Desires Chapter 5.6 - Provocations

Until she took off her hat and mask, he hadn’t even considered that it could be Shin Hayeon.

The actress, heavily disguised to conceal her identity, peeled off the cumbersome layers one by one in front of Song Yeongin, revealing who she was.

She was so meticulously disguised that even Jang Haeseong probably hadn’t recognized her at the entrance. Song Yeongin stood frozen in place, his face pale.

“Why are you so surprised? Like someone who’s done something wrong…”

Sitting alone in the VIP room at Laquière, she approached Song Yeongin, who was rooted to the spot, unable to move, her heels clicking sharply on the floor.

Her long hair fluttered over the glamorous face that had been hidden under the hat. She strode up to him and slapped him across the face.

Slap—!

The sound of the slap jolted him awake, the sting of her sharp fingers snapping him to attention. The familiar scent of her hand brushed past his nose. Song Yeongin nearly laughed. It was the same rose-scented cosmetic fragrance he’d smelled on Cha Woojin’s neck.

“Speak! You’re shocked because you know you’ve wronged me, don’t you?!”

“…….”

Despite the venom she was spitting, Shin Hayeon kept her voice low, mindful of not letting it carry outside.

“You filthy homo…! You like stabbing me in the back, huh? Stealing someone else’s man behind my back…”

Song Yeongin, standing there after being slapped, closed his tired eyes as her barrage of accusations poured over him. His neat eyelids trembled faintly.

“When did it start? From the moment you broke the wine glass at Jimil?! Or from the first time that man brought me here? You thought I was a joke, didn’t you?! Putting on that innocent face, acting all hypocritical… What were you thinking when you looked at me?! Huh?!”

“It’s a misunderstanding…”

“While you were playing coy in front of me like a fox, you were sleeping with the man I’m supposed to marry behind my back. One slap is getting off cheap, isn’t it?!”

Though the slap stung his cheek, Song Yeongin felt her anger was justified. Regardless of the misunderstanding, as she said, it was true he’d slept with him. If she was to marry Cha Woojin, it was only natural she’d hate him. Taking a hit from a woman like her wasn’t a big deal.

Shin Hayeon took a deep breath. The woman, burning with rage, suddenly changed her expression.

“Alright, I’ve vented enough. Let’s talk. Sit down… I’m here for a reason today.”

“I’m on duty, so I can’t sit. I’m sorry…”

“I have the right to make this much of a demand, so sit. This won’t take long.”

She scowled irritably, her tone sharp. Not wanting to argue further, Song Yeongin silently sat down.

“That man kept you so well hidden I didn’t even know who you were, but I heard it straight from Mr. Matteo. About the lover that man cherishes so much.”

“…….”

“They say you’ve been famous since Jimil for seducing wealthy men. I heard from Matteo… that you’ve been wagging your tail at rich guys with that pretty face of yours…”

Shin Hayeon wasn’t interested in hearing excuses. The truth didn’t matter to her either. She just needed someone to take her anger out on.

Song Yeongin, blinking his tired eyes, spoke calmly with an impassive face.

“I no longer meet with Mr. Cha Woojin.”

But she scoffed at his words.

“Because of you, that man hasn’t seen me for months. He blocked all my calls.”

“Whatever happened in the past… I have no connection with the director anymore.”

Her proud, glamorous face broke into a soft smile. It was clear she didn’t believe Song Yeongin. In fact, she had no intention of listening from the start. She was the type who didn’t care for others’ words, too busy spewing her own.

“Don’t worry. I’m actually glad my rival is a man. At least you won’t be the one to give the chairman a grandchild before me, and I don’t have to worry about you bringing a bastard child into the picture… I never expected a man like that to live only for me anyway.”

Was it because she was an actress? She had many faces. It was impossible to tell if she was sincere or pretending. Her dazzling, flower-like face seemed indifferent at times, yet also pitiful and sad.

She was highly agitated. It felt as if she were acting in front of a camera. And Song Yeongin felt like an audience member watching her performance unfold on this stage.

His cheek, marked red with her handprint, stung on his translucent skin. Song Yeongin only blinked his neat eyes slowly. He wished time would pass quickly. He wished her solo performance would end soon…

“You’ve slept with that man too, so you must know, Mr. Song Yeongin.”

