PA 28

“Ha!”

In front of Yejun, Junhyuk was completely powerless. Seeing Junhyuk cling to this kid who was groaning in front of him made Sanghyeon’s stomach churn.

“Get out.”

Sanghyeon plopped down on the one-person sofa placed next to the bed. From that moment on, old memories kept surfacing in Sanghyeon’s mind. He tried to shake his head to clear them away, but faced with a reality he couldn’t escape, Sanghyeon ended up letting out a long sigh.

“Jeonghee, you go to your room and get some sleep. This mother will look after Junhyuk.”

Even though it had been a while since Director Min had given birth, she was overly protective of Jeonghee. Director Min was always worried sick that her only daughter’s body might be harmed in the slightest. At that moment, Sanghyeon, having returned from work to his in-laws’ house, greeted Director Min with a blank face and entered the house.

However, Director Min, as always, ignored his greeting with a cold face. As if her behavior didn’t matter to him either, Sanghyeon washed his hands in the guest bathroom and came out.

Sanghyeon hadn’t had the child because he wanted one, but at first, he didn’t dislike Junhyuk, who looked like a small, weak baby. Sanghyeon had entered the baby’s room and was quietly taking in the sight of Junhyuk. Momentarily flustered by Junhyuk’s soft whimpering, Sanghyeon carefully tried to hold the baby.

“What are you doing with those dirty hands?”

Director Min slapped Sanghyeon’s hand and snatched the baby away. Director Min had recently found out about Sanghyeon’s secret. Jeonghee, who had been so confident, had come to Director Min in tears. Although Jeonghee had known before marrying him, her depression was deepening due to Sanghyeon’s unchanging orientation.

At first, Director Min tried to make Jeonghee get a divorce. But she couldn’t break Jeonghee’s feelings for Sanghyeon. On top of that, Jeonghee desperately wanted Sanghyeon’s child. Unable to win against her daughter, Director Min gave Jeonghee a certain medicine. It was possible to conceive Junhyuk only because she had given Sanghyeon an aphrodisiac and had relations with him. Thus, to Director Min, Sanghyeon was a thorn in her side.

After that, Jeonghee continued to crave Sanghyeon’s love until, with her depression worsening, she hanged herself. The first person to discover Jeonghee, who had died by hanging, was unfortunately Junhyuk. For the young Junhyuk, who was only ten years old, the sight was a shock, and it became the reason his relationship with his father grew distant.

Sanghyeon saw the child from a person he had married without love. He held not even a little affection for such a child. Besides, he didn’t particularly welcome a son who rejected him with his entire being. Therefore, Sanghyeon also made not even the smallest effort to get closer to his son. Time passed like that, and the relationship between the two reached a point of no return.

Just then, while he was lost in old thoughts and tapping the armrest of the sofa with his index finger, someone knocked on the bedroom door.

“Come in.”

As Sanghyeon’s permission was given, Doctor Park cautiously opened the door and entered. Sanghyeon gestured toward Yejun with his chin, and Doctor Park carefully approached him and lifted the blanket. At the sight of Yejun’s miserable state, he almost spat out a curse. But he quietly stifled a groan and began to examine Yejun’s body.

“I will leave some ointment and a prescription. The ointment must be applied well twice a day, in the morning and evening.”

Doctor Park spoke as he administered an IV drip to Yejun as a final measure. Then, he handed the ointment and prescription to the head of security who had followed him in.

“Give the ointment to me.”

“Yes, here it is.”

“How long will it be until he can receive people again?”

“Ah…”

Doctor Park was momentarily at a loss for words at the sight of Sanghyeon looking at him with a nonchalant face. But he soon collected himself and hurried to give an answer.

“At, at least a fortnight is needed.”

“Hmm… One week.”

“Pardon?”

“Make it so he can receive people within a week.”

Doctor Park knew Sanghyeon’s cruel true nature. He clasped his trembling fingertips together and quickly nodded his head.

After everyone left, only Sanghyeon and Yejun remained in the bedroom. Sanghyeon gazed blankly at Yejun, who was in a deep sleep with a pale face. Sanghyeon thought hard about what it was he liked about Yejun.

The body.

Sanghyeon was quite fond of Yejun’s body. That being said, it didn’t go so far as loving Yejun.

Then will I yield this child to Junhyuk?

At that moment, Sanghyeon’s brow furrowed sharply.

No.

Underlying Sanghyeon’s unwillingness to yield Yejun to Junhyuk was a pride that did not want to be wounded. To raise the Saeil Group to the ranks of a major conglomerate, Sanghyeon had to do all sorts of things. He didn’t even hesitate to injure or kill people.

But Junhyuk?

When he was born, he was not only the heir to the Saeil Group but also the Taejin Group.

Junhyuk will have everything he’s gathered. Must I yield even this child?

When his thoughts reached that point, Sanghyeon’s stomach churned and his anger flared. As he was lost in thought, Sanghyeon’s phone began to vibrate on the tea table.

