When Wonyoung turned to look at Siyeon in surprise, Siyeon feigned innocence as if he knew nothing. Ha, so Ki Siyeon spilled everything. Even at Wonyoung’s stern gaze, he just smiled brightly. He was a complete fox.
“I was going to explain anyway. Since you’re both getting reports on my every move anyway.”
The two were silent, seemingly having a guilty conscience. Wonyoung snorted “Hmph” and explained about the contract with Seongwon. After explaining the whole story of what happened last time, he finished like this.
“So I agreed to 5 dates, and now there are 2 left.”
“Are you crazy, hyung?!”
Siyeon looked ready to immediately grab Seongwon by the collar and slam him down if he could. Wonyoung looked at Taerim, hoping he would say something cold and resolve things, but Taerim was just as displeased.
“Narae-ssi, you’ve gone too far this time.”
“……”
Then Wonyoung also naturally started to sulk. He pouted.
“This is my personal business, so I don’t think it’s something you two should tell me what to do about.”
“Why not? When hyung is being so soft! Do you like that bastard Baek Heegang that much?”
“It’s not that…… But I can’t just let disadvantageous videos spread. We’re not strangers.”
“That damn video, I can just erase it. Rae-ssi, do you not know what family Baek Heegang comes from in the first place?”
“What?”
Since hearing that Heegang’s family tried to abandon him, Wonyoung had never been curious about Heegang’s family. But asking if he didn’t know what family he came from, that was as if……
As if he was another chaebol prince……
“He’s the grandson of Baekil Group’s chairman, that bastard.”
“……Baekil Group?”
Right now, the syrup Wonyoung used at the cafe, the milk, even the soda water were all from Baekil Foods. The grandson of that parent company’s chairman? Baek Heegang?
“That family seems to keep it quiet, but everyone who knows, knows. Because he’s Chairman Baek Hyeonuk’s only grandson. A family like that wouldn’t dare let videos spread, would they?”
So it wasn’t that he wasn’t rich just because he was an actor?
Then does that mean the family has been professionally handling the aftermath of the things that bastard does……?
Toward the shocked Wonyoung, Taerim continued his explanation.
“Well, the group will be inherited by his cousin sister, but even so, the fact that Baek Heegang is a member of the Baek family doesn’t change.”
“……I didn’t know. I just thought…… because he’s a famous actor……”
“Hyung. Even if he’s a famous actor, do you think it’s possible to surveil and wiretap people that easily?”
“……”
At Siyeon’s question, Wonyoung became speechless. Since it was a game, he just thought that’s how it was. Anyway, with this, one more keyword was added to Heegang. Chaebol prince.
“That whoever, Ji Seongwon? The bastard who threatened hyung couldn’t not know this either. He used hyung knowing everything.”
It was as Siyeon said. There’s no way Seongwon didn’t know this. Wonyoung had been thoroughly deceived by him. Wonyoung, whose insides were boiling, ground his teeth.
“Ha, this no-good……”
Seeing the warning window that had already become the second one, Wonyoung quickly swallowed his words. But Taerim said the words he swallowed for him.
“Really a no-good bastard, isn’t he?”
“……”
Wonyoung, who had been looking at Taerim in surprise, burst out laughing. At that sight, the jealous Siyeon separated Taerim and Wonyoung.
“Anyway, don’t meet with that bastard or this bastard either.”
“Siyeon, use nice words.”
“Isn’t it enough if my face is pretty? Right, boss?”
The boss, who was arranging cakes, smiled and nodded at Siyeon, who was making a flower gesture as he asked.
“Of course. Siyeon is very pretty.”
Isn’t the Abangsu that person, not me? Wonyoung pondered again.
“Anyway, since we’re meeting today anyway, I’ll just settle it.”
“Settle it? Can you? I’ll go with you.”
At Siyeon’s worried reaction, Taerim threw a cutting sneer.
“A nanny has appeared.”
“Nouveau riche, done talking?”
Here we go again, again. Is this what happens when gongs meet? Isn’t there something like ‘gongs get along well with gongs’?
Wonyoung thought absurd thoughts and dismissed the two.
“Alright, enough! Everyone go home now! It’s time for me to work.”
“Ah, wait hyung……”
“Stop pushing, Rae-ssi. I’m going, aren’t I.”
“Go, go! Hurry!”
Watching two burly men well over 180cm being chased out by a small rabbit-like employee, the boss quietly smiled.
* * *
“Now, you have to fasten your seatbelt.”
That evening, Wonyoung, who had been summoned to Seongwon’s car, frowned at Seongwon’s unnecessary kindness of fastening the belt for him directly.
“Do you think Baek Heegang is watching?”
“Yeah.”
“He won’t be watching. I heard he went to England.”
“He went and turned the plane around.”
“……”
“I wonder who that was because of.”
Seongwon looked at Wonyoung’s expression with interested, gleaming eyes. After a moment of silence, Wonyoung replied nonchalantly.
“I guess that eccentric mood had another change.”
“The one causing that change is the puppy.”
“Person.”
“Yeah, right.”
