CTL 24

While eating the beef bone soup for a while, Kim Jia asked with a cautious air.

“Your face…. Why did it become like that?”

“I fell.”

In fact, since Kim Jia was startled as soon as she saw him, it was probably noticeable. But Yoongeon lied without making a big deal out of it. Seeing him lie even though he looked like he had obviously been hit, Kim Jia, as if his intentions were transparent, carefully chose her words for a long time.

“I think you should go to the hospital.”

“Yes. Thank you for your concern.”

It wasn’t something that required going to the hospital for just getting slapped on the cheek a bit, but it was certainly uncomfortable. The pain was one thing, but I couldn’t even eat properly.

“I want to come here again next time. The kimchi is incredibly delicious.”

“Have some more.”

It was when Yoongeon, who saw the already empty water kimchi, was taking out more kimchi from the earthenware pot and said so. At a strange presence, I raised my head and my eyes met Seohwi’s.

“……?”

For a moment, Yoongeon blinked his eyes with a puzzled face. It was because his gaze, for reasons I truly didn’t know, was strangely cold.

“Do you want… some side dishes?”

“…….”

What does he want? Does he want water kimchi? As Yoongeon asked blankly, not knowing the reason, Seohwi didn’t answer and just lowered his eyes, then only ate his beef bone soup. His hand movements seemed a bit angry, but I really didn’t know the reason. His atmosphere was so fierce that for a moment, even Manager Kim seemed to be walking on eggshells.

The meal ended quickly. Yoongeon, who had finished paying while Manager Kim Jia went to the restroom, came out and lit a cigarette. I had followed them here blindly, but what on earth did I gain by coming all this way, I thought. As expected, there was nothing.

Right now, he shouldn’t be here, but should be monitoring Ko Yoonchul’s movements. There had been no particular reaction so far, but wouldn’t he move in some way soon? So I didn’t have time for this, but to come all the way here just to be jealous was utterly pathetic. Besides….

“Ah, Executive Director. I’m sorry.”

When the cigarette was almost finished, Kim Jia, who came out of the restaurant, approached Yoongeon who was waiting for her.

“I will return to the office first to report, and Mr. Seohwi will go to the company with me and then leave work early. Are you also returning to the company, Executive Director?”

“Yes, probably.”

I had to go back and get a report from Secretary Lim, and also handle the piled-up work. There was an overflowing amount of work to do.

“Then I’ll see you at the company. See you later.”

“……Yes.”

I still hadn’t found a way to get Seohwi into my car. In fact, there was no way. What excuse could I make to get him into my car? Yoongeon, who didn’t want to do anything that Manager Kim would find strange, ultimately had to give up and could only reply with some reluctance.

“Mr. Seohwi, let’s get going now.”

Kim Jia called for Seohwi as she went to her car. At that moment, Seohwi looked at Yoongeon. It was the same cold eyes as before.

“Get home safely.”

There was nothing I could do anyway. Yoongeon had no choice but to speak as usual. As I said the cliché phrase to go carefully, Seohwi didn’t say anything in response and just scanned him with cold eyes.

“…What is it.”

Why on earth is he like that? He’s been acting like a guy who’s seriously twisted about something since the meal, and it seems his mood hasn’t improved yet. I know it’s because of me, but I have no idea why.

‘…Is he upset that I followed him all the way here.’

I wondered if he had noticed that I had come using Secretary Lim’s words as an excuse. It was possible he would think it was disgusting that I followed him like this after drawing a line saying we should be like close hyung and dongsaeng.

“Let’s go quickly.”

Should I ask him why he’s looking at me like that, I was thinking. Seohwi, who had kept his mouth shut the whole time, whipped his head around to look at Manager Kim.

“Ms. Jia, I’ll take the Executive Director’s car.”

“Yes? Oh my, what are you saying.”

Kim Jia was startled and ran to him, grabbing Seohwi’s arm and shaking her head.

“Mr. Seohwi, you can’t. How can you just get into the Executive Director’s car? No, no. Take my car. This isn’t right.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, this isn’t something for you to say is okay, Mr. Seohwi. Why are you suddenly like this, really.”

Kim Jia, looking at Seohwi as if he were a madman, was so horrified that she even tugged at his arm, but Seohwi didn’t budge. Kim Jia looked at Seohwi and Yoongeon with extremely anxious eyes, then bowed her head to him as if to make an excuse.

“Executive Director, I’m sorry. I’ll take him with me.”

“I’ll ride next to him.”

The two people said different things at the same time. Kim Jia was aghast, saying what is wrong with you really.

“…….”

And Yoongeon, who was watching his stubbornness, looked at Seohwi blankly with a rather dumbfounded face. It was because he hadn’t expected him to say he would get in his car first. I had thought he would just ignore me and leave since he was in a bad mood.

“…Alright.”

Honestly, for him, it was a thankful thing if Seohwi offered to go with him first. In fact, hadn’t he been agonizing over it all along? How he could get Seohwi into his car. It was fine if he got angry at me, and fine if he ignored me, as long as he wasn’t with Kim Jia in my sight. Because she was a person who suited Seohwi exceedingly well.

“Let’s go together.”

“Oh my, Executive Director.”

