Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 126

Before long, Secretary Choi’s increasingly sharp gaze began to shift back and forth between the rearview mirror and the side mirror, searching for that car. There were other vehicles between Taejun’s car and that one, and aside from a momentary irritation, no other issues were apparent.

However, Secretary Choi took note of the fact that the car had caught his attention in that brief moment. He was someone with good intuition. In fact, having served concurrently as Taejun’s bodyguard for a long time, he had escaped minor crises multiple times thanks to that gut feeling.

While he was keeping an eye out to see if that car was continuing to follow them, Secretary Choi’s phone rang. The person calling was Jin Youngmin’s secretary. Secretary Choi’s grip tightened on the steering wheel.

There was only one possible reason for this person to call him. It was clear that Jin Youngmin was planning to pull something.

“What is going on?”

—Hello, is this Secretary Choi’s mobile?

“Yes, that is correct. State your business quickly.”

Even as he asked, Secretary Choi’s gaze continued to search for the car that was getting on his nerves. Even though he knew it was a different model from Jin Youngmin’s car, strangely enough, he could not take his mind off it.

“What’s going on? Who is it?”

At Secretary Choi’s unusual reaction, Taejun also put on a serious expression and asked. However, Secretary Choi did not answer and focused on the call.

—That, well… I am Manager Jin Youngmin’s secretary, but…

“I know that, so hurry up and tell me what’s going on.”

Taejun’s expression darkened even further. Secretary Choi was a man far colder and more level-headed than himself. He was someone who knew how to maintain etiquette under any circumstances and did not easily commit rudeness to others.

For such a Secretary Choi to treat someone so sharply was by no means a common occurrence. Something had definitely happened.

—The truth is… Manager Jin Youngmin gave a strange order. I… but I don’t know if it’s okay for me to just go ahead and tell you this kind of thing like this…

“It is fine. You will not face any disadvantage because of this matter, whatsoever. So please, speak quickly.”

The car Secretary Choi had been tracing with his eyes was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Was it an unrelated car from the beginning? If so, that was a relief. Nevertheless, Secretary Choi continued the phone call without letting his guard down.

—Manager Jin rented a separate car.

But his relief was short-lived; at the words that Jin Youngmin had rented a car, Secretary Choi’s heart dropped.

“A car…?”

—Yes. And he told me to take the car he originally drives and head home first…

“So you don’t know where Jin Youngmin is right now?”

As Secretary Choi’s voice dropped its formalities again and grew sharp with an edge, Taejun, who was listening from behind, also furrowed his brow.

—Yes. Um… you must absolutely keep it a secret that I told you this…!

Secretary Choi hung up the phone without listening to the rest of the words. There was no more information to be gained from him.

“What is it? Why that bastard Jin Youngmin?”

When Secretary Choi finished the call, Taejun asked in a heavy voice. Secretary Choi replied while scanning the surroundings with a keen gaze.

“Perhaps Jin Youngmin rented a car and is following us. I heard Jin Youngmin rented a separate car, but I have no idea what his scheme is. Maybe he found out which restaurant we are going to.”

“What?”

“It is not certain… but for now, it seems best to be careful. First, I will escort you home. I will have bodyguards on standby in front of the house, so do not worry too much.”

Although it was a sudden situation, Secretary Choi tried his best to maintain his composure. Still, thanks to being contacted in advance by Jin Youngmin’s secretary, they had essentially avoided the worst-case scenario.

If they had been subjected to an unexpected attack in front of the restaurant, it would have been more dangerous than now. For now, they just needed to drop Taejun and Haeshin off safely at home, deploy the bodyguards, and then locate Jin Youngmin’s whereabouts.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

Taejun, who had sorted out his thoughts just like Secretary Choi, said as he tightly held Haeshin’s hand.

“I’m not worried. I’m okay.”

Haeshin replied calmly. However, Taejun could tell through their clasped hands that he was trembling.

“Yeah. It’s okay. I will protect you, so don’t you worry about a thing.”

Taejun said, bringing his lips to the back of Haeshin’s hand. He had already expected Jin Youngmin’s desperate struggle. It was not a surprising thing either. Perhaps with this, he could end his long, long ill fate with Jin Youngmin.

“We will be fa…”

But even before Taejun’s words could finish, a tremendous impact accompanied by a massive roar engulfed the two of them.

