‘No wonder my luck was bad today…’
Yeonrok, who recalled the dark history he’d forgotten for a while, squeezed his eyes shut. If he’d known that the greatest misfortune of an unlucky day would be encountering a pathetically broken-up ex-lover at a gathering with his Name Partner, he would have gone straight home. I should’ve just gone home. Yeonrok felt belated regret.
On the other hand, the other person was more professional than Yeonrok. Min Soyul quickly composed her expression, then spoke politely with a smiling face.
“If you’re ready, I’ll escort you both right away.”
“Yeonrok-ssi, what do you think?”
When Yeom Cheonho, who knew nothing, asked, Yeonrok also quickly composed his expression. He answered Yeom Cheonho with a bright smile. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
“But my current appearance is not really suitable for going anywhere! If I’d known it would be like this, I definitely would have stopped by the salon. It’s a bit difficult to take off my hat. Ah, I did wash my hair but it’s too flattened and the length is a bit…”
Wanting to escape from his ex-lover’s view somehow, Yeonrok rambled incoherently. Fortunately, perhaps not sensing anything strange due to Yeonrok’s habit of stammering in front of him, Yeom Cheonho smiled. Then he quickly removed Yeonrok’s hat. Yeonrok’s eyes widened. Long, firm-jointed fingers delicately caressed his hair.
“The length is a bit long, indeed. But this kind of hair is actually easier to style. Secretary Min?”
“Yes, Yeom Cheonho-nim. I’ll bring it right away.”
Min Soyul soon brought tools like wax, hair spray, and a comb. Yeom Cheonho pressed his chin with the back of his fingers to close his slightly open mouth. Then he combed through Yeonrok’s hair with his fingers.
“No…”
Spray spray. He sprayed something unknown on his hair. Yeonrok’s hands meaninglessly went back and forth in the air. Now all that was visible in his line of sight was Yeom Cheonho’s broad chest.
“President, um…”
Then he delicately combed and shaped it with a comb. Yeonrok now learned that fingers touching the scalp was also valid as physical contact with a Name Partner. His spine tingled at the unique feeling of warm heat spreading.
“My hair…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make it to your liking.”
A low-pitched voice brushed past his ear, then something was slathered on his hair. He sprayed something again. Yeonrok half gave up. It felt strange but not bad. If he had family, that is… perhaps if he’d had an older brother, would he have taken care of him like this? Yeonrok, who never had a real older brother, harbored a vague fantasy.
“There, done. Let’s look in the mirror.”
Yeom Cheonho, who finished styling, turned Yeonrok around. Yeonrok, who stood in front of the mirror hanging in the reception room as he was pushed, widened his eyes. Yeom Cheonho praised him with a satisfied expression while holding both shoulders.
“A pretty face. I like it.”
With the hair neatly fixed by skillfully handling it with hairstyling products, Yeonrok’s face was fully revealed. Oh? This style isn’t bad either? He was momentarily captivated seeing his own appearance in the mirror, but Yeonrok, who felt his ex-girlfriend’s gaze, came to his senses and shook his head frantically. Yeom Cheonho smoothly swept back the hair that came out from that movement. Yeonrok continued awkwardly.
“But my current outfit is also a bit much for going somewhere fancy to eat…”
He shot desperate looks asking to please be sent home, but Yeom Cheonho just smiled good-naturedly again. Perhaps because he was a silver spoon who grew up well, he was oblivious.
“Yeonrok-ssi is right. Certainly, people should dress appropriately for the time and place.”
“Right, as expected…”
Yeonrok was delighted and quickly nodded when Yeom Cheonho provided the answer.
“It’s not that big of a problem. Clothes can just be bought, can’t they? Let’s go buy some right away.”
“What? President?”
When he came to his senses, Yeonrok was already aboard the vehicle with Yeom Cheonho. Min Soyul sat in the passenger seat with an upright posture. It was when Yeonrok was wandering, unable to place his gaze anywhere while breaking into a cold sweat. Yeom Cheonho, who’d been handling work on a tablet, smiled at the corners of his mouth.
“Yeonrok-ssi.”
“Yes?”