Her single sentence hit Song Yeongin, who had been avoiding reality, with a devastating impact.

You’ve slept with him too…

The complex implications of her words felt like a blow to his head. His heart felt as if it had been thrown to the ground. Song Yeongin’s clenched fingertips trembled.

“Don’t you know? How much that arrogant man makes people anxious and restless?! He gives no certainty, no lingering attachment… Cha Woojin, that man was born to drain women dry. When you imagine that captivating man rolling around with others, you go mad with jealousy, driven to obsession until you feel like you’re losing your mind…”

Shin Hayeon, in her agitation, couldn’t finish her sentence.

Song Yeongin let out a faint chuckle. That man really was something else. The fact that both Shin Hayeon and Song Yeongin were sitting here, trembling with anxiety over the thought of Cha Woojin with someone else, proved it.

“To have a man like that, you need ambition greater than his. Only then can you handle and embrace it all. Just like me… I’ll be the mistress of Woosung, and I’ll have that man everyone desires.”

“…….”

“I can give Mr. Cha Woojin everything he wants. Power, prestige… even the grandchild the chairman so desperately wants. I can even secure him the position of Woosung’s heir.”

What was she trying to say to him?

“You understand, don’t you? This marriage is moving forward with Mr. Cha Woojin accepting that you’re still seeing him. But do you know? Your place, Mr. Song Yeongin, will be replaced by countless other pretty dolls in the future, but my place is unchanging and singular.”

Was that all she came to say?

Shin Hayeon wanted Song Yeongin to acknowledge her victory. That she could give that man something he could never provide. That he was nothing more than a replaceable doll.

He already knew that without her saying it… That’s why he said they should stop meeting. That’s why he tried to leave him.

But if listening to her revel in her small victory could ease her anger even a little, Song Yeongin could sit there and take it.

“But I’m warning you… don’t take too much of that man’s time. The chairman wants a grandchild, and I have a duty to fulfill that. If you keep clinging to Mr. Cha Woojin like you are now, it’ll cause problems.”

Song Yeongin didn’t understand. It had already been two weeks since he last saw that man. To say he was clinging to Cha Woojin? Moreover, she didn’t even believe he wasn’t seeing him anymore.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“Are you worn out and still pretending to be innocent? Or are you just acting naive?”

Shin Hayeon added in a sharp tone, as if telling him to drop the hypocrisy.

“I’m saying don’t steal that man’s time and just play around appropriately. If he spends all his energy fooling around with you, how am I supposed to give the chairman a grandchild? If I don’t produce a grandchild, I can forget about the heir’s position… Isn’t that right?!”

Song Yeongin felt sick. He wanted to run to the bathroom and empty his stomach right then.

“Once there’s a child, I won’t interfere anymore. At the very least, you shouldn’t be a hindrance to that man’s life. He’s got a mountain of things to do in the future. Do you think it’s okay to block his path?”

Song Yeongin protested strongly, feeling the need to clear up the misunderstanding.

“Ask the director. We’re not meeting.”

“Put some spit on your lips before you lie! Then why hasn’t that man seen me?! It’s been two weeks since I last saw him.”

It had been two weeks since Song Yeongin walked out of his penthouse. He was dumbfounded. That man hadn’t contacted him once or shown his face, just as he hadn’t with her. Song Yeongin let out a low chuckle in his refined voice.

“Then it must be someone else.”

“…What?!”

For some reason, no matter how many times he said it, she refused to believe he and Cha Woojin had parted ways.

Song Yeongin knew. With people who wouldn’t listen, you just give them the answer they want.

“Yes… I understand. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure there’s nothing to concern you. I wish you both happiness.”

Shin Hayeon couldn’t hide her surprise at Song Yeongin’s response. She seemed to have expected him to fight back fiercely. Realizing he was an unexpectedly dull opponent, her glamorous face softened quickly.

“At least you understand. I hope we don’t have to make a scene again. If you need money, contact me anytime. If you’re willing to settle with money, I’ll pay whatever you want on the spot.”

“…….”

“And just to be clear, don’t come to our engagement ceremony. No matter how cool I try to act, this isn’t Hollywood, and I can’t tolerate that much.”

Song Yeongin swallowed the thorny words in his mouth.

