Chapter 112
[Jeon Hyeon-wook]
“What’s with this guy?”
Then he let out a snicker. Even someone slow-witted would have ears—it seemed he had picked up news about Lee Su-hyeon’s scouting from somewhere.
Kim Kwang-in blocked the number and continued his happy daydreaming. But Jeon Hyeon-wook was more persistent than expected. When the phone rang for the fourth consecutive time despite being blocked, Kim finally spat out a curse with a grim expression.
“Has this bastard lost his mind…”
But that wasn’t the only unpleasant situation. Just as he sensed a sudden presence near the door, the team leader’s office door swung open without permission. Jeon Hyeon-wook stood beyond it, leaning on crutches.
“Are you crazy, you little shit?”
A shout erupted the moment he saw his face.
Kim Kwang-in, with his controlling personality, disliked anything—people or events—that deviated from his expectations. Jeon Hyeon-wook was someone who shouldn’t even dare to make eye contact and should grovel before him, yet he had the audacity to come looking for him uninvited, which was far from welcome.
“I-I have something to tell you.”
He could easily picture the situation outside the door. It was obvious that team members remaining in the office would be straining their ears, focusing on the situation. Suppressing the urge to kick him out, Kim Kwang-in reluctantly let him in.
“Come in.”
His purpose seemed obvious. As expected, Jeon Hyeon-wook brought up Lee Su-hyeon’s name.
“I-I just saw a news article. Su-hyeon, no, I mean, G-Guide Lee Su-hyeon might be g-going to America…”
Before he could finish, Kim Kwang-in cut him off sharply.
“And?”
“…Pardon?”
“And. Why are you telling me this here? Lee Su-hyeon isn’t even on our team.”
Surprised by this unexpected response, Jeon Hyeon-wook stammered before managing to continue.
“Y-you said you’d pair me with him if his pair contract is terminated…”
“Ah, that’s right. But you know what.”
A sardonic smile spread across his previously expressionless face.
“You should remember people’s words correctly. I said I would ‘try’ to make it happen, not that I promised to definitely do it. Frankly speaking, I can’t control Lee Su-hyeon’s mind, can I?”
“W-what do you mean…”
“Think about it. Neither of us anticipated this situation, and if Lee Su-hyeon decides to go to America, how could I possibly stop him?”
Seeing this blatant attempt to back out, Jeon Hyeon-wook cried out with an aggrieved expression.
“T-that’s not what you said! You said you would definitely bring Su-hyeon to Team 6…!”
A hand as large as a pot lid mercilessly slapped Jeon Hyeon-wook’s cheek. Caught off guard by the assault, he fell disgracefully with a thudding sound. His cheek immediately swelled red, and blood dripped from his nose.
Kim Kwang-in knelt in front of him. He grabbed the unkempt hair at the back of Jeon Hyeon-wook’s head, forcing him to lift his face. Then he called him in a gentle voice.
“Hyeon-wook.”
“…”
“Hyeon-wook, you should answer.”
“Yes…”
At that moment, another slap was delivered. Jeon Hyeon-wook’s head twisted, and he ended up lying flat on the floor. Kim Kwang-in stood up and looked down at him coldly, as if he were looking at an insect.
“Know your place. Don’t get cocky.”
“…”
“You should be grateful that I gave you a job to do. How dare you come to me with complaints?”
The verbal abuse didn’t stop there. While tapping Jeon Hyeon-wook’s head with his Walker shoes, polished to a shine by a team member, Kim Kwang-in mocked him until the end.
“I really did intend to pair you with Lee Su-hyeon if his contract was terminated. But what can I do when the situation has turned out this way? It’s not my fault, is it?”
“…”
“If you understand, then leave. I’ll process your leave again, so don’t show your face for a while.”
“…”
“What are you doing? Not leaving?”
As he spoke, irritation began to creep up again. He was considering kicking him out when Jeon Hyeon-wook, who had been sprawled on the floor until then, slowly got up. He clumsily gathered his despicable crutches, bowed deeply without making eye contact, and went outside.
