The House of Three Chapter 9.1

“Hyung, dad, bye bye!”

Cheonghyun, who waved his hands flutteringly as he said goodbye, turned around bravely. The child, who had been sauntering a step or two away, started to run as soon as he passed the school’s main gate. Even though his knees were severely scraped and he was limping, he did not stop running.

Rattle, rattle.

Every time the kid ran, the pencil case in his backpack shook, making a cheerful sound. That sound was so loud. It was loud enough to be heard even by Heeyoung, who was standing at the main gate.

“Oh, my god, that little punk is running again. Cha Cheonghyun, your dad specifically told you not to run!”

Gyojin raised his voice as soon as he heard the rattling sound. He repeatedly gave a warning, looking worriedly at his son who was running excitedly like a puppy.

It seemed like the foam dressing had just been applied to his knee this morning, but seeing how Cheonghyun was acting, it looked like he would have to check the wound again after school.

Heeyoung, who had become as anxious as Gyojin, stopped waving his hand toward the child and shouted.

“Cheonghyun, you absolutely must not run! If you feel any pain, make sure to tell your teacher. Got it?”

As he spoke in a placating tone, Cheonghyun, who was already far away, answered in a barely audible voice.

“Okaaaay……!”

It was clear he had not been listening properly. The child turned his indoor shoe bag upside down and shook it out, then changed his shoes and jumped up and down on the spot. Every time he did, small gasps of “Aigoo, aigoo,” escaped from Heeyoung’s mouth.

Whether he knew his Hyung’s feelings or not, the child was busy keeping time to his steps, his backpack bouncing. Fortunately, he seemed to have remembered the school rule about not running in the hallways, as he did not break into a run after entering the building. Instead, the round top of his head repeatedly bobbed up and down below the window.

Click.

Hearing the unexpected sound of a camera shutter, he looked to the side and saw Gyojin taking pictures with a stoic face. He zoomed in toward the hallway window and took several shots of his son’s head peeking out. His expression was as scary as a gangster’s, but his actions were those of a doting father.

Just as Heeyoung was staring blankly, finding that sight novel, Gyojin, who was checking his gallery, turned his head without warning.

Startled by the sudden eye contact, Heeyoung quickly darted his eyes away, pretending not to have been stealing a glance. At that, Gyojin, who let out a silent chuckle, put his phone in his coat pocket and said.

“Let’s go.”

He turned around first, walked over to the car, and opened the passenger side door. Then he nodded his head as if to say, ‘get in’. Heeyoung, who was following sluggishly, mumbled ‘thank you’ in a small voice.

Once inside the car, the external noise was naturally blocked out, making his ears feel stuffy. When Cheonghyun was around, it was so noisy that he never felt any awkwardness, but thinking about being left alone with Gyojin made him nervous.

Heeyoung, with his heart pounding, fastened his seatbelt first. It was just a matter of pulling the strap and clicking it into the buckle, but his hands would not listen.

While he was fumbling like an overloaded robot, Gyojin, who had just gotten into the driver’s seat, glanced at Heeyoung’s actions and clicked his tongue. He stepped in as if he could not bear to watch. He pulled Heeyoung’s strap for him, clicking the belt into place, and then immediately fastened his own. It was as if the one who had confessed was more composed than the one who had received the confession.

A moment later, with a ding, ding sound, the car began to reverse. Gyojin, who skillfully pulled the car out and entered the road, gently pressed the accelerator. During that time, Heeyoung remained stiffly frozen, staring only at the scenery outside the window.

It was a moment when even swallowing his saliva was done cautiously in the silence that filled the car.

“This is so awkward I could die, I could just die. What, should I turn on some music for you?”

Gyojin, who was glancing sideways and checking Heeyoung’s complexion, asked playfully. Heeyoung nodded his head as if he had been waiting for it. It seemed better to listen to a song rather than freeze in the quiet atmosphere.

Gyojin, who chuckled at the enthusiastic affirmation, reached out his hand and played a playlist. As he familiarly touched the button, the car began to thump, thump, along with a volume so loud it could tear your ears.

Heeyoung, who had been sitting still and waiting for a song to come on, literally jumped in surprise.

Thump, thump, thump. The EDM beat that was pouring out mindlessly seemed to vibrate through his entire body. As he furtively covered his ears and widened his eyes like a rabbit’s, Gyojin, who had checked his reaction, feigned innocence. He hurriedly stopped the music and offered an excuse that was not even an excuse.

“This? It’s Cha Cheonghyun’s taste. My taste is much more refined.”

Shamelessly selling out his son, he lowered the volume and turned on the radio.

—……Yes, this time we’ll listen to a story from listener 8004. Hello, I am a woman in my 50s living in Seoul. Recently, my husband and I…….

The atmosphere in the car became peaceful due to the calm voice of the radio host flowing out. Gyojin, feeling somewhat drowsy, turned his head as if checking the side mirror and yawned.

Haaaam…… shit.

It seemed he had been about to spit out the profanity, ‘ssibal’, out of habit, but swallowed the latter part of the word. He rolled the window all the way down and rested his arm on it like a delinquent. And with an expression that said he was bored to death, he stared ahead and turned the steering wheel.

Even as yawns kept coming and he opened his mouth wide, his effort to turn his head desperately to avoid being caught by Heeyoung was impressive.

Heeyoung felt a laugh about to escape and pinched his thigh. He would sneakily watch Gyojin, and when he felt the corners of his mouth rising, he had to bite his lip hard and hold it in.

