Chapter 24

A gentle breeze wafted in through the open window. As if feeling lonely, the wind carried the scent of grass from the yard and the fragrance of flowers with it.

Bo Bae gazed up at the sky while taking in the aroma. Living in a house with a yard had its perks. Sitting in a home overlooking a sprawling lawn, drinking beer while watching the stars in the night sky, the atmosphere was quite different from her rooftop room, where the floor was coated in waterproof paint, even if the sky above was the same.

The kimchi fried rice had vanished in the blink of an eye, and before they knew it, only empty beer cans lay scattered in front of Ho Rang and Bo Bae.

Ho Rang felt much better than he had earlier. No, "better" didn't quite cover it. He felt exceptionally good.

Every year, Mi Kyung and Do Yoon would swarm him under the guise of celebrating his birthday, only to turn his stomach. His grandfather used his birthday as a tool to keep Mi Myung and Do Yoon in check. And then there was Su Yeon, whose face alone was uncomfortable to look at.

Thanks to them, he used to wonder if his birthday was a day to be cursed rather than celebrated, but today was different. All because of the woman sitting right beside him.

"I have something I'm curious about."

"Go ahead."

"That song earlier... why did you sing it?"

At Ho Rang's question, Bo Bae lifted her head to look at him. Judging by her slightly glazed eyes, she seemed drunk, but Ho Rang desperately wanted to hear the reason.

"People don't usually sing that song on birthdays. So why that one, of all songs?"

"Hmm..."

Bo Bae seemed to lost in thought for a moment before answering with a beaming smile.

"Just because. When I heard that it was Mr. Baek Ho Rang's birthday, that song just popped into my head. Maybe it was because of the lyrics about 'Lord Tiger's birthday'?"

Moonlight settled over Bo Bae’s smiling face. Against her already pale skin, the moonlight made her face look beyond translucent, it seemed to glow brightly.

She’s pretty.

Even as that thought crossed his mind...

I’ve lost it. Thinking this woman looks pretty. Have I gone blind? Or am I just that drunk?

Despite his denial of reality, he couldn't help his eyes from drifting back to her.

He figured he must be drunk from the few cans of beer he’d had for the first time in a while. To think this "kiss-maniac" looked pretty.

Ho Rang popped another can of beer and gulped it down so hard that his Adam's apple bobbed. He felt like he couldn't insist he was drunk after only this much.

"I’m curious about something, too."

Bo Bae said in a quiet voice while he was drinking his beer. Seeing how cautious she sounded, Ho Rang felt he could guess what she was going to ask.

She’d probably ask about his complicated family situation. Why he didn't eat that expensive food. Whether he was on bad terms with his cousin. Or if they were fighting over inheritance issues, and so on.

These were questions he had already heard countless times. Tired, repetitive questions that never changed a single syllable.

Once people became even slightly close to him, they would ask. They asked about his convoluted family history and his guaranteed future. When he spoke of his family, they would click their tongues and pity him. When he spoke of his future, they would look at him with awe and try to flatter him.

That was why Ho Rang didn't keep people close. He was lonely, but this was better. He didn't want anyone by his side who either pitied him or flattered him for his money.

Which side was this woman on?

"What is it?"

As he asked with those thoughts in mind, Bo Bae questioned him with eyes full of curiosity.

"Mr. Baek Ho Rang why are you 'Baek Ho Rang'?"

"?"

Ho Rang knit his brows slightly at the cryptic question. Realizing she had phrased it poorly, Bo Bae tapped her small lips and asked again.

"I mean, why is your name 'Ho Rang'? Who gave it to you?"

Ho Rang stared blankly at Bo Bae.

It was a question he had been asked a lot when his parents were alive, but never since they passed away. When they were alive, he was just a little boy named Baek Ho Rang, but after they died, he became a candidate for the succession of Tae Seong Group.

A question asked not to Chairman Baek Man Seok's grandson, not to the heir of Tae Seong Group, but simply to the person named Baek Ho Rang.

This woman was dangerous in many ways.

"My parents gave it to me."

Because she kept making him think of his parents.

"Why? Why did they name you Ho Rang?"

He had barely managed to bury them in a corner of his heart, yet she kept making him recall the two people he only allowed himself to remember in private.

But for some reason, he wanted to tell her. He wanted to bring up the stories of his parents, stories his grandfather had stubbornly buried and his aunt desperately tried to stop him from mentioning, in front of this woman. Even if it was just a little bit.

"My mother said she had a dream when she was pregnant with me."

"A tiger dream?"

"Yeah. Specifically, a dream where a white tiger entered the house and settled in her arms."

Ho Rang spoke as he recalled the story of his conception dream his mother had told him when he was a kid. Back then, his mother’s expression had looked happier than ever.

"Wow. Since your last name is 'Baek,' it’s a perfect match. Baek Ho Rang, Baek Ho Rang. Baek Ho Rang..."

