OCMG chapter 66

* * *

[The person you’re trying to reach is unavailable to take your call.]

“……”

Junhee called again. And again, it was declined.

The result of his repeated attempts was the same:

[The person you’re trying to reach is unavailable to take your call.]

[The person you’re trying to reach is unavailable to take your call.]

[The person you’re trying to reach is unavailable to take your call.]

[The person you’re trying to reach is unavailable to take your call.]

A series of declined calls and his own mounting frustration.

“What the hell is this…”

Instead of calling, Junhee typed out a message.

[Do you have my rabbit mask?]

The only reason Junhee had initially reached out to Ki Taeryu was because of this one question.

He distinctly remembered seeing it last when he hid in the storage room, but after that, it disappeared.

The only person who might know its whereabouts was Ki Taeryu.

But instead of answers, Ki Taeryu was deliberately rejecting every single call Junhee made.

Would he ignore the message too? Just as Junhee thought that, his phone buzzed.

As he read the reply, Junhee’s brow furrowed.

[Director Ki Taeryu: It’s mine.]

Junhee immediately began typing back, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

[Me: How is it yours, Division Head?]

[Director Ki Taeryu: I found it.]

[Me: It’s mine.]

As Junhee questioned the absurdity of this pointless exchange, another message arrived.

[Director Ki Taeryu: Picture.]

“…Unbelievable…”

One photo from Ki Taeryu made Junhee curse out loud.

The rabbit mask, studded with sparkling jewels, was shoved into a trash can.

Judging by the background, it seemed to be the waste bin inside Ki Taeryu’s office at the company.

Junhee fought back the urge to storm into the Taesan Group headquarters and rip off Ki Taeryu’s smug face instead of retrieving the mask.

He clenched his teeth and carefully composed his reply, word by word.

[Me: I misspoke this morning. I apologize.]

Unlike the quick responses earlier, this time, there was a noticeable delay.

After waiting for what felt like forever, a single reply finally came through.

[Director Ki Taeryu: ?]

Junhee felt an almost murderous rage at that lone question mark.

Could a single symbol incite so much fury?

He glanced at the clock.

Ten minutes had passed.

Anxiety started to creep in.

[Me: Please return the rabbit ma-]

[Me: sk.]

He accidentally hit send too early, and typos slipped in, but it wasn’t intentional.

At this point, it wasn’t the 200,000-won outfit that mattered but the rabbit mask, which had to be worth at least several million won.

Especially since Junhee knew Ki Taeryu would toss it away, no matter its value.

When his phone vibrated again, Junhee quickly stepped into an empty consultation room to answer it.

“Yes, this is Yoo Junhee…”

—If you want to apologize, you should do it in person.

“…What?”

It was only then Junhee realized the incoming call was a video call.

On the screen, the rabbit mask appeared first, still stuck in the trash can.

Junhee hurriedly switched the camera to the outside view, showing the light brown table in front of him.

—Judging by how pale you look, work must be exhausting.

At the sarcastic comment, Junhee eventually turned the camera back to himself.

Seeing his face on screen felt strangely foreign.

The thought of Ki Taeryu staring at him from the other side made his ears burn with embarrassment.

—Anyone would think I asked to see you naked.

Even through the low-quality video, Ki Taeryu must have noticed Junhee’s reddened ears.

His mocking tone came clearly through the speaker.

Meanwhile, Junhee was left seething. Ki Taeryu wasn’t showing even a hint of himself while holding the rabbit mask hostage like some kind of threat.

“I sincerely apologize. So, the rabbit—”

—Should be set free?

“…Yes.”

—What to do, though? I never let go of what ends up in my hands.

“……”

—The more I look at it, the more I like how it sparkles.

As if it made any sense to admire something you’d thrown into the trash.

Junhee clenched his teeth but couldn’t voice his thoughts, knowing his face was visible on the screen.

He had to tread carefully.

“If you could just return it…”

—I have a meeting to attend. Let’s end this here.

The abrupt disconnection left Junhee teetering on the edge of sanity.

He had apologized as requested, even showing his face, as Ki Taeryu demanded.

But instead of returning the rabbit mask, Ki Taeryu disappeared.

‘…Bastard.’

There are worse people and slightly better ones in this world, but they’re all still terrible.

Junhee clenched and unclenched his fists before steeling himself for the next step.

---

“Mr. Yoo Junhee, over here.”