Only then did Kim Kwang-in flop back onto the sofa.
‘Seems I’ve been too lenient with these kids lately. I should discipline them once in a while, really.’
He clicked his tongue inwardly, but then frowned again. The bloody nose that the idiot had dripped was messily staining the floor.
After leaving the team leader’s office, Jeon Hyeon-wook headed straight toward the office door on his crutches. Although he could feel the stares and whispers directed at him, he ignored them and left the office, gritting his teeth.
He headed to the bathroom. As he entered the innermost stall and locked the door, his head had not been raised once. His red-rimmed eyes were filled with anger and venom.
His clenched fist trembled as if electrocuted. He felt like going crazy with self-contempt for being foolishly used, and he felt an immense sense of betrayal toward the team leader who had trampled on someone’s feelings so nonchalantly.
‘I even harmed Su-hyeon believing in that one promise… and now you’re going to pretend you don’t know?’
This couldn’t be. No matter how foolish and stupid he was, this couldn’t happen to someone who had devoted and shown loyalty to the team for years.
He recalled the contemptuous face of the team leader. If there was one thing that the high-and-mighty team leader overlooked, it was that even a worm will squirm when stepped on.
If it had been a situation where only he was harmed, he might have blamed himself without uttering a word, no matter how unfair it was. But Lee Su-hyeon was involved in this incident. He couldn’t forgive the behavior of making a firm promise to help him, only to shut his mouth and cut ties now.
He wanted to confront the team leader, but sadly, the outcome was predictable. He could be beaten to near death for insubordination, and in severe cases, he might even be left disabled. Kim Kwang-in already had similar precedents.
‘In that case…’
Jeon Hyeon-wook took out his device with bloodshot eyes. Though he hated getting help from that bastard more than death, he had no other options at the moment.
Eventually, he typed someone’s name in his contacts. As he added each stroke, the autocomplete excluded one by one, and the only name that remained at the end was “Song Ji-hyeok.”
***
What is the ‘Life Partnership Law’?
True to its name, it’s a system that legally guarantees the rights and responsibilities of partners toward each other. To put it simply, it’s a concept similar to marriage registration, primarily used when same-sex individuals who aren’t blood-related want to establish a legal relationship, regardless of age.
Anyone over 19 years old can register as life partners, but more than 90 percent of those using the system were paired awakened ones. If they were male and female, there was no issue, but since current law still doesn’t allow same-sex marriage, they gained social recognition of their relationship through the Life Partnership Law.
As an awakened person myself, I naturally knew about such a system. However, I never dreamed someone would appear saying, “Let’s go write our names together on the registration form.”
At the public parking lot in front of the district office.
Although the car engine was turned off, I had no intention of getting out. Instead, I was busy trying to dissuade Song Ji-hyeok, who looked ready to bolt out at any moment.
“Wait. Wait a minute, Ji-hyeok.”
“Let’s talk after we get out.”
No way, man! If I get out, I feel like you’ll capture me and drag me into the district office!
I needed to persuade him quickly before such a mishap occurred. In fact, I think I’d said this three or four times on the way here.
“Let’s think about this more carefully.”
“I’ve already thought carefully.”
“It only took us 30 minutes to get here, when did you have time to think carefully?”
“That’s enough time.”
“Haah…”
For the first time in a while, I felt the frustration of not being able to communicate. Since raising my voice wouldn’t solve the issue, I calmed my excitement and spoke again calmly.
“This really needs careful consideration. You know ‘what’s done can’t be undone,’ right? It’s easy to stamp the registration form with your eyes closed, but it’s extremely difficult to undo it.”
Song Ji-hyeok, who had been listening quietly, dropped a comment.
“Have you ever tried to undo it?”
“No, I haven’t…”
“Then why do you talk as if you have? You’re scaring me.”
Only then did I find myself staring absent-mindedly at his slight smile, before quickly regaining my composure. Whew, I almost fell for his face. Looking at me intently, Song Ji-hyeok continued.
“You’re going to stay by my side, right? Then wouldn’t it be better for us to become each other’s partners?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
