Executive Director Kim casually checked the screen.
“……President.”
In an instant, the color drained completely from his face. His pupils shook as if hit by an earthquake.
“This…… you need to check this.”
“What is it.”
“Just now, a certified letter has arrived.”
Executive Director Kim’s voice trembled.
“What’s wrong? Don’t make a fuss and just tell me.”
“Yes…….”
Executive Director Kim staggered over and held out the tablet.
On the screen was an official document bearing the name of ONE Fund.
Notice of Acceleration of Maturity (EOD) and Demand for Loan Repayment
“……What the hell is this.”
Do Jingyu frowned and read through the document.
And then, his eyes grew wider and wider.
Due to the asset freeze measures on ‘Taesung Logistics,’ your core collateral, a significant credit risk has arisen under our loan agreement. Accordingly, this fund hereby gives notice of acceleration of maturity and demands full repayment of the principal and interest totaling 300 billion won.
“Th-three hundred billion……?”
Repayment deadline: Within 30 days from receipt of this notice.
If repayment is not made within the deadline, we will exercise our right to dispose of all KD Construction shares provided as collateral to recover our claims.
The glass slipped from Do Jingyu’s hand and shattered to pieces. The carpet soaked up the high-proof cognac and glass shards scattered everywhere, but he didn’t even realize the glass had broken.
“What…… what kind of bullshit is this!”
Do Jingyu shot to his feet.
“Acceleration of maturity? They’re going to take my shares? Who the hell does ONE Fund belong to? Who the hell bought up Stone’s bonds!”
“W-we’ll investigate immediately! But…….”
Executive Director Kim muttered while breaking into a cold sweat.
“Since it’s an offshore fund, it won’t be easy to identify the actual owner. It seems to have gone through several layers of paper companies.”
“Find out now! Who these bastards are, who’s behind them!”
Do Jingyu slammed his desk.
“I need to know who’s shaking my lifeline!”
Crash! Do Jingyu grabbed whatever was at hand—liquor bottles and ashtrays—and hurled them at the wall.
“This…… fucking!”
After venting his fury for a while, he clutched his head.
With Taesung Logistics, his funding source, frozen, obtaining 300 billion won within 30 days was nearly impossible. In a month, his 8.5% stake in KD that he’d accumulated over a lifetime would evaporate into thin air.
“Where the hell…… did these bastards come from…….”
He was at a loss. After his ailing father Do Hanil, the chairman who was on his deathbed, passed away, he was supposed to rise to the position of largest shareholder by combining the shares he’d inherit and purchased. But invisible cracks were beginning to form in that perfect kingdom. At this point, it was safe to say it was nearly destroyed.
This was a trap someone had meticulously designed.
But the frightening part was that he couldn’t even guess who the owner of that trap was.
‘ONE Fund? One……. No way, is it that bastard Dowon……?’
No. But even if that bastard used every trick in the book, he wouldn’t have been able to move such a huge sum as 300 billion won. Unless he had other backing, that amount was absolutely impossible…….
“President…….”
“……Find them.”
Do Jingyu growled with bloodshot eyes.
“I have one month left. I’ll definitely find out which bastard kicked away my rice bowl and kill them.”
***
The mansion’s front door opened past 3 AM.
Though he’d changed clothes before entering from outside, he couldn’t completely erase his sharp expression.
Dowon, who wiped down his face caked with fatigue, headed straight to the second-floor bedroom. At the end of his gaze, he saw a large mass sitting on the landing.
It was Seong Yeohwi. Despite the late hour, he hadn’t gone to sleep and had come out just to wait for Dowon to come home.
The moonlight seeping in from outside lit Yeohwi’s face white. With both bandaged hands placed obediently on his knees, his eyes sparkling in the darkness resembled a loyal beast waiting for its master.
“What are you doing instead of sleeping.”
Dowon asked while loosening his tie.
“I was waiting.”
Yeohwi’s long eye corners curved gently.
“Where were you?”
Instead of answering, Dowon took off his jacket and hung it over his elbow. He remained silent for a moment, then approached closer and stood like a shadow, gripping the stair railing.
“I caught Gye Sanghoon.”
