My Only One Chapter 1.6

Jeonghan, who had been staring blankly at the no longer moving Jinseo, finally closed his eyes slowly.

Jinseo closed the door to the room and slowly rolled his stiff shoulders. He had been held captive by Jeonghan in that exact position for a whole hour. If he showed any sign of moving even slightly, Jeonghan would open his eyes and stare at him as if to say, “Don’t go,” so he couldn’t budge.

As soon as he came to his room, Jinseo put his dead phone on to charge and changed his clothes. The moment he sat on the bed, the phone screen flashed and turned on.

“Ha… crazy bastard.”

The moment he saw the screen, a curse came out automatically. It was completely filled with messages from Jeonghan. In the time it took to send all those messages, he could have just contacted Secretary Kang… He let out a breath of disbelief.

20 missed calls. Jinseo, who checked the dozen or so messages by skimming through them, stopped his scrolling hand the moment he read the last message Jeonghan had sent.

He hadn’t known he would be back today.

His father was someone who was basically gone for a week whenever he went on a business trip, so he had let his guard down. The wound on his face hadn’t fully healed yet. He would have no choice but to face him when he returned, so Jinseo had to think of an excuse to tell his father.

Unlike his mother, who was in charge of raising him, his father was neglectful to the point of being indifferent, and also harsh. He hated it when his own prestige was tarnished, so even when the fact that he was Chairman Cha’s adopted son hadn’t been revealed, he would often intimidate him, telling him to behave properly.

He had been living quietly all this time.

If he got caught for the fight he started because he couldn’t hold back that one time, he didn’t know what kind of punishment would be handed down this time. He had been hit since he was a child, but his father’s hand was more painful than a switch and was a pain he could never get used to.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

When he opened the door, Jeonghan was standing there, looking utterly exhausted. And from the first-floor entrance, a familiar voice could be heard. It was his father’s and mother’s voices.

He hadn’t thought of an excuse yet…

Jinseo looked down towards the first floor and bit his lip. At Jeonghan’s words that he had to go down, he forced his feet, which wouldn’t move, to budge.

Slap— along with the sound, his face was turned to the side. His body even staggered from the great impact, but Jinseo’s expression was more emotionless than ever.

Just a moment ago, from the time Jinseo had led his heavy footsteps to the entrance to greet him, Chairman Cha’s face was already full of rage. Juyeon also glanced at Jinseo’s face and just let out a sigh without a word.

Without even accepting Jinseo’s greeting, Chairman Cha, who had only left the summons to come to the study, had slapped him out of the blue as soon as he took off the watch on his wrist.

“Did I have to come back, putting aside an important schedule, because of you?!”

Chairman Cha’s rage-filled voice filled the study. As if one slap wasn’t enough to release his anger, he slammed his thick fist on the desk with a loud noise.

There was no need for Jinseo to rack his brain thinking of an excuse. Chairman Cha had already found out about the injury he had and had come home.

Jinseo, who turned his head back to its original position, was just looking down at the floor in front of Chairman Cha. It was because there had been countless times when making eye contact had caused an even bigger problem.

“How embarrassing, in front of the reporters. I told you again and again. Don’t stir up trouble for no reason and act quietly.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Chairman Cha threw a few crumpled photos from his breast pocket at Jinseo. Inside the photos were scenes of Jinseo hitting Sangcheol with a textbook and being assaulted by Sangcheol.

“I lost a good two thousand because of this photo. Are you a gangster? Was it so displeasing that the fact that you’re an orphan bastard was revealed to the world?”

Chairman Cha couldn’t lower his voice. Knowing that it was an anger that couldn’t be calmed no matter what he said, Jinseo chose to remain silent. In a situation like this, it wouldn’t be strange to be hit one more time.

The wound that hadn’t fully healed burst open again inside his mouth. Jinseo, who quietly felt the metallic taste of blood, had to endure all of Chairman Cha’s crude criticisms.

The injustice growing inside him had to be quickly nipped in the bud. It was a feeling he didn’t need to feel. In situations like this, it was always his fault, and no matter what excuse he made, that fact wouldn’t change. Being indignant all by himself would just end there.

Jinseo, who gulped down the emotions rising with his dry saliva, quietly opened his mouth.

“I won’t do it again. I’m sorry.”

Chairman Cha clicked his tongue, tsk.