The idea of Cheonghyun, who only knew the latest pop songs and children’s songs, enjoying club EDM music was ridiculous. And he did not seem to be someone who usually listened to the radio. Was he trying to make a good impression in his own way?

Thinking this, it became unbearable. Heeyoung deliberately stared out the window.

On the well-cleaned glass surface, a clear face with a slight smile was reflected.

🌿

The fluffy, relaxed atmosphere, like the spring weather that had arrived in a single day, froze with tension upon arriving home.

Before opening the door lock upon reaching the front door, Gyojin, who was about to enter the passcode, suddenly looked at Heeyoung and made a request.

“When the kid comes home from school, watch him until dinner. I’ll be late.”

At that calm voice, Heeyoung slowly lifted his head. ‘Why……?’ He looked at Gyojin with eyes that seemed to ask just that. As if he had some idea, but wanted to confirm it directly from his mouth.

As he sent a half-anxious gaze, Gyojin gave a confident smile. He pulled the corners of his mouth into a grin and uttered a cheesy line just like last night.

“Tidying up my surroundings. Trying to earn the qualifications to be yours.”

If Cheonghyun had heard it, he would have made a retching motion, like ‘Ugh’. However, Heeyoung did not respond playfully like a child. He merely smiled faintly, following Gyojin.

After quickly entering the six-digit passcode and stepping inside, his expression was fiercely hardened, unlike just a moment ago. The friendly impression he gave when he smiled with crinkled eyes turned menacing in an instant.

Can a person change this much? However, Heeyoung, who had been nervously observing the change in Gyojin’s expression, also froze as soon as he saw the scene inside the house.

It was because the inside of the house was a complete mess.

Torn pieces of paper scattered on the floor were just the beginning. There were clothes scattered here and there, and decorative items were broken. There was even a broken chair. Around it were plenty of wood fragments that had fallen off when the chair broke.

Team Leader Jeong and other employees were moving around without making a single footstep, busily cleaning up the cluttered living room.

Among them, an employee who was just straightening his back spotted Gyojin and stopped dead in his tracks. He hurriedly greeted Gyojin and looked around furtively at someone, not knowing what to do.

It was before he could even fully grasp the unusual atmosphere. Just as Gyojin was standing in silence, as if he had been anticipating this situation, a sharp voice flew in from the back.

“What, you’re here? But why the hell is everyone so quiet?”

It was clearly Lee Seowon’s voice.

With just that one voice, all the dreamlike events of the previous night felt like a lie. Heeyoung, once again facing the bitter reality, became endlessly calm.

Right, before he rushed to the hospital for Cheonghyun’s matter, the situation was very serious…….

If Lee Seowon, who had made this mess of the house, were to spot him, there was no telling what harsh words he would spit out again.

Heeyoung hunched his shoulders and lowered his head to avoid being seen by him. He was thinking in advance what he should say if he was picked on with a question like, ‘Why did you come in with Cha Gyojin?’.

As Lee Seowon’s footsteps grew closer, Gyojin stood in front of Heeyoung, blocking the view. The only thing visible was his back, tall and broad like a wall. With his vision completely blocked, Heeyoung had to rely solely on sound to grasp the situation.

But he did not feel frustrated or anxious. It was reassuring to see Gyojin’s back, standing firm as if he would never move aside. As if he would block any criticism, any attack. For the first time in his life, Heeyoung hid behind someone.

“……You’re back? The child, is he okay?”

Following the sound of hurried footsteps, Lee Seowon’s brazen voice continued. The tone in which he asked if the child was okay was extremely awkward. It was not that he was greatly worried about Cheonghyun’s condition, nor was it that he was simply curious. It was a question that was nothing more than a formality.

Lee Seowon acted as if he had completely forgotten what happened yesterday. He behaved like a lover who, after a fight over a difference of opinion, would naturally make up the next day and talk as usual.

However, Gyojin did not play along with Lee Seowon’s tune. He felt displeasure that Lee Seowon dared to ask about his son’s condition and only said what he had to say.

“Get out.”

After checking his wristwatch once, he commanded coldly, and Lee Seowon’s expression, which had been trying to smoothly resolve the twisted situation, immediately distorted.

“Since yesterday, you keep telling me to get out, get out. You’re really dying to kick me out. I thought you would have calmed down a bit in a day.”

Seowon had stubbornly held his ground even after Gyojin had warned him to leave the house before going to the hospital. There was no way he would obediently nod his head at a single word.

Of course, that did not mean he started another fight. He just made sarcastic remarks, showing that he was hurt too.

Sensing the conversation was about to drag on, Gyojin furrowed his brow. And as if he had no intention of giving him any more time, he spoke with annoyance.

“Who told you to run your mouth? You must have gotten a call from the Chairman.”

As the word ‘Chairman’ came out of Gyojin’s mouth, Seowon’s expression softened. Seowon recalled the phone call he had with Chairman Baek Giseung last night.

‘Uncle, it seems a person’s heart doesn’t move so easily. I’m also… quite upset.’

—Yes, yes. How much you must like Gyojin to act like that, Seowon. Don’t be too down. Let’s have a meal together tomorrow with our Gyojin.

‘A meal? Did Mr. Gyojin agree to that?’

—Of course he did. Hey… Seowon, so, talk it out tomorrow when your uncle is there. Even if things don’t go as you wish, don’t be too hasty. Don’t get angry. Not everything can go as you think. You understand what your uncle is saying, right?

