-85-
“Until he gets on his knees and apologizes, I absolutely won’t agree to a settlement.”
Jeonggwan bit his lower lip at Seongje’s continued outbursts, his mind already troubled. If he had come from a background like Jihoon’s or Juhwan’s family, wouldn’t he be able to bluster about settlements and lawsuits just like that? A petty and shabby feeling grew inside him.
Moreover, the secretary and lawyer weren’t people he had hired. They were working overtime because of him, beyond Junjae’s regular business, and he kept thinking about what a huge inconvenience this must be. If he had hired them with his own money, he might at least feel entitled to say something, but since that wasn’t the case, he felt sorry for burdening them with this troublesome situation. The opposing lawyer was suggesting they try to reach a settlement, while his lawyer was just giving short answers and scribbling something. It made him feel very self-conscious. Would things be easily resolved if he apologized first…?
“Haa…”
After several hours, he felt like his energy was hitting rock bottom. They say the one who gives in is the winner. Should he just apologize and end this? The conflict within Jeonggwan grew.
“…”
“…Hm?”
At that moment, the lawyer quietly slid a piece of paper towards him. Jeonggwan looked at it, thinking perhaps a conclusion to this affair had been reached, but the paper was filled with incomprehensible words. What is this? What does it mean? As Jeonggwan frowned and pulled his head closer to the desk, the lawyer tapped the corner of the paper with his pen.
[Managing Director arrived at the station entrance]
Managing Director? Junjae hyung? Jeonggwan’s expressionless face visibly brightened with energy. Junjae, whom he thought would come tomorrow due to his business trip to Japan, was now in front of the police station? When Jeonggwan looked up at the lawyer as if asking if it was true, the expressionless lawyer nodded slightly. A smile spread across Jeonggwan’s face. So that’s why the secretary told him to wait a little longer when he was eating!
“What are you smiling at, fatty?”
Seongje, displeased by Jeonggwan’s smile, immediately picked a fight. However, Jeonggwan was no longer intimidated. Who would feel downtrodden when their ally was coming?
My ally… The thought of an ally suddenly reminded Jeonggwan of a memory. When he was young, he went to the neighborhood supermarket holding his mother’s hand, and there his mother got into an argument and fight with an old man. They were both dragged to the police box, but his mother, who was usually quick-tongued and good at arguing, kept her mouth tightly shut in front of the old man’s family who arrived first.
At that time, in his childish mind, he thought his mother had lost. But as soon as his father opened the door of the police box and entered, his mother burst into tears once, and then, with his father behind her, she started a second round with the old man. With an ally by her side, her confidence returned, and her sealed lips were unsealed.
Knock knock-
At that moment, there was a knock on the door of the negotiation room, and everyone’s heads turned towards the door. There was no need to wonder who it was. The scent of strawberry jam was already vibrating through the opening door.
Jeonggwan stood up first, and everyone except Seongje rose as well.
“…”
And at the figure entering, the opposing lawyer’s gasp of “Huh-” echoed loudly in the room. He had heard that Won Electronics’ managing director’s personal secretary and lawyer were involved, but he hadn’t expected Won Junjae to come in person, which suggested this was no ordinary relationship.
“Hyung…”
Jeonggwan’s mouth twisted, and he felt like he understood all too well why his mother burst into tears as soon as she saw his father opening the door of the police box. His mother had been scared. That place where she had no allies. And then when her unconditional ally arrived, she felt relieved.
An unconditional ally. Honestly, a father is indeed an unconditional ally of the mother. Because they’re family. But Junjae wasn’t family, so why did Jeonggwan feel like he was such an unconditional ally?
“Are you okay?”
As soon as Junjae saw Jeonggwan, he strode over, held Jeonggwan’s face with both hands, and looked into his eyes. To others, it might have seemed like an unnecessary scene at a police station, but the two had the faces of passionate lovers who seemed to be reuniting after a year apart, regardless of what anyone might think.
“Why do you look so gaunt?”
With a concerned face, Junjae began to carefully inspect Jeonggwan from head to toe for any injuries.
“Hey. He ate two bowls of rice, you know?”
As if he couldn’t hear Seongje’s words, Junjae’s eyes were dripping with all sorts of worry like honey.
“Hey. He just got hit on the arm once. Don’t you see your brother’s face?”
Even though his words were ignored, Seongje didn’t back down. Now that Junjae had arrived, the situation had flipped to his disadvantage, so he had to pretend to be the victim until the end. Therefore, Seongje appealed to Junjae, showing his battered face. However, Jeonggwan, emboldened by the arrival of his ally, glared at Seongje with fierce eyes at the mention of being hit on the arm.
