#54
Seeing Eunsol’s eyes shake with confusion, Min Sehyun’s lips curled upward.
“I got this with great difficulty. It’s a model with only five pieces released worldwide. Even with money, these limited editions are hard to get, you know.”
As Min Sehyun moved his hand, the small diamonds set in the hands of the watch scattered a brilliant light.
“What gift did you prepare, Eunsol? It’s the first birthday of your husband since getting married. You must have prepared something wonderful, right?”
Having noticed the prominent Adam’s apple moving up and down, Min Sehyun called over a server passing by and placed both Eunsol’s and his champagne glasses on the tray.
With their hands now free, he lightly grasped Eunsol’s arm and moved toward where Hyun-oh was. Realizing what was about to happen, Eunsol tried to resist by tensing his toes, but the grip on his arm tightened.
“Hyun-oh hyung.”
Being in a place full of people, Eunsol couldn’t shake off Min Sehyun’s hand and escape. From the moment they began conversing, people had been watching the two of them, whether openly or discreetly.
Since today was Hyun-oh’s birthday party, it was a gathering of people who had known him since childhood.
In such a setting, it was better for Hyun-oh’s reputation to avoid any gossip-worthy incidents. As it was, Eunsol had been physically feeling that most of the gazes from the party attendees weren’t friendly from the moment the party began.
Normally, Ryu Jeong-woo should have been present as well. After all, the place where Eunsol first met him was at a gathering of Hyun-oh’s acquaintances.
However, he was already divorced and had no other connection with Hyun-oh. Though he could have attended as Eunsol’s guest, he decided against it, reluctant to face his ex-husband.
Initially, Eunsol had entered the party venue with Hyun-oh. But unlike Eunsol, Hyun-oh had many people to interact with.
On the surface, it was a party celebrating Hyun-oh’s birthday, but the conversations secretly exchanged within significantly influenced the future direction of TH Group.
After all, everyone was closely connected in business.
Eunsol naturally drifted away from Hyun-oh and was standing in a corner of the party venue. The first person to approach Eunsol was Min Sehyun.
Looking at it now, it didn’t seem like he had approached with good intentions.
“It’s hyung’s birthday today. Let’s put business talk aside for a moment and celebrate.”
At Min Sehyun’s signal, a server approached with a trolley carrying a five-tier cake. A single candle was placed on top of the cake.
“Light the candle. Oh, right. Would you like to light it, Eunsol? I’ve been preparing hyung’s cake every year, so it’s become a habit.”
Min Sehyun, who had been holding a long lighter, smiled awkwardly and handed it to Eunsol.
All eyes from the gathered crowd turned to Eunsol at once. Eunsol was still not immune to people’s stares. Moreover, since everyone was unanimously unfriendly toward him, the pouring gazes made his skin tingle.
“…Yes.”
Eunsol managed to put on a faint smile as he lit the candle’s wick with the lighter.
“I told you not to do this kind of thing.”
Despite being the one celebrated, Hyun-oh’s expression was coldly set. Undeterred by the creases between Hyun-oh’s brows, Min Sehyun smiled brightly and lightly patted Hyun-oh’s arm.
“But hyung, they say you should receive congratulations from many people on your birthday. That way, the year until your next birthday will be happy.”
Min Sehyun looked around, encouraging everyone. He also positioned his hands ready to clap.
“Begin.”
At Min Sehyun’s signal, people began singing the birthday song in unison while clapping.
“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.”
Eunsol, too, sang along with the clapping as one of the many attendees.
“Our beloved Hyun-oh hyung.”
Unlike Min Sehyun, who called out Hyun-oh’s name loudly, Eunsol couldn’t say anything after “beloved,” merely moving his lips silently.
“Happy birthday to you. Hyung, make a wish quickly and blow out the candle!”
The birthday song ended while Eunsol was still hesitating. Hyun-oh, not hiding his annoyance, sighed and extinguished the candle in one blow.
“Now, time for the gift presentation. This is my gift.”
As soon as the candle was out, Min Sehyun handed Hyun-oh a black box.
“Manager Kim.”
Instead of accepting it directly, Hyun-oh called for Kim Myungjun, who was standing behind him. Already, a pile of birthday gifts from others before Min Sehyun was gathered in the back.
“I’m starting to feel hurt. At least take a look at it.”
Min Sehyun’s eyebrows drooped as he looked at Hyun-oh with pleading eyes, asking him to open the box personally. Knowing that when Min Sehyun acted this way, he would persistently cling until he got what he wanted, Hyun-oh opened the box with a disinterested gesture and immediately closed it.