‘Don’t worry too much. Our relationship isn’t serious enough to need comforting. Anyway, it’s late, you should get some sleep. Let’s have an enjoyable meal tomorrow, uncle. Good night.’

The dinner appointment, which had been postponed for a whole two months, was set. For Seowon, it was as good as a golden opportunity. If he pushed forward with Chairman Baek on his side, Cha Gyojin would not be able to say a peep. After all, Cha Gyojin, despite his rough mouth, was an endlessly generous man to his people.

Would he really dare to defy someone who was like a father to him?

Completely at ease, Seowon replied with a benevolent smile.

“You should have said so from the beginning. I got uncle’s call yesterday. I was waiting to see when the three of us would get together for a meal again, and the appointment is finally set.”

He ran his mouth, oblivious to the fact that Gyojin’s facial muscles were getting increasingly strained.

“There was an unpleasant incident, but yesterday… I was too harsh.”

In his own way, he was attempting to reconcile. Since they would soon be facing each other for a meal, he suggested they clear the air before leaving, looking at Gyojin with a gentle gaze and placating him softly.

But that attempt to lighten the mood was brief. Seowon discovered a strand of hair peeking out from beside Gyojin’s shoulder.

He hadn’t noticed before because it was hidden, but he now realized that Heeyoung was hiding back there.

Becoming conscious of Heeyoung’s presence, the strength returned to his gently lidded eyes. Seowon did not hide his disgust. He ground his teeth, thinking he wanted to cut off Heeyoung’s hair, which was an eyesore, with scissors, or just burn it away.

‘Lee Heeyoung. If it weren’t for that bastard, everything would have flowed smoothly like water.’

Lee Seowon was annoyed that Heeyoung had gone and hidden behind Cha Gyojin. It seemed like he was doing it on purpose for him to see, and he was unbearably angry.

He had never been humiliated like this in his life; he felt as if he had been defeated. He seethed with anger, as if something that should rightfully be his had been stolen.

Seowon was staring daggers at Heeyoung with murderous eyes, but in the end, he could not do anything.

It was because Gyojin strode forward and grabbed his wrist forcefully.

“Ugh, wait! Mr. Gyojin. Let me at least change my clothes before we go!”

Gyojin easily dragged the body, which was smaller than his own. The moment malice toward Heeyoung flickered in Lee Seowon’s eyes, his patience had run out.

Since he did not want to expose Lee Heeyoung to such a threat, Gyojin did not give Lee Seowon any time. As he roughly pulled his arm, Seowon, unable to resist the force, was dragged along, breaking into a sweat.

Realizing that the employees were watching this spectacle, Seowon hurriedly fixed his expression and tried to maintain his dignity.

“What’s the rush. Slowly, okay?”

But pleading with a gentle smile did not weaken the pulling force.

Gyojin, who went ahead and threw open the front door, looked back at Team Leader Jeong and said just one thing.

“Team Leader Jeong, pack Lee Seowon’s things and follow me.”

The one who reacted first to those words was not Team Leader Jeong, but Lee Seowon. Sensing something was wrong, he braced his legs and raised his voice.

“What? Don’t tell me you were serious about telling me to pack my bags and leave? Let go of me. I said let go!”

A beat too late, he realized things were going wrong and started to struggle. But there was no way that meager strength of his would work on Gyojin. Gyojin did not budge even as Seowon struggled, resisted, and screamed, and dragged him out of the front door.

“Fuck, Cha Gyojin! Let go of this! I’m not leaving! Why should I leave! Why do I… have to! …You bastard!”

The voice, full of rage, grew more distant from the front door. By the time the backs of Gyojin and Seowon had moved far away and appeared small, only the sound of shouting could be heard, and it became impossible to make out what exactly was being said.

The house quickly became busy. Team Leader Jeong, who had been watching them with bated breath, opened Lee Seowon’s bedroom door, went inside, and took out a large suitcase to open it. Then, he started throwing the clothes hanging in the dress room into the bag, which was gaping wide.

“Come here and help me out!”

He, who was dazed from carrying out the orders, urgently requested help. At that, two employees ran over and began to assist.

They moved with the determination to leave not a single speck of dust of Lee Seowon’s traces. They took all the artwork from the room and stood it against the hallway wall, and neatly organized the haphazardly spread-out golf practice set. Team Leader Jeong took out clothes and watches in a rush, placed them carefully so they would not get damaged, and zipped up the bag tightly.

Amidst all this, the only one who could not move his hands was Heeyoung.

Standing at the front door, Heeyoung was blankly following the back of Gyojin as he dragged Lee Seowon away. The way he pulled the person away without hesitation, with a touch that contained no affection or consideration, was cruel to the point of being heartless.

Tidying up my surroundings. To earn the qualifications to become mine…….

Is the Boss kicking that person out so coldly because he has genuinely come to like me?

Listening to Lee Seowon’s heart-wrenching screams, he did not feel entirely triumphant. How should he describe this feeling?

While he was bewildered, a corner of his heart tightened, and even though he had done nothing wrong, his conscience felt uneasy, like a guilty person’s.

When he was humiliated and shamed by Lee Seowon, he had gritted his teeth as if he could do anything at that moment. But a person’s emotions could be good and then evil, and evil and then good.

“Just leave things like paintings, we can send them by courier. Just bring these bags and follow me.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

Just then, Team Leader Jeong, having finished packing, left the front door carrying the fat, bulging bags. The employees, each holding a bag in their hands, also hurriedly followed him down.

