LLU 60

“…….”

“Do you want that, Oon-ah.”

His fingers approached and gently stroked my hair. As if soothing me. The soft yet skilled touch already carried the implication of a predetermined answer.

Did Choi Junghan think I would feel hurt hearing his reply? That was absurd. Choi Junghan’s words couldn’t hurt me in the slightest. They were more meaningless than the random utterances of an unnamed passerby on the street.

Because I do not love Choi Junghan. And because Choi Junghan has no right to even utter the word “love” in front of me.

“…Forget that.”

I shook my head to shake off a question not even worth listening to.

“More importantly, let me come with you tomorrow. I’ll behave quietly. You know… if I’m separated from you, something terrible will happen.”

I began to plead again in that subtle tone. Perhaps my behavior appeared only as the stubbornness of a childish brat blindly clinging with blind affection, avoiding any direct confrontation. Seeing Choi Junghan immediately clear his throat with a low “hmm,” I became convinced that just a little more whining would do the trick.

“That place isn’t your playground. If you just wait quietly in the office for a bit…”

“No. I know it’ll take a long time. If you don’t take me, I’ll throw a tantrum right here. I’ll strip naked, kneel down, and suck your cock.”

When I stubbornly insisted on something so ridiculous, he finally raised both hands in surrender and let out a short laugh. Lately, Choi Junghan laughed like that often in front of me.

As if he would accept whatever whining I threw at him.

“What a stubborn one.”

His cool fingers touched my cheek. I closed my eyes. The day I had prepared and waited for so long had finally arrived right in front of me.

Tonight, I planned to sleep deeply without any outbursts. The same would surely apply to Choi Junghan, who had been losing sleep every night trying to soothe me.

“Esteemed shareholders, good day to you all. I sincerely thank all the shareholders who have taken precious time out of your busy schedules to attend the 54th Regular General Meeting of Shareholders of CM Electronics.”

The hall instantly grew solemn. The moderator’s voice spread evenly throughout the room.

I was seated in the front row, in the far right corner. The fact that I was not a shareholder and therefore had no right to attend was meaningless in front of Choi Junghan. Wearing a name tag claiming I was attending as a reporter from a broadcasting station I had never heard of before, I sat in a position where Choi Junghan could see me clearly.

‘Since he says he wants to watch, I should secure a VIP seat for him.’

He had said that while leisurely stroking my cheek right up until we entered the hall.

Choi Junghan was seated at a long table with several other executives. Naturally, Chairman Choi was also present.

He sat at the far opposite end from Choi Junghan, so there was no chance he would spot me, but I still pulled my hat down lower. I had no desire to face unnecessary consumption of energy or friction before things even began.

I had already hinted to Choi Junghan beforehand that I wanted to avoid facing him as much as possible. He had joked that unless he raised his hand to speak or stood up to sing, there was no way he would see me.

I could see the camera installed in the middle of the aisle. Since it was a public shareholders’ meeting, they were recording an online live broadcast for shareholders who couldn’t attend.

Several reporters from other broadcasting stations were seated beside me, also wearing press credentials. They glanced at me a couple of times—someone sitting with both hands folded and no camera around his neck—but their puzzled looks dispersed as soon as the meeting began.

The meeting proceeded monotonously. After explanations of the main agenda items, shareholders took turns asking questions about each item and voting. The executives took turns providing answers.

“The competition in the mobile market is fierce, so I’d like to know why you’re deliberately entering yet another new business field at this timing. And also… how do you evaluate the likelihood of success?”

At one shareholder’s question, Choi Junghan picked up the microphone.

“Regardless of the fact that CM Electronics already dominates the mobile market, the mobile market itself is nearing saturation. Therefore, we aim to pursue continuous growth by entering new business fields with high growth potential. In particular, we plan to enter future growth driver markets such as artificial intelligence and wearable devices to secure new revenue streams. To increase the success probability of these new businesses, we are implementing the following strategies…”

He delivered a flawless answer in an intelligent and charming voice. The moment Choi Junghan opened his mouth, I could feel the atmosphere in the hall subtly shift.