Take him, Ms. Shin Hayeon. I don’t think I’m cut out to be with Mr. Cha Woojin.

He was glad he faced her. His head felt clear. Now he could truly cut that man out of his life completely. They were people from a world so different from his. Common sense didn’t work with them, and he didn’t even want to try persuading them.

Was this the mindset of the powerful and the wealthy? Just as Cha Woojin was born and raised that way, so was this woman. He felt all his efforts so far had been futile. They were all abnormal.

Shin Hayeon put her mask back on and prepared to leave.

“I don’t need to order. I’ll pay for the seat and go.”

She had stayed for barely ten minutes.

Knock! Knock!

Just as Shin Hayeon was about to stand, a knock came at the room’s door. It was Jang Haeseong’s voice.

“Mr. Song Yeongin, may I come in? You’ve been absent for a while…”

With no response, Jang Haeseong opened the door and came face-to-face with Shin Hayeon sitting across from Song Yeongin. Both stood up as Jang Haeseong entered.

Song Yeongin’s face was pale, marked with a red handprint. Jang Haeseong approached and quietly asked.

“Mr. Song Yeongin, what’s going on with Ms. Shin Hayeon? Why are you two together…”

Song Yeongin’s body swayed involuntarily as he stood. Jang Haeseong steadied him.

Looking at Jang Haeseong, Song Yeongin spoke calmly in a subdued voice.

“You’re going to report this, aren’t you? If you’re reporting, please pass this on to Mr. Cha Woojin.”

“…….”

Song Yeongin gave a pale smile.

“Tell him you two look perfect together…”

Mr. Cha Woojin, congratulations on finding someone who can fulfill your endless ambitions and desires. I’m glad you’ve met your perfect match.

May you be happy.

🌫️

Jang Haeseong immediately tried to contact Cha Woojin and interrogated Shin Hayeon. Taking advantage of the moment, Song Yeongin, with a pale and shaken face, stumbled quickly toward the staff changing room. Work or anything else was the last thing on his mind. Only one thought consumed him.

Get out of here. I need to lose Jang Haeseong.

He grabbed his coat and bag. Song Yeongin headed for the kitchen’s side door as fast as he could. Like a madman, he ran forward without looking back. The side door led to the exhaust vent outside. From there, he could head straight to the road and catch a taxi. That way, he could shake off Jang Haeseong, who monitored him 24/7.

“Huff…! Huff…!”

Song Yeongin ran like a man possessed. When he looked back, no one was following. He dashed onto the main road and jumped into a waiting taxi.

“Anywhere, just go.”

The only thought in Song Yeongin’s mind was clear. He wanted revenge on Cha Woojin. He would let him go cleanly. But in the end, he wanted Cha Woojin to hurt, even just a little, because of him. Without that, the injustice felt unbearable.

When I’m hurting this much… that perfect, carefree man can’t just walk away unscathed.

From Jimil, he had been watching him. He had people monitoring him 24/7, that control freak. Song Yeongin wanted to ruin him.

I’ll disappear.

If he escaped his control, slipped out of his surveillance, and vanished, wouldn’t that be punishment for a control freak like him? I’ll disappear so you can’t watch me. Would that smug, always-composed man still be so carefree then? He wanted to make him regret letting his fiancée come and humiliate him.

What drove Song Yeongin now wasn’t concern for his happiness or not wanting to interfere with his life. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Song Yeongin was burning with jealousy and vengeance toward the man who had slept with Shin Hayeon. That was the only thing fueling him now.

It had been two weeks since he walked out of his penthouse. He knew he left on his own. But absurdly, Song Yeongin resented Cha Woojin for not contacting him once, for not showing his face. He wanted Cha Woojin to rage with fury because of him. Then Song Yeongin gave a faint smile.

If that man stops looking for me?

Then wouldn’t I be too pitiful?

He couldn’t go back home or to Laquière. He had to go somewhere Cha Woojin couldn’t find.

In the taxi, with no destination, Song Yeongin rummaged through his phone. He stared at the sparse, meager list of contacts. The priest, his younger sister, his sister-in-law, Jang Haeseong, Park Seongjae, Cha Woojin…

It was maddening. He had no one to call in a moment like this. There were no other options. Only one number stood out.

“…Hankyeol-ah.”

