He almost wanted to deny it. He’s someone incredibly impressive. But Yi-won had no choice but to nod.
“Do you know that man?”
“He’s the one who saved me.”
“Not threatened you?”
There wasn’t a trace of suspicion or wariness on that gentle face. Doctor Jang, who knew Choi Woo-hyuk all too well, was so dumbfounded he nearly laughed. How on earth had they gotten acquainted in such a short time.
“Strange. All those dark rumors floating around this island, and yet.”
“……”
I’ll have to ask him directly what he wants with this innocent kid. He was certain there was some scheme lurking beneath that black-hearted exterior — one only Woo-hyuk himself knew.
Choi Woo-hyuk helping someone. And of all people, someone living on this island — someone so much younger than him. It made no sense.
“Did he already leave, by any chance?”
“……”
“Is he coming back to Cheongun Island? If you know him…… could you give me his contact information?”
Yi-won, with no way of knowing the full situation, had simply assumed Choi Woo-hyuk was just another visitor to the island. A week — by that point, most people who’d been staying on the island would have already left out of boredom.
So if there was even a chance of meeting him again, Yi-won wanted to make a promise — to repay this kindness. In truth, part of him hoped Choi Woo-hyuk was still on the island.
“If that’s not possible…… if he ever comes to the island again, could you let him know that I’d really like to see him……?”
He’d said thank you over and over again that day, but it hadn’t felt like enough. He had nothing to offer, so there was probably no real way to repay him — but even so, he wanted to promise that if there was ever anything he could do to help, he would. Even something that small felt like a promise worth making.
Doctor Jang read Yi-won’s restless heart easily. He fell briefly speechless at the glimmer in those wide, rounded eyes. This is dangerous.
That’s why you can’t go around carelessly getting involved with innocent kids. Somehow it feels like I’m the one who’s going to end up having to rescue this poor thing……?
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could almost hear Choi Woo-hyuk’s voice — the warning he’d once insisted on: “Doctor Jang, one day that meddlesome mouth of yours is going to get you killed before your time.” He brushed it aside without a second thought.
He himself was an outsider who had come to this island, and that made him no different — he could never truly be a good person to the islanders. And naturally, Choi Woo-hyuk, the island’s owner, was an absolute piece of shit.
“When a stranger is nice to you, the first thing you should do is be suspicious. There’s no such thing as kindness without a reason. You just don’t know the world yet because you’re still young.”
“……”
“If you ever happen to see him again, don’t even make eye contact — just avoid him. Physiognomy is a science.”
So stay put and recover quietly until your bruise fades so I don’t get in trouble. I’ll pass the message along for you. Doctor Jang added this, rolling his shoulders. His eyes met Yi-won’s, who was nodding so vigorously it looked like his head might fall off. He couldn’t even manage a sigh anymore.
Unsol-chae had undergone a sweeping internal transformation. Every trace of his father’s tastes had been cleared out without exception — from the small home appliances to the gaudy chandelier embedded in the high ceiling, nothing was spared.
New furniture arrived at all hours, day and night, and workers brought in from outside pushed through without sleep.
The disturbing basement was left abandoned like an empty storage room. What to do with that space would be decided later. If it came to it, leaving it as-is wouldn’t be a problem either.
Choi Woo-hyuk sat in the living room — now completely stripped of its former appearance — and smoked. In his other hand, a strawberry-scented lip balm that suited him not at all spun in circles like a fidget spinner.
He idly twirled the lip balm — ownerless, yet never thrown away — as he drifted briefly into thought. Across from him sat Han Min-jae.
“Of the 800 million won in debt, approximately 720 million remains. It’s been just over six months since he entered Cheongun Island.”
“800 in six months, and only 80 paid off.”
“……”
Kang Seon-ho, who had said he’d take an omega with him, had stayed on Cheongun Island a few more days after seeing the repayment amount, asking for time to think.
But Kang Seon-ho had shown nothing but the worst of himself and left the island without making any repayment. 720 million won. No matter how taken with someone he’d been, apparently an omega’s worth didn’t quite reach that level. He should have enjoyed himself in moderation and left quietly — but unfortunately, Kang Seon-ho had thought too little.