“Damn unlucky bastard… Live like you’re holding your breath until graduation. You’d better know that if this happens one more time, there’ll be nothing left for you.”

Jinseo, who had heard all of the anger-filled shouts, answered shortly, “Yes.” Chairman Cha, who was looking at Jinseo with a reproachful gaze, waved his hand.

“Get out, I don’t even want to look at you.”

Only after Chairman Cha’s gaze left him did Jinseo bow his head in a silent greeting. And the moment he turned around and grabbed the study’s doorknob, he heard Chairman Cha’s muttering voice from behind.

“If I had known Jeonghan would be born, I wouldn’t have even taken him in…”

It was a remark uttered in a small voice, but it was meant for Jinseo to hear. It meant not to forget the fact that he would have been an orphan to this day if he hadn’t taken him in.

The strength in the hand holding the doorknob left on its own.

To them, since he was young, he had been a worthless child. A bothersome child they had adopted out of necessity.

Jinseo had never once been happy while living in this house. To the point that he had thought he would rather go back to the orphanage he had been living in.

Nevertheless, they would not cast him out. It was because, for the sake of the company’s image, they had revealed in interviews his name and situation, such as the fact that he came from an orphanage.

If that was the case, there was only one way. For him to be the one to cast them out first.

Jinseo stood facing Chairman Cha. As he kept his mouth shut for a moment, afraid he might get hit one more time, Chairman Cha spoke first.

“Didn’t you hear me tell you to get out?”

Chairman Cha glared at Jinseo with a menacing air. But Jinseo clenched his fists tightly and tried his best to ignore that gaze. Jinseo’s dead eyes sparkled for a brief moment. His mouth, which had been hesitating for a long time, barely opened.

“I… want to move out.”

His fiercely beating heart just wouldn’t calm down. As soon as he came out of his father’s study, his strength gave out, and he tried hard to support his staggering legs.

When was the last time he had expressed his opinion to his father? Jinseo unconsciously tried to retrace the past before quickly coming to his senses. Because the past was a nasty thing that made him endlessly miserable and sink just by recalling it.

They were always indifferent to him, violent, and the occasional attention they gave him was filled with contempt.

Jinseo forced his mind into a blank state. And he slowly evened out his breathing, which had become rough when he encountered his father. As he gradually regained his composure, the sound of a conversation from afar pierced his ears.

“I heard you were sick today and didn’t go to school. I heard from Secretary Kang.”

It was his mother’s voice, coming from the first-floor kitchen. It seemed she was reheating the meal the housekeeper, who only worked in the morning, had prepared with Jeonghan. Soon, Jeonghan’s calm voice was heard.

“Yes, but I got better since I rested at home.”

“I told you to go to the hospital if need be. How can you keep being sick… You are taking your medicine well, right?”

It was a voice that was the opposite of the attitude that had ignored him when he went out to greet them. It was an affectionate voice that could only be heard when she was with Jeonghan.

“Of course. Don’t worry too much.”

Jeonghan smiled faintly and reassured his mother. He, too, was affectionate towards his mother.

Jinseo couldn’t even make a sound. He knew that the moment a person like him was revealed in that place, the peace would be broken.

Am I still envious? Of the ordinary daily life that flows even if I don’t exist.

The misery he had tried so hard to shake off reared its head. He headed to his room, muffling even the sound of his footsteps. He had no intention of disturbing the close mother and son. The smell of dinner wafted over, but he wasn’t hungry. In fact, his stomach felt bloated.

As soon as he entered his room and lay down on the bed, his strength drained away. And he spaced out for a moment. He had unthinkingly turned his body to lie on his left side when the news he had to deliver to Hajun suddenly came to mind because of his throbbing cheek.

He immediately sat up and turned on his phone screen. Once the door was closed and all the noise was blocked out, the corners of his mouth crept up stealthily.

Still, there had been a good result. When he had declared to his father that he wanted to move out, he thought a golf club or a thick book would come flying at him at least once, with him being called ungrateful. But contrary to his expectations, his father fell into thought with Jinseo in front of him. He had hidden the signs of his intent to lash out in anger.