Na Hankyeol was off duty today and hadn’t gone to work. He was the only friend saved in Song Yeongin’s contacts. The fact that he had even one person he could call a friend brought some relief. If he didn’t have this number, he might have gone straight to the priest. He had to avoid the disgrace of crying to the priest over Cha Woojin.

Song Yeongin desperately needed someone by his side right now. Though he’d jumped into the taxi, he’d never gone anywhere alone in his life and had no idea where to go or what to do after escaping. He felt lost.

He had been a pathetic, confined person, locked in a cramped rooftop room, painting. Until Cha Woojin took him to Mohee Island, he hadn’t even seen the sea properly. If that was his first trip, would he believe it?

He was so desperate to cling to someone, to beg them to stay by his side. At this moment, Song Yeongin was unbearably lonely.

“Can you meet me now?”

“No… right now…”

His trembling voice must have sounded strange to the boy, like he was crying.

“Take me somewhere, anywhere.”

Anywhere Cha Woojin couldn’t find.

🌫️

Today, at Woosung Electronics’ founding anniversary event, Cha Woojin, the company director who had driven rapid growth and turned operating profits positive since taking office, appeared at the photo call.

Strategic reports would flood in to make an impression on shareholders. Cha Woojin, the rarely seen crown prince of Woosung, with his striking and flawless appearance, dazzled at the photo call. Amid intense attention, camera shutters rained down.

But Cha Woojin stepped down from the photo call, receiving an urgent report, and had to rush to his car during the event.

“Shin Hayeon went to Song Yeongin on her own. Is that what you’re saying?”

“We took every precaution to prevent information from leaking to Ms. Shin Hayeon’s side, but it seems Matteo, holding a grudge, approached her and spilled details about Mr. Song Yeongin’s identity.”

His composed face curled into a cold sneer.

“Making contact with Matteo? She really doesn’t hold back.”

“And, according to Jang Haeseong’s latest report…”

“…….”

“Mr. Song Yeongin has disappeared without a trace.”

His perfectly symmetrical, cool-headed face twisted instantly. His eyes, filled with murderous intent, bore into Park Seongjae.

“Hold Jang Haeseong accountable for clear breach of contract! What’s the point of assigning a former special security chief to him if this happens?!”

Cha Woojin leaned back, letting out a deep, hollow sigh.

“Have you tracked him? Where is he?”

“Since his phone is still on, we have the last recorded conversation and location data.”

The chipset with eavesdropping and GPS tracking functions had been installed in Song Yeongin’s phone after the incident with James Han.

After being blindsided by James Han, when the approval for the Asian semiconductor monopoly supply was delayed in the U.S. Congress, swift lobbying by latecomers followed.

Though a misstep was avoided, Woosung Electronics suffered incalculable losses due to the missed opportunity cost and the value of the Asian semiconductor logistics monopoly Cha Woojin had to give up.

Taking on that risk, Cha Woojin had to prepare for James Han approaching Song Yeongin again. No more mistakes or losses could be tolerated. It was the best choice to avoid giving any leverage.

Song Yeongin was unnecessarily tight-lipped.

He was foolishly oblivious to sensing threats to his safety. Cha Woojin had realized this through several close calls. Despite his alluring beauty, Song Yeongin was recklessly unaware of danger or fear.

Letting Song Yeongin walk out of his penthouse without any precautions was unthinkable.

He hadn’t expected the device to be used like this, though.

He was the one who, back in his naive twenties, had been scolded by his sister for playing with wiretapping. Cha Woojin mocked himself.

“Hah, here I am, doing the immature things I did at twenty… Seongjae, don’t delay. Order Jang Haeseong to track him immediately.”

“Yes, I’ll issue the order right away.”

Park Seongjae knew that whenever his cool-headed superior became emotional, he called him by name, not title.

The recorded conversation between Shin Hayeon and Song Yeongin was sent to Cha Woojin’s tablet. In the moving Rolls-Royce, Cha Woojin listened to the wiretap through wireless earbuds.

Shin Hayeon had slapped Song Yeongin out of nowhere.

— You filthy homo! You like stabbing me in the back, huh? Stealing someone else’s man…

……

……

— I no longer meet with Mr. Cha Woojin.

