#82
“…….”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Eun Sajun suddenly apologized and drank his tea again. Both his cheeks were bright red and wet. He seemed quite embarrassed.
“You must already have a headache with your dongsaeng’s problems, but I got too ahead of myself.”
“Ah, no.”
Since he seemed so embarrassed, Yeoul felt even more uncomfortable instead.
“When everything is ‘sorted out,’ let me know how baby feels.”
Yeoul nodded with difficulty. His confession made him feel like he was dreaming once more. He was flustered yet felt like his heart would burst because it seemed like he liked him more deeply than expected. It was enough to make him forget about this situation stained by Yeojin. So he almost impulsively blurted out that he liked him too, but barely held back and swallowed the words.
Since he didn’t know what problems might arise because of Yeojin, he might end up causing trouble for Eun Sajun if things went wrong. Yeoul struggled to swallow the emotions blooming in his chest.
“Shall we get up now?”
At Eun Sajun’s question after checking Yeoul’s empty teacup, Yeoul nodded.
* * *
Eun Sajun went to the company and Yeoul returned to the mansion. He immediately went looking for Yeojin and headed to the first-floor bedroom. The door was still closed, but the guards were away from their posts. Had they gone for lunch? But they should be working in shifts… Yeoul wondered about this as he knocked and opened the door to enter.
Yeojin was still sleeping. Was he very tired? It was already past noon, which was puzzling.
“Yeojin… hm?”
It was the moment he tried to check Yeojin’s condition more closely. Suddenly he felt someone’s presence behind him. At the same time, a familiar nicotine scent pierced his nose. When Yeoul felt the fishy sensation and tried to turn around, he felt rough hands covering his mouth.
“Long time no see, Geum Yeoul.”
A murky voice penetrated his ear. At the same time, he could immediately identify who it was. It was Shin Taeon. He never imagined he would encounter him at Eun Sajun’s mansion, so he was extremely bewildered. Above all, how had he gotten into such a heavily guarded space? It was too shocking.
“Haha.”
Shin Taeon, who had been laughing coldly, released the hand that had been covering Yeoul’s mouth. Now somewhat free, Yeoul urgently turned around to face Shin Taeon. In the short time he hadn’t seen him, his face had become considerably gaunt. It looked like leather stretched over a skeleton.
“How are you here…?”
He understood that he was currently hospitalized. It was an absolutely impossible situation appearing before his eyes now.
“I wanted to see you so much that I crossed seas and climbed mountains to come here like this.”
At Shin Taeon’s nonsensical answer, Yeoul’s insides burned black.
“Stop talking nonsense!”
Yeoul, who had unconsciously raised his voice, belatedly became conscious of Yeojin and closed his mouth. His whole body trembled from tension. He even earnestly wished this current situation was a dream.
“Don’t worry. Geum Yeojin won’t wake up to most sounds.”
“What?”
“I cast a spell on him.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Yeoul, who felt strong displeasure, had impulsive anger surge up. Soon Shin Taeon leisurely approached and smugly touched Yeoul’s chin.
“Oh? You’ve gotten even prettier since I last saw you?”
“Get away.”
Yeoul violently brushed off Shin Taeon’s hand.
“Haha… Fuck. So damn pretty.”
Shin Taeon giggled and made a crazy smile. Feeling even more disgusted, Yeoul hurriedly looked around. It was to find a weapon to attack Shin Taeon with. What soon entered his field of vision was a pencil-like pointed lamp. Yeoul quickly grabbed it.
“Now, now, don’t be so wary. The reason I came here like this is…”
Shin Taeon grinned and approached Geum Yeojin. Then, he had a knife in his hand that he’d been holding since who knows when. And that blade was aimed at Geum Yeojin’s neck like a target.
“What? What are you doing right now!”
At Shin Taeon’s aggressive attitude, Yeoul’s pupils shook violently. It seemed like desperate tinnitus was ringing in his ears.
“If you don’t want your dongsaeng’s neck to be severed, do as I tell you from now on.”
“What are you trying to say now?”
Yeoul felt like he was going crazy, his insides burning black beyond measure.
“Find out Eun Sajun’s weakness.”
“What…?”
At the ridiculous threat, Yeoul was utterly dumbfounded. He felt like ruthlessly stabbing Shin Taeon’s eyes with the lamp he was holding.
