🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 33
“Isn’t it unnecessary to bring up things that are already over? Let’s skip the trivial stuff; it’ll only annoy us both.”
At the word “trivial,” Inhyuk let out a cold chuckle. It was clear that he was used to digging others’ moods into the mud with a smiling face.
“The words you just said sound like you’re telling me it’s fine to get straight to the point without beating around the bush, isn’t it?”
“Glad you understood correctly.”
Taekyung deliberately tilted his wristwatch and replied calmly.
“I was just thinking whether it’s worth spending more time on this boring and meaningless conversation.”
“Same here.”
As if waiting for this, Inhyuk dropped the formalities. His entire body had been crawling with goosebumps to the point of unbearable discomfort, but seeing Taekyung come out like this was somehow relieving.
“Since we don’t have much time, let’s keep it short.”
But what followed made it even harder to maintain composure.
“Don’t contact Minda-in unnecessarily, and don’t approach her.”
Taekyung’s tone was firm. Inhyuk had always been a nuisance to him, but after hearing Minda-in’s past from her, his hostility grew even stronger.
It wasn’t just jealousy over the time Minda-in had spent with Inhyuk. There was a slightly reckless confidence in Taekyung that no man could make Minda-in happier than he could.
What mattered to Taekyung was that the emotional scars Minda-in had gained during her time with Inhyuk were significant enough to bring her to tears.
“And if I refuse?”
“Do you want me to explain it again as a corporate executive?”
If he wanted, Taekyung was willing to do so. It was easier this way. Minda-in currently worked at Taewoong Corporation, so it was convenient to have a justification for protecting her personally.
Inhyuk, knowing this, twisted his face in displeasure. Seeing him react unpleasantly, Taekyung shook his head and continued.
“If you want rumors to spread about losing important clients because you’re obsessed with a woman, just say so.”
“Do you really think that would work…?”
“It did work, that’s why we broke up. If I were you, I wouldn’t have done that.”
Taekyung swallowed the insult he couldn’t say aloud, lifting the corner of his mouth in a cold smirk. Inhyuk’s eyebrows twitched in response.
“Don’t be so sure. You would have done the same.”
“At least I wouldn’t have hurt her like that.”
Taekyung had unintentionally hurt Minda-in in his childhood, but at least that was a lie meant to lessen the sorrow when parting.
It was unimaginable to intentionally hurt her with contempt, like Inhyuk did, or even hurt Summer.
“Minda-in is my woman.”
The stubborn declaration was irritating. Taekyung watched him with narrow eyes as Inhyuk muttered low, like a warning.
“If you keep reaching out, you’ll regret it, Go Taekyung.”
“Regret?”
Taekyung let out a soft snort. That was the funniest thing Inhyuk had ever said to him.
“I already regret meeting you late enough to feel humiliated. How much more regret could there be?”
If he could turn back time, Taekyung would have searched all of Korea to find Minda-in, defying his parents’ opposition. He never imagined the day would come when waiting quietly until his successor training ended would feel so regretful. He had innocently hoped to appear proudly in front of Minda-in.
Meanwhile, Minda-in met Inhyuk and received irreparable emotional scars.
“Don’t act arrogantly. How long do you think you can stay so relaxed?”
As Taekyung revived his deep-rooted regrets, Inhyuk snapped back with a thorny tone.
“Now that I’m back in Korea, our relationship can come back anytime.”
Bang! The table shook violently. Taekyung, who had been smirking until now, slammed his fist on it, his face serious.
“Don’t misunderstand, Seo Inhyuk. The one who left was not you, but Minda-in.”
“…!”
“So the decision ultimately lies with her.”
Shocked, Inhyuk’s spoon spun in place. His hand holding the teacup tensed, veins standing out, as he called Minda-in’s name so familiarly.
“Thinking someone who hurt and pushed away a person so cruelly has the right to choose is arrogant beyond measure.”
