# Chapter 35
The luxurious business card had been torn so neatly that no trace of its original form remained. Despite this sudden action, Dohyun didn’t even blink, merely observing Seowoo’s movements as if he were a bystander.
“Did my demand for money bother you? Let’s try a different approach. What request would be most reasonable?”
“That’s not necessary. I already know what I want.”
“What is it? I’ll give you whatever you want.”
Dohyun’s answer was prompt and quick, as if wondering why Seowoo hadn’t stated his demands from the beginning. Seowoo responded with an affectionate smile.
“An apology.”
“…”
“To be more precise, remorse?”
Dohyun didn’t offer any reply, simply staring directly at Seowoo. The way he slowly stroked his chin with one hand revealed his rather complex state of mind.
“I don’t want to hear apologies from the adults instead. If there are multiple culprits, I want to hear from all of them.”
“You want an apology from the people directly involved?”
“Of course, it would be best if I could hear one from the man who was wrestling with me earlier too.”
“Anyway, people in this neighborhood don’t even know who you are. There’s not the slightest chance that consciously leaving a good impression would help your career in the future.”
That was stating the obvious. The probability of them not knowing Seowoo’s name was higher, both now and in the future. Even if they remembered, they might just tilt their heads in confusion if they happened to see Seowoo’s face on TV, wondering if that was him.
But what did that matter? If he wanted to leave a good impression, volunteering would be more beneficial. Seowoo’s desire for an apology wasn’t for such calculated reasons, nor for admirable ones like self-sacrifice or compassion.
“It’s just more comfortable that way.”
“To resolve the situation?”
“For my peace of mind.”
Memories that rose like blisters on the tongue weren’t easily removed or settled. Just when they seemed to subside, they would inevitably rise again, causing Seowoo trouble.
If that was the case, it was better not to create situations that would remain as unpleasant and unsettling memories in the first place. Seowoo firmly placed the torn pieces of the business card in Dohyun’s hand.
“You said it yourself. That you’d give me what I want.”
“I didn’t say it couldn’t be material things.”
“What would I do with material things? I’d just get indigestion.”
Dohyun had never said the money would go into Seowoo’s pocket, but since he mentioned compensation for damages, it was still possible. If that money actually ended up in his hands, it would make him feel uncomfortable. Besides, he hadn’t even heard the full story of the incident.
Dohyun shook his head as if he couldn’t comprehend Seowoo’s words at all.
“Then what will you do with just smooth-talking apologies? The least trustworthy thing in the world is what people say.”
If someone else had said that, Seowoo might have responded that they were too cynical, but coming from Seo Dohyun, it wasn’t strange at all. Hadn’t Seowoo himself been doubting every single word Dohyun said?
“Anyone can get by with just words, bowing their head slightly. Sincerity doesn’t come from words.”
“Then where do you think sincerity comes from?”
“Material, time, action.”
Dohyun held up three fingers. Seowoo pursed his lips at these grand words that felt quite symbolic.
“That’s too vague.”
“How is this vague? They’re all the same. It’s a matter of how much you’re willing to give. How much money you’re willing to part with, how much time you allocate to this, whether you act in one direction without getting involved elsewhere.”
He meant that sincerity was determined by how much effort one put in. Thinking about it, it wasn’t wrong. But what Seowoo wanted now wasn’t perfect proof of sincerity.
“It doesn’t matter. Even if it’s not sincere.”
It would be nice if they were genuinely remorseful. But proving that state of mind would require passing through several checkpoints, as Dohyun said, and even then, only doubt would remain. Wouldn’t one look at the other with scrutinizing eyes if they slipped up even once?
Dohyun’s voice was filled with puzzlement at this unexpected response.
“You don’t mind if they apologize without being remorseful?”
“If there was absolutely no remorse, they wouldn’t even pretend to apologize. And… making them feel remorse isn’t my job either. No matter what I say, those who will reflect will reflect, and those who won’t, won’t. I don’t want to waste my energy trying to prove sincerity or whatever.”
Seowoo’s approach was rather selfish. He wasn’t deeply curious about whether the other person was remorseful, or what they might be hiding, nor did he keep it in mind.
He simply didn’t want anything to bother him at any point. Although it might seem like he was at a disadvantage now, eventually this memory would fade into a mere incident for Seowoo. If he received money and got into various arguments, it would be closer to an accident than an incident, and it would be harder to forget their faces, words, and actions.
