CTL 45

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“…”

Of course, he was going to kill Ko Yoonchul. But that had to be Yoongeon’s own independent act, not something ordered by someone else. He refused to let another bastard’s traces be left on this job.

“Well…”

When Yoongeon rose to his feet, their similar eye levels changed in an instant. Park Taesu faltered and stepped back. His face was filled with displeasure.

Yoongeon was not a person who could be someone’s hunting dog. That was the nature of those born to rule from the start. It also meant that the man named Ko Yoongeon was not one to stand by and watch bastards who didn’t know their place run wild.

“What, where are you going?”

Watching Yoongeon turn and walk away without answering, Park Taesu blocked his path with a baffled expression.

“Where are you going in the middle of our conversation!”

“I finished the errand, so I should go home.”

“No, ha… what are you talking about. We were talking just now.”

“…”

“Are you going to do it or not! Shit, aren’t you going to answer?!”

Unable to contain his anger, Park Taesu lost his temper and reached out, grabbing Yoongeon by the collar and shaking him. No, he tried to shake him.

“…”

“What’s wrong. You should shake me, what are you doing.”

However, Yoongeon just stood there tall, without even a flicker of movement. Seeing that his own strength, honed by long years of exercise, had no effect at all, Park Taesu froze stiff.

“Park Taesu.”

Yoongeon gripped Park Taesu’s hand that was holding his collar.

“Go on, shake me.”

“Hngh, eek…!”

“What, you can’t do it?”

Sensing danger, Park Taesu tried to pull his hand away, but Yoongeon wouldn’t let go and in one motion, he grabbed his neck and lifted him up. Park Taesu’s feet, slowly leaving the floor, began to struggle.

“Gack…!”

“How dare you treat me like a hunting dog.”

“Gurgle… C-cough, cough…”

“Just because I played along with you, do you really think I’m on the same level as you?”

“This is how you’re supposed to shake a collar,” Yoongeon said as he began to shake Park Taesu while choking him. Park Taesu grabbed his arm and struggled, occasionally kicking his legs fiercely, but Yoongeon only threw the bastard to the floor after choking him to his own satisfaction.

“Cough…! Hack… Y-huff, you crazy son of a bitch.”

Park Taesu coughed repeatedly, gasping for breath. As Yoongeon watched the pathetic sight of him drooling tears and snot while panting, he felt nauseated and retched softly, which made him flare up. But he couldn’t stand, as if his legs had given out.

“You… you’ll regret this. You’ll definitely regret doing this right now.”

Not even knowing how precious the opportunity I gave you was, Park Taesu ground his teeth desperately. Yoongeon looked at the infuriated Park Taesu, then crushed his hand with the sole of his dress shoe.

“Shut up, Taesu hyung.”

“Aargh! Aaaargh!”

“I’m already regretting it as it is, so stop reminding me. It hurts my heart.”

“Heuk, heooong… Let go, let go…!”

“I’m regretting so much, thinking… I should have just killed you back then.”

“I, hic… g-gave you a chance… Aack!”

“You should have known that I gave you a chance too.”

Listening any further would only make him feel worse, with nothing to gain. When Yoongeon kicked him in the head, Park Taesu collapsed weakly to the floor. He stared intently at the unconscious Park Taesu, then grabbed him by the hair, dragged him over, and unceremoniously dumped him in front of the sofa before bringing over the documents and sitting down.

The documents were a mess from all the disgusting things he had done on top of them, but Yoongeon examined them carefully with a serious expression before getting up. Seeing Park Taesu still unconscious even after he had finished looking through everything, Yoongeon’s eyes curved in what seemed like amusement as he left the office.

“Executive Director, you’re out later than I expected.”

“Record the video and store it.”

“Yes, sir.”

When Yoongeon handed him the documents and a pen, Secretary Lim took them and was about to place them on the passenger seat, but upon being told to read the documents now, he began to look them over carefully.

“Well, well.”

