IOB Ch 9

I looked at Han Yeseo, who had come to my office, with a troubled expression.

“Mr. Yisak, I feel truly betrayed.”

“No… I don’t know how this happened either. First, have a seat, Ms. Yeseo.”

Han Yeseo sat down on the sofa, looking thoroughly upset. When he had contacted me after a long time, his first words were to abruptly shout, “Woo Seonrim!” Even after hearing a rough explanation, I couldn’t quite grasp the situation, so I had hurriedly arranged a face-to-face meeting with him.

Han Yeseo tried to gulp down the hot tea and ended up coughing. I handed him a tissue and let out a sigh.

“Be a little careful.”

“I’m just so flabbergasted. I’m not in the right mind to be careful.”

“…So Woo Seonrim contacted you first, Ms. Yeseo. Tell me in detail what happened.”

That unpredictable, handsome-faced bastard whose personality and social skills were clearly shattered somewhere… that crazy son of a bitch… had called Han Yeseo to ask about the debut process. Without a single word to me, his housemate, even if it was a temporary arrangement. There had been plenty of time to talk face-to-face this morning.

“Woo Seonrim was wondering if the debut offer is still valid. He also asked if it’s possible to promote without revealing his face.”

“Uh, that’s not possible.”

“That’s what I said. It’s too much of a waste to let that face go unseen. Ah, that’s not the important part. When I asked him why he suddenly changed his mind, he said it was because of you, Mr. Yisak?”

“…”

“And he said you two are living together?”

“…”

“When I asked if you were in contact with Woo Seonrim, you didn’t say a word? Living together? Mr. Yisak, I didn’t see you that way, you’re a real fox. We were supposed to collaborate. You said you’d entrust Woo Seonrim’s concert planning to us!”

“No, there are circumstances.”

Han Yeseo looked as if he was about to leap up from his seat.

“He even let you listen to his original compositions. How could you monopolize that all by yourself? You’re a truly bad person, Mr. Yisak.”

“No…”

“So how were the original songs?”

“…They’re incredible.”

“Right. I bet they are.”

Han Yeseo let out a deep sigh and chewed on his lips. I completely understood the anger and bewilderment he must be feeling.

If I were in the opposite situation, I might have foamed at the mouth and collapsed. You monopolized Woo Seonrim all this time? The worst. The absolute worst. A person with no trace of humanity… I would have thought things like that and cursed Han Yeseo.

I watched Han Yeseo’s expression and tried to speak gently.

“I didn’t deceive you on purpose. If he were to hold a concert, of course I was planning to work with your company, Ms. Yeseo. It’s just that Woo Seonrim kept being lukewarm about it. I was going to tell you after the situation was confirmed.”

“Haa.”

“But I don’t know why that son of a bitch… no, Woo Seonrim, contacted you, Ms. Yeseo.”

If Woo Seonrim were in front of me, I would want to punch him in the solar plexus. This impulse had risen dozens of times during the ten days we lived together, but I had held it back. It was all for the sake of gently handling and coaxing Woo Seonrim. After all that effort, he contacted Han Yeseo first, not me? He was a truly infuriating bastard.

Han Yeseo scrunched up one of his eyes and said.

“He said he wants to repay you, Mr. Yisak. That he’s received a lot from you in many ways. He said he suddenly had that revelation today… but he couldn’t ask you because you two fought this morning? What is this situation?”

“…”

“Are you two, like, dating?”

“We are not.”

“So you rejected me because you’re gay.”

The migraine that had been tormenting me since the morning got worse. That was considered a fight? Unbelievable. I didn’t see Woo Seonrim that way, but he’s a completely petty and narrow-minded guy.

“Why did you fight? You’re already living together. Isn’t this the time you should be head over heels for each other?”

“It’s not that kind of relationship at all. I’m just keeping the bastard until the construction on the house he’s moving into is finished… He kept overstepping his bounds, so all I did was say a word to him this morning.”

Without realizing it, the same rough tone I used with Woo Seonrim kept slipping out. Fortunately, Han Yeseo didn’t seem to mind such things at all.

In truth, the construction on the house Woo Seonrim was supposed to move into had been finished for a while now. The guy who should have moved his things over there and moved in the day before yesterday was still dawdling in my house. And this was after I’d spent money to install a soundproof booth and a grand piano for him.

I put up with it for about two days, and then this morning I told him to get the hell out of my house. That was the start of the fight.

‘But I can’t practice anymore unless you’re watching over me, Director.’