As soon as Taekyung finished speaking, something flew through the air with a thud. The teacup that had been on the table rolled across the floor. A cracked piece grazed Taekyung’s hand, drawing a bright red line instantly.
Inhyuk’s eyes blazed. Even though he had caused the injury by throwing the cup, he felt no victory. Facing Taekyung’s cold, mocking face made his heart sink even more.
“Can’t control your anger? I thought you were a bit calmer…”
This was a battle of wills, and the one who showed emotion first lost. Inhyuk knew this and struggled to calm his roughened breathing. Of course, he couldn’t change the fact that he had lost.
“Control yourself.”
The winner left with a relaxed smile. Inhyuk was left alone, nursing a bitter sense of defeat. No matter how many times he replayed it, the feeling of being buried in mud didn’t change.
Not long after Taekyung got into his car and disappeared, a luxurious foreign car stopped in front of the restaurant.
Before the car was even fully parked, the passenger door flew open and a woman jumped out.
“Director Jung, I told you to come here, didn’t I?”
The woman’s appearance was even more eye-catching than the foreign car behind her. Her tall frame made the long dress look perfect, and her blonde hair sparkled under the streetlight. Her small face and sharp features blended harmoniously.
“I told you not to come… but you had to see for yourself?”
After parking, Woo-hyun hurriedly jumped out of the driver’s seat. Just as he was about to start scolding, the woman approached, pouting and snapping at him.
“I’m dying of curiosity. How can I not come?”
“No matter how curious you are, some things must be endured.”
“For me too?”
“Yes, Director, the same applies to you.”
“Is it because you don’t know how long we’ve known each other?”
At Woo-hyun’s firm answer, the beautiful woman, Lee Su-jeong, smiled. Her confident smile matched her glamorous looks. Woo-hyun sighed in response to her relaxed attitude.
“Where did you hear about the executive? This was supposed to be a secret meeting…”
Only a very few knew that the Seosan Construction side requested a business meeting. It had been arranged secretly so that Taekyung wouldn’t worry Minda-in.
‘Jung Woo-hyun, no work after this, right?’
Taekyung asked an abrupt question as soon as he arrived at work. It was natural that Woo-hyun looked back in confusion while checking the day’s schedule.
‘I need to bring the executive to the meeting place. How can I set up a separate appointment?’
‘I’ll drive, so I’ll ask you to handle another task.’
‘Another task?’
Had he known what that task entailed, Woo-hyun would have refused no matter what. But at the time, he thought it was reasonable and nodded.
‘The CEO of Jewel Beauty wants to see me in person, but I don’t need to go myself. You can pick her up at the airport instead.’
It was a misjudgment. A huge mistake. Woo-hyun wanted to smack his own head for agreeing before even knowing the details, but it was too late.
“Director Jung? What are you thinking!”
Seeing Woo-hyun lost in thought, Su-jeong shouted angrily. He covered his ears and muttered lowly.
“My ears might fall off. Don’t shout.”
Since Su-jeong had grown up seeing Taekyung and Tae-jin, she had a connection with them. Woo-hyun knew the details of incidents involving Su-jeong and Tae-jin.
“Huh? Your tone got short.”
“I’m older than you anyway.”
Su-jeong had briefly worked as a model and now inherited her parents’ business, becoming the CEO of a famous cosmetics brand. Had she married Tae-jin as planned, the business might have belonged to him.
“Just answer. Who told you about this place?”
Because of this, Su-jeong was a bit sensitive whenever she showed interest in Taekyung’s affairs. Even though it was said no resentment remained between them, the “what if” always existed.
“I wasn’t told. She told me herself.”
“Who?”
“Ah… if I had arrived a little earlier, we would have met. What a pity.”
Su-jeong skillfully avoided Woo-hyun’s question while turning away. She had hurried to the location but couldn’t achieve what she wanted, feeling a bit disappointed.
‘Still, I’ll see him again soon.’
Su-jeong smiled quietly. Woo-hyun shivered with an uneasy premonition, a chilling instinct spreading through his body just like before.
