* * *

There wasn’t much more to say about the fact that they weren’t real brothers.

Jingyeom didn’t need to know about the countless insults Baek Myungjun had hurled; there was no point in bringing that up.

Instead, Jinwoo explained why Jingyeom had to stay at this place.

“The company is in a complicated situation right now… They didn’t want you getting caught up in it, so they thought it’d be safer for you to stay here.”

He explained that the company’s President Kim, and Wonbeom were in a power struggle over control, and because of that, people around them were getting hurt one by one.

Since Jingyeom had been meeting with Wonbeom frequently, he was sure to become a target, so it wasn’t safe to keep him at the hospital.

That’s why they’d brought him here.

Jinwoo had worried that Jingyeom wouldn’t understand, but when he nodded without a word, he continued.

“Director Tak got his hands on some incriminating documents, and President Kim’s side caused the accident on purpose to target him. That’s why he came here.”

“…He was stabbed, right?”

“Yeah, they must’ve been trying to get rid of him… Are you okay?”

Jinwoo had brought it up to help Jingyeom understand the situation, but he was careful, afraid that it might cause Jingyeom too much stress.

Jingyeom nodded and showed Jinwoo his watch.

After hearing far worse things, Jinwoo’s explanation didn’t come as much of a shock.

“I’m fine. I already guessed as much after seeing Wonbeom hyung get hurt.”

“I see. I’m not completely safe either… So until the shareholders’ meeting is over and things settle down, I’m going to stay here too.”

“Not safe? Did you get hurt too?”

Jingyeom frowned as he scanned Jinwoo’s body.

Although they had been together for several days, he hadn’t seen any injuries.

Even in this tense moment, Jinwoo found it comforting that Jingyeom was worried about him, so he gave a faint smile and shook his head.

“No, I’m fine. It was known that the director was lying in the ICU. So, it’s obvious that only someone close would know where the ledger is. That’s why I left preemptively, in case I became a target.”

Although he had already been attacked once, he decided not to mention that.

Jingyeom was already worried enough, and if he said more, he was afraid it would cast a shadow over his face again.

“So? Is that why Dad’s acting like this?”

“Yeah. It seems like President Kim’s side made contact with him.”

“…Trying to target you and me?”

“They already know I’m under Director Tak, so they were probably after you. It’s not just Dad. Even Sangho met with someone from President Kim’s side.”

Only then did Jingyeom realize why both Sangho and Baek Myungjun had reached out to him at the same time, and he let out a bitter laugh.

“So, in the end, they were using me.”

Anger welled up from deep inside, making his lips tremble slightly, as he recalled how they had revealed he wasn’t truly related to Jinwoo and the secret of Jinwoo’s feelings for Baek Jingyeom in one go.

He had thought he never really trusted or expected anything from them, but now, feeling this betrayal, he realized he might have hoped for something after all.

“So that’s why they were so eager to pick you up.”

“…Who were you talking to earlier?”

“Sangho.”

Jingyeom felt his heart race irregularly and placed a hand on his chest.

He just couldn’t seem to stay still.

He wasn’t sure whether Sangho had done it to protect him or simply to avoid becoming a weak point for Wonbeom, but whatever the reason, it confirmed that he was effectively trapped here.

Ever since he arrived, his heart had been under more strain than before.

Seeing Jinwoo fidget nervously as he glanced at the hand Jingyeom had placed on his chest, Jingyeom took a deep breath.

“You could’ve told me sooner. Then I wouldn’t have bothered Mrs. Jeong, asking when the phone would be fixed.”

“…I didn’t want to make you more anxious. I planned to take care of everything while you were here.”

“So that’s why you said we could leave in a month? Will we really be able to by then?”

“I’m not sure… The shareholders’ meeting should be over by now, so there should be some results. If Director Tak doesn’t become the chairman, we might have to stay longer.”

Even Jinwoo hadn’t heard any news since arriving here.

He could’ve asked Mrs. Jeong, but he hadn’t.

He had planned to stay here for about a month anyway, so he decided to just relax and spend time with Jingyeom.

Though Baek Myungjun’s threat still lingered in his mind, he figured no one would find him here. Besides, his thoughts were entirely focused on Jingyeom, making everything else fade into the background.

Then the power outage happened suddenly.

Of all times, it had to be when Jinwoo was sleeping, and Jingyeom was on the phone with Sangho—something he hadn’t expected.

“…Sorry for deceiving you.”

“If we want to get out of here, we better start praying that Wonbeom becomes the chairman.”

Jingyeom made the comment lightly, as if joking, but his expression remained tense.

The fact that Sangho and Baek Myungjun had tried to sell him off seemed to have shaken him more than expected.

“The relationship I so desperately wanted to protect was reduced to this… Baek Jingyeom, you really are pathetic.”