Gyojin’s SUV was parked in front of the open gate. Team Leader Jeong quickly opened the trunk and neatly loaded the luggage bags inside. As if worried that valuables might get lost, he meticulously checked the bag zippers one last time, and after confirming there were no issues, he closed the trunk.

Gyojin was standing in front of the car, arguing with Lee Seowon. Although not clearly audible, words presumed to be profanities echoed loudly. Lee Seowon, who was shouting something back at him in a fiery exchange, was eventually overpowered and thrown into the back seat.

Soon, the car with the two of them inside began to move. Unlike when it carried Heeyoung, the car sped recklessly down the road. It did not slow down at the speed bumps, and the car body could be seen lurching greatly.

What if they get into an accident like that…….

While he was worrying about that internally, the car completely disappeared from view.

As he stood there with an indescribable feeling, Team Leader Jeong came up with a relieved face. He let out a refreshing breath as if he had just removed a thorn from his throat. Then he dusted off his hands and said.

“Now that’s a relief. Don’t you think?”

As he asked, looking around, the employees who had just followed him in nodded one by one in agreement.

“That’s right. I feel like I can finally breathe.”

“It’s such a relief. But, is this really the end? I mean, the little Boss, no, Mr. Lee Seowon.”

When one of them asked with wide eyes, Team Leader Jeong shrugged and replied.

“Hmm, it should be the end. How could a person like that become part of the Boss’s family?”

Though expressed gently, it was a cold statement when you thought about it. But all the employees seemed to agree. Their expressions showed they were certain that Lee Seowon was not someone who could become the Boss’s family.

Family……. That’s right. Becoming Cha Gyojin’s lover also meant becoming his family.

In reality, it was easier said than done; it was more difficult than anything else. Not only did one have to enter a pre-established frame and create a place for oneself, but one would also have to strive to become a complete whole. It would take a long time to accept each other as a complete family.

Lee Seowon had invaded the frame, but he failed to create his own place. He could not blend in with Cha Gyojin and Cha Cheonghyun and was cast out.

According to Team Leader Jeong, Lee Seowon only wanted to have a partner who looked good on the outside, and probably never intended to become family with Cha Gyojin in the first place.

“Mr. Lee Seowon was not a person suited for the Boss. Even shoes like these have a match, so how could there not be a match in human relationships?”

Team Leader Jeong, who had squatted down at the entrance to organize the shoes, stood up, leaving behind a meaningful remark. Heeyoung fell into thought.

Then am I, a person suited for the Boss? The fence called family that Cha Gyojin and Cha Cheonghyun have strongly maintained, am I…… allowed to cross it?

Gyojin had said he was tidying up his surroundings to earn the qualifications to become his lover. But thinking about it again, it became puzzling. Heeyoung suddenly doubted whether he himself possessed the qualifications to become family with Gyojin.

It was just as he had unexpectedly become serious and lost in his own thoughts.

“Mr. Heeyoung, how is Cheonghyun? Is he okay?”

Team Leader Jeong gently tapped Heeyoung’s shoulder and started a conversation. Thanks to him, Heeyoung could quickly return to reality.

“Ah…! Yes. Just his arms and legs are a bit scraped. It’s a relief he wasn’t seriously hurt, but still, an injury is an injury. I’m worried he might get a scar later. Especially since he’s a child who loves to run so much…….”

He had only asked about the child’s condition, but all sorts of stories came pouring out. Heeyoung, who was genuinely worried about whether the wound would get infected or if a scar would be left on those pretty knees, let his eyebrows droop.

Remembering the back of Cheonghyun as he ran into the school, a small laugh escaped him. So brave. He was a child who, even during the dressing, did not once complain it hurt and even urged, ‘Doctor, please treat me quickly’.

Perhaps after school, the foam dressing on his knee would be in tatters. Or maybe he might have taken it off on his own because it was itchy.

At that thought, he felt a sense of urgency. Before Team Leader Jeong could even reply, Heeyoung threw a question.

“Ah, Team Leader. Do you happen to know where the first-aid kit is? I want to take it out before Cheonghyun comes. He got a dressing at the hospital this morning, but I think it’ll be a mess by the time school is over.”

As he asked proactively, Team Leader Jeong smiled warmly and patted his back.

“Mr. Heeyoung, you were really worried about Cheonghyun. Follow me. The first-aid kit is in the pantry.”

“Yes……!”

Heeyoung moved his feet, forgetting that he had been lost in serious thought just a moment ago. As he received the first-aid kit from Team Leader Jeong, he competently checked off the things he needed to do.

When Cheonghyun comes, I should wash him clean, apply medicine to his knee first, and then put on a new foam dressing. I should not make him do his worksheets today. He will be bored if he just stays at home, so maybe we can draw together. Ah, we could also play with the cookie-making kit I bought a while ago.

After going up to the room while making plans, he opened the first-aid kit. As expected of a house with a young child, the medicines and bandages were all mixed up messily. It seemed that Gyojin had hastily opened it and used it, then just shoved the medicine back in any which way.

Heeyoung took out all the medicine and treatment tools and organized them by type. It absolutely should never happen, but he also wrote and attached a name to each one so that Cheonghyun could easily find and use the medicine even if he got hurt while alone.

Wound ointment, stomachache, indigestion, hives, red medicine, bandages. After meticulously attaching stickers and neatly arranging them in the container, he took out a memo pad, a ballpoint pen, and his cellphone.

Heeyoung found today’s date in the recording files and played it. It was a file in which he had recorded the doctor’s instructions in the examination room.

The doctor’s voice, kindly explaining one by one how to treat the wound and how to manage it to prevent scarring, flowed out through the speaker.

