#164
“Your heart rate increased.”
Shin Haejun, who had been silent with his gaze fixed on the phone, spoke softly.
Hyun Dowoon thought there was no way Shin Haejun could have heard his heartbeat. It wouldn’t be possible for a normal person at this distance.
But could a person who suddenly appeared and drove ice pillars into the ground be considered normal?
“Are you nervous?”
At Shin Haejun’s question, Hyun Dowoon felt his heart pounding even more. Of course he had to be nervous. With such a person suddenly appearing and threatening him, how could he not be nervous?
And above all, he felt sorry towards Jaeha.
Eyes made of jewels. People using strange powers. And at the apex, Shin Haejun and Hyun Dowoon. Jaeha, who purifies the residue left in the body after using powers. Espers and guides.
For Hyun Dowoon, it was only natural to think that something was wrong with Jaeha’s mind. Especially since he had even lost all his memories from before.
Such things seemed to belong only in a fantasy world, and he thought Jaeha had fallen into delusions. He didn’t know why it suddenly happened when there had been no accident or shock.
He couldn’t believe it. The long lonely life he had lived, and then entering that strange world after a traffic accident. The Jaeha he knew was a sunny person who had lived happily receiving everyone’s love all his life.
As someone who loved Jaeha, he should have listened to his story more seriously. He should have said he believed him, but instead he dismissed all of Jaeha’s thoughts as delusions.
And the fact that he was regretting this now, when evidence supporting Jaeha’s words had appeared, made him feel even more sorry.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Hyun Dowoon tried to find his composure and dismissed the question about being nervous. He needed to somehow buy more time here. Time for the Shin Haejun he knew to hide with Jaeha.
This unfamiliar Shin Haejun, who could be called Shin Haejun 2, suddenly appeared in Hyun Dowoon’s kitchen. Literally suddenly.
At that time, Hyun Dowoon was sitting on the living room sofa reading a newspaper. When he saw the suddenly appearing Shin Haejun 2, he almost screamed but suppressed it superhumanly and carefully stood up for self-protection.
‘No matter how you move, I can hear everything. There’s nothing you can hide from me.’
Shin Haejun 2, who abruptly issued this warning, approached swiftly and asked about Jaeha’s whereabouts. Hyun Dowoon tried to deny knowing such a person, but unfortunately, there was a framed photo of them together on the living room side table, so he couldn’t lie.
There was no way to deceive Shin Haejun 2’s eyes. He knew quite a lot about Hyun Dowoon and was not willing to tolerate being deceived. Though he had met countless people throughout his business career, he had never encountered someone so impenetrable. Above all, because this person was using powers beyond human capabilities, there was no way to deal with him.
‘Where is Jaeha… no, bring Jaeha to me.’
From these words, Hyun Dowoon was certain that Shin Haejun 2 wasn’t familiar with the geography. If he could have gone directly when told ‘where’ Jaeha was, he probably wouldn’t have given the uncertain instruction to ‘bring him’.
The fact that he didn’t ask Hyun Dowoon to accompany and guide him suggested he wanted definite control of the situation. Certainly, if they had gone outside where there were many people instead of being alone like this, Hyun Dowoon would have tried to escape or somehow hinder this man.
In the end, Hyun Dowoon was placed in a situation where he had to hand over Jaeha to Shin Haejun 2 with his own hands. In this situation, the person he contacted was not his secretary or subordinate, but Shin Haejun.
After giving his home address and saying he would greatly regret it if he didn’t come to his house, Shin Haejun 2 questioned first.
‘I just told you to bring him, why did you call him to your house first?’
‘Jaeha doesn’t move with others unless it’s me or Shin Haejun. Absolutely not. So I need to ask Shin Haejun, but he won’t move unless he understands this situation.’
‘You’re saying I need to threaten him directly. Well, if I were him, I might do that too. I wouldn’t go out of my way to bring Jaeha to you.’
Shin Haejun 2 understood simply and waited for Shin Haejun with his arms crossed.
Hyun Dowoon noticed that Shin Haejun 2 was almost equating Shin Haejun with himself.
After a very uncomfortable time, Shin Haejun appeared, panting. Angry at being threatened, Shin Haejun froze as soon as he saw Shin Haejun 2.
It was understandable, as he was faced with a being completely identical to himself except for the eye color and subtle muscle states. He couldn’t help but feel chills.
Moreover, Shin Haejun 2 made a more direct threat by telling Shin Haejun to bring Jaeha in front of him.
