Chapter 160
“…Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”
Mitchell hung up the phone but remained leaning against the wall, motionless. He stared at the wallpaper opposite him for a while, lost in thought.
He had just received a report that Junman had boarded a plane back to Korea. Junman wanted to return to Korea, and it was better in many ways for Geon-woo’s peace of mind if Junman left the United States.
Mitchell decided to help Junman become self-sufficient in Korea, including paying for his airfare. He gave him a store in downtown Seoul.
On the condition that Junman sign an agreement not to interfere with his brother’s future, Mitchell told him to ask for whatever he wanted. Junman mentioned a café. He requested a very specific franchise, location, and square footage for the store, currently the most popular.
Mitchell granted Junman’s wishes.
In fact, Mitchell had been uneasy since he first met Junman after receiving Malik’s call. He felt uncomfortable every time he saw the scars on Junman’s face and his unnaturally moving arm.
Although Geon-woo didn’t say much, he was also concerned about his brother. When Mitchell told him the news of Junman returning to Korea, Geon-woo’s eyes trembled greatly. He didn’t express his emotions verbally, but the turmoil in his heart was evident.
Mitchell couldn’t tolerate Geon-woo caring about anyone other than himself. Whether good or bad, he didn’t want to share Geon-woo’s attention and heart with anyone else.
That’s why he granted all of Junman’s requests, who asked for this and that with a bright smile. Mitchell even planned to check on him occasionally, to see if he was doing well in Korea without causing trouble.
Jeff also returned completely to Las Vegas.
Jason threatened that if Jeff didn’t transfer ownership of the Saint Hotel and quietly go to Las Vegas, he would cut off their father-son relationship and reveal to the media that Jeff was gay. Even for his own son, the scale of the threat was extraordinary.
Mitchell found Jeff’s decision surprising. It seemed Jeff was more afraid and disliked the idea of the whole world knowing he was gay than losing ownership of the hotel.
If he were in the same situation, what would he do? First of all, he wouldn’t have given up the hotel. If Geon-woo was with him, he would welcome anything. If they were perfect lovers, what more could he ask for?
Anyway, thanks to Jeff’s decision to keep his secret for life even if it meant giving up the hotel, Mitchell stopped the acquisition of Saint Hotel. If Jeff had insisted to the end, Mitchell might have tried other tactics, but there was no need since Jeff disappeared on his own.
Finally, all the irritating people who had been sticking to him like glue were gone.
Now he could focus on acting and enjoy a peaceful life with Geon-woo, but…
The unexpected new news confused Mitchell.
His biological father, whose face he couldn’t even remember. He had disrupted Mitchell’s daily life, which was full of Geon-woo.
***
Glance.
I secretly checked on Mitchell, moving only my eyeballs while keeping my head still. Despite this being the dozenth time I’ve stolen a glance, Mitchell showed no particular reaction and kept his eyes on the script.
Ever since hearing the news about Mitchell’s biological father appearing, I’ve been watching Mitchell’s reactions. The media keeps pouring out stories about Mitchell’s father. Since it’s news that could even involve Seimon, the press has been relentlessly pursuing it. Countless articles and news about Mitchell’s biological father endlessly plastered the internet.
The man claiming to be the biological father was reportedly caught by the police after a fight broke out in a bar. Completely drunk, he spent the entire time in the holding cell talking about Mitchell. He made a spectacle of himself, calling out Mitchell’s name and wailing that he had done wrong as a father.
While the internet world was so noisy, I was more anxious because Mitchell, the person at the center of it all, showed no particular reaction. Or am I… just worrying too much?
When Mitchell deliberately tries to hide his emotions, even I, who stick to Mitchell like glue, can’t read them properly. Even when he suggested we live separately in our own homes, I couldn’t read Mitchell’s psychology for a long time. It wasn’t that I was dull; Mitchell was just a pro. He was skilled at hiding his emotions.
It was only after the self-proclaimed biological father of Mitchell disappeared after posting bail that people started saying he might actually be Mitchell’s real father. Although it was mere speculation, journalists blinded by the scoop published articles without proper fact-checking.
The unidentified man was confirmed as Mitchell’s biological father by the media.
Mitchell’s adoptive parents refused interviews, and Mitchell didn’t release any statement either. He didn’t say a single word about his biological father, neither outside nor at home.
So I couldn’t help but focus all my attention on Mitchell.
