Chapter 48: Everyone’s Intentions
Lee Seojin went up to the company rooftop lounge and, after looking around to confirm no one was there, took out his phone. His lips dried up at the sight of numerous missed calls. They were all from Director Choi. There was also a text message asking him to call back as soon as he checked. He’d been caught. It was clear that Kang Dohyuk had discovered he had told Kang Sunhyuk about Muryeong and helped bring that person away.
From the beginning, he was prepared to get caught. He had even prepared some excuses. Still, his heart pounded. Taking a deep breath, he dialed Director Choi’s number.
[Why are you contacting me only now!]
The usually calm Director Choi was unusually agitated. For this person to react this way meant Kang Dohyuk was quite displeased.
[Did you leak the Muryeong documents to Executive Director Kang?]
Denying it was meaningless. Anyway, with a little investigation, they would easily find out that it was Kang Sunhyuk who had visited Muryeong.
“The Executive Director instructed me to find out about that person first.”
Fortunately, despite his racing heart, his voice didn’t tremble.
[That doesn’t mean you should hand over our documents! Are you in your right mind? How are you going to deal with the consequences…]
“I did it because if I flatly denied everything, I could become suspicious too. I judged it would be better for me to be by his side after getting him out of Muryeong.”
After quickly interrupting Director Choi and explaining, there was a moment of silence.
[Is that person with him?]
“For now, yes. The Executive Director has him, but since I’m by his side, nothing bad will happen. I’ll make sure of it.”
Haah. He heard Director Choi sighing deeply. Had he bought it?
[I’ll tell the Managing Director that you’re protecting him. Maybe you… no, never mind. Contact me immediately if anything happens.]
Director Choi seemed about to say something but swallowed it. Was he going to ask if Seojin had other intentions? He probably wanted to say that, knowing he had noticed Seojin’s feelings.
Even after ending the call, Seojin stared at his phone for a long time. He couldn’t understand his own heart, what he wanted to do. When he first saw the information about Muryeong at Director Choi’s house, he didn’t think much of it. At that time, he had just taken photos of Muryeong’s information out of aversion and curiosity towards the person Kang Dohyuk considered special.
It’s true that when Kang Sunhyuk showed interest in that shaman, he thought maybe he could hand that person over to Sunhyuk. With Sunhyuk, who would feel a sense of achievement in taking something from Dohyuk, he would never return him to Dohyuk.
He also thought maybe it ended when he was sent back to Muryeong. Maybe he was being too sensitive. He expected that if the person was over for Dohyuk, he wouldn’t care whether Sunhyuk took him or not. But he soon realized that was a foolish expectation. The fact that Director Choi was directly investigating Muryeong meant that Dohyuk was still obsessed with that shaman.
He had wondered if it was okay to pass Muryeong’s documents to Sunhyuk. It was clearly an act of betrayal against Dohyuk. But after much consideration, he ultimately helped Sunhyuk bring the shaman away. He might never be forgiven by Dohyuk, but he absolutely couldn’t stand the thought of that shaman and Dohyuk meeting again.
He had hoped that Sunhyuk would damage the shaman more severely. Since he suspected the shaman was important to Dohyuk, he wanted Sunhyuk to treat him roughly to shake Dohyuk. But surprisingly, Sunhyuk was being gentle with that person. Because he was a shaman? Did he fear being cursed because he thought the shaman had strange powers? Or had even Sunhyuk been captivated by that enigmatic man?
Either way, it didn’t sit well with him. Far from tormenting him, Sunhyuk seemed intent on treating him well.
What did he want to do? He despised and resented the shaman that Dohyuk considered special, but he feared being rejected by Dohyuk because of that person. If only that person hadn’t appeared, his feelings wouldn’t be this complicated…
He was exhausted from the cycle of dark emotions boiling up and then telling himself not to feel that way. This was the most painfully confusing time in all his years of unrequited love for Kang Dohyuk.
***
“It is confirmed that Executive Director Kang Sunhyuk has him. Since Lee Seojin said he would keep an eye on him, I don’t think you need to worry too much.”
Despite reporting about Yeon’s well-being, Dohyuk’s coldly rigid face didn’t relax at all.
“So Lee Seojin did betray me?”
For Dohyuk, the fact that Seojin had betrayed him by giving Muryeong’s information to Sunhyuk was more important than his promise to protect Yeon.
“Seojin must have been in a difficult position. If he had flatly denied everything, he might have become suspicious. With him watching closely, he can help if there’s an emergency.”
“If he hadn’t handed over Muryeong’s information, there wouldn’t be any emergency situation in the first place.”
Dohyuk flatly rejected Director Choi’s words. This time, even Director Choi couldn’t make any further excuses and swallowed a groan. It was unlike Seojin to act this way. But understanding the reason for this uncharacteristic behavior made his feelings complicated.
Seojin had acted on personal feelings, but the repercussions could be bigger than expected. Or, in a way, Dohyuk was also trying to bring Yeon back because of personal feelings, so perhaps they were the same. The difference was that Dohyuk wanted to take over all of Muryeong beyond just Yeon, so Sunhyuk’s involvement became a problem.
