* * *
Jingyeom’s face lit up as he checked the message, feeling a rush of relief.
He began typing a response, but the next message stopped him short, making his face fall.
From: Lee Cheongoh
Both are currently confirmed to be overseas.
2:26 PM
Jingyeom froze, unable to reply immediately.
“Overseas? Just like that?”
It was the last thing he expected. He waited for a follow-up message, but the screen stayed blank.
Biting his lower lip, Jingyeom furrowed his brows and finally typed a reply.
2:31 PM
Thank you for looking into it! But overseas? Do you know when they left? Or where exactly?
From: Lee Cheongo
They left around two months ago. They’re in China, but I couldn’t confirm an exact address. My apologies.
2:32 PM
2:33 PM
No need to apologize! I’m so grateful you looked into it! I’ll treat you to a meal next time!
From: Lee Cheongoh
No need. Just reach out if you need anything else. — Lee Cheongoh
2:34 PM
After reading the last message, Jingyeom’s tense expression eased a little.
It was typical of Cheongoh to sign his name like that, even though they had each other’s numbers saved.
“China, huh…”
He clenched his teeth.
“So they just threw this mess at us and skipped town?”
He could go to China if he had to, but the fact that both Jung Sangho and Baek Myungjoon had left at the same time left a bad feeling.
They’d left around the time he was bedridden, and the lack of contact made it all the more suspicious.
He wondered if Jinwoo had deleted any messages that came through during that time, but he dismissed the thought.
Jinwoo had kept his phone with Soohyuk during his recovery.
“What do I do now?”
As long as Jung Sangho didn’t return to Korea, he wouldn’t be able to get the answers he sought, nor would he be able to make Baek Myungjoon pay his debt.
Jinwoo had taken on the debt with plans to recover it himself, but he never expected to repay it all on his own.
If his body had been even a little healthier, he’d have found a way to repay the debt himself, but given his situation, he’d planned on passing it back to Baek Myungjoon.
Yet, here he was, forced to abandon his plan without even starting.
“If I’d known this would happen, I’d have cut ties with those two ages ago!”
If he’d anticipated they’d disappear like this, he’d have blocked them at the first sign of trouble.
If he’d done that, they wouldn’t have found out about his relationship with Jinwoo, and Jinwoo wouldn’t have gotten drunk and confessed and—
Jingyeom shook his head quickly to banish the thought.
“Anyway! Nothing would have happened in the first place!”
Holding his phone in one hand, Jingyeom pouted, striking his blanket in frustration to express his displeasure.
Jinwoo, seated on the sofa, kept a close eye on Jingyeom, who seemed restless as his expressions shifted by the second, wondering if something was bothering him.
Soohyuk had given him a new phone, but Jingyeom hadn’t even unboxed it, leaving it untouched.
It wasn’t clear what he intended to do with his old phone, but he wasn’t interested in switching to the new one.
Since the day he’d gotten his old phone back, Jingyeom’s attention was entirely focused on it.
He left it in his hospital room only when he went for treatments or exams; otherwise, he kept it close at all times.
He had even added a lock screen, not just a password or pattern, but fingerprint recognition.
While Jinwoo was curious about what Jingyeom was doing on his phone, he refrained from prying as he used to.
However, the fact that he’d locked his phone made it feel as if Jingyeom had secrets, stirring up an odd feeling.
If the phone had been locked from the start, maybe it wouldn’t have bothered him as much.
But Jingyeom had suddenly set it up, and that was enough to catch his attention.
It likely had something to do with Soohyuk’s influence, though Jinwoo was the only one Jingyeom spent time with in the hospital.
“Could he… be waiting for a message?”
The thought of Jingyeom repeatedly checking his phone to possibly contact Baek Myungjun or Jeong Sanho made Jinwoo frown instinctively.
“If he asks me about it, what should I say?”
Though it didn’t matter much with Jeong Sanho, since they weren’t in contact, Baek Myungjun was a different case.
He’d heard there was no further reason for Jingyeom to be in touch with them, but he didn’t know exactly how that was resolved.
Jinwoo hadn’t asked for details, not wanting to know too much, but if Jingyeom continued waiting for a response, it was possible he might eventually ask Jinwoo about it.
“I should get the facts straight in case he does.”
While Jingyeom was napping, Jinwoo headed to the rooftop garden with one of the bodyguards.
After stationing the bodyguard at the entrance, he moved towards the railing and called Secretary Yang.
― Oh? Secretary Baek, what’s the occasion?
“It’s been a while. How have you been?”
― I’m dying here! When are you coming back? They won’t hire another secretary even though I begged them. It’s ridiculous for me to be the President Tak’s only secretary, right? Sure, there’s a team, but I need at least two or three people by my side. Do you know how much I’m doing alone? Every subsidiary should have its own secretary!
“That sounds rough.”
― You have no idea! Working overtime every day, even at home, I can’t stop thinking about paperwork! I’m living off red ginseng and vitamins now, carrying around stuff I’d never have taken before! At this rate, I’ll die of overwork!