Secretary Lim said, deep in the middle of reading the documents.

“Isn’t this something that was already in progress on our side for a while now?”

“That’s right.”

“Wow… At this point, this isn’t just one step behind. The White House was openly keeping them in check.”

In truth, there had been talks going on in secret from the moment they received the invitation to the White House dinner. In the United States, they preferred to speak directly with the corporate owner’s family without government interference, and accordingly, Shinhyun Motors was planning to build one more factory in the U.S.

“I wonder if these guys aren’t going to fall over backwards when they see the Executive Director at the banquet hall later.”

Secretary Lim, having finished reading the documents, folded them in half and set them aside as he spoke.

“I will dispose of these.”

“Burn them completely.”

“Of course.”

As Secretary Lim nodded, saying that even a shredder was risky, Yoongeon spoke.

“Add Yebin to the business trip list too.”

“Are you planning to take her along for the experience?”

Yoongeon did not answer the innocent question. Of course, if he was still alive by then, he would take Yebin along to gain experience, but no matter how he thought about it, he wasn’t sure if he himself would be alive by then.

“Executive Director, you’ll be returning, right?”

Glancing at the unresponsive Yoongeon in the rearview mirror, Secretary Lim asked as he started the car.

“Yes.”

At his answer, the car moved smoothly. Even leaving Park Taesu collapsed alone in the empty, deserted office, Yoongeon departed without any guilt.

✧ ✧ ✧

By the time he arrived at the company, there was still no word from Seohwi. Yoongeon, who already knew all too well that he was indifferent to such trivial matters, assumed he had gone home on his own and was returning to his office when he furrowed his brow.

“Why is this here.”

On the desk was the bag Seohwi always carried. Looking at the messy desk space, it didn’t look like he had gone home at all. Although it wasn’t as if his desk was particularly tidy even when he did leave for the day.

“Hmm? Should I give him a call?”

Secretary Lim, who followed him in, looked at his watch and asked. Yoongeon, who was about to casually tell him to do so, told him to go home for the day instead.

“Is there anything else you need? If you’re working late, I should get you something to eat before I go.”

He shook his head at Secretary Lim’s question. He planned to decide what to do and how after checking where Seohwi was.

“You must be tired, go on home.”

“Why are you suddenly saying things you never do, it’s making me nervous. When have you ever cared if I was tired?”

“…”

“Just tell me to get lost because I’m a nuisance, please.”

“Don’t be a bother and get lost, then.”

“Yes, sir!”

He answered cheerfully when I just did as he asked because talking to him was annoying. Watching Secretary Lim smile and dash off, Yoongeon tried to calm his churning stomach. Bastards like Park Taesu or Ko Yoonchul were openly obnoxious and showed their hostility toward him, so it was rather easy and clean to just beat them up, but that bastard Lim Sunwoong was uncomfortable this way and awkward that way, so I couldn’t even hit him. It was truly driving me crazy.

“Sigh…”

Yoongeon let out a deep sigh, grinding his teeth and muttering.

“You can’t just kill anyone, Ko Yoongeon… Be patient…”

In truth, the one who always put Yoongeon to the test was neither Ko Yoonchul nor Park Taesu, but Lim Sunwoong.

But now was an era where there were no distinctions between superiors and subordinates. He couldn’t kill and dispose of a person just because they got on his nerves.

“…”

But sometimes, I miss it. Those days when the gates of Sigumun never had a day to close… I should just… smack…

Rubbing his deeply furrowed brow with his hand and imagining it, he felt a little better. Having barely calmed down, Yoongeon looked around the office, empty after everyone had left for the day, and called Seohwi. The ringing tone continued several times, and the moment it cut off, a murmuring sound echoed from beyond the receiver.

[Yeah.]

“…Where are you.”

Since his bag was at the company, he had naturally assumed he would be at the company, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. The murmuring sounds continued incessantly, making it noisy.

[…Ah.]

