# Chapter 4
“Picking a fight? You keep dismissing my pure curiosity from the start.”
“Well, regardless of what I know, CEO… I don’t think I can trust you, from first impression until now.”
Although Seowoo had been gripped by an unknown fear just hours ago, now that he knew the identity of the man standing confidently before him, his blood ran cold instead. It wasn’t that his fear had disappeared—rather, he had literally lost his sense of reality and his ability to feel afraid.
As he continued watching Dohyun move in front of him, the “accident” on the mountain recently felt like a dream. Even if that incident had been real, he had the vague misconception that the beast-like human who had rolled with him in the dirt couldn’t possibly be CEO Seo Dohyun.
That man had been terrifying enough to make his blood run cold, whereas Dohyun was just an unpleasant man. Someone who enjoyed picking fights.
Dohyun examined Seowoo’s crumpled expression and then suddenly reached his hand toward Seowoo’s face without hesitation. He didn’t even pretend to hesitate.
“…!”
Seowoo reflexively frowned and pulled his head back.
“Oh my, look at this. What a shame you have a scar on your face.”
Seowoo thought the hand had touched him, but Dohyun’s fingers had stopped right beside his cheek, casting a shallow shadow on his face. Seowoo blinked slowly, very slowly.
Dohyun smiled quietly while keeping his gaze fixed on Seowoo’s left cheek.
“Did it hurt?”
Ah, right. This man wasn’t just a suit-wearer. His palm had countless clear scars that couldn’t even be compared to the faint scar on Seowoo’s cheek.
Though they were old, healed, and faded, Seowoo could clearly tell. They weren’t the kind of marks you’d get from just rolling around and falling down.
“If I had known earlier that you were a star, I wouldn’t have touched your face no matter what.”
Even though the palm was close enough to touch him, Seowoo couldn’t feel any heat. It actually felt a bit cool. It might have been an illusion.
Seowoo looked at Dohyun, closing his eyes tightly and opening them again. Without pushing away his wrist or stepping back, Seowoo simply asked:
“Did you come to threaten me?”
“Does it sound that way?”
Dohyun didn’t give a proper answer and slowly withdrew his hand.
Only then did the shadow that had darkened Seowoo’s vision clear. Strangely, the feeling of being unable to breathe also slowly disappeared.
Seeing that Seowoo’s complexion had improved, Dohyun smiled again.
“I could see you withering away day by day, so I just want to talk. In a healthy way.”
“…Don’t touch me. I’ll call the police.”
“The police?”
Looking at Seowoo, who was desperate to show he was on guard, Dohyun gestured readily. Seowoo stepped back with a disgruntled expression and clutched his phone.
“Go ahead, call the police.”
“…”
“Suddenly lost your courage? Why? Should I call them for you?”
Despite Dohyun’s urging, Seowoo couldn’t act. It had already been ten days since he witnessed Dohyun’s threats and assault. If he had intended to report it, he should have done so long ago. Before the two met again, before Dohyun somehow found Seowoo and approached him like this.
Instinctively, Seowoo realized at that moment. Even if he reported it, the police wouldn’t find traces of the man on the mountain. Seowoo might be protected initially, but not for long. His job required public exposure. It was only a matter of time before the man would find him. Seowoo didn’t want to take that risk.
He knew this himself, but it was an obvious fact he didn’t want to recall. He disliked being seen through by Dohyun even more.
“The reporters would go crazy. ‘Top star Han Seowoo in legal battle with T&C CEO?’ Just one headline like that would give today’s movie all the publicity it needs. Should I make the call for you?”
Dohyun acted as if he would really call the police if asked. He was being brazen because he knew Seowoo would never make that call.
Even if Seowoo made a scene here and brought the police, Seowoo would be the one who would have to reveal more. When that thought crossed his mind, Seowoo cursed inside his head and turned away.
Dohyun politely opened the emergency exit door as if escorting him.
“Let’s go to my company.”
“What?”
“Why? There are many eyes here, aren’t there? I’ll treat you like an important guest, so don’t worry and follow me.”
Dohyun extended his hand playfully, or perhaps respectfully. What bullshit. Seowoo stamped his foot, ignored the outstretched hand, and walked past him. Dohyun withdrew his arm without concern and followed behind. They headed toward the crowded elevators.
❖ ❖ ❖
Really… the difference is disgustingly huge.
