Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 72

Even if I lived for just one day, I wanted to have an ordinary day. I wished to live a normal day, like everyone else does, instead of locking the door, hunching over, trembling, and waiting for death that could come at any moment.

“Yes. You are right.”

Taejun was finally able to speak only after swallowing the emotions that were about to burst out of him several times.

The feeling that the words, ‘I want to live like a human being,’ had become a huge boulder pressing down on his heart was overwhelming. He was deeply and utterly grieved by what Cha Haeshin had to endure up until now just to have a fragment of life that some people could possess without any effort.

“You should live a normal daily life, one that is not manipulated by someone like Jin Youngmin. That’s right.”

Taejun murmured. It was less a statement to Haeshin than a way to remind himself. So that he would not forget what kind of life Cha Haeshin truly wanted in his obsession with the goal of saving him.

Taejun took a deep breath and calmed his emotions. He had gotten overly excited out of the desire to no longer see Cha Haeshin die.

“Can I go to work now?”

Haeshin, who had quietly waited for Taejun to gather his thoughts, soon asked in a light voice. Taejun nodded.

“Still, be careful. There can be variables at any time, so don’t be too relieved, and if anything feels even slightly strange or unsettling, contact me right away.”

“Yes, I will.”

“And wait a moment. Secretary Choi will be here soon, so go out with him. I’ll give you a ride.”

“Really? Thank you!”

Haeshin gathered his two hands in front of his belly button while seated and politely bowed. Taejun liked this about Cha Haeshin. He did not refuse the small kindnesses Taejun offered.

Haeshin always said he was someone who did not refuse pity, but Taejun knew it was Cha Haeshin’s consideration to accept the hand extended by others without making it awkward.

Thanks to him willingly saying thank you without refusing every time, Taejun was able to reach out to Haeshin as much as he wanted without hesitation at any moment.

“Tell them to find a replacement as soon as possible. If they can’t find someone, I’ll find one instead.”

“Yes, yes, I will.”

Haeshin lightly chuckled and replied to Taejun’s interference, which he insisted on adding. Taejun hardened his resolve while looking at the faint smile on Haeshin’s lips.

As Haeshin said, he just needs to continue having ordinary days from now on. Protecting Cha Haeshin from Jin Youngmin and preserving his life was now Han Taejun’s responsibility.

So that Cha Haeshin would no longer be hurt, no longer die, no longer be sad or lonely. Han Taejun was now planning to execute his newly established goal.

☂️

“Mr. Manager, understood? If there’s even the slightest strange sign, contact me immediately with this number. And don’t be clumsy and lose the contact information again.”

“Ah, I said I got it! Does this brat think I’m a snot-nosed kid!”

The manager finally flared up in anger at Haeshin’s repeated urging. The trap, however, was that it was not scary at all.

“If you happen to lose it, ask Hyung Inchan.”

“Sigh, I raised a tiger cub, I really did.”

The manager shook his head repeatedly at Haeshin, who only said what he wanted to say regardless of the manager’s anger. Only then did Haeshin smile sweetly.

“I can’t just hit you with a single punch.”

“Hey, where is there a place for you to hit me? I’m so pitiful.”

“Pitiful, my foot.”

The manager grumbled continuously at Haeshin’s cheeky behavior, yet he could not completely hide his worried eyes. It was suspicious that he suddenly came to quit after there had been no signs whatsoever, and also that he asked him not to convey any news about him to Jin Youngmin.

“Are you really involved in some bad business?”

The manager asked, having put away his playful expression. Haeshin answered, hiding his complicated feelings.

“Involved in what? Am I in a position to do something like that??”

“No, that’s not it. Truth be told, where is there a place that pays you as much as here? But you suddenly say you’re quitting, and then you say not to tell anyone about you, as if it’s some 007 operation.”

“It’s just… Mr. Manager, you know it too. That Executive Jin Youngmin is interested in me. But… I thought this just wasn’t right. Like the saying of the Mr. Manager I respect the most, huh? A pine caterpillar eats only pine needles!”

Haeshin spoke in an intentionally playful tone. He was worried that the manager might worry too much about him. He wanted to stop seeing the manager get involved in unrelated matters and get hurt because of him again.

“Are you making fun of your manager again? Huh?”

The manager stared at Haeshin for a long time with still-suspicious eyes, then playfully responded, as if playing along, and lit a cigarette he put in his mouth.

“Anyway, well. Since you say you won’t meet Jin Youngmin anymore, that’s a good decision. I was nervous about it anyway. I told you. I don’t like the feeling of that bastard at all.”