Shin Hayeon’s shrill voice contrasted with Song Yeongin’s gentle tone, ringing in his ears. Cha Woojin leaned back in his seat, closing his tired eyes. Her sharp, piercing words continued to fatigue his ears.

— I’m saying don’t steal that man’s time and just play around appropriately. If he spends all his energy fooling around with you, how am I supposed to give the chairman a grandchild? If I don’t produce a grandchild, I can forget about the heir’s position… Isn’t that right?!

……

……

— Yes… I understand what you mean. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure there’s nothing to concern you. I wish you both happiness.

Cha Woojin’s cold eyes narrowed sharply as he scoffed into the air. The reasons he could never bring himself to accept Shin Hayeon were all captured in this wiretapped recording.

— You’re going to report this, aren’t you? If you’re reporting, please pass this on to Mr. Cha Woojin.

……

— Tell him you two look perfect together.

Having listened to the wiretapped conversation to the end in the moving car, Cha Woojin gave a cold, self-mocking smile at Song Yeongin’s final words.

I know.

Even after being cast down to the depths by the world time and again, to someone as pure as you, untainted by even a speck of dirt… I, who urged you to become my mistress alongside her, must have seemed utterly repulsive.

🌫️

Following Jang Haeseong’s instructions to control access to the VIP room, Shin Hayeon sat quietly waiting for Cha Woojin. She had expressed her desire to see the man who had been out of contact for two weeks, even if it meant doing so like this.

The door to the VIP room opened. The exquisite tailoring accentuated the man’s perfect frame and sensual silhouette. A strikingly refined man, dressed in a suit, walked toward Shin Hayeon with measured steps.

Today, the man was meticulously groomed from head to toe, as if he had business requiring him to present himself impeccably. His hair, shorter and more stylishly arranged than before, highlighted his sharp jawline, prominent nose, and symmetrical features even more. The sophisticated metal accessory reminiscent of a military officer pinned to his jacket, along with the elegant handkerchief, exuded a refined, austere, and seductive dignity that completely captivated her gaze.

Shin Hayeon couldn’t tear her eyes away from the man walking toward her, not even for a moment. She could hardly believe that this mesmerizing man was now hers.

However, Cha Woojin’s eyes were filled with contempt. With an emotionless, cold-blooded face, he pulled her to her feet.

Cha Woojin aggressively pushed Shin Hayeon against the wall with a threatening gesture. Overwhelmed by his imposing presence and explosive intimidation, she trembled beneath her black shirt blouse, her slender frame shaking.

Cha Woojin grabbed her collar, yanking it tightly with a loud thud! as he pinned her to the wall. She let out a small whimper.

“You never fail to disappoint me. Are you an expert in slander and dirty tricks?”

“Ugh, it hurts…! Let go of this. Ngh…! I can’t… breathe…! Sob…!”

His grip on her collar tightened, becoming even more ruthless as he pressed her against the wall.

“I warned you not to pull these underhanded stunts behind my back. I hear you even laid hands on him…! What kind of nonsense did you spew?!”

“Hah, ugh…! Mr. Cha Woojin, ngh…! It hurts…”

Though not a single inch of skin was touched, Cha Woojin immediately loosened his grip and flung her collar away as if discarding it, exasperated by Shin Hayeon’s exaggerated moans. She collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

“Hah, sob…! What is this?! Do you think you can treat me like this?!”

“Go tell your father, the future president. Tell him with your own mouth that Cha Woojin is a violent, despicable bastard, and you want to call off this marriage.”

Shin Hayeon, sitting crumpled on the floor, sobbed.

“You know I can’t do that…”

“Seeing you secretly meeting with Matteo… If I let you into my family, I might end up watching you conspire and sleep with Cha Seokhyeon behind my back.”

“…….”

“Hah, do you already think you’re something special?! Who told you to go to him and pull this filthy stunt, huh?!”

Shin Hayeon raised her knees and lifted her head defiantly. Her glamorous face, now contorted, looked up at the tall, well-built man and spoke.

“What’s so great about him? Just some guy with the same parts…”

Shin Hayeon’s face was filled with misery. Cha Woojin sneered arrogantly at her wretched expression, like a fading flower.

“Can’t you see? Why I’m so hung up on him?!”

Shin Hayeon’s eyes reddened with the expression of a defeated loser. She seemed to understand why Cha Woojin was so obsessed with that boy. He had things that the wealthy couldn’t buy with money.

