“Lee Soohyun-ssi contacted me.”
“…What?”
Seojun’s voice rose. Soohyun contacted Director Jang!
“Soohyun-ssi… how did he contact you, Director…?”
“It was the day I went to your place, Seojun-ssi. Lee Soohyun-ssi called me over.”
“Soohyun-ssi called you, Director?”
What would happen if he twisted the relationship between these two, which didn’t seem very deep yet? Seokhyeon couldn’t stand how entertaining the current situation was. This naive man named Choi Seojun seemed to believe everything he said at face value.
“Yes, so I gave him my contact information then…. He’s been in touch since. We’ve even met a few times.”
“You… met? Why would Soohyun-ssi meet with you, Director…?”
Seojun recalled the night after Seokhyeon’s visit. Seokhyeon coming out of Soohyun’s room, and Soohyun’s strangely changed attitude afterward—even just bringing up ‘Jang Seokhyeon’ made Soohyun’s reactions seem odd somehow. The scattered puzzle pieces in Seojun’s mind were coming together one by one.
“Lee Soohyun-ssi… has talked to me about you, Seojun-ssi.”
“…What?”
“That’s why I had my suspicions. There’s no reason for the upstanding Seojun-ssi to do anything foolish. So I thought perhaps you were being deceived by someone… I made that kind of assumption.”
Seojun’s pupils shook. Seokhyeon didn’t miss it. It seemed it wouldn’t take long to get Soohyun back in his grasp, and he wanted to laugh heartily, but he held back since he was in front of Seojun.
“Deceived… what do you mean by that….”
“Choi Seojun-ssi. Don’t trust Lee Soohyun-ssi too much.”
“What?”
Seokhyeon pressed his lips tightly together.
“Don’t trust him, you say. And with Soohyun-ssi, there’s nothing like that….”
“Lee Soohyun-ssi told me this.”
Seokhyeon leaned forward. He had to swallow several times to keep from laughing. Choi Seojun, what a fool he really was. Should I push him a bit more? Seokhyeon was thoroughly enjoying himself for the first time in a while.
“He said his relationship with Choi Seojun-ssi is merely that of employee and employer. That even if problems arise for Choi Seojun-ssi because of him, he’ll just leave and that’ll be that.”
Seojun froze with his mouth open, his face painted with shock, not even realizing it.
“Then… then why did Soohyun-ssi… why did he meet with you, Director?”
Seojun’s voice grew louder. Then, startled by his own heightened voice, Seojun quickly covered his mouth with the back of his hand. Seokhyeon patted Seojun’s shoulder as if deeply sympathetic.
“It seems Choi Seojun-ssi has feelings for Lee Soohyun-ssi.”
“……”
“Lee Soohyun-ssi is… well, how should I put this.”
Seojun shook his head. And he recalled the countless nights he’d spent with Soohyun. His voice trembling as he said to wait just a little while, held in Seojun’s arms, the expression on his face when he said thank you—they flickered before his eyes. Was… was all of that a lie? No! That can’t be…?!
“Has Seojun-ssi ever talked to Lee Soohyun-ssi about me?”
“What? Yes… just a little… not much though….”
“He asked if he could come to my house when he leaves your place. He also brought up needing money. Honestly, I was quite taken aback when he suddenly brought up such topics.”
“…What?”
Seojun couldn’t believe what Jang Seokhyeon was saying. Then he suddenly recalled yesterday’s conversation with Soohyun.
‘…It seems too dangerous to keep living together like this. So I should quit my job and leave the house….’
“That can’t be. The Soohyun-ssi I know isn’t that kind of person.”
“Whether you believe my story or not doesn’t matter to me. Choi Seojun-ssi.”
“Yes?”
Seokhyeon’s attitude changed abruptly. Sitting up properly, he shuffled through the documents on his desk while maintaining an indifferent attitude.
“I’ve invested a lot of money, and if problems arise for Choi Seojun-ssi, the losses will be enormous for me. My position within the family could also become precarious.”
“Director….”
“What I’m saying is that if Choi Seojun-ssi conducts yourself well, it benefits me too. So I’m telling you that I have no reason to lie to you, Choi Seojun-ssi.”
Seokhyeon turned his chair as if there was nothing more to say. Seojun only stared at his back before leaving the office with a dazed expression.
‘Soohyun-ssi… Soohyun-ssi… that can’t be….’
