He deliberately didn’t explain beyond that. Yoon Taerim rolled his eyes while propping his chin. Even though he’d hinted enough for Sanho to understand, Jung Sanho showed no particular reaction.
It seemed like Taerim was tired of the situation he was pointing out, and also appeared to be deliberately avoiding it. He must also know that whatever was contained in the audio file, it certainly wasn’t good news.
“Forget it. What am I supposed to do knowing that?”
Jung Sanho threw down the phone onto the sofa. As if there was nothing more to hear, he kicked back his seat and stood up. At the attitude that clearly showed avoidance to anyone watching, Yoon Taerim let out a small laugh.
That reaction made one thing clear. Jung Sanho had known from the beginning. Even knowing Baek Seungyeon’s intentions for approaching him, he’d pretended to know nothing and let it be.
“You really…!”
“I’m leaving first.”
“Jung Sanho!”
He quickly grabbed Jung Sanho’s hand as he moved away like he was fleeing. However, before he could do anything, Jung Sanho irritably shook off his hand.
“You don’t have the right to tell me what to do, do you, hyung? Honestly, you’re already crossing the line enough as it is.”
“You know your reaction is excessive right now too, don’t you? This isn’t something to be this aggressive about, Sanho.”
At the admonishing words that followed, Jung Sanho furrowed his brow. After choosing his words in silence for a while, he turned around without hesitation.
“Anyway, hyung… you’re not particularly interested in me either. Do you think I don’t know that? What exists between us isn’t affection but a shitty solidarity between victims. No matter how much you pretend not to know, that won’t change.”
Jung Sanho didn’t give him a chance to answer. Without hesitation, he moved his feet and passed through the entrance. Only after hearing the sound of the door slamming shut with a ‘bang!’ did Yoon Taerim cover his hardened face with his hands.
“That bastard really…”
The emotions he couldn’t digest settled heavily in his chest. Like a typhoon had swept through, the silence of the house that had become quiet in an instant felt particularly painful.
***
Not even a few minutes after escaping from the house, a text from Yoon Taerim came in. At the sight of him sending just the audio file without any explanation, irritation surged.
The moment he was about to mercilessly press the delete button, a new text appeared on the screen.
[Sorry for getting angry]
The text ended there. There were no shitty emoticons that Yoon Taerim often sent, no sly excuses. Just a plain phrase. Though he hadn’t hoped for excuses that went on and on, this made him feel shitty in its own way.
“Is he seriously kidding me…”
Jung Sanho bit his lip hard. This is why he hated Yoon Taerim. If he kept acting annoying, he could just get angry and cut ties, but he always stepped back at these precarious timings like this, making people feel strange. Usually he was desperate to win regardless of whether someone was his younger sibling or not. But only at times like this…
[I’m not uninterested in you]
[You’re my only family]
Jung Sanho wasn’t unaware of the sincerity contained in those words. It was just because his personality was rough and twisted, but Yoon Taerim did his best in his own way to cherish Jung Sanho. It was the same now. Now that he knew Baek Seungyeon’s intentions, Yoon Taerim would have only one choice. He wasn’t good-natured enough to watch with both eyes open as his precious younger sibling was taken advantage of by a con artist.
Jung Sanho, who let out a sigh, silently fiddled with his phone. Whether intentions or purposes, he didn’t want to think deeply right now. People who tried to control him using affection as an excuse already overflowed around him. It wasn’t a big deal for Yoon Taerim to be added to that. But if someone asked whether he could completely hate such a Yoon Taerim? That would probably be difficult to answer.
Yoon Taerim and Baek Seungyeon. He didn’t know how the two became entangled. However, considering the timing, it seemed Baek Seungyeon had approached him earlier than Yoon Taerim. That’s why Yoon Taerim was acting so sensitive, thrusting this audio file or whatever at him. Thinking this far, things roughly matched up. What Yoon Taerim hated most was people who acted like the tongue in one’s mouth, trying to use affection as leverage. So from the start, Baek Seungyeon couldn’t have been someone Yoon Taerim would have favorable feelings toward.
“…Wait, then what happens with those two?”
Even if they were dating, now that Taerim knew Baek Seungyeon had intentionally approached him, there was no way Yoon Taerim would stay still. He must have lost all affection. Then they’d naturally break up, and this shitty love triangle could come to an end too, couldn’t it?
The more he mulled it over, the more plausible the reasoning seemed. Jung Sanho, stroking his chin lost in thought, considered several possibilities. Given Yoon Taerim’s personality, would he stay still knowing Baek Seungyeon intentionally approached him?
“No way. That hyung isn’t the personality to tolerate that kind of thing.”
Because he aimed for light relationships, Yoon Taerim placed even more importance on boundaries. The possible parts and impossible areas were clearly distinguished, and if you coveted beyond that, he would mercilessly cast you out. By Yoon Taerim’s standards, Baek Seungyeon was clearly disqualified.
