Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 88

“Mr. President……”

Haeshin opened his mouth with his face buried in Taejun’s shoulder. His tears were soaking Taejun’s expensive suit, but Haeshin didn’t care. Because he knew Taejun wouldn’t care either.

“What got you so excited like this.”

Only after confirming that he had safely caught Haeshin did Taejun ask calmly while patting his thin back. Haeshin liked that, so he put even more strength into his two arms wrapped around Taejun’s neck.

Even if he’d be embarrassed later, he wanted to act spoiled as much as he wanted just for this moment. Han Taejun was the only person Haeshin could put everything down and act spoiled with like this.

“I.”

“Yeah.”

“Today.”

“Yeah.”

“Just now.”

“Right. Just now.”

“I held mom’s hand.”

Taejun couldn’t respond anymore and pressed his lips shut. Now he understood why Cha Haeshin was so excited.

Honestly, Taejun had been anxious. Even knowing Ingyu was there, the reason he came all the way here was because he was worried about Cha Haeshin who had to face his mother when his wounds hadn’t even fully healed yet.

Would he be hurt, would he break down, would he have a panic attack and mercilessly hit his own cheek again—he didn’t know how scared he had been the entire way here.

But Cha Haeshin was strong as always. He had overcome the terrible pain of the past once again by himself. And he was revealing his joy with his whole body in front of him without hiding it. He couldn’t bear how lovely such a Cha Haeshin was.

“You did well.”

“I did well, right?”

“Yeah. You really did well. I’m proud of you.”

“The tears just came, but I wasn’t sad.”

“I’m glad you weren’t sad. You did well. You did good.”

Taejun willingly poured out praise at Haeshin’s chatter like a child wanting to be praised and gently stroked his back heaving with rough breaths.

“Mr. President, thank you.”

“Hm?”

Then Taejun tilted his head at the thanks that suddenly followed. He hadn’t expected to hear thanks in this situation. Regardless of the puzzled Taejun’s reaction, Haeshin continued to say what he wanted to say.

“I couldn’t have done it without Mr. President.”

“What, no, that’s not true.”

“No. I’m right. Even when I arrived here today, I had no confidence. I wanted to run away.”

Taejun stopped the words he was about to say—that it wasn’t true, that it was all because you were brave—and just listened to Haeshin’s words. He hoped that just for today, he would pour out everything he wanted to say. Now was just the time to listen so Haeshin could fully enjoy his happiness.

“But I have Mr. President.”

“……”

“I was able to have courage because I had Mr. President who would help me save my mom. Really. Truly, I could do it because Mr. President was here.”

“……Right. I’ll continue to be here from now on, so don’t worry and keep having courage. Keep it up.”

“Yes. Please stay by my side. Until I save Mr. President.”

Until I save Mr. President.

Those words created deep ripples in Taejun’s heart. It was impossible from the start not to love a savior so fragile and strong and lovely and simultaneously wondrous.

Taejun released the arms holding Haeshin and gently grasped his shoulders to meet his eyes. Haeshin’s face, a mess from tears, nevertheless looked happy and was radiant.

“Okay. I’ll stay by your side. Until you save me.”

Until not a single shadow remains on Cha Haeshin’s radiance.

“Until then, I’ll save you.”

Han Taejun will protect Cha Haeshin time and time again.

☂️

“Mr. President, we’ve arrived.”

“Uh-huh.”

Taejun answered Secretary Choi’s words half-heartedly while stealthily looking down at his shoulder. Cha Haeshin was leaning on Taejun’s shoulder, fast asleep without a care in the world.

Haeshin had started nodding off shortly after getting in the car. Since the tension had released and he had even cried, it was no wonder sleep was pouring over him.

Taejun, who had been watching Haeshin shaking his head back and forth noisily, soon cupped his cheek with his hand and carefully made him lean against him. Haeshin let out a satisfied groan and settled in, then slept without moving at all after that.

“How much time is left?”

Taejun asked while staring at Haeshin who was sleeping so deeply.

“You need to leave right now.”

Taejun’s expression crumpled at once. If he could, he wanted to savor this peaceful moment longer, but unfortunately Taejun had an important scheduled appointment and had to return to the company. To be a bit more honest, even coming here was pushing it considering his schedule.

But if he didn’t know, that would be one thing—Taejun couldn’t just sit still knowing that Haeshin had gone home to meet his mother. And when Haeshin fell into his arms with a tear-soaked face, he thought a hundred times over that rushing all the way here was the right thing to do.