“You kissed my cheek too!”
“W-when did I hit your cheek! Are you trying to frame an innocent person?!”
Seongje jumped up, gesticulating wildly to express his innocence, claiming he never hit Jeonggwan’s cheek. He even waved his hands at Junjae as if it really wasn’t true.
“You kissed my cheek!”
However, when Jeonggwan clarified exactly how Seongje had “hit” his cheek,
“…What did you do?”
At Junjae’s cold question that immediately followed, the negotiation room fell into sudden silence. Junjae’s secretary, who had been assisting Jeonggwan, had reported to Junjae exactly as Jeonggwan had stated that Seongje had approached him first, thinking it meant a fight, but he never imagined that “approaching” had that kind of meaning.
Junjae’s lawyer was also a bit surprised. It wasn’t because of the kiss part, as he already knew about that. The Won Junjae he knew was a very rational person, so he thought that even if his brother and lover had fought, he would settle it amicably through negotiation. That’s why he was just waiting, knowing that if he sued Won Seongje for sexual harassment, they would definitely win. He was just waiting for Managing Director Won to arrive, shut Won Seongje up for his unreasonable behavior, quickly reach a settlement, and go home.
However, seeing Junjae’s eyes suddenly turn calm, the lawyer quietly took out his phone and sent a message to the law firm representative he was supposed to have drinks with that evening, saying he couldn’t make it.
[Looks like overtime tonight]
Because a fight was about to break out.
“Hey, Jun, Won Junjae. Why, why are you…!”
* * *
Jeonggwan, spooning lemon apple ice cream into his mouth, quietly looked up at Junjae, who was taking off his watch and rotating his wrist next to him. As soon as Junjae noticed Jeonggwan looking at him, he turned to face Jeonggwan with a “What?” expression, and Jeonggwan was surprised by how incredibly kind and calm he looked. Just a while ago, he had lunged at his own brother as if to kill him, even with three people holding him back…
They say that in this world, money and status can do anything, and it was true. Junjae had mercilessly struck his brother’s face, and not just once, but twice. No, when he first tried to hit his lips, he bounced off and hit him one more time. In the end, Won Seongje went to the hospital, but the police pretended not to see or hear anything and imposed no sanctions. Even though Jeonggwan had been held for five hours, Junjae managed to get him out of the station in less than an hour. Of course, he felt a bit sorry for the lawyer who had to stay behind…
Moreover, even after such a fight, Junjae bought ice cream and offered to take him home, worried that Jeonggwan might be feeling down, which touched Jeonggwan deeply. So Jeonggwan, who was planning to go to his own home, changed direction and suggested going to Junjae’s house instead. Junjae couldn’t hide his rising smile at this, and Jeonggwan burst into laughter too, his bad mood now completely gone.
Jeonggwan had a habit of sitting with his back against the sofa armrest, and Junjae was sitting the same way because of him. Finding even this endearing, Jeonggwan quietly gazed at Junjae.
As Jeonggwan kept staring at him, Junjae, who seemed uneasy about something, blinked his eyes and suddenly apologized.
“…I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for again, hyung?”
“Just… for showing you this side of me…”
Hyung really has a lot to be sorry for. Jeonggwan smiled brightly and rested his head on Junjae’s chest. Junjae naturally wrapped his arms around Jeonggwan, but somehow, as if his uneasiness hadn’t subsided, there was strength in the arms holding Jeonggwan.
“When you came in earlier, I actually teared up a little.”
“…Because I came late?”
“No-“
Feeling Junjae’s strong arms, Jeonggwan recalled the unconditional trust he felt in Junjae as his ally earlier. They weren’t family, just lovers, but he realized how much he depended on Junjae. And that he liked this person more than he thought.
Jihoon and Juhwan had jokingly said that Junjae seemed ready to propose soon, and honestly, when Jeonggwan heard that, he thought marriage was a bit burdensome and still felt it was too early.
“It felt like a complete ally, like family had arrived.”
“…”
But today. He felt that he wanted to marry this person, that it couldn’t be anyone but him. However, he still hadn’t achieved or built up as much as Junjae had. Some might say, “What’s the problem with marrying into a chaebol family?” But just as Junjae had protected him today, he wanted to become a more respectable person who could protect Junjae in return, even if just a little.
“Hyung, are you in a hurry to get married?”
“…No. I’m not in a hurry.”
“Then, will you wait for about 5 years, no, about 4 years?”
“I’ll wait.”
As soon as Jeonggwan finished asking if Junjae could wait 4-5 years, Junjae answered without hesitation. As if it wasn’t just empty words, Junjae’s eyes looking down at Jeonggwan were full of certainty.
“I’ll wait for you.”
