# Chapter 25
“You’ve got the wrong person.”
Even I thought it was a hopeless answer. But the idea that someone could track me down all the way here in America based on just hearing the word “America” seemed equally implausible.
For now, I had to deny everything. Surely in this vast country, there must be at least one other person who looks like Cha Jaehyun.
“You crazy bastard, did you go completely insane after coming to America?”
That didn’t work either. I just wanted him to turn around and leave quietly. Seo Hanryul snorted dismissively, completely ignoring my response.
Hanryul’s face was still breathtakingly handsome. No, he seemed even more handsome than when I saw him at the café last time. He was good-looking, but… his attitude was the problem. The way he was behaving in front of me now was nothing more or less than the vulgarity of a third-rate thug from a movie.
It would be great if he were just putting on a high-level performance for my benefit, but that didn’t seem to be the case at all. The anger directed at me appeared 100% genuine.
‘Damn it, what the hell is going on?’
“Haha, you really have the wrong person.”
A foolish response. But I couldn’t think of anything else right now. The only thing that came to mind was the 36th strategy: running away. I quickly prepared to get into my car.
“Urgh!”
Shit, Hanryul grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. And with considerable force too. What kind of monstrous strength does he have? He must have eaten an ox before coming here. Like a criminal being taken into custody, I was dragged back to where Hanryul had been standing.
‘This is getting out of hand…’
His attitude was extremely aggressive. He treated me worse than a piece of luggage, handling me roughly. For a moment, I got fired up at his excessive behavior.
“Let go, asshole. What’s this about all of a sudden?”
“Ah~ Now you recognize who I am?”
Hanryul answered with a sneering, spiteful tone.
I needed to gather my wits. Being grabbed by the neck and dragged humiliatingly by the protagonist—this would be an impossible scenario for the Cha Jaehyun in the novel. I felt a crisis coming on, like I needed to summon the real Cha Jaehyun.
“Fuck. Didn’t we finish our conversation last time?”
“Now you’re showing your true colors.”
Hanryul wore a satisfied expression, as if he’d been waiting for this.
“You managed to find where I am. I don’t remember telling you. I’m pretty sure I made myself clear last time. I said I’d give you everything you need. Isn’t coming all the way here a waste of time for both of us?”
I was curious how he had found me, but that wasn’t the important thing right now. My priority was to get away from this man who was burning with rage right in front of me.
“You sure talk well with that mouth of yours. That’s right. I didn’t tell you where I was. How does it feel to be on the receiving end?”
Is he saying he followed me? What kind of wealth and glory was he hoping to gain by following me? First Woojin acting strangely, and now Hanryul coming all the way to America.
‘Is he seeking revenge or demanding compensation?’
The characters were going crazy in all directions. Two of them at once, even. My head was starting to throb painfully.
‘This is insane…’
What would the real Cha Jaehyun have done in this situation?
He’d be supreme and unrivaled. If only Cha Taesan and Cha Taehan weren’t around. Come to think of it, there was no need for me to dance to this guy Hanryul’s tune. Ignoring him was the answer.
“You crazy bastard!”
I tried to ignore Hanryul and go my own way, but this time he grabbed me by the collar.
The situation was on the verge of breaking into a physical fight. But my male instincts told me one thing: if I fought with the guy in front of me, the outcome wouldn’t be clear.
There was nothing in the novel about Cha Jaehyun being weaker than Seo Hanryul. In fact, Cha Jaehyun was stronger than Hanryul when it came to physical power. There was a part in the middle of the novel where Cha Jaehyun and Seo Hanryul had a physical altercation, and there was definitely a description stating that Jaehyun had the upper hand.
But not now. It was a mystery where the incredible strength was coming from in that slender body. If I’d known this would happen, I would have exercised more intensely. Then dealing with Hanryul in front of me would have been a piece of cake.
“Why don’t you stop? Do you want to go to a police station in a foreign country in broad daylight?”
Judging that I couldn’t fight him, I responded with a somewhat tough attitude. I glared fiercely at Hanryul, who was gripping my collar and refusing to let go. I clenched my fist and struck his shoulder hard, and fortunately, he let go.
“You’re still good at pissing people off.”
No. I’m innocent. Hanryul was already furious when he arrived. If he needed something, he should have said so when we were in Korea. Why come all the way here to cause trouble? If it were me, I wouldn’t even want to see the face of someone who had tormented me like that.
“Stop making a scene in front of someone else’s house and get to the point.”
“You crazy bastard, you’re giving such idiotic answers because you don’t understand your situation.”
Hanryul as a male Candy character? I take that back. He’s been hurling colorful curses that have been ringing in my ears.
Of course, if I were Hanryul, I wouldn’t be able to contain my anger when thinking about Cha Jaehyun, but I wouldn’t have followed him all the way to America. Besides, he says I don’t understand my situation. It was perplexing.
“What?”
“I see you’re starting to get a clue now?”
Of course, I had no clue. But seeing his confident face, I got the feeling he had found some major leverage. Could it be that he discovered Cha Jaehyun’s weakness?