The meeting spot was a brunch café not far from Junhee’s office.

As soon as he stepped in, Junhee spotted Cha Haetsal raising a hand to greet him.

“Hello, ma’am.”

“I hope I’m not taking up your lunch break again, am I? I actually ordered food for you as well, so if it’s okay, join me for a meal.”

“Pardon? No, that’s…”

The unexpected invitation caught Junhee off guard.

He glanced at the table and saw it already piled with dishes.

It was too much for just two people.

And when he noticed the utensils set for three, Junhee felt it would be difficult to decline on personal grounds.

He quickly shifted tactics.

“I don’t mind, but I’m worried it might inconvenience the other person you’re meeting…”

“Oh, no need to worry about that. I mentioned you to Director Hong, and it turns out he knows you! He actually suggested you join us for lunch. I was a bit uneasy about sending you off with just clothes earlier.”

As Cha Haetsal spoke, Junhee’s expression subtly shifted.

Just as he was about to ask who this “Director Hong” was—

“Mr. Yoo Junhee, you’ve arrived?”

The voice drew Junhee’s attention, and his head instinctively turned toward the source.

Even before he saw her face, Junhee already knew who it was.

‘Taeryu, what kind of partner nonsense is this?’

…Hong Yeonggyeong, Ki Taeryu’s Mother.

The elegant woman Junhee had seen at Ki Taeryu’s family home turned out to be Director Hong.

“I was so surprised to hear that Director Hong knows you, Junhee. Are you secretly a celebrity?”

“It’s my first time formally introducing myself. I’m Hong Yeonggyeong.”

“…Yes, hello. I’m Yoo Junhee.”

An unexpected reunion in a situation where there was no room to escape.

With Cha Haetsal urging him to sit and Hong Yeonggyeong staring at him with a smile, Junhee had no choice but to take a seat.

A strange tension lingered in the air.

Junhee sat quietly, listening to the conversation driven by the two of them.

“So there I was, frantically running around, and then, as if it was a sign from above, Yoo Junhee appeared! Thanks to him, the show was a huge success. I’m so grateful.”

“I saw that show too. It was impressive. If Ms. Cha hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have never guessed it was Junhee.”

Though Junhee could tolerate most things, he couldn’t get used to being praised right to his face.

He focused on cutting his food, wishing for a hole to crawl into.

But even that pretense of calm didn’t last long.

“Right? Honestly, I think it’s too early for retirement. The mask Junhee wore that day was the most expensive one, and it sold immediately…”

Junhee, who had been silently listening, interrupted before he could stop himself.

“Wait a moment, Ms. Cha. Are you talking about… the rabbit mask?”

“Yeah, the rabbit mask you wore. It sold before the finale even ended.”

“Who… who bought it?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure. I heard about it from PD Park. Anyway, that’s not the point…”

Cha Haetsal continued to elaborate, but Junhee didn’t hear the rest.

[Ki Taeryu: It’s mine.]
[Me: Why is it yours?]
[Ki Taeryu: Because I picked it up.]
[Me: It’s mine.]

The memory of that ridiculous conversation surfaced, and Junhee couldn’t help but feel like the real fool was him.

‘If he’d just told me he bought it earlier…’

Ki Taeryu had clearly known Junhee was the one behind the mask and deliberately bought it.

He must have been waiting for Junhee to come looking for it, smugly tossing it aside in a trash can all along.

Not only that, he had repeatedly ignored Junhee’s calls and even made him apologize over video chat.

If Junhee hadn’t met Cha Haetsal today, he might’ve continued running around in vain until he learned the truth.

Thinking about how he had practically grovelled to satisfy that man made his blood boil.

“Junhee, what’s with that face? Is the food not to your liking?”

“…No, it’s delicious.”

It seemed that just thinking about Ki Taeryu ruined his ability to manage his expression.

Junhee quickly adjusted, putting on his “business smile.”

As the meal was nearing its end, Cha Haetsal excused himself, leaving Junhee alone with Hong Yeonggyeong.

For some reason, Junhee felt uneasy about this awkward moment.

And, as always, his instincts were right.

“Yoo Junhee.”

He hesitated between addressing her as Director Hong or Madam.

“What do you like so much about Taeryu?”

Clang.

The fork slipped from Junhee’s hand and clattered onto his plate, mirroring the chaos in his mind.

* * *