When asked where he was, Seohwi didn’t answer right away and hesitated. For some reason, his voice was different from usual.

“…Are you drinking?”

[Yeah.]

“…”

Yoongeon hesitated for a moment. It was because he wondered if it was okay to ask who he was drinking with.

[The people from this side asked me to. The design engineering team.]

He couldn’t bring himself to ask, but as if reading his mind, a more detailed answer came from Seohwi. Relieved that it wasn’t friends or family, Yoongeon finally said he understood. As long as they weren’t people who made him fall into guilt just by knowing they were together, it was fine.

“How much have you had.”

[I’m not sure. …They’re all asleep.]

At the words that everyone was asleep, he looked at the time. It was barely approaching 8 o’clock, so just how much did they drink to be asleep already. At this rate, it would be more accurate to say they hadn’t just been drinking but had poured alcohol straight into their stomachs.

“Are you the only one who survived?”

[They’re all alive, at least.]

Seeing him joke around, which was unlike him, something seemed off.

“Where are you. I’ll come.”

[No need.]

He cut off the words that he would get home on his own so curtly it was hurtful, but Yoongeon was not one to be hurt by such a thing anew.

“Where are you.”

[The alley behind the company. XX Restaurant.]

As expected, when he asked again, this time he answered obediently. Yoongeon hung up without even saying he understood, then picked up Seohwi’s bag, slung it over his shoulder, and went outside. In that short time it took to walk to the bar, which was about 5 minutes away, Yoongeon felt strangely anxious. He hadn’t seen him for too long.

Friday evening, the bars near the company were packed with people. Everyone looked relieved and refreshed, having finished the week’s work. Glancing at their happy faces, Yoongeon casually wondered if Seohwi’s face looked like that right now.

“…”

What was it like in the past? Looking back, it didn’t seem to be like that. He couldn’t remember seeing a relieved and refreshed face. Or maybe he never made such a face in the first place… Well, to be by the side of someone like me, he would have had to suffer from an unquenchable frustration, so perhaps that was more likely. At that thought, his briskly walking legs slowed down.

The Seohwi of now has his own life. It’s different from the past that I had shackled him to.

With this newfound realization, Yoongeon wondered if it was really the right thing to do to interrupt Seohwi’s time now. Seohwi had to live a life without him from now on, so what good would it do to keep showing his face and reminding him of his presence.

This probably isn’t right.

The restaurant Seohwi mentioned was right in front of him, but Yoongeon couldn’t move and stood blankly on the street. Suddenly, he didn’t have the courage to go to him. No, he couldn’t go because he had no right to.

So this time again, Yoongeon stopped right before. He couldn’t cross that short line that only required him to enter, and kept hovering around the invisible line.

“Welcome.”

“No, thank you.”

An employee, who had been watching Yoongeon just hovering around without being able to enter the establishment, came out and greeted him, but he shook his head.

“Are you perhaps looking for someone in your party?”

“I’m not sure which restaurant they’re in. I’ll check and then go in.”

“Ah, I see. Understood.”

As Yoongeon stepped back while telling a smooth lie, the employee nodded as if to say he understood and soon went back inside the restaurant. Yoongeon pretended to make a call while looking through the half-tinted picture window.

“…”

And then, he saw Seohwi sitting still inside.

Across from him sat Team Leader Oh Wansu, and just as he had said, the other team members were all slumped over, asleep. When Team Leader Oh Wansu poured him a drink and motioned for him to drink up, Seohwi shook his head.

Team Leader Oh Wansu showed an exaggerated smile, and Seohwi, sitting in front of him, sat still without moving. In the evening, with the window dark, his expression wasn’t visible, but just from the way he was sitting, Yoongeon knew that Seohwi was not pleased with the current situation.

“Ah.”

Only then did Yoongeon’s legs move. As soon as he realized that Seohwi was in a difficult situation, he entered the restaurant without hesitation. Yoongeon gave a perfunctory acknowledgment to the employee who had come out and spoken to him earlier as he bowed his head, then went straight to Seohwi’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Mr. Yoon Seohwi.”