Attention immediately focused on Choi Junghan. Soft murmurs rose here and there. It was the same aura I had grown sick of feeling while accompanying him to department stores, bars, and parks. Especially among the older executives, he stood out unnaturally.

I watched the entire process with calm, sunken eyes, without any particular agitation. The arrogantly overconfident answer he had given me yesterday came back to life.

He had said he was attending just to watch people who didn’t even know who the real owner was strutting around arrogantly. And indeed, Choi Junghan wore a faint smile and answered every question with perfect composure and leisure.

He was a man excessively adept at everything. Like a monarchy that had maintained unchallenged power for a long time, he held immense fame and wealth as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

And today, I would shatter the smile on that Choi Junghan’s face.

“…We will now conclude the break and begin the second part of the proceedings. The second part will consist of dialogue with the management team. First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Choi Junghan, Executive Director and Head of the Strategic Planning Team at CM Electronics, and I will be moderating the second part.”

Choi Junghan now stood at the podium. Since I had known in advance that he would be moderating, I turned toward him with resolute eyes.

Now it was my turn to screw him over.

Originally, I had planned to expose what Choi Junghan had done to me right here. To bring him down, I believed I had to go that far.

I had secretly tried to secure evidence of him killing or harming the previous Chairman Choi’s women and his family. But the materials had vanished as if into thin air. It was almost as if they were mocking me for having dreamed an empty dream.

I had tormented myself multiple times, wondering if I had seen wrong or remembered wrong, or if pretending to be crazy had actually driven me insane, and I had scrutinized my own mind over and over.

With no evidence, there was nothing I could do. This time, I turned the target of exposure toward myself. But now there wasn’t even a single bruise mark left on my body. The traces of Choi Junghan beating me and raping me had vanished cleanly, just like the evidence I had been searching for.

I could present no evidence whatsoever to the public about Choi Junghan’s insane behavior or how he had ruined my life. Truly, nothing at all.

It was an undeniable fact that he had kidnapped Kim Junwoo and raped me in front of him, but how could I prove it?

How could I prove in any way that he had taken away from me my one and only family, the friends I had known for years, and the peaceful life I could have had?

My will bent again and again in the face of overwhelming helplessness. Confronting my repeatedly shattered resolve, I sometimes asked myself: What can you even do when you’re barely surviving day to day, chained and caged like an animal?

Your opponent is Choi Junghan. You’ve been utterly defeated and broken in front of him countless times—do you really have to go this far?

Yet every time, gritting my teeth in front of him, I answered like this.

Yes, I have to go this far.

Hadn’t I vowed to myself that I would bring him to death by any means necessary?

The final destination I aimed for was Choi Junghan’s death. But I could not allow him to reach death obediently and painlessly.

Choi Junghan had to feel the same thing. The loss and the pain that came with it that I had endured. Unless I returned even a fraction of that pain to him, I would never be able to stab him, burn him, or kill him.

In that case, only one method remained for me.

To do in front of all these people the filthy things Choi Junghan had done to me—what he himself called outrageous atrocities.

If I couldn’t crawl out of the mire, then I would grab his ankle and drag him down with me into the sticky swamp bottom.

If I couldn’t prove he was insane, then I would become insane and defile him. If I couldn’t shout and prove that I had been raped, then I would simply rape him in front of countless people’s eyes.

I know. This is madness. It carries no expectation, and it cannot be called a possibility for any future.

Moreover, I know. That in the face of the immense power and authority Choi Junghan possesses, what I am about to do today is nothing more than a feeble struggle. That it is endlessly trivial and pathetic when it comes to bringing him down.

But if my insignificant struggle can splatter even a single speck of filth on his face, I will gladly do it. If it can create even the tiniest crack, I will throw my entire body against his solid fortress a hundred times, a thousand times.

