# Chapter 33
False Hope
While riding the elevator up to the upper floors, Lee Hwan had a lot on his mind. Should he probe into this suspicious building, or keep quiet and continue observing?
The fact that Lee Hwan knew about the Semi-awakening project was something Kang Dongha was aware of. However, he didn’t know how much Lee Hwan actually knew.
In reality, Lee Hwan knew practically nothing, and had only just noticed that Research Building D seemed suspicious… But he knew from Kang Dongha’s cunning nature that revealing even this would do him no good.
‘I should keep him from knowing I went to the basement.’
If that was the case, he needed to act normally. If he did anything unusual, he’d trigger that sensitive radar. Kang Dongha was always watching him with suspicious eyes.
‘And I’ll look for another opportunity to investigate the basement.’
According to Kang Dongha, and from what Lee Hwan had overheard in secret conversations, the already secretive Building D had tightened its security. Everyone’s eyes were sharper, and there were more procedures to go down to the basement, so it was better to back off for now rather than lingering around and ruining everything.
‘Go ahead, advertise that you’re doing something extremely suspicious, go on.’ Thinking this, Lee Hwan tapped his mask rhythmically.
The office on the upper floor.
Click!
As he barged through the door, Kang Dongha appeared to be busy processing documents. The desk was already piled high with file binders, and he even seemed to be handling some work on the electronic pad he was holding.
Perhaps because their first meeting had been at a drinking establishment, Lee Hwan found the sight of Kang Dongha working quite unfamiliar. It was strange to see someone who seemed like he would slack off until the world’s last day holding a pen.
‘There must definitely be something here.’
Nevertheless, when Lee Hwan entered, Kang Dongha glanced at him. Even without any greeting, he spoke first.
“Sit down for a while. Just don’t be noisy.”
It basically meant to kill time pretending to do something and then leave. Although there was a certain plan behind those words, Lee Hwan felt slightly offended. Whenever he got involved with Kang Dongha, his perspective became skewed like this.
‘This bastard calling me over on a weekday as he pleases.’
Since he had been coming and going as summoned since the last time, Kang Dongha had somehow started calling Lee Hwan whenever he wanted. Since Lee Hwan had come out of pure interest due to the overlap of Taesung’s business and the research institute matters… it felt like at some point, his goodwill was being perceived as an obligation, which was infuriating.
“Well, I don’t find most sounds noisy anyway.”
Lee Hwan deliberately retorted and walked with a loud tap of his feet.
‘Ugh… that’s noisy.’
Kang Dongha had always been the shameless type. He had been that way since their first meeting. It showed subtly in the flow of conversation and his behavior. He neither forced nor suggested, but decided others’ affairs without asking. As if things should naturally go the way he wanted.
Just like a third-generation chaebol…
Because of this, the meetings and conversations between Kang Dongha and Lee Hwan always flowed into power struggles. All negotiations were conducted through dry ping-pong exchanges.
This time would be no different. When the grip on the leash was loosened, Kang Dongha always rolled his eyes and looked for an opening. And once given that opening, he would dig for something even more.
For example, since Lee Hwan was being docile, Kang Dongha had recently been bringing up Taesung frequently. As if trying to test him.
‘…That won’t do.’
Today I’m really going to annoy him. Lee Hwan steeled his resolve.
While Kang Dongha’s gaze was turned away, Lee Hwan walked over to the putting mat. Against the wall, even at a glance, expensive golf clubs were neatly arranged by size.
‘Should I break one?’
Even Lee Hwan, who had little interest in ball sports, knew that golf was a breathtakingly expensive sport. Isn’t it about planting grass on vast plains and maintaining it year-round just for a few games? It was obvious without even thinking that the grass on those fields probably ate and lived better than Lee Hwan had in the past.
So a golf club, especially one that Kang Dongha had purchased, wouldn’t be an inexpensive tool.
Lee Hwan picked up a golf club and tapped it on the floor, making a clicking sound. The fluorescent-colored balls lined up in front looked just like Kang Dongha, eager to bounce around.
Let’s mess with them first. Be it his actual head or golf ball heads. Lee Hwan clenched his fist.
Tap-
A crisp sound immediately echoed. Lee Hwan unconsciously added a mental beat.
‘One Kang Dongha head.’
That head rolled well into the hole. His posture was terrible, but since he was basically good at controlling his body, he could use such a practice mat even with his eyes closed.
Tap-
‘Two Kang Dongha heads.’
Click-click-
‘Kang Dongha’s head makes a hole-in-one!’
Is this why everyone plays golf as soon as they get money? As the balls went in exactly where he hit them, Lee Hwan felt his tense mood melting away.