He drove an ice pillar into Hyun Dowoon’s leg, rendering him immobile. It was a direct threat that he could use this outlandish power at any time to create a big problem for Shin Haejun’s safety.
At this moment, along with the most terrible pain he had never experienced in his life, Hyun Dowoon realized that Shin Haejun 2 either had a very impatient personality or was in an urgent and anxious state. He saw Shin Haejun 2’s fist trembling slightly.
The two third-generation chaebol heirs, who had lived fearlessly, faced the second wall of their lives. The first was the person they loved, and the second was a terrifying opponent.
‘Never bring Jaeha in front of this person.’
Just before Shin Haejun left the house, Hyun Dowoon pleaded with desperate eyes. He didn’t say a word, but he knew Shin Haejun had understood his intention.
If Jaeha didn’t come, he might experience the fear of death like this. However, even so, Hyun Dowoon had no intention of handing Jaeha over to such a bomb. Of course he didn’t want to die, but Jaeha was more precious to him than his own life. As if he was born designed that way.
And now.
After waiting for Jaeha for two hours, Shin Haejun 2 realized that contrary to his thoughts, Shin Haejun would not bring Jaeha.
***
“…Where is this?”
I tilted my head as I got out of the car. I could see a small building built in the middle of the forest. It’s probably Shin Haejun’s villa, but I don’t know why he brought me here.
I couldn’t understand the situation more because there was no one to ask. Shin Haejun had gone somewhere in a different car, and I had come here with someone else. With a man who introduced himself as Shin Haejun’s newly appointed personal secretary.
“It’s already open, so you can go inside.”
“Ah… yes, I understand…”
As I got out of the car and looked around blankly, the man who got out of the driver’s seat spoke to me.
I tilted my head and walked up to the building, then opened the front door.
“Please wait inside for a moment.”
“Ah… do you need help?”
“No, it’s fine. Just stay inside.”
The secretary, who was suddenly holding a bunch of boxes, put the luggage down at the entrance and spoke to me.
I was curious about what was in those boxes, but for now, I went inside as instructed.
Sitting quietly on the living room sofa like a sack of borrowed barley, watching the secretary busily moving luggage, I felt increasingly uneasy. Moreover, various daily necessities came out of the opened boxes.
“Um, when will Haejun come?”
“The young master asked you to wait a little. He didn’t say exactly when.”
When I asked softly as he had almost finished organizing the luggage, I received an answer with a stiff expression. My anxiety grew even more.
The secretary, who had put plenty of bottled water in and next to the refrigerator, neatly folded the boxes and took them somewhere, then came back and approached me.
“You can freely use everything in this house. However, please refrain from going outside as much as possible as it could be dangerous. And the young master said he’s really sorry, that there was a reason he had to do this, and asked for your forgiveness.”
“What…?”
“Ah, that. I’ll replace your phone with this one.”
The secretary snatched my phone and pulled out a new phone from his pocket to hand to me. As I grabbed it reflexively and blinked, he quickly turned around.
‘Somehow… this feels very ominous. This pattern seems familiar.’
I thought carefully, then suddenly stood up and followed the secretary who was heading outside.
“Wait, just a moment…!”
But before I could grab him, the front door closed and I heard the sound of the door locking.
‘Is it locked?’
Startled, I examined the front door and saw that it was designed to lock from the outside.
‘Is it really… locked?’
Trying to open the door while hoping it wasn’t true, the door really didn’t open at all.
Locked in a luxurious villa with numerous daily necessities, I blinked blankly. Since he was Shin Haejun’s secretary, it must be Shin Haejun’s will, but I couldn’t understand why he had confined me.
He dragged me out from the morning… and confined me alone…?
‘I won’t let this slide when Shin Haejun shows up!’
For now, not understanding the situation was just that – not understanding. After shaking off my bewilderment, I stood blankly in front of the entrance for a while before moving to check the interior of the villa.
The inside of the villa was perfectly prepared with everything needed for immediate living without any difficulties or shortages. I was amazed that even clothes were all organized in the closet, somehow knowing my size. It was ridiculous that they were all indoor clothes with no outdoor clothes at all.
When I turned on the computer in the study, I could confirm that the internet was working without any problems. I guess he left it because he knew I wouldn’t report him to the police anyway.
Why was I suddenly confined? The desperate expression of Shin Haejun looking at me earlier kept coming to mind, making my head complicated.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
