Come Back

“Since when have you been curious about such things?”

“No, we were together just now, but there was no sign of that at all.”

“What are you talking about, you punk? Then why don’t you advertise that you’re meeting investors and lead actors separately in front of everyone there?”

“… … ”

“After the company dinner, if you don’t have any plans, please give me some time. I’ll wait for you at the nearby P Hotel.”

The P Hotel was the first-class hotel located closest to the wine bar where we had our company dinner.

“Okay, here’s the key.”

The famous CEO handed me a card key, having received it in advance from his attendant.

“You must have made the investment decision because you thought you were pretty, so do well. Do you know that there are some people who don’t ask to sleep with you right away? They might want to create a romantic relationship, so set the mood well. Don’t upset them.”

That was how President Myung interpreted the reason why Lee Hae-seong had brought him back to his lodgings without any incident last time.

The famous CEO’s words made sense. Just as people are all different, so are the so-called upper class people. Not all of them were eccentric, violent, or enjoyed humiliating sex. The percentage of such people was overwhelmingly high.

Maybe he was the type of person who, while sharing the destination of entertaining, did not want to feel like he was exploiting the other person or forcing a relationship with them in the process.

There were some people who wanted to think that they just felt good about each other and ended up sleeping together.

I got off at the underground parking lot instead of the hotel’s main entrance and went straight to the elevator. I saw myself wearing a mask and a bucket hat that covered my face, reflected on the shiny elevator wall. I looked like a celebrity who had come to enjoy a secret meeting. Or maybe a celebrity who had come running in a hurry after receiving a VIP call.

The room he was waiting for was at the end of the hallway on the 22nd floor.

Before ringing the bell, Choi Hong-seo took a deep breath. One, two, three… and he counted the numbers by folding his fingers one by one.

No matter what happens in here, I armed myself not to get hurt or disappointed. Hurt or disappointed, I was not an amateur.

“came?”

He opened the door himself and smiled friendly, as if he was genuinely happy to see me. It wasn’t the kind of smile he had throughout the company dinner, like the one in the news article. Even his appearance itself wasn’t the friendly face you usually see around you.

“You came here wrapped up tightly.”

“… … ”

“When you do that, you really look like an idol.”

His hand came up, touched the brim of his hat, and moved away. Choi Hong-seo, startled by the touch, took off his hat and pulled it down.

“hello.”

“We just met a little while ago, but it feels strange to greet you like that. Come in.”

He pulled the door open wider, and Choi Hong-seo disappeared inside.

After washing my hands in the guest bathroom right next to the entrance, I came out and found that the room was a suite with a spacious living room with a great view. It was as expected.

The magnificent, if splendid, night view of the city spread out beyond the large windows. He took off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves to below his elbows, looking like a scene from an advertisement.

He seemed to own everything that unfolded in the background.

The living room where he stands, and even the city that sparkles behind him.

The idea that he owned this city. It was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but it wasn’t entirely wrong, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

He felt someone’s presence and looked back.

“Come here and sit down.”

“yes.”

There were several kinds of desserts and coffee on the table. I thought they were just going to offer me coffee, but they were going to offer me alcohol instead…

“Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for calling.”

“I thought it would be more comfortable for you, Hongseo, than meeting outside, so I suggested we meet here.”

“Thank you for your concern. But the Vice President is more famous than me.”

“No matter how famous a businessperson is, he’s not as good as someone who appears on TV. Is the coffee okay? I prepared decaf because it’s late.”

As he nodded, he poured warm coffee into Choi Hong-seo’s cup.

“I’m tall, so most people look at me. I guess I’m a bit too tall for Korea.”

Do you really think that people look at you because you’re tall? If you look in the mirror, you’ll know that you’re handsome.

“I’m going to stare at you because you’re so handsome.”

“… … ”

After filling Choi Hong-seo’s glass, Lee Hae-seong, who was pouring coffee into his own glass, stopped and looked this way. He looked like he was doubting his ears, wondering if he had heard wrong.

It was a kind of sales pitch that he used to make to other VIPs, and unlike most of his other words that were lies, this time he was sincere. But even so, he looked at me and I felt embarrassed, as if he had confessed to me.

