#52
“Ba… bathroom.”
They had been given 10 minutes anyway. Other people were also leaving the hall one by one. It was an atmosphere of taking a brief break. Taemin looked around and stood up from his seat.
“Then let’s go together. I have something to say too.”
Just as Taemin was about to stand up as well,
“Taemin, about today’s party…”
A blonde man approached Taemin and started speaking. Seeing an opportunity to escape, Idam quickly shook off Taemin’s hand that was holding his wrist and left the party hall.
“Yeo Idam!”
Taemin’s shout was heard from behind, but Idam ignored it. Whether it was an orgy party or not, Idam couldn’t bear to comply and had no choice but to flee. The hotel was so large that he couldn’t distinguish where the exit was. He just ran wherever his feet took him. After climbing stairs and crossing corridors, he arrived at an unfamiliar place.
“Huh?”
There was no sign of people and it was quiet. Having been in a noisy space until now, it felt awkward to suddenly be in a quiet place. Still, it didn’t seem like Taemin was following, so he was catching his breath while walking down the corridor. That’s when someone’s shadow fell over him from behind.
Is it Taemin? Panicked, Idam was about to run again when someone’s arm suddenly came out, wrapped around Idam’s chest, and was pulling him forcefully.
Idam tried to scream, but the hand covered his mouth. Being dragged along, Idam was terrified. The man restraining him immediately opened a nearby door and pushed Idam inside. As a result, Idam fell to his knees. Fortunately, there was a carpet on the floor, so it didn’t hurt much.
However, the person who attacked him seemed to be Taemin. No, it must be him. Convinced of this, Idam spoke without daring to turn around.
“CEO… I don’t want to… I don’t want to see you doing dirty things like orgy parties or whatever…”
“It’s me.”
Huh? Hearing a familiar voice, Idam straightened his hunched shoulders and looked back. Hayun was standing there, taking off his mask.
“Hayun!”
Idam, who had been desperate to talk to him since earlier, quickly got up, glad to see him.
“Why are you here? How did you end up working here?”
“Well…”
Hayun closed the slightly open door completely.
“The owner of Pungjeobcho asked me to come.”
“Didn’t you say you quit?”
“It was something I agreed to before resigning, so I wanted to finish this last job.”
“But weren’t you only supposed to work inside Pungjeobcho? Why are you out on a job here?”
Idam continued his questions, confused by the current situation.
“Actually, the current owner of Pungjeobcho is just a figurehead, and there’s a real owner behind the scenes.”
“Who is it?”
“It’s Ji Taemin.”
“What?”
Idam felt like he was being hit on the back of the head repeatedly.
“I found out when I submitted my resignation recently. The manager said he needed to inform the real owner when processing my resignation. When I pressed about who it was, he said it was Ji Taemin. Apparently, the bar he started as a hobby did better than expected and has expanded until now.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
“It makes sense. They say he started it in utmost secrecy because if it became known that he was running such a bar, it could damage Baekwol Corporation’s image.”
Idam thought he really was involved in various businesses. If that was the case, he must be incredibly busy, so it was puzzling how he managed to explore Idam’s body so thoroughly every day. Once again, Idam was amazed by his insane stamina.
“So, under Taemin’s leadership, alphas often held gatherings at Pungjeobcho. Sometimes, like today, they would bring Pungjeobcho staff and play at this hotel. They would set a concept among themselves each time and bring partners. But I never imagined you would come this time.”
Hayun looked at Idam as if in disbelief.
“Are you going to stay by Ji Taemin’s side?”
“…”
“That person is dirtier than you think.”
“I know…”
It was a scene Idam had already witnessed with his own eyes. Idam’s eyes became empty, as if void of emotion.
“And all the alphas who’ve dated Taemin so far. They’ve all been dumped without exception. Some alphas even went to Taemin’s company and caused a scene. It seems he plays with people and easily discards them when he’s done.”
Hayun was speaking indirectly, but his meaning was clear. That Idam would end up like the other alphas. No, being dumped would be fortunate. An even worse situation could follow.
“Idam. Have you thought about what I proposed?”
It was about paying back the 350 million borrowed from Taemin with Hayun’s money and getting out.
“What do you want to do?”
Hayun threw out the question as if urging for the answer he had already decided. Idam also thought it was right to take Hayun’s outstretched hand. However, it wasn’t easy to accept.
“It’s money you earned through hard work. I feel sorry…”
“When did I say I’d just give it to you? I said I’d lend it. If you really don’t want to, go back to Taemin. Participate in that trash game if you want.”
Hayun’s voice became sharp, seemingly annoyed that Idam kept hesitating.
“No. I don’t want to!”
Rather than having his ankle crushed, this was unacceptable. But there was one more thing on his mind.
