Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 19

“Isn’t it too stuffy?”

“No. It’s warm and perfect.”

Haeshin replied, fastening his seatbelt. He also looked around as if he were seeing such a nice car for the first time. Even though the inside of the car was so familiar it was almost tiresome, he was now well-practiced in this kind of acting.

Youngmin, looking at Haeshin as if he were cute, started the car and played some music. Soft jazz melodies gently filled the car.

Haeshin bit his lip, holding back a burst of laughter. Jin Youngmin and jazz, what an odd combination. Youngmin, completely oblivious to Haeshin’s thoughts, opened his mouth.

“Is your house this way?”

“No. I work part-time at a convenience store nearby.”

“Wow…… You’re going to work after finishing your part-time job?”

“I have to work hard.”

At Haeshin’s spirited reply, Youngmin made a sympathetic expression. Haeshin in his naive days liked that expression of Youngmin’s. He thought something good would come of gaining the sympathy of someone so rich.

“Isn’t it hard?”

Youngmin asked. The question, tinged with a hint of intention, came much earlier than usual. Was this also related to Han Taejun’s intervention? Haeshin racked his brain and shook his head.

“Well…… Everyone has a hard time.”

“It’s a time when others are busy going out and having fun.”

“That’s true, but…… But how can everyone live the same life enjoying themselves? I’m content that I can make a living with my own two hands.”

He thought that Jin Youngmin might be trying to get closer faster than expected.

“Wow, this song is really good.”

“Really? It’s one of my favorites. I’ll give you the CD as a gift later. It sounds much better on CD.”

Haeshin changed the subject to prevent the atmosphere from becoming too serious. Fortunately, Youngmin followed along well with the changed topic. Haeshin lightly waved his hand and continued.

“No! I can just find it and listen to it myself. I can’t even listen to a CD anyway.”

“Do you think I’m that insensitive?”

He meant he would give him a CD player as well. Haeshin awkwardly fiddled with the back of his head.

“Oh, that’s not what I meant.”

“Just think of it as a gift for always treating me so well whenever I come to the bar.”

“Okay. Then I’ll gratefully accept it.”

Haeshin bowed his head slightly while sitting. He wasn’t one to refuse a gift.

“But……”

Then Youngmin spoke in a different tone than before. Haeshin realized that everything, from giving him a ride to lightening the mood with a gift, was all a prelude to what he was about to say.

“Yes, go ahead.”

Haeshin asked casually, pretending nothing was wrong.

“You know that my cousin is CEO Han Taejun, right?”

His heart dropped. Jin Youngmin knew about his meeting with Han Taejun. He definitely knew. His heart, which had plummeted, began to race.

How much did he know? Just that Taejun visited the bar? Or that he called Haeshin out for a private conversation? Or did he even know that Taejun visited his house?

Since the situation had already changed significantly from the past, Haeshin lacked information. After quickly thinking it over, Haeshin made a decision and spoke in a somewhat subdued voice.

“Yes……. You already knew, right, Director Jin……?”

“…….”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand. CEO Taejun told me not to say anything, so sternly…… I was worried.”

Haeshin decided to be honest about what he could be honest about and gauged Youngmin’s reaction. Fortunately, Youngmin seemed to find Haeshin’s answer understandable, as he spoke with a short sigh,

“I heard it by chance. That my cousin met with you, Mr. Cha Haeshin.”

“Yes……. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? I wasn’t asking out of anger.”

“Still, I should have told you first……”

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to know about Taejun visiting his house. Haeshin breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Youngmin continued in a soft voice,

“I’m the one who should be sorry. I think it was because of me.”

In other words, he was asking what he talked about with Han Taejun. Haeshin answered cautiously.

“Just…… He didn’t say anything special……”

“It’s okay, you can tell me comfortably. I won’t tell my cousin.”

“He seemed to have misunderstood something. Because you come to the bar often, Director Jin, and you take good care of me. So I told him it’s not like that, that it’s absolutely not like that!”