‘For fuck’s sake…’

That perverted bastard who masturbates for the home camera to see.

‘I think it would also be a bit lonely to eat by myself.’

What was this psycho, who seemed completely immune to loneliness, even saying.

‘Can’t you install a home camera in my house too? And we can still eat together sometimes like we do now. I’ll move out then.’

‘You motherfucker… I bought you a luxury officetel, isn’t that enough? Why do you want so many things? Why would I do something so annoying!’

‘Is it that you don’t want to see me?’

Woo Seonrim asked gloomily and made an expression I had never seen before. I almost fainted at the front door. Woo Seonrim with the face of an abandoned dog resenting its owner. It gave me goosebumps. It was a clear look of dejection and hurt.

Woo Seonrim expressing such human-like emotions? Did he fall out of bed last night and injure his brain, for fuck’s sake. What was even more annoying was that a part of my heart ached at Woo Seonrim’s expression. I felt a reflexive sense of guilt. The fact itself pissed me off.

Lately, Woo Seonrim hadn’t been touching me at all, but even without physical contact, he was still just as adept at messing with a person’s mind. He was blatantly showing his interest in me for anyone to see, hovering around me, so there was no way I wouldn’t be conscious of it.

He’d go to a bookstore and buy some bullshit dating book. He should be practicing the piano one more time in the time he spent reading that. The actions that caught my eye piled up and up, leaving me with guilt and annoyance. Then it all exploded this morning. Well, I admit I was more mercilessly harsh than usual.

‘Of course I don’t want to see you. Is there any reason I must face your mug?’

‘…’

‘You said you wouldn’t do things I dislike, didn’t you? Then get out of my house.’

‘…Director, you still don’t understand.’

‘What don’t I understand. There’s nothing I don’t know. I’m a man who graduated from a university in America.’

‘In the end, without music, you still won’t look at me…’

‘Of course. What is there to look at if you take away your music and your face?’

And then I left the house.

Was I in the wrong? I didn’t say anything incorrect. I only stated the irrefutable facts.

Living with Woo Seonrim wasn’t a huge inconvenience in my daily life. The house was big for one person to live in anyway. There was even the advantage of being able to listen to Woo Seonrim’s playing endlessly when I got home from work. Well, if I wanted to keep living with him, I could have.

But now, I wanted to kick him out, even if just out of anger. I was annoyed by the sight of him loitering in front of me, sometimes shooting me strange glances. I had no idea what Woo Seonrim’s intentions were.

In that state of low spirits, I went to work and checked the home camera. Woo Seonrim wasn’t in the practice room or the living room. It seemed he had holed himself up in the guest room I had given him. What was the bastard doing, not eating and not playing the piano. Time is gold.

Just as I was debating whether to call and chew him out, Han Yeseo had barged in.

“Are you really not in that kind of relationship? He was gloomy, saying that you hate him, Mr. Yisak. So I thought you two had some kind of lovers’ quarrel.”

“We are not. We really aren’t. I swear on Woo Seonrim.”

“Yes, you’ve sworn on something truly great…”

Han Yeseo sipped his tea and was silent for a moment before speaking.

“Can’t you just accept him?”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, he says he likes you… He’s younger, handsome, isn’t that okay? Can’t you somehow sweet-talk him into revealing his face as well?”

To hear this from the man I’d met on a blind date. The world is truly full of bizarre things. I was so dumbfounded I was almost speechless.

“Hey. Woo Seonrim is a man.”

“You’re really closed-minded.”

“I’m a Christian.”

I pushed forward a religion I didn’t even believe in, thinking this was the time to use it.

“And that bastard is a really strange guy. What am I lacking that I would get with Woo Seonrim.”

Han Yeseo pressed his forehead with a frustrated expression and spoke as if suppressing something.

“Noo, can’t you somehow manage it with a business mindset?”

As if that would work.

“Woo Seonrim’s musical talent is of course amazing, but it’s true that he’d be much easier to promote with that face. Do you think people these days would just listen to a classical performance? It’s the same even if you frame it as jazz. But honestly, a handsome man of that caliber playing the piano is an appealing prospect.”

Han Yeseo’s words were all true and made sense. The star quality Woo Seonrim possessed would be completed by his face.

“So what I’m saying is, can’t you, Mr. Yisak, just close your eyes and do something about it?”

“Do what. It’s as if you’re selling me off for the sake of business…”

Fuck, to think I’d be treated like this after being born the son of a chaebol family. I felt like the eldest son of a dirt-poor family in a cheap movie.

