The Unbelievers Chapter 32

Choi Jungeon’s mother, flinching at the chilly aura of Yoo Siun as he threw the door open and entered, took a few steps back and stood beside her husband. Choi Jungeon’s father approached Yoo Siun and bowed politely.

“…I am truly sorry. I only listened to the boy’s words, when I naturally should have contacted the guardian first.”

“I will be taking him now.”

He stood still in the entryway and stared at Eunseong. Eunseong’s shoulders trembled the moment Yoo Siun’s gaze landed on him. Choi Jungeon looked back and forth between Yoo Siun and Eunseong, asking with a look of utter disbelief.

“You’re that Mister I saw that day, right? No one lives in Eunseong’s house now, and Eunseong transferred schools the very next day. Eunseong and his father evaporated without leaving a trace. The day after you showed up! Who are you, Mister? What is your identity?!”

Yoo Siun seemed to recognize Choi Jungeon’s presence only then. He stared with eyes that seemed to deliberate for a long while on who he was, before remembering the delinquent student he had encountered in front of Eunseong’s house that day, causing his brow to twitch.

Without even responding to Choi Jungeon, he turned his eyes back to Eunseong. It was a silent command to pack whatever he needed to pack and come out immediately.

Choi Jungeon’s parents stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do, watching Yoo Siun’s reaction. They were anxious to explain their foolish haste in believing the child’s lies to Eunseong’s guardian.

“I asked who you are, Mister. You can’t take Eunseong. Mom, call the police. That person isn’t Eunseong’s guardian. I saw him last time. I’m telling you, I saw him acting like a thug at Eunseong’s house!”

When Choi Jungeon questioned him without wavering, even his parents began to feel uncertain. Choi Jungeon hid Eunseong behind his back. It was a warning that if he wanted to take Eunseong, he would have to knock him down first.

Yoo Siun’s brow furrowed tiredly. He took off his shoes and stepped into the living room. As the tall man stepped up, the space instantly felt narrow.

He pulled a business card case from his inner jacket pocket and held out a card to Choi Jungeon’s father. Having reflexively accepted the card Yoo Siun handed him, the father’s eyes grew as wide as lanterns. Choi Jungeon’s mother, who looked over his shoulder to examine the card, also widened her eyes and let out an exclamation of “Oh my.” The gaze that had looked at Yoo Siun with fear changed to one of wonder.

“Eunseong’s father is currently away due to certain circumstances, and I am Eunseong’s guardian for now. I am a first cousin once removed on his father’s side.”

“A relative? Don’t lie. If you’re a relative, why would Eunseong run away! Can’t you see those hideous tattoos? They say only gangsters have things like that!”

“If you have any questions, please contact our side tomorrow. Our legal team will provide answers and appropriate compensation for damages.”

“Pardon? What damages… there’s nothing like that, we are the ones who are sorry. We made a mistake by believing the boy’s words. We truly apologize. We didn’t realize you were the CEO of Seongha Momentum, we’ve been rude.”

“It was a situation that could easily be misunderstood.”

“Oh dear, we really thought the boy was being chased by loan sharks or something… We were so startled earlier.”

“I said it’s a lie! Mom, you believe that?!”

“Jungeon, you come here!”

Each of his parents grabbed an arm of Choi Jungeon, who was making a scene, insisting they must never give Eunseong up.

Yoo Siun glanced at Choi Jungeon and then shifted his gaze to Eunseong. Like a criminal being dragged away, Eunseong hesitantly went into Choi Jungeon’s room, packed his school uniform and bag, and came out. Having no face to show Choi Jungeon’s parents, he kept his eyes on the floor and bowed, saying he was sorry. Yoo Siun took the bag and uniform held in Eunseong’s hands.

He shifted the luggage to one hand and grabbed Eunseong’s wrist with the other. From his lowered perspective, Eunseong looked at his wrist and the back of Yoo Siun’s hand that was gripping his flesh. The back of the hand, where tendons and veins bulged, trapped Eunseong firmly in its grasp. The cross he had fumbled with in a daze popped up over the tendons.

“I apologize for the intrusion so late at night.”

He gave a final greeting and turned around. While being pulled away, Eunseong looked back at Choi Jungeon. He met the eyes of Choi Jungeon, who was still making a fuss saying it wasn’t true and that they were lying. Seeing the look in Eunseong’s eyes that said he was sorry, Choi Jungeon stopped his commotion.

Leaving behind the huffing Choi Jungeon, they exited the front door. Manager Nam was standing in front of the elevator. He bowed his head as if apologetic and took the bag and uniform Yoo Siun was holding in one hand. While Yoo Siun was working, Eunseong had been under Manager Nam’s jurisdiction, which meant Manager Nam had essentially lost Eunseong. It was his negligence.

