Episode 21

“Ah.”

“I apologize.”

Only after finally checking his face’s condition in the mirror did he realize the scratches were longer than expected. Since they were thin scratches, it seemed they would heal in a few days, but with the blue bruising and long scar marks, it was a face that looked painful just seeing it.

“It’s done.”

Seok-hyung, who had meticulously covered Seung-hyun’s wound with band-aids, took his hand off his face. But his gaze still couldn’t leave Seung-hyun’s cheek.

“How long do you think it will take to heal?”

“The scratches will probably be okay in about two days. The bruise… will likely take around 4-5 days to fade enough to cover with light makeup.”

It seemed he usually covered it with makeup when this kind of thing happened. Seung-hyun rubbed his face as he thought.

‘It would be best not to go out for a few days. It’s bothersome to get unnecessary questions.’

“Did… Chairman Han do this to you.”

“Yeah. I should think ending ties at this degree is getting off easy.”

Seok-hyung clenched one hand tightly. He looked ready to rush to the main house and overturn it right now.

‘The director isn’t a company person anymore anyway. So there’s no more reason to endure…’

“Don’t worry about it.”

As the atmosphere grew more and more ominous, Seung-hyun consoled Seok-hyung, thinking he had to say something.

“Cutting family ties can’t be that easy.”

“Those people don’t deserve to be your family. I was never interested in former Chairman Han’s unfulfilled dreams. I just…”

“I know. You did it for me.”

“……”

“And now, the only thing that’s for my sake is making sure I don’t get entangled in more bothersome situations.”

If I’ve said this much, I hope he’ll stop thinking about me and live his own life. Seung-hyun stared intently at Seok-hyung’s eyes. In the end, Seok-hyung, unable to win against Seung-hyun, nodded.

“…Don’t worry about me. Jeong Hyeokjae said he can secure at least one position for me.”

“Yeah. You’re capable, so you’ll do well wherever you go.”

“……”

“Don’t talk about work in front of me anymore. It’s tiring just hearing it. If you bring it up one more time, I’ll block you without a second thought.”

Seung-hyun spoke firmly. Seok-hyung reluctantly nodded. But before long, he spoke again.

“May I ask just one thing.”

“What is it.”

“…Do you really have no more ambition? Does… everything we’ve done so far lose all meaning?”

Seok-hyung’s expression looked somewhat desperate. Seung-hyun, contemplating for a moment at the face that seemed to ask if all they had done until now was meaningless, answered.

He could offer some lip service to someone who looked on the verge of collapse.

“Back then… that was the goal I lived for. Because that was the only path I could take.”

“But why now…”

“Now those things are all unnecessary. What benefit or reward would there be in painstakingly gaining the chairman’s favor.”

“……”

“It’s enough that we ran so intensely until now. I want to rest a bit now. Really don’t ask anymore.”

Seung-hyun hoped this would be the last work-related conversation with Seok-hyung. He pressed his lips together tightly with that thought.

“…I understand. I always thought you needed rest since you ran without pause, Director…”

If only that rest had come in a different way, it might have been better to never rest. Seok-hyung swallowed the words he wanted to say and nodded.

‘So, I will take care of what remains in your stead.’

Seok-hyung, swallowing words that would shock Seung-hyun if he heard them, stood up from his seat.

“Please rest for today. If you call, anytime…”

“Yeah. I’ll call if I want to, so go back for today. I’m tired.”

Seung-hyun waved his hand to send Seok-hyung out and put the ice pack on his face again. After the storm passed and he checked his phone again, there was a text from Jae-young.

[Ju Jae-young: You said you’d take me on a department store tour, didn’t you?] 8:12 PM

[Ju Jae-young: When would be good?] 8:12 PM

He had said he would go around the large department stores in Seoul one by one to help with shopping, but the problem was he couldn’t go anywhere with this face.

After contemplating for a bit, Seung-hyun slowly typed a reply.

[It will probably be next week at the earliest.] 9:56 PM 

[Ju Jae-young: After saying you’re not busy?] 9:57 PM

The reply arrived quickly as if he had been waiting. What should I say? He thought for a moment but soon sent a rough reply with the thought ‘Do I really need to make excuses?’.

