Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 56

It was the same for Cha Haeshin. The fact that he’d rejected my advances every time, well, I could let that slide. But to stand before me so shamelessly with another man, and with Han Taejun of all people. I’d never been so humiliated in my life.

However, Taejun shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter to him whether Youngmin was trembling with a sense of betrayal.

“Well, I don’t think there’s much more to explain, but if you want… it’s just as it looks. Haeshin and I have decided to see each other.”

“Hyung.”

“I thought it would be best to let you know for sure first, so I arranged this meeting. That way, you won’t get any unnecessary ideas either.”

“Unnecessary ideas?”

“I heard Haeshin came to see you a while ago.”

Taejun asked with a faint smile. In that moment, Youngmin was certain. This meeting was solely to warn me. To not even think about hovering around Cha Haeshin from now on. That he was now someone I shouldn’t dare to covet.

“The situation has changed now, so let’s get things straight. Cleanly.”

Feeling heat rise through his body and a burning sensation inside, Youngmin drank some water again. The hand holding the water glass was visibly trembling. After downing all the remaining water, Youngmin spoke.

“This doesn’t make sense. Hyung, you didn’t even know Cha Haeshin.”

“You’re stating the obvious. Is there anyone you know from birth?”

“You got to know him because of me, because of me!”

“Yes. And for that, I’m grateful, Youngmin.”

“You son of a…!”

Youngmin, who was about to curse reflexively, shut his mouth at the sight of Taejun’s sharp gaze piercing through him. He felt so humiliated that he couldn’t breathe properly.

“No matter… no matter if you’re my hyung, this isn’t right. Huh? How… how could you take someone I liked first…!”

“You liked him first, so what did you do?”

“…What?”

“So did you date Haeshin? Or did you at least confess? Did Haeshin give you any kind of opening?”

What was even more incomprehensible was Taejun’s attitude. A strange anger could be felt in his tone. He had snatched away the man his younger cousin liked first, so why on earth was he the one getting angry? It was beyond understanding.

“If you met him first and still nothing happened, then that’s the end of it. How long are you going to act so pathetic?”

“Mr. Taejun…”

It was Haeshin who stopped Taejun from spitting out more perfectly valid points. Only after hearing Haeshin’s voice calling him cautiously did Taejun realize he had gotten somewhat heated.

The moment he saw Jin Youngmin’s face, he felt angry. The shameless face that had married Haeshin against everyone’s opposition, only to torment him and then kill him, was sickening and repulsive. The fact that he was acting as if he was the one betrayed was so irritating that he must have gotten worked up without realizing it.

But it was also intentional to some extent. Taejun had deliberately and subtly ignored Youngmin and bruised his pride. It was because he wanted Youngmin’s anger to be directed entirely at him.

He hoped that if Jin Youngmin ever dreamed of revenge, he would make Han Taejun his sole target, finding the arrogant and petty Han Taejun to be a detestable and annoying bastard.

“Sorry. My words were a bit harsh.”

Taejun apologized belatedly. It was an apology in name only, spoken in a tone that made the other person feel even more pathetic.

“What I mean is, since things have turned out this way, I called you to ask you to congratulate us with a good heart. There’s no need for brothers to get red-faced over something like this.”

At Taejun’s voice, which sounded like he was reasoning with a younger sibling, Youngmin let out a hollow laugh. Since when did these bastards get together? Since when had they been meeting behind his back and mocking him?

Youngmin’s gaze turned to Haeshin. Sitting demurely next to Taejun, Haeshin’s face looked exceedingly gentle and meek.

“Mr. Haeshin.”

Youngmin gathered up all the patience he didn’t have and called him politely. He could see Taejun opening his mouth to stop him, but Haeshin gently placed a hand on Taejun’s arm to hold him back. The corner of Youngmin’s mouth tilted up in a smirk.

“Yes, Department Head.”

“Mr. Haeshin, are you really seeing him, Han Taejun, because you love him?”

Youngmin’s eyes gleamed with more aggression than ever before. It was a look Haeshin knew all too well. To soothe his own soul, which was habitually trying to flinch away, Haeshin reminded himself that Han Taejun was right beside him.

He couldn’t do anything if he didn’t fully trust the man sitting here solely to save Cha Haeshin from Jin Youngmin.

“It’s not because you were tempted by money or threatened, but you really, truly love Han Taejun?”

Taejun let out a derisive snort at Youngmin’s absurd question. That was a question that should have been directed precisely at the Cha Haeshin who had married Jin Youngmin.

The question also brought many thoughts to Haeshin’s mind. The question, coming from the person who had swayed him with money, who had tied him down with threats and violence so he couldn’t escape, was so ridiculous he could hardly bear it.

“You don’t have to answer unnecessary questions.”