“Oh my, why say you’re being sold off. You can at least consider it, can’t you? I only said it because it seems you, Mr. Yisak, are the key to changing Woo Seonrim’s mind.”

“That can’t be. You’ve misunderstood.”

The image of Woo Seonrim spouting nonsense about liking me momentarily flashed in my mind, but I forced it away. Han Yeseo tapped his chin, appearing to think for a long time, then said.

“Then shall we meet and talk first? The three of us.”

For some reason, an ominous premonition crept over me, but I had no particular reason to refuse.

۶ৎ

I arranged to meet Han Yeseo after work and sent him on his way. Han Yeseo said he would contact Woo Seonrim and call him out. It seemed his plan was to coax him without letting him know it was a three-way meeting, then have me and Woo Seonrim meet. I didn’t know why he would go to such lengths, but it seemed Han Yeseo had a plan of his own.

I was feeling unsettled in many ways and was picking at the hangnail on my fingertip. That was when a call came from Choi Geonyeong. Thinking he might have found some additional information about Woo Seonrim, I immediately answered the phone.

“Yeah, hyung.”

— Maknae. When are you coming to the family home? It’s Father’s birthday next week.

The moment the family topic came up, my enthusiasm deflated.

“I’m going, I’m going. I said I’m going. My mother already contacted me yesterday anyway.”

— Really? Well, Madam Jeong does take good care of our maknae.

Choi Geonyeong’s voice, referring to my stepmother, was full of sarcasm.

— Maknae. But the eldest brother found out.

“What?”

— That you got a boyfriend, it reached the eldest brother’s ears too. He heard you even got him a house?

“Ah, fuck…”

It seemed like a situation where denying it was not that kind of relationship wouldn’t work at all.

— It’s fine to fool around with him in moderation, but you can’t get too serious, you know? The moment you get serious, the eldest brother will beat you to a pulp.

“I know that too.”

— Just keep him as a lover and say you’ll get married, hmm, within two years. Then the eldest brother will probably let it slide without interfering.

“Two years? Are you crazy? No way.”

— During that time, you need to secure a powerful family through marriage, so that the eldest brother gains strength in the succession process.

“I really don’t want to get married…”

I felt so sorry for the woman who would marry me. It was something that shouldn’t be done, even out of a sense of humanity. The moment she entered the Choi family, it was obvious that a hundred out of a hundred would develop a mental illness. That’s why I put on a show every time a blind date was arranged, trying to nullify it somehow.

— You’ve really fallen hard for that son of a bitch, haven’t you?

“What do you mean, calling a person a son of a bitch. You know his full name perfectly well.”

— Right, right. Woo Seonrim. How hard have you fallen for that son of a bitch to say you won’t get married?

“No, I’ve always said that. And why do only I have to get married? You’re here too, hyung.”

— What kind of woman would want to marry me. I’m not a very attractive card. But you’re different, maknae. You have a decent job, no dirty rumors, and outstanding looks. You can bring in a golden family-in-law. Huh?

I scrunched my face up and grabbed the e-cigarette on my desk. I had quit regular cigarettes a while ago because Woo Seonrim said he hated the smell. Putting the e-cigarette to my lips, I lamented the unreasonable situation surrounding the Choi clan.

So it’s a problem to live too well and decently. If I had been reckless like Choi Geonyeong, would I have been less popular on the marriage market? Is this handsome face the problem? Should I try living a messed-up life starting now…?

— It’s not like you’re marrying for love. You’re going to write a prenuptial agreement anyway. Try to find a woman who is okay with both of you having lovers.

I had hoped the number of blind dates would decrease if the family found out I was fooling around with a man, but it seems that was a pipe dream. Whether I had a lover or not, it was my given destiny and duty to marry a woman who would benefit the family.

If I only wanted to take care of myself, I wouldn’t mind severing ties with my eldest brother. I could probably manage to earn a living on my own. But now, I had Woo Seonrim attached to me. That guy whose background seemed shady no matter how you looked at it…

To prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, I had to stick to the Choi family and use the power that came with this bloodline. To promote Woo Seonrim and to cover up Woo Seonrim’s past, I needed power.

My eldest brother was the newly rising power figure of the family and the future of Jaeyu Group. To defy him was to turn my back on the family. Whatever he demanded, for now, it was better to be compliant as much as possible.

If only Woo Seonrim knew that I was going this far for him. That ungrateful son of a bitch.

“Haa, alright. I’ll try to get on the eldest brother’s good side at this gathering.”

