Chapter 108
Inbeom Yoon had guessed that Geon-woo was obsessed with Mitchell. After all, Geon-woo was staying at Mitchell’s house because his own had burned down.
On the other hand, Mitchell’s feelings were unclear. But after hearing in a recent call that Mitchell didn’t know what to do with Geon-woo, and now seeing him seeking ways to get rid of Geon-woo, Inbeom couldn’t contain the joy rising inside him.
It was certain that Mitchell disliked Geon-woo, found him annoying, and was desperate to push him away!
Inbeom, who had thought Mitchell was decisive, secretly mocked him for unexpectedly lacking backbone. And he was grateful for it.
“Geon-woo makes you contact him every hour, right?”
“Ah… yes.”
Mitchell’s eyes widened before quickly returning to normal. It was clearly a surprised face. Inbeom laid out various stories to show Mitchell that someone with the same experience was right in front of him.
“He did the same to me. Always had to be together, and if we had to be apart, I had to contact him no matter what. Otherwise, he’d cry and make a scene. On top of that, he tried to control the people around me, interfered with my dating life. I broke up with more than five women because of Geon-woo.”
Inbeom raised his voice without realizing it.
“If you keep Geon-woo by your side, you won’t be able to date anyone, Mr. Mitchell!”
“Oh my.”
Mitchell’s expression hardened as he crossed his arms. Inbeom continued to drop bombs on Mitchell, who seemed to have finally realized the seriousness of the situation.
“And this is just my guess, but I think Geon-woo might have a tendency to like men.”
“You mean he’s gay?”
“I can’t say for sure, but he gives off that kind of vibe.”
“For example?”
“Well, first of all, his appearance…”
“Hahaha.”
Inbeom was startled by Mitchell’s sudden laughter. He hadn’t said anything particularly funny, but Mitchell burst into cheerful laughter. Feeling awkward, Inbeom scratched his temple, waiting for Mitchell’s laughter to subside.
“I’m sorry. I just found it strangely relatable.”
Do people usually laugh like that when they find something relatable? Inbeom was puzzled, but at Mitchell’s request to continue, he opened his mouth again.
“Yes… Also… Doesn’t he subtly cling to you, Mr. Mitchell?”
Geon-woo had always been comfortable with physical contact regardless of gender. Inbeom used Geon-woo’s casual behavior as an excuse to fuel the gay rumors.
“That’s right. It’s not subtle at all, he clings to me openly. I thought it was just a Korean characteristic, but is it not?”
“Absolutely not! Of course, some people do it casually, but men don’t do that to other men. Geon-woo even stroked my thigh, you know?”
“Oh. That’s surprising. Then he must be gay.”
Inbeom frowned at Mitchell’s face, which showed no surprise at all. He wracked his brain, feeling he needed to tell a more explicit story.
“Remember what I briefly mentioned before? About Geon-woo getting drunk and dancing naked in front of me?”
“Yes.”
“Actually, he wasn’t drunk and showed me his naked body. He was completely sober.”
“Naked?”
“Yes! He asked me to rate his body from a man’s perspective. Is that something a normal man would do? He was obviously trying to seduce me.”
“Hmm.”
“Obsession usually intensifies based on love, right? He’s obsessed because he likes men, don’t you think? Men like you or me.”
“…”
“It’s the type of person a public figure like you should avoid the most. Nothing good will come from getting close to someone like Geon-woo. It’s obvious there will be gossip. I’ve been really worried because you don’t seem to know what kind of person Geon-woo is. This is all for your sake, Mr. Mitchell.”
“Thank you.”
“So you need to kick Geon-woo out of your house as soon as possible. Before his obsession gets worse.”
“But that might be a bit difficult.”
“Why?”
“I borrowed money from Geon-woo. I can’t pay it back right now due to my circumstances. I agreed to provide my house in exchange for delaying the debt repayment.”
“Ah, no. Mr. Mitchell… You’re rich, aren’t you? How much did you borrow that you can’t pay it back right away?”
“All together, about 2.8 million dollars?”
“What? How is that possible!”
Inbeom was too dumbfounded to speak. From what he heard, Mitchell was literally mortgaged to Geon-woo. He couldn’t escape from Geon-woo unless he paid back the money first.
But how did Geon-woo have that much money? That part didn’t make sense.
Of course, what Geon-woo lost in Korea was his reputation, not his money. He was even lucky enough not to pay any advertisement contract penalties.
If Geon-woo had been a bit more shameless, he could have returned to the industry after a brief period of self-reflection. Of course, he would have gone from being a celebrity without anti-fans to an actor with mixed reviews. But Geon-woo chose to go to America instead.
