Chapter 63
Though no one was trying to take it from him, Cheong-yeon kept the contract tucked under his arm while dipping the rest of his bread into the soup. It was less a meal driven by hunger and more a forced consumption. Yet somehow, perhaps because of the entertainment of watching Do-heon’s reactions right before his eyes, his stomach wasn’t uncomfortable enough to make him feel sick.
He managed to finish the soup but barely touched the rest of the food. Setting down his spoon, Cheong-yeon rubbed his sleepy eyes while watching Do-heon tie his necktie for work. Standing straight in front of the mirror, he skillfully tied the knot and then meticulously checked his cuff links.
Do-heon showed absolutely no signs of fatigue or drowsiness. They had clearly spent the night rolling around in bed together, yet how could he look so perfectly fine? Hadn’t he even mentioned getting up at dawn?
Cheong-yeon knew that Alphas generally had better stamina than Omegas, but such a stark difference seemed unfair.
Despite his internal grumbling, Cheong-yeon diligently followed Do-heon’s movements with his head, openly observing his morning preparations.
“If you’re sleepy, go back to sleep.”
Do-heon said as he picked up his jacket. Seeing that it was a different design from the one he wore yesterday, Cheong-yeon suspected he had sent someone to bring a new one.
“My stomach feels too full; I might get indigestion if I lie down right away.”
Leaning sideways against the chair’s backrest, Cheong-yeon hugged his knees and mumbled.
“Did you force yourself to eat? This morning.”
Do-heon paused while checking new messages on his phone and turned his attention to Cheong-yeon.
“I wasn’t very hungry.”
Cheong-yeon took a sip of warm tea and then glanced at Do-heon.
After remaining silent for a while, Do-heon finally spoke.
“You don’t need to accommodate me like that anymore. We’re not a married couple now.”
Cheong-yeon blinked as if just realizing this fact.
“Ah, right. It’s become a habit…”
Come to think of it, waking up and eating according to Do-heon’s work schedule was one of the many habits formed during their marriage. As he said, Cheong-yeon no longer had an obligation to concern himself with such trivial lifestyle patterns.
“But then, should I just stay in bed while you’re getting ready?”
“There’s no reason why not. What I requested was only dinner and sex.”
Before leaving, Do-heon picked up a thin envelope of documents. After checking the time on his wristwatch, he headed toward the door.
Cheong-yeon also got up to see him off. He was already awake, and this too was a habit ingrained over three years, so his body moved automatically.
“I’m leaving.”
“Have a good day.”
Cheong-yeon leaned against the doorframe as he bid farewell to Do-heon, who was exiting the hotel room.
Just as Cheong-yeon thought Do-heon would close the door and leave, he turned back briefly to look down at him. Then he made an indecipherable gesture with his finger.
“What?”
Cheong-yeon shrugged as if asking what that meant.
“Wear your robe properly. It’s slipping down because it’s crooked.”
“……”
Seriously, this guy. After I came all the way to the door.
Cheong-yeon pouted his lips and looked Do-heon up and down incredulously. Nevertheless, he halfheartedly pulled up the shower robe that had slipped below his shoulders.
“Who’s going to see me? I’ll be alone in the room once you leave.”
Regardless of Cheong-yeon’s complaints, Do-heon opened the door with an efficient motion and stepped out of the room.
“Seriously… what a weird personality.”
Cheong-yeon grumbled at the closed door. Turning back and re-entering the room, he noticed the breakfast dishes still on the table, not yet cleared.
He considered calling someone to tidy up but quickly found that too bothersome. There was still time before his afternoon schedule, so he thought he’d sleep a bit more.
After quickly brushing his teeth at the sink and giving his face a quick cat-wash, Cheong-yeon crawled back into the cozy bed. He set an alarm on his phone, lowered the blinds to block the sunlight, and closed his eyes.
As Cheong-yeon fell into a deep sleep, an unfamiliar ringing sound pierced his ears. At first, thinking it was his alarm, he fumbled around the bed for his phone but frowned upon seeing the blank screen.
It turned out to be someone ringing the doorbell outside the room.
