He must have eventually passed out.
Gwak Seon-woo opened his eyes to the sensation of the car jolting and the sound of a voice close by. It took him a moment to register that he was inside a vehicle, but he immediately recognized that the person beside him was Gwak Seung-hyeon.
Seon-woo reflexively tried to call out to Seung-hyeon. However, upon noticing that he was on a call with someone, he promptly closed his mouth.
Seung-hyeon had his hands resting on the steering wheel, while Seon-woo was slumped back against the fully reclined passenger seat. After glancing around, Seon-woo got a general grasp of the situation and ran a hand over his face to help clear his mind.
Seung-hyeon, apparently focused on the call, didn’t seem to have noticed that Seon-woo was awake yet. Seon-woo tuned into the conversation.
“So what you’re saying is, you suspected the director. I was wondering why you asked him to come out like that…”
Seung-hyeon’s fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel. He had lowered his voice, likely trying not to wake Seon-woo.
“Then how do you plan to explain the fact that the director’s been kidnapped now?”
Though the voice was low and quiet, the tension in his tone couldn’t be hidden by volume alone.
“I don’t know if you realize this, but from where I’m standing, you’re more than suspicious enough. You were the one who called him out just a few hours ago… and after that, he suddenly disappeared. You’re pretty close with Su-won hyung, aren’t you? Both you and your husband.”
Now that he’d regained full consciousness—and considering he had told Seung-hyeon where to call in case something happened—it wasn’t hard to guess who was on the other end of the line. Just then, Seung-hyeon furrowed his brows irritably and ran a hand through his hair.
“I’ve only kept my mouth shut this long because that’s what the director told me to do…”
That was when Seon-woo finally made his presence known. It was frustrating not being able to hear the other side of the conversation, and he was starting to feel like it was time he stepped in himself.
Thankfully, whatever condition had silenced him before seemed to have worn off while he was unconscious, and when he opened his mouth, his voice came out without much effort.
“Give it here.”
His voice was a little hoarse. Seon-woo cleared his throat with a soft cough. Seung-hyeon immediately turned to look at him. The irritation and coldness from just a moment ago quickly gave way to a calm expression.
“You’re awake?” he asked.
Though he’d pulled the phone slightly away, he hadn’t muted it. When Seon-woo silently extended his hand in demand, Seung-hyeon reluctantly handed over the device, his unwillingness clear on his face.
Reluctantly—that was rare for Seung-hyeon, who usually obeyed without complaint in most situations.
Though the change in behavior was interesting, there was no time to dwell on it. Seon-woo took the phone and immediately held it to his ear, speaking up.
“Hello. Aunt?”
There was a moment of silence on the other end. But Seon-woo already felt certain that the caller was Gwak Sang-hwa, so there was no reason to hesitate. He added a line out of courtesy.
“This is Gwak Seon-woo.”
Finally, a response came.
— “Haha… You, kidnapped? Really now.”
Her first words were neither a proper response to his greeting nor something one should say to someone who’d just been rescued after being kidnapped. Still, the idea of someone like him—a Gwanggong, no less—getting kidnapped was so ridiculous that even Seon-woo himself couldn’t take offense at her flat chuckle. That dry laugh didn’t bother him in the least. Which is why he jumped straight to the point.
“You must’ve heard what happened.”
Gwak Sang-hwa replied without hesitation.
— “Yeah. That adorable cousin of yours asked me to dig into my husband.”
The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable. If he were a typical Gwanggong, he would’ve flown into a rage at being called an “adorable cousin.” But to Seon-woo, it wasn’t an entirely inaccurate description, so he didn’t react.
Seeing that her jab didn’t land, Sang-hwa quickly followed up.
— “Do you have any actual proof?”
She’d always had a naturally cold voice, but today it sounded icier than usual. Even her petty sarcasm made it obvious that she was upset. Likely because someone had dared to cast suspicion on her husband. Seon-woo already knew that she’d married for love, but seeing her react this emotionally was a surprise in itself.
Her words sent Seon-woo into silent contemplation.
In truth, he had no real evidence to speak of. All he had was what Seo Eun-jae had told him based on his knowledge of the original storyline. But to anyone else, that would sound like pure nonsense. Saying it out loud would, at best, get him laughed at—or at worst, branded as crazy. The fact that Gwak Seung-hyeon followed him without question, despite having been told nothing concrete, was the real anomaly here.
When Seon-woo didn’t answer right away, Sang-hwa muttered as if she’d been expecting it.
— “It’s absurd. You want me to suspect my husband based on your word alone?”
But Seon-woo had no intention of backing down just yet. He took a breath, composed his thoughts, and responded in as steady and convincing a voice as he could manage.
“Su-won hyung mentioned Uncle.”
