“Hey, you can’t just hang up on the boss like that…”

Soo-hyun stared at the disconnected phone. Truthfully, he was surprised that Ho-beom had called. Except for when he had hit him from behind and run away, Ho-beom rarely contacted him first. Why did he call? Though he hadn’t done anything wrong, Soo-hyun started feeling uneasy.

“Eat and let’s die!”

Someone raised their glass in a toast. Soo-hyun joined in, pushing away the intrusive thoughts. Tonight, he didn’t want to think anymore. He just wanted to get drunk and fall asleep.

Despite it being the end of the year, the hotel was busier than ever, making official company dinners impossible. So the close-knit staff had chosen a relatively quiet day to drink together. Normally, Soo-hyun would have declined, but feeling down, he decided to join, thinking it would be better to blend in with others. Now that he was here, he was actually enjoying himself, especially since many were his age and easy to talk to.

Then, someone asked, “What’s your relationship with the boss, Soo-hyun?”

Soo-hyun thought about it.

What word could appropriately describe their relationship?

Growing impatient, a nearby employee jumped in.

“Rumor has it they’re senior-junior alumni. So, same university? Did you go to K University too, Soo-hyun?”

K University? That prestigious one in Seoul? Soo-hyun, who was flipping pork belly, blinked, wondering if he’d misheard.

“Not senior-junior alumni?”

“No, wait—which university did you just say?”

“K University. Why?”

Soo-hyun asked with a disbelieving expression.

“Ho-beom… graduated from there?”

“You didn’t know?”

A security team employee chimed in.

“I heard he dropped out after his first year. He was in the same class as my friend.”

“Still counts as attending though.”

Since everyone seemed to know this already, Soo-hyun couldn’t accuse them of lying. He couldn’t believe it. He’d thought that head was packed with nothing but muscle. Maybe he got in by making a generous donation? Judging by appearances alone, he looked more like someone who’d enter on a sports scholarship.

“Well, finding your calling early isn’t bad. With all that money, what’s there to worry about?”

At the manager’s comment, Soo-hyun laughed with his mouth open in disbelief. He wasn’t sure which was better, but the news was shocking enough to sober him up. He suddenly realized that despite spending so much time with Ho-beom, he knew very little about him.

“When you think about it, isn’t he impressive? At first, I was worried because he seemed too young to be a boss, but honestly, our working conditions are much better than before.”

“True. The treatment has improved. The salary too.”

“Agreed. He seems to know what he’s doing. I heard customer complaints at the front desk have decreased significantly.”

“But is he planning to keep the casino running? I find that area scary at night.”

“Why?”

“Yakuza and Triad members come there, you know.”

“You believe those rumors? Most are just tourists.”

“I don’t think so. The other day, I saw—”

Most of this was news to Soo-hyun. At least Ho-beom doesn’t seem to hit the employees. The staff appeared wary of him but didn’t think badly of him. Usually, people badmouth their boss at gatherings like this, but there was none of that. Or maybe they were holding back because Soo-hyun knew him.

In the middle of their conversation, an employee at the front suddenly shouted, “Oh!” While flipping meat, Soo-hyun turned around and his eyes widened in shock. Everyone else looked surprised and flustered too. They all half-rose from their seats, glancing nervously at each other.

Who called him? Was it you, Soo-hyun? Did Soo-hyun call him?

Soo-hyun made an indignant face.

Ho-beom was casually approaching their table from the entrance.

“Boss! What brings you here?”

“Baek Soo-hyun sent me a message to come.”

All eyes turned to Soo-hyun. Feeling wronged, Soo-hyun stared at Ho-beom, ready to jump up in protest. Ho-beom raised an eyebrow and smiled shamelessly. Hiding their surprise, everyone welcomed their boss to the gathering.

“Come over here.”

“No, sit here.”

“We’re honored that you’d join our humble gathering.”

Only Soo-hyun remained seated. Weren’t these the same people who had just been hoping he wouldn’t come? While wondering if he should also stand up and join the flattery, Ho-beom naturally took a seat beside Soo-hyun. This caused everyone to shift over one spot. Seeing the pork belly on the grill, Ho-beom looked at the manager.

“I’m sorry. This doesn’t seem like a place I should intrude. Did I come at a bad time?”

“Not at all! We’re the ones who should feel honored.”

“But why are you eating pork belly? Shouldn’t you be having beef?”

“Oh no, it’s fine. This isn’t even an official company dinner.”

“Please, have some. It’s on me.”

“Well, if you insist. Thank you very much.”

Ho-beom smiled graciously at the manager’s smooth response. Everyone made a fuss about how wonderful it was. Soo-hyun was dumbfounded. Great, they’d probably sell their souls for beef if they could. The grill was changed, and bloody beef was placed on it.

Soo-hyun whispered quietly to Ho-beom, away from others’ ears:

“Why did you come?”

“To make sure you don’t get wasted and act like a dog.”

“Who? Me?”

His expression said, “Who else would I mean?” The way he looked down on Soo-hyun made his appetite vanish completely. When Soo-hyun reached for alcohol instead of meat, Ho-beom nagged him quietly:

“Stop drinking. Don’t make people suffer by having to carry you home again.”

“I took medicine beforehand.”

“I doubt that’s what your doctor prescribed.”

When Soo-hyun pretended not to hear, Ho-beom took his glass and drank it himself. After that, people from all around started pouring drinks for Ho-beom. Boss, have some of my drink. Please come to the hotel more often. The female staff are happier when you’re around. You look even more handsome up close. When I first saw you, I thought you were an actor.

Despite the excessive flattery, Ho-beom got along with the employees better than expected. As the atmosphere grew livelier, someone suggested going to a karaoke place for round two. Most agreed and began gathering their things. By the time they had put on their shoes, Ho-beom had already paid the bill.