At that name, Yeohwi’s shoulders flinched slightly.
“What do you want to do.”
Dowon asked calmly. His voice was low and serious.
“Should I make him kneel before you? Or do you want to go yourself and slap that dirty face?”
“…….”
Yeohwi lowered his gaze as if lost in thought for a moment. His long eyelashes created dark shadows on his smooth cheeks. Anger welled up, but an even greater emotion was profound fatigue.
He didn’t even want to see that kind of human’s face. He wanted to cut that blemish out of his life forever.
“It’s fine.”
Yeohwi shook his head decisively.
“I don’t want to see that bastard ever again. Even hearing his voice gives me chills.”
Then he raised his head and looked up at Dowon.
“Dowon-ssi, please handle it as you see fit. He must be connected to Do Jingyu, so if you dig into it, he’ll have various uses.”
Dowon stared down at Yeohwi. He’d expected him to cry and pour out resentment, but he was more solid and composed than expected.
“That’ll be enough for you?”
“Yes, just as long as he never appears before me again.”
“……Really?”
From Dowon’s tightly closed lips, strength very slowly drained away.
His lips softened in a gentle arc as a light pffft, a sound like air escaping, flowed out.
“Good thinking. I’ll take care of it.”
“Huh……?”
Yeohwi’s eyes widened round.
‘What did I just see?’
He was always coldly frozen like a statue, expressionless, or frowning. But just now, Dowon smiled. Not a sneer, but a real smile.
The smile briefly shown instantly lit up the dark stairway brighter than moonlight.
“D-Dowon-ssi……. Did you just smile?”
Yeohwi muttered as if entranced.
Dowon’s expression hardened again in an instant. The action was fast and cold, like putting on a mask.
“What did.”
“You just smiled! Wow, amazing. That’s the first time I’ve seen Dowon-ssi smile. It’s really pretty.”
“You saw an illusion. You must be tired.”
Dowon turned his head and changed the subject.
“Go to sleep. The situation’s over.”
He unbuttoned his shirt sleeve cuffs and passed Yeohwi to go up the stairs. The tendons in his forearms passing by looked particularly prominent.
“It’s all finished. I sent the notice of acceleration of maturity to Uncle too. Now you just focus on recovery.”
“Today?”
Dowon added.
“The repayment deadline is 30 days. After that month, all the shares Do Jingyu worked hard to gather will fall into your hands without a single one remaining.”
Yeohwi chewed over those words.
30 days. One month.
Yeohwi sprang up from the landing and looked down at his own bandaged arms. Then he looked back up at Dowon. A strange gleam appeared in his light brown eyes. His gaze had clearly changed.
“Um……. Dowon-ssi.”
Yeohwi chased after Dowon and called out to stop him.
“What.”
“In 30 days, won’t my hands be all healed too…….”
Dowon looked down at him silently. Receiving his full gaze, Yeohwi gulped down dry saliva. His prominent Adam’s apple moved up and down.
“When that time comes……. Uh…….”
“…….”
“When I take off the bandages…….”
“That won’t happen.”
Dowon cut him off decisively without even listening to the end.
His skill at cutting off Yeohwi’s pink-tinged imagination was artful.
“No, how do you know what I was going to say?”
Yeohwi pouted his lips.
“Your head is transparent.”
“What is.”
“Once you get a bit better, you’re going to try to climb on me again? Obvious trick.”
“That’s not it.”
Yeohwi shook his head seriously.
“Dowon-ssi, I’m not such a transparent man, you know? I’m a very complex, mysterious, deep man, you know?”
“Sure you are.”
Dowon snorted.
“Really! Dowon-ssi, then guess what I’m thinking right now. If you can’t guess, you have to grant me one wish.”
Dowon looked down silently at Yeohwi clinging to him persistently.
The light brown eyes sparkling with anticipation, the whites slightly bloodshot red from fighting off sleep. It would be stranger not to know, seeing those eyes that were completely transparent.
Dowon clicked his tongue and lightly pushed Yeohwi’s forehead with the tip of his long index finger as he brought his face close.
“You want to sleep together, right.”
He stated the answer matter-of-factly.
“In one bed.”
“……!”
Yeohwi’s mouth fell open.
