Come Back

“Can I lean on your shoulder for a moment?”

It was such an unexpected question that Hyunseo couldn’t respond right away. After staring at his face for a moment, he instead tapped his left shoulder lightly. Lee Haeseong, grinning broadly, rested his right head on Hyunseo’s left shoulder. Due to their height difference, he had to stretch his backside to the end of the sofa, but he still looked very comfortable.

“How about you, Hongseo?”

His right hand touched Hyunseo’s left arm near the elbow. It moved slowly down towards the sleeve of his jacket. Watching this slow movement, Hyunseo diverted the conversation.

“Please tell me what I’m saved as.”

“Didn’t you want to see me?”

“Are you really not going to tell me?”

“Look at you, avoiding the question because you’re shy, even though you wanted to see me.”

“If you know, just let it go.”

“……”

The fingers of Lee Haeseong, which had been hovering at the end of the sleeve, paused briefly. Then he gently intertwined his fingers with the spaces between Hyunseo’s curled fingers, slowly stroking the back of his hand.

Neither of them spoke. They simply looked down at their joined hands, feeling the rhythm of their breaths and the warmth of their body temperatures, along with each other’s emotions and trembling. The melody of jazz piano played live from the garden in the distance.

With Hyunseo leaning against him, Lee Haeseong took a deep breath, expanding his chest.

“The Carrot Buyer is really tormenting me. Seriously.”

Then, boldly, without hesitation, he moved the hand that was lightly resting and firmly intertwined his fingers with Hyunseo’s. Their palms pressed together, and their fingers locked in place felt miraculous.

As he gazed at this fascinating sight, a presence approached from around the corner of the hallway. Hyunseo quickly released his hand first. The person who appeared around the corner was Manager Kang, Lee Haeseong’s personal assistant, the only person who knew about their current relationship. Manager Kang gave a brief nod to Hyunseo and reported to Lee Haeseong.

“Vice President, Mr. Ahiman is here.”

“Gaspar? He’s here now?”

Surprised by the news, he widened his eyes in response.

“Yes, he stopped by at the invitation of Director Kang while staying in Hong Kong.”

“Then we definitely need to greet him. I didn’t even know he was in Hong Kong.”

As he stood up while saying this, his voice was tinged with excitement. He lightly brushed Hyunseo’s cheek as he followed.

“It seems like someone you know has come, so I’ll chat with him for a bit.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“If you’re tired, just hide and rest.”

While buttoning the tuxedo jacket he had loosened, he hurriedly left the room with Manager Kang. Though he said to rest, Hyunseo was curious about who made him so happy.

Exiting the hallway and settling on a stool at the bar, he eagerly looked for Lee Haeseong.

He was crossing the garden, leading Manager Kang ahead of him.

His steps paused near a group of people chatting around a beautifully branched pine tree. He placed his hand on the left shoulder of one of the foreign men to announce his arrival.

The man turned around, and his face instantly brightened with joy. It was not the forced smile one usually makes at parties for socializing. The two shook hands and then lightly hugged, patting each other on the back. It was clear that their relationship was not purely business.

Hyunseo hadn’t known Lee Haeseong for long, but this was the first time he had seen him show such open affection to someone else. More precisely, it was the first time he witnessed Lee Haeseong treating someone with such warmth who wasn’t him.

It seemed like this person could enter the real living room, not just the reception room of Lee Haeseong’s house, indicating a closeness between them.

The man and Lee Haeseong moved away from the crowd to the edge of the garden while continuing their conversation. The man, who had curly dark blonde hair reaching his shoulders and was about 185 cm tall, seemed to be a few years younger than Lee Haeseong. He appeared free-spirited yet carried an inherent elegance in his demeanor.

Somehow, they matched very well.

Not as lovers, but as two human beings, there didn’t seem to be much of a gap between them.

The height difference wasn’t prominent, and the age gap didn’t seem significant either; it felt like they were comfortable with each other. Unlike many others, the man didn’t appear to gauge Lee Haeseong’s mood or reactions. It felt as natural as addressing an old friend.

While observing the two talking, Hyunseo had a vague realization that the foreigner had likely lived in similar upper-class circles as Lee Haeseong.

He felt strange.

