“…Huh?”
Choi Hwan, whose mood was particularly fickle today, made a dumbfounded sound. Yeonrok looked at him questioningly, then said oddly:
“Honestly, how much of a mess was it all this time? Dating and breaking up, then dating again and breaking up… Even if it was among Name Partners, it was a bit much, wasn’t it? Especially you, thinking about when you dated those two people, ugh. It doesn’t seem quite right…”
It was fine that they dated among themselves. But even thinking about it now, it was annoying why Yeonrok was always the only one suffering in the middle.
“Uh, uhhh…”
Choi Hwan became very flustered, then mumbled and said in a small voice:
“I don’t think it was that bad…”
Thinking he’d been too blunt, Yeonrok thought “oops.” Thinking he’d shown too much dislike when the other person probably liked them enough to date at the time, he added:
“Um, I just said that, so even if you date those two again later, don’t worry about me.”
Choi Hwan, who had become completely silent, started diligently scooping up the ice cream he’d been neglecting until now. His face was somehow dark. However, after a moment, he soon regained his energy. His mood fluctuated so much it was impossible to predict.
“Let’s go buy clothes! I’ll pick ones that suit you well. There are a lot of killer spring new arrivals these days.”
“I already bought a lot last time.”
“Yeom Cheonho bought those, not me.”
Since the clothes Choi Hwan picked did suit him well, Yeonrok nodded as if he couldn’t win. The two moved to the department store. Because Choi Hwan was such a famous person, they couldn’t openly enter through the main entrance like when accompanying Yeom Cheonho. So following the bodyguards’ advice, they decided to enter through the parking lot, avoiding people’s eyes.
It was when the two got out of the car and headed toward the elevator. Someone called Choi Hwan in a tearing voice.
“Choi Hwan! You bastard, caught you good! I knew you’d come here someday!”
Choi Hwan’s body, conditioned for so long to that vicious shouting, stiffened rigidly. Perhaps because Yeonrok had cooperated with the asset manager Yeom Cheonho assigned and cut the money they sent monthly, Choi Hwan’s father appeared imposingly and rushed at them like an angry bee. Yeonrok quickly blocked Choi Hwan. Fortunately, this time the bodyguards acted promptly.
“Back off!”
Naturally, Choi Hwan and Yeonrok had been with bodyguards throughout today’s entire schedule. Having heard the security protocol until their ears hurt, they didn’t even get out of the car until the bodyguards got out first. Even at the restaurant, the bodyguards had eaten at a table right nearby. Choi Hwan’s father screamed and pointed his finger.
“Name Partner or whatever, do you not even see your parents anymore! You’re eating your fill and living well while your family all starves to death!”
Knowing well how much money these exploiters wearing the guise of family had extorted from Choi Hwan, Yeonrok flared up and got angry.
“Listen to this nonsense. Your whole family has all their limbs intact! Then earn your own living! Don’t leech off your child!”
“What, you son of a bitch!”
All kinds of vicious and vulgar curses too terrible to hear poured from the abuser’s mouth. Suddenly noticing that Choi Hwan’s body was trembling, Yeonrok held his hand. Choi Hwan flinched and looked away from his father to only look at Yeonrok’s face. The eyes that had been shaking with fear, anger, and habitual submission gradually settled.
Gaining courage, he lifted his head for the first time and looked straight at his abuser. The father, who properly met his son’s gaze, hesitated but soon got angry out of inertia.
“This homo bastard is blinded by a male prostitute…”
At the curses too unbearable to hear, veins stood out on Choi Hwan’s forehead. He was somewhat used to insults toward himself, but this he absolutely couldn’t let pass. Before his father could pour more insulting curses on Yeonrok, he shouted fiercely:
“Stop it and leave!”
“What, what did you say?”
“I said leave! Fuck, doing this every time is really embarrassing!”
Though his tone trembled slightly, Choi Hwan stood his ground firmly. The department store security staff also rushed over just then. The father, who had been dumbfounded at his son talking back for the first time when he always obediently handed over money, came to his senses. He let out an incredulous laugh, then soon ground his teeth.
