Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 105

“Cha Haeshin! Are you okay?”

As soon as he opened the door to the president’s office and stepped inside, Haeshin was finally able to relax his stiff expression only after seeing Taejun, who immediately held onto him and checked him over. It literally felt like he could finally breathe.

“I’m okay. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Did that bastard do this?”

Taejun asked menacingly, as if he hadn’t even heard the answer, after checking Haeshin’s wrist. He looked like he was about to run out to Jin Youngmin right away, so Haeshin quickly held Taejun back, sat him down on the sofa, and sat down next to him.

“It’s no big deal. It didn’t even hurt.”

“It’s going to bruise. What do you mean it didn’t hurt?”

“I’m really okay. I told you. Mr. Ingyu helped me right away, so nothing happened.”

Haeshin had already spoken to Taejun on the phone on his way over. Ingyu had reported first, and Haeshin had taken the call afterward. He had almost burst into tears, grateful and happy for Taejun’s concern as he asked about his safety in a voice that sounded like it was about to cry.

At the same time, Haeshin thought of how Taejun must have felt, waiting here alone for Haeshin to arrive. How anxious and restless he must have been. He could clearly picture Taejun’s heart, unable to be fully at ease until he saw him with his own two eyes, even though he knew he was coming safely.

“You were really worried, weren’t you? I’m really okay.”

“I… I should have been there with you…”

“What are you talking about? Mr. President was there.”

Haeshin responded immediately to the self-reproach in Taejun’s voice. When they spoke on the phone on the way, the first thing Taejun had said was that he was sorry to Haeshin.

Sorry for not being by your side, for not being able to protect you, for letting you get into a situation like that.

He had to answer that apology now, which he couldn’t answer properly then because he was at a loss for words. Haeshin held Taejun’s hand tightly and continued in a firm voice.

“If it weren’t for the person Mr. President sent, I would have been dragged in front of Jin Youngmin today, no way out. So Mr. President saved me. If Mr. President hadn’t been there, who would have been by my side to protect me?”

“Still…”

“What do you mean, still! I’m right!”

Taejun, whose heart had shrunk at the thought that Haeshin could have been in danger, even though it was thwarted, widened his eyes at Haeshin’s tone, which suddenly sounded like a kindergarten teacher scolding him. Haeshin sat up straight and said.

“Mr. President did it. Through a person named Jang Ingyu, Mr. President saved me. I’m right.”

“…Yeah. You’re right.”

In the end, Taejun had no choice but to relax his stiff expression and burst out laughing. For one, the fact that Haeshin wasn’t hurt, apart from the faint mark left on his wrist, made Taejun feel relieved.

Taejun gently rubbed Haeshin’s wrist and opened his mouth again.

“Weren’t you scared?”

“I was.”

“…”

“Not because of Jin Youngmin, but because of Mr. President.”

“Me?”

At the unexpected answer, Taejun pointed to himself with his finger and asked again. Haeshin nodded.

“Yes. Mr. President.”

“Why… me?”

“If I die, I’m just pushing Mr. President into pain again, aren’t I?”

“Ah…”

“Because if I die, Mr. President will suffer, thinking he couldn’t protect me. That’s what I was scared of. That I might… hurt Mr. President again.”

Some people might say. Why would you be so pained by the death of someone who will come back to life anyway? Haeshin sympathized with that sentiment to some extent. For the same reason, Haeshin did not fear his own death.

But now, Haeshin knew how painful the death of a loved one was. The terrible pain he felt when his mother died still remained vividly inside him.

Even knowing there was a way to save his mother, Haeshin had despaired. He writhed in a pain that tore through his entire body. And he had given that very pain to Taejun. Even going so far as to die right in front of his eyes.

“That I might not be able to protect Mr. President’s life… That really scared me.”

Taejun, who was listening quietly to Haeshin’s words, soon pulled him slowly into his arms. The fact that he and Cha Haeshin shared the same fear suddenly made his heart swell.

Han Taejun and Cha Haeshin were afraid only of losing each other, and were growing stronger to protect each other.

Taejun hugged Haeshin, who was meekly hugging him back by the waist and burying his head in his shoulder, even tighter and opened his mouth.

“I’m so glad nothing happened.”

“Yes. I really am.”

“Wait here for a little bit. Let’s go home together.”

“Huh? Mr. President, too?”