Along with the sensation of his body floating into the air, the scenery in front of his eyes began to spin very slowly. Is it a car accident? At the same moment he realized it, Taejun wrapped his body around Haeshin’s body to protect him.

Soon, the world collapsed into blackness.

☂️

‘What?’

Taejun looked down with an absurd expression at the man kneeling in front of him. The man said what he had to say, completely unfazed by Taejun’s brilliant gaze.

‘I don’t have the power to escape from Manager Jin Youngmin’s hands. Nor do I have the ability to run away and hide somewhere to live.’

Taejun’s gaze lingered on the edge of the man’s lips. There was a torn wound remaining, as if he had been severely beaten by someone.

Please save me!

The desperate cry that had stopped his steps as he was leaving the company to get into his car to go home lingered around his ears like tinnitus.

The man in front of his eyes right now said that because he felt he had to try anything to survive, he had waited endlessly in the dead of winter for him, not knowing when he might come out.

‘Did Jin Youngmin do this?’

Taejun asked. The man understood at once what Taejun was asking.

‘Yes. Yesterday… the Manager was very angry. He said he saw me smiling and joking around with a coworker.’

Taejun furrowed his brow. Taejun had known Youngmin since they were young. Had he ever shown such a violent side? Within the limits of what Taejun remembered, there was none.

If so, was the man in front of his eyes lying? That could be the case. Originally, those blinded by money would do ridiculous things.

‘Mr. President, please, please believe my words. If Mr. President turns away from me like this, next time I might really die.’

‘I heard Jin Youngmin likes you. But he’d kill you?’

‘The Manager is a scary person. He won’t wait for me to reject him any longer.’

Taejun felt a sense of disparity in the man’s manner of speaking, which used extreme honorifics toward Youngmin. He seemed like a person who was forced to submit to Jin Youngmin.

However, Taejun did not show his agitation on the outside. Pretending to be relaxed, pretending not to have the slightest interest in his words, he crossed his arms and continued speaking.

‘I heard you are poor.’

‘……Yes.’

‘But… you hate that someone who has so much and is as successful as Jin Youngmin hangs on you because he likes you? Why? Because love is important?’

Therefore, Taejun insulted him on purpose. If he was lying with another intention, Taejun wanted to create a gap.

At that moment, the man who had been imploring while looking at the floor until now raised his head and locked eyes with him. Taejun held his breath without realizing it. It was the first time since becoming an adult that Taejun felt a sense of being overwhelmed just by locking eyes with someone else.

It was not because it was overbearing. It was even less because it was miserable and pitiful. It was just that the man’s gaze was incredibly intense. A brilliant will toward life was right there in those eyes.

That is an eye that does not exist in Taejun’s world. In the place where Taejun belonged, no one craved life this passionately.

Was that why? Was the reason Taejun bothered to stop his steps at the man’s cry, which he could have passed by, because he felt such a fierce desire? It was an unknowable thing.

He still did not avoid Taejun’s gaze as he spoke.

‘While saying he loves me, the Manager is someone who slaps my cheek and strangles me because I didn’t accept that love.’

‘…….’

‘If such a person completely gets his hands on me, will he truly love me?’

If he had cried and begged instead, Taejun would not have listened carefully to his words. But even at this moment, the man was emitting a will so hot it was suffocating.

A will solely ‘to survive’.

‘Will he cherish me, without beating me and without killing me like he does now?’

Taejun clearly knew the answer he could give to that man’s question.

Whether you live or die, whether Jin Youngmin beats you or breaks you, that has nothing to do with me. If you are really scared, you should report it to the police or deal with it on your own; you shouldn’t come and ask a complete stranger and a family member of Jin Youngmin like me. So get lost.

Taejun could have easily said that. And by showing a little mercy, he could have given a warning through his aunt or uncle to make sure no trouble arose.

‘……Get up.’

But instead of saying that, Taejun told the man to get up.

‘Are you going to kick me out?’

‘I won’t kick you out, so just get up for now. I don’t have a hobby of keeping people kneeling.’

Taejun decided to listen to that man’s story a little more. He decided to get to know what kind of person the man was, and he intended to ask what on earth made him want to live this much.

‘So you, what is your name.’

The man’s name was Cha Haeshin. It was the real beginning that the two of them had lost.