* * *
This is a crucial time for Wonbeom.
If he shows even the slightest vulnerability to President Kim’s side, things could go wrong.
While it wouldn’t be a devastating blow to what he’s been preparing, it would delay his plans to take control of the company.
That would mean he’d have to deal with those he despises for even longer, something he’s desperate to avoid.
Wonbeom knows exactly what he needs to do.
Between what he must do and what he wants to do, there are two options, but the choice he needs to make is practically predetermined.
As he stared at Jingyeom, whose complexion had yet to return, a moment of desire flashed in Wonbeom’s eyes.
“You’re making me act out of character.”
Even after hearing that Jingyeom had collapsed, he shouldn’t have come here.
Due to the recent expansion of his affiliates, his workload had doubled, and he still had to finalize the issues Soohyuk had dealt with abroad.
His desk was piled high with documents awaiting his approval.
Moreover, the afternoon meeting was about a large-scale development project that could bring significant profits to the company if secured.
Right now, Wonbeom should be at his office, reviewing the meeting materials one more time.
Many executives support Wonbeom just as much as those who oppose him.
While it will eventually come down to a battle over shares, the current situation is leaning heavily in Wonbeom’s favor.
Bringing in this project would only tip the scales further in his direction.
In such a crucial time, leaving everything behind to come here was unlike Wonbeom.
“How far should I go for Baek Jingyeom?”
Wonbeom tilted his head slightly, genuinely curious.
Soohyuk let out a short sigh and spoke.
“Do everything. Give him whatever he asks for, anything you can provide. And we should get him out of that rundown place, too.”
Wonbeom agreed with Soohyuk’s words.
Winter was just around the corner, and he didn’t want to leave Jingyeom, who had caught a cold just from lying on the bench, in that old rooftop room that didn’t seem well-insulated.
Even though Jingyeom’s brother might not agree to a move, Wonbeom was determined to find a way to relocate them before it got colder.
“Baek’s secretary won’t like it.”
“But if you tell him it’s for Jingyeom’s sake, he might waver. After seeing how sick he is, Baek’s mind must be in turmoil. He knows that house isn’t good for Jingyeom. We just need to talk to him properly.”
Convincing him to move for Jingyeom’s health would carry a different weight than asking him to move for his own sake.
Soohyuk continued to watch Wonbeom, who still had his eyes fixed on Jingyeom.
“What’s holding you up? Aren’t you leaving?”
“I was curious about what makes Baek Jingeom so different from Baek Jinwoo.”
“…And now you’re curious?”
Watching Wonbeom wrestle with the difference between curiosity and affection was frustrating.
He should have realized it many times before, but now that he’s finally pondering it, it’s clear he’s never been in a proper relationship.
On the other hand, Wonbeom’s uncertainty reassured Soohyuk that he still had a chance.
“Don’t overthink it. You know you treat them differently. You never acted this way with Secretary Baek.”
Soohyuk didn’t like giving Wonbeom any advantages, but he decided to drop a hint to save him some time.
Knowing how Wonbeom obsesses over one thought until it’s resolved, Soohyuk made a necessary choice.
The company was in a critical period, and if Wonbeom neglected his work to figure out his feelings, it would be a problem.
Not that Soohyuk wasn’t the one who caused Wonbeom’s confusion.
Soohyuk clicked his tongue briefly, as if dissatisfied with his own words. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have offered a hint or done them any favors.
From the moment Soohyuk first met Wonbeom, he had one goal: to take ‘Daejeong.’
He’d been running nonstop toward that goal, and he wasn’t going to let things fall apart now. Soohyuk didn’t want that outcome.
A small deviation by Wonbeom at this point was fine, but Soohyuk wouldn’t tolerate a complete derailment.
“Stop standing there and go back to work.”
“And you?”
“Of course, I’ll stay here. Leave Baek Jingeom alone in a room without a guardian? No way. Some weird guy might come along.”
Though it was an excuse, Soohyuk simply wanted to stay.
But Wonbeom wasn’t the only one who needed to attend the meeting.
“What about the meeting?”
“I can get the report through my secretary. …Are you really not going? If you stay too long in Baek Jingeom’s room without Baek Secretary, weird rumors might start.”
There were more people than expected digging around for anything to bring Wonbeom down.
Even when they tried to track who Wonbeom was seeing, he never kept anyone around for long.
Whenever they tried to dig up dirt on someone, that person would already be gone.
Given that Wonbeom didn’t keep anyone around for long, Baek Jinwoo’s sudden presence was like fresh prey to them.
Some even began to think Jinwoo might be Wonbeom’s weak point.
All they knew about Jingeom was that he was Jinwoo’s older brother.
