Chapter 71: Nothing Will Happen
“Say that again.”
Kang Sunhyuk grabbed one of the chattering employees by the collar and pushed him against the wall threateningly.
“Ex-Executive Director… that’s not what I meant…”
“What do you mean it’s not what you meant! Are you saying that if Kang Dohyuk is the culprit, it doesn’t matter who he killed, it can be covered up?”
Murderous intent filled Sunhyuk’s eyes. The employee shook his head in terror, but Sunhyuk seemed blind to it.
Thwack! Sunhyuk’s fist landed squarely on the employee’s face. The employee fell backward, and the screams of other watching employees turned the scene into instant chaos. Lee Seojin, who rushed to the commotion belatedly, grabbed Sunhyuk from behind, slipping his arms under Sunhyuk’s armpits.
“Executive Director! Please calm down!”
Though Sunhyuk struggled as if he would throw Seojin as well, Seojin desperately held firm.
“This is the company! Please!”
Sunhyuk’s rampage finally stopped at Seojin’s plea. Still breathing heavily from unsubsided excitement, he glared at the surrounding employees before turning abruptly.
“Haah…”
Sighing deeply, Seojin approached the fallen employee and extended his hand to help him up.
“I apologize. The Executive Director is still in an unstable state… he lost family that was practically his only one. Please understand.”
As Seojin bowed on Sunhyuk’s behalf, the employee couldn’t express anger and just mumbled awkwardly.
“It was my fault for saying unnecessary things… I’m sorry too.”
After telling the employee to visit a hospital with the treatment costs covered, Seojin stood up. There were more employees gathered around than he had expected.
“What if he really goes to stab Managing Director Kang?”
When Seojin turned to look at them whispering among themselves, they quickly averted their gaze, making his temples throb. Sunhyuk’s image in the company was already poor, and today’s incident would make it worse.
Until recently, Seojin hadn’t cared whether Sunhyuk’s image was good or bad. He had only been by Sunhyuk’s side as Dohyuk’s spy, so that was natural. But now, even after being exposed as a spy, he was more concerned about Sunhyuk’s reputation than before. Maybe it was because of guilt. He hadn’t felt at ease since watching Sunhyuk sitting dazed throughout the funeral.
***
After finishing various work-related reports, Director Choi still stood before Dohyuk as if he had something more to say. When Dohyuk put down the documents he was examining and turned his attention to Director Choi, he finally spoke.
“Lee Seojin is still working in the Executive Director’s office. It seems the Executive Director knows everything but is keeping him anyway.”
“So?”
Director Choi swallowed a groan at the cold response. He had reported about Seojin out of concern for someone he had worked with for a long time. With Sunhyuk keeping Seojin despite knowing he was a spy, it seemed to be done with the intent to torment him. Though Seojin had insisted he wouldn’t leave the country, Director Choi still thought it would be better for him to be away from Korea, even briefly.
In that sense, though it might seem heartless, Dohyuk’s decision was right. Even if Dohyuk didn’t forgive him, staying in Korea meant he could face unpredictable treatment from the enraged Sunhyuk. That’s why he had brought up the subject, thinking they should forcibly send Seojin abroad even now, but Dohyuk’s response remained cold.
“Are you planning to leave him by the Executive Director’s side?”
“That guy is no longer my concern. Where he stays, who he works with, it’s all up to him.”
Dohyuk could cut ties so decisively because Seojin didn’t know much about Dohyuk’s information. Except for matters about Muryeong, he had only shared things that wouldn’t matter even if Seojin or Sunhyuk knew. The Muryeong incident was clearly Director Choi’s mistake.
Even so, Dohyuk had no intention of extracting Seojin from Sunhyuk’s grasp. Having confirmed Dohyuk’s intentions, Director Choi didn’t bring up the subject again. Seojin was completely out. Even if Seojin died at Sunhyuk’s hands, Dohyuk wouldn’t bat an eye.
After Director Choi left the office, Dohyuk finished preparations for the upcoming team leader meeting. As he checked the time and stood to go to the meeting room, Yeon, who had been sitting quietly watching him, suddenly widened his eyes.
“Kang Dohyuk-ssi!”
He urgently called out to stop Dohyuk.
“Don’t go.”
Dohyuk’s expression hardened at the unexpected request. Yeon was looking not at Dohyuk but at something around him. When he reached out to grab something, Dohyuk caught his hand midway. Yeon’s face contorted.
“This, if left like this, something will happen.”
Dohyuk didn’t need to ask what Yeon meant. It was about the black thread connected to Dohyuk, that stubborn ill-fated connection.
“Please.”
