Yeonjun suddenly shook his head hard and started waving his hands in dismissal. His perfectly composed face flushed red — and then even the tips of his ears seemed to catch fire.
“Yes. I go there often for work-related reasons. I also need somewhere to lay low.”
“Right, right! Ha ha.”
“…….”
“…I’m fine, so please drive carefully, Executive Director….”
Yeonjun’s behavior was strange, but since Beomwook couldn’t make sense of it, he simply nodded.
The S Hotel that Beomwook frequented was located a little outside of Seoul. The facilities weren’t bad, but it sat on a mountainside with poor accessibility, so it didn’t see many ordinary guests. The suite on the very top floor was kept on reservation year-round in anticipation of Beomwook’s visits.
The road leading up to the hotel had been carved into the mountainside and was nearly deserted. Only hotel-bound vehicles used it, and since it was winter and the sun had set early, not even passing cars could be seen along the now-darkened stretch. Beomwook had been following the row of streetlights at a slow, steady pace when he brought the car to a stop. Before long, a familiar vehicle appeared in the rearview mirror, headlights approaching.
“Yeonjun. We’re going to meet Secretary Choi here and switch cars. Everything regarding the hotel and what comes next will be communicated to you by Secretary Choi.”
“Oh, okay…….”
Yeonjun’s expression darkened slightly. No matter how he thought about it, he still seemed afraid that something might happen to him. Beomwook continued quickly.
“Secretary Choi is the person I trust most. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“…Then where will you be, Executive Director?”
“I’ll be in the room directly below yours.”
Yeonjun nodded and asked again. His eyes, catching and absorbing the glow of the streetlight, still reminded Beomwook of the yellow dog from the countryside house.
“…Executive Director.”
“Yes.”
“Can’t I just…. stay with you?”
The words that followed left Beomwook speechless. It wasn’t because he thought Yeonjun had any ulterior motive. It was clearly a plea born out of fear and anxiety about being alone — a request to stay together.
“…Ah, that would be. I have a lot to take care of, so I’m afraid that won’t be possible. I’ll be working continuously with Secretary Choi.”
Beomwook spoke slowly. He would be giving Yeonjun the best suite available, while he himself planned to spend the night in the room below, handling the aftermath with Choi Myeongjin. He’d switched off the phone he used for public contact, but there had surely been a flood of calls from people connected to Do Beomryeol. He needed to wrap up the matter with Seosung, have all the malicious articles exposing Yeonjun’s personal information taken down, and decide what entertainment industry story to blow up in order to bury every other issue. Everything needed to be discussed.
In short, there was a mountain of things to do.
“I see…. Then please make sure to reach out once you’re done.”
“…….”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Knock knock. Choi Myeongjin, who had appeared without them noticing, tapped on the driver’s side window. Beomwook reached for the car door — then hesitated, and turned toward the passenger seat instead.
“Yes. Understood. Get plenty of rest, Yeonjun.”
Beomwook spoke each word clearly, his expression composed as ever.
“Executive Director, I’ll take Baek Yeonjun inside right away.”
With Choi Myeongjin’s words, Beomwook stepped out of the car.
He gave a small nod and walked steadily toward the car Myeongjin had driven. The gaze at his back remained. The owner of those eyes would be Baek Yeonjun — the one who had said he’d wait.
Should I have said I’d stay with him.
A thought that flashed through Beomwook’s mind for just a moment.
Suddenly, a parching thirst rose in his throat. He tried to wet his cracked lips with his tongue as a quick fix, but it was useless. He pressed his hand to his lips against the unquenchable dryness and slid himself into the driver’s seat. Since Beomwook planned to move to the hotel ten minutes later, the car carrying Choi Myeongjin and Baek Yeonjun began moving first.
Whatever had gotten pulled into Beomwook’s world was no ordinary prey. No — the thought even crossed his mind that perhaps it was he himself who had been caught.
“…I must be losing my mind.”
The most absurd part of all was that the suggestion to stay together hadn’t been the least bit unwelcome. The corners of Beomwook’s mouth were slowly beginning to move.
[Baek Yeonjun has gone in.]
Beomwook checked the text from Choi Myeongjin as he stepped into his hotel room. It wasn’t as spacious as the suite he usually stayed in, but it was more than adequate for a few days. He shrugged off the suit jacket that had felt like it was crushing his entire body all day and draped it carelessly over the sofa. He didn’t have the energy left to walk all the way to the dressing room.
