Chapter 55
“How exactly?”
Cheong-yeon responded with a startled expression to the abrupt demand for repayment.
Honestly, his earlier words had been closer to a polite greeting, and he hadn’t anticipated that Do-heon would expect something in return. Apparently, his ex-husband’s personality had changed somewhat during their brief time apart.
Do-heon remained silent for a few seconds, as if considering.
“Unblock my number.”
That’s what he suddenly demanded.
“Is that too much to ask?”
Do-heon leaned slightly forward in his chair, waiting for Cheong-yeon’s answer.
It took Cheong-yeon a moment to understand what he was talking about. Come to think of it, after demanding the divorce and moving his belongings out of Do-heon’s house, Cheong-yeon had immediately blocked his number. Not just Do-heon’s, but most people connected to him.
For someone who had fired the two directors who deliberately deceived him and handled the compensation issue to prevent gossip, Do-heon’s request was surprisingly simple. Unblocking a number was embarrassingly easy.
“If that’s all you want, of course I’ll unblock you.”
“Now.”
Do-heon’s sharp command came back.
People would think I’m going to break my promise and run away, Cheong-yeon grumbled internally as he took out his phone. He found Do-heon’s number in his contacts, unblocked it, and waved the screen toward Do-heon.
Do-heon immediately called Cheong-yeon from his own phone. Only after confirming that Cheong-yeon’s phone was ringing did he press the end call button with satisfaction. Then he stood up and moved to sit on the sofa opposite Cheong-yeon.
“Now, let’s talk about our deal.”
Do-heon referred to this momentous arrangement—one that had thrown Cheong-yeon into utter confusion for the past week—as if it were a simple exchange of necessary items. To him, whether Cheong-yeon accepted his sponsorship or not seemed no different from any other business transaction.
Just then, the secretary knocked on the door and brought in tea. An oppressive silence blanketed the office while teacups and light refreshments were placed on the table in front of the sofa.
Cheong-yeon felt a heavy weight on his chest, like a stone pressing down. In contrast, Do-heon sat in a completely relaxed posture, lifting his teacup to savor the well-steeped tea.
Even after the secretary quietly bowed and left the office, Cheong-yeon could only stare at the faintly steaming teacup.
Now that the moment had come, his lips refused to part. Though Do-heon wasn’t restraining him, Cheong-yeon couldn’t move from his rigidly upright sitting position.
After moistening his parched lower lip with his tongue, Cheong-yeon finally forced out his voice.
“I’ll do it. I’ll accept your sponsorship, Director.”
Do-heon set down his teacup on the table and stared intently at Cheong-yeon.
“Are you accepting with full knowledge of what it entails?”
This was something Do-heon had already mentioned previously. Feeling his heart pounding intensely, Cheong-yeon nodded heavily.
“I understand. Including physical contact…”
“It’s more than just simple physical contact.”
“……”
“It will be much more lewd than you’re imagining.”
Do-heon’s low voice sounded explicitly carnal, as if licking the shell of Cheong-yeon’s ear. Following this, a disrespectful gaze thoroughly scanned Cheong-yeon’s body.
Even though they had been intimate before and had seen each other naked multiple times, Cheong-yeon felt an inexplicable shame under that look.
“I’m prepared for that much. But I have conditions too,” Cheong-yeon added, steadying his breathing. Only then did Do-heon withdraw his suggestive gaze.
“Tell me.”
“Accepting your sponsorship doesn’t mean I’m getting back together with you. I want to be clear about that.”
Do-heon gestured with his chin in an utterly expressionless manner, signaling Cheong-yeon to continue.
“And don’t think you can control what I wear.”
Being tied to Do-heon as his sponsor also meant that Do-heon would clearly be in the superior position—in a different way than when they were married.
Cheong-yeon worried that Do-heon might try to forcibly change his appearance again because he didn’t like how Cheong-yeon looked. That’s why he wanted to be absolutely clear on this point.
“I’m already doing my best with that aspect.”
“You’re not really respecting it.”
“How could I be more respectful than I am now?”
Though his voice remained flat, Do-heon’s brow twitched slightly.
“Not just pretending to respect on the surface—you need to be sincere about it, truly sincere.”
“…Fine. I’ll try.”
Do-heon reluctantly accepted the two conditions. It wasn’t an entirely satisfactory answer, but Cheong-yeon decided to be content with this much.
“Lastly, about that thing…”
“What thing?”
Cheong-yeon’s lips moved several times in embarrassment.
“I’d prefer not to have sex at home. Neither my place nor yours.”
Do-heon waited silently as if expecting Cheong-yeon to continue, but Cheong-yeon shook his head.
“Is that all?”
“That’s all.”
Cheong-yeon swallowed dryly before responding. Do-heon draped one arm over the back of the sofa and slightly raised his head to look down at Cheong-yeon.
“No specific scenarios you want, or awards you’d like to receive? The more specific you are, the better.”
Awards? Cheong-yeon’s head tilted slightly.
