Because Huiseo had rummaged around here and there inside the company with Yuwon, it wasn’t just GoldenApple who recognized Huiseo’s face anymore. As additional sightings and even secretly taken photos were posted one after another on other SNS platforms, the post she had uploaded to HwanHui’s Garden earlier received even more attention.
Even people who had doubted before returned repentantly, and comments continued to increase.
[Vision that rivals Mongolians]
[I won’t doubt carelessly anymore, come back]
[Write a review within 10 A4 pages about what Huiseo looked like in person]
[Is Huiseo still there? Can you shout “I love you” for me?]
[Hwan really wasn’t there next to him? ㅠㅠ]
[↳ Unless Hwan has two bodies, it’s impossible]
[But really, why did he come alone? What’s going on?]
[Is there any more news?]
Though it was noisy with talk of pilgrimages and whatnot, she didn’t have time to pay attention to that post right now. It was none other than because the conversation she had just had with ‘someone’ had completely blown her mind.
‘I must be crazy, what do I do. Really, what should I do.’
Though she was at the company, she couldn’t possibly stay still like this and stamped her feet. It was the maximum expression of excitement she could manage right now.
Her bias had been registered on the same site as her.
And that place was none other than a couple site that included himself.
‘How can this be?’
Neighbors, people of the world… that excellent bound ghost member is Hwan!
Her mouth itched.
She wanted to exchange this tremendous news with other members she’d been close with and scream that they must be crazy, that these two are the real deal among real deals. It was a truly, too, tremendously overwhelming fact to handle alone.
‘But this… is it okay to tell?’
Even thinking briefly, she had a premonition that something big would happen if this fact leaked out. Even if Hwan were just an idol, the entire community would go wild… but since he’s a prince, it wouldn’t be strange if it even made the news. Her spine went cold imagining it for a moment.
Come to think of it, it was really amazing.
‘…What did he trust about me to openly reveal his identity like this?’
He couldn’t have been doing this with other people too, right? Her vision spun. Crazy, really. What should I do about this naive and reckless kid? She was anxious and worried. Thinking that way, knowing this tremendous fact became frightening rather than good. She really had no composure at all.
She literally groaned with worry she couldn’t carelessly tell anyone.
Perhaps her state looked unusual, as the team member next to her asked once more, “Juyoung-ssi, are you really okay?” She smiled, trying to act calm and said she was fine, but at that timing, another chat request came from Hwan.
So naturally, a loud crash came from her seat.
[GoldenApple-nim]
[Are you still at the company?]
[Help!!!]
[Desperate!!!]
[Please!!!]
‘What?’
Juyoung doubted her eyes.
Words like ‘desperate’ and ‘please’ came from her bias’s mouth, of all things. How could she just pass by as someone who calls herself a fan? She set aside what she was doing and focused on the chat window with Hwan with sparkling eyes. Though she had already been unable to do anything, making her Sunday work attendance meaningless.
[What is it]
[Why]
[What’s the problem]
A reliable answer different from before popped out readily.
[Is Huiseo still there?]
[He’s not answering his phone ㅠㅠ]
Seeing Hwan’s message, she squeezed her eyes shut.
‘ㅠㅠ’
Why is this ordinary crying emoticon so cute when our kid uses it? Her heart tingled.
On the other hand, she could feel him being upset that he couldn’t reach him, making her heart ache with pity. That won’t do. That just won’t do. With such feelings, before she knew it, she found herself rising from her seat as if possessed. She couldn’t just watch like this.
She had to do something.
Wasn’t she the only one who could help Hwan right now? Such a deep sense of mission arose. Even if she couldn’t do anything great, couldn’t she at least find Huiseo and somehow convey the situation?
Yes, let’s try at least that.
‘Was the 7th floor the last place he was spotted?’
Juyoung hastily began inquiring about Huiseo’s location.
***
The most natural reaction of someone whose weakness they don’t want to acknowledge has been discovered would be anger. That was the same for Huiseo. Perhaps angry at the reality that he couldn’t deny Yuwon’s devastating words, he suddenly raised his voice.
“Don’t jump to conclusions as if something will happen immediately tomorrow. The imperial family and I are both looking for solutions…!”
“You? What will you do? What can you do? Inside the palace?”
Despite Huiseo’s anger, Yuwon didn’t stop striking at his weak points relentlessly.
“Huiseo-ya. Think carefully. You know it too. That you need to leave the palace.”
“……”
“Isn’t that actually why you’re keeping your distance lately instead of following that kid around?”
