Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 131

“So…… for the time being, it’s going to be a bit uncomfortable. I’m sorry. Because of me.”

“Sorry for what…… It’s not like you did anything wrong, Mr. Haeshin.”

Even as Haeshin spoke, seeing the poor complexion on the face of the housekeeper, Younghwa, caused his own expression to grow gloomy as well. Just as Younghwa said, it wasn’t his fault, but he couldn’t help his heart feeling weighed down.

He had stepped forward thinking he could speak more comfortably and gently than Taejun, but now that he was actually doing it, this wasn’t an easy task either.

Lest he make Younghwa even more anxious, Haeshin hurriedly managed his expression and continued speaking in a confident voice.

“I’ll make sure it gets resolved quickly. Since Mr. President has stepped in, it won’t take long. Don’t worry too much.”

They weren’t empty words. Not to mention Taejun, since even the Chairman had stepped in, no matter who Jin Youngmin was, he wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.

“Mm-hmm. Right. Don’t worry too much about me, and take care of your body, Mr. Haeshin.”

“Yes. If you ever have a matter where you need to drop by your house, please tell me. I’ll send a car for you.”

“Oh my, why go that far……”

“It’s because doing that puts my mind at ease.”

“Alright, I will. Thank you.”

Only after seeing the face of Younghwa, who faintly smiled while replying that she would do so, did Haeshin feel somewhat relieved and added words with a much brighter face.

“Then please go inside and get some rest. I’ll take care of Mr. President’s snacks.”

“No. Your leg is uncomfortable too, Mr. Haeshin…… if there’s anything you need, just say the word. I’ll prepare it.”

“No, it’s fine. It has improved a lot, so moving around the house to this extent is fine.”

“Still……”

“Aw, I really told you I’m fine. And if it seems like I’m having a hard time, Mr. President will take care of it on his own, so don’t worry!”

At the words full of playfulness, Younghwa looked at Haeshin with a momentarily surprised face. Though he spoke like a joke, a confidence that had never been felt before could be sensed in Haeshin’s expression.

At that moment, Younghwa could be certain. The fact that Taejun and Haeshin had truly become a special couple. She had vaguely felt before that the relationship between the two was extraordinary, but the atmosphere between them now felt yet again different from before.

“Then I’ll leave the snacks prepared, so eat them with Mr. President later.”

“You don’t have to do that though……”

“It’s because doing that puts my mind at ease. I’ll prepare it shortly, so get some rest.”

“Yes. Thank you!”

Younghwa returned a smile to Haeshin’s pure, bright smile that anyone would have no choice but to adore. However, the face of Younghwa as she soon turned her back to Haeshin and headed toward the kitchen had darkened, as if she had never smiled.

To be honest, the entire time she faced Haeshin and shared a conversation, Younghwa’s stomach was churning to the point that she felt like dry-heaving. The fact that she had to deceive them by pretending nothing was wrong, even while knowing what kind of things Taejun and Haeshin had suffered, was overwhelming.

Standing with both hands gripping the sink, Younghwa desperately tried to catch her breath while swallowing down the cries that threatened to burst out. She was currently no different from being on the edge of a cliff. If she took even a single wrong step, she had no choice but to fall into a thousand-foot abyss.

If she were the only one to lose her life that way, it would rather be better.

With eyes that had turned red before she knew it, Younghwa turned her head to look at the living room. Taejun, who had gone into the study to work for a bit, had come out before she knew it and was massaging Haeshin’s uninjured leg.

Younghwa knows. Han Taejun definitely has the ability to resolve this situation. But Younghwa also knew. When pushed into a do-or-die situation, whose sake Han Taejun would choose to do his best for.

It was clear that Han Taejun would use all the power he possessed solely to save Cha Haeshin. Rather than for the daughter of the housekeeper working at his house.

The reason Jin Youngmin kidnapped her daughter in the first place is because she is the only gap in the iron wall Han Taejun had layered tightly. Jin Youngmin dug into a small hole that wasn’t included within Taejun’s best interests.

So, how could someone like Younghwa make any other choice? Younghwa bit her lip painfully and firmly braced her wavering heart once more.

If Taejun had a mission to protect Cha Haeshin, Younghwa had a responsibility to protect her one and only daughter.

☂️

“I’m telling you, I don’t have to go.”

“If you really didn’t have to go, would the secretary have gone as far as to say this?”

At Haeshin’s sharp question, Taejun glared at Secretary Choi with wide eyes.

Secretary Choi lightly avoided Taejun’s eyes. Normally he would have appropriately bowed down and given in, but right now, Secretary Choi was also standing at a dead end, so there was no other way to avoid it.

Just as Haeshin said, if there were any other way, Secretary Choi didn’t want to do this either. Secretary Choi was someone who worried about Taejun’s well-being more than anyone, and because of that, he felt even more responsibility for Haeshin’s safety. Because if Haeshin weren’t safe, it was clear his boss would be broken too.

Secretary Choi opened his mouth once more in a grave voice.