Finding Seowoo’s answer quite interesting, Dohyun maintained silence for a while before slowly uttering one sentence.
“If that’s what you want.”
“…”
“If you want, I’ll make them feel remorse no matter what. If it’s troublesome for you, I’ll handle it instead. Material, time, action. I’ll make sure they prove their sincerity in every aspect.”
There was no playfulness in Dohyun’s words; rather, his tone was calm. His gaze was as quiet as a still water surface. It wasn’t a joke. With just one request, Dohyun could make them “prove” their sincerity through whatever means necessary.
Realizing anew what kind of person the man before him was, Seowoo quietly shook his head in the silence.
“…No.”
Unless it was a matter so painful and sad that it made his teeth chatter. This incident wasn’t significant enough for Seowoo to cause a commotion trying to prove sincerity that couldn’t be confirmed even by cutting open their hearts. It was just a knot mistakenly tied by chance; if it was unpleasant, he could just cut it off.
Dohyun quietly laughed at the plain rejection that came without any additional explanation. This time, it was truly a smile.
“I thought so.”
❖ ❖ ❖
“They’re urgently trying to secure another location that was already scouted for filming. It seems they’ll shoot other scenes first and push this one back.”
“I figured as much.”
Manager Gu’s plain voice coming through the phone had become somewhat familiar now. Seowoo half-lay against the sofa with his eyes closed.
“Did the director say anything else?”
“He just repeated what you’ve already heard directly. That he’s very sorry for creating this situation, that it won’t happen again, and that he hopes you’ll take good care of yourself.”
“Everyone’s being so dramatic about me just twisting my ankle a little… I’m already fine.”
While it was understandable that Dohyun, being the way he was, would want to carry Seowoo around just because he slightly injured his ankle, even the staff at the filming site didn’t know how to react, treating Seowoo as if he had broken his leg. If he had been injured that badly, he wouldn’t have let Kang Euntaek go without any compensation for damages.
The case was handed over to the police and neighborhood residents simply because Seowoo wasn’t in a position to be deeply involved in this matter.
“Still, it would be better for you to rest today.”
“I’m not in the mood to go out and enjoy myself anyway. When is Seo Dohyun coming? Didn’t he say he suddenly had some work?”
“Yes, regarding the CEO’s schedule…”
The words cut off abruptly, and Manager Gu’s voice grew distant. Unintelligible words continued from the other end of the phone. After Seowoo repeatedly asked “Hello?” Manager Gu finally responded.
“The CEO says, ‘If you’re curious about my schedule, call and ask me directly. Why are you getting information through Manager Gu?'”
“…”
“He won’t be coming home early.”
“Tell the CEO to do his job properly.”
“Understood.”
It was a clean response. Though Seowoo wasn’t sure if he would actually relay this message, it still made him feel better.
Originally, his schedule should have been packed until the evening due to filming, but they couldn’t force the shoot to continue in such a chaotic situation. The filming team and residents were arguing, residents were raising their voices among themselves, and in the midst of all this, it started drizzling, leaving them with no choice but to call off the filming.
He turned his head to look outside the window. It was raining quite heavily. Not good weather for going out either. It was already getting dark even though it wasn’t time for the sun to set yet, and the pattering sound of rain made it perfect weather for a thriller movie backdrop. Only people like Seo Dohyun would be wandering around working on such a gloomy day.
“…?”
Come to think of it, Dohyun had dropped off Seowoo and gone to work, hadn’t he? He seemed quite busy, and Seowoo was alone at home.
Suddenly, Woojae’s voice resounded vividly in Seowoo’s mind, as if unfolding a film.
‘You need to create a date.’
If he needed to create a date and contact someone, there couldn’t be a more suitable day than today. Seowoo was busy with filming, and Dohyun, unlike regular office workers, had irregular and inconsistent working hours.
It was particularly rare for Dohyun to be busy when Seowoo had time off. Usually, either Dohyun or at least Manager Gu would be attached to Seowoo to take care of him.
But today, everyone was distracted by the incident that had occurred. Especially Dohyun, whether due to the incident or some other issue, had wanted to leave before the residents’ situation was properly resolved. He wouldn’t be in a position to monitor Seowoo properly. Even if he did monitor him, it would be looser than usual.
Seowoo took out his phone, found the puppy emoticon in his contacts, and pressed the call button. After the dial tone rang for a while, there was a click as someone answered.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