— That’s my good boy, maknae. Since you seem to have matured, I shall give you a reward.

“What are you talking about…”

— I found out why Woo Seonrim’s mother died. It was a fire.

At Choi Geonyeong’s words, I froze for a moment. He found out this information and teased me instead of telling me right away?

“Tell me the details.”

— About half a year ago, there was a wildfire in the Mackenzie region of New Zealand. Since it was a remote area, it took some time to extinguish the fire. The incident itself seems to have been buried quickly. It was reported a few times in the local newspaper and that was it.

“Was Woo Seonrim’s mother the only fatality?”

— No, three people in total. About 40 houses were lost in the fire. After the fire, the village was completely abandoned without any particular recovery efforts. But… this feels really fishy, Yisak?

“Why?”

As I spoke, my throat felt parched. I don’t know why I have such an ominous feeling.

— Most of the residents of this village were undocumented immigrants.

“…Like Woo Seonrim?”

— Yeah. Moreover, their nationalities and ethnicities were very diverse. Usually, undocumented immigrant areas are formed by people of the same background gathering together. Which means this was definitely not a typical community.

I pressed my throbbing temples with my fingertips. This bastard, Woo Seonrim, what on earth is he? As every piece of information sounded suspicious, I recalled Woo Seonrim’s ghost-like, empty face. If he said with that face, “I’m actually a murderer,”… fuck, I wouldn’t be surprised at all!

Rather, a Woo Seonrim who said, “I got a license while working part-time in New Zealand. I immediately found a job and worked diligently to support my mother,” would be stranger. Just as the Woo Seonrim who lived by working a string of short-term part-time jobs had seemed extremely abnormal.

“Hyung, Woo Seonrim… could he possibly be related to that fire?”

— I don’t know about that.

“…What do you think this bastard did while living there?”

— I don’t know that yet either. Should I track down the people who lived there and dig up something more? One of them is bound to know Woo Seonrim.

“Yeah. Dig into someone whose whereabouts can be traced. Preferably someone who is clean at the present moment.”

— But what are you going to do once you find out about Woo Seonrim?

“I’ll have to think… of a way to bury it cleanly.”

— Bury Woo Seonrim?

“No, what are you saying. I have to bury Woo Seonrim’s past activities. I’m not the kind of person who buries people in the ground like you, hyung.”

Putting the information together so far, it seemed it would be difficult to handle this at my level. The moment might come when I would eventually have to ask my eldest brother for help.

Do I really have no choice but to meekly marry the woman my eldest brother wants? He was quite obsessed with my marriage. It seemed he thought of me as a pawn he could use for his political advantage.

— So you weren’t trying to expose Woo Seonrim, but to cover for him.

Over the phone, Choi Geonyeong laughed as if in disbelief and continued.

— Woo Seonrim is clean on paper. The undocumented status… hmm, well, that’s not a big problem. But you want to clean up everything else just in case, is that our maknae’s plan?

“Yes.”

— Ah, I’m going to have to get paid handsomely for this information. The job is getting bigger and bigger. I’m having a fun time these days thinking about what to ask for as compensation.

Choi Geonyeong still hadn’t demanded anything from me. The fact that he said he didn’t need money either made me even more anxious. How viciously is he planning to collect the price later…

— Well then, see you at the family gathering next week, maknae.

Listening to Choi Geonyeong’s excited voice, a chill ran down my spine.

۶ৎ

A cracked, low voice echoed inside the conference room. It was Woo Seonrim.

“I didn’t know you would be here too, Director.”

Woo Seonrim sat down across from me and Han Yeseo, slowly raking his eyes over me. His face was as expressionless as the day I first gave him my business card and exchanged words with him. Not a single speck of emotion could be felt in his dry eyes.

For the past few days, Woo Seonrim had seemed quite human. His expressions had become quite varied, and there were times he frankly confessed various emotions. But the Woo Seonrim before me now was so empty he was like a ghost. Could that be his true self? No, in the first place, was there anything I knew for certain about Woo Seonrim?

Woo Seonrim stared at me intently before turning his gaze toward Han Yeseo. Han Yeseo showed no agitation at all and offered a gentle smile.

“I was the one who called Mr. Yisak.”

“…”

“He’s someone who can’t be left out of the conversation about your debut, Seonrim. Are you perhaps uncomfortable?”

Woo Seonrim maintained his silence as if in protest. A heavy air circulated inside the conference room. Due to our fight this morning, I wasn’t comfortable with this situation either. The words Choi Geonyeong had relayed also kept flickering in my mind.