As Secretary Yang continued venting for over ten minutes without stopping, Jinwoo simply listened in silence.
When Secretary Yang finally took a deep breath, he seemed to remember something.
― Right, why did you call?
“Director Sun mentioned before that Jingyeom’s father and Jeong Sanho wouldn’t be in contact with each other anymore and that they wouldn’t show up here. I thought you might know the details, so I wanted to ask about it.”
― Yeah, I’m aware. What do you need to know?
“It seems like Jingyeom’s trying to reach out to them. I was curious how things were resolved, in case he asks me. If I just tell him I don’t know, it might make things worse.”
Although Jinwoo wasn’t curious about the situation itself, he felt it was necessary to understand for Jingyeom’s sake.
He’d heard from Soohyuk that the matter was handled, and he expected Secretary Yang would be in the loop.
Secretary Yang’s previously animated tone lowered, sounding more serious.
― It’s been handled neatly. They won’t be showing up or contacting him again. What are you worried about?
“I’m just concerned that if they remain unreachable, Jingyeom might go looking for them himself.”
Jeong Sanho aside, Baek Myungjun was still family.
If Jingyeom did decide to search for him, it could escalate into a bigger issue.
It wasn’t a situation where Jinwoo could simply tell him not to look.
― What, are you worried he’ll file a missing persons report?
“He might. If a father and son both file missing persons reports on each other, the police would find it strange, and then…”
― No need to worry about that. It’s not going to happen.
Secretary Yang’s confident tone stopped Jinwoo from voicing his concerns.
― By the way, Jingyeom already contacted Cheongoh. Asked him to track down those two. Guess he’s curious.
“…Excuse me?”
― Told him they went to China two months ago. So don’t worry and focus on looking after Jingyeom.
“How did he even get Cheongoh’s number?”
― Apparently, they exchanged numbers at some point. Anyway, just act like you don’t know, or tell him you’re aware they went to China. Whatever you think is best.
Jinwoo blinked in surprise.
He hadn’t expected the situation to be handled this way, or that Jingyeom had even known Cheongoh’s number, let alone asked him to track down Baek and Jeong.
“Jingyeom only thinks of him as an assistant secretary.”
Jinwoo had only recently learned that Cheongoh was in fact Wonbeom’s shadow.
Previously, he’d simply assumed he worked for a different division.
― Yeah, that’s odd, isn’t it? Normally, people don’t make such requests. Oh, and he also asked Cheongoh to keep it a secret from the President.
Cheongoh had been faithful to that request, informing only Soohyuk and Secretary Yang, who then relayed the information back to Wonbeom.
But even after Secretary Yang’s explanation, Jinwoo’s expression remained tense.
― Ah… Time for a meeting already. Secretary Baek, hurry back. I’m withering away here!
“Uh, yes. Thank you for the information.”
Even after hanging up, Jinwoo found it hard to head back downstairs immediately.
“What could Jingyeom know?”
Or did he just think he could ask Cheongoh for help since he was linked to Wonbeom?
“…Hah.”
Running a hand through his hair, Jinwoo sighed deeply.
Although he was puzzled by Jingyeom’s decision to ask Cheongoh, his emotions were mixed, with curiosity outweighed by another feeling.
There were many reasons Jingyeom hadn’t asked him about Baek Myungjun and Jeong Sanho.
Yet, Jinwoo couldn’t help but feel a little hurt that Jingyeom had reached out to Cheongoh instead.
“…As if I could’ve given him a proper answer.”
He understood that Jingyeom hadn’t asked him out of consideration, given that Baek and Jeong were the ones who had forced unwanted truths on him.
As he lifted his gaze, the sky above was a vivid, cloudless blue, the kind Jingyeom loved.
Jingyeom’s health steadily improved day by day.
In the process, he had come to understand the feelings of a baby just learning to walk.
Especially when Jinwoo stood in front of him, and he managed to take a few steps in his direction. Just those steps made him feel an overwhelming joy that brought tears to his eyes.
He could still remember the look in Jinwoo’s moist eyes, filled with pride.
It had only been a few steps, and his legs had soon given out, but it had been enough.
Now, he was even strong enough to grip a support device and move around his hospital room.
Though he couldn’t walk for long, it felt as if the day he could support himself fully was drawing closer.
During this time, Wonbeom and Soohyuk visited his room several times.
Oddly, they never came alone; they always showed up together, as if by arrangement.
Every time, they brought gifts, so much so that his room was once again piling up with things.
How they always found something new to bring was beyond him.
With all the things he’d already taken to the mansion and sent home, the two never seemed to come empty-handed.
And one day, Wonbeom arrived without prior notice.
* * *
Thanks
I could feel that Wonbeom was the ml bro
Team Wonbeom I’m sorry to tell you that…
I really want to finish this novel right this second but the episodes are still locked 😭