# Chapter 27
“Reporter Jung Woojae… twenty-nine years old?”
Though it sounded like a question, it wasn’t really a proper one. Whether Manager Gu responded with a yes or not, Dohyun didn’t even glance at him, just flipping through documents with his fingertips.
“He hasn’t been grinding away as a reporter for that long? Yet he seems to be causing trouble here and there.”
“He landed many big stories early in his reporter career. The Gwangho Construction scandal that broke out a year ago also started with a report from Reporter Jung.”
As Dohyun turned over a page, the contents of an article reported by Woojae were clipped there. Dohyun quickly read through it, tapping the document with his fingertips.
“Our actor has brought along a troublesome tail.”
He wasn’t on bad terms with the press. It would be flat to simply call it a ‘friendly’ relationship, but they wouldn’t point guns at Dohyun, so if it was a good relationship, then it was a good one.
But the press wasn’t made up of just one or two reporters, and he couldn’t let his guard down just because he had good relations with the higher-ups. Sometimes there were loose cannons who would suddenly do things they were told not to do, all for the sake of their own achievements.
Especially the younger ones needed to be watched more carefully, since you never knew which way they might jump. There were quite a few who tried to bite off any neck they could with their passion and vigor.
“And of all places, it had to be KNY.”
KNY, the media company where Woojae worked, had bad blood with Dohyun. When T&C first ventured into the entertainment business, KNY was the one that published the most reports that stirred up unnecessary trouble.
Now they maintained mutual interests without major issues, but compared to other media companies, that connection was rather weak. There must be a reason why they act so impertinently.
“We don’t see any movements from KNY’s side.”
“What about Jung Woojae personally?”
“It’s not certain. There’s no definitive trail from what we’ve found so far. Since he digs into various things, he has many contacts and diverse directions. He’s also thorough with security. Whether he’s actually pursuing us or just doing his job will require more time to determine conclusively.”
“Not ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but ‘not certain’?”
It was an uneasy and ambiguous answer. Dohyun nodded as he put the documents back into the envelope.
“Right, he’s the one who shook the foundations of Gwangho Construction, so it would be laughable if he leaked things carelessly. It would be more strange if anything came up after this level of investigation.”
“Do you think Jung Woojae is digging into our side, sir?”
“Haven’t we been doing this job for more than a day or two? Just by looking at a journalist’s face, you can generally tell which way their thoughts are rolling. There’s a look in someone’s eyes that tells you if they’ll cause trouble or not, and he has that troublemaking look. What’s wrong with taking preemptive measures?”
Manager Gu nodded readily in agreement. Dohyun’s handling of matters was meticulously thorough, and thanks to that, there were more than a few problems that had been prevented.
One might feel it’s troublesome to waste energy on unnecessary things, but Manager Gu was a subordinate who had been in sync with Dohyun for a long time. He had no reason to resist or question his directives.
Standing quietly, Manager Gu suddenly seemed to have a question and cautiously asked.
“If the reporter is acting on his own initiative, we can’t rule out the possibility that Han Seowoo might have tipped him off, can we?”
Dohyun pressed his temple with one hand at this question that touched on an obvious point. A brief silence stretched out.
Dohyun had also considered this and it was actually the first assumption he had made. He just hadn’t verbalized it.
Dohyun had already witnessed Seowoo trying to pour his heart out to Woojae. Even though he had managed to defuse that situation, since Dohyun couldn’t keep Seowoo under close surveillance all day, it wouldn’t be strange to assume that he had already spoken to Woojae.
If Seowoo had been the type whose heart would shrink at Dohyun’s threats and keep his mouth shut, he wouldn’t have made the cohabitation proposal in the first place.
“Rule out? No… with his personality, he must have talked.”
While saying he didn’t want to die, he always bared his teeth as if being held captive was worse than death. He probably would have considered any means that could break the situation.
Would he really have refrained from using the Jung Woojae card, the closest one at hand? The Seowoo that Dohyun had assessed was definitely not that kind of person. However, it wasn’t clear exactly how he was using Woojae.
Is he planning to dump all the information on him and expose everything? It was a simple but commonly considered method of revenge. Or maybe he asked him to dig around?
Dohyun smiled slightly, raising only his lips. Manager Gu’s eyes fixed on his face, studying his expression.
“Should we look into it more?”
“No, just maintain the current surveillance on the star, and focus on Jung Woojae. Then we’ll naturally find out what kind of conversations they’ve been having.”
“Yes, sir.”
Manager Gu bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment. Dohyun was about to wave his hand lightly as if to tell him to leave, but suddenly stopped his movement.
“Reporter Jung Woojae, he’s not connected to Heo Jin-wook, is he?”
“According to what we’ve found, we haven’t discovered any traces of contact. Is there something you’re concerned about?”
“Are there any other bastards trying to get on our nerves these days besides Heo Jin-wook’s people? They’re doing all sorts of crazy things trying to stick a knife in my neck. It doesn’t hurt to consider the possibility.”
If Jung Woojae’s connections were that extensive, it wouldn’t be strange if he had links to Jin-wook. Director Heo Jin-wook had been unhappy from the beginning with how Dohyun’s entertainment business was thriving and strengthening his position in T&C. All the unfortunate incidents reaching Dohyun’s ears recently were either related to Jin-wook or presumed to be.
Assuming Heo Jin-wook was manipulating a young reporter according to his own taste, this scenario wasn’t completely far-fetched.