To change the atmosphere, I spoke first.

“Seonrim, you don’t want to see me?”

I spoke as lightly and playfully as possible. Woo Seonrim slowly shook his head, like a rusty machine creaking and groaning as it turned.

“No. It’s nice to see you. I thought I wouldn’t be able to see you again today.”

“Well, if we see each other, we see each other. Our relationship isn’t that stiff, is it?”

“…Then are we having dinner together later?”

Keub. I heard Han Yeseo suppressing a laugh beside me. He was observing our slow and frustrating conversation with great interest.

“Uh, yeah, sure. Let’s the three of us eat, including you, Ms. Yeseo. Is there anything you want to eat?”

“…”

“If you don’t say anything, I’m just taking you anywhere.”

“…”

“Mr. Seonrim… Can you please just answer promptly?”

Being hot-tempered and impatient, I quickly started to boil inside. With Han Yeseo here, I needed to maintain a certain level of social decorum and pretend to be composed, but it wasn’t easy because of Woo Seonrim. If we were at home, I would have smacked him on the head.

Just before my pent-up frustration was about to explode, Woo Seonrim spoke.

“Why are the three of us going?”

“What?”

“For dinner, I mean.”

“…So are we supposed to just leave Ms. Yeseo here and go?”

“What is the relationship between you two?”

Woo Seonrim gestured between me and Han Yeseo with his eyes. I hesitated and looked at Han Yeseo. He was skillfully maintaining the face of a well-mannered professional, as he had been all along.

When I couldn’t answer right away, Woo Seonrim’s head tilted slightly. His long, horizontal eyes looked colder than usual. He seemed like he wasn’t in his right mind… Perhaps because I had heard the story about the fire from Choi Geonyeong, every single one of Woo Seonrim’s actions seemed suspicious.

Han Yeseo intervened on my behalf, seeing my bewilderment.

“Mr. Yisak and I?”

I let out a sigh of relief, intending to pass the conversational baton to Han Yeseo. Since he was such a resourceful and quick-witted person, I had no doubt he would skillfully defuse the current stifling atmosphere.

“We met on a blind date.”

Having relaxed, I took a sip of tea and almost spat it out. Cough, cough. I coughed awkwardly and glared at Han Yeseo. He nonchalantly pulled out a tissue and handed it to me.

I rubbed my mouth roughly while frantically signaling to Han Yeseo with my eyes. Why are you bringing up the blind date here, you fool. A chill went down my spine as I wondered if he was really planning on selling me out.

Woo Seonrim’s lips parted and he muttered as if to himself.

“A blind date…”

Though it was a small voice, it sounded incredibly loud to my ears. It wasn’t wrong to have gone on a blind date, and there was no reason to be conscious of Woo Seonrim, but strangely, I felt restless. For some reason, it felt uncomfortable to look at Woo Seonrim, so I fixed my gaze on Han Yeseo’s side profile.

Han Yeseo spoke in a comfortable tone, as if telling a mundane story.

“Mr. Seonrim was playing the piano at the lounge bar back then.”

“Ah… a blind date at the lounge bar…”

“We both recognized it right away, Mr. Seonrim’s talent.”

“My talent… at a blind date…”

“It’s truly a joyous thing to meet someone whose tastes align with yours.”

“Yes… talking about tastes at a blind date…”

Woo Seonrim muttered as if he were a robot with the word ‘blind date’ programmed into his mind. A deep shadow was cast over his listless eyes. In an instant, Woo Seonrim looked gaunt.

“In that case… since you two met on a blind date… are you getting married now?”

“We might, or we might not. We didn’t gather here to talk about such private matters.”

Han Yeseo smiled faintly and slid the concert proposal documents toward Woo Seonrim.

“I quickly put this together as soon as I heard from you, Mr. Seonrim, would you like to read it first?”

“…”

“We’ll go get some snacks. Please take your time and read it comfortably. Thank you so much for coming today.”

Woo Seonrim didn’t say anything. He just repeatedly creased and uncreased the corner of the paper with his fingertips. The way he kept glancing at me with his unfocused eyes… was frightening.

Han Yeseo tapped my shoulder and gestured with his head. As soon as he and I left the conference room and entered the break room, I let out a huge, pent-up breath.

“Hey, Ms. Yeseo. Are you crazy?”

Even though I spoke harshly, Han Yeseo didn’t even bat an eye. Instead, he retorted leisurely.

