“…What do you mean by that?”
Hongdan’s voice dropped low. Meanwhile, Seonha still didn’t move a muscle. Rather, his face looked bored. When they should barely have enough time even just to pour out their accumulated feelings together, it seemed he was quite displeased at wasting time on someone like Cha Jaewon.
Seonha clasped Hongdan’s right hand in his.
“Around one o’clock, an article will drop. With the title that Director Cha Jaewon’s recent award-winning work was actually stolen from a junior’s scenario. Since his illustrious parents are involved too, it’ll be hard to bury it easily.”
“…”
“While I was at it, I was going to fuck over your editor-in-chief too, but you’re still employed at that company. So I just left it alone for now in case the blowback hit you. If you ever feel like getting revenge, tell me. That bastard hasn’t exactly lived an upstanding life either.”
What is this…
Hongdan couldn’t rashly continue his words.
He’d already heard the news that Seonha had been sucking up to Cha Jaewon, but he thought that was the end of it. He hadn’t expected him to go so far as to stomp on him so he could never get back up again.
Seonha tilted his head. As the silence lengthened, he seemed to grow a bit anxious.
“Hongdan?”
Only then did Hongdan’s gaze meet Seonha’s again.
“Then why did you offer Cha Jaewon that expensive gift? You even went in person. If you were going to do this anyway, there was no need to humor him, was there?”
“Ahh, that.”
Seonha pulled Hongdan’s waist toward him with a languid motion.
Hongdan was pulled along without resistance. He could have shifted his steps somehow, but he didn’t have the strength to resist Seonha’s touch. Naturally, his back came to touch Seonha’s chest. Even so, he didn’t particularly twist his body away like when his hand had been grabbed earlier. Taking that as a kind of permission, Seonha chuckled briefly and rubbed his hair against Hongdan’s nape.
“Mm… it would take some time until the article came out anyway.”
“Mm.”
“And it’s annoying watching you read the room during that time. So I cleaned things up first.”
Doesn’t this bastard even find these words embarrassing…
At the affection that had subtly seeped in, Hongdan felt the back of his neck grow hot for no reason. He was about to turn his head awkwardly when Seonha continued in a somewhat sinister tone.
“Well, it’s also fun to lift someone to the highest place before dropping them.”
“…”
“…Did I go too far?”
At the untimely silence, Seonha slowly pulled away his head that had been rubbing all along. Then he stuck his face out and examined Hongdan’s complexion.
“…”
Even though Hongdan knew Seonha was waiting for his gaze, he didn’t turn his head that way. It was quite a chilling thing to just brush off, so he needed time to chew it over.
“I… went too far, didn’t I?”
Seonha slightly pulled away their pressed-together bodies. But even so, he didn’t release the arm wrapped around his waist.
That small stubbornness reeked of his anxiety.
In the end, Hongdan chose to soothe the man who was wavering along with him.
“Yeah.”
“Sorry. From now on, I won’t go this far…”
“But you did well.”
“Huh?”
As if expecting to be scolded, Seonha blinked those sharp eyes slowly. It was an uncharacteristically dazed appearance. Hongdan chuckled softly. He extended his arm and tidied up the bangs that had become a mess from acting cute toward him.
“I feel so refreshed. You did well, Yeon Seonha.”
After being dazed for a while, Seonha soon burst into childlike laughter and came into his arms. Though embracing himself in Hongdan’s arms, which was much smaller than his own, couldn’t be an easy task, he folded that large body well. So Hongdan just smiled the same way.
***
At the very end of the 32nd floor of Yeonhwa Group headquarters, at Director Do Jaehyuk’s seat, there was never a shortage of documents. Because the Young Master he served was idle, he’d already been shouldering most of the work, but after he disappeared entirely, it got worse. It wasn’t at the level of a person handling work. It was closer to work beating up a person.
Nevertheless, Director Do never once frowned, never once carelessly showed a sigh. People sometimes felt more chilled by Jaehyuk than by Seonha, who was outright openly crazy. There were even rumors going around that this company would go to Jaehyuk rather than Seonha.
But whenever Jaehyuk heard that ridiculous gossip, he couldn’t even manage a scoff. Seonha’s parents, especially Han Eunjae, were absolutely not that kind of person. Jaehyuk knew better than anyone about that terrible maternal love.