As the manager shook his head repeatedly, the cigarette smoke billowed, dancing along with his movement. Haeshin stared intently at the manager’s face beyond the smoke.

A feeling of deep affection surged, out of place with the situation. Before he knew Taejun, he was the person who tried to help Haeshin the most in Haeshin’s regression life, and as a result, he suffered great harm. Haeshin always had a debt of gratitude in his heart toward the manager.

“Right. And since our Mr. Manager is accurate about judging people, I should listen to you.”

“Good, good. That’s a good thought, Haeshin. If you listen to me, huh? You’ll get good things even while you sleep, I tell you!”

“Oh, of course. That’s why I always wake up while sleeping and eat the good things.”

“You bastard, you’re doing it again…!”

Haeshin burst into laughter, pretending to avoid the manager’s gesture of swinging his fist at him, who was just acting as if he was going to hit him.

He wished that no one around him would get hurt in this regression cycle.

Even a life dying at the very bottom had someone they wanted to protect.

☂️

“Oh dear, I’m dying.”

“You worked hard today. Why did it have to be so busy on your last day? You really have a lot of work luck.”

“My point exactly.”

Haeshin came out of the store while having a trivial conversation with Inchan. As he inhaled, the air of the early summer dawn, with its heat dissipated, filled his lungs. Haeshin liked the smell of that season.

“I’ll take you home. Get in.”

Inchan said, pulling out his car key from his pocket. It was a natural suggestion. When they finished work together, Inchan always used to drive Haeshin home unless there was something special.

“Oh? Ah… no, it’s okay. The weather is nice, so I’ll just walk.”

Haeshin shook his head. It was an obvious thing to do since he could not ask him to drive him to Taejun’s house.

“What? Why are you being reserved all of a sudden? Hurry up and get in, you rascal.”

Inchan asked with a suspicious look. It was natural since he had never refused Inchan’s kindness without a reason before. Haeshin hesitated, rolling his eyes around while thinking of an excuse.

“What’s wrong?”

Inchan, feeling something strange, asked with a suspicious gaze. At the same time, a short car horn sounded from behind Haeshin.

Could it be that Jin Youngmin came to pick him up? Haeshin’s body stiffened at the plausible guess. In fact, after the two had become somewhat close, Jin Youngmin often came to pick up Haeshin in front of the store without warning, pretending to be an affectionate person.

“What is that.”

Inchan’s eyes turned fierce as he looked back, perhaps having a similar thought. Youngmin was quite popular among the store employees because he gave generous tips, but Inchan was one of the few people, along with the manager, who disliked him.

It’s okay. It’s okay to meet Jin Youngmin right now. Nothing will happen yet.

Haeshin slowly turned his head toward the direction of the sound, familiarized himself with calming himself down.

“Huh?”

And the moment he saw the familiar black car positioned behind him, a confused sound escaped Haeshin’s lips.

“Is that Jin Youngmin?”

Inchan asked, closely standing behind the dumbfounded Haeshin, who was staring at the car. Haeshin quickly shook his head.

“No. That, a friend… a friend came to pick me up.”

“A friend…?”

Inchan’s eyes seemed to be asking where he had a friend who drove such a nice car. Haeshin smiled awkwardly and stepped backward.

“Yeah. Well, anyway, I can go in my friend’s car, so you go in quickly, Hyung! You worked hard!”

“Okay. Call me.”

Inchan was still obviously suspicious, but Haeshin, who had nothing to explain right away, waved his hand enthusiastically at Inchan and quickly got into the car.

As soon as the door closed, Haeshin raised his voice toward the person in the driver’s seat.

“How did you get here?”

“Why. Did I come to a place I shouldn’t have?”

The person who responded in a gruff voice was Han Taejun, Haeshin’s ‘friend who drove a nice car’.

☂️

“That’s not it, but I didn’t expect you to come.”

Taejun glanced sideways at Cha Haeshin, who was fastening his seatbelt and answering brightly, unaware of his inner turmoil. His cheerful face was truly annoying.

The problem was the fact that Taejun could not honestly say everything he wanted to, even as his stomach was churning.

“I know you don’t have a car, so I figured I shouldn’t make you come on your own.”

Taejun managed to answer, trying to calm his twisted feelings. The brusqueness that he could not completely hide was evident in his tone. Taejun could not help that much.

“I could have taken a taxi…”

“And do you have money for a taxi?”

“No.”

Haeshin, who answered shamelessly, soon smiled “Hee” at Taejun.