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Han Jaekyung’s daily life had mostly found its rhythm. Although contact and meetings with Yeonhu had decreased quite a bit, since there had been times when they were completely cut off, just a reduction in frequency wasn’t particularly shocking.
Even after that day, they met several more times in the strange combination of Jaekyung and Moon Yeonu, Yeonhu and Choi Eunseong. Perhaps because Moon Yeonu, who would be hurt if he wasn’t second to none in cheekiness, was mixed with Eunseong, who had such a refreshing and kind personality, the atmosphere wasn’t bad each time they met.
Jaekyung decided to stop thinking about headache-inducing things and just let his body go with the flow of the situation.
Like this… it might not be bad to remain as really close friends with Yeonhu. Rather than belatedly clinging with lingering attachment to Yeonhu, who had already come to like someone else, and having their connection severed, he’d reached the conclusion that maintaining an appropriate relationship this way was one alternative.
Eunseong no longer felt uncomfortable with Jaekyung either. Though he hadn’t offered a direct verbal apology, it was because he wasn’t the type to deliberately create conflict in a situation that flowed naturally like water mixed with water, alcohol mixed with alcohol. Eunseong was the type who would endure discomfort himself rather than create conflict. He was a completely different type of human from Jaekyung, who would pour out complaints even about a single pea under the blanket making his back ache. So what could be done? He had no choice but to humbly accept once again the defeat he’d already acknowledged.
Yeonhu was no longer his exclusive sucker who would risk everything and spare nothing for Jaekyung’s sake. If someone had the right to use Yeonhu as their sucker, it was no longer Jaekyung’s share. It was a right allocated solely to Eunseong.
Knock knock.
What woke him from his reverie was the sudden sound of knocking. When he answered “Yes, come in,” the employee standing outside the door, whose purpose apparently wasn’t to enter, simply conveyed the message of being summoned to the CEO’s office. …A summons to the CEO’s office. If he was going to spout unpleasant words related to Yeonhu again, maybe he should just write his resignation and leave. Even if their connection had been severed after selling his lawyer business card, he wouldn’t starve to death immediately. Jaekyung steeled his resolve and headed to the CEO’s office.
However, what was waiting for him in the CEO’s office wasn’t the CEO with a knife in his mouth.
“Lawyer Han! You’ve arrived. It’s been a long time.”
The middle-aged gentleman greeting him with delight was Chairman Jang’s accompanying secretary, whose face was familiar to Jaekyung too.
“Ahem, Lawyer Han. Sorry for calling you urgently during work hours. Secretary Kim said it was so urgent that…”
“You’re not offended, are you?” The CEO, who spoke with a bright smile, showed none of the high-handed attitude from a few days ago. Jaekyung didn’t immediately give any response but first glanced around the situation in the CEO’s office.
Secretary Kim’s expression showed impatience he couldn’t quite hide, and the CEO, who just yesterday evening had dismissed him saying Lawyer Han no longer needed to attend partner-level meetings, was now showing very intimate and kind, blatant goodwill.
He’d dismissed him as an orphan with nothing left to exploit, but seeing that connections with Woojin Group seemed to remain, he’d immediately switched tactics. It was truly impressive political maneuvering.
Jaekyung ignored the CEO and addressed Secretary Kim directly.
“Yes, Secretary Kim. It’s been a while. But what brings you here today?”
“I’m sorry for visiting so urgently like this. Could you possibly come with me to the headquarters right now? I’ve already asked for the CEO’s understanding.”
“Going isn’t difficult, but… is there some matter?”
“I’ll explain on the way. Then let’s depart immediately. CEO Yu, the tea was excellent.”
Secretary Kim jumped up as soon as Jaekyung’s consent fell. His movements were so urgent that he didn’t even listen to the CEO’s words asking him to convey regards to the Chairman. Jaekyung silently followed him out. Seeing someone who had served the Chairman closely for at least twenty years and wielded considerable influence within the group acting so urgently, something big had definitely happened.
“Please get in. Once we arrive at headquarters, you can go straight up to the Chairman’s office.”
“Yes…”
The young man sitting in the driver’s seat was someone who had come in as a replacement after his uncle quit. Jaekyung exchanged greetings only with his eyes through the rearview mirror and got into the back seat with Secretary Kim.
Once the car started, Secretary Kim immediately raised the partition between the front and back seats before bringing up the matter.
