He had no feelings for the owner of this number. It was just unpleasant because it was a name that made him think of Yeongbeom just by looking at it. While Seongjo just watched, the call quickly ended. The missed calls that had been 5 just moments ago immediately increased to 6.
A few seconds passed and the vibration started ringing again. This time it was a different number. At the more persistently continuing vibration, Seongjo finally answered the phone.
“Hello.”
– Lee Seongjo, why are you only answering now! I was worried.
The person who called was Ji Seokhyeon. The heir of Beomyeong Trading, he knew both Seongjo and Yeongbeom. To be precise, it was closer to Seongjo having joined the group that Yeongbeom hung out with. The call that had come just before was also from one of the people in that group.
It wasn’t difficult to guess the situation. It seemed rumors had already spread among this group.
“I was sleeping. Why did you call?”
– …You, did you… see the news?
It was a cautious voice. Seongjo, who gave his face a dry wash to shake off the remaining drowsiness, reached for the remote control that had been carelessly placed beside the bed. When he turned on the TV like that, he immediately noticed what had happened. A current affairs channel happened to be broadcasting a report.
「[Exclusive] Oseong Electronics President Oh Hyeonmin’s eldest daughter’s wedding in May this year, partner known to be the fourth son of Baeksan Chairman Jo Baekchul…」
There was no way the friends they hung out with wouldn’t know that partner was Yeongbeom. Seongjo replied to the hesitant Seokhyeon, ‘Yeah, I just saw it.’ It was a dry voice that sounded deliberately indifferent.
– What happened? Did you know about this?
“I knew.”
– Ah… you knew?
Behind his voice, small noise mixed in. Voices like ‘He knew?’, ‘Of course. No way…’ came through. He had noticed from when calls kept coming from this group, but it seemed he wasn’t alone. Whether they didn’t know the sound was coming through or they simply had no intention of hiding it. Ji Seokhyeon asked cautiously.
– Then did you by any chance dump him…?
“No.”
It was a question asking if Jo Yeongbeom, who had been dumped by Lee Seongjo, had met another woman. If it was Yeongbeom, who valued appearances in these matters, he might have lied and said yes. But Seongjo was different.
“He just suddenly gave me a wedding invitation out of nowhere.”
– Crazy…
When he relayed the facts without filter, a truly flustered answer came back. This time too, judging from the whispering sounds coming from beyond the phone, it seemed they were all sharing the shock together.
– You haven’t seen it yet, right? That bastard left the group chat too. …Ha, this is a total psycho…
“Left the group chat? That’s kind of funny.”
– Fucking pathetic, right?
– Seongjo, what are you doing today? Want to come out if you’re not busy? We’re all gathered now.
– Let’s have a drink together. Drink and let it out!
Several voices overlapped, as if the friends who were together each added their own comment. For a moment, he was confused. Whether they wanted to comfort him or make him into gossip material. Perhaps it could be both.
Seongjo, who had thoroughly perceived them as just ‘Yeongbeom’s friends,’ found this situation rather amusing. The fact that Yeongbeom had separated himself from that group, and the fact that his friends called Seongjo with concern asking about his condition.
Certainly, hearing those words made him crave alcohol. Since being gossip material wasn’t particularly bothersome anyway, Seongjo answered calmly.
“Okay. Set up a spot for me too.”
* * *
“That bastard’s lost his mind. No, seriously, hasn’t he gone crazy somewhere? How can he stab someone in the back like this?”
“Think of all that Seongjo did for him.”
“He took and ate everything he could get, and now that things are looking up, look at him getting married just like that.”
“No, what about the woman who wants to marry him?”
It was supposed to be a gathering just to clear his head, but the drinking party where four people had already gathered besides Seongjo had a hotter atmosphere than expected. While Seongjo himself didn’t say a word, they were busy getting worked up among themselves. As if trying to please Lee Seongjo.
Probably even if Yeongbeom hadn’t left the group chat, the result would have been the same. Although Yeongbeom was the one who had been closer with them, if Seongjo’s presence hadn’t been there, they wouldn’t have been close with Yeongbeom. Now that the two had split, it wasn’t very surprising that they stuck with Seongjo instead of Yeongbeom.