Even as they boarded the waiting elevator, Yoo Siun did not let go of Eunseong’s wrist. He was holding it tight. He held it so hard that the blood couldn’t circulate. Eunseong looked up at him and pleaded with a faint grimace, showing it hurt. However, he did not forcibly twist his arm to pull his hand away.

Even in the midst of this, he liked being touched by him. He was a person difficult to even touch if it wasn’t a moment like this. It seemed his anger had overwhelmed his fastidiousness. He was gripping Eunseong’s wrist tightly without even realizing it.

Inside the descending elevator, Yoo Siun, who had been silently staring straight ahead, opened his mouth.

“Apologize to the Manager as well.”

“…”

It was a strange voice he had never heard before. It was like a blade, or perhaps the edge of an axe. The voice, sharpened like a cold steel blade striking down at his nape, commanded:

“Quickly.”

“…Sor… sor.”

As he tried to say he was sorry, something suddenly surged up from inside.

“Sor… I am sorry.”

The moment the sobbing voice popped out, the rims of his eyes immediately burned hot. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Manager Nam didn’t bite his lip in embarrassment at Eunseong’s apology, but rather bowed toward Yoo Siun with a look of dismay. Only Eunseong didn’t know that Yoo Siun wasn’t making him apologize, but was instead rebuking Manager Nam for his mistake.

Two black sedans stood crouched like beasts in front of the apartment entrance. Two bodyguards waiting there approached as the common entrance door opened, attempting to take the luggage from Manager Nam’s hands. Manager Nam handed them the luggage and headed for the driver’s seat.

Yoo Siun dragged Eunseong’s weight to the car door being held open by a bodyguard. As he put Eunseong—who was roughly wiping away tears with the back of his hand—into the car first, he let go of the wrist.

Continuously wiping his tear-stained face with both palms and the backs of his hands, Eunseong looked back at the man sitting next to him. He checked his wristwatch as if tired and leaned his back into the seat.

“Let’s go.”

Yoo Siun, with his eyes closed, spoke like a sigh. The car slid forward smoothly. Eunseong’s breath, which was shivering in his diaphragm as his crying deepened, broke off like a hiccup.

“…H… how did you know? How did you know I was here…”

“Is that important?”

“…”

It was a tone filled with anger, telling him not to say anything more. It wasn’t the blunt but kind tone from before. He seemed truly fed up with Eunseong for doing such a thing. Eunseong felt even more sorrowful, and at the same time, his heart sank.

“I was the one who ran away. The Manager did nothing wrong.”

“…”

“I am the one who did wrong.”

“…”

Yoo Siun responded with a silence that suggested he wasn’t worth replying to. He was reproaching him, as if asking why on earth he did such a thing when he had provided everything without lack, treated him well, and explained his position as an heir and Eunseong’s situation clearly enough for him to understand.

He had only thought he would be scolded if he got caught running away, but he hadn’t expected this cold reaction. He couldn’t even hope for an emotional assessment of the situation, like asking what had happened to make him act that way. If he had asked kindly why he ran away, Eunseong might have been unable to hide the truth any longer and spilled everything to him.

That he thought he liked him, that he missed him, that he wanted to hear the voice that spoke to him, that he felt sexual desire toward him and it was terrifying.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I did it? Aren’t you curious why I did it?”

“I’m not curious.”

He answered coldly. It meant he should shut his mouth now. Manager Nam, who was driving, seemed to have the same thought as Eunseong and was careful even with his breathing. The interior of the car, where even the engine sound couldn’t be heard, became intense with a suffocating silence.

Eunseong looked at him as he sat leaning against the backrest with his eyes closed, as if he didn’t want to see anything. A deep shadow was cast over half of his face on the high bridge of his nose buried in darkness. The tattoo, which had been covered with a dressing bandage for Eunseong’s moral education, had only one ear peeking out.

“The reason I did it is.”

“…”

“Because I didn’t want to live with you, Mister.”

Eunseong, who had stopped crying, spoke with a moist voice. His eyes, which had been closed the whole time, slowly slid open.

“I said I hate you.”

“…”

“Please let me live separately. I can just stay with Manager Nam. Because then nothing will happen. I’ll listen to you from now on and I won’t run away either.”

Manager Nam, who had been quietly suppressing his presence and just driving, checked Eunseong and Yoo Siun’s reactions through the rearview mirror.

He, who had been staring only at the back of Manager Nam’s head, turned his eyes toward Eunseong. Eunseong was facing Yoo Siun’s stern pupils for the first time today—eyes he had never shown him before.

“So you ran away? Because you hate me?”

“…Yes.”

Even though he was full of terror, Eunseong answered clearly nonetheless.

That it was because of you.