However, this was also just a suspicion without any concrete evidence. Since it wasn’t a direction worth thinking deeply about, Dohyun casually placed the envelope on the desk and checked the time with a sidelong glance.
“Nothing else to report?”
“No, sir. Do you have any schedules to move to?”
“No, it’s dinner time. Shouldn’t you be going home?”
Manager Gu’s eyes wrinkled slightly at Dohyun’s response, which seemed to suggest this was an obvious question. He didn’t say it out loud, but his thoughts were evident from the subtle movements of his muscles.
A person who had hardly ever left work on time was suddenly talking about going home? Wasn’t he the one who had issues with leaving his home too empty?
“…Do you have dinner plans outside, by any chance?”
“I already had my date earlier today.”
It was an unusual expression to hear, but Manager Gu, knowing Dohyun’s peculiar way of speaking, didn’t react much. He already knew that Dohyun had lunch with Seowoo.
Dohyun, genuinely seeming intent on going home, rose from his chair and put on his clothes.
“I have to go home.”
“…Yes, sir.”
The brief silence between the responses seemed to contain many meanings. Deliberately not questioning that point, Dohyun finished tidying his clothes and showed a fresh smile.
“It’s my first time preparing for a home date.”
❖ ❖ ❖
The sound of keypad buttons being pressed at the entrance echoed all the way to the kitchen. Seowoo, who was getting water from the purifier, turned his head sharply to look in the direction of the sound, glass in hand.
The sun had set and darkness had fallen not long ago. It would be an appropriate time for most people to get off work, but not for Seo Dohyun.
Hadn’t he mentioned, even before they properly started living together, that he would only come home in the early morning? As Seowoo was about to leave the kitchen to check the situation in the living room, he heard the door opening behind him.
“You’re home?”
Even this affectionate voice was becoming familiar now. When Seowoo turned around abruptly, Dohyun was smiling brightly, holding a lot of bags in both hands.
“What is this?”
“Is that how you greet someone who just got off work? You could at least welcome me warmly.”
Dohyun smiled slickly and put down the bags he was holding on the dining table. There were two large bags. The familiar logo of a large mart was clearly imprinted on the surface.
Seowoo put down his glass, strode to the table, and rummaged through the contents without saying a word. All kinds of groceries spilled out indiscriminately.
“…?”
His expression naturally became dubious as he looked down at the spilled items. Not because there was anything strange, but rather the opposite—because they were all excessively ordinary items.
“You bought these?”
“Did you think I stole them?”
Though it wouldn’t be particularly surprising or strange if he had stolen the items, even if Seo Dohyun was an unpredictable madman, he wouldn’t do something as embarrassing as stealing daily necessities.
“…Why so suddenly?”
“You seemed fixated on the refrigerator, so I wanted to fill it up with some things. I’m human too, so I need to eat and live.”
It literally contained ‘this and that’ without discrimination. It wasn’t just random items grabbed—all the essentials were included, and the vegetables and fruits weren’t just swept up as seen, but specifically chosen to be quite robust and good quality.
Either he wasn’t completely ignorant about housekeeping or he had delegated it to someone. After looking at various items, Seowoo narrowed his eyes and looked at Dohyun.
“Did Manager Gu buy these?”
“Keep this up and I might suggest hiring Manager Gu as a housekeeper. You said you didn’t like him, but it seems you’ve taken a liking to him?”
“I’m saying this because you use that person like an errand boy, aren’t I?”
“He’s well paid for his work. It’s easiest to get stabbed when money issues are involved. Got to be careful.”
Dohyun casually made this chilling statement while flinging open the refrigerator door. His skill at arranging the ingredients here and there was certainly not amateurish.
“Are you a good cook?”
“If I don’t want to starve to death, I have to be. If there’s anything you want to eat, just tell me whenever it comes to mind. Don’t hold back unnecessarily.”
“Am I an app?”
Dohyun held up half a head of lettuce and grinned. It would be easier to understand if he were holding someone by the collar, but lettuce? How ironic.
Normally, Seowoo might have worried about watching someone work alone and offered to help, but given who the other person was, Seowoo wasn’t motivated. He just sat beside him, muttering grumpily.
Dohyun also didn’t seem to expect Seowoo to help at all. His organizing speed was quite fast, so there didn’t seem to be any place where help was needed. With his head buried in the refrigerator, Dohyun made a sound like an exclamation.
“I have to say, I organized this really well.”
“There’s nothing more embarrassing than someone praising themselves.”
“Doesn’t it look like a refrigerator from a commercial?”
He really was doing everything himself. Whether Seowoo rolled his eyes or not, Dohyun was now even examining the cupboard, smiling with pleasure.
He’s like a complete housewife. After briefly watching Dohyun’s back, Seowoo decided to completely turn off his interest and looked away.
It seemed more beneficial to think about his upcoming schedule or what to eat tomorrow. Regardless, Dohyun was humming an old-fashioned song while lining up spices in the cupboard.
“Ah, by the way, Seowoo.”
“What is it now?”
“I’m really curious about something… Oh, salt, tsk. I should have bought coarse salt.”
For someone who said he was curious about something, his voice was too casual, as if it was nothing important. Thinking that it was probably just trivial nonsense again, Seowoo didn’t even turn his head and just responded with a “Yes.”
“So, how much did Reporter Jung tell you about me?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