A strange light flashed in Jung Sanho’s eyes for a moment. Looking down at the phone screen that had gone dark, he tapped the edges of the device with his fingers.
Right, thinking about it, this might be an opportunity. It wasn’t like he didn’t know Baek Seungyeon’s intentions, so there was nothing to be shocked about now. But Yoon Taerim was different. It would be understandable if he’d lost all affection at Baek Seungyeon’s materialistic attitude. If only Yoon Taerim would bend his stubbornness here, the problem would become easier. There’d be no need to play along with this shitty love triangle. If he could just persuade Baek Seungyeon well, he might be able to cleanly sort out the relationship.
As his thoughts reached there, he felt relieved. Right, he should turn this crisis into an opportunity. Now, when Yoon Taerim was wavering, was exactly that opportunity.
Jung Sanho checked the text Yoon Taerim sent without hesitation. He planned to first check what he’d heard, then contact Baek Seungyeon.
The audio file was about 3 minutes long. He pressed the play button and brought the speaker to his ear. It was a trivial conversation. Of the two men exchanging words, one was definitely Baek Seungyeon, and the other was a voice he was hearing for the first time.
Jung Sanho, narrowing his eyes, passed the sidewalk and moved his steps to a deserted alley. When he reached a place where there weren’t many car sounds or passing people, the conversation stuck in his ears a bit more clearly.
—So, are you curious who it is?
The voice mixed with laughter was as affectionate as if addressing a lover. With a tone containing appropriate bravado and leisure, the man chided Baek Seungyeon.
—Do you need a new person to work on? Am I alone not enough?
Just from those words, he could infer the relationship between the two. This man also knew about Baek Seungyeon’s infidelity but was turning a blind eye.
That alone made strange irritation surge. The laughter in the man’s voice seemed to mock him. As if warning that someone like you isn’t particularly special, that you’re just one of the many connections scattered around Baek Seungyeon.
—Not enough? I’m just curious, that’s all.
Baek Seungyeon answered with a giggle. The atmosphere contained between the laughter was somehow unfamiliar.
—Don’t misunderstand. Even though I act a bit loose, I have no intention of breaking up with hyung.
—To say don’t misunderstand, you do this every time. Where did you hear about Jung Sanho again? Why did you become curious about him?
At his name suddenly popping out, Jung Sanho’s eyelids flinched. Baek Seungyeon’s clear voice explained the reason quietly.
—He’s young, has lots of wounds, has family issues. When everything I like is gathered together perfectly, how can I not be curious? When I see a man carrying wounds in his heart, I just can’t pass by. Do I have a protective instinct or something?
—That’s ridiculous. It’s not that you like them, you should clearly say ‘like to use.’ And you, you’re doing this because he’s Yujeong Group’s youngest son. If you’re turned on because he has money, why wrap it up with useless words?
The laughter that followed like an answer didn’t feel malicious. However, not having malice didn’t mean it wasn’t evil.
—You caught me exactly.
There, Jung Sanho’s patience also revealed its end. He stopped the audio file before listening to the remaining 1 minute. Since listening more would only ruin his mood, was there a need to listen?
Baek Seungyeon’s voice affirming the question of whether he liked to use people stuck tenaciously to his eardrum and wouldn’t fall off.
“This is why Yoon Taerim threw that fit.”
Jung Sanho, who gave a bitter smile, moved his feet weakly. Flagging down any taxi, he recited the address to the driver asking for the destination. While the car slowly joined the road, Jung Sanho silently stared at the scenery outside the car window.
‘You caught me exactly.’
Baek Seungyeon’s voice in the audio file was somehow unfamiliar. Was it because of the sense of betrayal? He’d expected it would be like this, but now that he’d heard it from Baek Seungyeon’s own mouth, was he newly shocked? It was clearly the same person and the same voice, but the atmosphere was different. Was that just, simply because he wanted to believe in Baek Seungyeon?
Perhaps because he’d ground his lips so hard, at some point he felt the fishy taste of blood. The taxi that had reached the destination before long stopped. Jung Sanho rubbed the torn inside of his lip with his tongue, paid, and got out of the car.
In front of the deserted apartment, it was quiet and peaceful. In front of Baek Seungyeon’s house, a place that felt familiar because he’d been there many times, he hesitated for a long while.
He shouldn’t have listened to that audio file. Could he have a proper conversation with Baek Seungyeon in this mood? The sticky emotions kept grabbing at his ankles. Was his misfortune merely a convenient means for Baek Seungyeon to exploit?
Questions he could never ask kept circling in his mouth. Only after hesitating for a long while did Jung Sanho turn his steps. He needed time to organize his thoughts.
The moment he was considering whether to call another car, headlight beams shone from behind him.
A black sedan stopped a few steps away. Soon the passenger door opened and Baek Seungyeon, holding a shopping bag with a luxury brand logo, got out of the car. He bowed his head slightly toward the driver’s seat. Though his expression couldn’t be seen because it was shadowed, his voice at least was quite soft.
“Thank you. Get home safely.”
