# Chapter 29
This bastard. I never dreamed he would be this persistent. I realized that the content of the demand form couldn’t be changed.
‘To think I have to agree to such a ridiculous demand form.’
Another worry crossed my mind. This kind of absurd content wouldn’t stand up legally in the first place. It means going to court with this paper to settle disputes would be impossible.
In the end, this ridiculous paper would only be kept between the two of us. This paper merely represented Hanryul’s revenge, without any legal effect.
That was the problem. Frankly speaking, even if I endured for six months, I questioned whether Hanryul would settle all relations with me and keep everything confidential. He could just tear up this paper and say something else. I needed certainty.
“During the work period, if the work is performed smoothly, no additional demands will be made afterward. Six months, huh. If I do this absurd job for six months, there won’t be any more demands. Are you sure?”
I asked him while reading the last item on the demand form.
“Too good a sight to enjoy alone. You really must have something weighing on your conscience, don’t you?”
This spiteful bastard. He’s enjoying this because he thinks he’s got something on me. His constant snarky attitude has been incredibly annoying.
“Putting that aside. Let me ask again. If I abide by this, will the final clause really be honored?”
“Of course. I’m not the type to go back on my word like a certain bastard.”
“Fine, then there’s no problem. Let’s sign it. I hope we never cross paths again after six months. I don’t know what grudge you hold, but this settles everything related to it. After six months, it would be better not to stick around.”
“I agree, Cha Jaehyun.”
“If you don’t keep your word after six months, you’d better be prepared to die. Oh, and I should add a special clause. Don’t I need a safeguard on my side too? If additional demands are made after the contract is fulfilled, a penalty of 1 billion won will be imposed. Let’s add that clause.”
This wasn’t Cha Jaehyun speaking, but words that spontaneously came from my heart. Seo Hanryul, if you say anything different after six months, I won’t let you off even if I end up in jail. And the penalty was literally the minimum safeguard I could propose.
“You’ve been talking a lot. If you just keep to the contract, nothing like that will happen. And 1 billion won? Hah, that’s not even funny. Well, I’ll add that much.”
Hanryul snorted at the penalty clause addition request but readily agreed. He probably thought I couldn’t fulfill this request anyway.
‘Penalty or whatever, I’m screwed regardless.’
I was doomed. In the end, I signed the most outrageous demand form in the world. I signed it while pretending to be calm on the outside, but I couldn’t help thinking what a big mess I was in, imagining the slave life that would unfold before me.
“So when does this start?”
“You’re more compliant than I expected. Has the fire reached your feet? Come to Korea in three days. Then contact me. We’ll discuss the details then.”
Three days? That crazy bastard. Does he have any sense of time?
“This is America. I need time to sort things out, isn’t three days too tight? I need more time.”
“Didn’t I tell you earlier? You don’t have any options. Don’t hesitate and be clear. Are you going to do it or not?”
“You don’t have a sense of time, do you? Fine, I’ll see you then.”
This damned bastard. I’ve been reduced to a substitute who has to clean up the mess that Cha Jaehyun made.
‘Cha Jaehyun, you better be grateful to me.’
“Then we’re done, get out of my sight quickly.”
Once I finished signing, Hanryul collected one copy of the demand form and waved his hand at me as if telling me to get lost quickly.
“Same here.”
When I became possessed in this wretched body, I knew intellectually that there would be various unexpected situations. But when faced with this kind of situation, my insides couldn’t hold up. With my heart pounding, I quickly left the house without being able to take any measures.
This is my house, yet I’m leaving as if I’m being chased out. My current predicament was laughably pathetic.
Really, this is the worst.
* * *
“Fine, then there’s no problem. Let’s sign it.”
GPS. Though Jaehyun pretended not to be affected, his face stiffened as soon as he heard those three letters.
An ordinary person might have thought his expression was just blank. But it didn’t work on Hanryul. The subtle trembling of facial muscles. As someone who acted, Hanryul could quickly catch his emotional changes.
‘I thought he’d throw a fit, but this is resolving more easily than expected.’
After Jaehyun left the house, Hanryul fiddled with the paper with a satisfied look. Today, too, that guy continued his awkward act of being normal in front of him.
But that change didn’t have much impact on Hanryul. Hanryul thought that ridiculous act would end soon anyway.
‘Soon you won’t have to put up an act, Cha Jaehyun.’
Six months. Cha Jaehyun signed the demand form with an expression suggesting it wouldn’t be a problem. It was as if he was challenging Hanryul, implying that no matter what Hanryul did, it wouldn’t affect him.
But Hanryul thought differently. A guy who seemed like he’d never done housework wouldn’t be able to endure the difficult life of a road manager.
‘Six months my ass, you won’t last six days.’
For about two or three days, he might grit his teeth and try. But after that, definitely not. That’s exactly what Hanryul was aiming for. When Jaehyun would cry out that he couldn’t do it anymore, Hanryul would announce the termination of the contract. That it was over for him now. And he would warn him that the scars and GPS were just the beginning.
