Prologue
“Huh?”
Cha Yeonwoo looked at the man who, out of all the available seats, had chosen to sit right next to him. The man was dressed impeccably from head to toe, and even to another man’s eyes, he was strikingly handsome. Yeonwoo stared at him, blinking dazedly.
Why did he sit here?
No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out why the man had chosen the seat beside him.
“Hey.”
Even his voice was attractive. Yeonwoo stood there blankly for a moment before bowing his head without quite meaning to. It was a beat too late.
“Oh — hello.”
The odds of this man knowing someone as unremarkable as him? Safe to say, essentially zero. If he had gone to school like ordinary people, there might have been a 0.01% chance they’d crossed paths at some point — but he hadn’t been able to attend school, so that wasn’t it either.
He’s not the age of my home-school tutors, though…
On top of that, every single person who had taught him was a white-haired elder. Other than them, he had lived practically confined to the mansion with almost no contact with the outside world — which meant they couldn’t have run into each other in passing, either. Yeonwoo rolled his eyes subtly, trying to read the man. Someone would come looking for him soon. If things went wrong here — if he ruined this…
Yeonwoo swallowed hard. The sound must have been loud enough to hear, because the corners of the man’s mouth curved upward.
“Hey, kid.”
“…Pardon? M-me?”
Kid? He had never once in his life been called something so… soft. And more importantly, the fact was that he wasn’t young enough to be called a kid. Should he say something about that? But there was no real reason to go on and on explaining to a man who was about to leave — I’m not a kid. I’m 21 — so he let it go.
“Waiting for someone?”
“…Yes.”
Even after he answered that he was waiting for someone, the man showed no signs of getting up and leaving. Could it be? Yeonwoo held onto a small flicker of hope and studied the man quietly. Of course, he knew there was no way someone this impressive could be the person he was waiting for. Would a man this outstanding really buy someone like him? He looked like the type who could have a line of beautiful, stunning people just by standing still.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, the small hope that had barely risen dissolved like snow in the sun.
“Do you know who I am?”
“You’re Cha Yeonwoo, right? Assemblyman Cha’s son?”
He knows me. Yeonwoo recalled what his father had said a few days ago.
Since he likes men, try shoving that pretty face of yours in front of him. If you think that’s not enough, take your clothes off.
I’ve already booked the room. You understood me, right?
It was shockingly vulgar, even for words said to one’s own child. He could still see his father’s expression as he said it so clearly.
Could it be…?
Was the man in front of him that person? If not, there was no way this man would know his name and face. The hope that had been fading came rushing back.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Yeonwoo nodded with a mild smile. They had confirmed each other’s faces — now it was time to exchange names.
Wait.
What was he supposed to call this man? He should have asked for his name right away. That was a mistake.
Sir?
No, that was too stiff. And it didn’t suit the man at all. If anything, rather than sir —
Hyung?
That felt a little disrespectful. The man looked at least ten years older than him. From what he’d heard, men were apparently very particular about how they were addressed.
Boss?
…Not a bad option, but he couldn’t just call him that out of nowhere without even knowing if the man was actually a CEO or not. Then what? The longer the silence stretched on, the more his palms tingled with nerves. He needed to keep the conversation going, even for a second. His heart pounded under the pressure.
“Um, um… h-how should I… what’s your name?”
Yeonwoo barely managed to land on a way to address him. It was the most natural-sounding one he’d come up with — a little unfamiliar, but workable. Wasn’t there a saying like that? That men liked a clear sense of hierarchy. Yeonwoo watched blankly as the corners of the man’s mouth curved up in a soft arc. That reaction made it feel like he’d made the right choice. What a relief.
“‘Hyung-nim’?”
Oh — was that wrong? Then what was he supposed to say? Just as Yeonwoo opened his mouth to try again, the man’s answer came faster.
“Kang Jihyeok.”
Kang Jihyeok, Kang Jihyeok. It was a name that suited him perfectly. Yeonwoo quietly turned it over on his tongue, tasting it slowly.
“Hey, kid.”
“Yes.”
The soft curve that had eased the man’s mouth went rigid in an instant. He rested his chin in his hand and looked at Yeonwoo steadily. Just being looked at like that was enough to raise goosebumps all over his body.
“Do you know who I am?”
“I do.”
Why is he asking something like that? Yeonwoo quietly tried to read him. He had spent the better part of twenty years surviving on his ability to read people. He had thought he could pick up on most things by now… but no.
He had absolutely no idea what Kang Jihyeok was thinking. And that made it all the more frightening. If this went sideways —
“I-I and you…”
The person who’s buying me?
The person who’ll pay off my family’s debt?
The person I’ll be spending a night with?
…A twisted, disgusting pervert?
There were countless ways to describe his relationship with this man, but none of them could easily pass his lips.
…Because it was shameful. Yeonwoo felt his mouth go dry with anxiety. He had no idea how he was supposed to answer. His mind was spinning. Unpolished words kept forcing their way up his throat.
“You and me, what?”
“That is to say…”
“We can talk about that later.”
What a relief. He had thought the man would push further. Yeonwoo exhaled in relief. Since he could answer later, he decided he’d come up with something decent in the meantime. And he’d make sure it was something that would genuinely impress him.
“Why does my little one call me ‘hyung-nim’?”
“Sorry?”
Had he gotten it wrong after all? He had thought it would be fine since the man had immediately told him his name.
“How old are you?”
“I-I’m 21.”
At that, Kang Jihyeok burst out laughing. He laughed so loudly that the people sitting nearby glanced over.
“Practically a newborn.”
That’s not quite right. Twenty-some years — how fiercely he had lived through all of them. Of course Kang Jihyeok would have no way of knowing about his past, but it still stung a little.
“But what do I do?”
Is he about to say I’m too young and that he doesn’t want me? That couldn’t happen. Should he grab onto his sleeve and refuse to let go? Or should he mention that the room had already been booked? He knew he shouldn’t come across as too cheap — but the thought of going back empty-handed was far more terrifying.
“We’re the same age.”
Yeonwoo, who had been about to say something, bit down on his lip.