“Go tell them with your own mouth that you want to call off the marriage.”

Cha Woojin urged her to call off the marriage because it was the safest course for both of them. Though the engagement hadn’t even been formalized, their fathers had already declared it as good as done.

For the man’s side to announce the cancellation of the marriage would be tantamount to dishonoring her and her family, something her father, Congressman Shin Hayeol, would never tolerate. For Cha Woojin to demand the cancellation would be equivalent to declaring open enmity with their family in the future.

Shin Hayeon glared at Cha Woojin, throwing a tantrum.

“No…! I’m going to have you! I’ll never let you go!”

Cha Woojin let out a deep, heavy sigh. Shin Hayeon screamed hysterically.

“It’s too late now! Just watch. I’ll push and fight to rush this marriage no matter what!”

The man cast a cold, contemptuous glance, looking at Shin Hayeon with a bored expression.

Even in this moment, as Cha Woojin looked at her with disgust and disdain, Shin Hayeon couldn’t believe that her body still burned with desire for him, her passion for him raging within.

Cha Woojin poured scorn on her with cruel eyes.

“You’re desperate to control me, aren’t you? My ambitious sister’s regency is already backbreaking enough… Everyone’s itching to tear me apart.”

“…….”

“If you think I’m hung up on this marriage merger, you’re mistaken… Have you not considered that I could completely derail this marriage?”

Shin Hayeon’s voice trembled noticeably.

“…To the chairman… Are you saying you don’t plan to inherit Woosung?”

“You’re acting like you’re marrying my father. If inheriting the heir’s position means sharing it with someone like you, I don’t care for that position! If you chose me as the sacrifice for your ambition, you’ve made a grave miscalculation.”

“…….”

“Would it look better if I call off this marriage, or if you do? Think about it carefully.”

“…….”

“Now that you understand the situation, don’t provoke me and stay put quietly. Don’t act like you’re something special, parading around on the chairman’s back.”

🌫️

On Friday night, Daehak-ro was bustling with people. The plaza at H University was located at the opposite end of the spectrum from Laquière, and it took quite a while to reach by car. Song Yeongin felt a faint sense of relief at this.

Stepping out of the taxi, Song Yeongin was still in his white shirt uniform from work, with a thin coat draped over it. He watched a street basketball team performing near-acrobatic dribbling to hip-hop music at one end of the plaza, his eyes wide with childlike wonder.

The plaza was filled with students, presumably from the campus, and the youthful energy of young people mingled together. Daehak-ro’s plaza was brimming with the free-spirited movements and vibrant energy of people his age. To Song Yeongin, it was a very unfamiliar and novel sight.

Not knowing where to go, Song Yeongin stood still when, from a distance, the tall figure of Na Hankyeol came running toward him, waving his hand. Bounding over like a big dog wagging its tail, Na Hankyeol approached Song Yeongin, grabbed his shoulders, and asked.

“You scared me. What’s going on all of a sudden?”

His straight shoulders trembled. The shaking was palpable under Na Hankyeol’s hands. Without a word, Na Hankyeol pulled Song Yeongin into a tight embrace.

“Yeongin-ah, why are you so pale? There’s no color in your face.”

Song Yeongin didn’t tell him to let go, silently trapped in Na Hankyeol’s embrace.

“Hankyeol-ah… we’re friends, right?”

“Dude! Why are you stating the obvious?”

Still held in Na Hankyeol’s unyielding embrace, Song Yeongin whispered softly, his voice so pitiful it tugged at the heart.

“Take me somewhere. Somewhere no one can find me…”

🌫️

Na Hankyeol took Song Yeongin to the rooftop of a secluded annex at H University’s Fine Arts Department. As they entered the campus, Song Yeongin suddenly recalled that Han Jiyeon, Cha Woojin’s old friend, was a professor in the Fine Arts Department here. He’d heard her mother was the university’s chairwoman. Why, of all places, had he ended up here?

Come to think of it, Han Jiyeon had secretly admired Cha Woojin too. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, her refined, shy smile couldn’t conceal her feelings in front of him. Making all the women around him suffer… As Shin Hayeon said, he really was a man born to drain women dry.

