Feeling that he might be persuaded by this guy if they continued talking, I tried to end the conversation at an appropriate point.
But this time, the guy started focusing on something else.
[Heo Yongwoo] Our new dad too?
At any other time, I would have thought he was excited, but now I could sense madness rather than joy in that message.
I could clearly imagine him writing the message with gleaming eyes, so I gently declined his suggestion.
[Our new dad is busy earning money to buy our catcher, so next time.]
[Heo Yongwoo] Tell new dad he has to bring our catcher. I heard Seo Minsu is on the market. If he doesn’t buy Seo Minsu, I’m going to set your newlywed home on fire?
A week ago, after Hanju Elephants’ starting catcher announced his transfer to their eternal rival Haewon Red Devils, who always competed for 5th or 6th place, Yongwoo went crazy.
I mean, literally crazy.
According to Jisung who was with him that day, he ordered hair clippers with a serious face, saying he would shave the head of the team director.
They barely managed to stop him, but judging by the madness in his eyes at that time, it was definitely not a joke.
I heard he’s been under pressure lately due to stock market issues, and since it’s the stove league with no dopamine, the kid is going insane.
[Go work.]
Fearing that if he caught me now, my head might be shaved instead of the director’s, I quickly wrapped up the conversation.
Then I immediately found the contact information I had received from Yongwoo and sent a message.
[I’m contacting you with a referral from Yoon Sojin. I have something to request, so please message me when you have time.]
As Yongwoo had explained, after sending the first text to the other person, I placed my phone on the desk.
Then I grabbed the mouse and started moving my hands quickly.
A month seems long at first glance, but looking back, it’s short.
There were too many things to do in that time.
Now there’s no time left.
* * *
“I’m leaving first.”
Standing right behind Junghyun, Yoonho deliberately pronounced each word as if reading a book in the empty office.
As if saying, look at what I’m about to go through.
With that obvious intention, Junghyun just waved his hand without even turning around.
A gesture telling him to get lost quickly.
At that cold response, Yoonho needlessly pressed Junghyun’s head with both hands as if kneading dough. Then he muttered quietly.
“Ah, really, this Chihuahua kid.”
“Shut up, traffic light.”
When they first met, Junghyun had seen Yoonho with bleached yellow hair, wearing a blue aloha shirt and red Adidas shorts, and said that.
‘Are you a traffic light?’
Since then, Yoonho’s nickname became “traffic light.” Of course, it soon changed from traffic light to grim reaper, but Yoonho still hated that nickname and lightly hit Junghyun’s head.
“You’re really going to ruin yourself with that mouth.”
“And you’ll ruin yourself with dopamine.”
At the response that they were both in the same boat anyway, Yoonho stomped out of the office as if annoyed.
Once he was gone and the office became quiet again, Junghyun, alone, roughly fixed his hair that Yoonho had messed up.
Then he moved his hands again to finish his work and checked the time on the bottom of his laptop.
It was just past 6:10 PM.
Time to leave.
As he was about to check his phone since the appointed time was approaching, a message arrived with impeccable timing.
[Jang Yuran] I’ve arrived.
It was the secretary he had spoken with a few times in the afternoon. The one Jaehyuk had insisted on providing.
He had told them that just sending the driver would be fine, but she said it would be better to meet on the first day, so she came along.
In this uncomfortable situation, Junghyun quickly turned off his laptop, hurriedly put on his outer clothing, turned off the office lights, and left.
When he urgently went down to the lobby, he saw a sedan stopped in front of the building.
Assuming it was that car, he fastened his coat and left the building. As he approached the car, the passenger door opened, and a tall woman got out.
She was an intellectual-looking woman wearing a black long coat with her hair neatly tied back.
“I’m Jang Yuran.”
“I’m Lee Junghyun.”
“It’s cold outside, so let’s get in the car first. I’ll explain on the way.”
She was right. The wind was particularly strong today.
With the sharp wind cutting into his skin, he quickly got into the back seat of the car, and she also got into the passenger seat.
After a slight delay when all the doors closed, the car started moving, and her briefing began.