Knowing this, Soohyuk didn’t want Jingeom to be unnecessarily exposed to those people.
Someone might have started suspecting that there was another weak point, but they wouldn’t be certain yet.
If Soohyuk continued to visit Jingeom personally, more people would become suspicious.
They might start to believe that Jinwoo was a decoy and Jingeom was the real target.
Given that they’d already been spotted together, it was likely Jingeom was under watch.
Just as Wonbeom turned to leave the hospital room without a word, Soohyuk called out to him.
“When Secretary Baek gets off work, have him bring me some food.”
“Handle it yourself.”
“I can’t just take Jingeom’s hospital food, can I? And they don’t deliver here. Have him pick something up on the way.”
Even though he wasn’t thrilled, Wonbeom nodded in agreement and left the room.
And just as if passing a baton, Hoonil entered the room.
“What’s this? Director Tak left, but why are you still here?”
“Someone needs to stay in the room.”
“We’re monitoring the situation constantly. A caregiver will be here soon.”
Whether Jingeom’s hospital stay was long or short, Hoonil had already arranged for a caregiver because leaving him alone was too risky.
“If you stay here, it’ll just make the caregiver uncomfortable.”
“Is the caregiver trustworthy?”
“If you start doubting everything, you won’t trust anyone. They’re reliable. Safer than you, even.”
Hoonil’s tone was sharp, his voice a bit harsher than usual, clearly annoyed by Soohyuk’s attention to Jingeom. It was obvious he wasn’t hiding his displeasure.
Hoonil approached the bed to check on Jingeom’s complexion.
Other than being exhausted and sleeping a lot, it seemed to be just a bad cold.
Although he’d assured Jinwoo earlier that Jingeom was fine, they needed to keep an eye on him since things could worsen at any moment.
“You should have given him a greenhouse instead of a platform.”
“You’ll have to take that up with Director Tak.”
“If you had upgraded the platform to a greenhouse, he wouldn’t have caught a cold in the first place.”
“How is that my fault?”
Soohyuk looked at him in disbelief, but Hoonil nodded as if it were obvious.
It was unfortunate that Jingeom caught a cold, but it wasn’t Soohyuk’s fault. Still, Hoonil insisted on blaming him.
“You’ve got plenty of money. You could have at least installed a platform with heating.”
“If there were such a thing, I would have.”
“If not, you should have had it made. You call yourselves executives of a company?”
At first, Soohyuk just listened, but when he saw Jingeom’s fingers twitch, he placed a finger to his lips.
He had been hoping Jingeom would wake up, but he knew that sleep was best for someone recovering.
Unless Jingeom woke up on his own, Soohyuk didn’t want to wake him.
Even though he had been talking to him earlier, Soohyuk didn’t like the idea of Hoonil being the one to wake him up.
Soohyuk lowered his voice to a whisper, speaking more softly than usual.
“If Director Tak hadn’t put the platform out, he wouldn’t have been sleeping outside, and he wouldn’t have caught a cold.”
“Probably.”
“Then this is Director Tak’s fault. Why did he put the platform there and make an already frail kid catch a cold?”
Soohyuk casually shifted the blame to Wonbeom, which made Hoonil chuckle dryly.
He wasn’t surprised, having long known how shameless Soohyuk could be.
Despite their ongoing conversation, Jingeom showed no signs of waking up.
He had been under a lot of stress lately and had been studying intensively, so it seemed he was taking the opportunity to sleep deeply.
“When Jingeom wakes up, don’t talk to him. Just press the call button.”
“Got it. Now, can you go?”
Hoonil clicked his tongue as he left the room, but Soohyuk didn’t react.
Once they were alone, Soohyuk’s lips curled into a soft smile.
Even though he was upset that Jingeom was bedridden, he wasn’t too worried since Hoonil had assured him it wasn’t serious.
Soohyuk gently held Jingeom’s wrist, which seemed almost impossibly thin.
“Should I really lock you away somewhere?”
If they lived together, he’d make sure Jingeom ate three meals a day.
That way, he’d naturally gain weight, and he wouldn’t end up collapsing like this.
If Jingeom did collapse, Soohyuk was even willing to have a doctor on standby at all times.
This was, of course, all under the assumption that Soohyuk would step down from his position and stay with Jingeom 24/7.
“…That doesn’t sound too bad.”
Soohyuk’s eyes sparkled with his own idea.
When Wonbeom takes over as chairman, quitting the company and moving to a place with good water and air to live with Jingeom doesn’t sound so bad.
He had never thought about living in nature before, but with Jingeom, he was sure anything would be fun.
* * *
Thank you
They’re all obsessed lol
Thanks for the novel
Soohyuk is so fcking obsessed…I’m not complaining though 😮💨