#128
Tension was palpable between Ji Taehwa and Taemin. Idam also felt anxious, sensing that something brutal might unfold.
“Hahaha!”
Ji Taehwa’s boisterous laughter enveloped the alley. It was laced with mockery, making him seem almost monstrous. This caused Idam’s shoulders to instinctively shrink. Bewildered, he also observed Taemin’s reaction. He too maintained a smiling expression, which felt abnormal. This made Idam even more uneasy.
“But what’s that over there?”
Ji Taehwa finally addressed Rickdi.
“The face looks familiar, doesn’t it?”
“There was a bit of an incident,” Taemin explained calmly. He showed no signs of embarrassment. He was confident, as if everything he had done was justified.
“Hah.”
Ji Taehwa sighed. He touched his brow and continued speaking.
“Taemin, didn’t I tell you to dispose of trash in places where the sky isn’t visible if possible?”
Abruptly offering advice, Ji Taehwa took out his phone and made a call.
“Dr. Jang. There’s a patient here now. Come quickly and take him away. We can’t let this escalate, so verify his identity and handle it.”
Treating Rickdi like an object, he put the phone back in his pocket.
“My friend will take that foreign man away. Let’s go inside.”
Ji Taehwa patted Taemin’s back. It seemed like a gesture disguising familiarity. Then, as his eyes met Idam’s, he smiled broadly. It was an eerie smile, as if he was wearing a mask. Because of this, Idam felt like he was directly facing the danger that was about to befall him, and he had to turn his head away.
* * *
Idam entered the bedroom cradled in Taemin’s arms. Feeling a sense of security, the anxiety that had arisen due to Ji Taehwa subsided. Taemin sat Idam on the sofa and calmly examined him.
“Are you really sure you’re not hurt anywhere else?”
“Yes… Really, I’m not.”
Idam nodded. If Taemin hadn’t appeared then, something worse might have happened. But despite Idam’s answer, Taemin still seemed worried.
“How did you end up with Rickdi?”
“I was resting on the bench when he came to me.”
“Did he just kidnap you out of nowhere?”
“Well, you see…”
Idam explained the moment he met Rickdi. Taemin’s already sharp expression furrowed even more, and he let out a sigh.
“I didn’t have any dinner plans with Rickdi today.”
“I see…”
Idam felt relieved at his confession. It proved that the claim about Taemin sending someone to deal with him was itself a lie.
“But how did you find me, CEO?”
It almost felt like he was constantly watching over Idam from above. However, it didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Actually, I kidnapped Rickdi, who was with you last time, and kept him confined for 3 months.”
“What?”
Idam’s eyes widened, nearly popping out at this answer that was beyond his comprehension. After all, weren’t they friends?
“Why… Why did you do that?”
“Because Rickdi seemed suspicious.”
“…”
“At first, I was just going to hold him briefly because I was curious about why he approached you. But then I found out he was communicating with Jang Hayun while looking for you. Given the situation, it seemed like Rickdi had some hostility towards me. I ended up keeping him confined because I didn’t know what might happen if I just left him be. But today, the very thing I was worried about ended up happening.”
While what Rickdi had done to Idam was certainly despicable, Idam felt uncomfortable as he naturally recalled the reason why Rickdi might have held a grudge against Taemin.
“I heard that Rickdi’s mother was also an extreme heat omega. And that your father tried to kill another extreme heat omega he met.”
Taemin frowned.
“That’s not true. Both of Rickdi’s parents are foreigners, and his mother is a dominant omega. There was never any involvement with my father. Rickdi had feelings for you, Idam. He told that lie to interfere with our relationship.”
“But he seemed to know detailed information about your family.”
“That’s because I talked about it during a drinking session with Rickdi.”
“He even knew that my father was a test subject.”
Taemin’s expression instantly hardened.
“Is that really true?”
“Yes…”
He also seemed greatly confused. Rickdi had said he kept it buried in his heart because he didn’t want things to become awkward with Taemin, and it felt too realistic to dismiss as a lie, given the weight of his involvement.
“So the story about Rickdi’s mother might be true.”
“I’m not sure. Grandfather said there was only one omega who was compatible with my father. So I couldn’t even imagine the existence of another extreme heat omega besides my mother.”