But even that brief glimpse was enough to spread murmurs among the people.
“Hey, isn’t that a limited edition? I tried to get one but couldn’t.”
“Yeah. Min Sehyun, how did you manage to get it?”
“It’s all about capability, you know.”
Min Sehyun shrugged with a satisfied smile. Eunsol urgently looked around. Fortunately, people’s attention was focused on Min Sehyun.
Slowly, he backed away from the crowd. People at the edges of the group looked at Eunsol with puzzled expressions, but they didn’t block or stop him.
He planned to leave the party venue after moving away from the crowd. And then return to the party once Min Sehyun had given his gift to Hyun-oh and people’s attention had been diverted elsewhere. This was the best solution Eunsol could think of at the moment.
But Eunsol couldn’t achieve his goal because Min Sehyun’s eyes, filled with amusement, were staring directly at him.
“We should also see Eunsol’s gift.”
At Min Sehyun’s words, the noise that had been filling the space abruptly stopped, and all attention turned to Eunsol.
“Ah, I…”
What would happen if he gave Hyun-oh the same gift as Min Sehyun in this situation?
Feeling his mind going blank, Eunsol bit the inside of his lip mercilessly. His fingertips trembled. Even if the cases were the same, people wouldn’t know what was inside unless the box was opened.
“…Here. Happy birthday, Hyun-oh.”
He had considered not giving the gift, but in a situation where all eyes were on him, it seemed better to at least outwardly present a gift.
Eunsol had chosen the gift with careful consideration. Like the product that had surprised everyone, it was difficult to obtain, so he had sought Ryu Jeong-woo’s help. Although it was purchased with Hyun-oh’s money, he still wanted to show that he had chosen the gift with much thought.
…Though that seemed to have been in vain now.
“Thank you.”
Hyun-oh accepted the box Eunsol handed him and expressed his gratitude in a low voice.
“What? You’ve never said ‘thank you’ until now.”
A man standing to Hyun-oh’s right raised his thick eyebrows. That’s when Min Sehyun’s expression also slightly hardened.
“I’m curious what Eunsol gave to hyung. Can’t we open it?”
“That’s…”
Eunsol blinked rapidly in confusion. If only he had given Hyun-oh his gift first. He didn’t want people to know that he had bought the exact same item as Min Sehyun, especially after Min Sehyun had already opened his gift.
“That’s enough.”
Seeing Eunsol’s strangely flustered look, Hyun-oh signaled to Kim Myungjun. Just as Kim Myungjun was about to conceal the box in Hyun-oh’s hand, a small hand intervened and opened the lid of the box before anyone could stop it.
“…What?”
“Is it the same product?”
Under the grand chandelier, the gift Eunsol had intended to give to Hyun-oh was publicly revealed. The tips of Eunsol’s fingers, which were clutching his cuff, turned pale.
People’s gazes, which were already hard to endure, now pierced his skin like sharp needles. He tried to maintain a composed expression, but he had no idea what face he was making right now.
“How can you give the same gift?”
Someone’s voice, which sounded like mockery, flew into his ears and stuck there. It wasn’t Eunsol’s fault. It was just a coincidence upon coincidence.
“Hyung, since I gave my gift first, you’ll wear mine, right?”
Min Sehyun glanced at Eunsol’s blurred eyes and took his gift from Kim Myungjun’s hand. Then he opened the box again and handed it to Hyun-oh.
He wanted Hyun-oh to wear it on his wrist right now.
“It was something I wanted.”
Joy and sorrow crossed the two men’s faces. Hyun-oh took out the watch from the box that Eunsol had gifted, not Min Sehyun’s. He removed the watch he had been wearing, handed it to Kim Myungjun, and instead fastened Eunsol’s gift on his empty wrist.
Eunsol’s eyes shook violently, but for a different reason this time. He hadn’t expected Hyun-oh to choose the watch he had given over Min Sehyun’s gift.
People’s gazes now fell on Min Sehyun’s face, which was barely maintaining a smile, rather than on Eunsol’s face. Although he was keeping his expression calm, drawing on his years of experience in social circles, he couldn’t hide his slightly reddened earlobes.
Those who usually envied Min Sehyun deliberately snickered loud enough for him to hear. Contrary to everyone’s expectations, it was Min Sehyun who left the party venue like a defeated soldier.
Eunsol couldn’t tear his gaze away from the watch fastened on Hyun-oh’s wrist for a long time.
It felt as if all the sorrowful moments he had experienced at the party venue today were being washed away.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