Can you just get awards because you want them? Those weren’t things you could obtain simply by throwing money at them. They were symbols of success that could only be grasped after achieving clear results and passing through rigorous evaluations by credible judges. Moreover, the processes one had to go through weren’t few.
But Do-heon was speaking as if even that was something he could easily give Cheong-yeon if he wanted it.
Cheong-yeon was surprised by Do-heon’s words and, for the first time, considered what kind of award he might want to receive as an actor.
But it still seemed like a world too far removed from him, making his thoughts foggy. Cheong-yeon didn’t desire abstract fame and popularity right now—he just wanted to act in front of the camera.
“I… don’t have enough experience to know what I want yet, honestly. Right now, I’ll be satisfied just to have opportunities to act. If I need anything more later, I’ll let you know then.”
“Good.”
Do-heon answered as if it weren’t a difficult matter.
“Don’t you want anything from me, Director?”
This time, Cheong-yeon sat up straight and asked Do-heon. Since they were exchanging things they each wanted, he needed to hear Do-heon’s side too.
“First, you’ll meet and have dinner with me every Friday evening.”
The implied bedroom activities after dinner were surely included. Cheong-yeon maintained a composed expression and nodded slightly.
“That’s what you mentioned before. And?”
“You’ll spend all your future heat cycles with me, without exception.”
Cheong-yeon hesitated when he heard the second condition.
…He would have to go through the same experience with him again?
The thought of showing his raw, desperate self—pleading and clinging without any rationality—to Do-heon again initially triggered resistance.
At the same time, a vague recollection of the overwhelming pleasure from his last heat cycle sent a shiver down the back of his neck.
“And your work will be limited to embraces only. No entering productions that include more intimate skinship than that.”
Even though Cheong-yeon hadn’t agreed yet, Do-heon continued as if it didn’t matter.
“Finally, I’d prefer you not to lie to me anymore when we’re face to face.”
“……”
“These are my conditions.”
Cheong-yeon considered the final condition Do-heon had imposed.
“By not lying… you mean just acting as I am now?”
“Yes. Just like now.”
That wasn’t a difficult thing, nor was it special enough to be listed as a condition. Cheong-yeon wondered what his intention was in making such a request. He pondered briefly but couldn’t find a plausible answer.
“That’s easy. I can do that.”
“I’ll send the contract through someone once it’s prepared.”
“……”
At the mention of a contract, Cheong-yeon finally felt the weight of this relationship.
To think that his sponsor would be none other than Moon Do-heon. When he had left Do-heon’s house, he couldn’t have imagined this scenario. Even just last week, he had been determined to refuse.
Yet Do-heon had very easily flipped his decision.
Feeling his mouth go dry, Cheong-yeon picked up the cup in front of him and took a sip of tea.
Meanwhile, Do-heon stood up and walked to his desk. While organizing the thick stack of documents by pushing them to one side, he checked the time.
Cheong-yeon’s gaze naturally shifted to the clock on the wall. It was still too early to leave work. He had expected Do-heon to dismiss him and return to his duties, but instead, Do-heon picked up his jacket that had been hanging on the chair, as if preparing to go out.
Cheong-yeon quickly assessed his movements.
Is he planning to start right away? We haven’t even signed the contract yet…
Being completely unprepared mentally, Cheong-yeon’s eyes wavered. Knowing that he no longer had the right to refuse if Do-heon wanted something, he became sensitive to Do-heon’s smallest actions.
“Aren’t you getting up?”
“Are we leaving right now?”
Do-heon, who had already put on his jacket and buttoned it, approached Cheong-yeon. With a feeling of “here it comes,” Cheong-yeon awkwardly rose to his feet.
“There’s somewhere we need to go together.”
The office windows, made of clear glass, showed it was still bright outside.
“Where… are we going?”
“To choose furniture.”
“Furniture?”
With the sun still so clearly visible, Cheong-yeon had assumed they were heading straight to a hotel, but Do-heon’s answer was completely unexpected. For a moment, Cheong-yeon thought he’d misheard.
“While I’m thinking of it, we need to replace your rotten bed first.”
“What…?”
Cheong-yeon was so dumbfounded by Do-heon’s answer that he was momentarily speechless.
‘…My elbows and knees… can’t take it anymore.’
‘We’ll have to change the bed.’
He was about to ask why the sudden talk about beds when he recalled the conversation they’d had during their last encounter, when he was half-unconscious.
“No, but calling it a ‘rotten bed’! You’ve always been too harsh with your words!”
Cheong-yeon shouted at him, his face reddening.
That bed was newly purchased when he moved! Do-heon’s attitude of declaring everything “rotten” just because it didn’t meet his standards, without even knowing the facts, was infuriating.
What did that make Cheong-yeon, who slept on that bed every day? Do-heon’s personality was truly awful.
“Aren’t you coming?”
Regardless of Cheong-yeon’s indignation, Do-heon stood calmly by the office door, urging him to hurry.
His face was cold and emotionless as always, but Cheong-yeon could sense his stubborn determination to replace what he deemed a rotten bed, no matter what.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
