Fiddling with cold fingertips as he’d developed cold extremities he never had before, Yeonrok hesitated then gathered some courage to ask again.
“When might I be able to meet with you again, President? I mean, personally, not the group dinners.”
“Mm, I’ll ask Yeom Cheonho-nim once.”
It was around the time they’d nearly finished dinner, though he hadn’t expected much. Kim Jeongseong returned with an expression as if he himself was delighted.
“Yeom Cheonho-nim says he has time this Friday for lunch.”
“Really?”
To Yeonrok, who’d nearly given up on his relationships with Choi Hwan and Moon Gyeonwoo, Yeom Cheonho was quite an important person. It wasn’t that he considered him as a romantic partner particularly, but he felt like he could get by somehow if they just held hands once a week like last time.
‘Even if not that, I just want to get close to him. He’s cool.’
Yeom Cheonho was a cool person even from a man-to-man perspective. He was polite and courteous even to the younger Yeonrok, considerate, and had everything Yeonrok didn’t have. So Yeonrok naturally felt admiration.
If they could just have a meal once, or no, even if not a meal, if they could just hold hands once, that would do. He didn’t hope for more than that. Still, thinking about it, it seemed he should tidy up his appearance before meeting him. Looking in the mirror and touching his hair that had grown long enough to wonder if he needed a headband soon, he searched for a nearby salon.
“Why are the prices like this…?”
It costs this much just to get a haircut? Maybe because it’s a wealthy neighborhood. Reservations are required too. Yeonrok’s finger hesitated over his phone screen. No matter how much Yeom Cheonho told him to use his card, Yeonrok still didn’t feel like doing so. Since becoming an adult, he’d never once received anything for free from others in his life.
Yeonrok found a suitable salon in a more distant location. The star rating and reviews were decent.
‘Then I’ll go get my hair done before lunch, and clothes… Ah, I need to buy clothes too.’
He browsed internet shopping malls. The clothes he agonized over and chose, losing track of time, ultimately didn’t deviate much from the style he usually wore.
Time passed this way until Friday. Kim Jeongseong approached hesitantly to Yeonrok, who’d washed squeaky clean from the morning and finished preparing to go to the salon. The moment he saw that expression, he could predict what would be said. Yeonrok asked in an already disappointed voice.
“…He can’t make it?”
“I’m truly sorry. Something urgent suddenly came up, so he says he cannot keep the lunch appointment. How about a different date instead?”
“I’m fine whenever, so please tell him to set it for whenever the President is comfortable.”
As Yeonrok spoke sullenly with his energy completely deflated, Kim Jeongseong bowed his head deeply and answered.
“I apologize, Lee Yeonrok-nim.”
“What does Secretary-hyung have to be sorry about? I was finding it a bit bothersome to go out anyway.”
Yeonrok answered listlessly while shoving his cold fingertips into his pockets. Kim Jeongseong also seemed quite busy, as he left immediately despite his apologies. Having lost interest in the salon and everything else, he changed into comfortable clothes. As he carelessly stuck a pin in his bangs that annoyingly obstructed his vision to hold them in place, something dripped from his nose.
“Huh.”
Yeonrok, experiencing a nosebleed for the first time in his life, was flustered. Pressing it firmly with tissue, it stopped after a moment. However, the creepy feeling he’d had the moment he saw the nosebleed didn’t disappear. Name Manifestors usually die within a few years without contact with their partners. In other words, it also meant nothing would happen in just a month, but the feeling was really unsettling.
After washing his hands, Yeonrok skipped lunch and lay still on the bed like a dried, shriveled carrot. Perhaps the cold extremities had worsened, as now he felt chilled to the bone. No, no. This substance wasn’t cold or chills but the loneliness Yeonrok had felt his entire life. Tossing and turning on the bed, Yeonrok posted on the internet with his phone.
[Looking for a friend]
A reply came as soon as he posted it, and he checked with a brightened expression, but the content was this:
Are you a girl?
⤷Guy
After that, no other replies came. Yeonrok furrowed his brow, deleted the post, and this time wrote with a bit more effort.
[Looking for a friend / Male 25 years old / Lives in Seoul]
Yeonrok, who checked the reply that came shortly after, scowled. Below ‘Are you a girl?’ Yeonrok furiously wrote a reply.
⤷You crazy bastard, it says male in the title
⤷⤷Good-looking?
⤷⤷⤷Pretty decent-looking
⤷⤷⤷⤷Can’t believe it without proof
There were all kinds of weirdos in the world. After that, again no other replies came. Having become a bit lonelier trying to find friends on the internet, Yeonrok pulled his comfort doll Yeondoo into his arms and patted it. How nice would it be if this doll were a living creature? As he did so, a thought suddenly came to mind.