The problem was that human greed has no end. Taejun sincerely didn’t want to part from Haeshin. He didn’t want to wake up Haeshin who had fallen asleep leaning on his shoulder either.

“Mr. President.”

“Okay, okay.”

But even for a third-generation chaebol, the world isn’t easy.

Taejun sullenly avoided Secretary Choi’s gaze giving him a hint while almost glaring at him through the rearview mirror, and carefully clasped Haeshin’s small, thin hand.

“Haeshin.”

At the same time, he heard the sound of Secretary Choi gasping in surprise from the driver’s seat. He probably heard Taejun call someone’s name so gently, so carefully, so affectionately for the first time. It was fundamentally different from when he called Secretary Choi “Jungho.”

Taejun deliberately ignored that sound, pretending not to hear it. The ticklish voice calling “Haeshin” was awkward and embarrassing even to himself, so how much more so for Secretary Choi who had to hear it.

Well, it couldn’t be helped though. Working under someone was always hard anyway. Secretary Choi received one of the highest salaries among chaebol secretaries, so it was right for him to endure this much.

Taejun carefully rubbed the back of Haeshin’s hand and opened his mouth again.

“Cha Haeshin, wake up. We’re here.”

“Mmh?”

Haeshin’s shoulders flinched and he slowly opened his eyes. Taejun held his breath. All his nerves concentrated on when Cha Haeshin would realize that he was holding his hand.

Haeshin, who had been blinking with a dazed expression for a moment, murmured while still leaning on Taejun’s shoulder.

“Did we…… arrive?”

“Yeah.”

“Mmm, when did I fall asleep……”

Even as Haeshin said that, rather than lifting his head from Taejun’s shoulder, he actually rubbed his forehead against it. Taejun’s body stiffened at the unexpected contact, and he only rolled his eyes here and there in an awkward posture with tension throughout his body.

It wasn’t even any significant skincare, and he tried hard to think with his head that this was no big deal, but his body wouldn’t listen. His heart felt like it would leap out of his mouth.

“Ah, I was sleeping like this?”

It was right at that moment that Haeshin came to his senses and separated his closely attached body. His now clear gaze alternated between looking at Taejun’s shoulder and face.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. It’s fine.”

“Your shoulder must have hurt. You should have woken me up.”

“Well, not really.”

Taejun answered like a creaking robot trying hard to act natural. What was fortunate at least was that he could breathe again now that Haeshin had moved away, but even so, Taejun felt regret. His shoulder, now empty of the weight, felt hollow and upset his stomach.

“I feel like I’ve been sleeping more and more lately. Maybe I’m catching up on all the sleep I missed……”

Haeshin said while rubbing his eyes with one hand. He seemed to have said it casually without any particular meaning, but Taejun’s heart stung even at a single word Haeshin said in passing.

“Hurry and go inside to sleep some more.”

That was probably why. That Taejun unconsciously reached out his hand and rubbed Haeshin’s eyes for him.

“Ah……”

“……”

For a moment, an awkward silence flowed between the two. No, strictly speaking, it was three people. Secretary Choi in the driver’s seat was repeating to himself that he was a stone and wasn’t even breathing loudly.

“Um, uh, ah…… yes.”

“I might be a little late today, so eat dinner first.”

“Huh? Mr. President, aren’t you going in together?”

Fortunately, at Taejun’s following words, Haeshin was startled and the atmosphere was broken. Taejun nodded.

“Yeah. I have work so I need to go back to the company.”

“Ah…… then you came because of me.”

“Well, killing two birds with one stone.”

“Yes. Killing two birds with one stone.”

Haeshin playfully repeated those words. He now knew too well what Taejun’s “killing two birds with one stone” meant.

“Thank you. If it seems like you’ll finish earlier than expected, let me know. Let’s eat dinner together.”

“Yeah. Okay. Don’t think about finding work to do today, just rest.”

“I will. Hurry and go. Secretary-nim worked hard because of me too!”

Secretary Choi’s shoulders jerked greatly at the attention suddenly directed at him.

“Oh, not at all. What hard work. Please rest.”

“Yes!”

Haeshin answered with deliberate vigor. Honestly, he thought he’d be going home together with Taejun, so being alone deflated him a little. Come to think of it, it was natural that Taejun was working now, but he didn’t know why he felt so disappointed.

Reflecting on why his clinginess had increased so uncharacteristically, Haeshin was about to get out of the car when he finally realized that one of his hands was being held by Taejun.