[If you played outside for a week, wouldn’t you play at home for a week too] 10:02 PM

[Ju Jae-young: Then can I come visit your house?] 10:02 PM

Seung-hyun made a troubled face. He didn’t want to go out because he didn’t want to show others this appearance.

[That’s a bit…] 10:03 PM 

[Ju Jae-young: (Emoticon)] 10:04 PM

[Ju Jae-young: Didn’t you say you’d be my friend?] 10:04 PM

Seung-hyun snickered in absurdity upon receiving the crying face emoticon. Yeah, he was definitely the person Seung-hyun felt most comfortable with since becoming Han Seung-hyun.

[I’ll think about whether to invite you or not once we get a bit closer.] 10:04 PM

[Work hard then] 10:04 PM

After sending a reply with a slight smile, he laid his body on the bed. He planned not to go out as much as possible until the bruise faded somewhat, except for hospital visits. 

Hopefully there wouldn’t be another person who suddenly came to his house like Lee Seok-hyung. And there were many ways to play at home too.

He disliked going around alone when playing outside, but there was no problem watching TV or using his phone in bed for a few days by himself.

[Ju Jae-young: Looks like I’ll have to work hard.] 10:05 PM

Plus, there was one person who talked to him so he wouldn’t be bored. Seung-hyun smiled slightly and checked his hospital appointment.

Next Tuesday at 3 PM. A time set a bit generously in case he overslept. 

‘Still, by Tuesday my face shouldn’t be too unsightly.’

Seung-hyun gently rubbed the ice pack over his face and closed his eyes. It looked a bit awful but it wasn’t terribly painful as long as he didn’t press hard.

“I should think of it as a week of outdoor activities, a week of indoor activities.”

It would be a lie to say he didn’t resent being hit, but it wasn’t something he was concerned about to think long. In fact, he had deliberately said things to provoke them. 

Even now, there was no disagreement that Han Seung-hyun was a villain. Not everyone would act the same if put in his situation.

But Han Taehyeop and his wife likely contributed to their son’s eccentric personality. So couldn’t he say this much?

“Ah, I really hope I don’t have any more business with them. Should I just block them now?”

Seung-hyun alternately checked ‘Father’ and ‘Mother’ in his contacts and decided to block them if they contacted him one more time before putting down his phone. It wasn’t even worth thinking about.

“Rather… I didn’t expect Lee Seok-hyung to come out like this.”

Considering how wretched his expression was when he first made the suggestion, it was surprising that he would accept that suggestion even now.

Would he really do anything for Han Seung-hyun’s sake? At first he thought it didn’t matter since it was someone who liked Han Seung-hyun anyway, but now he felt a bit guilty about using such a blindly devoted person.

‘A relationship where we can enjoy each other is more comfortable and nice.’

Seung-hyun closed his eyes as he pondered. He didn’t want to live obsessing only over sex, but it would be quite a waste to end it after just once.

Since there was no comparison, he couldn’t know if a relationship with someone else would feel the same, but well, wouldn’t it be similar?

“Forget it. What can I do with this face. I should just shut myself in at home.”

Seung-hyun muttered and put the ice pack on the bedside table. Now that it had come to this, he should plan what to do for the remaining time. 

He had completely ended things with Chairman Han as well as Han Taehyeop, so it should be done. Seung-hyun fell asleep with that naive thought.

***

“So, there’s really no movement at all?”

“Yes. We’ve been steadily receiving updates from Busan as well, but he only engaged in activities that looked like sightseeing with Y Hotel Director Ju Jae-young, and there were no special variables.”

Tae-sung rubbed his forehead at the unbelievable news. It was ridiculous enough that Han Seung-hyun was going sightseeing, but for his companion to be Ju Jae-young…

‘He didn’t like that I married Seon-hu. Are they planning something together? But at least… he wouldn’t act in a way that would harm Seon-hu.’

“After returning, he briefly visited former Chairman Han’s house in Pyeongchangdong, but hasn’t left his house for several days since then.”

“For now… I understand. Keep monitoring his movements and report immediately if you notice anything unusual.”

“Yes, sir.”

Tae-sung sent the secretary back and was lost in thought for a moment.