13
“Ah, yes.”
Having been deliberately pointed out, Jo Junghyun felt as if he had done something wrong and hesitantly answered. But no other words came to mind.
Jeong Taejun giggled at Jo Junghyun’s reaction, then spun around toward the door.
“Well then, CEO Ji. Sorry to intrude so early. Junghyun-ssi, contact me anytime when you’re free!”
Jeong Taejun waved his hand enthusiastically at Jo Junghyun, then disappeared quickly like a crab hiding its eyes.
When Jeong Taejun vanished, the previously noisy space became completely silent. Jo Junghyun, who had been fidgeting with his fingers, carefully looked toward Ji Seunghyeok.
He did so because at some point, Ji Seunghyeok hadn’t said anything, not even when Jeong Taejun was saying goodbye. Their eyes met directly.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do you have something to say?”
“What? Ah, no… I don’t have anything.”
In truth, there were a few things he wanted to ask. But he couldn’t just blurt them out when asked like that.
Ji Seunghyeok stood silently as if he had read Jo Junghyun’s thoughts. Since it seemed like he was waiting for Jo Junghyun to speak, Jo Junghyun couldn’t help but hesitate.
Finally, Jo Junghyun surrendered.
“I’m sorry. Actually, I do have something.”
“Tell me. I’m listening.”
Ji Seunghyeok’s voice was thoroughly gentle. But there was a force to it, like it was pushing Jo Junghyun’s back.
“Am I really the first person to come to this house?”
After Jo Junghyun finished speaking, Ji Seunghyeok momentarily looked like he’d been caught off guard.
“Why would I lie about something like that?”
“No, it’s just that you seem like you’d be very popular.”
“I don’t let just anyone into my home. What happened earlier was because he said he wouldn’t give me the documents unless I let him in. He has quite the personality, despite how he looks.”
Just like that, the radiantly handsome Jeong Taejun was downgraded to “that one.”
Ji Seunghyeok’s voice as he spoke casually was completely calm. This was entirely different from Jo Junghyun, who felt like he might start sweating. Jo Junghyun rubbed his cheeks and pulled at his clothes.
“I’m not that kind of easy person.”
At these words, Jo Junghyun lifted his head that had been slightly bowed.
Ji Seunghyeok seemed to have not taken his eyes off Jo Junghyun. Their eyes met once again. Looking into people’s eyes seemed to be Ji Seunghyeok’s habit.
He raised his thick eyebrows.
“What’s wrong? Do you think I’m lying?”
“No. That’s not it… It’s just that you saying that directly is a bit… No, I don’t mean it’s bad.”
A smile slipped onto Ji Seunghyeok’s previously expressionless face.
“Jo Junghyun-ssi is so honest. Ah, I’m not criticizing you—it’s a compliment.”
The atmosphere felt like it had softened. The tension in Jo Junghyun’s shoulders eased slightly. Ji Seunghyeok asked him in the same tone as before.
“Is that the only thing you’re curious about?”
“…”
Jo Junghyun looked at Ji Seunghyeok. He seemed to understand what the man meant.
Ji Seunghyeok was now asking Jo Junghyun if there was anything else he wanted to ask.
Why was he asking in such a roundabout way? It would have felt better if he’d just asked directly. Jo Junghyun tensed his lips.
“If I say that’s not it, then what? Will you answer me?”
“You’re answering a question with a question.”
Ji Seunghyeok tilted his head to one side.
How long had they been staring into each other’s eyes? Ji Seunghyeok was the first to relax.
“I was pushing too much. You’re right. I have no intention of answering even if you ask.”
His calm voice sounded almost kind. When he spoke so directly like this, rather than getting angry, Jo Junghyun felt deflated and couldn’t even think of how to protest. Ji Seunghyeok rubbed his lips with one hand.
“Jo Junghyun-ssi, really, when you make that expression, I don’t know what to do. I won’t do it anymore, so please stop making that face.”
“What? Me? Why?”
Jo Junghyun was the one confused by Ji Seunghyeok’s words. What kind of expression was he making to prompt such a comment? Jo Junghyun touched his own face, not hiding his confusion. He wasn’t making any strange expression, but perhaps it looked funny to others though he couldn’t recognize it himself.
But Ji Seunghyeok just smiled without giving an answer.
Ji Seunghyeok asked Jo Junghyun, who didn’t know what to do.
“By the way, did you save my number as ‘CEO’?”
“Ah, what? …Yes.”
Since he never expected to be asked such a thing, Jo Junghyun answered after a brief pause.
He couldn’t get a grasp on how to react to the suddenly changing topic of conversation. But even if he continued thinking about his parents, there was no solution.
Jo Junghyun recalled the documents he had seen earlier.
[Collateral Provision Certificate], [Renunciation of Parental Rights and Custody].
