Be that as it may, Yeon Haejeong gave a detached nod.
“By the way, hyung — what’s been going on with you lately?”
From across the island bar, Chu Dowon asked him quietly, both eyes sparkling with undisguised interest.
“What do you mean.”
At the sudden question, Yeon Haejeong tossed back a reply — and Chu Dowon grinned.
“People have been talking.”
“Talking about what, specifically.”
“That you can’t get it up.”
At that, Yeon Haejeong spat out the water he’d been drinking.
“What — what?!”
“No, apparently it’s happened more than once.”
“Who’s saying that — who?!”
“Word is you don’t even twitch when someone goes down on you.”
“Shit. Crazy bastards.”
Yeon Haejeong raised his eyes with an icy look and ground out the curse between his teeth.
“Is something going on that’s been hard lately?”
“It’s nothing like that, so stay out of it.”
“Nothing, sure. You never used to, and now suddenly you’re showing up to every single gathering there is and going around with all sorts of people.”
“……Hey. I said stay out of it. Frankly, shit, whether I end up impotent or not, whether I roll around with assholes at some party or not — what’s it to you.”
At the cold rebuke aimed at the bothersome Chu Dowon, Chu Dowon simply shrugged with the ease of someone long used to that kind of reception.
“I’m just worried about you, hyung.”
“Save it.”
“Come to think of it, haven’t been seeing him around much lately.”
Chu Dowon finally got to the point. Yeon Haejeong’s brow creased with an expression that said he had no idea who was being referred to.
“You know. Hyung, your secretary.”
In that instant, something shifted in Yeon Haejeong’s expression — which had been nothing but indifferent up until that moment. Chu Dowon caught the change with sharp eyes and quietly tugged one corner of his mouth up.
“……Why are you looking for him.”
“Why, you ask. There’s someone looking for that secretary.”
“What?”
“You know Min Juhyeong from JJ Entertainment? He apparently got quite taken with that secretary at the time.”
“……What?”
“Well, that — what was it — middle school dropout? Not bad looking, I’ll admit.”
“……”
“Min Juhyeong’s hobby is hunting down good-looking guys and having his way with them.”
What Chu Dowon was saying wasn’t a lie. After that day, a separate message had come in from Min Juhyeong, who worked at the entertainment company. Asking whether he could get the contact information for Yeon Haejeong’s secretary.
“The guy works in entertainment, so his standards are pretty high — but he was showing quite a lot of interest in that secretary. Any chance you could pass along his contact info?”
Half genuine, half a probe. Chu Dowon had confirmed on CCTV that Yeon Haejeong and the secretary had gone into the room together that night. On top of that, he had seen with his own eyes the secretary slipping out in a wrecked state in the early hours of the morning. If the family found out that Yeon Haejeong had gotten involved with a male secretary right after taking his position — it would cause an uproar. Most of all, if it reached the ears of Yeon Haejeong’s mother — who was also Chu Dowon’s aunt — that secretary would probably never work at that company again.
“……Hey.”
In that instant, Yeon Haejeong’s voice dropped low. Chu Dowon, in that moment, had an oh no look flash across his face and quietly took a step back.
“……Ah, if it’s not possible then never mind.”
Sensing a strange edge of menace in that smoothly murmured reply, Chu Dowon immediately backed down. He was deciding that this was as far as the probing should go — when:
“……Don’t push your luck.”
“……”
He stepped right up close, looking down at Chu Dowon with cold eyes. The frigid weight of that gaze felt dangerous enough to make Chu Dowon quietly avert his eyes.
“You seem awfully entertained by the fact that I slept with him.”
Chu Dowon’s eyes wavered with a startled look. That he knew — Yeon Haejeong had already known that Chu Dowon knew. In that instant, that large hand — easily the size of a person’s face — seized Chu Dowon’s jaw in a rough grip. An involuntary sound of pain escaped him. As the agony of what felt like his jawbone being forced out of place made Chu Dowon grab at Yeon Haejeong’s wrist, he gave a low warning.
“Don’t touch him.”
“……”
“Don’t even take an interest.”
The warning was more genuine than any he had ever given. Not that usual detached, couldn’t-care-less expression — but a face full of real, unmistakable menace. Feeling the cold edge of it, Chu Dowon felt a chill shoot suddenly up his spine.
“……Shit, I don’t even know what to do about it myself.”
He shoved Chu Dowon’s face aside so roughly it nearly bent sideways, muttering to himself in a low, dispassionate voice. Then he turned and walked away unhurriedly, kicking at random people collapsed on the floor as he went. Chu Dowon caught his breath, brow crumpling with sharp pain as he touched his jaw.
Insane son of a bitch. If he had applied even a little more force, his jaw might have actually come out. Chu Dowon watched Yeon Haejeong’s retreating figure disappear, eyes wide with something close to fear, brow furrowed. Truthfully, he hadn’t anticipated a reaction anywhere near that intense. At the more sensitive reaction than he’d expected, Chu Dowon let out a short, stunned laugh.
**
Yeon Haejeong showed up to work with a long, lazy yawn in the late afternoon. He had no idea how many days it had been since he’d actually come in. He was carrying on at the company in a way so completely his own that it was remarkable he hadn’t been fired yet. It was almost enough to make him wonder if Yeon Juhyeok was on the verge of pushing for a resignation.
But every time he came to work, he found his attention pointlessly drawn in one direction — so he had been deliberately avoiding it. If he came in, he had a feeling he’d find some trivial reason to call Munyeong over and start something. His hands and his mouth were itching for it. He had caught himself checking the schedule sheet for Munyeong that Section Chief Jo had sent over — completely unconsciously — and had been keeping away from the office as much as possible because of it.
He pressed a hand down his face with a troubled expression. It’s temporary. Just a brief, momentary flash of interest. He repeated it to himself like a mantra and turned his attention back to work. Skilled as he was at slacking off without consequences, he had been absent for days — so the work piled up was a mountain.
Knock knock.
While he was mechanically scrawling his signature across documents with a pounding headache, Secretary Ju knocked calmly at the door.
“Come in.”
Yeon Haejeong answered without lifting his eyes from the matter he was reviewing.
“Good afternoon, Senior Managing Director. Shall I brew you a cup of coffee?”
Secretary Ju gave a precise bow and spoke in her usual businesslike tone. Yeon Haejeong waved a hand as if to say he didn’t need any.
“Then may I brief you on the backlogged work that has piled up in the meantime?”
She was clearly smiling as she said it — but at the added weight she placed on the words backlogged work, Yeon Haejeong lifted his head and fixed his gaze on Secretary Ju.
“……No. Don’t.”
“Then may I at least cover the matters requiring urgent approval by today?”
Secretary Ju adjusted her glasses and pressed on. Yeon Haejeong looked at her with displeasure — smiling while slowly tightening the screws on him — and responded coldly.
“No. Don’t.”
“For your reference, the Vice Chairman left a message.”
“……What.”
“He said to relay this word for word: ‘If you handle just the urgent things, there’s no need to call you in separately — so do at least what needs to be done properly.'”
“Secretary Ju. Are you deliberately giving me a hard time?”
“As if I would dare.”
Secretary Ju met his gaze squarely with bright, clear eyes and answered without flinching. At the sight of someone who didn’t give an inch, Yeon Haejeong thought to himself that at least the company hired people well.
“Fine.”
