection with the orphanage.
Kim Jeongseong still didn’t come home because he was busy, and the manager Jo Junho also didn’t come, perhaps because it was Christmas. Is there anyone else in the house? While peeking around the second floor and coming down to the first floor, Yeonrok stopped in his tracks.
“…What?”
An unexpected sight appeared before his eyes. Choi Hwan and Moon Gyeonwoo were having a conversation in a rather friendly atmosphere. A smile slightly graced Moon Gyeonwoo’s lips, and Choi Hwan was leaning his body toward the other enough for their shoulders to touch. They looked close at a glance. Seeing that, Yeonrok was shocked. Feeling as if a cold, empty wind was blowing, he rubbed his chest area.
…Well, that could happen. They were people who disliked me from the start, so. It’s natural for them to interact with each other since they’re also Name Partners. Even as he rationalized it, Yeonrok sat idly on the landing where they couldn’t see him until the two, each dressed up, left outside. Unlike Yeonrok, it seemed everyone had people to meet on Christmas.
“It’s nice and free being alone!”
Yeonrok shouted loudly, trying to force a cheerful mood. Even so, he went to his room and came out with his comfort doll Yeondoo tucked under his cold side.
Going out to the indoor garden, he saw the Christmas tree, poinsettias, various wreaths and garlands, and lights installed here and there shining colorfully.
Yeonrok killed time listening to the carols flowing instead of the classical music that usually played. Around the time he got tired of looking at the Christmas decorations, he heated up the food Park Yeoin had made and left, ate it deliciously, and thought it would be good to have a warm and soft puppy after all.
After eating an early lunch, feeling like he’d overeaten, he ran a bit on the treadmill in the gym. He also fiddled with unfamiliar exercise equipment, then turned on the TV, feeling like he needed some noise.
“Should I watch a movie?”
With flames flickering in the fake fireplace decoration, the atmosphere was quite cozy. Yeonrok made his surroundings fluffy with blankets and cushions, then sat his comfort doll beside him. Then he played a classic movie famous for being a Christmas film. While enjoying the movie, he muttered.
“What if burglars suddenly break in here too?”
He wandered around the window for no reason while watching the movie. But thinking about it carefully, this house was like a fortress, so it seemed burglars wouldn’t be able to break in easily. Returning to the sofa and playing the movie again, he muttered without realizing it.
“Even if burglars came, I’d be less bored.”
Feeling empty inside, he made and ate popcorn too. After finishing the movie, he watched a variety show and laughed a few times, then soon became as quiet and motionless as someone who’d sunk to the bottom of the sea. Lying down with his head on the old comfort doll with the stuffing coming out, Yeonrok recalled the friendly appearance of Choi Hwan and Moon Gyeonwoo earlier. And he thought.
Really, what more should I do here and how? I have no idea how to get closer to these people beyond this… Even if they dislike and avoid me, should I not give up and treat them well? To people who ignore me no matter how much I talk to them, who make it obvious they dislike having someone as shabby as me as their Name Partner?
Becoming dispirited, Yeonrok thought and thought for a long time. Come to think of it, it was already dinner time. The food Park Yeoin had earnestly asked him to eat came to mind, but his chest felt stuffy so he dragged his feet upstairs.
This house had all sides blocked but the rooftop was wide open. Benches and tables comfortable for resting, furniture like hammocks were arranged, and it was nice to have lighting, a fountain, and even a bar where you could make and drink cocktails yourself.
“You like going on a date with hyung too, right?”
Yeonrok, who’d come out with Yeondoo, spoke playfully. In the cold wind, his ears and cheeks quickly reddened. He wrapped his jumper tightly because it was cold. Without much thought, he leaned his arms on the rooftop railing and took out the cigarettes he’d brought along and lit one. Then he inhaled deeply.
“Aw, I quit smoking with difficulty after being discharged.”
Yeonrok grumbled with unclear pronunciation, the cigarette still in his mouth. The winter wind blew sharply and the smoke scattered in all directions. His eyes widened as he looked down absentmindedly.
Near the house, Moon Gyeonwoo was standing affectionately with someone.
‘…Who is it?’
Unlike Choi Hwan or Yeom Cheonho, perhaps because he was a researcher, he didn’t have a secretary or manager. Thanks to translating each English word written on Moon Gyeonwoo’s business card by typing it into the internet, Yeonrok now knew he was a researcher at some pharmaceutical company called Genexa.
Yeonrok stared intently at Moon Gyeonwoo with curiosity. He was speaking continuously to the other person with an affectionately smiling face. The other person was also dressed neatly and similarly like Moon Gyeonwoo. A friend, or maybe an acquaintance? As Yeonrok was speculating in his own way.
Moon Gyeonwoo leaned his head toward the other person. And kissed them.
