Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 1

“Honey, are you cold? You seem to be shivering.”

“Huh? Ah, I’m okay. I’m not cold.”

After seeing Han Taejun move towards the restroom, Haeshin, who had been cautiously observing, quickly shook his head and smiled at Youngmin’s words.

It was a sweet voice that anyone would describe as dripping with honey, but to Haeshin, it sounded like lines from a thriller movie. Haeshin brushed off his goosebump-covered arms and looked around blankly.

It was a gathering to celebrate the birthday of Han Sangwoo, the chairman of Myungjin Group, who happened to be the maternal grandfather of Jin Youngmin, Haeshin’s husband. Although it was said to be a small family gathering, many relatives wanted to attend, so the hall where the event was held was endlessly crowded.

However, amidst the crowd, Haeshin felt lonely. It was because he knew that there was no one among them who would help him.

Haeshin raised his hand and slowly massaged the back of his neck. There had been pain in the back of his neck for a few days. It was probably because his hair had been grabbed and he had been violently thrown backward.

The doctor, whom Youngmin kindly called to the house, treated the wounds all over Haeshin’s body very diligently. Of course, there were no questions about how he got hurt.

“Uh…?”

Just then, someone caught Haeshin’s eye like a lightning bolt. It was a face he definitely recognized, but someone he hadn’t seen much during his numerous regressions.

Han Taejun.

Haeshin was about to say the name aloud but barely swallowed it back down. If he acted like he knew him in any special way, Jin Youngmin would surely go ballistic. It wouldn’t be so bad to see a noble chaebol family event turn into chaos, especially since things were already messed up, but he wasn’t in the mood today.

Cha Haeshin’s journey had been too arduous to find amusement in such childish behavior. Instead, Haeshin quietly followed Han Taejun with his eyes.

Speaking of Han Taejun, he is what people commonly admire, a so-called third-generation chaebol, or something like that. He was Jin Youngmin’s maternal cousin, the only son of Chairman Han Sangwoo’s eldest son. In other words, he was a noble bloodline born with diamonds engraved in his bones.

Moreover, he possessed outstanding abilities, so he had monopolized the chairman’s affection since childhood. There were widespread rumors that Chairman Han Sangwoo favored his grandson more than his eldest son.

However, that was only the family’s internal situation, and Han Taejun’s presence wasn’t that significant to Cha Haeshin. Haeshin was fiercely struggling to survive in the hell he was trapped in, and Taejun rarely descended to a level where Haeshin could see or meet him.

Still, in the early stages of the regressions, Taejun occasionally participated in family events, and Haeshin also met Taejun a few times at those events, but after a certain point, there were no such opportunities.

‘Why didn’t I think of him…?’

Once the floodgates opened, Haeshin’s mind quickly filled with thoughts of Han Taejun.

Come to think of it, it was strange. Haeshin had constantly strived to escape this hell. It’s no exaggeration to say that he tried everything he could, whether it seemed possible or not.

If that was the case, the person Haeshin should have tried to ask for help from first was Han Taejun. He was superior to Jin Youngmin in every way. If he had stepped forward, it wouldn’t have been that difficult to rescue Haeshin from Jin Youngmin’s grasp.

Even if it didn’t solve Haeshin’s fundamental problems, at least, at least it might have ended the hell of being strangled and raped.

But Haeshin had never tried to ask Taejun for help. That’s how Haeshin remembered it. Until he saw Han Taejun here today, that is. Just then, he saw Taejun heading towards the restroom in the distance. Haeshin rose from his seat, as if possessed.

“Are you going to the restroom? Let’s go together.”

“Oh? Aren’t you Youngmin? It’s been a while!”

Youngmin naturally got up to follow Haeshin, but thankfully, a relative came to grab him at just the right time, allowing Haeshin to move separately.

Haeshin’s heart began to race as he walked behind Han Taejun. This round was ruined anyway. Today, Cha Haeshin would face his umpteenth death, and when he opened his eyes, everything from this round would disappear, and the next hell would begin.

But what if Han Taejun took him and ran away from here? What if he prevented Jin Youngmin from dragging him away? Whether out of pity, amusement, or because Han Taejun was out of his mind or, perhaps, a pervert with the same tastes as Jin Youngmin, desiring him?

So, if he could just save him from dying at Jin Youngmin’s hands today.