Kang Seon-ho had led the omega around the island at all hours, day and night, like a child with their first pet dog. And that wasn’t all. He held the omega again and again until the omega collapsed from exhaustion.
He called in his associates, got high on drugs, and had multiple people lay their hands on a single omega. Their destructive rampage — soaked in adrenaline and dopamine — was directed entirely at one omega.
Kang Seon-ho left the island with a short message to Choi Woo-hyuk: “I’ll come back and decide later.” Since Woo-hyuk hadn’t expected anything to begin with, he’d thought the matter was more or less settled. But then came the news of the omega’s suicide.
“He’s gone and made a mess of things.”
Still — if the omega had managed to pay off 80 million won of debt in just six months, that was no ordinary omega. To put it plainly, this had been a high-quality product, top grade. There was still a significant amount left to collect, but what had actually stoked Choi Woo-hyuk’s anger wasn’t the money. He had little interest in the money flowing through this island. But there were many eyes watching, and this wasn’t a matter of simple personal profit either. So from his position, even if only for appearances, he needed to correct the behavior of a friend who had lost all sense of fear.
“He’ll have to pay the price. It was damage to property.”
Choi Woo-hyuk’s deep voice was like the low rumble of a predator warning of an imminent strike. This was what happened when idiots mistook a rental for something they owned.
Just shut your mouth and do as you’re told. Where does a little shit like you get off saying you can’t do it. Do you know who I am! You f—!
It was the same with what had happened not long ago. Choi Woo-hyuk shook off the thoughts of Yi-won that had surfaced for just a moment. One day of pointless meddling had been more than enough.
“Make your move on Kang Seon-ho. Get him moving slowly toward China. Have him picked up by the locals over there.”
“Yes, understood.”
Get out. At Choi Woo-hyuk’s order, Han Min-jae rose from his seat and bowed. Instructions received, he immediately pulled out his phone to arrange the manpower. As Han Min-jae walked briskly out of the living room, the firmly shut front door swung wide open directly in his line of sight.
“Executive Director, Doctor Jang has arrived.”
Jang Hyeon-u and Han Min-jae exchanged a brief silent nod as they passed each other.
Han Min-jae had barely left his seat before Jang Hyeon-u took it. No sooner had he seen one person off than another had come calling. Choi Woo-hyuk pressed the last of his cigarette into the ashtray, drawing one final deep drag.
Smoke that had seeped halfway into his lungs drifted out and billowed like a cloud. Whether it was the sunlight filtering through the window, the thick smoke that dispersed seemed more vivid than it needed to be.
“I didn’t call for you.”
“A personal physician doesn’t need an invitation.”
“Come when I call. Go.”
“I came because I had something to take care of. What’s it to you.”
Choi Woo-hyuk furrowed his brow as if to say, what are you talking about. Jang Hyeon-u set a rut-suppressing pheromone inhibitor on the table — something Choi Woo-hyuk hadn’t asked for.
“That’s just an excuse.”
He had something else to say. Jang Hyeon-u’s unhurried manner only deepened the crease between Choi Woo-hyuk’s brows.
“What happened with the matter I entrusted to you.”
Choi Woo-hyuk cut in and asked first.
He’s going to come straight to the point like that……? Jang Hyeon-u’s curiosity spiked — he’d spent a moment debating how to ease his way in.
“If you were going to ask like this, you could have stopped by in the middle. A man with all the time in the world.”
“……”
“You left a kid in my care and didn’t show your face once. I don’t know how you held out all this time when you’re this curious.”
“……”
How did you manage to stop yourself when you were dying to see him with your own eyes. Jang Hyeon-u’s signature needling had begun.
“Just be honest with me, Executive Director Choi. Hm?”
He was the one who’d done something so out of character, so he’d naturally be curious even if he pretended not to be. He’d probably just tell him to cut to the chase — but even Choi Woo-hyuk’s silence struck Jang Hyeon-u as remarkable, and true to his own nature, he pushed on.