“How long has it been for us?”
Mitchell suddenly asked. His gaze was still on the script.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
I peeked up from the sofa where I was half-heartedly reading the script. Our eyes finally met as Mitchell sat at the study desk.
“I’m asking how long it’s been since we last did it. You keep staring at me because you want to, right?”
He looked at me with playful eyes and smiled. With one eye slightly squinted, he spoke mischievously, looking like a delinquent. Though where would you find such a handsome delinquent?
“Mitchell, it’s only been a day. Not today.”
“Really? I thought you were trying to seduce me because you wanted to.”
His naughty gaze scanned between my thighs. Ready to pounce on me at the slightest opening, I hid my face behind the script.
“I haven’t memorized all of this yet. It’s urgent.”
“Tsk, that’s a shame.”
Contrary to my concerns, Mitchell seemed unbothered. Several days had passed since the first article came out, so he might have become numb to it.
Maybe it was fake news? Mitchell might have already hired someone to investigate thoroughly. Maybe after a detailed investigation, it turned out to be just an attention-seeking drunkard. Mitchell is unbothered because there’s no need to pay attention anymore!
I tried to understand Mitchell’s behavior by making various deductions on my own. I also had the confidence that Mitchell would tell me first if something happened.
***
“Malik. Why are you here? Didn’t you say you were going to LA?”
As soon as we arrived at the waiting room, we ran into Malik. Geon-woo and I had met in the parking lot after driving our own cars and entered the filming set together, only to find Malik there. He was occupying the most comfortable chair in the waiting room and responded with a question.
“You two came together? How do you almost always come together?”
As Malik grinned and raised his voice, people’s gazes fixed on us two. I greeted everyone individually, acting as if nothing was unusual.
“Isn’t it natural for our arrival times to be similar since we live in the same building? Mitchell didn’t even give me a ride, so I came separately. Say something to him. There’s no need to drive two cars unnecessarily.”
I sat across from Malik, leisurely checking my watch. Mitchell had a lot of makeup to do and needed to prepare first, but I still had plenty of time. As expected, Mitchell soon had to go to the makeup room at the staff’s call.
“I heard you went to LA, when did you come back?”
I asked, sipping the coffee I had bought myself. Malik nodded his head once broadly and crossed his legs.
“You heard from Mitchell, right? About your brother.”
I had heard about Junman from Mitchell. He said they met by chance and Mitchell had booked a flight ticket to Korea for him. By now, Junman would either be on the plane or have arrived in Korea. I heard the approximate date and time but couldn’t remember exactly.
But how did Malik know? Did Mitchell tell Malik about Junman? Was there a reason for that?
“If you’re grateful, buy me a drink.”
As I tilted my head, not understanding what he was talking about, Malik snorted and expressed his annoyance.
“This bastard, he didn’t tell you properly.”
Then he spilled everything that had happened at Saint Hotel.
“Your brother got beaten up by the owner of Saint Hotel. He was causing a disturbance in the lobby, demanding justice. He was breaking things and shouting, it was quite a scene. But I spotted him and stepped in. He looked like you. You might not know, but my intuition is no joke. That face is definitely Geon-woo’s family! With that certainty, I stepped in.”
Mitchell and Junman didn’t meet by chance. Surprisingly, they met through Malik. Come to think of it, it was strange to say they met by chance and sent him back to Korea. In the end, there were many other events behind it.
“But your brother was really interesting. No, should I say shameless? He asked for a café to be opened in Korea, said he needed funding to start a business, after we saved him from drowning, he cleaned us out completely.”
I asked for details about how the situation had escalated, but Malik just shrugged. He said he had only overheard secretly, so he didn’t know the exact circumstances.
Damn Bae Junman…. A café and funding, really?
I held my forehead while looking down at the floor. I felt blood rushing to my head.
“Geon-woo. I did you a solid. Don’t forget it. If I hadn’t been there, your brother would have been completely finished by Jason, Jeff’s father, you know? Do you know how scary that man is? Without a sound, just like that.”
Malik made a gesture of slitting his throat with the side of his hand. I was so shocked that I could only open and close my mouth without saying a word.
Meanwhile, Mitchell came out. He hadn’t even finished his makeup but plopped down in the seat next to me. I frowned and glared at him.
I should be angry, asking why he went so far for my brother, but knowing it was all because of me, I felt uneasy.