Seongwon replied half-heartedly and moved the car. Wonyoung didn’t care anymore since these verbal spats were routine.
This was already the 4th date. During this time, Seongwon had been somewhat rude, kinder than expected, and surprisingly seemed to have no particular thoughts.
Most of all, he was very different from Baek Heegang. This man wasn’t a human who could endlessly embrace someone and live because of them.
‘Baek Heegang is the unusual one.’
Wonyoung thought while looking at the passing night view indifferently.
“Oh right, today is the last time.”
At Wonyoung’s nonchalant notification as if he just remembered, Seongwon also responded nonchalantly.
“Ah, I wondered if we’d go to the 5th.”
“I was deceived for quite a while.”
“Are you angry?”
“No. I just wanted to say that even if we met one more time, Baek Heegang wouldn’t have appeared.”
“But it was fun, wasn’t it?”
Seongwon glanced at Wonyoung while turning the steering wheel.
“Wasn’t it for you?”
“……”
Confirming the car was entering the highway, Wonyoung rolled down the window and said.
“Not at all.”
Seongwon, whose hair got disheveled in the night breeze because Wonyoung rolled down the window, laughed out loud.
“That’s too bad. I was going to show you the ocean today. I guess I should send you back early.”
“Yes, sounds good.”
At Wonyoung’s readily agreeable response, almost for the first time, Seongwon felt playful for a moment.
“No. I want to see the ocean after all. Because I want to see it.”
Wonyoung cursed with his eyes. If he doesn’t want to, he could just say no, but he doesn’t bother saying it out loud. Even now, his heart must be pounding inside. In case he really releases the video and Heegang gets in trouble.
Narae, who Baek Heegang cherishes. Baek Heegang, who Narae cherishes.
Recently, Seongwon was finding this man quite interesting, second only to Baek Heegang.
To the point of thinking ‘Should I mess with him?’ if the opportunity arose.
“Narae-ssi likes it too, right?”
“……”
Wonyoung didn’t answer. There was neither affirmation nor denial until the end. That’s a silent affirmation, thinking that, Seongwon decided to drive to a nearby ocean. But then.
“Ji Seongwon-ssi!”
“!”
Suddenly a car came driving in the wrong direction and rushed at the two men’s car. Seongwon hurriedly stepped on the brake, but at this rate, the cars would inevitably collide. Wonyoung unconsciously squeezed his eyes shut.
Screeeeech―! An ear-splitting roar rang through the quiet highway.
‘……’
After a silence that felt like an eternity.
“Hey, you!”
Along with the sound of someone getting out of a car, Seongwon’s shout was heard.
It was then that Wonyoung, who had been holding his breath for a moment, belatedly opened his eyes. The passenger door opened roughly, and someone pulled Wonyoung out.
“Baek, Baek Heegang?”
Having confirmed who it was, Wonyoung gasped. The driver of the car that had rushed toward them was none other than Heegang.
“What are you doing……! Are you crazy?!”
This was the middle of a highway. What on earth, appearing so suddenly……
“!”
At that moment, a car honked and barely managed to avoid the three people. Seongwon, who almost got hit, immediately got in his car. Heegang was still standing in the middle of the road, holding Wonyoung’s arm. It was clear he wouldn’t budge until Wonyoung got in his car.
“Fuck, really! I’ll get in!”
In the end, Wonyoung, who surrendered, spat out a curse and got in Heegang’s car. Only then did Heegang also get in the car and grab the steering wheel. As soon as the car moved, Wonyoung snapped at him.
“Are you crazy?! Are you in your right mind?”
“No, I’m not in my right mind.”
“No? You’re not? You really are crazy?”
“You……!”
Heegang, who abruptly stopped the car again, glared at Wonyoung. Whether he hadn’t slept for days, his eyes were bloodshot red.
“You made me like this.”
“……”
Wonyoung was momentarily at a loss for words. There’s no way Heegang was okay. He’d only thought about his own pain too much. He felt immense regret.
“First, first just drive. Let’s go home.”
At Wonyoung’s request mixed with a sigh, Heegang also said nothing more and turned the car around. There almost was a big accident. Would the family handle this too? Wonyoung thought with his face buried in his hands.
How much time had passed like that? He felt the car stop. Wonyoung, who had been lost in thought for a long time, soon realized this was the parking lot of the officetel where Heegang lived.
“……What should I do for you?”
After countless thoughts, the answer that came out was one. That he had no choice.
“What should I do for you, Baek Heegang-ssi.”
“……”
“Right, you don’t know either. You threw that fit because you didn’t know.”
Whew, a long sigh scattered into the air. Wonyoung, who had been looking up at the ceiling, opened his mouth again.
“Narae will return soon. That’s the only thing I can tell you.”
A long, long silence followed. At the end of it, what Heegang asked was something Wonyoung, as himself, had never expected at all.
“Then what about you?”
“……What?”
“Heo Wonyoung, where are you going?”
At a question he’d never thought about, Wonyoung was flustered, and Heegang asked again.
“Are you going to abandon me?”
“……”
Wonyoung laughed, making a deflating sound.
“I’m here because I can’t do that.”