He could hear her hesitation through the receiver. Seon-woo didn’t stop there.
“He said he received advice from him about how to kidnap me.”
—“……That proves nothing.”
Sang-hwa finally responded after a long silence.
It was true. Gwak Su-won’s goal was to get revenge on Seon-woo’s father, Gwak Sang-gyeong. Even if her husband had helped with that plan, it didn’t necessarily mean he was the mastermind.
Sang-hwa continued, her voice firm and unyielding.
— “I’ve known my husband for almost half my life. That kind of time builds a certain trust. So when you ask me to suspect him without a shred of real evidence—who exactly do you expect me to believe?”
Seon-woo rubbed the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. He was trying to act composed, but his body still hadn’t fully recovered. The beatdown from the thugs and the kidnapping itself—those parts didn’t actually bother him. He could brush those off.
But the lingering effects of his condition still hadn’t faded.
While he was still trying to piece together his response through the dull throb in his head, she spoke again—quicker this time, as if she’d talked herself into something mid-sentence.
— “I already told you Su-won kept suspecting your father. No—he was convinced. He wanted revenge, no matter what. Your uncle… maybe he helped with that. Maybe he gave him a hand. But like I said, that still doesn’t prove anything. Helping kidnap you doesn’t mean my husband’s the one who ordered your blood relatives to be murdered… or put your grandfather in critical condition.”
Seon-woo, who had stayed silent until now, responded with a sharp edge in his voice.
“So I’m just asking you to look into it, at least once.”
Sang-hwa went silent again. Before she could fully process her hesitation, the words were already pouring out of Seon-woo’s mouth.
“Listen. Let’s say you’re right, and all of this really was some elaborate scheme of mine. That I’ve been pretending to cover for Gwak Sang-cheol all this time because I wanted revenge, and that I pushed the chairman into collapsing because he kept trying to protect that man—just for the sake of argument, let’s say that’s all true.”
Now that the dam had broken, his thoughts flowed freely, one after another, as if the blockage in his mind had finally cleared. Caught in a sudden and inexplicable conviction that he might actually be able to persuade her, Seon-woo kept going.
“Then what about Uncle? How are you supposed to explain that? You said it yourself—my father isn’t the kind of person who would do something like that. And if it was Gwak Sang-cheol, doesn’t it strike you as strange that he’s managed to hide it so perfectly until now?”
No answer came immediately. He didn’t know the reason, but it was clear she was hesitating. Maybe all the things she’d said earlier were just a front to mask that uncertainty.
— “……It was an accident. It could’ve genuinely been a random accident.”
She finally responded, but her voice had lost some of its edge. It was clear she didn’t believe it herself. Seon-woo didn’t give her a chance to retreat into doubt.
“But it couldn’t have been, right? If it was truly just a random accident, then why is Su-won hyung still convinced someone was behind it? Is he an idiot? Fine, let’s say he’s a fool. Then what about Uncle? It has to be one or the other. Either Uncle suspects my father too, or—”
— “That’s enough.”
Sang-hwa cut in sharply, her voice regaining its former steel. But Seon-woo only paused for a few seconds. If he was going to press her, now was the time.
“Look at what’s happening. The chairman’s in critical condition, and I’ve come out of this with nothing but bruises and a near-death experience. I was kidnapped. Barely escaped. Su-won hyung told me that while I was locked up, he was planning to take care of my father. So who’s left? Who stands to gain the most from all this? It’s you, Aunt.”
She didn’t respond. She seemed lost in thought. Seon-woo gave her a moment, then continued.
“I don’t think you’re behind this. That’s exactly why I’m bringing it to you.”
The headache that had threatened to return had faded for the time being. Seon-woo’s voice was calm and razor-sharp as he delivered the final blow.
“Are you saying that not even once—not even for a second—did you ever feel the slightest bit suspicious?”
It was a question he asked only because of the hesitation he’d sensed from her. He hadn’t expected much from it, but it struck a chord far deeper than anticipated.
Sang-hwa said nothing.
After a long silence, she finally spoke.
— “Fine. I’ll look into it.”
Seon-woo let out a quiet sigh of relief. If Seung-hyeon hadn’t been sitting right next to him, he might’ve clutched his chest.
Her voice followed.
— “But if I find nothing—if I decide you’re wrong—you’ll be expected to take responsibility for your words.”
Seon-woo answered without hesitation.
“Of course. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. You said it yourself—no matter who’s behind it or why they did it, you’d deal with them without mercy. I trust you haven’t forgotten that.”
— “…You’re just stating the obvious.”
The call ended abruptly after that.
Seon-woo finally exhaled and leaned his head all the way back.
Only then did he turn his head—prompted by the sharp, unblinking gaze of Gwak Seung-hyeon fixed squarely on him.