“So this is it.”

“What is.”

“This is it. The point that will provoke Woo Seonrim.”

Han Yeseo poked me in the chest. I reflexively flinched my shoulders and took a step back from Han Yeseo, who was much shorter than me.

“Woo Seonrim is someone who says he’ll debut because he wants to look good for you, Director, right? I’ll tell him that if he promotes in the way we want, I’ll back away from you cleanly.”

“This isn’t a morning drama, do you think something like that will work?”

“If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. We can just persuade him some other way.”

“Is there really a need to provoke Woo Seonrim like this? You might not know, Ms. Yeseo, but that bastard is not in his right mind.”

“Oh, he looks like he’s not in his right mind even to someone who doesn’t know him.”

“Excuse me? Woo Seonrim isn’t that bad.”

“Either diss him or defend him, just pick one.”

Han Yeseo let out a hollow laugh.

“Mr. Yisak, just play along with me. As if we’re in, hmm, a somewhat serious relationship.”

“Do you think Woo Seonrim will fall for such a shoddy act? In the first place, it doesn’t make sense for him to fall for something like this…”

“I’m certain. I bet I’ve already half-pressed Woo Seonrim’s button.”

“No…”

“And besides, this is just fun. Think of it as your punishment for rejecting me on our blind date.”

“When was that blind date. Ms. Yeseo, if you’re doing this because you have feelings for me…”

“Ack!”

Han Yeseo suddenly shrieked as if he was creeped out and punched my shoulder.

“Ah, why are you hitting me?”

“I’m happily dating a younger guy I nabbed recently. Why are you trying to hit on the wrong person? Go hit on Woo Seonrim.”

“You started dating someone in that short time?”

“There are no gaps in my dating schedule. The world doesn’t leave a beautiful person alone, you see.”

“…”

“If you look at me with those eyes, we won’t be able to fool Woo Seonrim, Mr. Yisak.”

I grew tired rapidly, and my forehead throbbed. I desperately craved a regular cigarette, which I had quit for a while. I didn’t know why I had to get involved and play along in this absurd farce. Ever since I got entangled with Woo Seonrim, only strange things have been happening.

Where on earth did it all go wrong. To find the root cause, I would have to go all the way back to some competition a distant 12 years ago. We had already come too far to fix it. I mumbled in a drained voice.

“It seems you’re not in your right mind either, Ms. Yeseo.”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if the illegitimate child of a chaebol family was sane? It’s the perfect environment to go crazy.”

“I agree with that, but…”

“Mr. Yisak, I absolutely want to make Woo Seonrim a star. It’s partly because it’s a waste of Woo Seonrim’s talent, but my company is in the red right now. I only planned minor performances that suited my tastes, and, well, I spectacularly failed.”

Han Yeseo let out a deep sigh. No matter how much you are doted on by a chaebol chairman, if you run one of the affiliate companies into the ground with such gusto, you are bound to feel the heat from the family. I thought I knew why Han Yeseo’s eyes were glinting so particularly now. His instincts as a businessman had awakened.

I too had lived my whole life going, “Money, money, money,” so I could sympathize with Han Yeseo’s feelings. If you have a hit item right in front of you and you don’t get excited, you’re not cut out for business in the first place.

If we successfully sweet-talked Woo Seonrim according to Han Yeseo’s plan and sold his face along with everything else, it would be a guaranteed blockbuster. I also desperately wanted to make Woo Seonrim a star. I had to preserve him for the whole world to see so he couldn’t disappear like before.

However, I had doubts about Han Yeseo’s methodology. If you hear that the person you like is going to marry someone else, don’t you usually lose feelings?

I don’t know why, but it was true that Woo Seonrim had taken a great interest in me lately. I’ll admit he brought up debuting to look good for me.

But how long would that last? What if his feelings cool down by mistake? What if he loses interest in me? Then he would have no reason to listen to me.

Woo Seonrim might say, “Director, I didn’t see you that way, but you were a fiancé-to-be. I’ll pack my things and leave now. This is the money I’ve received so far. I’ll return it. Goodbye,” and leave me. That was plausible.

All of it was imagined with such vivid clarity. I could even trace the look of disinterest on Woo Seonrim’s face. I felt the blood drain from my entire body.

“Ms. Yeseo, no matter how I think about it, I don’t think this is right. I know Woo Seonrim well, and…”

I felt a sense of fear as I rambled. I couldn’t lose Woo Seonrim again. Unless Woo Seonrim was a perverted bastard who gets turned on by someone who’s already taken… no, if it was Woo Seonrim, he might be, but. A risky gamble was not to my liking at all.