My excitement quickly subsided. I felt that this situation was anything but ordinary. What kind of leverage could he have found?
‘Nothing’s working out.’
“I don’t know what you’re babbling about. Let’s at least change locations instead of making a scene in front of someone’s house.”
I thought we needed to move somewhere else first. There were too many eyes here.
“That’s right, that’s how you should be. Get in, you bastard.”
This guy, he even brought a car.
‘Really, nothing’s working out.’
Like a cow being led to slaughter, I got into Hanryul’s car.
* * *
“Secretary Han, are you feeling sick by any chance?”
The enemy in front of him suddenly asked Woojin if he was in pain.
Woojin thought that might actually be true. His current state was strange. Very strange indeed.
Originally, he couldn’t even stand to share a table with someone like Cha Jaehyun. Just watching that guy eat in front of him was enough to make his blood boil, and he felt like punching him in the throat.
But now it was different. Seeing him enjoying the bean sprout soup he had made gave Woojin an inexplicable sense of satisfaction and relief. Feeling such alien emotions toward Cha Jaehyun, emotions he had never felt before, led Woojin to conclude that there might really be something wrong with his brain.
‘Should I actually go to the hospital?’
“Then Young Master, please eat tomorrow as well. I’ll prepare something even more delicious for you tomorrow.”
Looking at Jaehyun who had finished his meal, Woojin unconsciously blurted out these strange words. What was so good about that guy that, at some point, he had become obsessed with making Jaehyun’s breakfast.
When Jaehyun went out the front door, Woojin followed his retreating figure with intent eyes. He didn’t understand why he was behaving this way, but Woojin concluded that it was to report Jaehyun’s movements in more detail to Taehan.
Through the large window, Woojin could see Jaehyun looking at his car with a satisfied smile, as if something was making him very happy. Though he couldn’t hear anything, Jaehyun was clearly humming a tune.
Suddenly, an unexpected situation occurred.
Seo Hanryul. An unexpected figure suddenly grabbed Jaehyun by the back of his neck and dragged him to the back of the yard.
Then, after dragging him to the backyard, he grabbed Jaehyun’s collar forcefully, as if he was about to plant him in the ground.
It was an absurd sight. Under normal circumstances, the situation between the two should have been reversed. Jaehyun was just showing signs of confusion at Hanryul’s actions, as if he was malfunctioning.
Woojin couldn’t just stand by and watch anymore. It was obvious that a major commotion would break out if the situation was left unchecked.
As he hurriedly prepared to go out, Jaehyun was actually calming Hanryul down. Then he left with Hanryul in a car. In the car Hanryul had brought.
Woojin watched this, then went out as if entranced, started his car, and quickly followed the two.
* * *
“Hey, get out.”
Hanryul got out at a café near the road. How did he know about this place too? For now, I silently got out and quietly followed Hanryul. As we entered the café, I saw a spacious and comfortable environment.
Families and couples were sitting at tables, each enjoying their own pleasant time. Except for us. Hanryul sat down first at a table in front of us, in a slouched posture.
“Why are you staring? Sit down quickly.”
He’s just dying to get at me. His attitude was outrageous, but not wanting to create a dispute with Hanryul after coming all the way to America, I obediently followed his words.
“I’ve done as you asked, now tell me what this is about.”
I asked, calmly looking at him. My only thought was that I wished he would quickly say why he came all this way and then disappear.
“You’re still as impatient as ever.”
It was no different from when we met at the café last time. He continues to glare at me with fierce eyes like a ferocious beast. What does he want me to do?
“Hah… If you’ve come all this way, you must have something to say. Don’t tell me you came all the way here to pick a fight with me?”
I answered with a sigh. It was frustrating that he kept beating around the bush without getting to the point. Originally, I had planned to say goodbye to the original story and leave lightly. But characters from the novel are showing up one after another like dried pollack strung together, from Han Woojin to Seo Hanryul.
Something has gone seriously wrong. I wonder if I can untangle this situation that’s become so completely twisted. Plus, Hanryul isn’t answering.
“Why aren’t you answering? Now that you’re sitting down, you have nothing to say?”
I had no choice but to speak first.
“Cha Jaehyun, you were always crazy.”
Suddenly, he’s picking a fight again. This guy, is he ever going to tell me why he came here today? It’s a long way to go. From the start, I’ve just felt a vague sense of going in circles.
“But now I see that you’re just a hopeless psychopath. A piece of trash that can’t even be recycled.”
“Stop picking fights. Just say what you want to say.”
“You treated me like water, you son of a bitch.”
Another non-sequitur.
“Seo Hanryul, get it together. Stop with the pointless swearing and just tell me clearly what you want. I’ll listen.”
I spoke to him, getting serious.
“Fine, I’ll get straight to the point, just as you want, you bastard.”
Suddenly he threw a piece of paper in front of me.
‘What’s this?’
“Hurry up and read it.”
‘You really have a filthy mouth.’
I picked up the paper that had fallen in front of me. What is this? A list of demands for me?
‘What is this now?’
Well. The paper contained quite some nonsensical text.