At Taejun’s unexpected words, Haeshin pulled away from his embrace and asked. Taejun nodded as if he was asking something obvious.

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Don’t you have to work?”

“It’s fine. I’m done with all the important work.”

“Hmm.”

Despite Taejun’s confident attitude, Haeshin kept his lips firmly shut and furrowed his brow slightly. Taejun, who let out a chuckle without realizing it at the cute expression, gently smoothed Haeshin’s brow with his finger and asked.

“Why the face?”

“Aren’t rumors going to spread that Mr. President is neglecting the company because of me? And I’ll be the only bad guy?”

“Ah, that you corrupted the once diligent and sincere chaebol president?”

“Yes.”

Haeshin nodded with a serious expression. It was so serious that anyone could tell he was joking. As Taejun laughed as if amused, Haeshin continued.

“That would be so unfair to me.”

“I’ll clear it up for you. I’ll say that you told me to work hard, but I was the one who slacked off.”

“Hey, who would believe you if you said that? They’d say I made you do it.”

“Then what should I do?”

“You should work hard.”

At Haeshin’s final words, Taejun snorted, “Hmph,” and got up from his seat.

“Then you don’t have to worry. Where else would you find a president as competent and good at his job as me?”

From the sofa, Haeshin watched Taejun sit down at his desk. Given the situation, he hadn’t realized it until now, but only after Taejun sat at his desk did Haeshin realize that he was in the office of none other than President Han Taejun.

“Just wait a moment. It’ll be over once I finish looking at this.”

“Yes…”

Haeshin answered, feeling shy for some reason. The sight of Taejun sitting with the cityscape spread out behind him was as elegant and beautiful as a painting.

Taejun hadn’t done anything special, yet his heart began to pound. He felt like his cheeks were turning red. There had been many moments when he had felt a flutter looking at Taejun, but this was the first time he had been captivated purely by his external appearance like this.

Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed and awkward, Haeshin averted his gaze from Taejun. But not long after, Haeshin’s eyes were looking at Taejun again. It wasn’t of his own will. His gaze just kept turning toward him without him realizing.

Just 30 or 40 minutes ago, he had felt fear because of Jin Youngmin, but now, he was just happy, as if such a thing had never happened. He truly felt invincible. It seemed like he would actually be invincible as long as Han Taejun was by his side.

Haeshin closed his eyes for a moment and let out a long breath. The situation still hadn’t changed. The storm and tidal wave were now just around the corner, and it was inevitable that he would be swept up in them. That alone was a fate he could not escape.

But whereas until now, fate for Haeshin had only taken the form of repeating a painful death, this time it would be different. This didn’t mean he would definitely succeed. He might fail, but that didn’t matter.

Now, failure would only function as a stepping stone to success, and Han Taejun and Cha Haeshin would eventually step on that stone and escape their wretched fate.

That, and only that, was the only ‘fate’ Cha Haeshin would accept.

☂️

“Hey, you son of a bitch!”

Youngmin spat out a harsh curse and roughly slapped the secretary standing in front of him. The secretary didn’t even let out a groan and quickly straightened his disheveled posture. He didn’t know what would happen if he got on his bad side any further.

The Jin Youngmin he knew was the kindest boss in the world when he was in a good mood, but when he was in a bad mood, he was a man who could break a person’s leg without batting an eye. He had to be as subservient as possible.

“Fuck, you can’t even catch one Cha Haeshin? Did I ask you to do something difficult? Huh?”

With each word he spoke, Jin Youngmin poked the secretary’s head hard with his finger. The secretary didn’t even think about his pride being hurt. He was afraid that thought might show on his face.

“No, sir. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? What does it mean for the likes of you to be sorry? If I told you to bring Cha Haeshin, you should have brought him, you bastard. Huh? Am I wrong?”

“No, sir. I was wro… Ugh!”

The secretary couldn’t even finish his sentence and was sent tumbling to the floor by Jin Youngmin’s kick. Even so, the secretary immediately got up and knelt. He didn’t have the luxury of thinking about whether he was hurt or not.

“I’m sorry.”

“You useless fucker. Do I really have to keep someone like you as my secretary?”

“I’m sorry. I will correct my ways.”

“Fuck, every single one of them is an idiot.”

After finishing his words, Youngmin spat on the floor. The spit landed on the kneeling secretary’s thigh, but the secretary showed no reaction.