Since the Executive Director said so, as a manager, she couldn’t stop him any further. She looked at Seohwi with a troubled face and then said, “Mr. Seohwi… later… don’t go home right away later, see me for a moment…?” then bowed to Yoongeon and left in her car. As soon as Kim Jia’s car left, Seohwi, without even getting permission, walked to Yoongeon’s car and opened the passenger side door.

“…….”

He glanced at Yoongeon once. It was as if his eyes, full of dissatisfaction, were saying, ‘What are you doing not getting in?’

Slam!

As he got into the passenger seat, he slammed the door shut with a loud bang. So much so that Yoongeon, who was watching, was startled.

“What’s… what’s wrong with him.”

He’s been like that since a while ago, but he doesn’t even say why, so Yoongeon was just bewildered. He let out a small sigh and got into the driver’s seat. Well, he’ll say it if he wants to. In any case, Yoongeon had achieved his initial objective, so he didn’t have any major complaints.

As I started the engine and stepped on the accelerator, the car moved forward smoothly. Just as we left the factory complex and were about to exit the single road, a call came from Secretary Lim.

[Vice President Ko Yoonchul’s summons schedule has been set.]

“When.”

[A week from now, it’s January 9th. And the person from our side who will be working at the lounge bar is also ready. I’ll show you his personal details when you arrive at the office later. You’re driving, right?]

“Yeah.”

[How long will it take?]

“About an hour and 40 minutes.”

Earlier, I had driven dangerously because I was in a hurry, so it was an hour, but now that Seohwi was riding next to me, I couldn’t go like that.

[Understood. Ah, by the way. Vice President Ko Yoonchul came to work today?]

“His summons schedule is out, and he came to work here?”

In the current situation, the right thing to do was not to go to the company, but to immediately go see his mother, Park Dongju. Because she was the only one who could help Ko Yoonchul right now.

[Yes. He’s holed up with his close aides, but it’s bustling. I heard the sound of the office being overturned.]

“You went there?”

[Yeees. I went to beg for jellies from the secretaries there. I like the fried egg-shaped jellies.]

“…Stop talking nonsense.”

[Aww, you don’t fall for it anymore. Yes, I pretended to be requesting approval for a design component matter.]

I had never been fooled from the beginning, but Secretary Lim distorted the facts again. But since this was not a one or two-day affair, it was too much trouble to even raise my voice.

[Whatever it is, it’s not normal. Usually, he would have been doing drugs inside, but for him to come all the way here and do that. Ah, by the way, he kept calling and shouting, asking if the Executive Director was here. He said he was going to kill you? By any chance, does the Executive Director have any intention of letting the Vice President beat you to death—]

Yoongeon hung up the phone.

“Sleep. You must be tired.”

“…….”

Seohwi, who had been listening to the phone call with a troubled face, looked at him with a dumbfounded expression at those words.

The air inside the car began to warm up from the heater’s breeze. At Yoongeon’s words, Seohwi didn’t answer and just closed his eyes tightly. And he even crossed his arms as if he were really trying to fall asleep. But even as time passed, he showed no signs of falling asleep. It was a mystery why a guy who falls asleep the moment his head hits the pillow was needlessly holding out.

“What’s wrong with your face.”

Well, I thought he’d fall asleep eventually, so I was focusing on driving when Seohwi broke the silence and opened his mouth.

“I fell.”

Yoongeon told the same lie again. Even though he knew it was a lie that wouldn’t be believed in the slightest, he had no hesitation.

“Who hit you?”

However, Seohwi was equally unhesitating. He didn’t even respond to Yoongeon’s words with a “don’t lie.” Yoongeon slowly tapped the steering wheel with his finger.

“Chairman Ko.”

“You even have a bruise on your face. …You’re saying your father did this?”

“I probably got hit because I deserved it.”

Getting hit by Chairman Ko was nothing new. The same went for him doing it out of my mother’s sight. Yoongeon ran his tongue over the inside of his mouth. The taste of blood had been a torment throughout the meal, but it was a relief that it wasn’t throbbing now.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“How can I not worry about it. It’s like this every time I see you.”

Seohwi let out a deep sigh and then looked at him.

“Please don’t get hurt.”

“That’s not something I can just do because I want to.”

Yoongeon answered with reluctance.

“Then at least try.”

Seohwi retorted quite sharply. Yoongeon glanced at him and then asked.

“You’ve seemed to be in a bad mood since a while ago, what’s wrong?”

To be precise, it was since we were eating. At the question of what was wrong, Seohwi was momentarily unable to answer and remained silent. As if he were a person who didn’t know why he was acting that way.

“Because you look good together.”

“What does?”

It was an out-of-the-blue answer, but Seohwi looked quite serious. Then he was silent again.

“I can’t understand what you’re saying.”

“…….”

“What looks good together.”

“…….”

“Mr. Yoon Seohwi.”

“…….”

His silence lasted for a long time. It was when they had almost arrived at the company that Seohwi, who had been looking out the window for a long time without falling asleep, spoke again.

“If there’s no way, I don’t intend to insist until the end either.”

“……?”

Yoongeon, who was parking the car in the underground parking lot, looked at him as if to ask what he was talking about, but Seohwi let out a small sigh, opened the door, and just left. Yoongeon, who was suddenly left all alone, stared blankly at Seohwi’s back as he walked away with a very angry look.