Unlike Yeom Cheonho or Choi Hwan, he had barely even talked to Moon Gyeonwoo yet. When they looked at each other like strangers, he had never even imagined them dating. Yeonrok didn’t particularly want to either, and Moon Gyeonwoo wouldn’t want it. If Yeom Cheonho was an object of admiration and Choi Hwan was like an easy-going peer, Moon Gyeonwoo was even less than an acquaintance from a knitting club.
“You just get along well with the President.”
“We’re getting along great even without you saying it, you know? Don’t you think Cheonho hyung and I have pretty good chemistry?”
Ever since getting a Name Partner, Yeonrok felt like his romantic fantasies were crumbling away every single day with a crackle-crunch. Phrases like ‘We’re an even number, so it worked out great! Let’s pair up two by two and stick together’ or ‘At this point, we’re quite compatible’ were very far from Yeonrok’s definition of family or Name Partner. Yeonrok didn’t even bother responding.
“But why is that hyung so busy anyway? It’s hard to even have a proper date.”
Choi Hwan grumbled while looking regretfully at the bowl of jjajang ramyeon he’d emptied in an instant. Before he could lick the bowl, Yeonrok swiftly grabbed it and put it in the sink, responding nonchalantly.
“The President is busy these days going hiking with company chairmen for regular gatherings.”
“…Huh, really?”
“Last time he completely conquered Jirisan, and this time he’s going to Seoraksan. You know mountains with ‘ak’ in their name have brutal climbs, right? Because they’re ruthless. That’s why he’s going to Seoraksan after Jirisan. There’s fun in conquering them.”
“So that’s why there’s ‘ak’ in it?”
Choi Hwan nodded innocently. By the time he belatedly noticed something strange and let out a screech, Yeonrok had already made his escape.
Returning to his room, he changed clothes and gathered his knitting supplies. Lately, he’d been thoroughly enjoying going to the knitting club that met once a week. It was nice being the youngest and receiving the most affection, and it was also thanks to making a knitting buddy. It was the person he’d met at the bookstore last time. After joining the cafe Yeonrok had introduced and coming to find the group, they’d met again.
“My name is Lee Seongmyeong. Please take care of me.”
Handsome with a gentle personality and refined speaking skills, Lee Seongmyeong was explosively popular at the knitting club. He boasted catastrophically poor knitting skills, but when he broke out in a cold sweat struggling, people rushed from all directions to help. Though there was quite an age gap between them, Yeonrok was still happy just to have a rare male member.
“Wow, I finished it!”
When Yeonrok held up the scarf triumphantly and shouted, people applauded from all around.
“Really! Our Yeonrok has already finished a scarf!”
“My, such a young person with such skillful hands.”
Having received plenty of praise, he smugly tried on the finished scarf for the first time, draping it around his neck. He really liked the warm beige-colored scarf. Looking around, most people were knitting diligently to give to someone precious.
‘Should I knit one for someone too?’
Yeonrok briefly thought about the people around him. Obviously not Moon Gyeonwoo or Choi Hwan, and for Yeom Cheonho, the material was too cheap and would likely just make the other person uncomfortable. It meant there was psychological distance. Ugh, I don’t have any family or lover to give it to. I’ll just keep this one and later knit one for Ms. Park…
Since the weather had warmed up considerably lately, it was a bit hot for wearing a scarf, so he folded it neatly and put it in his bag when Lee Seongmyeong expressed envy.
“I really envy you, Yeonrok-gun. I wonder when I’ll ever finish knitting like this, haha…”
“You’ll be able to finish it someday!”
Yeonrok encouraged him, but Lee Seongmyeong seemed to have exhausted his motivation to knit for the day. Instead, he suggested to the group.
“How about a dinner gathering to celebrate Yeonrok-gun completing something for the first time today? I’ll treat.”
Everyone welcomed Seongmyeong’s suggestion. Of course, since it was a small group, even though they called it a dinner gathering, all it meant was moving to a nearby beer hall. With the sudden change of venue, Yeonrok excused himself and quickly rushed to the car to inform Park Chungseong and Jeong Boeun of the move. Returning to the beer hall and taking a bite of freshly fried chicken, someone asked with a very curious face.
“By the way, does Yeonrok come from a well-off family?”
“Huh, what? Me?”
Having heard completely unexpected words, Yeonrok’s head snapped up in the middle of tearing into his chicken.
“You come in a sedan every time you come to our gathering.”
“Right, the way you dress too, and the way you speak so delicately and prettily, you have the air of being raised preciously at home.”