Though it hadn’t been a very long time, over the past few months living with Soohyun, Seojun had learned that he was a very upright and honest person. Even after small shopping trips, he was meticulous enough to collect receipts and record everything in detail by category, and his household accounting was nearly perfect.
Of course, Seojun could feel Soohyun’s consideration in everything he touched. Things like shirts organized in order of preference, or Seojun’s frequently worn shoes dusted and wiped daily to maintain a sparkling condition…. Such small acts of consideration.
‘Let’s go home. I just need to confirm with Soohyun-ssi.’
Since he was someone who had never lied to him, he needed to verify whether what Jang Seokhyeon said was true.
Seojun hurried his steps home, endlessly repeating that it couldn’t be true. He wanted to see Soohyun quickly.
* * *
Seokhyeon’s voice echoed in Soohyun’s ears. In the end, his goal was one thing. Soohyun’s body. Even when they met five years ago, Seokhyeon was excessively obsessed with Soohyun’s body. During their intimate moments, he not only bit and sucked as if he would devour Soohyun, but also poured out pheromones so Soohyun couldn’t refuse his touch in the slightest.
At first, he thought that was his way of loving, but Seokhyeon gradually showed obsession with Soohyun’s body and pheromones, tearing apart Soohyun’s life, his body.
‘With just once… it won’t end. Not with that man….’
If he gave in to his demands this time, next time he would obviously demand something bigger. And there was no telling what other insane things he might do under the pretext of fixing his body.
That was precisely why, even knowing he should do something for Seojun, he couldn’t readily follow that man’s will. Though there was no lower depth to fall to, he had only just begun to take one step toward the world…. Soohyun sat on the sofa, body curled up tight.
Beep beep beep— Beep beep beep—
It was a little past 3 PM, too early for Seojun to return. But when Soohyun suddenly heard the sound of the door opening, he rushed to the entrance in one stride. Had something happened to him again? His heart pounded violently.
“Seojun-ssi?”
“Soohyun-ssi.”
Seojun’s face looked unfamiliar. Completely stiff yet flushed, looking like he would burst at the slightest touch. Soohyun reached out toward him but hesitated. Something… had definitely happened.
“Seojun-ssi. What brings you home so early?”
“……”
Seojun just stared at Soohyun’s face without speaking. His eyes looked precarious, like porcelain with fine cracks about to shatter. Had something else happened? Soohyun’s heart pounded.
“Soohyun-ssi, I came because I have something to ask you.”
“Me… you want to ask me?”
“Yes.”
Seojun, who said he had something to ask, stared at Soohyun for a long while. Soohyun waited for his lips to open, feeling like a criminal awaiting sentencing.
“Jinwoo hyung said he saw Soohyun-ssi meeting someone recently.”
“…What?”
Soohyun’s gaze wavered. Seojun didn’t take his eyes off Soohyun, as if he wouldn’t miss his reaction.
“He said Soohyun-ssi met with Director Jang Seokhyeon. Jinwoo hyung saw it directly. Is that… true?”
“…!!!”
Seojun didn’t take his eyes off Soohyun’s face. Though Jinwoo wouldn’t lie to him, Seojun wanted to believe Soohyun. He wanted to hear the truth from his lips.
“Seojun-ssi. What do you… I have no reason to meet that person…!”
“Soohyun-ssi.”
As if demanding the truth, Seojun’s hand gripping Soohyun’s arm was tightly clenched. Soohyun kept shaking his head. It wasn’t him who saw it but Jinwoo, so he thought he could deny it.
“I met with Director Jang Seokhyeon today. The Director told me. That he met with Soohyun-ssi.”
Soohyun’s eyes grew hot. His vision blurred and he couldn’t breathe. What had that man said to Seojun? He didn’t even want to imagine.
“He said that Soohyun-ssi… has no relationship with me… that we’re just employee and employer… that even if problems arise for me because of him, he’ll just leave and that’s that.”
“Se, Seojun-ssi. That, that’s not what it is!”
“So you did meet with Director Jang Seokhyeon.”
Soohyun’s body, caught in Seojun’s hands, was trembling like an aspen tree. Had the Soohyun up until now really all been a lie? The eyes looking at him, the way he spoke, and even that shy smile—were they all nothing but an act? Was he by his side solely for money, merely for profit? Even as Seojun denied that he would do such a thing, he found it difficult to erase the suspicion creeping up.
“Soohyun-ssi, why did you meet Director Jang Seokhyeon? What was the reason for meeting him?”
“That, that’s….”