Well, of course. It would have been difficult to kick out an eyesore because of what others would think, and yet, it was likely largely because he was constantly bothersome to keep around. In any case, it had been nearly four years since he had become an adult, and in two months, he would even graduate from university. Just the fact that they had supported and raised an orphan until now had improved the image of the company he ran. If this kid, having grown up, said he was moving out, it would become yet another marketing opportunity.

After deliberating, his father opened his mouth.

“Just live quietly until graduation. I’m telling you not to ruin what little is left of your university life. Until then, stay here and…”

He hadn’t given a definite answer, but it was a statement that was very close to permission. Jinseo suppressed his racing heart and waited for his father’s next words. Soon after, words with a reason he couldn’t understand came from him.

“For now, keep it a secret from Jeonghan.”

It was the most memorable thing he had said. Why on earth? Jinseo also thought it was a matter he didn’t necessarily need to tell Jeonghan, but his father forcing him to hide it came across with a different meaning.

His father ended the conversation with the final words that they should set the move-out date for around mid-December.

He had gotten permission to move out, so he didn’t pry into the whys and wherefores. There was also the fear that if he asked too many questions, the entire conversation they had had up until now would be undone.

Jinseo erased his gloomy expression and bit his lip. A smile stealthily hung on his lips.

Prudence was embedded in Jinseo’s fingers as he repeatedly wrote and deleted the message. It was because he was contemplating how to deliver this happy news to Hajun.

After several revisions, Jinseo painstakingly pressed the send button.

[Sunbae. I got permission to move out]

The sentence, written with much thought, was simple. Less than a minute after Jinseo sent the message, the indicator that Hajun had read it appeared. Jinseo, who immediately left the chat room, turned off his phone screen and felt his pounding heart.

The vow to stop liking Hajun had already disappeared.

He had thought he couldn’t be with him, who, unlike himself, was good in both ability and looks. Besides, Hajun was someone who, unlike him, hadn’t been abandoned by both his biological and adoptive parents. Even if he offered everything he had, it couldn’t compare to Hajun.

So he had tried to give up on his feelings, but now, it didn’t matter even if he couldn’t be with him. It seemed like it would be just fine to remain as someone he knows by his side for the rest of his life. Besides, they were even going to live together; he was not in a position to suppress these feelings and refuse. If anything, he should be deeply grateful.

Just then, along with the sound of a message notification, he heard someone knocking on the door. Before he could even check the message Hajun had sent, the door was flung open. Jeonghan was standing there, his head peeking through the doorway.

“Come down to eat dinner.”

It seemed he had come to deliver his parents’ message. Jinseo averted his gaze from Jeonghan and shook his head back and forth.

“I don’t feel well.”

At Jinseo’s words, Jeonghan was silent for a moment as if in thought. Soon, he just spat out the words, “Okay,” and closed the door again. After the thud sound was heard, Jinseo let out a faint sigh.

At one time, they had to have dinner together unconditionally.

It was because Jeonghan, perhaps out of pity for him who always had his miserable dinners alone, had stubbornly insisted to his parents that if he didn’t have dinner with him, he wouldn’t eat either. And on that day, he had come straight to him and said so.

‘Hyung, I told them. Let’s all eat dinner together now, not alone.’

Contrary to Jeonghan’s excited expectations, Jinseo hated eating next to his parents, who always sent him sharp glares whenever they met, even more. So as soon as he heard those words, he had to suppress the desire to hit Jeonghan.

In the end, one day, while having an uncomfortable dinner as Jeonghan wanted, the food he had picked up with his chopsticks fell on the table, and he had been harshly reprimanded. After that, in order to avoid using chopsticks, he had constantly just shoveled in rice and soup. He remembers that he was probably taken to the emergency room after his stomach got upset from doing that.

As soon as that day came to mind, a hollow laugh crept out. The person who had accompanied him in the ambulance at that time was Jeonghan, and he had turned pale as he looked down at him, who had merely had severe indigestion. Jinseo, even while in pain, secretly let out a dumbfounded laugh inwardly. If he was going to make that kind of face, he should have just said a word to his parents who cherished him so much.

However, he didn’t want to rebuke his brother, who was four years younger. And he also knew that his parents’ contempt for him was not Jeonghan’s fault. But it felt like he would die if there wasn’t something to hate. So he disliked Jeonghan, who so obviously poured affection on him. Because it was easier to resent the more approachable Jeonghan than to resent the parents who had taken him in, an orphan.