Heeyoung opened his ears wide and wrote down the doctor’s words. The hand holding the ballpoint pen moved diligently. He was completely absorbed.

🌿

“I want to end this now.”

Gyojin, who was wiping his hands with a wet towel while seated, declared. It was an indifferent but resolute attitude.

Chairman Baek Giseung, thinking that what was bound to happen had finally come, let out a dry cough. From the moment he received the call from Gyojin, he had expected that this dinner would not proceed in a friendly manner. However, it was just troublesome that he got straight to the point before the meal was even fully prepared.

Cha Gyojin, Lee Seowon. He had known for a while that the two of them were not a good match, but…….

Who was Baek Giseung? Before being the chairman of the conglomerate Baekyeon, he was a person, and an uncle who knew how to dote on his only nephew.

Feeling sorry for his nephew, Lee Seowon, who ardently liked and yearned for Gyojin, he had gone to great lengths to create an opportunity, but this darn nephew of his, far from building a good relationship with Gyojin, had only worsened the situation.

“Heuu, euk…….”

At Gyojin’s single phrase, “I want to end this now,” Seowon burst into tears like a child. He was originally a child who would cry and throw tantrums easily if things did not go his way. Having grown up in an affluent environment, he was also a child who got everything he wanted just by throwing a fit.

So was there any way that bad habit would be fixed? Seowon whined like this even as a grown adult. He sobbed while shedding delicate tears, making his uncle’s insides burn.

“Aigoo, for goodness sake. I’m going to lose my mind.”

Unfortunately, this was not a situation that could be resolved by Seowon crying. If it were an object, he could have given it to him and more, but what Seowon wanted now was a person’s heart. A heart that cannot be bought with money.

Baek Giseung, who was looking at his nephew with pitiful eyes, turned his gaze to Gyojin. His mouth was parched from vexation, so he drained a whole cup of water before asking.

“Gyojin, even so, we only have a month and a half left in our promised period. What’s the big rush? Let me at least ask the reason, huh? I, and Seowon, need to know the reason to be convinced, don’t we.”

Baek Giseung, who always called him ‘our Executive Director Cha’, called Gyojin as if he were truly his son. He gently tried to persuade Gyojin’s already turned-away heart, asking to at least hear the reason. With the promised period not having much time left, his plan was to ask him to look after his nephew a little longer, thinking of it as charity work, if it was not for a significant reason.

However, Gyojin was adamant. He did not budge even at the old man’s desperate gaze.

“Because someone I genuinely want to see has appeared.”

He explained the reason with impeccable clarity. That someone he genuinely wanted to see had appeared. He spoke like the eldest son who had come to ask for his father’s permission to marry.

He had thought it would be a reason like their personalities not matching, or that living together was uncomfortable. Baek Giseung could not hide his astonishment at the answer that defied his expectations. He looked so surprised that his shiny gold tooth was clearly visible inside his wide-open mouth.

Baek Giseung was not the only one shocked by that statement. Lee Seowon, who had been sniffling and wiping away tears, also stopped crying abruptly and glared.

A heavy silence descended upon the room of the traditional Korean restaurant, which was decorated in a classic style. Unlike the two people who were speechless, going back and forth between bewilderment and absurdity, Cha Gyojin was frighteningly calm.

Knock, knock.

What broke the silence was the knock of a restaurant employee. Soon, the sliding door opened, and employees came in with a serving cart and began to set the food. Baek Giseung hastily composed his surprised expression, but he still seemed bewildered.

Ahem, ahem, the old man, who cleared his throat, glanced at Gyojin, who was sitting composedly. There was much he wanted to ask, but there were too many listening ears right now. He waited for the employees to finish setting the table and leave.

During the brief break in the atmosphere, Lee Seowon roughly wiped his eye area with the back of his hand. Since he could not throw a fit in front of his uncle, he had been planning to shed some tears and act as pitiful as possible. But Cha Gyojin had blocked every move he could possibly make with a single sentence.

The feeling that a strange current was flowing between Cha Gyojin and Lee Heeyoung had been purely Seowon’s own speculation. It was not certain, but he had been tormenting Lee Heeyoung to nip it in the bud, just in case…….

To think there was really something between them. And to think the words ‘someone I genuinely want to see’ came out of Cha Gyojin’s mouth. Seowon’s head was not just buzzing, he was exploding with anger.

“Then please enjoy your time.”

The employee, who had finally finished setting the food, stepped back with a formal greeting. And the moment the room’s door closed, Baek Giseung opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

“Well, you punk……. Still, we had a promise, couldn’t you have been more considerate of Seowon.”

The only thing he could say was to chide Gyojin so that Seowon’s feelings might be soothed. How could he possibly get angry at a guy who, after not dating once for the several years he was raising a child, was now saying he wanted to try loving someone.

Was it that he understood the feelings of the old man caught between a guy like a son and his nephew? Gyojin, who had been listening quietly, feigned ignorance without a single sign of being displeased.

“Does a person’s heart ever go the way one thinks.”

He poured a drink into Baek Giseung’s glass and chuckled. Laughter naturally escaped him as he thought of Heeyoung, who would be waiting for him at home.

Is he chatting with my son who’s home from school by now? Or maybe he and Cha Cheonghyun are kneading dough, doing that baking thing again.

As he imagined Lee Heeyoung’s face in more detail, spending a happy time with the child in their cozy home, his lower body tightened.