The feeling of others cursing out an ex-boyfriend who cheated and got married was better than expected. Perhaps because alcohol had entered, it even felt quite entertaining.
“Bathroom for a sec.”
However, perhaps because he had been drinking whiskey since midday, his head suddenly felt dizzy. Seongjo briefly left his seat to wash his face and cool his head.
Even by the time he returned, the topic hadn’t changed. Sound was leaking out completely through the slightly open room door. Since he was curious what they would say in his absence, Seongjo leaned against the doorway and took out a cigarette to smoke. There was a ‘No Smoking’ sign on the door, but it was a place that reeked of cigarettes anyway since no one followed the sign.
“Does anyone know Oh Seyeong?”
“I don’t know, she doesn’t come to gatherings or anything. Doesn’t she not know the ways of the world too much, having lived abroad?”
“Hasn’t she even activated her phone? How behind on rumors would you have to be to marry Jo Yeongbeom of all people…”
He thought his own faults would be coming out since he had left his seat, but contrary to expectations, Yeongbeom was still being beaten up. Seongjo chuckled and inhaled the cigarette smoke.
‘Exactly.’
Although they had never officially acknowledged what kind of relationship Seongjo and Yeongbeom had, business people Seongjo’s age, including those here today, would know through rumors. It seemed there was no one to tell such rumors to Oh Seyeong. Unless she was a woman bold enough to marry him even knowing.
“But is he amazing enough to stab Seongjo in the back and run off? Is she that pretty?”
“No, pretty or whatever… Hey, to put it bluntly, if Lee Seongjo did that much for me, I would’ve been not just a mistress but even a slave.”
He almost let out a hollow laugh loud enough to be heard. It was such a ridiculous and absurd story that he wanted to open the door and answer that he would have to decline that offer.
Suddenly he felt heated. At this entire situation itself. Seongjo, who had been grinding the cigarette filter between his teeth, threw the still long cigarette onto the floor. He rubbed out the flame with his toe and looked down at the crushed mark.
When he was about to let out a deep sigh… his phone vibrated again.
Was it Ji Seokhyeon’s call again? It seemed he was worried Seongjo had fallen in and died in the bathroom. Thinking that, Seongjo took out his phone from his pocket and his expression instantly hardened. Because this time, a truly unexpected name was on the screen.
Would he have been less surprised if it had been a call from Jo Yeongbeom? Seongjo stood still as if nailed down, glaring at the screen. The call continued without ending.
[Jo Yeongeun]
His head thought there was absolutely no reason to answer, but he couldn’t quite press the reject button. He was concerned that if the owner of this call was calling him, there might be something that desperate. Even though she was no longer someone Lee Seongjo had any reason to care about…
“What?”
In the end, he answered the phone. When he threw out the words in an unfriendly tone, the person on the other end of the line, who had been silent for a moment, barely managed to say one thing in a trembling voice.
– Seongjo oppa…
It was just one phrase, but that alone was enough to tell. That the owner of the voice was crying right now. Although he had felt twisted inside just moments ago, hearing that voice made him suddenly flustered. Was something really wrong? Could she have been kidnapped?
“…Are you crying?”
Seongjo asked in a much more careful tone. Jo Yeongeun sniffled and answered.
– Sorry, I, you must be busy, I’m sorry. I had no one else to contact…
“No… stop crying first and tell me. What’s going on?”
– …
“Yeongeun-ah?”
It was quite a gentle call. Perhaps that relieved her tension, as Yeongeun began to pour out words in a tearful voice.
– *Sniff*… O-oppa, by any chance, can you… can you not reach my oppa? The school, the school is asking for a guardian to come. Mom went out to work so I can’t call her… a-and oppa…
“…Oppa?”
– I haven’t been able to reach him for a while…
His head throbbed in an instant. Seongjo let out a long sigh and covered his eyes with his palm.
Jo Yeongbeom… that son of a bitch. Not satisfied with dumping me like a dog… he abandoned his family too, is that it?
After the silence, Seongjo finally opened his mouth.
“…Where is it? At school?”