I slowly rose from my seat. At that moment, someone else raised their hand and stood to ask Choi Junghan a question. Ignoring it, I walked straight up to the podium with firm steps.

The question about dividends or something spread through the microphone across the hall, then faltered with a hesitant “…Huh?” as confusion set in.

“……?”

The gazes that had started as mild curiosity gradually filled with shock. I could feel the tense looks and hesitant movements of the security guards wearing earpieces with my whole body. They were exchanging rapid glances among themselves in panic.

But it was already too late. I was walking toward Choi Junghan. As long as the shackles were no longer around my ankles, no one could stop my free steps now.

The one who had unlocked the shackles from my ankles was none other than Choi Junghan himself. That fact filled me with such joy that I felt like I would go mad.

“Hyung.”

For the first time, I called Choi Junghan that. Seeing him stare at me with wide-open eyes and a frozen face, every hair on my body stood on end. It was a thrill and ecstasy I had never felt before.

Yes, this was the face of yours I wanted to see.

Blood circulated rapidly through my body. It felt like powerful fireworks were exploding inside my head. With my lips stretched wide in a grin, feeling my heart pounding explosively, I advanced.

I stopped right in front of Choi Junghan. Smiling brightly at him, I reached out my arms. Then I wrapped them around his solid neck and clung to him. Immediately lifting my heels, I pressed my lips to his and pushed my tongue inside.

His soft lips were mercilessly crushed. I intertwined our tongues in the most vulgar and greedy way I possibly could. With wet smacking sounds, I bit and licked his lower lip, then rubbed the roof of his mouth with my stiffened tongue.

What shattered the momentarily frozen atmosphere was the continuous burst of camera flashes. To make sure the reporters could capture our image clearly, and so the live broadcast could catch it well, I tilted my head to let our lips lock even deeper.

The hall erupted into frenzied commotion. The flashes grew louder. The security chief’s shouting voice, the security guards starting to rush toward me, and…

Choi Junghan’s eyes, frozen while still fixed on me.

“I love you.”

Pulling my lips away, I said that and smiled. In the face of my vicious mockery, he could offer nothing but silence.

My heart, soaked in ecstasy, felt like it would burst. I hugged him—who did not push me away—and pressed our lips together once more.

The loud buzzing that filled the hall continued to echo in my ears until it spilled out of the building. The security guards and accompanying secretaries dragged me out as if transporting a dangerous criminal and shoved me into a waiting sedan outside.

Three or four reporters who had rushed out of the building captured the entire scene on camera. They were the same ones who had been sitting beside me just moments ago.

I faced those reporters snapping photos blindingly with an expressionless face. Would it make the news? No—even getting into online articles would be fortunate. The company side surely wouldn’t just sit idly by.

The car started moving. The chaos I had created with my own hands gradually receded behind me.

Finally, the first act of revenge was complete.

Tension drained from my body like an ebbing tide. Leaning against the seat, I let out a long sigh. The feeling after achieving the first success was both liberating and lonely. My heart felt like it would burst from the liberation, yet it was also empty.

“Where are we going?”

I asked the executive secretary sitting beside me, who had accompanied Choi Junghan. He hesitated for a moment but soon gave a clear answer. He had received instructions to have me undergo psychiatric evaluation and hospitalization.

“…Ha.”

A short laugh burst out. So they were finally going to lock me up by labeling me a lunatic.

Yes, it was one of the outcomes I had fully anticipated, so I remained calm. I didn’t bother with pointless resistance. No matter how much I screamed and caused a scene here, they would only increase the drug dosage—nothing would change.

I wondered where exactly they would throw me. Perhaps some closed ward in a remote rural area where no one would ever find me.

Would I be able to escape from there? I imagined the future indifferently, as if it were someone else’s story. I was currently too drained of energy to formulate any concrete strategy.