137.
#Things Visible Only After Leaving
“The CCTV footage from the parking lot at that time wasn’t recorded, as someone had already tampered with it. However, we’ve secured dashcam footage from cars parked in the lot, including our own. Should we submit it as evidence and report to the police?”
At Director Park’s question, Hayun’s gaze turned to Dawoon, who was asleep on the sofa opposite the bed. Because Dawoon had stubbornly refused to go to the hospital unless it was absolutely necessary, they eventually had to come to a Haedo Group affiliated hospital for admission and a brain CT scan. Only after hearing that the test results showed no abnormalities did he seem to relax and fall asleep a short while ago.
“Don’t report it, but track the license plate number to identify the car owner. If it was a stolen vehicle, they might have abandoned it somewhere, so track it as quickly as possible. And…”
Hayun narrowed his eyes, lost in thought. It was only for a moment, but he had seen the face of the person in the driver’s seat. It seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
“I’m sure I’ve seen that guy somewhere before…”
He muttered as if talking to himself, and Director Park asked what he meant. Hayun shook his head and said it was nothing. If he could remember exactly who it was, he could have Director Park investigate then.
Hayun’s gaze returned to Dawoon. Recalling the events from just a few hours ago, he alternated between feeling his heart sink and feeling anger rise at who would dare do such a thing. Though he was trying to appear calm for Dawoon’s sake, who was anxious, Hayun was also a mess inside.
“It seems Dawoon also considers you special, Vice Chairman.”
Director Park, who had been watching Dawoon along with Hayun, inadvertently revealed his thoughts. Hayun looked up at him. Realizing he might have spoken out of turn, Director Park’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, then he took a small breath and composed himself.
“To be honest, I thought you were one-sidedly obsessed with him.”
At the frank answer, Hayun chuckled and turned his head. His eyes once again focused on Dawoon’s face. It seemed he could stare at Dawoon all night if left alone.
“But seeing earlier, it appears Dawoon also regards you as special.”
It wasn’t just something said to please Hayun. Director Park was simply stating what he had observed, matter-of-factly.
“Family is special to that kid.”
Hayun replied, his gaze still fixed on Dawoon. Director Park didn’t respond further, but he thought it was more than just that. Director Park also had a younger sibling around Dawoon’s age and was quite close to them, but not like Hayun and Dawoon. The way they looked at each other was different from simply cherishing a sibling as family.
Jeong Hayun seemed to have no intention of hiding that gaze from the beginning. He often revealed his feelings for Dawoon quite openly. In fact, at first, it had seemed more like an obsession than affection. That’s why there were times when it was considered excessive meddling with his brother.
Now that Jeong Dawoon had disappeared, it became clear that even if it was distorted, it was still affection. Director Park realized for the first time that Jeong Hayun was also human, capable of hurting and struggling.
On the other hand, the Jeong Dawoon that Director Park had observed was sometimes colder and more static than Jeong Hayun. He rarely showed his emotions, as if he had built a tall wall around himself. Hayun said Dawoon wasn’t good at lying, but Director Park thought Dawoon was more skilled at hiding his emotions than Hayun. He had buried them so deeply that even he himself didn’t realize it, which is why it took longer for him to become aware of them.
If something had happened to either Jeong Hayun or Jeong Dawoon in today’s accident, how would the one left behind have coped? Whichever one remained, wouldn’t they have struggled to live a normal life?
“Nngh…”
A faint groan was heard. Dawoon was frowning and seemed to be having a nightmare. Hayun got off the bed and crouched in front of Dawoon. He felt Dawoon’s forehead, which was covered in cold sweat, and gently patted his back.
“It’s okay. I’m here.”
The low voice sounded soft and warm even to Director Park. It was a side of Jeong Hayun that he showed only to Jeong Dawoon.
Gradually, Dawoon’s groaning subsided. Hayun, who had been patting his back until then, breathed a sigh of relief when Dawoon’s breathing became steady. He picked Dawoon up, carried him to the bed, and sat down beside him. Seeing Hayun gazing endlessly at the sleeping Dawoon, Director Park quietly left the room. There was a transparent barrier between the two that no one else could penetrate. It was a relationship that couldn’t be explained simply by the terms “lovers” or “brothers.”
***
Early the next morning, after being discharged, Hayun took Dawoon to a hotel.