“A total young master, a young master!”
Honestly, Yeonrok, who was very far from being raised preciously, could only laugh. He couldn’t very well say this was all thanks to finding a good Name Partner and living in comfort. Lee Seongmyeong added a word too.
“Yeonrok-gun must be very cherished at home.”
“Well… I guess so.”
Since he was also far from being cherished, Yeonrok forced a bitter smile and quickly swallowed it. Being a dispensable presence at home and the sense of alienation from not being chosen by any of his Name Partners—if he mentioned such things in a place like this, this warm and friendly atmosphere would obviously be ruined. He quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, is it very difficult to make dolls with knitting? I recently saw a cute hamburger doll knitting pattern…”
Aside from subtly receiving and politely declining a setup offer, it was an enjoyable dinner gathering. However, Yeonrok’s misfortune, which he’d thought had calmed down recently, erupted.
“Whoa!”
An employee carrying a tray with several glasses of draft beer suddenly stumbled and spilled the beer all over Yeonrok with a crash. His body was instantly soaked. Yeonrok’s mind went hazy, having been struck by sudden lightning while eating chicken well. Getting hit with such a disaster in such a good setting? What’s happening with my life…
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”
“Really, this person… Can’t you serve properly?”
When Lee Seongmyeong got angry, the employee’s face went pale as they floundered and apologized repeatedly. Since he was getting angry on his behalf, Yeonrok, who felt better instead, stopped him.
“I’m fine. Could you just give me some tissues or a towel or something?”
“Oh my, you’re completely soaked. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
“Here’s some tissue!”
With help from people around him, things were roughly managed, but the smell of beer was so strong that any desire to drink vanished completely. Yeonrok said to the employee pouring beer again.
“Just skip my beer. I’ll have cola.”
“I’m truly sorry, customer. This one is free.”
Looking very flustered, the employee quickly brought cola. It was service showing the kindness of personally pouring it into a glass with ice.
As he tilted the glass to drink the cola, Yeonrok hesitated. There was a bug struggling in the cup. A flying insect in this winter? Today’s just a bit unlucky… In a situation he was somewhat familiar with, Yeonrok just pretended to drink and put it down. The employee was already looking sorry and kept glancing this way while floundering, so he didn’t want to scold them further and kept his mouth shut.
Everyone was going to a second round, but wandering around in clothes soaked with beer wasn’t ideal, so Yeonrok alone dropped out. When he got in the car, Park Chungseong and Jeong Boeun were shocked.
“How much did you drink for the smell to be like this… No, your clothes are all wet? Did you get alcohol dumped on you?”
Since Park Chungseong and Jeong Boeun seemed to suspect he might have been ostracized at the gathering, Yeonrok quickly told them every detail about the misfortune that had befallen him and lamented.
“I’m thirsty… Do you happen to have bottled water?”
Chicken goes perfectly with beer or cola, but since he hadn’t been able to drink anything, his throat was parched. Actually, there was another reason for declining the second round. It was partly because of the clothes soaked in beer, but on such an unlucky day, it was best to just stay holed up at home. Yeonrok thought while drinking bottled water.
‘Of course, even at home, if you’re unlucky, a fire could break out.’
Recalling the unfortunate incident from earlier this year, it was entirely possible. Disappointed at not being able to go to the second round, he instead bought a bag of potato chips and a can of beer from a convenience store and headed to the rooftop. He even made himself a cocktail.
Moderately tipsy, he turned on the luxurious fire pit to zone out watching the flames, then turned it off and came down to the first floor when he heard a strange sound from somewhere.
“…What’s that sound.”
Yeonrok, who had been putting the empty can in the recycling bin and coming out, looked around.
“Mm, ngh…! Urk!”
It sounded like groaning and moaning… Is someone sick somewhere? His nerves on edge, Yeonrok searched for the source of the noise and froze. Yeom Cheonho and Choi Hwan were rolling around on the floor, their faces bright red, stuck together.
‘These crazy people, leaving all their bedrooms and in the living room…!’
Thinking it figured he’d see the two of them going at it on such an unlucky day, Yeonrok turned around in shock but then hesitated.
‘Wait? But something, I mean, wasn’t something a bit strange? For going at it, they were both fully clothed.’
Moreover, maybe Choi Hwan, but it didn’t seem like Yeom Cheonho would do something so tactless. After agonizing considerably, Yeonrok turned back around. Opening his eyes dimly in case he might see something inappropriate, Yeonrok stuck just his head out and grasped the situation, then gasped.
“What! Why are you two like this right now!”