“I understand you commute with Director Cha. We’ll move when your quitting time doesn’t match the director’s, or when the director needs to go to work early, and for other private outings. The main house, home, company, and CEO Lee Wonjun’s address are all saved. If there are other places you visit frequently, please let me know.”
For him, other places he visited were basically just the baseball stadium and Ttolttoli’s place, but they didn’t need to know that.
He wouldn’t be here by the time the new season started anyway.
“That’s enough. I don’t go out much.”
“If there’s anywhere you’d like to go, please feel free to tell us anytime. Also, from now on, I’ll check family gatherings or event schedules separately and report to you on a weekly basis. From now on, I’ll arrange your schedule based on family events.”
He wondered why he needed to know about family gatherings or events, but if it was just notification, it seemed fine.
That was probably one of her duties, so there was no reason to discourage her.
“Yes. Please do as you find convenient.”
“Then, shall we go straight home?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll contact Director Jang. And if you’re going to have dinner right after returning home, I’ll tell them to prepare in advance.”
“Um… yes. Please do that.”
“I’ll convey that message.”
After saying that, watching her quickly pick up her phone and move her hands, he huddled up and looked out the window.
The already sunset downtown was heavy with darkness.
Watching the lights quickly passing by in the darkness made him drowsy.
Come to think of it, he’d been busy all day and hadn’t taken a nap.
The moment he realized that, his eyes closed.
And at some point, he began nodding off.
Using the quiet engine sound as a lullaby.
* * *
‘GLAM’
In an alley in the middle of downtown.
Standing in front of a store with only a small, inconspicuous sign hanging, as if only those who knew should come, Yoonho tensed his shoulders nervously.
He couldn’t help it because this place was the starting point of all the tragedies.
Originally, he had always met Jaehyuk at the beach, but after accidentally encountering him at this store, he learned that Jaehyuk visited this place every second Friday of the month, and when he leaked that information to Junghyun, this mess started.
“…Damn, it’s creepy…”
It’s just a whiskey bar, but why does it feel like an abandoned mental hospital from a horror game…
Shuddering at the creepiness, Yoonho shook his head to dispel the delusion. Then, after taking a deep breath, he entered the store.
Unlike the unusually small sign and hard-to-find entrance, the interior was quite spacious and classic.
Like himself, it was a store run by a third-generation scion from a chaebol branch family, used as a personal hideout and for building connections, focusing entirely on quality without considering business profits.
Thanks to that, even the chef making the appetizers was a chef who had worked at a famous fine dining restaurant.
But that didn’t make it an appropriate place for dinner.
Yet, from the fact that the appointment was set at dinner time in this place, Yoonho sensed Jaehyuk’s grudge.
Junghyun said he wasn’t that kind of person, but in Yoonho’s view, he absolutely was that kind of person.
Hoping that he would be able to open his eyes tomorrow morning, he approached the quiet bar, and an employee greeted him with a smile.
“Welcome.”
“I’m here for an appointment with Cha Jaehyuk.”
The moment he mentioned his appointment, an older man responded as if he had been waiting.
“He’s already arrived. I’ll guide you.”
As if he had received instructions in advance, the man came out from behind the bar and approached a door in the inner corner of the building, passing through a hall that was not just quiet but empty.
Then he knocked on the door, and an immediate response came.
“Come in.”
At the quick response, as if he had been waiting, the man opened the door and invited Yoonho in.
Following his polite guidance into a cozy room, Yoonho found Jaehyuk already sitting in the inner seat, drinking.
As soon as he stood in the same space with him, Yoonho’s body suddenly stiffened, but he forced a smile.
Though Jaehyuk was just sitting there doing nothing, his mere presence was intimidating.
He was surely suppressing his pheromones to the maximum, yet it was enough to make Yoonho’s skin tingle.
At this level, it was killing intent.
Unable to get used to this sensation no matter how many times he encountered it, Yoonho awkwardly smiled and greeted first.
“You came early.”
At his indirect comment that it was still 15 minutes before the appointed time, Jaehyuk offered him a seat.
“Sit down.”
That meant, shut up and sit down.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
