“Go get some shut-eye.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Boss, you’re back!”
Siwon, who had been climbing up to the courtyard, flinched at the resounding shout.
“What?”
When he turned around, all the subordinates who had returned home earlier were out to greet Siwon. At the rare sight of everyone gathered together, Siwon dazedly scanned his subordinates’ faces.
“You guys….”
When the Boss seemed touched and couldn’t continue speaking with a stiff expression, the organization members each showed proud expressions. While some wiped their noses or scratched their heads, one of them awkwardly explained.
“Yesterday was sister-in-law’s anniversary, but you came right up without even resting properly. We wanted to let you know that we’re here for you, Boss!”
Soon after, another shouted, “That’s right! We’re also by your side, Boss!” Siwon, who realized it was a small event to comfort him, laughed heartily as if moved.
“Ha, you guys.”
Gradually, smiles spread across the subordinates’ faces too. However, the expression of Teolbo, who had been standing guard behind Siwon all along, became increasingly awkward.
“Right. I understand your feelings well, and since I’m grateful, let me ask just one thing.”
“Yes!”
“Who’s the bastard who went around saying the kids’ tutor is my lover?”
“…Pardon?”
The organization members, who naturally thought it would be a question like “Who thought of this event?”, felt the atmosphere rapidly sink. Somehow the focus of the question was slightly off, which was very ominous.
“Everyone’s here, right?”
“Should we call in the guys who went on district patrol too?”
“No need, they have work to do.”
When Siwon rolled up his shirt sleeves, the organization members’ lips also dropped. After finishing adjusting his sleeves, Siwon raised his head and smiled lazily at his subordinates with eyes haggard from staying up all night.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you all going to run?!”
The organization members belatedly caught on to the Boss’s mood and ran out to the courtyard in unison. Each occupying one spot, the widely lined-up organization members hit their heads on the ground and assumed the push-up position.
“If you know the main culprit who spread the rumor, or if you think you’re the main culprit who spread the rumor, raise your hand. You’re going to stay like that until someone who confesses comes out.”
“Yes!”
“Teolbo, go upstairs and tell the kids to come down too. You rest.”
“Shouldn’t you also get some sleep, Boss?”
“Hurry.”
“…Yes.”
Soon Teolbo sent down Yi Cheong wearing yellow rabbit-patterned pajamas and Seoldong in gym clothes. Both came down looking disheveled as if not fully awake, then were shocked at the scene unfolding in the courtyard.
“Crazy! What’s this?”
“Kwon Yi Cheong, you come over here too and assume the position.”
Siwon, who was sitting on the terrace bench, gestured toward Yi Cheong. Yi Cheong’s jaw twitched at Siwon’s expression that looked like it was missing a screw.
“Urk….”
“Cheong-ah, are you okay?”
Seoldong, who was standing beside him, checked Yi Cheong’s complexion. It was unusual that Cheong wasn’t talking back to the Boss.
“Idiot, Hyung’s eyes have snapped right now…!”
“Choi Seoldong, you stand here too.”
At least with Siwon’s consideration, the two could assume the push-up position under the shade of a tree. Even that was difficult for Yi Cheong, who twisted his body, saying it was hard.
As time passed, groaning sounds gradually burst out here and there. But it was the moment he was about to smile faintly while watching Seoldong and the subordinates who still maintained their posture without breaking form. Yi Cheong, who had been squirming constantly from the moment he first assumed the position, finally couldn’t endure and collapsed while venting his frustration.
“Ah, it’s hard. I can’t do this anymore!! Hyung, isn’t this really too much?! Why do you care so much about Teacher, whom you’ve only seen for barely a week? Did you two really have an affair or something?!”
At Yi Cheong’s bombshell statement, the groans that had been escaping were sucked back in. When a brief silence followed, Yi Cheong hurriedly looked around.
“What, why?! Did I say something wrong? The hyungs said so too!”
In an instant, the smile was wiped from Siwon’s face.
“Everyone said so?”
“No! But you can tell just by looking! Teacher and Hyung even before…! ……Th-that’s not what I was trying to say….”
“So that’s why there was no culprit who spread the rumor? Because you’re all in it together?”
“Huh…?”
Yi Cheong looked at Siwon with a flustered face as he wore a chilly expression.
This doesn’t seem like such a serious matter, so why does Hyung keep picking at it and making it an issue? And why is one corner of my heart getting anxious again?
“We’re sorry, Boss!”
While Cheong stood there not knowing what to do, the organization members who had been in the push-up position apologized in unison as if they’d coordinated. Siwon just slowly walked the terrace with his arms crossed, looking like he had no intention of forgiving them.
“We talked among ourselves hoping there would be a good person by your side, Boss!”
“That’s right! However, we’ve never gossiped about it outside.”
How can I believe that excuse?
Just as Siwon let out a small snort, the terrace sliding door opened and cool air flowed out from inside.