Na Hankyeol was carrying bags full of soju and beer. At the edge of the closed-off rooftop of the Fine Arts annex, there was a hidden, dilapidated shed. It looked like a storage room, too run-down to seem habitable. Na Hankyeol unlocked it and went inside.

“Come in.”

As Song Yeongin stepped into the shed, Na Hankyeol turned on an old incandescent bulb.

“This is our club’s secret hideout… Nobody at school knows this place exists. If you hide here, they probably won’t find you. Lock the door, and no one who knows about this place will come. So, don’t worry.”

Na Hankyeol must be a student here. Song Yeongin nodded belatedly, accepting the obvious fact.

“Yeah…”

He was right. Even if he was here, no one would find him. Not only had they opened a locked, closed-off rooftop, but they’d also locked a shed that was completely invisible from the outside.

The shed, about the size of a large room, felt like a dimly lit single room with barely functioning electricity. There was a low wooden table, a military blanket with signs of use, and a garish electric mat on the floor. The walls were covered with unfinished sketches instead of wallpaper, and stacks of old art books were piled up.

Unlike at Laquière, Na Hankyeol was dressed like an ordinary college student, wearing a jumper with the school’s logo. Seeing him in such a student-like outfit made it sink in that he really was a college student. This look suited Na Hankyeol much better.

“Want a drink?”

They sat at the wide low table. Na Hankyeol expertly mixed soju and beer in a paper cup, stabbing a straw into it and shaking it to make foam before handing it to Song Yeongin. This seemed to be his method.

Song Yeongin knew he needed a drink right now. He couldn’t bear it otherwise. His long, pale hand took the paper cup from Na Hankyeol.

Na Hankyeol narrowed his playful eyes and asked Song Yeongin.

“Do you drink well?”

“I don’t know…”

He’d never drunk soju and beer like this before. The most he’d had was the wine Cha Woojin gave him… Come to think of it, he remembered Cha Woojin saying it would be troublesome if he got drunk.

His father was a notorious drunk in the neighborhood, so how could that drunkard’s blood not run in him?

If this could help him forget, Song Yeongin wanted to forget. Forget Shin Hayeon coming to him about giving the chairman a grandchild. Forget Cha Woojin, the root of all this. Forget his reckless self who wanted him despite knowing it would end.

Those two were perfect for each other. If two people with so much achieved their union, it would be flawless. He hoped they’d have the child the chairman so desired, become Woosung’s heir, and live happily as a perfect couple.

Song Yeongin pictured the two of them forming a perfect family. If the child resembled Cha Woojin and Shin Hayeon, it would be truly beautiful. Those were things he could never give that man, no matter how hard he tried. His heart ached as if it had been carved out.

Na Hankyeol stared with amusement at Song Yeongin, who had downed the entire paper cup. He couldn’t take his eyes off Song Yeongin’s red, plump lips, wet with liquor.

“You hold your liquor well.”

“…….”

Song Yeongin drained the second cup to the last drop. Na Hankyeol pushed some shrimp crackers toward him, urging him to eat with the drink. Song Yeongin took them with his fingertips but didn’t eat.

Na Hankyeol asked cautiously.

“Is it because of that guy?”

“What?”

“That real boss guy. Last time at Laquière’s hall, he dragged you away by force, and he put that scary watchdog on you. You asked me to take you somewhere no one could find… Are you running away from him in secret?”

“…….”

“Is he harassing you?! Is he forcing you to… do weird stuff or something?”

“Weird stuff?”

Song Yeongin looked up with innocent eyes. Na Hankyeol, blushing and avoiding eye contact, seemed to have some wild imagination.

“No, I mean, are you with that guy by mutual agreement… Like, you’re together because you both want to be?”

“…Ah… I’m not anything with that guy anymore.”

Song Yeongin sipped the third cup Na Hankyeol had prepared.

“He’s getting married…”

“…….”

“To a woman who’s way more educated than me, from a great family, with so much to her name… and incredibly beautiful.”

Shin Hayeon’s beauty was astonishing every time he saw her. Any man would fall for her. He’d felt it since Jimil. When those two were together, they were like a perfect couple. He felt so insignificant watching them.

Na Hankyeol quietly observed Song Yeongin’s dejected expression before speaking.

“Did you get dumped? No way… Did he ditch you?”

“No…”

“…….”