“Do you trust that?”
Ji Taehwa is no ordinary person. He nonchalantly caused Taemin’s mother’s death and wore a brazen mask. Taemin nodded, perhaps sensing something about his grandfather.
“Alright. I’ll look into it in detail.”
“Okay…”
Idam nodded, curious as well. Taemin looked at the bedroom door and spoke.
“Let’s move to a new residence tonight.”
“What? Move?”
“I think it would be better to get away from grandfather’s eyes.”
Idam agreed with his suggestion and nodded. Even though they had only briefly encountered each other, it was clear that Ji Taehwa was no ordinary person. Just seeing him was enough to make one’s breath catch.
Knock knock.
The door opened slightly along with a knock.
“Are you two talking? Are you busy?”
It was Ji Taehwa.
Idam was at a loss, and Taemin’s eyes were full of wariness, but he quickly composed himself and faced Ji Taehwa.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Good. I have something to say, can you spare a moment?”
He seemed to have business with Taemin, but his gaze was fixed on Idam. It was like looking into the eyes of a snake. Taemin, reading Ji Taehwa’s gaze, turned his body sideways to shield Idam.
“Yes, let’s go to the reception room.”
“Alright, understood.”
Unable to see Idam because of Taemin, Ji Taehwa stepped back, showing a somewhat disappointed expression. Soon the door closed, and silence fell in the bedroom.
“Hah…”
Idam relaxed his tense posture. But his heart was still uneasy. He was worried that sharp words might be exchanged between the two.
* * *
“This jujube tea is really sweet and rich in flavor.”
Ji Taehwa put down his teacup with a satisfied expression. Taemin also took two sips of his usual Americano.
“The man in the alley earlier has been sent to the hospital. They say he went straight into surgery as his injuries were deeper than expected.”
“So you haven’t killed him yet.”
At Taemin’s words, the corners of Ji Taehwa’s mouth turned up. It was like facing a ghost’s mask.
“When we checked his identity, he turned out to be your friend, Taemin. So I thought it was something for my grandson to handle and stepped back.”
“You did well.”
Taemin leaned his broad back against the sofa. He looked meaningfully at the jujube tea Ji Taehwa was drinking, then shifted his gaze.
“What did you want to say to me?”
“It’s about Hyeongman. I heard he’s currently hospitalized in a mental institution, is that right?”
“Yes.”
“Why did things turn out like that?”
“After he injured his head last time, he seemed to be showing signs of early-onset dementia, so I sent him for recuperation.”
“Hah. What dementia for such a young man.”
Ji Taehwa frowned as if dumbfounded and finished the rest of his jujube tea. Taemin, with eyes as hard as if all emotion had been drained from him, opened his mouth.
“I have a question about my deceased mother.”
“What are you curious about?”
“In the documents you sent last time, along with the fact that Yeo Idam’s father was a test subject, you also sent the truth about my mother, didn’t you?”
Here, the ‘truth’ Taemin referred to meant his mother’s real nature and the circumstances of her murder.
“I was a bit taken aback that you sent information I wasn’t curious about.”
“Haha, was that so?”
Ji Taehwa smiled as if it was no big deal. There was also a sense of an ominous scheme, making it feel eerie.
“You sent it with the intention of telling me not to develop unnecessary feelings for Yeo Idam, right?”
The reception room froze for a moment as if darkness had descended. After a brief moment, Ji Taehwa folded his hands and clapped. An artificial commotion filled the reception room.
“As expected. You’re my grandson indeed. Your intuition is really sharp.”
“…”
“Yes. Extreme heat omegas are beings that should be used for their sweetness and then discarded. I hoped you would be different from your weak father, Hyeongman. But looking at you now, you seem no different from your father. Did I misjudge you?”
“Yes, you misjudged me.”
Ji Taehwa’s eyebrows twitched as if Taemin’s answer was unexpected. But beneath that, there was also a sense of relief, as if Taemin shared his mindset. However, Taemin’s next statement differed from his hopes.
“I’ve decided not to deceive about my nature like my father did. I will take Yeo Idam, an extreme heat omega, as my wife.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