He planned to continue gathering evidence bit by bit and eventually expose everything to the world, telling him he would definitely send someone like him to prison. He intended to tell him this while looking straight into his eyes.
‘It’s thrilling just thinking about it.’
If he did that, what would Cha Jaehyun’s expression be like? He already seemed to lose his composure just from hearing GPS. Undoubtedly, Jaehyun’s eyes would be filled with dismay. He couldn’t wait to see that scene.
Tormenting the arrogant bastard with false hope before announcing revenge right in front of him. Yet even this seemed like a minor thing compared to what Jaehyun had done to him.
Still, it’s better than doing nothing. Hanryul touched his lips, smiling with satisfaction.
“Mr. Seo Hanryul, hello. Today’s the day you leave, isn’t it?”
A voice that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar to Hanryul’s ears was heard. It was Secretary Han, that man.
The pitiful man who had always been by Cha Jaehyun’s side, who behaved so wickedly that even the devil would click his tongue. But for some reason, Cha Jaehyun was avoiding him in America.
When he occasionally encountered him before, he only thought, ‘Your life is as hopeless as mine.’ Beyond that, he had no emotions or interest in the man before him.
‘What’s with this person?’
But as soon as Jaehyun left the house, that man appeared before him as if he had been waiting.
‘This is getting interesting.’
There was clearly no presence around the living room. Why did the man in front of him come here now? The timing was too coincidental to simply say he had just come out and happened to run into him.
“Ah, Secretary Han. Yes, today is the day I leave. What’s the matter?”
Hanryul answered with a sardonic smile to the man in front of him. The sudden, unexpected appearance of the secretary made him uncomfortable.
“What did you do to the Young Master just now?”
The man maintained a poker face as he questioned Hanryul.
“I guess peeking is part of a secretary’s job? It’s not your concern.”
As soon as Hanryul finished speaking, the atmosphere turned as cold as ice.
“Mr. Seo Hanryul, there seems to be no reason for you to react so sharply. I witnessed you getting into a physical altercation with the Young Master outside the house earlier. Just now, the Young Master left the house after his conversation with you, as if being chased by something. As a secretary, I was worried about the Young Master’s well-being, so I followed. I don’t think that’s so strange.”
“Well-being? Secretary, let’s be honest. You hate Cha Jaehyun too, don’t you? To the point of wanting to kill him. Between us, it doesn’t matter if we say such things, right?”
Hanryul snickered, thinking the man was making nonsensical pretenses.
“Mr. Seo Hanryul, that’s why I don’t understand. If you hate the Young Master enough to want to kill him, why did you bother to come all the way here?”
The man persistently questioned Hanryul’s intentions.
“You’re quite curious, aren’t you? I guess secretaries usually dig into others’ information like this. Or is it just Secretary Han’s characteristic? I don’t see any reason or obligation to tell you that reason right now. If you have nothing more to say, I’ll be on my way.”
Four eyes confronted each other intensely, almost sparking. Hanryul lost his appetite due to the robot-like behavior of the man in front of him.
‘He’s got quite a temper.’
As Hanryul was about to prepare to leave, ignoring the man, something unexpected happened. The man suddenly picked up the paper on the table and began to read it.
“What are you doing?”
Hanryul quickly snatched the paper from the man, irritated.
‘This guy is quite the lunatic too.’
The man who had been as quiet as a ghost for two nights and three days, to the point of forgetting they were in the same house except during breakfast. But as soon as Jaehyun left, he suddenly appeared and began to persistently question what he had done to him. He thought it was too extreme to be the behavior of a simple secretary.
“You know that such a ridiculous paper has no legal effect, don’t you?”
While Hanryul was confused by the behavior of the so-called secretary, the man threw an aggressive question as if he had read the entire paper in that short time.
Ah, I see. Hanryul realized the man’s intention. That guy is also preparing something to catch Cha Jaehyun. With this thought, he understood the man’s rude behavior.
“Of course I know, don’t you think? Secretary, don’t take this the wrong way. What I’m doing is good for you too.”
Hanryul approached the man with a more relaxed attitude and patted his shoulder. But this behavior seemed to rub the man the wrong way. The black eyes of the man, which had been so emotionless it was creepy, began to ripple.
But Hanryul didn’t stop there. He leaned his face towards the man’s ear.
“You’d like to see Cha Jaehyun ruined too, wouldn’t you? It will happen soon.”
Hanryul left Cha Jaehyun’s house serenely after whispering these cryptic words to him.
* * *
I returned to the house after confirming that Hanryul had left.
I thought everything would end if I just ran away. I really felt the saying “nothing in life is free.” I have to go back to Korea in three days.
‘If only I had come a little earlier, none of this would have happened.’