“I’m truly sorry for taking you away so suddenly. But it’s really too urgent. Lawyer Han, no, Jaekyung, please stop the Chairman.”
“Stop the Chairman? What on earth is happening?”
“Haa… Where should I start explaining this?”
The sight of an elder old enough to be his father washing his face in despair wasn’t pleasant to watch. Secretary Kim’s unusual appearance, always so composed, made Jaekyung gradually tense up too.
“Jaekyung, you knew who Young Master Yeonhu has been seeing lately… didn’t you?”
Ah, so that’s what this is about. Well, since he’d even taken Eunseong to the alumni gathering where all sorts of people gathered, it was natural that news would reach the Chairman’s ears. If anything, it was strange it had only reached him now.
Jaekyung couldn’t figure out how to respond. Seeing him suddenly bring up such a topic at this timing, today’s trouble was definitely related to Yeonhu’s romance…
Noticing Jaekyung’s hesitation, Secretary Kim lowered his voice a bit more and said they could speak comfortably since it was just between them. Meaning whatever reaction Jaekyung showed here wouldn’t be conveyed to the Chairman.
“…I knew. I’ve even met him directly through Yeonhu’s introduction.”
“It seems the young madam tried hard to keep it from reaching the higher-ups’ ears, but eventually the tail was caught. The Chairman has been absolutely furious since this morning.”
“Mm, I can roughly imagine how displeased he must have been with that temperament.”
“Yes. But the problem is that the young master…”
Secretary Kim trailed off as if finding it absurd just to think about.
“What, is he stubbornly refusing to break up?”
“…Exactly.”
“What? In front of the Chairman?”
To think the place he’d guessed with a ‘surely not’ attitude would be the unimaginable correct answer. Jaekyung looked at Secretary Kim with wide, startled eyes. Secretary Kim nodded heavily with a sigh.
What kind of person was Chairman Jang? With only the money from selling a few plots of farmland from his hometown, he’d come to Seoul alone and built today’s Woojin Group—he was truly no different from the protagonist of Korea’s success story. Before such a stubborn great man who acted as if no one in the world was superior to him, anyone had no choice but to bow down. Yet in front of such Chairman Jang, Yeonhu, who hadn’t even gained a single director title yet… really had the audacity.
“At first, he calmly said that the youthful fooling around was enough and it was time to arrange engagement conditions with Sindong Pharmaceuticals, so clean it up. But Young Master Yeonhu stubbornly insisted he couldn’t break up even if he died, couldn’t get engaged. Neither of them is yielding a single step and only their voices are getting louder. How desperate must I have been to come running to call you, Jaekyung? You’re the only one who can stop both of them.”
Secretary Kim earnestly begged him to either calm Chairman Jang or make Yeonhu give up, grasping Jaekyung’s hand tightly. Chairman Jang was quite fond of Jaekyung, saying he resembled his own younger days with nothing to his name but fierce determination like a tenacious fighter.
As long as he didn’t cling to Yeonhu’s life, he’d said he was willing to cherish him indefinitely. So there was somehow hope in calming Chairman Jang, but he no longer had confidence in persuading Yeonhu.
Especially when it came to matters involving Eunseong.
“…I’ll try, but I’m not confident either.”
Jaekyung muttered weakly, and Secretary Kim patted his shoulder a couple times, saying just attempting was enough.
* * *
“Get that thing out of my sight immediately!”
By the time Jaekyung, who had rushed over, arrived at the floor where the Chairman’s office was located, shouting that sounded like someone had boiled a train’s firebox was already echoing throughout the entire corridor.
The other employees in the secretary’s office, who had been eagerly waiting for Jaekyung’s arrival, rushed him along saying “This way, hurry!” as soon as he got off the elevator, urging his already hurried steps.
It was when Jaekyung, who had run until his feet were on fire, crossed the threshold of the Chairman’s office. Whoosh, thunk! An ashtray that had always sat in one corner of the Chairman’s desk flew with an almost cheerful sound and struck someone directly in the forehead.
Jaekyung, who stopped walking for a moment, slowly turned his head following the trajectory of the flying ashtray.
“Ugh…”
The ashtray was rolling carelessly on the floor as if it had finished its job. His heart seemed to sink.
“Yeonhu hyung…! What to do, what to do… There’s so much blood, so much blood…!”
“I’m fine. I’m okay…”
The one barely wiping his forehead and around his eyes where blood was streaming with his left hand was, as expected… Jang Yeonhu.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