The sound of Bo Bae murmuring the three syllables of his name felt incredibly pleasant. Earlier, her face had looked so beautiful, and now her voice felt sweet and intimate, sticking to his ears.

I’m drunk. Definitely drunk. I’m drunk after just a few cans of barley water. Otherwise, there’s no way this woman could look this pretty...

While he was thinking that to himself, something suddenly dropped onto his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Bo Bae’s jet-black hair.

"H-Hey."

Flustered, Ho Rang raised his hand to shake her awake, but his large hand hovered in the air, having lost its way.

"Did you get drunk after drinking like that?"

He asked in a voice low enough not to wake her, but only the sound of soft, rhythmic breathing answered him.

Ho Rang hesitated for a moment. Should he wake her and tell her to go sleep in her room, or just leave her be? Naturally, he should wake her and send her back to her container, but for some reason, he didn't want to.

What an unproductive waste of time this is. This sleeping woman must be uncomfortable, and I’m uncomfortable too. So, why don't I want to wake her up?

The excuse that came to mind then was "give and take."

Today, this woman had done so much for him. She kept his secret from Do Yoon, sang him a birthday song, and even threw him a birthday party. So, the least he could do was act as a shoulder pillow. After all, it was only right to return a favor.

Using his long-standing ironclad rule as an excuse, Ho Rang kept Bo Bae on his shoulder and ceased all movement. He even set down the beer he was holding and breathed as shallowly as possible to create the perfect environment for her to sleep.

Then, a chuckle escaped him.

A few weeks ago, when he first saw this woman at the broadcasting station, he never imagined a situation like this would ever happen. Far from sitting side-by-side and providing a shoulder pillow, they were snarling at each other as if they’d never see each other again, and now they were celebrating birthdays together.

Well, of course, it didn't mean they had become deeply involved, but he thought he should be sincere during the time they were in a contractual relationship, just as she had said. Though he would surely leave without a backward glance after three months.

As he was looking up at the night sky with various thoughts, a loud beep-beep-beep-beep alarm sounded from somewhere.

Startled by the noise, Bo Bae, who had been sleeping soundly, blinked her long eyelashes and woke up, sliding off his shoulder. Ho Rang felt a deep sense of regret and wanted to put her back to sleep, but Bo Bae was already wide awake.

"What is that sound?"

He thought she would ask why she was sleeping there, but Bo Bae seemed more concerned about the alarm.

Ho Rang looked towards the living room and answered nonchalantly.

"I don't know. Is the phone battery dead?"

"...Battery?"

At his answer, Bo Bae’s eyes widened in surprise. Ho Rang, failing to grasp what thought was flashing through her mind, said dully.

"I guess there's no battery since it hasn't been charged."

The moment Ho Rang tried to get up to charge the phone, Bo Bae’s small hand grabbed his wrist and pulled. Startled, Ho Rang fell back onto the sofa, and Bo Bae scrambled on top of him without hesitation.

"What—what are you doing...?"

The bewildered Ho Rang asked, but Bo Bae didn't answer. She just stared at him with eyes full of worry, as if tears were about to burst forth. As Ho Rang watched her with trembling pupils, Bo Bae bit her lip and spoke.

"Don't worry. I’ll charge you up."

"What... what does that...?"

Before he could even ask, Bo Bae’s lips pressed against his.

It wasn't like he was being blindsided by something totally random, but why was she waking up and kissing him?

In that moment, the words she had just said flashed through Ho Rang's mind.

["Don't worry. I’ll charge you up."]

And the words he had said just a moment ago.

["I guess there's no battery since it hasn't been charged."]

Ah, so she took "the battery is dead" to mean my heart battery was dying.

She really was an unpredictable woman. To wake up from a drunken sleep and kiss him just because he said the battery was dead.

Not that she needed to be on the verge of tears about it, though.

Ho Rang raised his hand to pull Bo Bae away. Since he was already "fully charged," this action was unnecessary. But, why wouldn't his hands move as he intended? Just as he couldn't wake her when she was sleeping on his shoulder, his hands hovered uselessly in the air again.

Her breath, as she licked his lips, delved deep into his mouth. When the soft tip of her tongue touched somewhere near his molars, Ho Rang's body reacted.

This was their third kiss. It wasn't their first time, so why was his body reacting like this? He couldn't tell if he had suddenly become sensitive or if he was just feeling sentimental today. All he knew was that this damn body of his was responding very honestly to this woman.

"Don't be sick. Don't be in pain."

As she stopped the kiss and pulled away, a voice full of concern for him leaked out. Her gaze as she looked up at him was filled with worry. Seeing that look of genuine concern, Ho Rang felt a strange emotion welling up.

"I’m losing my mind."

Even though he knew he shouldn't be doing this to a drunk woman, a dark desire surged through him.

After staring up at him for a moment, Bo Bae pressed her lips to his again, and Ho Rang wrapped his previously lost hands around her fragile shoulders.