I woke up after Cha Jaehyun had committed all sorts of misdeeds. So no matter how hard I tried to avoid everything, his karma was pouring down on me like arrows. Thanks to that, I’ve become someone who’s being taken advantage of by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.
Even after returning to Korea as Hanryul said, there was a problem. If this news reached the ears of Chairman Cha Taesan, it was obvious he would be furious. With my own mouth, I had proudly asked him to trust me just once, confidently declaring I would do well, and then went to America. But now, not even two months later, I’m returning to Korea.
Honestly, if I were Cha Taesan and didn’t know the circumstances, I would be more than angry at Cha Jaehyun. No, it would be fortunate if Cha Taesan just got angry. It’s obvious what kind of action he would take against me. For now, Cha Taesan’s unpredictable reaction scared me more than Hanryul, who had explicitly stated what he wanted.
‘Hah… What wrong have I committed?’
All I could do was lament uselessly. What sin did I commit to end up in this kind of world?
“I don’t want to live.”
My study abroad life, which wasn’t even two months old, was like a mirage. It was hard to take a step away from this life so suddenly. But I was a slave who had to follow unconditionally. I couldn’t help but think that the reality facing me was too harsh.
“Damn it…”
Was it because I was worrying too much? Suddenly, a headache came without warning. I felt like I needed to take some medicine to survive. I went to the kitchen and started looking for a headache pill. I couldn’t adapt to the situation that was whirling around like a storm. My vision was spinning.
“Where the hell is it?”
To make matters worse, I couldn’t even find the medicine. While I was rummaging through the kitchen looking for medicine, I heard Han Woojin’s voice from behind.
“Young Master, are you alright?”
Is this guy clueless? No, he’s smart, so he’s probably pretending not to notice. If he can clearly see that I’m not doing well, he should just leave me alone.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. Go in and rest.”
I ignored Han Woojin standing behind me and continued searching for medicine.
“Young Master, you look very unwell. What are you looking for? I’ll find it for you.”
Normally, I would have had the energy to respond to Woojin’s transparent “get close” strategy, but definitely not now. I wish he would sense the atmosphere and go to his room before I explode. So I don’t end up venting my anger in the wrong place. But Woojin didn’t leave in the end.
“Secretary Han, didn’t I tell you to go in?”
Finally, I snapped at Woojin irritably. Secretary Han showed no particular reaction to my irritation. Well, he’s probably thinking that Cha Jaehyun’s true self is finally returning.
“Young Master, I’m truly sorry. If you need me, please call me anytime.”
Woojin gave a polite and proper response to my irritation, without showing any sign of being offended. For a moment, I felt sorry for him. I shouldn’t be snapping at him.
“Hah… Secretary Han. I’m sorry for being irritable. I suddenly got a headache. It’s not a big problem, so please go in and rest. Oh, right. I think I’ll be going back to Korea in three days. So please prepare your schedule accordingly.”
I also told him about my schedule since Woojin would have to go to Korea with me anyway.
“Young Master, do you really… want to return to Korea?”
Woojin asked a strange question. Do I want to return to Korea? Of course not. As expected, Woojin’s intuition is frighteningly accurate. But we weren’t close enough to share my innermost thoughts. I was just curious about why he was asking such a strange question.
“Secretary Han, you know well, don’t you? I never do what I don’t want to do. Please go in now.”
“Yes, Young Master. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As soon as he heard my words, Woojin responded respectfully and disappeared immediately. He should have done that earlier.
‘Three days later. I wish anyone would come and tell me this isn’t true.’
No matter how much I deny reality, from three days later, I’ll be Hanryul’s manager. Even a drama would be criticized if it proceeded like this. If only the word GPS hadn’t come out of his mouth, I would have ignored him to the end. How did he know about GPS, and how did he come up with such a trashy method?
I lay down on the bed. With my eyes wide open, I stared at the white ceiling where nothing stood out. I cast a spell on myself. I can do it. That much, it’s nothing.
‘Ah… This still doesn’t feel right.’
Nevertheless, I couldn’t help having negative thoughts. Was there no way to ignore that ridiculous demand form? But judging from Hanryul’s attitude, if I didn’t agree to the demand form, he would somehow find another way and cling to me like a mad dog to the very end.
‘No, no, who am I? You’re the one who treated me like water, Seo Hanryul. Do you know how many part-time jobs I’ve had? I’ve even done courier loading and unloading. A road manager? I could do it with my feet. Just wait and see.’
I achieved a tearful mental victory. I can do it. Hanryul promised to completely let me go after six months. Since Cha Jaehyun isn’t a publicly known figure anyway, being a manager won’t be a big issue as long as I quietly perform my duties.
No matter how rude Hanryul was to me today, he’s the protagonist of the novel, so he won’t tell despicable lies. I decided to trust him once.
‘Yes. I’ll do well for six months, and then spend the remaining time in America. If I can cleanly settle everything with Hanryul after six months, it’s not a losing deal for me either.’