“You’re in the middle of work, aren’t you? Won’t it be a big problem if you run away in the middle of it?”
“How much is a day’s wage worth? I can throw that away. I hate seeing you being treated dirty by other guys more.”
“But alphas are disgusted by my pheromones. They can’t touch me anyway.”
“I’m saying this because there are betas too.”
Hayun spoke firmly. Idam felt a strange sense of being moved seeing Hayun taking his side. And Idam would have done the same if he were Hayun.
Above all, it was an opportunity to escape from Taemin.
Right now, there were no windows with bars, no men who wouldn’t allow even a walk, and Hayun was by his side. The walls monitoring him had thinned. No, they might as well be gone.
“Actually, I want to get away from CEO Ji Taemin too. No, I will get away!”
At Idam’s decision, Hayun’s frozen expression melted.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Idam answered firmly and nodded his head.
“But how do you plan to escape from here?”
Although there might be less surveillance than at the mansion, there were still burly security guards strictly stationed at the hotel entrance.
“There’s a warehouse in the basement of this hotel. If you enter that warehouse, there’s another door inside, and when you open it, it connects directly to a mountain path. It’s a walking trail used by nearby residents. If you go down a bit, there are shops, buses, and a taxi stand. You can escape by taking a taxi from there.”
“I thought there wouldn’t be such a path because this place seemed so secluded.”
“I thought so too at first. But a coworker told me it was a shortcut, so I found out.”
“Wow…”
Idam felt like he was encountering a new world. Hayun looked proud for a moment, then became serious.
“Since you’ve decided, let’s hurry.”
“Okay, got it. So where should we go?”
Idam was ready to run out immediately. But Hayun didn’t answer and just stared at Idam intently. This made Idam feel small, wondering if he had done something wrong.
“First, you need to change your clothes. That suit is too eye-catching.”
Indeed, the color was bright and the design was quite flashy, so it was noticeable.
“I’ll bring you different clothes, so wait here for a moment.”
“Okay, got it.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
Hayun quickly grabbed the doorknob as if to open it, then stopped. He looked cautious once more.
“In case someone comes, go inside the dressing room.”
Idam nodded. At the same time, Hayun hurriedly left the room. And Idam moved to find the dressing room as Hayun had said. The bed sheets were neatly made, and there was no luggage visible, so it didn’t seem like anyone was staying in the room. It was a small space, so the dressing room was easily visible. He went to the farthest corner and sat down. Thinking that escaping from here would consume quite a bit of energy, he decided to rest while he could.
* * *
“Huff, huff!”
Secretary Kang was currently searching the hotel thoroughly, deploying other employees.
Until just a moment ago, he had been waiting in the lobby on the first floor. It was something he always did whenever they came to this hotel. But suddenly, he received a call from Taemin saying that Idam had run away and to chase after him. He thought, “How long has it been since he jumped over the wall and ran away last time, and now he’s doing this again?” Moreover, he was even more flustered because he hadn’t expected such a thing to happen at the gathering.
If he doesn’t catch him this time, it’s over.
Thinking of Taemin’s nasty temper, Secretary Kang felt he had to do his best. As he was going around like this, he arrived at the party hall. Taemin was at the entrance, frowning deeply.
“What, did you find him?”
“No… He’s not visible yet. But don’t worry, I’ve deployed quite a few people.”
“Instead of flapping your gums, find him quickly. Fuck.”
Taemin, who had become as sensitive as possible, had a rotten expression.
“I… I’m sorry.”
“Contact me immediately when you find him.”
“Ye… Yes, sir.”
Secretary Kang, thoroughly intimidated, moved away from Taemin, saying he would definitely catch Idam.
“Hah… This is driving me crazy.”
Taemin muttered, brushing up his bangs. Just after Idam had left the party hall earlier, he had tried to follow immediately. But another friend had grabbed him, saying they needed to talk. Of course, he had shaken them off quickly to chase after Idam, but in that brief moment, Idam had completely disappeared from his sight. That’s why he had contacted Secretary Kang.
Amidst all this, a blonde man staggered out of the party hall.
“Hey, where did your wife go? We need to start the game soon. Honestly, your wife seems like she’ll be the most popular today. Everyone’s going crazy wanting to fuck her. Shit, when can I…”
At that moment, Taemin grabbed the man’s collar and pushed him against the wall. He glared at the blonde man ferociously, as if he was about to skin him alive.
“We’re not doing that.”
“What?”
“I didn’t bring her here to do that kind of game in the first place.”
“Th-then why did you come together?”
The blonde man asked back, bewildered. Taemin furrowed his brow deeply and answered.
“It’s like eating the same dish at a dining table versus outdoors, isn’t it?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“I wanted to enjoy the same dish I eat every time in a different atmosphere. That’s all.”
After all, Idam was everything to him.