Had Jingyeom clung to his father more because he knew he wasn’t truly related to Jinwoo?

He wondered if Jingyeom would have reacted differently if he had told him earlier.

“Should I ask Sangho later?”

Not that it would matter. Whether Jingyeom had known or not wasn’t important right now.

As Jingyeom mulled over Jinwoo’s words, a sudden thought occurred to him.

“I understand the situation and why I need to stay here, and the state of things between us.”

But understanding and accepting were clearly different things.

“Still… I’ve heard so much. I think I need some time to process it.”

“…Yeah, take your time. While you’re sorting things out…”

Jinwoo trailed off, glancing at Jingyeom anxiously.

He was worried that, if left alone to process everything, Jingyeom’s thoughts might spiral in a bad direction.

When Jinwoo hesitated to speak, Jingyeom gently removed his hand from Jinwoo’s waist and sat down on the sofa.

“If I can’t figure it out on my own, I’ll ask.”

“…Okay.”

“Let’s take some time alone for now.”

Jingyeom’s voice softened, and only then did Jinwoo feel slightly at ease.

---

Once the power returned, Mrs. Jeong finished restoring everything and reappeared after seeing through the CCTV that Jinwoo was awake.

Jingyeom headed to his room, while Jinwoo remained in the living room, asking Mrs. Jeong about everything that had happened in Seoul during their time here.

Since Jingyeom knew about it now, it seemed wise to be informed as well.

“President Kim has been indicted without detention, but it seems likely he won’t avoid being arrested. If you’re planning to attend the chairman’s inauguration, I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

“No, there’s no need to appear unnecessarily. I’ll go up once everything’s settled.”

Even if President Kim disappeared, his followers would still be around, and there might be retaliation.

There was no need to attend the inauguration and risk facing such dangers.

“Please call me when dinner is ready.”

---

Meanwhile, after returning to Seoul, Wonbeom hid out in the office-tel where Jinwoo and Secretary Yang had been staying for a few days.

He had to lay low until after the shareholders’ meeting; he was sure this time wouldn’t end with just an attack.

During the meeting, prosecutors stormed the company with arrest warrants in hand.

The evidence of President Kim’s wrongdoing, collected by Soohyuk, had been passed on to a prosecutor Soohyuk was in contact with.

Internal whistleblowers followed suit, and on the morning of the shareholders’ meeting, a warrant was issued for President Kim.

The company was thrown into chaos by the sudden appearance of prosecutors.

While some called for the meeting to be postponed, Chairman Tak decided to go ahead with it.

Though the company was shaken by President Kim’s actions, the meeting concluded in Wonbeom’s favor.

News outlets rushed to cover the story of Daejeong, and as more of President Kim’s crimes were revealed, the stock price plummeted, and the atmosphere at the company became increasingly unstable.

Since they had anticipated this, Wonbeom and Soohyuk remained composed, continuing to handle their responsibilities calmly.

While Wonbeom and Soohyuk focused on the company, Icheongho kept an eye on Sangho and Baek Myungjun.

Everyone was running around, too busy to even get any sleep.

---

Just like in the place where Jingyeom was, a rare torrential rain poured down in Seoul.

The rain that started in the afternoon showed no sign of stopping, even by early morning.

Soohyuk lay sprawled on the sofa, pressing his fingers to his forehead with a groan.

Always proud of his looks, Soohyuk now had dark circles under his eyes, and his usually neat attire had become disheveled.

“At this rate, I’m going to die of exhaustion.”

“Go lie down and sleep.”

“I can’t sleep right now. Ugh… I’m so tired.”

Soohyuk turned his head to look at Wonbeom, who still hadn’t lifted his eyes from the documents.

Wonbeom’s eyes were red with exhaustion too, though he showed no signs of it.

They were both equally worn out.

Yet, unlike Soohyuk, Wonbeom never let it show.

After his father passed away, Wonbeom had lived with a singular goal: to take over Daejeong.

Watching him push himself so hard, Soohyuk often wondered if it was really necessary for him to go this far.

But then, Soohyuk thought, maybe Wonbeom’s life—one with purpose—was better than his own aimless existence.

So, he stayed by his side, helping him achieve his goal.

“When you become the chairman, you should take a break. You need to rest too.”

“When things settle down, then.”

“That’s going to take years, right? Kim’s roots are everywhere. You’re not going to dig them all out, are you?”

“I’ll bury them.”

It wasn’t possible to purge all of President Kim’s people who’d been embedded in Daejeong for so long.

Some degree of compromise, negotiation, and coaxing would be required to turn them into allies.

He didn’t need their loyalty—they weren’t that kind of people to begin with.

All he needed was a temporary truce for the sake of the company.

* * *