He wanted to quickly settle this uncomfortable relationship and return home. There were so many things he wanted to say to Lee Heeyoung when he got back. First, he had to appeal that he had completely cleaned up his surroundings, tidied up neatly without a single thing to get caught on. Well, he could not do anything about the fact that he was a man with a child, though.

Anyway, in order to make his move honorably and shamelessly, he needed to definitively end his relationship with Lee Seowon right here and now. He hated it when things got troublesome.

“Don’t think of me as heartless. If it had been someone I would just meet playfully and be done with, I would have let that month and a half just pass by. I’m a bastard who knows what courtesy is, too.”

Gyojin deliberately added a reason to drive the nail in. It was a thorny remark, so an immediate reaction came back from Baek Giseung.

The surprised old man stared at Gyojin with eyes that said, ‘no way, no way’. Not someone he would meet playfully, that means, that means…….

“I’m going to marry him. I haven’t gotten an answer yet, but you know. I’m a stubborn bastard who always does what I set my mind to.”

Oh my goodness.

At the conclusion that was finally reached, Baek Giseung slapped his forehead with a resounding smack. Of course, it was not that the back of his neck was stiff or that he was so angry he was about to fall over backward.

The arrogant words Gyojin spat out were similar to what Seowon said like a habit. The conviction that he could have and achieve whatever he set his mind to.

However, there was a clear difference between Lee Seowon’s ‘have’ and Cha Gyojin’s ‘have’.

Gyojin was not coveting Heeyoung out of some petty sense of possession. It meant his mindset was not one that would be satisfied and end with just having him.

He wanted to properly insert himself into Heeyoung’s life and establish himself as an indispensable, precious person. He intended to make Heeyoung unable to live without him, just as he would be.

Lee Heeyoung, Cha Cheonghyun, and Cha Gyojin. He wanted a family drawn with only these three, and Gyojin was prepared to devote his body and soul to make it a reality.

Baek Giseung quietly met Gyojin’s eyes, which were unwavering and upright.

The guy who seemed like he would live his whole life immaturely had learned to make a rather mature and firm expression. When on earth did Gyojin, who had said he had no thought of dating, let alone marriage, come to have such a commendable thought?

For Baek Giseung, who always treated Gyojin with a father’s heart, it was an overwhelming and proud event, and also a situation he had truly waited for and wanted.

Although it was a pity that the person Gyojin had given his heart to was not his nephew, now that he had heard the reason, he could no longer hold Gyojin back or persuade him.

No, in the first place, Baek Giseung had no right to sway Gyojin. Cha Gyojin’s life could only be chosen by Cha Gyojin.

The reason he had made a promise when introducing his nephew Seowon in the past was because he was worried that Gyojin, who was like a son to him, would live a lonely life forever.

Coincidentally, he saw that his nephew also liked Gyojin, and since he went around saying every day that he wanted to live with Cha Gyojin, he had played matchmaker with the intention of having the young people meet and see how it went.

But if Gyojin had found a lifelong partner, it was his duty to step back at this point. No matter how unfortunate his nephew’s situation was, he could not block the path of the guy who was like his own child.

After a brief pause, Baek Giseung secretly stroked the trembling hand of Seowon and answered.

“Alright. If that’s the reason, there’s no reason I can’t break this promise. Cha Gyojin, you bastard, you’ve finally become a real person.”

When permission was finally granted, Seowon burst into tears and shouted.

“Uncle!”

His expression was one of absolute refusal to accept the conclusion that had already been reached. Seowon clung to Baek Giseung’s arm and cried sorrowfully.

“Why, heuk, why are you deciding on your own! My opinion, you didn’t even listen to it! I can’t give up, I tell you! Why me! Why do I have to be treated like this!”

Baek Giseung could not firmly scold Seowon, who was screaming, unable to overcome his own anger. It was because he was his only nephew, whom he had raised with special affection since he was young. Moreover, it was not for any other reason but because his heart could not connect that he was crying like that, so how could he yell at him to stop?

In the midst of this commotion, Gyojin maintained a terribly expressionless face. He just tilted his liquor glass as if he could not see the struggling Seowon.

Seeing that sight made his head throb. In the end, Baek Giseung decided to do his best to help in any way he could to appease Seowon.

“I understand everything, Gyojin. I’ll break the promise, too. But don’t you think you should give Seowon enough time to sort out his feelings?”

“I wonder.”

“You punk, don’t be like that. Huh? For my sake, don’t kick him out so hastily.”

Gyojin, troubled by the old man’s pleading voice, let out a deep sigh.

This affectionate old man, really. Muttering as if complaining to himself, he looked at the two people sitting opposite him.

Lee Seowon, hiding behind his uncle with one last hope, had his glistening eyes wide open. The old man, who knew nothing, just seemed anxious that his nephew’s heart might get scratched.

To be honest, just looking at Seowon’s face made Gyojin’s blood boil. Thinking about what he had done so far, he wanted to twist his neck and choke the life out of him.

Things like secretly tormenting Cha Cheonghyun, or picking on Lee Heeyoung and making that gentle person cry his eyes out. If asked to list the reasons he wanted to kill him, he could speak without a single pause for breath.

Gyojin, who was about to inform Baek Giseung of Lee Seowon’s misdeeds, uncharacteristically suppressed his flaring temper and held back. Looking at the old man’s face, he just could not bring himself to open his mouth.

Baek Giseung was someone who always took on the role of a grandfather and cherished Cha Cheonghyun like he was made of gold. He was an old man who would nearly faint over a mere scraped knee on his child and bring all sorts of restorative medicines, so if he were to tell him that Lee Seowon, whom he cherished no less than his grandson, had been tormenting Cha Cheonghyun, he might collapse from the shock.