[Song Youngsik]

He stared for a moment at the name on the phone screen, then slowly picked up the phone.

“Yes.”

Sanghyeon spoke as if telling him to get to the point. Youngsik then cautiously brought up the reason for his call.

— Chairman, I called to confirm if Yejun is perhaps with you, Chairman.

“Yes, he is with me.”

— Um… Yejun has a schedule tomorrow.

This week, they had to appear on all the music shows of each broadcasting station. The advertising schedules could be changed somehow through Sanghyeon’s influence, but the music shows, with their fixed weekly broadcast times, were different. On top of that, they also had to film the self-produced content they had promised their fans. Youngsik grew more and more anxious.

“Is that so? But Yejun has collapsed and is on an IV drip right now. I don’t think he will be able to do any activities for about a week.”

— Ah… is that so?

Youngsik trailed off, unable to continue, as if he were in a difficult position. But Sanghyeon continued speaking as if it were no problem at all.

“Since his body is sick, please announce that he will be taking a temporary break from activities for health reasons.”

— Ah… yes, I will do that.

Youngsik felt a surge of anger at the disruption to the group’s activities due to Yejun’s absence, but in front of Sanghyeon, he didn’t dare say a word. Then, he had to quietly end the call.

☂︎

At Junhyuk’s instruction, Section Chief Park contacted the general manager of the Mirae Hotel. He asked which room Yejun was staying in, but was refused an answer on the grounds that it was sensitive personal information. However, Junhyuk did not give up and decided to use the power he had. He called the direct line of Mirae Hotel’s Executive Director Kim Mingyu.

“Mingyu hyung.”

— Hey, Junhyuk, what’s up?

“Find out where Lee Yejun stayed at the Mirae Hotel today for me.”

As soon as he called, Junhyuk bluntly threw out his main point.

— Lee Yejun?

“Yeah.”

Mingyu was flustered by Junhyuk’s sudden request. He quietly tried to placate Junhyuk, intending to politely refuse his request.

— That’s…

“That it’s sensitive personal information and can’t be done, right?”

— Huh? Uh…

“If I was going to back down after hearing that, why would I have called you, hyung?”

— Hey… why are you being like this?

“At the upcoming Mirae Hotel board meeting, my shares will unconditionally follow your opinion, hyung.”

— Hah… this punk. Alright, alright. Wait a moment.

Mingyu was flustered by Junhyuk’s strong pressure. After a moment of silence, Mingyu pulled up the Mirae Hotel’s computer network on his screen. He typed the name Lee Yejun into the search bar and pressed enter. The hotel’s largest and most expensive suite came up in the search results. There was only one person who had booked the entire place for a week straight.

Chairman Cha Sanghyeon.

— Junhyuk.

“Tell me.”

— Are you by any chance doing a background check on your father’s private life?

“…What did you say?”

At that moment, a completely unexpected question felt like it struck Junhyuk hard in the head. Seeing Junhyuk’s more serious-than-expected reaction, Mingyu continued very cautiously.

— You know your father uses our hotel’s suite often, right?

“…Yeah.”

— Lee Yejun is in that room.

Junhyuk couldn’t say anything at that moment.

No way… It can’t be.

Junhyuk gripped his phone with a trembling hand. Then, he spoke quietly, pretending to be unfazed.

“Got it. Since it’s about my father, you act like you don’t know, hyung.”

— Of course.

“Thanks for today.”

— Your father is officially single, legally too, so don’t be too hard on him.

“Yeah.”

Junhyuk realized that all the situations were connecting into one. But his heart strongly denied the facts his head had sorted out.

No, no. There must be some circumstance he can’t talk about.

Junhyuk couldn’t accept this situation until he saw it with his own two eyes. No longer able to sit and wait, Junhyuk shot up from his seat.

“Section Chief Park, I am going to the main house right now. The bodyguards, when my father’s car leaves the Mirae Hotel, you are to follow it.”

“Yes.”

Section Chief Park didn’t quite understand Junhyuk’s instructions, but he didn’t argue. He simply moved swiftly.

Click clack.

☂︎

Two days later, around the time the sun was setting in the evening, Yejun was finally able to raise his body.

He looked around, searching for his clothes, but there was nothing to wear except a shower gown. Making do, he put on the gown and picked up the phone that was on the nightstand.

Checking the date on his phone, Yejun realized two days had passed and hurriedly called Suho.

“Suho hyung.”

— Are you okay?

“Ah… I didn’t realize two days had passed.”

— Seeing as you were out of it for two days, you must have been really sick. We said we’d come see you after our schedule, but the CEO was so against it that we couldn’t go. I’m really sorry.

Instead of blaming Yejun for not being at the schedule with them, Suho said he was sorry for not being by the sick Yejun’s side because of their busy schedule. Yejun felt like tears were about to burst out, but he held them back and continued speaking.

“What did you do about the schedules for the past two days? There must have been music shows too.”