Should I reach out.
Nearly throwing himself onto the sofa, Beomwook thought of Yeonjun, who would be staying in the floor directly above. Myeongjin would finish up and come to Beomwook’s room shortly, and from that moment on, work would continue without pause — that much was obvious.
Can’t I just stay with you?
Why was that voice coming back to him now. For a moment he thought about leaving some kind of message for Yeonjun — and then immediately realized he didn’t have his contact information.
…Knock knock. As if deliberating were a luxury he couldn’t afford, a short knock came from outside the door almost immediately. “It’s me, Executive Director.” A low, mid-toned voice followed softly. It was only one floor down, so it made sense that Choi Myeongjin wouldn’t have taken long to get here. Beomwook slowly rose from his spot and stood in front of the hotel door.
“Executive Director. Is everything all right?”
“Yes.”
Only after confirming Choi Myeongjin’s face through the small gap did Beomwook open the door fully. He began reporting on everything that needed to be resolved before the day was out even as he removed his shoes — the political scandal and rumors stemming from the broken engagement, having every article about Yeonjun taken down, and ensuring that not a single word related to any of it would leak out going forward.
In truth, above all else, the most urgent task was making sure no scandal involving Baek Yeonjun and no information about him personally got out.
“…Oh, Executive Director. I’ve had the President’s calls redirected to my line for now.”
“Yes. As for my brother, things will settle down once the merger is finalized.”
Do Beomryeol would be seething. Beomwook and Yeonjun had both disappeared from the venue — and so had Seo Ihyeon. With both grooms gone, the wedding had naturally been called off. On top of that, there were the breakup articles flooding the press, and now Baek Yeonjun’s existence had been exposed to the media — it was only natural that Do Beomryeol, kept entirely in the dark, would be furious.
“Yes, hello. This is Choi Myeongjin from BS Securities.”
Myeongjin sat down on the sofa and immediately started making calls. He reached out directly to the directors at every cooperative media outlet and broadcasting company first. Choi Myeongjin was the son of Choi Byeong-o — the enforcer who had transformed Beomsanpa into the corporation known as BS — and had been born and raised entirely within the fold of Beomsanpa. From childhood, he had lived as Do Beomwook’s closest friend and most loyal confidant. He was the only person Beomwook trusted and relied on completely.
“…Hyung. Would you like a glass of wine?”
Once Myeongjin had finished the first round of calls, Beomwook extended a hand toward him. A deep crimson red wine swirled inside a clear glass. It had been a very long time since Beomwook had called Myeongjin hyung. The last time had been before Beomwook joined BS Securities and was rapidly promoted to Executive Director. Myeongjin hadn’t been planning to drink, but he nodded and accepted the glass all the same. No matter how unaffected he appeared, today had clearly been a hard day for Beomwook too.
Beomwook couldn’t understand himself — reaching for wine when every second counted. Choi Myeongjin was already on the phone again, working through a checklist as if he’d been waiting for this, and Beomwook too had high-profile contacts to call directly, so there was no time to waste.
…Then please make sure to reach out once you’re done.
I’ll be waiting.
But the conversation from the car was holding Beomwook’s mind hostage. The voice — vivid, as if it were right there — was enough to make him feel like Baek Yeonjun was standing right beside him. Beomwook shot up from his seat and walked straight to the wine cellar. He grabbed the first bottle his eyes landed on, pulled out a glass, and poured heavily.
He’d always believed himself to be the type who needed to finish everything perfectly in one go when it came to work. And yet Beomwook couldn’t understand his own craving to simply drink himself into a stupor and collapse into sleep.
Flustered. Beomwook brought the glass to his lips in an attempt to shake off the feeling — one he hadn’t experienced in a long time. He didn’t even give himself a moment to let the full-bodied wine linger on his tongue before swallowing it down fast.
He couldn’t drink alone, so he extended a glass to Myeongjin as well. Myeongjin seemed to have no intention of drinking — he quietly accepted the glass and set it on the table. Then he started pressing the keypad on his phone again. If another call started now, it would be a good while before Beomwook could have a real conversation with him. On impulse, Beomwook opened his mouth.