Yeon’s face twisted in desperation, pleading to be allowed to deal with the ill-fated connection. Dohyuk had seen this expression before. It was similar to when Yeon had jumped in front of him at the Yeouido business presentation.
Dohyuk pulled on Yeon’s arm that he was holding. As Yeon’s upper body leaned forward, he embraced him.
“Calm down.”
While firmly embracing Yeon’s struggling shoulders, he stroked the back of his head.
“Nothing will happen.”
“But…”
“Yeon.”
When Dohyuk called his name softly, Yeon stopped struggling and lifted his head to look up at him.
“Please let me go with you.”
When Dohyuk went to meetings, he usually left Yeon here under Director Choi’s watch. Yeon hadn’t particularly wanted to follow him to meetings and draw attention. The reason this boy now wanted to come along was obvious.
“No. Stay here.”
“Kang Dohyuk-ssi!”
“If you get hurt trying to protect me like last time, I don’t know what I’ll do. So just stay here.”
Yeon’s lips tightened at these threatening words. This was amusing too. Though he didn’t think he had shown any particularly cruel behavior to Yeon, Yeon acted as if he knew everything.
“Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”
This was a lie. While nothing might happen to himself, if someone was targeting him as Yeon feared, that person might end up half-dead.
“Don’t be overconfident. You’re human too, Kang Dohyuk-ssi.”
A human who could be injured or die at any time. Though Yeon didn’t add those words, they were already readable in his eyes. Dohyuk chuckled and lightly patted Yeon’s head.
“At least I’m sturdier than you, so wait here quietly.”
As if there was no need for further discussion, he cut off the conversation and left the office. One of the secretaries waiting outside was preparing to assist him.
When Dohyuk’s eyes met Director Choi’s, he gestured toward the office with a look. It meant to take good care of Yeon. After Dohyuk left, Director Choi entered the office. Yeon was pacing anxiously.
“Director Choi! Please follow Kang Dohyuk-ssi. Or at least assign more bodyguards. Something will definitely happen. Like last time, someone might target him.”
Director Choi went to the window and lowered the blinds first, leaving Yeon restless.
“Please stay in the inner room as a precaution. And don’t go near the window.”
Yeon then realized that Director Choi was concerned about possible snipers targeting him.
“It’s not me, but Kang Dohyuk-ssi who…”
“The Managing Director will be fine. He’s well-prepared. Besides, we’re inside Dragon Holdings building, which is advantageous for him.”
Despite Director Choi’s assurance, Yeon couldn’t be at ease. One of the black threads connected to Dohyuk was being pulled taut, as if it would strangle his neck at any moment, emanating murderous intent.
As Yeon just bit his lips without calming down despite Director Choi’s words, Director Choi reluctantly brought a laptop and opened it in front of Yeon.
“Sit and check this.”
Director Choi showed Yeon the monitor. The screen displayed about fifteen videos simultaneously.
“These are CCTVs within Dragon Holdings. The screens you see now include all paths the Managing Director takes to the meeting room, and this last one is the meeting room.”
It sounded like they were monitoring all of Dohyuk’s movements.
“Just watching won’t help anything from here.”
As Yeon tried to stand up, saying this was no use, Director Choi gently pressed his shoulder down, making him sit back in the chair.
“All movements are reported to the Managing Director in real-time. Just like now.”
Director Choi took one of the earphones from his ear and placed it in Yeon’s ear.
[C section, suspicious man moving. He will encounter the Managing Director in 30 seconds.]
An unfamiliar man’s voice was heard. Wondering where C section was, Yeon looked at Director Choi, who pointed to one of the screens. Indeed, a man appeared on the screen. Though dressed like a janitor in work clothes, he wasn’t carrying any cleaning tools.
[Don’t intervene. I’ll handle it myself.]
This time it was Kang Dohyuk’s voice.
Yeon’s pupils moved rapidly, searching for Dohyuk in another screen. He appeared to be going to the meeting normally. Employees he met in the corridor greeted him.
Yeon checked the footage showing the man disguised as a janitor again. As he turned a corridor corner, he disappeared from that footage. Quickly rolling his eyes, Yeon found him again. In another screen, he and Dohyuk were walking toward each other. Only the man’s back was visible in this footage.
Soon, the man was seen taking something out of his work clothes pocket. Though the CCTV footage wasn’t clear, the object gleaming in the light was immediately recognizable.
“Kang Dohyuk-ssi!”
Before he knew it, Yeon called out his name and jumped to his feet. At the same time, in the footage, the man was passing by Dohyuk and plunging the object in his hand into Dohyuk’s side.
