“Yes, I deliberately created it.”
I was getting more and more annoyed.
“If you’re going to explain, please do it properly from beginning to end. If not, let go of this so I can go upstairs.”
Hajin laughed a bit more, then cleared his throat and continued.
“Before I created the scandal, something happened with actress Jeon Hyesu. She had an affair with a married man and was caught red-handed. Being the child of a wealthy family and an actress, it’s no small matter, right?”
This was the same information I saw in the article comments yesterday. Was it about covering up the affair rumors by deliberately creating a scandal?
“So her family was in an uproar. They needed to cover it up somehow, but there was no way. Creating a scandal with an ordinary person wouldn’t work since people would obviously be more interested in the more sensational story.”
“So when you say you deliberately created it…”
As I trailed off, Hajin smiled gently and answered.
“Do you understand now? I needed the support of Chairman Jeon, Hyesu’s father, and Chairman Jeon needed my public recognition.”
It was a clean explanation that left no room for doubt. He then continued with additional details.
“I’ve only seen actress Jeon Hyesu a few times during shoots. I’ve never even spoken to her. And according to rumors, she still hasn’t ended things with that married man? Well, that’s none of my concern. I have you.”
With those final words, Hajin embraced me more deeply. As I stood there blankly in his arms, several emotions welled up simultaneously.
I felt embarrassed about being deceived by him, and angry that he had deliberately deceived me while knowing exactly how I felt. Yet at the same time, I was relieved that the scandal wasn’t true, and that Hajin’s attitude toward me had been genuine all along.
“Haah…”
I let out the breath I’d been holding all at once. Finally coming to my senses, I stomped hard on his foot with my heel.
“Hahaha.”
The crazy bastard laughed continuously as if it didn’t even hurt to be stepped on.
I gave him a fierce glare and then went into the bathroom. I needed to splash some cold water on myself because otherwise, it would be difficult to keep looking at Hajin. I could hear Hajin’s laughter continuing right up until I entered the bathroom.
* * *
Ring ring.
Even while Juwon was in the bathroom, his phone kept ringing. All the names displayed on the screen were Hahyun. Hajin was about to delete the messages but stopped, thinking it might provoke Hahyun further.
“…If I do this, will he come running without finishing his work?”
If that happened, all the plans for today might go to waste. He was about to start some serious business, and time was already tight, so there was no benefit in provoking Hahyun. So Hajin decided to reply to the messages in Juwon’s place.
[I’m sleeping. I’m too tired. Don’t worry if I don’t respond.]
[Hyung, hyung… Talk to me before you sleep.]
If Hahyun was properly doing the task he’d been assigned, he wouldn’t have time for phone calls. He had scared Hahyun by saying that today’s work might be a matter of life and death for Juwon, so Hahyun couldn’t mess it up.
The current time was 5 PM. Even if he finished the work as quickly as possible, it would be impossible for him to return before 9 PM.
After closing the messaging app and about to put the phone back where it was, Hajin noticed a portal app icon on the screen. Suddenly curious, he tapped the app, clicked on the search box, and ended up laughing so loudly that the sound leaked out the door.
“Model Seo Hajin marriage”
“Actress Jeon Hyesu”
“Seo Hajin Jeon Hyesu scandal official statement”
Imagining Juwon searching about the scandal alone while he was away, Hajin couldn’t stop smiling.
After provoking Juwon and leaving the house, Hajin hadn’t put his phone down. He thought that if Juwon truly had feelings for him, he would contact him even if he was with Hahyun.
However, Juwon sent a message much later than expected. And even then, using a suspicious phone call as an excuse.
During their call, Hajin thought he had done something useless since Juwon didn’t mention a word about the scandal. But just as they were about to hang up, thanks to the interest Juwon showed as if throwing it out casually, Hajin saw a faint glimmer of hope.
And now, to think he had been searching for this by himself.
Imagining that scene made Hajin want to abandon the group and everything else to stay by Juwon’s side like Hahyun, but he had too many responsibilities on his shoulders for that.
‘Still, I should stop doing such childish things now.’
He decided to be satisfied with confirming that even if Juwon’s heart wasn’t completely his, at least part of it reached him.
From the moment he met Juwon until now, the reason their relationship went wrong was always that his greed was excessive.