Choi Hong-seo muttered as if making an excuse, holding the teacup with both hands.

“At the company dinner earlier, everyone said that the vice president was handsome.”

“I know that not everything people say in front of me is true.”

As he said that with a smile, he quietly put the coffee pot down on a white napkin without making a sound.

“No. You seem really popular. More so than the people on TV.”

“Are you talking about this at the company dinner?”

Choi Hong-seo nodded, and he said playfully, leaning his elbows on the table and picking up his coffee cup.

“Usually that’s called flattery.”

I couldn’t help it since he denied it so much. No, he was really handsome and surrounded by people, so popular that he couldn’t even properly greet me. It was something I couldn’t be so stubborn about.

Choi Hong-seo’s eyebrows twitched for a moment as he brought the coffee cup to his lips.

Hmm? But was I that dissatisfied with that?

You couldn’t even have a proper conversation with this person during the company dinner?

“Don’t touch the sweets.”

Before he could even think of an answer to his own question, his voice cut in. He looked down at the various desserts beautifully arranged on the table with a regretful expression.

“I thought you liked this kind of thing.”

“… … ”

“Ah… I did some research.”

“Me?”

“I want to score points with Mr. Hongseo. For information gathering purposes.”

Come to think of it, since I knew the location of the accommodation, I thought that the information that he liked snacks was a big deal. I just couldn’t understand why someone like Lee Hae-seong would do some research on himself in advance, or why he wanted to get points. It was something he could have if he just said he wanted it.

“Well, anyway, I prepared it because I knew you’d like it.”

“I like it. I like it, but… I can’t eat as much as I want because I’ll gain weight. I only eat it as a reward when I’ve done something good.”

He looked at Choi Hong-seo’s arm, exposed under his short sleeves, and made a face that showed he didn’t understand.

“Then isn’t today okay? The casting has been confirmed.”

“I have a constitution that puts on weight when I eat…”

Hae-seong’s gaze once again looked down at Choi Hong-seo’s wrist. There was a hint of regret in his gaze as he stared at the wrist wrapped around the coffee cup.

“You’re so skinny. Shouldn’t you gain some weight instead?”

He just looked at Choi Hong-seo’s skinny wrist and didn’t touch it. He knew that if he stretched out his long arm, he could touch it, and that even if he did, she wouldn’t be able to resist. But he just looked.

It was completely different from the star of last week’s party, who had grabbed my wrist and rubbed the inside of it without permission.

As if he was looking at a stricken puppy, his gaze was filled with compassion, so Choi Hong-seo picked up a macaron and bit into it halfway. The outer pastry part was crispy, and the inner filling was chewy and soft, which was a delightful texture. Only after he put the remaining half in his mouth did his expression improve significantly.

Even though he liked sweets and bakeries, he was not the type to go for such luxury items. The snacks, bread, and ready-made cookies sold at convenience stores were enough for him. He occasionally had the opportunity to eat sweets from high-end bakeries as gifts from fans, but his palate was not delicate enough to tell the difference. The macarons were so delicious that even Choi Hong-seo was surprised and his eyes widened.

“It’s really delicious. Vice President, please try it too.”

“Is that so?”

He chose a macaron whose color looked like green tea flavor, took a bite as if he was tasting it, and put the rest on his plate.

“I didn’t know you’d come to dinner today.”

“is it so?”

“It wasn’t just me who thought that, everyone seemed surprised.”

“If I go there, I can see Hongseo. Then I should go.”

Then why didn’t you contact me for a week?

If he just contacted him, President Myung would put Choi Hong-seo in front of him, taking priority over any other schedule. VIPs didn’t have to adjust their schedules to Choi Hong-seo. There had never been anyone like that before.

Are you kidding? Are you kidding?

“I heard you went to see Mr. Hongseo. Was that a problem?”

“No. That can’t be.”

“Then, were you happy?”

“… … ”

When I couldn’t answer right away, he smiled a little bitterly, as if he had known I would.

“Is it difficult for you to answer my question honestly?”