Just because they were VIPs didn’t mean they lacked private lives; it was possible to have close friends or acquaintances. He wasn’t looking at the man with the same honeyed gaze he’d have for Lee Haeseong. Yet, the closeness he felt between the two left him feeling dry-mouthed. It was a confusing mix of emotions: a suffocating tightness in his chest, anxiety as if he were being chased, and frustration akin to when things didn’t go well. However, none of those feelings fit perfectly.

Hyunseo turned away from the two. He downed the remaining champagne in his glass and ordered a stronger drink.

“Why is the lead actor just hanging out here?”

Suddenly, he turned at the sensation of a hand gently stroking his back. President Jo had approached quietly and was looking down at him.

“Hello, President.”

As Hyunseo stood up to greet him, President Jo pulled him down by the waist.

“Sit down, sit down. Just stay here.”

He then pulled a stool closer and sat down right next to Hyunseo.

“Hongseo, congratulations on your casting confirmation.”

“Thank you.”

President Jo called the bartender over and ordered whiskey with ice, tapping the side of Hyunseo’s thigh lightly with his knee.

“Even if it’s a small amount, I’m still an investor in *Cream Mansion*. While greeting the director, you just disappeared with the Vice President? And you didn’t even come over to greet me separately. How disappointing.”

“I’m sorry. There were more guests than I expected today…”

“Did President Myung teach you that? That you can ignore anyone below Lee Haeseong because they’re all nobodies?”

“No, that’s not it at all.”

“Yeah, well… it’s not like you did anything wrong. It’s just all about the interests of the adults involved.”

As President Jo mumbled while looking down at his neatly manicured nails, a drink called “On the Rocks” was served. After taking a couple of sips, he twirled the glass in his hand. The sound of ice clinking seemed like an ominous warning.

“Anyway, we’re in this together for *Cream Mansion*, right? That’s fate, so why don’t we have some fun together? What do you think, Hongseo?”

“Uh…”

Hyunseo’s gaze naturally fell downward.

“Even though I felt awful after getting chewed out by Lee Haeseong that day, you just wouldn’t leave my mind.”

President Jo’s hand suddenly reached over to touch Hyunseo’s ear. Rubbing the cartilage, it trailed down to massage his earlobe. The warmth from Lee Haeseong’s palm just moments before had felt so tender, but President Jo’s warmth was utterly unpleasant.

Twisting his upper body slightly to escape the touch, Hyunseo tried to show as much discomfort as he could.

“For matters like this, it would be better to discuss it with our president…”

“What can I discuss with Myung?”

President Jo interrupted Hyunseo, cutting him off.

“It’ll just take longer with an intermediary. Are you saying that if two adults want to have a good time together, it’s a problem?”

Putting down his glass, he completely turned to face Hyunseo.

“I know how this industry works, Hongseo. I have a sense of ethics. I’m not like those sleazy old men who approach pretty girls without any sincerity. Don’t you think I’d spend money on you?”

President Jo’s hand moved up onto Hyunseo’s thigh.

“I’d love to see you dance to that song again when you were alone with him. Naked.”

Hyunseo’s body stiffened at the hand slipping between his legs. He had no idea how to refuse. He wasn’t in a position to reject it, nor had he been able to refuse up until now. But he wanted to say no.

As President Jo’s hand squeezed tightly between Hyunseo’s thighs over his pants, he leaned in and whispered against Hyunseo’s shoulder.

“What do you think would happen if you danced naked?”

Gripping President Jo’s wrist and pulling it outward, Hyunseo summoned all his courage.

“Please talk to our president about this. I’m really uncomfortable.”

“It’s going to be so awkward, isn’t it? Ha, damn… I’ll give you money. I’m offering money, you know? If you kiss me right here and now, I’ll give you five hundred more.”

President Jo’s face, which had been looming closer to cover Hyunseo’s, suddenly pulled back. Both Hyunseo and President Jo jerked their heads up. Lee Haeseong, with a cold, stiff expression, stood there, gripping the back of President Jo’s neck.

President Jo swatted Lee Haeseong’s hand away and jumped to his feet.

“Damn… what are you doing, Vice President? Huh?”

“What are you doing, Jo?”

“Don’t you see? It’s about dating. Vice President, this is very rude behavior. Giving attention to someone like this in front of such a lowly person is not right, is it? Huh?”

“Lowly?”

Unlike the agitated President Jo, Lee Haeseong stood upright as if nailed in place, furrowing his brow as he repeated Jo’s words. He then scoffed and added coldly.

“Don’t you think of yourself as lowly in front of me, Jo?”