Anyway, Geon-woo came to America while keeping his wealth. But even so, did he have 2.8 million dollars in savings? That’s about 3.7 billion won, roughly calculated.
To think he had that much left even after buying that huge mansion.
“That can’t be right.”
As Inbeom shook his head in disbelief, Mitchell casually mentioned,
“I think he might have some kind of sponsor.”
“A sponsor?”
“Yes. A proper benefactor. I don’t know much, but it seems they care for Geon-woo a great deal.”
Mitchell grinned.
Unlike Mitchell, Inbeom Yoon’s expression soured.
“Mr. Mitchell, this is no time to be smiling. Don’t you realize how serious the situation is?”
Mitchell just shrugged his shoulders.
“Ha… A sponsor?”
Inbeom hadn’t seen Geon-woo meeting anyone other than Mitchell. Had he missed something?
“I have a lot of ongoing business ventures, so I can’t immediately repay the 2.8 million dollars. I could, but I don’t want to strain myself unnecessarily. That’s why I’ve been letting Geon-woo live in my house while looking for a way to break his obsession.”
Inbeom, frowning, avoided Mitchell’s eyes. Mitchell asked with a slight smile,
“It’s difficult, isn’t it?”
The original plan to get Geon-woo out of Mitchell’s house had already failed. It was quite challenging to fend off Geon-woo’s obsession while letting them live together.
‘Damn… 2.8 million dollars.’
He had spent money to ruin Geon-woo’s life in Korea too. Back then, he didn’t mind the cost. But right now, he didn’t have 2.8 million dollars even if a knife was held to his throat.
Inbeom’s DK Agency had influence in the film industry, but its cash flow wasn’t good enough to extract such a large sum for personal use. It was more about reputation and connections than money.
So he couldn’t pay it back on Mitchell’s behalf. Besides, there was no guarantee that Geon-woo’s obsession would stop just by leaving Mitchell’s house.
If he wasn’t careful, he might lose the money and fail to control Geon-woo as well.
“I’ve listened to your story. It seems there’s no special solution at the moment. Although I’ve been surprised by Geon-woo’s behavior many times, I didn’t necessarily think I had to push him away. Until now, that is.”
“You never know how he might suddenly change! What if Geon-woo, um, starts coming onto you!”
Mitchell laughed again.
While Inbeom was feeling incredibly frustrated, Mitchell treated it as if it were someone else’s problem. That attitude was the issue.
“The reason I met with you, Mr. Yoon, was to find out how intense Geon-woo’s usual obsession was, and if there was a way to eliminate it. But it seems you don’t have any particular solution either.”
Mitchell checked his wristwatch. It was a silent signal that he would soon end the meeting.
Inbeom was fuming at the prospect of leaving without any results. Who could have known there was money involved between Mitchell and Geon-woo?
He had been too complacent, thinking Mitchell would naturally distance himself if Geon-woo’s image was tarnished a bit.
With his back against the wall, Inbeom blurted out whatever came to mind.
“Mr. Mitchell. If you keep Geon-woo by your side… you won’t be able to date, I’m telling you! Geon-woo won’t let you! Are you okay with that? Not being able to meet women?”
“Is that so?”
“Of course! Geon-woo will torment your girlfriend. If you keep Geon-woo around, your love life is over!”
“Hmm… Well then, I just won’t date.”
“What?”
“I’m saying I won’t date. I don’t need to.”
“What do you mean…”
“I don’t particularly need to date. Life is so enjoyable right now even without it.”
Sincerity settled on his brightly smiling face. Mitchell truly looked excited.
Inbeom stared at Mitchell in dismay. He had failed to persuade Mitchell. It was the easiest way to separate the two.
“Thank you for your time. I’ll try to reason with Geon-woo in my own way. Isn’t communication the most important thing?”
What does he mean, reason with him! The wall-like Geon-woo won’t change his mind with mere conversation. Inbeom glared at Mitchell, biting his lip. Mitchell had turned his body to open the door.
His seemingly solid and broad back looked just like Geon-woo’s. Like a high, impenetrable wall.
“Ah. This isn’t certain, but…”
At that moment, Mitchell, who was about to open the car door, turned his head.
“There is one person I suspect might be the sponsor.”
“What? Who is it!”
“I saw someone driving a white Ferrari meeting with Geon-woo.”
“A white Ferrari?”
“I think it might be the owner of the Saint Hotel in New York… Jeff Wood?”
Saint is one of the largest and most prestigious hotels in New York. To think that its owner might be Geon-woo’s sponsor. Inbeom’s eyes trembled.
“The important thing is, this sponsor seems to be very greedy. For example…”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