“Hmm……”

“It’s nonsense, but I don’t know how he misunderstood……. I was worried because he seemed a bit angry at the time.”

Hearing this, Youngmin frowned.

“Did my cousin say anything harsh to you?”

“What? Oh no, harsh words? He only said things he was entitled to say.”

At Haeshin’s following answer, Youngmin scoffed. Although Cha Haeshin denied it, he could guess what kind of conversation they had.

Considering how arrogant Taejun was even to Youngmin, it was obvious he would have been even worse to Cha Haeshin. He probably gave him a warning to know his place and stop dreaming.

He found it funny that he’d even briefly considered that Han Taejun might have feelings for Cha Haeshin. To think that someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth would judge people based on their social standing.

“Ha…… I apologize again. I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to hear that……”

“Hey, Director Jin! What do you take me for? You know I’m not someone who gets hurt by that kind of thing.”

Haeshin’s face was bright as he answered with a smile. In reality, he wasn’t hurt. But in Youngmin’s eyes, Cha Haeshin would appear to be bravely hiding his hurt. Because that’s how Haeshin acted.

Haeshin hoped that Youngmin wouldn’t notice that Han Taejun was being kind to him. If Youngmin already suspected something between them, his twisted, psycho tendencies might emerge too quickly. Haeshin needed time.

Just then, the car stopped at a red light, and Youngmin turned to Haeshin and said,

“If anything similar happens again, contact me immediately. I’ll take care of it.”

“……I feel like I’m the one causing trouble, but thank you for always being so kind to me.”

Haeshin answered meekly. It seemed he had managed to avoid the situation for now. And Youngmin spoke in a gentle voice filled with affection, audible to anyone.

“Don’t say that, it makes me feel bad. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Friends my ass. Haeshin cursed inwardly and looked out the window, pretending to be embarrassed. It had been a while since he’d been back in this distant past, so he’d forgotten for a moment. Jin Youngmin was consistently cheesy and nauseating.

☂️

“Hey, why do you look so pale?”

“Forget that, get me some cold water.”

“Are you ordering your manager around?”

Despite complaining, Inchan, the hall manager, quickly brought Haeshin a glass of cold water. After gulping down the water in one go and catching his breath, Inchan asked again in a worried voice,

“Are you sick?”

“No. I just feel a bit nauseous.”

“I told you to eat properly. Did you just eat something random at the convenience store again?”

“I told you I didn’t. I’ll go change. And don’t tell the owner that I’m sick or anything!”

Haeshin nagged at Inchan and quickly entered the storage room/break room. Only after collapsing onto the old sofa with its stuffing poking out here and there did he feel like he could breathe.

Being alone in a confined space with Jin Youngmin triggered Haeshin’s trauma. And on top of that, he had to endure his crappy flirting. If he had arrived at the bar a little later, he might have thrown up in the car.

He’d rather endure being hit and locked up. Jin Youngmin’s kindness was always harder on Haeshin than his violence.

“Sigh……”

Haeshin closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm down. The countless acts of violence he suffered in the car, hidden from view, flashed before his eyes and disappeared repeatedly. Horrifying moments that no one knew about, moments that even became as if they never happened.

Just then, the sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed in the break room. Slap. One side of Haeshin’s cheek immediately swelled up red. Unable to calm his emotions, he slapped himself again. It was a crude but quick and effective method.

Finally freed from the suffocating memories, Haeshin reached for his phone as he was about to take off his jacket.

‘If anything happens, be sure to contact me.’

Han Taejun’s voice, spoken as he stood in front of his house, came to mind. It wasn’t a soft and gentle tone, but for that very reason, it sounded even more caring.

Biting his lip, Haeshin found Taejun’s number on his phone. His mind was still in turmoil. He was frustrated that he couldn’t tell whether contacting him was the right thing to do.

Perhaps he would only realize his choice was wrong at the moment of his death. Since the outcome would change depending on the choices he made in the moment, he had to be cautious, even as a regressor. At least this time, this wasn’t a throwaway loop anymore.