Therefore, Gyojin decided not to blabber about the detailed circumstances. But that did not mean he would accept all the conditions Baek Giseung was pushing this time either.

He could not let Lee Seowon back into his house. He had no intention of yielding on this.

As the silence lengthened, the vexed Baek Giseung began to placate Gyojin again. He forced a benevolent expression onto his rugged face and smiled gently.

“If any problem arises between you two after this time, then I will not interfere no matter what you do, Gyojin. So how about giving Seowon a week’s time? He’s a child who liked you for this long, don’t you feel sorry for him?”

A week was a very long time. It would be enough time to talk, and if things went wrong, there would be time to fix them. Baek Giseung considered this his last chance and tightly gripped Lee Seowon’s hand under the table.

Hey kid, this is as far as your uncle can help you, so you must do your best this time. If it still doesn’t work out, then let’s quit cleanly. He had tried to steady the childlike Seowon’s heart in that way, but.

“Two days. I cannot concede any more than that. That should be enough time to pack up all the belongings he couldn’t take and leave.”

Unfortunately, Gyojin did not permit it. He scrunched up his facial muscles as if he had misheard something and expressed his annoyance. Then he cut him off firmly as if to say, ‘don’t be ridiculous’.

“Ah, and take him with you today. I’ll give him two days, but sleeping at the house is not an option. Let’s just have him pack his things and leave.”

At the following statement, Seowon’s eyes welled up. He looked resentfully at Gyojin, who was bluntly saying only what he had to say. As if to ask how he could not yield even a little despite the affection they had shared while living together, he stared, pressing his rage-filled emotions into his dark eyes.

However, Gyojin did not even pretend to see and easily persuaded Baek Giseung.

“Chairman, think about it. What’s the point of giving time in a situation like this, it’ll just make him more of a son of a bitch, won’t it? I have to be firm on my side for him to sort out his feelings. Let me be clear, I don’t want to give any false hope to someone I have no feelings for. Let’s live like humans, okay? Like humans.”

Since there was not a single wrong word from beginning to end, Baek Giseung reluctantly nodded his head.

Indeed, Gyojin now had someone he was considering marriage with. Giving him time as he was told would only complicate the situation further. The person he was about to marry would be disappointed in a Cha Gyojin who could not even sort out one human relationship, and it was clear his nephew’s suffering would only grow from being unable to completely let go of his lingering feelings.

It was when Baek Giseung, having made his decision, was about to accept Gyojin’s proposal.

Seowon, who had been watching the situation, urgently stepped forward. He knelt down and clung to the old man’s hand, begging him to stop it, just this once.

Baek Giseung’s hand was not just the hand of a powerless old man. It was a hand from which the smell of money never faded his entire life, a hand that could easily give Seowon whatever he wanted just by speaking.

“Uncle, I don’t want to. The period isn’t over yet. Why are you ending it on your own, huh? I don’t want to end it here! I haven’t even had him yet, so why! Why do I have to give up here?!”

The only lifeline Lee Seowon could cling to right now was his uncle. Since Cha Gyojin, the one he wanted most, had never even offered a hand, let alone a lifeline, he had no choice but to be stubborn like this.

However, Baek Giseung only coddled Lee Seowon as if he were a child. The man who knew how to push forward relentlessly like a gangster when expanding his business became an ordinary old man in private matters and did not exert his power at all.

“Aigoo, Seowon. You punk. You should think about your age. How can you still be like a child, really. It hurts my heart, truly…….”

“No, uncle, don’t talk like that! Heuk, please help me just one last time. You said today you’d give me everything I want! Huh?! I don’t need anything right now. I just need Cha Gyojin right by my side. If you just make this happen, I won’t ask for anything ever again.”

There was no struggle like that struggle. Seowon, who became anxious as the conversation showed signs of concluding, hounded his uncle, screaming until his throat was hoarse.

Perhaps because he was a child raised with the devotion of the entire family, he was still under the firm delusion that the world would be in his hands with just a single word from him. Gyojin looked at Seowon, who was begging indiscriminately, without any emotion, and prepared to get up from his seat.

At that, Baek Giseung, who was patting Seowon’s back and accepting his tantrum, winked at Gyojin. It meant that it would get tiring if they dragged this on any longer, so he should leave first. As he secretly waved his hand, the quick-witted Gyojin quietly rose to his feet.

Baek Giseung looked up blankly at Gyojin, who was bowing and about to leave. He wanted to tell him to be sure to bring the person he was going to marry later, but given the situation, he kept his mouth firmly shut.

Instead, he conveyed his meaning through his gaze, and Gyojin, who understood it perfectly, gave a small nod.

After exchanging their silent signal, it was just as they were finally about to part ways.

“Who says it’s over! I knew you before that bastard Lee Heeyoung. Fuck, Cha Gyojin!”

Lee Seowon, who had shaken off Baek Giseung’s hand, shouted as he grabbed the ankle of Gyojin who was just about to leave. His moist eyes, which had exuded a sense of pathos just a moment ago, had transformed into a venomous glare in an instant.

“You’ve received grace from my uncle, and from me, if you have any shame, you shouldn’t be doing this to me. I’m willing to like you, but you, an orphan, are treating me like this, you fucker?!”

It was a statement that would make even non-existent affection disappear, so Gyojin looked down coldly at Seowon, who was clinging to his feet. He would probably look at a bug crawling on the floor with more affection in his eyes than this.