Outside, Soo-hyun quietly approached Ho-beom.

“You should go now…”

“Why do you keep telling me to leave? The employees are clearly enjoying themselves.”

“Hey. A boss who can’t read the room is the worst.”

As Soo-hyun was trying to send him away, the manager suddenly appeared.

“You’re coming to the karaoke with us, right, boss?”

Ho-beom readily agreed.

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than employees swarmed around Ho-beom. Are you really coming? Are you a good singer? With that nice voice, I bet you sing well. Please sing for us later. Pushed aside like a sack of barley, Soo-hyun watched the scene with disbelief.

What the hell… They were making such a fuss about him not coming earlier.

The karaoke room they went to for round two was large enough to accommodate everyone. Golden lighting illuminated D-shaped sofas, and the glass table in the center was set with whiskey, beer, and snacks.

At first, they hesitantly urged Ho-beom to sing, but once one person started, the atmosphere heated up until eventually people were shaking tambourines and jumping around wildly. Because of the busy year-end, departments usually held their New Year ceremonies and dinners separately in early January. During those times, Ho-beom typically just gave his card to the manager and skipped out, so this was his first time mingling with employees like this.

In the midst of it all, Soo-hyun stood up and skillfully mixed beer and whiskey to make “bomb drinks.” Ho-beom belatedly remembered that Soo-hyun had worked as a waiter in a bar. The liquor swirled like a whirlpool in the glass.

Soo-hyun handed the first bomb drink to Ho-beom.

“First glass for our boss!”

Everyone applauded enthusiastically. Soo-hyun, perhaps drunk, gave a smiling eye-smile. Ho-beom, glaring discreetly, downed it in one go. Then the manager staggered out to select a song. The usually composed manager, when drunk, had a knack for livening up the mood.

“Anyone who knows this song, come out and dance!”

When several employees hesitated, Ho-beom smiled kindly and gestured for them to go ahead. Looking around, he noticed Soo-hyun was already at the front, microphone in hand, dancing oddly off-beat. Even as time passed, Soo-hyun showed no signs of tiring. The thought “He only has this much stamina during s*x” crossed Ho-beom’s mind inadvertently.

It seemed about time to leave, but he felt uneasy about leaving Soo-hyun behind when he was dancing so wildly. Watching him, Ho-beom mischievously smiled and took out his phone to record a video. He’ll be mortified when he sees this tomorrow.

Planning to torment him, Ho-beom was surprised when Soo-hyun suddenly grabbed the hem of his knit sweater and started pulling it up. Realizing he was about to strip, the female employees around them cheered wildly. Seeing that he might actually take it off, Ho-beom stood up, went over, and grabbed Soo-hyun by the shoulders.

Soo-hyun turned around, swaying unsteadily, and gave a broad smile. Ho-beom took the microphone away, handed it to another employee, returned to their seats to collect their coats, and told a relatively sober employee that Soo-hyun was too drunk and they needed to leave. After giving them his card, he left the karaoke room.

Complaints followed them—where are you going, why leave so early—as they exited. Outside, Ho-beom tried to help Soo-hyun into his coat, but Soo-hyun kept moving his arms erratically. Even when Ho-beom snapped at him to stay still, he just grinned with his flushed, drunken face.

“What’s so funny? Why do you keep smirking?”

“Just…”

His voice trailed off, and then his head dropped onto Ho-beom’s chest. His hair smelled of shampoo mixed with the scent of grilled meat, suggesting he’d recently washed it. As Ho-beom stared down at the small head, he noticed Soo-hyun’s shoulders trembling and heard what sounded like sobbing.

Ho-beom grabbed Soo-hyun’s shoulders to look at his face. It was a mess with tears.

“What’s this act now?”

After seeing what he did with Min-jun earlier today, there was a good chance this was just another performance.

Looking at him suspiciously, Ho-beom saw Soo-hyun’s lips move.

“It’s unfair.”

“What? That I dragged you out?”

“No…”

“Then what?”

“Min-jun…”

When Seo Min-jun’s name came from Soo-hyun’s lips, Ho-beom pressed his mouth shut. Strange. Why did his insides boil? But then Soo-hyun said something unexpected. At least to Ho-beom’s eyes, it seemed sincere.

“I keep thinking… they must have had their reasons… I’m so… pathetic… and stupid… for thinking that… and it frustrates me…”

“……”

“I don’t know why I’m like this. Like you said… I should either be completely rotten… or completely good… Instead, I’m neither… always being used like an idiot… giving everything I have… f*ck… I won’t do it anymore… I’ll give my body… but not my heart…”

Even while rambling incoherently, he kept wiping away his flowing tears. He had pretended to be calm, had nonchalantly said he would record videos, but perhaps Soo-hyun still had feelings for Min-jun in his heart. The thought soured Ho-beom’s mood.

Glaring at him, Ho-beom gritted his teeth and grabbed Soo-hyun’s arm firmly.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you back to your quarters.”

“Ow, that hurts.”

“Fine, I understand. Let’s just go.”

Soo-hyun grabbed Ho-beom’s arm with his other hand.

“Stay with me…”

Ho-beom looked at Soo-hyun with cold eyes.

Continuously rubbing his tear-reddened eyes, Soo-hyun sobbed as he spoke.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight… Stay with me…”

F*ck. I’m not a substitute for that bastard.

Ho-beom barely managed to suppress those words that had risen to his throat and tried to convince himself.

What does it matter? It’s not like there’s anything between this person and me.

I’ll just enjoy it moderately and discard him when the time comes.

Yet he couldn’t understand why he felt so irritated.