Clinging to this futile hope with not even a 1% chance of success, Haeshin followed Taejun into the restroom.

“Please save me.”

That was the whole story of how Cha Haeshin suddenly knelt down and clung to Han Taejun in the restroom.

☂️

“Please save me.”

Taejun stared at the face of the man who suddenly knelt before him, clutching his hands and begging for his life. It was a completely absurd situation. For starters, Taejun and this man, Cha Haeshin, had barely exchanged a few words.

“What?”

Taejun asked, quickly pulling his hand free. He was already on edge with the approaching “end,” and this ridiculous situation was annoying. However, Haeshin, unfazed by Taejun’s reaction, grabbed his hand again and spoke in a tearful voice.

“Mr. Taejun, no, CEO! Please save me. Please! I beg you!”

“What on earth do you want me to save… No, just get up first… Huh?”

Taejun’s reaction changed when he saw Haeshin’s wrist as he was helping him up. There were clear bruises on Haeshin’s wrist, as thin as someone who hadn’t eaten in a long time. It looked like someone had tightly bound his wrists.

A strange feeling instantly ran down Taejun’s spine. In this cycle, which he had given up counting, Cha Haeshin had never approached him like this.

“Please… I’ll do anything you ask! So, please? Just once…!”

Haeshin clasped his hands together and pleaded desperately, as if he were about to kneel again at any moment.

Was Cha Haeshin originally like this? Taejun momentarily wondered, then frowned. Surprisingly, he knew almost nothing about Cha Haeshin personally. Truly surprising.

“Haeshin.”

While hesitating, unable to react further because he couldn’t understand why he knew so little about Cha Haeshin, a familiar voice came from behind Haeshin, who had lowered his pleading hands and sighed deeply. Taejun stared intently at him. For a moment, he thought he saw a reddish mark of some kind between the collar of his shirt. He couldn’t tell exactly what it was.

Haeshin calmly turned around, as if he’d expected Jin Youngmin to come looking for him. It was a stark contrast to the desperate look he had just moments ago when he was kneeling.

“What are you doing here? You’re with Taejun hyung?”

Youngmin approached slowly with a light smile. Taejun’s eyes twinkled with some interest. It was because Youngmin’s words felt somehow barbed.

Although his expression and voice were no different than usual, Taejun sensed the subtle hostility flowing beneath them.

Taejun’s gaze quickly alternated between Jin Youngmin and Cha Haeshin. These two had made headlines in Korea and eventually gotten married. He had naturally assumed they were having a happy married life, but Cha Haeshin’s voice, begging him for help, echoed in Taejun’s ears.

“We weren’t together, we just bumped into each other. I was just about to leave.”

Cha Haeshin replied in a bright voice, as if he had never begged at all. At that moment, Taejun was certain. Meeting Cha Haeshin here was no coincidence. Cha Haeshin had deliberately followed Taejun into the restroom. Solely to kneel and beg for his life.

But why? Taejun’s mind raced. Han Taejun and Cha Haeshin had no connection whatsoever, except for Jin Youngmin between them.

To Taejun, Cha Haeshin was the husband of his maternal cousin, Jin Youngmin, the spouse Youngmin had stubbornly won despite fierce family opposition, nothing more. He was certain that to Cha Haeshin, Han Taejun was also nothing more.

Then why did Haeshin go out of his way to create this moment and ask Taejun for help? What exactly was Haeshin being threatened by? And why?

Was this the first time Han Taejun himself had received such a request from Haeshin?

“Is that so? Then let’s go.”

In the meantime, Youngmin, who had reached right in front of them, snatched Haeshin’s hand. It was a grip filled with force.

“Youngmin.”

Taejun stopped Youngmin. It was something he did without realizing it. Youngmin turned around, placing Cha Haeshin behind him.

Taejun saw the suppressed rage in Youngmin’s face. He was managing his expression fairly well, but not well enough to fool Han Taejun, who was enduring a life beyond imagination.

Jealousy, suspicion, anger, and irritation. All sorts of negative emotions lurked beneath Jin Youngmin’s mask.

However, what Taejun paid more attention to was Cha Haeshin behind Youngmin. As soon as he was out of Youngmin’s sight, Haeshin furrowed his brows and mouthed the words earnestly.

[Save me]