“I ditched him…”

Song Yeongin laughed.

He was glad he came to Na Hankyeol. His heavy heart mingled with meaningless jokes, and absurd nonsense flowed effortlessly from his mouth. Even though his heart was burning to ashes, he could laugh as if it were nothing. He felt truly fortunate to have decided to be friends with this guy.

Na Hankyeol carefully studied Song Yeongin’s smiling face. It was a smile he’d never seen before in his life. The moist, red corners of his eyes made his heart flutter. That painfully poignant face was so beautiful that Na Hankyeol stared at Song Yeongin, utterly captivated, as if appreciating a work of art.

The delicate face grew more mesmerizing with every emotion and expression it held. That smile seemed to melt his heart.

“It’s not crying, not laughing…”

“…….”

“You’re so damn beautiful… It’s such a waste for you…”

“…….”

“That bastard will definitely regret letting you go.”

Song Yeongin folded the corners of his eyes faintly, his face neither crying nor laughing. That pale smile was like a fleeting dream dissolving into the air.

Hankyeol-ah… That arrogant bastard probably won’t regret anything.

🌫️

The buzz was starting to hit. Song Yeongin checked his phone, which he’d set to silent. Dozens of missed calls had come in. He looked at the call log.

Jang Haeseong, Jang Haeseong, Jang Haeseong, Jang Haeseong…

Park Seongjae. Park Seongjae. Park Seongjae…

Cha Woojin…

Cha Woojin.

Song Yeongin, staring blankly at the phone screen with slow eyes, quietly pressed the button to turn it off.

It had been well over ten days since he left his penthouse, and that man hadn’t contacted him once until now. Yet, barely an hour after escaping his control, a call came directly from that arrogant control freak.

You’re such a coward.

Watching me 24/7 through others’ eyes and hands… That’s how you could stay so smug. Feeling smugly reassured that I was under your control.

As Song Yeongin blinked slowly, staring at the phone, Na Hankyeol asked.

“Yeongin-ah, where do you want to go for round two?”

“I like it here…”

Song Yeongin replied softly, looking at the walls covered with sketches.

“Want to go to my place?”

Song Yeongin fell silent.

“Cha Wooj… I mean, I want to go somewhere no one can find me.”

“Who’s going to find my place? The security where I live is super tight. No one can just walk in.”

Even so… Wouldn’t Cha Woojin easily find Na Hankyeol’s place? He was a man to whom common sense didn’t apply. A man with the power and influence to do whatever he set his mind to.

“Don’t worry. It’s really safe. You’ll see what I mean when you get there. My place is awesome, I’m telling you. I’ve got something I want to show you too.”

His face, flushed with a carefree smile, had long forgotten anxiety. The buzz was growing stronger. Song Yeongin started to feel a bit better, his tension slowly easing. Little by little, he began to think everything would be okay. Courage rose, laughter came easily, but deep thoughts were beyond him.

Even if he finds me. So what? What are you going to do about it?

A childish impulse stirred in a corner of his heart. His elegant eyes, softened by the liquor, rose provocatively as he asked.

“What do you want to show me?”

Na Hankyeol wiped the playfulness from his face and grinned confidently.

“My badass future?”

🌫️

Song Yeongin was practically pushed into Na Hankyeol’s car. It was surprising enough that he had a car, but the fact that Na Hankyeol, still boyish, was a surprisingly skilled driver astonished Song Yeongin even more.

The place Na Hankyeol called home was a high-rise tower apartment that, at a glance, seemed fit for the wealthy.

The first-floor desk had security guards, and entry was impossible without a resident’s pass card. After several rigorous security checks, they finally reached the elevator to the upper floors.

“You live here?”

“Yeah.”

“Alone?”

“With my noona, but she’s hardly ever in Korea, so it’s just me now. We moved here because of my noona. She’s a celebrity, so we picked a place with tight security.”

Only then did Song Yeongin nod in understanding.

Looking at Song Yeongin’s anxious face, Na Hankyeol bent down with his tall frame and asked gently.

“No one can just walk in here. Are you still nervous?”

“I don’t know…”

🌫️

“Come in.”

It wasn’t on par with Cha Woojin’s lavish penthouse, but a spacious, modern high-end apartment like this didn’t seem like a place an ordinary student could afford.