“As much as I’d like to take you to London right away…”
He trailed off, his expression becoming serious as he thought about something. However, when his eyes met Dawoon’s, he smiled as if nothing was wrong.
“I have some urgent matters to deal with. Let’s stay here for 2-3 days. I know it’ll be frustrating, but I’d prefer if you didn’t go out if possible. Especially after what happened yesterday.”
He didn’t want to keep Dawoon confined, but he was too anxious to let him roam freely. The car from yesterday had clearly targeted Dawoon.
“What about you?”
At Dawoon’s question, Hayun hesitated and turned to look at Director Park, who was waiting nearby. Director Park glanced at his watch, indicating it was almost time to leave.
Dawoon moved his eyes to look at Director Park. The fact that he was waiting without moving meant he planned to accompany Hayun. It made sense that he needed to go out, since he said he had matters to deal with. But Dawoon didn’t want to let him go. It wasn’t that he disliked being left alone to wait. He was afraid that something like yesterday might happen again where he couldn’t see.
“If I go with you…”
He stopped mid-sentence, realizing his mistake. What was he trying to say to someone who was going to work? It was crossing a line.
Still, he didn’t want to be apart right now. The anxiety that had exploded continued to ripple on the surface. Fortunately, he wasn’t seriously injured yesterday, but if the same thing happened again, no one knew what might happen.
Barely holding onto his reason, he swallowed all the words he wanted to say. His brow furrowed as his desire not to interfere with Hayun’s work clashed with his anxiety of not wanting to be apart for even a moment.
Hayun, who had been quietly watching, pressed his finger against the wrinkle between Dawoon’s brows. When Dawoon looked up, he saw Hayun smiling gently.
“I won’t go.”
“Vice Chairman.”
Director Park was taken aback by Hayun’s answer. But Hayun turned to him and shook his head slightly.
“Please change all meetings to video conferences. I’ll receive the rest of the reports here. The COO is at headquarters anyway, so there’s no need for me to be there. Director Park, please act on my behalf when necessary.”
Speaking with an intentionally bright smile, Director Park bowed his head as if he had no choice.
“I’ll be working here, so you go in and rest comfortably. Let me know if you need anything.”
Hayun turned to Dawoon and pointed to the inner bedroom. He told him to get proper rest since he had slept uncomfortably at the hospital last night. Although Dawoon didn’t feel sleepy at all, he silently nodded, feeling it wasn’t right to keep watching Hayun work. As he entered the bedroom and closed the door, Hayun and Director Park’s voices became muffled, barely audible through the wall.
Left alone, thoughts he had been forcibly holding back flooded in like a burst dam.
Who could have tried to ram them with the car yesterday? It seemed to have been aimed at him… Could someone really have been trying to kill him? Who on earth…?
It wasn’t that he had no suspicions. It could have been a power struggle within Haedo Group to pressure Hayun, or perhaps…
‘Wasn’t your mother enough, now you have to devour Hayun too?’
His grandfather’s accusations seemed to buzz in his ears. He had thought it was nonsense, wondering how he could be devouring Hayun, but it had almost come true. Hayun had nearly died because of him.
He lowered his gaze to the floor and clenched his fists tightly. If his grandfather had tried to kill him, what should he do? If it was his grandfather, he would know that the reason Hayun called off the engagement was because of him. Hayun had said that grandfather still didn’t know about Dawoon’s birth, but was that really true?
He had presented the genetic test results several times, but grandfather didn’t seem to fully believe them. Looking back now, grandfather’s suspicion was justified. Sometimes, a person’s intuition can be sharper than scientific results.
His mind was a tangled mess, like a ball of yarn. Just when he had managed to pull himself together, everything seemed to be falling apart again.
But… I can’t say I’ll leave him now.
There were things that became visible only after being apart. There were also things he realized only after coming back.
Jeong Dawoon without Jeong Hayun was like an empty shell. Though no one had constrained him, he felt hollow, as if a huge hole had been punched in his heart.
Jeong Hayun without Jeong Dawoon was surprisingly a mess. Unable to sleep or eat properly, he looked like he might collapse at any moment.
So he couldn’t abandon or leave him. He realized it clearly after leaving. Dawoon hated seeing Jeong Hayun in pain and struggling more than he hated his own hardships.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
