Cherry

Breakeven?

What Ilhoon wants, Ilhoon gets.

It has been an unwritten rule that people around that beautiful boy agree to comply without any complain. Even though he wasn't born into wealth and privilege, he somehow always finds a way to get what he desired. As if everything, everyone, around him are created and born to make whatever he dreams of comes true.

All this time, life made Ilhoon realize that he couldn't control fate, but he could always control the people around him. He knew his power, knew what he had to do to get other people to do anything for him. An ability that he did not master overnight, because life was hard made him inevitably have to learn various survival life hacks.

Just like when he was a kid, he would cry to make his brother give Ilhoon his favorite toy or food. He will act cute to make the adults around him like him, then offer to buy him something. He will pretend to be weak so that people don't think he is the cause of all the problems around him. In short, Ilhoon will do anything, he can be anyone, as long as the people around him filled him with love and sympathy.

Lies over lies.

Pretending over pretending.

Ilhoon has get used to it.

It might be sound pathetic, but nobody can judge him since they never wore his shoes. However, no matter how much he hates the way he lives sometimes, Ilhoon never regrated it. Because that's what makes him survive for twenty years of his life. Because life left him no choice but to be sneaky and dodgy.

And his beautiful mask just makes it even perfect.

Who would have thought that behind that mesmerizing mask was a manipulative boy who was able to control the most influential man in Korea?

Yes. Beauty is such a privilege and Ilhoon won't deny it. Being born with beauty and intelligence is the only thing he can be grateful for. At least there are things in him that he can take advantage of and maximize.

"You never failed to surprise me," said a man with a deep voice who sit in front of him, brought Ilhoon back from his brief reverie.

Just as Ilhoon turned his gaze to the man, a plate of cheesecake and a glass of americano landed in front of him. They were sitting in a cafe that they visited almost every month. Something Ilhoon would always do if he wanted Sungjae's attention. Everything he needs to do now is to be pretty so that the photo that might reach Sungjae's table in the next 15 to 30 minutes will turn out good.

Eat that, old man!

Even without context, Ilhoon knew what the guy with the deadliest smile—as the Korean teenagers said—meant. The man was there a month ago. Watching everything, and still can't understand why Ilhoon is still holding back from showing who he really is. Obviously, the man didn't like how Ilhoon was publicly humiliated. That pretty boy doesn't deserve to be treated like that. No one should treat him like when even the people who raised him all this time never let a fly land to his beautiful skin.

Ilhoon was always treated like a crown prince, so it was clear that the people who loved him couldn't let someone go around embarrassing him like that.

"He loves you that much, eh?' asked the man when Ilhoon didn't give any respond, while eyeing a new black Audi that parked in front of the café, not far from the super large window.

Ilhoon shrug his shoulder, "Or he just bored."

"He literally defended you in front of people instead of his wife," the man gives a pause, as if want to make Ilhoon thinks about it. "Then buy you a car to cheer you up? Oh well, yes, he must be bored," he then continued, the sarcasm is too strong.