“Oh, …huh? Executive Director?”

The response came not from Seohwi, but from Team Leader Oh Wansu. His face flushed from being drunk and his words slurring, he asked again if he was really the Executive Director Ko Yoongeon he knew, then shot up from his seat and bowed.

“Good evening, Executive Director!”

It was an action he wouldn’t normally take, but it seemed this person was drunk too. Yoongeon furrowed his brow.

“I’m sorry, but I need to take Mr. Yoon Seohwi with me.”

“Ugh, would you like to have a drink with us?”

Yoongeon shook his head at the question asked with a half-slurred tongue, then gripped Seohwi’s shoulder once more and said.

“Mr. Yoon Seohwi, please get up. We need to go back.”

“…”

But Seohwi didn’t get up and just stared straight ahead. Wondering what was wrong, Yoongeon grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

“Mr. Yoon Seohwi?”

“Yeah…”

Watching his slowly turning head, he had a bad feeling, and the moment he met eyes with the responding Seohwi, Yoongeon let out a sigh.

“…Mr. Yoon Seohwi.”

“…”

“Get a grip. How much did you drink, for god’s sake.”

“The two of us drank all of this—!”

This time too, the answer came not from Seohwi, but from Team Leader Oh Wansu’s foul-smelling mouth. Veins instantly bulged on Yoongeon’s neck.

“You made him drink all this?”

At a rough glance, there were four soju bottles rolling around, and well over five beer bottles.

“He’s a new employee. I asked and he said he hadn’t even had a welcoming party, hic, so I made a sacrifice and gave him oooone.”

“…”

He was so drunk that he was even hiccupping as he blabbered on. Unaware that Yoongeon’s face was growing cold.

“The Executive Director, hic! is too much of a young master— so he can’t do a welcoming party, and, uh, who was it, Department Head Ko, and, Chief Ha… even the manager are all women, so, hic! They wouldn’t do something like that for him, would theyyy—”

“Who asked you to do it?”

“Nooo— A man, by tradition, should drink a little! For client entertainment, you have to, don’t youuu.”

“…”

Client entertainment? At the word that came out of Team Leader Oh Wansu’s mouth, Yoongeon didn’t answer and just stared at him, but Oh Wansu just giggled without saying anything before suddenly slamming his head on the table with a thud and falling asleep.

“Client entertainment…”

Client entertainment was a word that could not be uttered carelessly in his company. The company had taken the lead in eradicating the wrongful culture of client entertainment, and Ko Yoonchul, who had ignored it, had suffered greatly. And yet, he has to do client entertainment, he says.

“Yoongeon…”

It was then. Just as he was about to think, two large arms wrapped tightly around Yoongeon’s waist and then went limp.

“…”

It was Seohwi. Seohwi was hugging him, repeatedly mumbling Yoongeon’s name.

“…Seohwi, why are you so drunk.”

Without answering the question, Seohwi just breathed a little heavily. The smell of alcohol from him was strong.

“How dare he…”

Yoongeon looked down with fierce eyes at the sleeping Oh Wansu, who had his head down. The murderous intent in his two eyes did not easily fade.

“…I think I’m going to throw up…”

Ignoring whether others were watching or not, he raised his fist with the intention of smashing his head, but Seohwi, who had his face buried in Yoongeon’s waist and was repeatedly letting out heavy breaths, spoke.

“Yoongeon… I, …I think I’m going to throw up…”

“Wait, just a moment.”

Seeing Seohwi’s condition suddenly worsen, Yoongeon was startled and lifted him up in a flash. Then he asked the surprised employee looking at him where the restroom was. The employee, finally realizing that the one being held was in an urgent situation, hurriedly ran ahead and opened the restroom door. The moment Seohwi covered his mouth with his hand, as if he really was in a hurry, Yoongeon set him down in front of the toilet and patted his back.