Beep—
A signal tone rang briefly in the office that had been filled only with the sound of papers turning. Jaehyuk put down the documents and looked at the two phones placed on one side of the desk.
Beep—beep
What was ringing was the right one that rarely made a sound, the direct internal line that only Seonha could use.
However, Seonha wasn’t at the company right now. Having gone out saying he’d win back his divorced ex-husband, there was no way he’d have come to work saying his body was itching uncharacteristically. Then there was only one identity for this caller.
“Hah…”
A sigh that hadn’t come out even after pulling all-nighters for several days burst out helplessly.
Jaehyuk pressed his forehead with his left hand and picked up the receiver.
“This is Do Jaehyuk.”
—It’s me.
A voice that was elegant yet couldn’t erase that self-righteousness at all. It was Han Eunjae.
Jaehyuk forcibly swallowed the sigh that was about to leak out again.
“Yes, President. Please speak.”
—Mm, Seonha’s hospitalized in a hospital in Boston, wasn’t it?
“Yes. Massachusetts…”
—I’m there right now, Director Do.
“…”
We’re in trouble.
Just until yesterday, he’d heard she’d been staying in Europe the whole time and would be returning home.
Of course, he hadn’t been confident he could deceive her until the end. But perhaps he’d let his guard down thinking things would soon wrap up since Seonha had also recently made his move.
It was his mistake.
“I apologize.”
Jaehyuk didn’t bother adding excuses. Even if he made an excuse with a perfect logical structure, once her mind had turned, she wasn’t someone it would work on. For now, the best option was to preserve his position where he could continue watching their backs without being fired.
—I don’t know why you’d bother creating something to apologize for… Director Do didn’t seem stupid enough to not distinguish that. Have you gone senile? Someone twenty years younger than me.
More honestly, the biggest thing was that no matter what wrapping he put on it, it wouldn’t help Seonha and Hongdan. Jaehyuk bowed his head once more.
“I apolo…”
—Enough with the apology that doesn’t even seem sincere.
“…”
But it seemed even that inner thought had been seen through by her. Jaehyuk gritted his teeth.
—Where’s my child?
“He’s in the country.”
He didn’t lie. Instead, he told a truth that wouldn’t be much help.
—Where in the country?
“That’s difficult for me to tell you.”
—Difficult…
At the voice that dropped sharply and coldly, Jaehyuk hastily replied. Uncharacteristically for him, his excuse was long.
“Yes. You entrusted me with the Young Master’s assistance duties. Though it may be presumptuous, I understood and followed that instruction to mean respecting the Young Master’s will first and foremost. What I can tell you right now is that the Young Master is healthier than ever before.”
—Hmm…
“Please trust the judgment of the President who hired me.”
Tap, tap.
The sound of Eunjae tapping something like a desk continued from beyond the receiver. If the data collected over nearly twenty years wasn’t wrong, right now she had by no means run out of things to say. Rather than that.
—Will Director Do bring him appropriately, or should I go myself?
“…”
—Which do you think would be best for protecting that vulgar bastard?
It was closer to choosing the day when she could bring her opponent to their knees.
From the start, she had called him after finding out everything. To make the dog that had gotten momentarily out of line submit again.
In the match that had finally reached overtime, there was only one thing Jaehyuk could do. The head he’d been holding up stiffly dropped heavily.
“I will absolutely bring him before you return to the country, President.”
—What about Choi Hongdan? You’re surely not thinking of just leaving him be.
“I’ll dispose of him to a place where the Young Master will absolutely never find him.”
—Good. And after that, keep Seonha tied up at home for the time being too. He’s a guy who can’t keep his lower half still, so once you separate them, he’ll forget that kind of bastard within a few days.
“…Yes.”
—Trust my eyes that hired you, like Director Do said, just one more time.
“Thank you, President.”
Beep—beep—beep—
The call termination tone settled heavily. Jaehyuk continued holding the receiver until even that sound had been cut off. Only when Secretary Yu appeared holding a pile of documents a moment later did he return what he was holding to its place. After work reports and instructions were exchanged as usual and the other party left the office, Jaehyuk picked up the phone again. This time it was his personal cell phone.
Ring ring.
The connection tone wasn’t very long.
—Yes.
It was a man with an emotionless voice resembling Jaehyuk.
Creak— Jaehyuk stood up from his seat and spoke while putting his left arm into his jacket.
“Starting today, report everyone the Madam meets to me.”
—Understood.