Just then, Taejun whispered softly into Haeshin’s ear. He seemed to be considerate, probably thinking that it would be burdensome for Haeshin to say that he loved him.

But in reality, the one saying unnecessary things for Haeshin’s sake in this situation was Han Taejun. Without dating Haeshin or loving Haeshin, Taejun was introducing someone who didn’t even suit him as his lover, solely for Cha Haeshin’s sake.

Haeshin, his face now completely relaxed, gave Taejun a light smile before turning to face Jin Youngmin directly and said.

“Why do you ask such a thing. Of course, I… I love Mr. Taejun.”

In that moment, Taejun felt as if a giant tidal wave was crashing down on him. Haeshin continued.

“It’s not money, nor threats.”

Haeshin always had to speak to Youngmin while trembling in fear.

I love only you. I haven’t even looked at anyone else. You’re the only one for me. So please, please let me live. Don’t hit me. Please forgive me.

Perhaps that was why. Speaking of loving someone else in front of Jin Youngmin, Haeshin felt a kind of liberation. Haeshin took a deep breath and continued.

“I just… fell in love. With Mr. Han Taejun.”

Haeshin’s calm confession echoed softly in the space occupied by the two men.

☂️

“Are you okay?”

Taejun asked cautiously to Haeshin, who had his head bowed low, catching his breath. Taejun’s hand hesitated in mid-air several times, wanting to pat Haeshin’s back, but in the end, it never reached him. Haeshin quietly nodded his head.

After Haeshin confessed his love for Han Taejun, the atmosphere in the room was truly like walking on thin ice. No one could easily speak first, nor could they move.

It was Taejun who broke the silence and spoke to Youngmin, whose eyes were red as he trembled.

‘Neither Haeshin nor I did this on purpose, so I hope you don’t take it too badly. You know what I mean, right?’

‘So you want me to congratulate you or something?’

‘That’s up to you, how could I force you. I just thought it would be best for us to tell you in person, so I asked to meet.’

Despite Youngmin’s sharp reaction, Taejun didn’t lose his composure until the end. It was Youngmin who couldn’t stand the atmosphere of the meeting first.

‘Seeing the way you talk, it seems you wouldn’t have cared what I thought anyway, so don’t pretend to be considerate of me. It’s pathetic.’

Youngmin responded with blatant emotion and stood up from his seat.

‘Cha Haeshin, you seem to be misunderstanding something, but Han Taejun doesn’t love you. He’s just playing with you out of curiosity. In the end, you’ll be the only one who gets hurt.’

A curse aimed at Cha Haeshin was thrown in for good measure. Unsurprisingly, no one was affected by Jin Youngmin’s words.

“CEO.”

Just then, Haeshin, still with his head down, opened his mouth. He felt a bit disappointed that “Mr. Taejun” had immediately become “CEO” as soon as Jin Youngmin left, but he held back, knowing it wasn’t the right atmosphere to say such things.

“Yeah, what is it.”

“Me, I really, CEO.”

Haeshin couldn’t easily continue his sentence. Just as Taejun was about to feel sorry for him, thinking he must be that nervous, Haeshin suddenly lifted his head, looked at Taejun, and said.

“I feel so good right now!”

“Huh?”

“I never thought a day like this would come!”

Taejun stared blankly at Haeshin with a dumbfounded expression. Haeshin’s eyes were slightly red, but his expression looked genuinely relieved. Taejun also burst into a chuckle.

“What’s this, I thought you were scared stiff.”

“This is the first time I’ve ever spoken so fearlessly in front of Jin Youngmin!”

“Really?”

“Yes. I was always so careful with every word, every action, wondering if I might get on his nerves. If I made a mistake and even looked at someone else…!”

Haeshin, who had been pouring out words in his excitement, realized his slip-up and quickly stopped talking. The problem was that he had gotten too emotionally carried away.

It was a natural reaction for Haeshin. In his countless regressions, saying he loved someone else in front of Jin Youngmin was something he couldn’t even have dreamed of.

Just once, when Haeshin’s eyes had glazed over from Youngmin’s constant suspicion, he had screamed back that he had indeed slept with that bastard like he said, but the violence he endured then was so horrific that he never wanted to experience it again, so he never let such words pass his lips after that, no matter how angry he was.

But today, Haeshin had declared his love for Han Taejun right in front of Jin Youngmin. And upon hearing those words, Jin Youngmin, far from slapping Haeshin’s cheek, had just pathetically fumed by himself before leaving.

It didn’t matter at all that this achievement was gained by clinging to Han Taejun’s power. As Taejun had once said, this was the result of Cha Haeshin not giving up and constantly striving and struggling.

Clinging to everyone around him, begging and pleading, being rejected or failing, Cha Haeshin came this far without giving up. Even thinking that Han Taejun would never listen to him, he knelt before him and ultimately brought Taejun to this very spot.