“…Should I raise a puppy?”
He’d wanted to before but couldn’t due to lack of money and time. But now hadn’t his life become much more comfortable? While he was at it, Yeonrok quickly sent a text to Kim Jeongseong.
[Secretary-hyung, can I raise a puppy?]
Whether feeling guilty for Yeom Cheonho canceling the appointment or pitying Yeonrok, Kim Jeongseong sent a reply immediately.
[The President says it’s fine. However, permission from the other people is needed, so I’ll ask for their opinions.]
[No, hyung is busy too, so I’ll ask them myself.]
He must have really been busy, as after a moment with a time delay, a reply came saying he’d appreciate it.
With some vitality returning, Yeonrok went to find Choi Hwan. When he went to the exercise room, he was just coming out with an enlightened face after finishing his shower. Choi Hwan, seeing Lee Yeonrok, licked his lips with somehow hungry-looking eyes. It was probably because he was thinking of the kkokkeul ramen he’d eaten earlier, but having the same man look at him like that felt a bit weird.
“Do you like dogs?”
When Yeonrok asked out of the blue, Choi Hwan scrunched up his face.
“What? What dog?”
“I want to try raising a dog.”
A dog… The aspect of a dog lover showed on Choi Hwan’s face as he muttered with moist eyes. Actually, Yeonrok had come across information that he raised a pet dog at his family home. Sure enough, Choi Hwan readily agreed. With an insignificant condition attached.
“But I’m also going to bring Bori from my family home sometimes.”
If there were two dogs, that was double the cuteness, so it wasn’t bad for Yeonrok either. Now what remained was Moon Gyeonwoo’s consent. Yeonrok settled in the indoor garden and waited for Moon Gyeonwoo to return.
Moon Gyeonwoo returned only late at night. The scent of wind clinging to his camel coat was particularly cold and chilly. When Yeonrok, who’d been dozing off, came to his senses at a streak of chilly wind, Moon Gyeonwoo had already passed him and was entering the entrance.
“Excuse me.”
“…”
“Excuse me? Moon Gyeonwoo-ssi?”
As he’d done until now, he cleanly ignored Yeonrok’s words and passed by. Since it was behavior Yeonrok had fully expected, he moved more actively. When he tap-tapped his shoulder, Moon Gyeonwoo turned his body around irritably.
“I clearly told you not to touch my body without permission…!”
Moon Gyeonwoo stopped short. What had tapped his shoulder was a colorful plastic hand. To be exact, it was a hand-shaped clapper made for cheering at sports festivals or events. Moving the hand clapper ostentatiously to make clap-clap-clap sounds, Yeonrok said.
“I didn’t touch you though?”
Moon Gyeonwoo sent an openly contemptuous look.
“Are you trying to play games with me right now?”
“So it would have been good if you’d answered me from the start, wouldn’t it?”
The feeling of being blatantly ignored right in front of his eyes really wasn’t a good one. At Yeonrok’s retort, Moon Gyeonwoo became irritated and then just strode right in. Ah, even after doing this much, he’s still ignoring me? Yeonrok now felt somewhat stubborn.
The next day, Moon Gyeonwoo, who was coming out of his room to go to work, flinched upon seeing Yeonrok holding the hand clapper. Yeonrok yawned and clapped to attract attention.
“Excuse me, Moon Gyeonwoo-ssi. Let me just ask one thing.”
Moon Gyeonwoo walked right past Yeonrok. Naturally, Yeonrok also followed Moon Gyeonwoo while continuing to clap. Clap clap clap clap! As he flashily waved the hand clapper throughout breakfast, stimulating hearing and vision, Moon Gyeonwoo finally reacted.
With an annoyed face, he roughly snatched the cheering tool from Yeonrok and threw it in the trash. When Yeonrok’s eyes widened, Moon Gyeonwoo snorted. However, even that didn’t last long. Yeonrok smoothly pulled out another clapper he’d hidden under the dining table.
“…!”
“Actually, I bought one more.”
Moon Gyeonwoo, grinding his teeth, snatched it again. He was a person with more temper than expected. This time he even damaged the palm part. Then when Yeonrok’s eyes widened again, this time he pulled out a new hand clapper from the sink drawer.
“Actually, I bought one more.”
“…I’m warning you. Don’t do it.”
Yeonrok blatantly waved the clapper in front of his face that held a coldness capable of cooling even freshly brewed coffee. Clap-clap, clap-clap, clap-clap.
“What are you going to do if I do?”