Just the titles made the content unmistakably clear. Yes, in Jo Junghyun’s position, who was in any place to worry about whom?
His parents’ loan was 2.3 billion won in principal alone. If interest was included, it would obviously be an even more enormous amount.
No matter what he did, Jo Junghyun didn’t have the ability to pay back such a large sum of money. It wasn’t something that could be resolved by being stubborn or scheming. Jo Junghyun quickly organized and tucked away his thoughts.
Ji Seunghyeok gazed at Jo Junghyun as if he wouldn’t miss a single expression. If his gaze had physical form, Jo Junghyun’s face would have been covered in various marks by now.
“I didn’t bring Jo Junghyun-ssi here because I’m a CEO.”
“…”
This time, a truly unexpected response came back.
Jo Junghyun’s eyes quickly rolled from side to side. His mind wasn’t working fast enough.
Not brought here as a CEO? Then why?
Jo Junghyun’s lips trembled as he slowly blinked.
“If that were the case, Jo Junghyun-ssi wouldn’t be here like this.”
This time, it felt like sweat was coming not from his face, but from his back.
It was really strange. Why was he sweating so much?
Jo Junghyun rubbed the surface of his phone with his thumb.
“Then, how should I save your contact? Actually, I was going to use ‘Ji Seunghyeok-ssi,’ but it seemed too disrespectful, so I stopped.”
“Ji Seunghyeok-ssi feels too distant.”
“Ji Seunghyeok ajeossi also… doesn’t seem right.”
“Ajeossi?”
Ji Seunghyeok repeated the word, then chuckled.
“Well, considering our age difference, that would be correct.”
Hearing those words, Jo Junghyun asked, “What?” with surprise. But Ji Seunghyeok didn’t seem to be joking. Rather, he shrugged his shoulders toward Jo Junghyun who was looking at him.
“How old do I look?”
“I’m not sure, but you don’t seem like an ajeossi.”
“When you were in third grade catching dragonflies, I was entering university at an age where I could legally go drinking. That makes me an ajeossi, right?”
At these casual words, Jo Junghyun became even more flustered. After quickly doing addition and subtraction in his head, Jo Junghyun could guess Ji Seunghyeok’s age.
The age difference was a bit more than he thought, but it didn’t seem right to respond with “Yes, that’s right” in this situation. Honestly speaking, Jo Junghyun didn’t want to call Ji Seunghyeok “ajeossi.”
“Um, then, how about hyung?”
“Hyung?”
Ji Seunghyeok’s lips curved as if amused.
Jo Junghyun waited for his approval, but Ji Seunghyeok only tapped his chin with his finger. His jet-black eyes gazed steadily at Jo Junghyun. Just as Jo Junghyun thought that the gaze looking at him seemed to be burning intensely, Ji Seunghyeok spoke.
“That’s quite a personal term.”
A low voice.
But he certainly didn’t seem to dislike it.
Even though it was just Jo Junghyun’s speculation. Jo Junghyun cautiously observed Ji Seunghyeok’s reaction and waited for a moment.
But Ji Seunghyeok didn’t say, “So stop it.”
“Then I’ll save it like that…?”
No rejection came to this cautious question seeking confirmation. Jo Junghyun quickly changed the saved name.
His fingertips typing the word “hyung” after Ji Seunghyeok’s name somehow felt like they were turning red. It was probably because of Ji Seunghyeok’s gaze.
“Are you just going to save it like that?”
“What?”
“Would you like to try calling me that?”
The voice was heard from a step away, but it felt as intimate as a whisper in his ear. While calling someone wasn’t a difficult thing, Jo Junghyun hesitated to say it in this situation. It wasn’t such a big deal, but it felt like he was getting too much attention. Or maybe it was just his perception.
Feeling the gaze that continued to look at him, Jo Junghyun opened his mouth with difficulty.
“Hyung.”
Ji Seunghyeok’s eyes, which had widened slightly, curved gently.
“It’s not the first time someone’s called me hyung, but when Jo Junghyun-ssi does it, it feels really nice.”
To Jo Junghyun, who couldn’t find words to respond, Ji Seunghyeok said,
“I need to get ready to leave now. Do you want to sleep a bit more, or would you like to see me off?”
The gentle voice penetrated Jo Junghyun’s ears. Though he offered two choices, probably no one would choose to sleep more in this situation.
Jo Junghyun, as if entranced, chose to see him off.
The time when Ji Seunghyeok came out, perfectly prepared without a single detail amiss, was still when the sky outside was dark. Jo Junghyun only learned after meeting Ji Seunghyeok that there were people who went to work at such an hour.
In one of Ji Seunghyeok’s hands was the brown paper envelope he had received from Jeong Taejun earlier.
Ji Seunghyeok, who had put on his shoes, turned to look at Jo Junghyun who was trying to put on his own shoes behind him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