Woo Seonrim, whom I had gotten back after so much trouble. If I had my way, I would want to put him in a cage and monitor him all day long. Whispering that I would provide him with everything, so all he had to do was occasionally get on the hamster wheel, no, go into the recording studio and just play.

Just then, I felt another presence approaching the break room where we were whispering. The person who appeared abruptly was Woo Seonrim.

“Oh, Mr. Seonrim.”

Han Yeseo instantly composed his expression and smiled brightly. Woo Seonrim looked back and forth between me and Han Yeseo, then said.

“I’ll do it.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll debut, and I’ll promote as written here.”

Woo Seonrim held the proposal Han Yeseo had given him and shook it roughly. The corners of the proposal were torn here and there, and shredded pieces of paper fluttered to the floor.

Han Yeseo’s eyes sparkled as he said to Woo Seonrim.

“Mr. Seonrim, didn’t you say you didn’t want to reveal your face? Will you be okay with that?”

“Yes. But an additional condition must be met. I’ll discuss that with the Director.”

…Me?

“Of course you should discuss it with Mr. Yisak. You can sign the management contract with this side. Shall I leave you two alone?”

Han Yeseo quickly pushed my back, sending me toward Woo Seonrim. Wow, what a clever, opportunistic human. Choosing him as a business partner was indeed the right choice. But I wasn’t sure if it was the right choice for the human Choi Yisak, not the businessman Choi Yisak.

“Director, let’s go to my house and talk.”

Because Woo Seonrim’s eyes were glinting coldly.

۶ৎ

The moment I opened the front door and stepped inside, I dropped the car keys I was holding. It was because of the words Woo Seonrim, who had been quiet the whole way home, suddenly uttered.

“I want to have sex.”

“What?”

“I said I want to have sex with you, Director.”

I thought I must have misheard. For a moment, the face of Han Yeseo, who had so deftly pushed me toward Woo Seonrim, flickered in my mind.

Ms. Yeseo, this button is too… It feels like a very, very strange button has been pushed, you know? That’s why I told you Woo Seonrim wasn’t in his right mind… I told you nothing good would come from provoking him…

While I was at a loss for words in my bewilderment, Woo Seonrim spoke calmly, without a single change in his expression.

“That is the contract condition I want. It’s also my repayment for your support.”

In all my life, I had never been intimidated by anyone. I was the guy who threw a fit even in front of President Choi, who would aim an ashtray at my forehead and throw it.

But now, I unconsciously flinched and took a step back from Woo Seonrim. More than ever, Woo Seonrim’s expression was serious and firm, and the eyes staring me down shone eerily. Perhaps because my instincts were sending a warning to my body, my heart began to pound rapidly. My body had already recognized that I was in a dangerous situation.

It was understandable. Just look at those eyes. Why do a person’s eyes look like that…

I swallowed dryly. I felt that I might provoke Woo Seonrim in an even stranger direction by mistake, so I couldn’t easily open my mouth. Normally, I would have spewed out some irritable curses like, Sex? What kind of bullshit is that? Why would I do something like that with you, you crazy bastard, you motherfucker, get lost.

But now, after careful consideration, I spoke in a calm tone.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t need my support at one point?”

“I need it now. I’ll debut if you buy my body, Director. I’ll release music and hold concerts too.”

If I just glossed over that one sentence in the middle, Woo Seonrim’s words were incredibly sweet. Releasing music and holding concerts… Ah, everything I had longed for. But why. Why was the word ‘sex’ in the middle of it.

For whose benefit would I be buying Woo Seonrim’s body? I had absolutely no intention of taking the virginity of that lanky, big guy. Yet Woo Seonrim was acting as if his body was some valuable item for trade. He was utterly shameless.

“Are you forcing a sale? I have no interest in your body at all…”

“But you genuinely like my playing. Enough to get an erection while listening.”

“…”

“Besides, you like my face too.”

That quick-witted bastard. How did he know this too.

“I’ve been indebted to you for so much until now, Director. Please give me the chance to repay you with my body.”

Anyone hearing this would think I was a guy who buys sex with money. I felt wronged, as if I were being treated like a shameless person. That crazy bastard Woo Seonrim, you’re just the one who wants to have sex…

Woo Seonrim stared at me and tried to come closer. I flinched back in horror. A ridiculous chase scene ensued from the entryway to the living room. I would stealthily move away, and Woo Seonrim would repeatedly get closer.