“Boss.”
“Daerim Hyung….”
Daerim, who had just showered, stood there with a towel draped over his wet hair. In contrast to his light brown hair, the area under his eyes was darkly shadowed. Yi Cheong sneakily sent Daerim a look asking for rescue.
“Hyung, you also didn’t sleep much….”
“I have something to tell you. About Seongyeom-nim.”
When Daerim ignored that look and passed by, Yi Cheong noticeably hesitated. Siwon glanced down at his younger brother like that, then casually warned his subordinates.
“Everyone be mentally alert and watch your mouths from now on. I’ll announce the organization situation soon. Avoid fights as much as possible for the time being.”
“Yes!”
When he followed Daerim inside the house, he saw Teolbo yawning widely as he came out to the living room.
“Oh, Teolbo. Please take care of the cleanup.”
“Yep.”
As Teolbo stretched willingly, Siwon asked while walking through the living room side by side with Daerim.
“Did you ignore Cheong on purpose just now?”
“Then what should I do in that situation? Ignore you and all the organization members, and just take the kid out of there?”
When a prickly retort came back, Siwon laughed and shook his head.
“No, I’m saying you’re doing well. Do it like today from now on. Don’t indulge him too much.”
“I don’t indulge him. Cheong takes care of himself just fine.”
“Don’t give him too much of your heart either.”
“…….”
“You’re going to leave soon anyway.”
“……Yes.”
Daerim’s low answer followed behind Siwon’s back.
Daerim was smart, but his circumstances weren’t favorable for becoming a doctor. It was Kwonmyeonghoe who recognized such Daerim early on. The organization noticed his talent and supported his tuition and living expenses.
Thanks to that, Daerim could spend his school days without lacking anything. However, around the time he finished his internship, the organization grabbed his ankle.
The content itself was simple. Use the skills learned so far only for Kwonmyeonghoe from now on.
He thought he had become forever distant from an ordinary life like that, but Siwon’s thoughts were different. There was a limit to binding people in this way. He also didn’t want to mortgage people’s lives through threats anymore.
Instead, if Daerim would stay until Kwonmyeonghoe was converted to Kwonmyeong Group, though it would be difficult for now, he promised to continue supporting him through his specialist training and not hold him back anymore after that.
Daerim also accepted Siwon’s proposal and could stay at Kwonmyeonghoe while continuing to receive support. No one among the regular organization members knew this fact.
That’s why he said not to give his heart to anyone and leave quietly later. Of course, Daerim was also quite troubled. He just felt sorry for Cheong, who had suddenly lost his mother a few years ago and joined the organization, so he took care of this and that. But to the Boss’s eyes, that must have looked like indulging him.
Daerim looked back at the terrace receding below the stairs. He saw Teolbo saying something as Seoldong struggled to grab Cheong’s hand and pull him up.
“They’re all dying. Should I at least give them a shot of vitamins?”
“No need, they won’t die from just this much.”
Siwon, who leaned his back against the leather sofa, ran both hands over his face. Since he’d stayed up for two nights and hadn’t slept properly recently, it was natural that he looked exhausted.
“More than that, tell me now, about Lee Seongyeom. What do you think his condition is like?”
Watching Siwon rub between his brows, Daerim shook his head. The stubbornness of not knowing he was overworking his body momentarily overlapped with someone else.
“The wound on his left shoulder was deeper than I thought. The bleeding was also considerable. I sutured the affected area, so he won’t be able to do housework for a while.”
“Should I consider the month’s salary I already gave him as wasted money?”
“Wouldn’t that be getting off cheap?”
Laughter flowed from Siwon’s lips at the sharp answer.
“His fever didn’t go down all night, so I had a hard time with him. He has a lot of bruises and minor wounds, probably from being beaten a lot. Fortunately, the ankle is just a severe sprain, so if he rests for two to three days, he’ll be fine.”
“Should I just send him away after all?”
“When his face is already known to the outside?”
“He’ll die quickly, right?”
“Yes. And he won’t die peacefully either. He’s still in his early twenties, so if it were me, I’d strip all his organs….”
“That’s enough. Lee Seongyeom, is he in his room now?”
Cutting off the chilling words casually uttered, Siwon stood up from his seat and pointed to the very last room in the hallway.
“Yes, the room across from that.”
Daerim nodded his head roughly while walking to his room. He also hadn’t slept properly from nursing Seongyeom all night, so he planned to rest starting now.
“Right, you worked hard. Rest.”
Half-watching Daerim, Siwon stood in front of a certain room and hesitated while about to knock. Thinking he might wake Seongyeom, who was probably still asleep, he carefully opened the door instead of knocking.
“Hm?”
Siwon, who looked inside the room, muttered coldly.
“He’s not here….”
Only a blanket fallen on the floor showed that someone had been in this room.