There was a reason why Awakened couldn’t participate in the Olympics or regular competitions. Even a sport they’d never touched before showed this level of basic skill without any practice. Basketball would only be dunks or three-point shots. Soccer, with a bit of exaggeration, might even lead to goalkeepers fighting each other.
Let alone just hitting a ball into a hole.
The sound of striking golf balls resonated clearly in the quiet office. And seeing Lee Hwan’s obvious eagerness to provoke, Kang Dongha’s brow slightly narrowed.
Flap.
Eventually, Kang Dongha put down his paper on the desk with a sound.
“…Are you doing this because I called you?”
Lee Hwan didn’t answer.
Tap-
‘Home-run!’
Instead, he swung vigorously. When there was an ominous cracking sound from the wall, Kang Dongha’s face wrinkled intensely.
“What are you doing? Why are you smashing the ball into the wall?”
Lee Hwan didn’t answer. Instead, he grinned at him. Kang Dongha’s face twisted strangely, and when Lee Hwan smiled with his eyes curved, he took a deep breath. Giving up on responding, his face turned away again, which made Lee Hwan feel somewhat refreshed.
‘Is this enough?’
But just as Lee Hwan was about to put down the golf club with satisfaction.
“By the way, it seems you worked hard with Kang Taesung?”
As expected. Just as he took a moment to rest his hands, Kang Dongha suddenly asked about Taesung. Although it was a casual question while processing documents, when Lee Hwan glanced back, he could see Kang Dongha eyeing him from the side.
Again. Again. If he’s going to be so wary, why did he accept the mercenary job in the first place? Full of ambition but no courage, wanting to stretch out into new areas but disliking risk—a typical parasite.
“…Well, he said he’d give by-products.”
But since that reaction seemed to be reading into his feelings about meeting Taesung, Lee Hwan pretended not to notice and looked away.
“I’m doing it because you told me to. Since it’s an unexpected schedule, pay me in cash.”
“That’s right. It’s a short-term rental, so it shouldn’t go beyond that.”
The unexpectedly easy agreement made him uneasy—was it because this guy was unreliable? Lee Hwan tightened his grip on the golf club, trying to shake off his unsettled feelings.
Tap- Click!
The fiercely launched Kang Dongha head—no, golf ball—split and became two pieces. Even though it was his own swing, Lee Hwan was a bit surprised this time.
Only then did Lee Hwan cautiously bend the slightly curved grip back into place with his hand and put the golf club back against the wall. But the grip was visibly bumpy now.
“…Are you crazy? If you don’t know how to play, just put it down!”
“Why are you getting upset… making me embarrassed.”
“I’m not getting upset to embarrass you!”
He seemed quite stressed from wrestling with paperwork since earlier. Seeing Kang Dongha suffering from labor made Lee Hwan feel satisfied.
Yes, this kind of disastrous appearance was rather comforting. From what he’d experienced over the past few weeks, Kang Dongha was normal when he was in a frenzy. If he was quiet, it meant he was up to something. Only then did Lee Hwan leave his office with a satisfied smile.
“I’m leaving. Hope your day gets a little more aggravating.”
“Just walk around the cafe and first floor with your mask on. Avoid the laboratory area.”
For a moment, Lee Hwan’s heart sank as he feared his exploration had been discovered from the words thrown at his back.
“They’re sensitive these days.”
Fortunately, it seemed to just be a continuation of the story about tightened security.
“I don’t like being called over on weekdays either. Pay me for today too.”
“Why do you keep talking about money when you’re just going to charge my card anyway?”
Lee Hwan slammed the door shut, cutting off the rest of the words, and briefly listened to the angry shouting from inside. Fortunately, it was just cursing without any particular message.
‘It feels bad to be relieved after being cursed at.’
Only then did Lee Hwan massage his stiff fingers to loosen them. The tension had dried up the saliva in his mouth.
Just before leaving, he had examined Kang Dongha’s face while deliberately making more trouble and getting on his nerves. Because he was worried about situations he might not know about. Trying to read his thoughts even a little.
Looking around the office, Lee Hwan had suddenly thought:
This was the upper floor of Building D and the administrative office. What if Kang Dongha had received reports of his activities from somewhere and was pretending not to know?
If that was true, it would mean that Kang Dongha could monitor Lee Hwan’s every move within this building and roughly guess how much Lee Hwan knew about the experiments in this research building.
Fortunately, he really seemed to know nothing, but even the assumption made Lee Hwan’s spine shiver.
‘For now, there doesn’t seem to be a problem, so let’s not stir things up for a while.’
Whether thinly and long or thickly and long, anyway Lee Hwan, who had many things to do while surviving for a long time, decided to be more cautious for the time being.