Seowoo tilted his head back to look at the top floor of the building. It was wide, tall, and splendid. He felt somewhat overwhelmed. T&C, T&C—he had only heard about it, but it was his first time feeling such a stark difference up close. It wasn’t particularly pleasant. He had heard they owned more than one headquarters building.
By the time tension was creeping up the back of his neck, Seowoo straightened his head. His company and T&C were established around the same time. Glancing sideways at Dohyun, he saw that the man was still smiling neatly. It had been a long time since he had consistently found someone’s smile so unpleasant.
<T&C CEO Seo Dohyun>
Looking at the phrase well engraved on the expensive nameplate, Seowoo made another disgruntled face. Even seeing it with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe. Seowoo crossed his legs to one side and rested his chin on his hand.
It’s really excessive, too much. The dark-suited men standing guard in front of the CEO’s office were unnecessarily respectful to Dohyun. It was far from what could be called a family-like atmosphere, even as a courtesy.
Seowoo had good instincts. He easily detected both misfortune and good fortune when they approached. He usually tried to avoid such misfortunes, but sometimes it wasn’t possible. Like now. In such cases, his only option was to turn danger into luck.
“…He’s not watching, right?”
While observing Dohyun’s movements, Seowoo quickly took out his phone and found the voice recording app. Having done this before, it took only an instant. As if nothing had happened, the phone slipped back into the inside pocket of Seowoo’s outer garment. He might not be able to report it right away, but having evidence in hand could make a difference.
While he wondered if it was really necessary to bring someone to the company just to have a conversation, considering what Seo Dohyun did, it made sense. In a way, it was like a side job that shouldn’t be exposed. How troublesome would it be if careless talk outside leaked out?
This situation was actually fortunate now. At the preview screening, he had been too distracted to even think about recording.
With a strange sense of relief, the tension in his body eased further. His stiff gaze finally moved around the surroundings. Through the glass windows of the CEO’s office, he could see men with gloomy expressions coming and going in front of the door.
“What are you staring at so intently?”
Dohyun leaned against his chair and asked in a friendly tone. Seowoo turned his head back from the corridor and mumbled vaguely. Dohyun was holding what looked like a folder of documents.
“Are you interested in our manager? Should I introduce you?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Can’t even take a joke.”
Dohyun answered in a friendly tone while placing the folder on the desk. Seowoo’s humorless reaction didn’t seem to surprise him. From the beginning, he had been a person without any sense of tension. Of course, he had no need to be tense. It was Seowoo who had walked into enemy territory, not this man.
“Jokes should be told at the right time and place for people to laugh or not laugh.”
“The star has been dry from the start, so why act surprised now.”
Dohyun took out a fountain pen from the edge of the desk. His fingers, which skillfully twirled the pen, were noticeably long with pronounced knuckles. Though Seowoo had thought the many scars indicated he had done his fair share of fist-fighting, Dohyun’s hands seemed well-adapted to holding a pen too. He looked comfortable with it.
Dohyun gestured with his chin while opening a paper. Only then did Seowoo lean his upper body forward and narrow his eyes.
“What is this?”
“Ah, a contract.”
Contract? Seowoo raised his head abruptly. His expressionless face wavered for a moment. Why suddenly make a contract when there’s nothing to negotiate?
“Is this your first time seeing a contract?”
Dohyun tilted his head as if to ask what was wrong.
“Why are you giving me a contract? I’m not leaving my company.”
“Rejecting me before I’ve even started my pitch. Haven’t you ever signed a non-disclosure agreement? Though the form is different, the essence is similar.”
Dohyun smiled kindly as he handed over the pen and paper. It was just a figure of speech; he didn’t look kind at all.
…So it’s not a scout offer? Seowoo looked at Dohyun with a puzzled expression.
Dohyun held out the pen and paper with a kind smile. Of course, “kind” was just a figure of speech; to Seowoo’s eyes, he only looked more frightening.
“Wow, you’re handsome even with a stupid expression, aren’t you?”
“You need a contract just for keeping my mouth shut?”
At most, Seowoo thought it would be about keeping quiet, and if he refused, the man might get a bit rough. He was planning to just play along appropriately, get out of here, and then seek help from Jinhyuk or the CEO.
Wait, couldn’t he just believe me if I say I won’t talk? Seowoo made a disgusted face.
“Let’s keep this comfortable, smooth.”
Dohyun tapped the paper twice with his fingertip. It was clearly printed on the paper:
“I pledge not to disclose or reveal any secrets without the company’s consent… Until the death of the undersigned.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