Yeonrok answered while trying not to be too startled. Yeom Cheonho moved his hand from tapping the tablet and placed it on the armrest between Yeonrok and himself. He turned it over to show his palm and asked politely.
“Would you hold my hand?”
Wow. Really. Wow. Please. Of all places, here. Really? President Yeom, really?
He screamed silently inside. If there was a god somewhere, he wanted to ask why they were really doing this to him. Shedding tears inside, Yeonrok raised his trembling hand. And slowly placed it on top of Yeom Cheonho’s hand. The end of Yeom Cheonho’s thick eyebrows slowly turned downward.
“Mm, as expected. …Good.”
“Haha, ri-ght.”
Yeonrok, whose face had ripened red, answered awkwardly. He barely managed to fix his wandering gaze outside the window. Text messages he’d sent to Min Soyul in the past came to mind.
‘Soyul-ah, are you sleeping?’, ‘I’ll do better from now on’, ‘I really don’t think I can forget you, how am I supposed to live from now on’ and various other things he didn’t even want to recall…
He’d gotten along quite well with Min Soyul. They met in high school and graduated together, and were happy for about half a year after that too. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was the best time in Yeonrok’s life. They were faithful to each other, shared both hard times and joyful times, and their tastes and hearts matched well.
That’s probably why. The happier he was, the more desperate Yeonrok became. He couldn’t imagine how unhappy he’d be if he lost this love and warmth being given to him. His ex-lover gradually found it burdensome. Then they eventually broke up, and Yeonrok acted pathetically because he didn’t want to lose the other person somehow, drifting further apart…
The breakup when he’d just turned twenty was a deadly difficult thing for young Yeonrok. What barely gave him strength was that his Name happened to manifest at the right time. Of course, his misfortune hadn’t gone anywhere, so even now he wasn’t in a very happy state.
It wasn’t that he still had feelings for Min Soyul. But still, no matter what, being like this in front of his ex-lover made him feel very embarrassed and flustered for reasons he couldn’t clearly identify. Especially since the other person was a man. While Yeonrok was just sweating nervously like that, the vehicle stopped in front of a department store. They didn’t even park in the parking lot. It was a structure where they’d valet park just by getting out of the car.
The place most similar to a department store among the places Yeonrok had been to in his life so far was an outlet. To be precise, the kind of place that usually sold discounted clothes, socks, hair ties and such from the entrance, and once you went in, employees would sort inventory with somewhat soulless eyes or habitually add greetings to look around comfortably.
In fact, he could count on his hands the number of times he’d been even there. For him who usually worked busily and rested at home on holidays, clothes were just necessities that were fine to wear haphazardly. So he couldn’t adapt at all and felt awkward. His face grew hot. It wasn’t simply because this place was unfamiliar.
Even after getting out of the car, Yeom Cheonho kept holding his hand!
There were several bills related to Name Manifestors, one of which was same-sex marriage. Unlike ordinary people, they lose their lives if they don’t live with and contact their partners. Since Name Manifestation doesn’t discriminate by gender, marriage rights are legally guaranteed. Therefore, same-sex marriage and same-sex relationships are socially accepted tolerantly anywhere in the world.
However, no matter how much that was the case, Yeonrok couldn’t adapt to this situation at all. Not just his ex-lover but the gazes of all the people nearby bothered him. He tried to slip his hand out subtly, but it was difficult because Yeom Cheonho was holding it quite firmly. It had only been a few minutes since entering the department store holding hands like that when someone approached with quick steps.
“President Yeom! It’s been so long. Have you been well?”
A man neatly dressed in a suit smiled brightly, then greeted by bending his waist at 90 degrees. When Yeom Cheonho accepted the greeting, his expression became even brighter. Yeonrok, who became more burdened, wanted to run away from here a bit more desperately than before. While he was half out of it, the man quickly scanned the held hands, then bowed deeply again.
“How do you do, I am Director Park Seongho in charge of serving VIP customers. I will do my best to serve you both today. If it’s all right, I would like to offer you some simple refreshments first.”
The place they followed Director Park, who acted as if he’d give up his liver, was a certain VIP room on the upper floor of the department store with few people around. He’d clearly said simple refreshments, but refreshing fruit ades and various desserts came out neatly placed on a 3-tier tray.