“Don’t be greedy, take it slow, one by one.”
Knowing it wouldn’t be as easy as saying it, Hajin recited it slowly as if casting a spell.
Just then, he heard footsteps and the door opened. Juwon entered the room wearing only a bathrobe. Then, with a surprised expression, he asked.
“Why are you here?”
“Why are you so surprised? Am I not allowed to be here?”
“No, that’s not it…”
Hajin was quite disappointed by Juwon’s surprise. It wasn’t even dinner time yet, and he had suddenly gone to take a shower. Hajin had thought perhaps Juwon had a sudden desire, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Juwon shrank back, looking at Hajin with cautious eyes.
“We, we should eat, right? It’s already dinner time. Haha.”
He always suggested eating whenever something unfavorable happened to him. Hajin stared at him quietly, then slowly approached.
When he kissed Juwon’s still-damp forehead and eyelids in sequence, Juwon’s body trembled. Even that reaction was pleasing, so Hajin slightly pushed aside the robe covering Juwon’s shoulders, only to witness unpleasant marks.
Red spots and bite marks were all over Juwon’s body. From his neck, down to his collarbone, and to his chest—it was a complete mess.
‘He bit him all over like a mad dog. Fuck.’
Now in a foul mood, Hajin roughly pulled at the belt tied around Juwon’s waist. As the robe opened, revealing Juwon’s naked body, he panicked and tried to close it, but the collar was already in Hajin’s grasp.
“I, I said I’m hungry!”
“Yoon Juwon.”
He called the name in a low voice and swallowed. It was to suppress the rising anger. He lifted Juwon and laid him on the bed. Seen like this, the marks were even more visible. Hajin immediately began leaving his own marks in places where there weren’t already marks from someone else.
“W-wait… Hajin-ssi?”
“…”
“Calm down.”
At Juwon’s words, Hajin stopped and slowly inhaled, then exhaled.
He shouldn’t have created the scandal yesterday and left the house. He knew exactly what Hahyun would do if he left, so why did he do it?
He felt belated regret. Hajin couldn’t forgive himself.
Ever since learning that the current Yoon Juwon had a different personality, his desire to conquer and possess, which he had half given up on, had been growing stronger.
“It’s okay, just breathe…”
The sight of Juwon patting his back to calm him down, despite being like prey before a predator, made Hajin smile wryly. Who’s calming down whom right now? This is why Hahyun goes crazy. Thinking about how much more appealing this sight must be to Hahyun’s eyes only made his blood boil rather than calming him down.
“I didn’t know Yoon Juwon was this promiscuous.”
“What do you mean promiscuous?”
His mood was sour, and so his words came out twisted. Hajin got off Juwon’s body. As he sat beside him and looked down, Juwon quickly closed his robe.
“If not promiscuous, then what? You couldn’t even wait a day and let your body get into such a state?”
“Ha…”
Juwon sighed with an incredulous expression. Then he began to glare with fierce eyes.
“Seo Hajin-ssi.”
“What?”
“You’re not a child, so why are you acting like this? I’m about to go crazy too…”
In situations like this, Juwon would usually make excuses to avoid the situation or say things he didn’t mean, but today, strangely, his words were sincere.
“Do you think I’m doing this because I want to? If even one of you two was normal, I would have chosen one person long ago. Hajin-ssi, I…”
Juwon stopped here and buried his face in his palms. If he wasn’t acting, Juwon was genuinely distressed right now.
“I don’t know anymore.”
“What?”
“I know it’s wrong to play with people’s hearts. To be honest, I don’t even understand my own feelings. But… there’s something I really want you to know.”
Just by Juwon showing sincerity and calmly expressing his emotions, Hajin’s raging feelings began to subside a bit. Hajin placed his hand on Juwon’s forehead to indicate it was okay. Juwon smiled and lowered the hand from his forehead to interlock their fingers.
“At first, when I lost my memory, I stayed here because I had no choice, but now it’s different.”
“…”
“I miss you when I don’t see you, I worry about what might happen, and during the time we’re apart, I wait for your contact… I feel that too.”
“Yeah.”
It was an empty response, but he couldn’t add more words. Juwon’s statement was missing the part about “who it is that I miss, worry about, and wait for,” and knowing that was Juwon’s true intention…