“Who could that be?”
Cheong-yeon murmured in a sleep-laden voice as he got out of bed. After being deeply buried in the thick blanket, he felt a slight chill as he emerged. Pulling his robe tightly around himself, he approached the door in a half-awake state.
“Who is it?”
—Hello. I’m here on the Director’s instructions.
Hearing it was Do-heon’s errand, Cheong-yeon opened the door without suspicion. Standing there were a woman he had never seen before and an employee wearing a hotel uniform.
“Excuse me for a moment. Is it alright if I bring the service cart inside?”
“What’s this suddenly…?”
After politely bowing, the employee entered the room, pulling a service cart loaded with several boxes and a portable clothes rack.
As Cheong-yeon awkwardly stepped aside in confusion, the woman in a black tweed dress next to the employee explained the situation.
“The Director mentioned that you wouldn’t have suitable clothes for your afternoon schedule, so he instructed us to prepare some separately.”
Cheong-yeon belatedly realized he had nothing to wear. Indeed, his clothes from yesterday were nowhere to be seen, possibly taken for laundry. Even if they were available, it would have been quite inconvenient to wear them again today. Min Hye-rin’s sharp eye would certainly notice.
“I was informed that you prefer casual styles, so we picked up clothes from the stores with that in mind. Please try them on at your leisure and let me know if you need anything.”
The woman smiled kindly while arranging the clothes rack and boxes bearing luxury brand logos in the room’s living area, all while wearing white velvet gloves.
She didn’t stop there but began opening each box to show Cheong-yeon the products inside.
Four tops, three bottoms, a pair of limited-edition sneakers for this season, a pair of dress shoes, a hat that could match the outfits, and a bag said to be the store’s best-seller. After showing each item and explaining them while opening clothes covers and boxes embossed with brand logos, the woman finally took out a hefty-looking case.
A wristwatch, she said, of which only five had been imported to Korea since its release this year.
Cheong-yeon’s expression gradually hardened as he sat quietly on the sofa, listening. He could interpret the clothes and shoes as a considerate gesture from Do-heon, but items like the bag and watch felt too much like payment for last night, which made him uncomfortable.
“I need to shower first… please leave them here.”
“Understood. If you need anything else, please contact us at this number.”
The woman handed Cheong-yeon a business card. Then, after neatly rearranging the clothes with the employee who had entered with her, they finally left the room.
Cheong-yeon sighed, crossed his arms, and looked around at the items. They were all expensive pieces, worth hundreds of thousands to millions of won.
“Well, this is what sponsorship is about, I suppose.”
Muttering to himself as if it wasn’t a big deal, Cheong-yeon went into the bathroom. However, the bitter feeling wouldn’t easily dissipate.
*
Upon entering the salon, Cheong-yeon immediately examined himself in the mirror after sitting in the designated seat. Although he had no choice but to wear the clothes Do-heon had sent, this time they seemed to have considered his preferences, as he quite liked the outfit.
It was a safe style, neither too plain nor too flashy. Compared to the past when Do-heon had always insisted on near-monochrome clothing throughout their marriage, it showed that Do-heon had made some concessions.
“Hello. You’re here for the drama poster photoshoot today, right?”
A staff member approached and greeted Cheong-yeon familiarly.
“Did you get any information about the style? We have a scrapbook of drama styles at our salon for actors to reference… just a moment.”
“Yes. But do you think I should style my bangs up or down?”
The staff member paused in searching for the scrapbook and carefully touched Cheong-yeon’s hair, tilting their head in consideration.
“Let’s see. Actor Yoo Cheong-yeon, your skin tone is really fair? If your character is rough around the edges, wearing your bangs down creates a contrast between your skin and hair, giving a colder impression. If it’s the opposite…”
“Did you say Yoo Cheong-yeon? Cheong-yeon, what brings you here?”
Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted the staff member from behind. Cheong-yeon turned his head with a disbelieving expression to confirm who had called his name.
“Ah, Song Hee-jun…”
Cheong-yeon’s face crumpled upon spotting Song Hee-jun sitting in the opposite chair.
What the hell? Why is he here?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