My shin hit the sofa with a thud, and I paused for a moment. Not missing the opening, Woo Seonrim closed the distance to my face in one swift step. Being this close, Woo Seonrim’s large frame felt particularly threatening.

I moistened my lips with the tip of my tongue and squeezed out a kind tone.

“Uh, Mr. Seonrim… First, would you mind calming down a little?”

Woo Seonrim remained silent, not blinking once. He just glared at me with the eyes of a mad dog.

“Your continuing to make music is enough of a repayment for my support.”

“…”

“As for the sex talk… I don’t quite understand it? I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”

“…”

“Fuck, blink your eyes. It’s scary…”

Woo Seonrim, who had been standing still, suddenly grabbed my head with both hands. Then he forced my head up to meet his eyes. We were so close that the bridges of our noses were touching.

“Ugh, let go… I said let go.”

I tried to speak sternly, but contrary to my intention, my voice trembled uncontrollably. It hurt my pride to admit it, but honestly, I was very scared right now. The very situation of Woo Seonrim’s large hands completely enveloping my head was incomprehensible and frightening. In my mind, only the unrealistic image of my skull shattering under his palms repeated itself.

The tips of Woo Seonrim’s firm fingers pressed down on my scalp. His ink-black eyes were filled with intense force. I didn’t want to meet his terrifying eyes, but since Woo Seonrim was holding my head, I couldn’t avoid it. Why on earth are you doing this to me. I suddenly felt wronged.

No matter how I thought about it, I had only done good things for Woo Seonrim. I bought him a house, bought him a piano, gave him a phone, and even gave him a credit card to use as pocket money. Aside from cussing him out a few times when I got pissed off, I had treated him with utmost care, yet this bastard was repaying my kindness like this.

After maintaining a strange silence for a long while, Woo Seonrim opened his mouth.

“I didn’t know you were getting married.”

“…What? I’m not getting married.”

“You said you were. With that man.”

“That was just Ms. Yeseo joking around.”

“Say something that makes sense.”

“Fuck…”

“Is it true you went on a blind date?”

Squeeze. Woo Seonrim’s hands pressed down on my head even more firmly.

“So what if it is.”

“Then I absolutely have to have sex with you, Director, all the more.”

“The jump in logic in the middle is a bit excessive. You’re the one who should be making sense.”

“It’s simple. If you have sex with me, I’ll do as you and that man want.”

“…”

“Isn’t it a good deal for you, Director? That’s what I think.”

My forehead throbbed. Woo Seonrim’s demanding attitude was so confident and nonchalant that I almost thought it really wasn’t a bad deal.

Truth be told, we were already a pair who had rubbed our genitals against each other. That and sex, what’s the big difference… there is one, of course! The confidence to put it in the back hole of a man bigger than me? I would rather die. The opposite position would be something that would never happen, not even in death.

Pretending to catch my breath, I quickly racked my brain. It was certain that Woo Seonrim was more out of it than usual. If I coaxed him and glossed it over, maybe I could come up with a way to stop that crazy bastard. I forced out some sweet talk.

“Alright, now that I hear it, it seems worth considering…”

At that, the pressure on my head lessened slightly.

“But you could just have sex and then act like nothing happened. After you officially debut and even put on a concert, let’s do it then.”

“…”

“Ah, I’ll really do it then.”

Woo Seonrim slowly let go of my head and looked at me with a crooked gaze.

“You’re agreeing more quickly than I thought.”

Fuck, what do you want me to do. You complain even when I say I’ll do it. I tried hard to suppress the urge to snap back. In any case, I wanted to sweet-talk that bastard and postpone the payment until after his debut. In the meantime, I would find a way to make Woo Seonrim impotent or set him up with someone else… I would devise some kind of plan to overcome this.

Woo Seonrim spoke with a suspicious expression.

“Sex must be easy for you, Director.”

“What? You’re the one who asked for it.”

“You’re going to have sex with me while you’re planning to marry someone else? You’re a truly bad person, Director.”

“No, fuck. You’re the one who suggested it.”

It was absurd. Does he want to have sex or not. Even though I said I would meekly accept his condition, for some reason, Woo Seonrim seemed even angrier than before. I had never seen that kind of expression on him before. Woo Seonrim, heaving with rough breaths.

“But what if you act like nothing happened, Director? What if you don’t do it even after I debut and hold a concert?”

“Then I’ll just do it by force. You’re stronger than me anyway.”

“That’s a crime.”