“What kind of weakness?”
“Anything.”
It overlapped with the previous situation when he was told to find the code on Eun Sajun’s body. But back then there was at least a limited example of his body, but not now. He felt like his chest would tear apart, not just ache.
“Right now you’re being cared for by that bastard’s side. You should know better than anyone, right?”
“Ha…”
Yeoul swallowed. He felt like he might cry from unbearable anger.
“Haa… Fine. I’ll find out. I’ll find out, so let Yeojin go.”
“Go find out right now.”
“Right now?”
Eun Sajun was currently at work at the company, so he didn’t know how he was supposed to find out.
“But if you inform Eun Sajun of the current situation or bring other people to try to subdue me, know that Geum Yeojin’s life is over.”
“Ha…”
At Shin Taeon’s threat, Yeoul was exasperated. His eyes foolishly looked at Yeojin, who was sleeping with his eyes closed, unaware of anything.
It was true that Yeojin had tried to harm his life. But Yeoul didn’t want to pay him back in the same way. Someone might call Yeoul foolish and pathetic, but still… Yeoul still treasured his dongsaeng.
“I’ll do as you say… so don’t do anything rash… please.”
“Haha. Good thinking. I’m giving you 30 minutes from now. Hurry and get out!”
Yeoul had no choice but to leave the bedroom. Since he never thought such a thing would happen in Eun Sajun’s space, he felt dizzy. He was on the verge of motion sickness.
“C-CEO… I need to contact CEO first…”
Yeoul frantically searched his pockets. It didn’t take long for him to realize his phone was in the bedroom. Yeoul hurriedly went up the stairs. His stomach churned and the world spun.
In the midst of despair, Yeoul entered the bedroom and urgently called Eun Sajun. The dial tone continued for a while. Since it was such an unstable situation, he was afraid he might not answer the phone.
[Hello? Baby?]
Hearing his voice in this hellish situation made his heart feel much more at ease.
“Yes. It’s… it’s me… Yeoul… It’s Yeoul. It’s Yeoul, but… but…”
Since he wasn’t in his right mind, nonsense spilled from Yeoul’s mouth.
[I know very well it’s our baby. What’s wrong? Did something happen?]
“So… I… I… so…”
[Something really must have happened. Why is your voice shaking like that?]
“I… what is jagi’s weakness?”
Though he said it due to Shin Taeon’s threat, it seemed too strange once he actually said it outright.
[Haha. Why are you suddenly asking that?]
Eun Sajun laughed, seemingly unaware of the serious situation Yeoul was in.
“Well… I was reading a book and content about weaknesses came up. I wanted to know about CEO-nim…”
It was a very inadequate explanation, but it couldn’t be helped.
[What’s our baby’s weakness?]
“Huh? My weakness?”
[I suddenly became curious too.]
Yeoul’s current weakness… Yeojin, who was being held hostage by Shin Taeon, came to mind. But since Eun Sajun would be uncomfortable, he touched his belly.
“Our baby.”
[I knew you’d answer like that.]
“Then… what about jagi?”
[It’s you.]
“Huh?”
[You’re my weakness.]
At his unexpected answer, Yeoul froze for a moment.
[I’ve been wandering around wondering what this emotion was for a long time. I worried a lot too. But now I think I know. Right now, if you got hurt even a little, I think I’d go crazy.]
“Ah…”
It seemed like he treasured him much more than he had imagined. At his whisper, Yeoul’s chest grew warm. But this emotion was only momentary. If he told Shin Taeon this fact, he would instead tighten his grip around Yeoul’s neck.
At that moment, Yeoul realized. Earlier he had been out of his mind because Yeojin’s life was on the chopping block, but thinking about it now, the weakness of Eun Sajun that Shin Taeon was talking about was comprehensive. It wasn’t limited like the code carved into his body. So couldn’t he lie about the weakness?
[I have to go into a meeting now. See you later.]
“Ah… yes…”
[I love you.]
After finishing his intense whisper, he hung up first.
At his whisper, Yeoul’s heart trembled more. But he struggled to suppress this emotion and went back to Yeojin’s bedroom.
But…
“Huh?”
Shin Taeon and Yeojin had already disappeared.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