“So far, it seems the Executive Director is only interested in that person, not in Muryeong itself.”
This was the most Director Choi could offer as an excuse. Seojin’s last lifeline was that Sunhyuk was a person who didn’t consider more than what was on the surface, unlike Dohyuk. If Sunhyuk had tried to get involved with Muryeong beyond Yeon because of this incident, Seojin might never be seen again.
“Kang Sunhyuk…”
Dohyuk quietly murmured his name, as if trying to gauge his intentions.
Knock, knock. A secretary entered after knocking.
“Executive Director Kang Sunhyuk is looking for you.”
Dohyuk frowned at the expression “looking for you.” For someone who often barged in without notice, saying he was “looking for” Dohyuk meant he wanted Dohyuk to come to his office.
“He says he has something urgent to discuss…”
Even the secretary, who knew that the relationship between Kang Dohyuk and Kang Sunhyuk was extremely bad, was cautious while relaying the message.
Whoo. The long exhale was filled with irritation. At that sound, the secretary became even more tense and lowered his gaze to the floor. Dohyuk rose from his seat and walked out, creating a cold breeze as he passed. There was no need to ask where he was going.
***
When Kang Dohyuk appeared, the secretaries in the executive director’s office jumped up from their seats in surprise. Given the bad relationship between the two, Dohyuk had never once visited the executive director’s office in all these years.
“Report.”
At his brief, cold voice, the secretaries, after flinching, belatedly informed Sunhyuk that Dohyuk had arrived.
Entering the executive director’s office, Dohyuk suppressed a derisive laugh. Kang Sunhyuk, sitting in his chair with his feet arrogantly up on the desk, greeted Dohyuk with just a nod of his head.
“Sit wherever you’re comfortable.”
Though pointing to the sofa in the office, he showed no sign of getting up.
“I don’t have much to say, so I’ll pass.”
“You’d better sit down though?”
Sunhyuk smiled meaningfully.
“How are you these days? Taking it easy after the sniper incident?”
His smiling face as he asked this was more annoying than ever.
“We found the guy who did it and took care of everything, so don’t worry about it.”
At this response, indicating that the contract killer had already been found and eliminated, the smile vanished from Sunhyuk’s face.
“Ha, you cold bastard.”
After muttering this, he took his feet off the desk, stood up, and came to the sofa.
“Sit.”
Sunhyuk pointed to the seat across from him. This time, Dohyuk obediently sat on the sofa.
“Since you came when I called, I guess you already know?”
Sunhyuk asked, as if testing him. Dohyuk didn’t answer. Sunhyuk probably wanted to talk about his visit to Muryeong and the fact that he had Yeon, but Dohyuk didn’t want to answer first.
“That shaman, he’s quite unusual, isn’t he?”
The impatient Sunhyuk brought up Yeon first. He threw out a comment and watched Dohyuk’s expression, as if wanting to see how he would react.
“With looks that delicate, everyone thought he was a sugar baby. It’s an understandable mistake, right? But was he actually a bodyguard who uses spiritual powers? I don’t know when Kang Dohyuk started believing in such things. I was surprised, you know? Of all people, you keeping a shaman by your side.”
Sunhyuk raised the corners of his mouth as if genuinely amused.
“Or is there another reason?”
Sunhyuk’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Well, with someone like that, even if it’s a man, I suppose it’s possible…”
“Just say what you want to say. I don’t have time to waste.”
Dohyuk cut off Sunhyuk’s words. Sunhyuk inwardly suppressed a laugh at Dohyuk’s visibly irritated face. The normally impassive Kang Dohyuk was frowning, which alone made bringing the shaman—Yeon or whatever his name was—worthwhile. Despite pretending otherwise, it seemed that shaman really did hold special meaning for him.
“Should I give him back to you?”
Though using a pronoun, Dohyuk immediately understood who Sunhyuk was referring to. The right answer would have been to say, “Do as you please,” or to say he didn’t need him. But he couldn’t say either. If he rejected the offer here, there were too many possibilities of what Sunhyuk might do to Yeon if he deemed him unnecessary. Among those numerous possibilities, none were good.
“You don’t like that?”
Sunhyuk asked again with a smirk.
“If you don’t, forget it. I paid double to bring him, so I should get my money’s worth, right? I don’t have that kind of taste, but there are many who do, you know? Especially among older, lewd men. I was thinking of lending him out, perhaps providing some special hospitality while expanding my connections.”
Sunhyuk stared steadily at Dohyuk. Lending out Yeon? Was it his imagination that this sounded like something other than his services as a shaman, or was it because he knew Sunhyuk’s thinking was base and crude?
“What are your conditions?”
In the end, he backed down. It irritated him that he was giving Sunhyuk leverage, but for now, getting Yeon back into his custody was the priority. He could repay Sunhyuk more than what he received later.
“Now we’re talking.”
Sunhyuk smiled pleasantly.
“Give up the marriage with Baek Hyeri. Formally tell Kangsan Construction from your side that you have no intention of getting married.”