“Don’t talk as if you know everything.”
Huiseo glared at him with wide eyes.
Sorry, but contrary to Yuwon’s words, what Huiseo was doing now wasn’t preparation to leave the imperial family. Though physically speaking, he might distance himself a little, of course.
Though he hadn’t firmly decided to do so yet, Huiseo, as he said, wanted to become reinforcement who could help them from outside the palace in case of emergency because the imperial family was struggling.
Of course, he might not be able to do great things with his power alone.
No matter how brilliant he was, whether that excellence in merely academic fields could become the ability to make money was clearly a different matter. Perhaps no matter how much he flew and crawled, he might not even reach the toes of Yuwon who scattered hundreds of millions like a joke.
However, even in the worst case, couldn’t he at least take care of himself alone or up to two people?
He thought that if he went out first and established himself, he could become another option for Hwan, who would have to leave the palace with marriage as a prince before long. It was a plan he hadn’t revealed to Hwan yet.
What Huiseo was doing now was practice for that.
“…It’s not what you think. Don’t speak carelessly.”
At Huiseo’s cold words, Yuwon looked at him for a moment then shook his head as if brushing it off. His antagonism seemed quite severe. Feeling he would just bounce back if he pushed like this, Yuwon decided to change his method a bit.
“Don’t misunderstand. What you do after leaving the palace is your freedom. Whether you help the imperial family or not.”
“What?”
At Yuwon’s words, suddenly gulping his drink and spitting out as if it didn’t matter, Huiseo sent a suspicious look. But Yuwon was like that. At this point, he was grateful enough just to instill confidence in Huiseo that he should leave the palace.
Once he just came out.
After that, he planned to pull him to his side by showing him all sorts of good things Huiseo would be tempted by, like today. That was nothing. He was confident.
“Then how about this? I’ll help you.”
***
Hearing that story, Huiseo was truly confused.
‘Suddenly help with what? Why would you help me?’
As if you know what I’m trying to do. To put it bluntly, it’s not like you like the imperial family either.
“Are you saying you’ll help the imperial family?”
“To be precise, I’m saying I’ll help you.”
“So what does that… Ha.”
Somehow Huiseo felt like he was playing riddles with Yuwon as the conversation progressed. It was full of bewildering and puzzling things. Thinking carefully about the reason, it seemed to be because there was one unresolved question inside him.
So he finally couldn’t hold back and asked directly.
“…What exactly do you want from me?”
Huiseo really couldn’t understand that.
Yuwon’s words to him, his actions—there wasn’t a single thing that wasn’t excessive.
No matter how much he had, there was a limit to bestowing favors without expecting compensation from someone. To this extent, he must clearly want something separately from him. He understood that much.
But no matter how much he thought, Huiseo couldn’t think of anything Yuwon would desperately want from him.
Really to scout him to the company?
That was also quite ridiculous. He might have to express it as “yet,” but anyway, currently Yuwon wasn’t even an employee of this company, let alone the CEO, and though Huiseo often heard he was smart, he was just a kid who hadn’t even graduated high school yet.
‘Is it really just for that reason?’
To such suspicion from Huiseo, Yuwon obediently gave an answer. But that answer was a bit unexpected.
“To be on the same side as you?”
“What?”
“You asked what I want. Not competing, I want to try doing things together with you.”
Together.
Yuwon had come to realize that this was the only way to not lose to Huiseo.
Though he had spoken grandly before, even using the word ‘dare,’ in fact, how could he not feel inferior when he couldn’t catch up no matter how hard he tried until his nose bled? In Yuwon’s case, it just didn’t lead to hatred toward Huiseo.
But if he was with Huiseo.
If they became the same side.
Furthermore, if he brought Huiseo to this company where he would someday become CEO, Yuwon could go beyond standing side by side and finally place Huiseo under him. Even if it wasn’t obtained through his own ability, it didn’t matter. Sometimes results were important too.
Jeong Huiseo standing by his side.
Just thinking about it was thrilling.
The biggest obstacle to that was Lee Hwan after all. The reason Yuwon was trying to force his way between Hwan and Huiseo was precisely that. Jeong Huiseo had to look at him by his side. Not someone like Lee Hwan. That was what was right in Yuwon’s common sense.
Huiseo-ya.
You didn’t acknowledge it.
‘But I’ve wanted to stand side by side with you for a very long time.’
Thinking so, Yuwon’s two eyes looking at Huiseo shone brightly.
