109.
#Did Hyung Do That?
“Here’s the family relation certificate.”
When Dawoon explained that he and Hayun were family, the receptionist checked the family relation certificate and Dawoon’s ID card again before acknowledging.
“So we’ll proceed with a paternity test with Choi Seon-gyeom and a paternal lineage test with Jeong Hayun, correct?”
“Yes.”
“The test results for both will be available today. Would you like to receive the results by email or mail?”
“No, we’ll come to check in person.”
“Alright, we’ll text you when the results are ready. You can come and check them then.”
After finishing the conversation with the receptionist and coming out to the waiting room, Choi Seon-gyeom had already finished his oral epithelial cell collection and was waiting.
His expression, like Dawoon’s, clearly showed his complicated feelings. Though for different reasons than Dawoon, his mind couldn’t be at ease regardless of how the results turned out.
“It takes about 3 hours for the results to come out. Shall we go somewhere for a meal?”
Dawoon shook his head at his question. He didn’t think he could swallow any food.
“You don’t look well. Did something happen after you went back yesterday?”
Choi Seon-gyeom looked at Dawoon’s face with concern.
“I guess it really shows on my face.”
Dawoon said with a dejected smile, and Choi Seon-gyeom stared at him intently.
“Did you ask Jeong Hayun?”
Though the object of what he asked about was missing, it was clear what he meant.
“I did ask. But I didn’t get a proper answer.”
If Hayun had given a clear answer, he might not have taken this test today. Whether it was a lie or the truth, if Hayun had said no, that Dawoon was indeed his brother, he would have wanted to believe those words.
‘Would you believe it if I said so? If I said no, could you accept that?’
It felt like being stabbed with a sharp knife. Even if he had given an answer, the doubt that had already sprouted wouldn’t subside. Hayun was pointing out this aspect.
Still, if Hayun had said so, he would have wanted to bury his doubts and believe. He wanted to believe. If only Hayun had said that Jeong Seo-hoo was indeed his father, even if it was a lie, he would have tried to believe it for now.
If not, his entire life would be negated.
He might not be ‘Jeong’ Dawoon. Jeong Seo-hoo might not be his father. He might really have been just an outsider to the Haedo Group.
Even the mere supposition made him feel like the ground was crumbling beneath his feet. It felt like his very existence was being denied. He even felt resentful towards Choi Seon-gyeom for revealing this fact.
Nevertheless, Dawoon was now at the genetic testing center with Choi Seon-gyeom. When Choi Seon-gyeom suggested going to check in person yesterday, he couldn’t answer. He had only said he would think about it and contact him later. But when Hayun brought up the study abroad talk, his mind changed.
He hadn’t thought about what to do after hearing the genetic test results. He just thought he needed to know for now.
“Are you nervous?”
At Choi Seon-gyeom’s question, Dawoon realized he was shaking, his hands tightly clasped together. When he turned his head, Choi Seon-gyeom was looking at him with a face full of worry.
Could someone have such unconditional concern just because he might be their son? The fact was bitter. His grandfather and aunt, who had watched over him for nearly 20 years, had never worried about Dawoon this sincerely.
What was blood relation, that it was stronger than memories and affection built over a long time? If he turned out not to share a drop of blood with Hayun, would anything change? Would Haram and Hayun become different beings to him?
No matter what he thought, it was a mess. He still couldn’t understand how it had come to this situation.
“Shall we go somewhere for a cup of tea?”
Since Dawoon refused a meal, Choi Seon-gyeom suggested going to a cafe. Dawoon shook his head again. He knew they shouldn’t just sit here for 3 hours, but right now he didn’t want to move at all. Choi Seon-gyeom didn’t push further. As if understanding Dawoon’s complex state of mind, he just nodded and stayed by his side.
Bzzt. Bzzt. He thought the repeated vibration was from his own phone, but it wasn’t. Choi Seon-gyeom took out his phone from his jacket pocket, checked it, and pressed the call button.
“Yes. No. Not particularly… Ha! So you’re saying to completely stop the work that’s almost finished? Why did you request the job in the first place if you were going to…”
Throughout the conversation, his face grew increasingly contorted. With a serious expression, he also mentioned that if he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have called in his entire filming team. It seemed like some ongoing filming had gone awry.
“Looks like there’s a problem.”
Since he was sitting right next to him, he could hear most of the conversation. Unable to pretend not to know, he asked, and Choi Seon-gyeom turned to him with a bitter smile.
