# Chapter 18
“I’m sure there are.”
Jaehwi, who had seemed to relax for a moment, answered sarcastically. Shouldn’t a 20-year-old be well past puberty?
“Don’t talk like that, just give me measurements instead. How tall should they be? What kind of celebrity do they look like? Whether you’d prefer someone plump or thin. Personality aspects are hard to find through a file like this, so we can narrow it down to about 10 people and learn more while doing compatibility tests.”
“Cheeks should be soft and squishy, oh! And a plump behind? Also, I can understand if they swear. No one’s perfect. And male is fine too.”
Raon really wanted to curse out loud.
He wanted to tell Jaehwi not to talk about ideals in his head, but to be realistic. Plus, what was this about a plump behind, and why was he so adamant about the lips? It made no sense.
“How about someone like Roban Rookie’s style?”
After thinking for a while, Raon mentioned the name of a currently popular actor.
“They don’t need to be that handsome.”
Give it up! Raon wanted to shout as he abruptly stood up.
Suddenly, his head spun, and he placed one hand on his forehead and stood still. The dizziness would pass if he stayed like this for a moment, so he waited.
When a warm hand grabbed the arm that was supporting his forehead, he shook it off, trying to reject it. Why was Jaehwi doing this after completely turning Raon’s emotions upside down?
“Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not okay.”
As the dizziness subsided, Raon went to the desk and irritably yanked open the drawer, taking out an iron supplement. It was ridiculous and laughable. He was now taking iron supplements for this disobedient guy. The lab had given it to him when he complained about dizziness.
Jay, who always read his condition, quickly offered a bottle of water, and Raon promptly popped the iron pill into his mouth.
“Are you angry? What kind of medicine is that?”
Jaehwi, who had been playing around and turning Raon’s emotions upside down until just now, was examining Raon’s complexion with a deflated look, like a repentant puppy who knew he’d done something wrong.
“Medicine for anger issues. Now, let’s try again. Let’s at least make a note.”
Raon sat down and picked up a pen. Then he wrote down everything as it came to mind. White and soft skin. A gentle voice, and did he say swearing was okay? Or not okay? After writing the word ‘swear,’ he couldn’t fill in the rest and moved to the next line.
He wrote “male” and continued with “sensitive to fashion,” then looked up at Jaehwi.
“Is average height okay? Let’s compromise around 170-180cm. Do you prefer taller or shorter? Handsome would be better, of course. And a good personality, too. Beyond everything else, compatibility is important.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Though Jaehwi’s tone was full of dissatisfaction, Raon continued writing down whatever came to mind as he spoke.
“What age range can you cover? Since we’re starting from 20, tell me how much older is acceptable?”
When no answer came, despite the consistent responses with slight delays until now, Raon looked up.
“You don’t like older ones?”
In the lengthening silence, Raon unconsciously tapped the table with his pen. If a 20-year-old didn’t like older people, he would have to look for someone also 20 years old. This would make finding a Guide as difficult as reaching for stars in the sky.
Jaehwi, who had seemed to be looking at Raon until now, was looking elsewhere.
Hyukjin, who had just stepped out and returned, was watching the two in tense silence, trying to be as quiet as possible. Jay, as always, was like a shadow in the space, as if he wasn’t there.
But suddenly, Jaehwi looked at Hyukjin, forcing him to give an awkward smile. It was hard to adapt to the roller-coaster atmosphere.
“Let’s think simply. Nox, would someone like Raon’s style be okay? Looking at him now, he’s white, soft and squishy, and has plump lips too. So I’ll search both domestically and internationally for someone similar, and Nox, come down with me now. The lab says they want to properly measure your grade starting today.”
Hyukjin, recalling what he had heard in the same space, spoke quickly, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere with a clap. Then, without waiting for a response from either Jaehwi or Raon, he pulled Jaehwi out of the office.
He had spoken based on what he remembered hearing, but thinking about it now, it seemed like Jaehwi had been referring to Raon. As this realization hit him, Hyukjin’s eyes turned to Jaehwi.
“Don’t verbalize what you’re thinking right now. Keep it in your head forever.”
Jaehwi firmly shut him down before he could even speak. Around Raon, Jaehwi appeared as a gentle and comfortable 20-year-old, an ordinary young man of that age.
But without Raon, Hyukjin felt pressured by an unknown force. It felt like he shouldn’t speak to him, give him orders, or even look at him.