“If you make the decision that you won’t go, Mr. President, I won’t recommend it any further either. However, I’ve mentioned it because if this contract falls through, there can’t help but be a huge blow to the company.”

Taejun bit his lip. To be honest, Taejun knew it too. The situation where Secretary Choi had no choice but to talk like this.

Taejun had a very important appointment today. It was a meeting he had labored over for more than a year for an overseas business project. The counterpart corporation was an indispensable existence in this project, so he absolutely had to create a stepping stone for the conclusion of the contract in this meeting.

The other side trusted Han Taejun more than anyone else, and because of that, they unconditionally wanted to meet with Taejun directly. It was a natural judgment, and Taejun also had no intention of entrusting such an important matter to someone else.

Yet, of all times, this kind of problem had burst out right now because of Jin Youngmin. It was truly a dilemma.

If Taejun stood up the meeting today, the contract would be jeopardized. No matter what justifiable reason was given, if the appointment was postponed or someone else went instead, the other party couldn’t help but feel slighted.

That didn’t mean he could honestly say he was feeling a threat to his personal safety because of a stalker either. Because it also wouldn’t be easy to trust a CEO who has a risk that large and proceed with a contract.

He couldn’t take Haeshin along to the outside world, which was bound to be exposed to the public and have many variables, and yet leaving Haeshin home alone and going out also made his mind completely anxious.

Taejun resolutely made up his mind. Right now, nothing was more important than Haeshin’s safety. He would ask his grandfather for the meeting, and if things still went awry, that too was something that couldn’t be helped.

Though it was an important project, the company wouldn’t go bankrupt just because it fell through. There was a too distinct superiority in the existence Taejun had to protect.

Thus, having made his decision, the moment Taejun was about to open his mouth to say something to Secretary Choi, who already had an expression as if half-resigned, Haeshin spoke up a bit faster than him.

“Secretary, may I talk with Mr. President alone for just a moment?”

“There’s no need to talk further.”

“Yes. I’ll be on standby, so please have a conversation comfortably and let me know.”

Taejun, noticing Haeshin’s intention to try to persuade him, hurriedly blocked his words, but Secretary Choi paid no heed, gave his greetings to the two, and withdrew.

In the quiet living room where only the two of them remained, Taejun spoke first in a sullen voice.

“I’m not going. Even if I leave you behind and go right now, would I be able to do my work properly? It’d be a relief if I don’t just make mistakes.”

“Even if you talk like that, I know you’ll do well once you actually go.”

“Cha Haeshin.”

“Do you think I want to send you away, Taejun?”

What cut off Taejun’s words was Haeshin’s voice, which did not hide its upset tone.

“Honestly, would you be in more danger going outside, Taejun, or would I be in more danger in a house protected by bodyguards. I don’t want to send you either because I’m worried about you, Taejun. Knowing anything could happen.”

“Ah……”

Taejun made a foolish sound. Because his own mind was entirely filled with worry for Cha Haeshin, he hadn’t managed to think that Haeshin would also be worrying about his safety with the same heart.

“Then we can just not send me……”

Taejun replied right away in a crestfallen voice. Since they were this worried about each other, what was so bad about staying hidden until Jin Youngmin was caught?

But Haeshin still opened his mouth with a firm attitude.

“What if Jin Youngmin isn’t caught within a short period of time?”

“Huh?”

“Then until when are we going to hide like this?”

“Haeshin-ah.”

“I know. You’re here, Mr. President, and since even the Chairman has stepped in, he’ll be caught soon. But what if, what if he isn’t caught. What if Jin Youngmin really goes deep into hiding so we can’t catch him for a very long time.”

Taejun shut his mouth. Jin Youngmin already hasn’t been caught for longer than expected. He had no choice but to think that someone whose identity is hard to grasp is concealing him.

Since he failed once, Jin Youngmin will become more cautious, and that means, just as Haeshin said, they might have to hide in this house indefinitely.

“I…… Taejun, I hate that kind of thing.”

Only then did Taejun understand why Haeshin was trying to send Taejun away despite braving his anxiety. Haeshin was, in reality, trying to protect Han Taejun’s life.

“I told you. If I simply wanted to just be alive, I wouldn’t have gone through that many deaths in the first place. But because I hated that, because I hated living that way, I came all the way here. That’s why I met you, Taejun.”

Moisture gathered in Haeshin’s voice before he knew it.

It has already been nearly 20 days since he was discharged from the hospital. Jin Youngmin, whom they thought they would catch in a week at the latest, hasn’t even had a trace found yet.

Honestly, Haeshin didn’t feel much discomfort about the fact that he was staying almost exclusively inside the house. His broken leg hadn’t fully healed yet, and now that he had quit all his work, there was nothing that would become a problem just because he couldn’t go out.

But Taejun’s case was different. He was the CEO leading a massive company, and the weight of the responsibility he held was on a different dimension. No one could know how a single meeting missed today would affect the company in the future.