“It seems Jeong Hayun found out about me meeting Dawoon.”
Dawoon flinched when Hayun’s name came up unexpectedly while asking about his work.
“I wonder if he’s put someone to monitor me or Dawoon. Do you have any idea?”
It was reasonable to suspect surveillance, given that they hadn’t met during the exam period and only met yesterday, yet a problem arose today because of it.
“Your silence seems to confirm my suspicion.”
Choi Seon-gyeom interpreted Dawoon’s silence on his own. Dawoon hung his head low. It probably wasn’t surveillance. At least, there was no one following Dawoon. He wasn’t so dull as to not notice if someone was monitoring him.
But Hayun really did know about all of Dawoon’s movements. He had caught on to all of Dawoon’s meetings with his grandfather and his secretary. At the time, Dawoon thought Hayun might have placed someone on his grandfather’s side, but seeing Choi Seon-gyeom have the same suspicion, the problem seemed to be with himself.
If it wasn’t surveillance, how did he know?
He paused while fiddling with his phone. Maybe…
His gaze lowered to the phone screen. Hayun had always bought his phones for him. Dawoon had never opened a new box himself. He just used the phone that was prepared with all necessary apps already installed, ready to use.
What if this phone had location tracking or messenger hacking programs installed? It wasn’t impossible for Jeong Hayun.
Haah. As a long sigh escaped, Choi Seon-gyeom looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“It’s nothing.”
He couldn’t bring himself to tell him that his phone might be being tracked.
How did they set up today’s appointment? With a worried heart, he checked the messages exchanged with Choi Seon-gyeom. Fortunately, there wasn’t much content in the messages. Thinking it wasn’t something to discuss over messages, they had set the meeting place and time over a phone call. But if location tracking was set up, Hayun would have known right away that he was here now.
No wonder nothing could be hidden. As he roughly grasped the situation, he couldn’t even sigh. He felt suffocated by Jeong Hayun’s obsession.
“More importantly, did hyung do something to you, writer?”
When Dawoon brought the topic back to the beginning, Choi Seon-gyeom frowned as if troubled.
“The Jeju Island video filming has been completely stopped.”
At his answer, Dawoon’s expression hardened.
“Did hyung do that?”
“They say pressure came from the Haedo Group side, so I guess so.”
He couldn’t even groan. He was speechless that Hayun had really interfered with someone else’s work because of him.
How far was he planning to go? Not satisfied with sending young Haram to study abroad, he even sabotaged Choi Seon-gyeom’s work…
“I’m sorry.”
When Dawoon apologized in a weak voice, Choi Seon-gyeom turned to look at him.
“It’s not something for you to apologize for, Dawoon.”
Despite his words, Dawoon couldn’t shake off his feeling of guilt. It wasn’t something he had done, but Hayun was doing these malicious things because of him.
“I’ll tell hyung to stop.”
Only Dawoon could stop Hayun.
“Haah.”
Choi Seon-gyeom let out a big sigh, causing Dawoon’s gaze to rise to his face again.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“But you said the work was stopped…”
“It wasn’t work I wanted to do in the first place. I was doing it out of consideration for the sponsor’s face, so it doesn’t matter if it’s stopped. It’s a bit unfortunate that I called in all the filming staff, but this kind of thing happens all the time, so they don’t mind.”
Choi Seon-gyeom really acted as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“Still…”
It wasn’t just Choi Seon-gyeom and his staff who suffered damage. After all, the video filming was being done because it was needed, so Choi Seon-gyeom’s sponsors must be quite perplexed now.
“What would you have to give up to tell your hyung to stop?”
Dawoon’s eyes wavered at the unexpected question.
“Jeong Hayun isn’t such an easy person, is he? If you ask him for a favor regarding my work, don’t you already know what he’ll want in return?”
Dawoon couldn’t answer and swallowed dryly, lowering his gaze.
“If it’s like that, doing nothing is the best thing for me. As I said yesterday, I don’t want to be a burden to you.”
Dawoon couldn’t meet Choi Seon-gyeom’s straightforward gaze. If he met his eyes now, he felt like the dam in his heart that he was barely holding up would collapse. He felt like he might blurt out that he really didn’t know what to do anymore, that he just wanted to throw everything away and run.
He clenched his fist and swallowed all his emotions.
‘Hyung.’
As he recalled the innocent smiling face of the child looking up at him, his heart ached and he felt like crying.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