“What was I thinking about?”
“Why would you have such dangerous thoughts? And try to compile the list as best as you can. There’s a one in 2.5 billion chance that such a person exists elsewhere.”
They had definitely been walking side by side, but at some point, Hyukjin found himself staring at the empty space where Jaehwi had been, and he fiddled with the phone in his pocket.
In a way, Raon was a very transparent person. Jaehwi was exactly the opposite. Though not certain, Hyukjin suspected that one of his abilities might include reading people’s minds. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such things.
Hyukjin, who had been silently listening to Jaehwi describe his ideal type in Raon’s office, couldn’t help but look at Raon. Ironically, Raon, who should have noticed, was irritably grumbling about how such a person couldn’t exist, while Jaehwi even chuckled softly.
Various assumptions flooded Hyukjin’s mind. Was it admiration for the older brother who had helped him when he was young? Or could it be another emotion that Jaehwi might have after guiding with Raon?
“An S-grade and a C-grade are truly impossible.”
Seated in front of the computer, Hyukjin rummaged through the drawer in frustration. He thought of the cigarettes he had quit a year ago. If their compatibility matched, it could cover to some extent. As this thought occurred to him, Hyukjin snapped his fingers, and a sigh escaped his lips. Ah, how could he get these two into the compatibility test room? That was the biggest problem.
* * *
“I think it would be better for you to go home early today.”
Raon looked at Jay with irritated eyes. He knew. What he needed now was rest. Eating well, resting well, and sleeping well. He knew that was most important, but he didn’t want to.
With these feelings, these emotions, he couldn’t rest properly. When leaving the office with Hyukjin, Jaehwi hadn’t looked back or even said goodbye. Why did that bother him so much? Since meeting Jaehwi, Raon’s mind had been completely filled with thoughts of him. To stop caring and thinking about him so much, he decided to choose something else.
“I’m not planning to drink. I’m just going to meet some friends and people I haven’t seen in a while, so don’t think about turning the car around.”
Raon stared at the paper with notes he had made after Hyukjin and Jaehwi had left. He realized he was biting his left index finger again.
Was it an illusion? The hastily scribbled words and Jaehwi’s gaze as he spoke to him clearly came back to life.
Jaehwi’s gaze had moved across his forehead, eyes, nose, and lips. And he had dropped each ideal trait one by one.
The feeling that Jaehwi had been talking about him, along with the look in his eyes, made Raon wrap his arms around his upper body. That couldn’t be right.
Jaehwi hadn’t answered the last question.
Of course, Jaehwi, who had everything, didn’t need to choose such an option. Looking at himself objectively, Raon was much older, lacked ability, and had nothing to offer except his family background. There was no way Jaehwi would see him that way.
It was a misunderstanding.
Raon smirked and stepped out of the car without hesitation when it stopped.
As an employee who recognized him opened the door, he was enveloped in loud music. Raon’s body swayed to the loud music as he walked along the corridor and up the stairs.
His heart raced along with the fast-paced music. Following the waiter, Raon stopped at a private room. Entering the room filled with familiar faces, Raon ran his hand through his hair.
“Raon. It’s been a while. You’ve been so busy that we haven’t seen your face.”
“I was busy.”
“Well, who would have thought that MK would take Nox? MK stocks are no joke these days. Rich Mr. Raon, are you ringing the golden bell today?”
“You want it? You want the golden bell?”
Raon sat down among them, joking with the people who welcomed him. Rich idlers. Though described as idlers, they were all from families whose names were recognized everywhere. Yet, they themselves held high positions in various fields.
“How on earth did you seduce Nox?”
The topic here was also about Nox. It wasn’t a secret that Nox had signed a contract with the MK Center, and as they said, the stock had risen.
It’s more like he came on his own accord.
Raon smiled slightly and accepted the drinks that were handed to him. He had told Jay he wouldn’t drink, but alcohol was what he needed most right now. He had come here to forget Jaehwi, but he couldn’t escape him even here. Everyone kept asking about Nox.
“By the way, there’s only one reason Raon would come after such a long time, right? Our Mr. Raon, are you out hunting?”
“Hunting is nice. So, are there any good catches today?”
Raon had never maintained a relationship for more than three months with anyone he met. As a result, he regularly visited clubs. Leaving the private room, Raon held the corridor railing and looked down.
Who should he meet this time? Raon’s gaze fell on the floor.