Anyway, fuck, the bastards who grew up wealthy were worse. They only knew how to be loved, so the center of the world was thoroughly centered on themselves. It was so pathetic that he did not even get angry. It was childish, and annoying.

“Lee Seowon! You, you bastard, what did you just say! Can’t you watch your mouth?! Your uncle doted on you, so you’ve been treating Gyojin with that kind of attitude all this time!”

The one who reacted to Lee Seowon’s insolent way of speaking was not Gyojin, but Baek Giseung. He, who had been staring with wide eyes, became greatly enraged at his nephew’s way of speaking, which he could no longer find cute.

Bang! With that sound, the old man, who slammed the table, had a face that was turning red and blue.

“What? Grace? Orphan?”

He ground his teeth, as if he was boiling with anger, especially at those two words.

“U-uncle. That’s not what I meant. No, it’s true, isn’t it? Cha Gyojin should be grateful to you, uncle. And to me too. How well did I treat Cha Gyojin?”

“That’s enough! You, do you think Cha Gyojin is your subordinate or something? How dare you be so insolent! There are things you should say, and things you shouldn’t. This son of a bitch!”

Thump. Thump. Baek Giseung, who approached with stomping feet, forcefully pried Seowon’s hand off Gyojin’s ankle. The force was so strong that Seowon screamed, ‘Ack!’ and fell away.

Lee Seowon, who had never heard a loud voice from his uncle before, was engulfed in a sense of betrayal and at the same time, became terrified. It was because the old man in front of him did not have the face of a kind uncle, but that of any other vicious gangster.

Soon, the panting Baek Giseung gestured with his chin as if to tell Gyojin to leave quickly, and Gyojin gave him a light nod before exiting the room.

As the door closed, a sorrowful cry erupted from Lee Seowon’s mouth. The sound of his wailing, which scraped his throat, was leaking out of the room.

The employees, who came running in surprise at the sound, could not even go inside and just stood in the hallway, anxiously tapping their feet.

“Shit, what a nuisance. If this were my business, I would have stormed in and ripped that bastard’s mouth first.”

Gyojin, who muttered coldly to himself, put on a friendly smile as soon as he spotted the owner at the counter. Perhaps because he had unintentionally ruined his business, the owner’s expression was something else.

Since he clearly knew that the customer in there was Chairman Baek Giseung, he could not very well ask for compensation, but if he just stayed still, complaints would come from the other rooms, which would be a headache.

Therefore, Gyojin took out whatever bills he could grab from the wallet in his back pocket and handed them over. As he placed a thick wad of cash in his hand, he could see the owner’s complexion brighten dramatically.

“All sorts of fucking shitty things happen when you run a business, right?”

“Oh my, not at all. Absolutely not. As for me, as long as my customers eat well and rest comfortably before they leave, well, haha. You don’t have to give me something like this.”

The person had a really good personality. The owner, who laughed heartily and waved his hands in refusal, bowed his head deeply, saying thank you for the consideration. If it had been him, he would have slapped him across the face, asking if this pittance would cover the damages. Gyojin chuckled along with the owner and replied.

“I’m a bastard who runs a business too, so I know well. When that young bastard crawls out of that room, squeeze more out of him. I’ll stop by again next time.”

“Haha, my goodness, thank you for your consideration. Whenever you visit again, I will serve you with my best effort. Get home safely, Boss!”

The owner, with the corners of his mouth reaching his ears, even came out from behind the counter to see Gyojin off. Even as the sound of wailing, loud enough to drive away all the customers, echoed through the restaurant, he smiled warmly and bowed his waist.

As soon as he got outside, Gyojin slowly took out a cigarette and put it to his lips. As he lit it and sucked on the filter like a chain-smoker, he quietly mulled over what Baek Giseung had said.

‘Lee Seowon! You, you bastard, what did you just say! Can’t you watch your mouth?! Your uncle doted on you, so you’ve been treating Gyojin with that kind of attitude all this time!’

And yet he shielded him, saying he thought of him like a son.

Heh. A puff of white cigarette smoke scattered out with a laugh like escaping wind.

“The old man hasn’t grown old disgracefully.”

It was worth having served Baek Giseung like a father and silently offered his loyalty until now.

Is this what it feels like to have a father? It felt so damn reassuring, like I could be understood even if I lived however the fuck I wanted. Gyojin was genuinely impressed.

“Wow, it makes sense my son would turn out to be a little brat.”

From the time he was a newborn baby, his father stood right by his side, huh? Accepting everything, letting him do whatever he wanted. It made sense that our Cha Cheonghyun would hold his head high no matter what he did.

After chuckling lowly, he took one last drag on the filter and threw the butt on the ground to extinguish it. Gyojin got into the car, exhaling the smoke with a sense of relief.

He could finally go back. To the home where Cha Cheonghyun and Lee Heeyoung would welcome him.

🌿

Beep, beep, beep.

The door lock passcode was slowly entered, and with a familiar melody, the front door opened.

Heeyoung, who was finishing up the housework helping Team Leader Jeong, quickly went to greet him at the sound of the door opening. As he passed the living room and walked down the hallway, he saw Cheonghyun in the distance, closing the door on his tiptoes.

Although he was growing faster than his peers, as a child who had just become an elementary school student this year, he was still very short. So when he opened the front door, he had to stand on his tiptoes just like that to turn the doorknob. Whenever Cheonghyun showed such a baby-like side, Heeyoung would break into a broad smile.