“This bastard, so that’s how you’re going to be? You’re going to regret this someday.”
The malice in those eyes was so mean it was unbelievable that a parent would send such a look to their child.
“I’ll make sure you regret it, you unfilial bastard!”
Choi Hwan listened quietly to the curses pouring on him without blinking an eye. However, Yeonrok, who was standing close by, could notice that the area around his eyes and ears had turned very red. Yeonrok held Choi Hwan’s hand and led him, saying:
“Let’s go buy clothes now.”
Choi Hwan, who had been stiffly frozen, looked once at his father cursing and moving away, and once at Yeonrok holding his hand.
“Yeah…”
Only then did Choi Hwan obediently move his feet. Throughout following, his gaze was directed at Yeonrok.
As soon as they entered the department store, Director Park rushed out in her stocking feet again. This time, seeing Yeonrok’s hand clasped with Choi Hwan’s, she wore an expression of dying from curiosity, but she smiled broadly like a professional.
“I’m so happy to see our VIP customers like this! I’ll do my best to serve you today as well!”
However, even while buying clothes he loved so much, Choi Hwan was sullen throughout. He barely looked at his own clothes and was only energetic when picking out Yeonrok’s clothes. Director Park seemed slightly disappointed, perhaps because today’s sales were poor compared to usual.
On the way back after finishing shopping like that, Yeonrok looked at Choi Hwan, who was just silently driving beside him, and thought. Though he’d longed for family his whole life, seeing this made him wonder what family even was.
* * *
After encountering his father at the department store, Choi Hwan’s energy didn’t return at all. Far from struggling with his diet meal plan, he ate even that half-heartedly, so his jaw became artistically sharp. He spent his days so gloomily that even Yeom Cheonho casually spoke to him like this during dinner:
“Director Kim said he successfully purchased the Romare flap strap bag he’d requested before.”
Yeonrok didn’t know, but some luxury goods were so extremely limited in quantity that you couldn’t just buy them even if you wanted to. Apparently qualifications were needed, such as having accumulated sales performance or having connections with the seller. The Romare something bag was one that Choi Hwan had been singing about wanting, so Yeonrok had memorized the name. But Choi Hwan’s reaction was very lukewarm.
“Really? That’s good…”
Then Choi Hwan said he had no appetite and left his seat first. Wow. It must really be serious. Naturally, Choi Hwan’s manager was the first to notice this low mood.
The next day, after eating breakfast, when Choi Hwan left to wash up, Jo Junho, who was sipping coffee, secretly asked Yeonrok:
“Did Hwan’s family come visit again by any chance?”
“Yes. Last time his father came all the way to the department store and cursed at us.”
“Ugh.”
The manager sighed without being very surprised, as if he’d experienced it all. Yeonrok lowered his voice and asked carefully:
“Shouldn’t he, you know, get counseling or something?”
“He’s already received it. He has medication he takes separately too. But the fundamental problem needs to be resolved… I should try to reduce his schedule as much as possible for the time being. I have been working him pretty hard lately.”
Though clicking his tongue as if feeling sorry, Jo Junho also seemed to have nothing he could do. Well, of course, because Choi Hwan was a full-grown adult. There was no way to deal with such private matters without the person’s own will. After confirming again that Choi Hwan was still washing up, Jo Junho cursed Choi Hwan’s family.
“They’ve been such troublemakers since his child actor days. According to the president, when he was young, he couldn’t even breathe properly in front of his family. They’re really despicable people, really.”
The president of the agency Choi Hwan is currently contracted with was apparently the manager who cared for him during his child actor days. As such, he was also someone who knew well how infuriating troublemakers Choi Hwan’s family were. While telling that story, Jo Junho said:
“Still, I’m relieved that thanks to Yeonrok-ssi, Hwan seems to be pulling himself together a bit. I guess he’s not your Name Partner for nothing. Haha.”
Since Jo Junho said that, Yeonrok felt good. Even at the beginning of this year, the sense of belonging he didn’t have toward the three people was getting stronger and stronger these days. As expected, time solves everything.
‘Come to think of it, has time already passed this much?’
