TWB 58

“Excuse me. Excuse me?”

I barely managed to open my eyes and lift my head at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. It was still dawn, and the world was bathed in a deep blue light. In the center of it stood a man in a black jumper, holding a lantern and wearing a bewildered expression. As I regained my senses and tried to stand up, my legs wobbled. I leaned against the wall and turned my head, and my eyes fell upon my Hyung’s funeral urn.

At first, I had intended to take a taxi back to my family home. But after my mother told me that reporters had already been there, I changed my mind. I had strictly warned her not to speak with them and to never accept money if anyone came by. In my heart, I wanted to tell my mother and Min-hye to stay away as well, but circumstances didn’t allow for it.

Once that was decided, I had nowhere left to go. In the end, this was where I headed. I wanted something to lean on, but I couldn’t think of anything. I wanted to rely on my dead brother, even if it was just him. At the same time, I blamed myself. Why am I such a weak human being?

“How did you get in here? Entry is prohibited after 6 PM.”

I bowed my head deeply to the caretaker.

“I’m sorry.”

“You look perfectly fine, and yet… Where’s your car?”

“I’m leaving now.”

“No, I mean your car. What did you drive here in?”

“I took a taxi.”

The man, listening to me, glanced at the time.

“Go down and wait ten minutes. I’ll give you a ride.”

“No, that’s alright. I can just call a taxi.”

“Taxis don’t come here if you call them. It’s too far. I happen to have some business in the city anyway.”

Left with no choice, I was pushed into the caretaker’s car. It was a 1-ton truck; [Read on Read BL Novels]he said he was visit our sitegoing [stolen content]out to buy supplies for the visitors. Throughout the ride, he kept the radio on. The radio continued to broadcast a solo interview with Financial Director Kwak Seong-tae from yesterday. The caretaker, listening in silence, frowned.

“Ugh! This is so annoying.”

“…….”

“Do you know that because of this, the drama I like was canceled yesterday?”

“…That must have been upsetting.”

“What’s so important about an interview with some financial director of a construction company? They could have just aired it during the news, but no, they had to pull this ‘special programming’ bullshit. They’re all the same kind of thieving bastards. If they’re going to fight, they should do it like men with their fists. All they do is chatter in the press about who’s better than whom.”

The caretaker seemed genuinely angry. He grumbled that yesterday, of all days, it had been the scene where the drama’s protagonist discovers her husband is cheating. Because of that, he’d have to wait until next week. I had felt as if the whole world was covered in my story, but thinking that there were people who simply didn’t care brought a small sense of comfort.

While I stared out the window in silence, an outdated pop song played on the radio.

“By the way, who did you come to see?”

“…My Hyung.”

“You must have been close. To come visit in the middle of the night.”

“…….”

In truth, we weren’t close, nor did I cherish him. Using the excuse of being busy, I hadn’t visited him often. Yet, now that I was struggling enough to feel like I was dying, he naturally came to mind. On the other hand, I felt sorry. I wondered if he had been waiting for me in that narrow room.

The caretaker began singing along to the song on the radio. He was off-beat and out of tune, singing however he pleased. Then, as we entered the city, he pulled the truck over near the terminal.

“You can take a ride from here.”

I took out cash from my wallet and offered it, but he refused until the end. He said he was on his way anyway. He told me to use the money to buy myself a hearty meal. That way, my dead brother would be able to rest easy.

After dropping off Kang Hee-shin, he vanished Read on Read BL Novelsquickly without looking back. I watched the peeling blue truck [Read on Read BL Novels]disappear [Read on Read BL Novels]from sight before heading into the station.

I bought a ticket to Seoul and sat down with an exhausted expression, but as the waiting room became crowded, a few people began to glance my way. Feeling self-conscious, I went to the convenience store, bought a mask, and covered my face. Suddenly, I understood the hardships of celebrities.

I shouldn’t have been envious of them for making a lot of money. They have to live like this every day. Then, I gave a bitter smile, wondering if I was even in a position to compare myself to a celebrity.

After waiting for about thirty minutes, I boarded the bus and turned on my phone.

Messages and missed calls were popping up incessantly.

I stared at them and unconsciously let out a scoff.

21:33 Where are you?

22:45 Where are you?

12:55 Kang Hee-shin, I asked where you are.

02:01 Answer the phone.

There were several more missed calls after that.

“Is this crazy bastard for real…?”

The nerve of him. Was he contacting me to lure me out? To bury me once and for all? But it felt like if that guy set his mind to it, he wouldn’t need to lure me or anything. I truly couldn’t understand his intentions. Then again, it would be weirder if a normal person like me could understand that piece of shit.

Instead of replying, I blocked him entirely, turned off the phone, and leaned my head against the bus window. My eyelids felt heavy after taking a short, curled-up nap on the floor of the ossuary. However, no matter how hard I tried, sleep wouldn’t come, and my mind only grew clearer. The events of the past few days flashed before my eyes. Having suffered from insomnia for years, I knew exactly how much this tormented a person.

I let out a sigh and shifted my sitting position. Just before departure, a man hurriedly boarded the bus. Wearing a bucket hat pulled low and dressed in all black, the man strode toward the back. I instinctively tensed up and straightened my back.

Soon, the man reached the very last row and made a call. “Darling, I’m leaving now,” he said in a sweet voice.

Relieved, I relaxed my posture as the bus began to move. As we hit the unauthorized copyroad, familiar scenery appeared. I spotted [stolen content]the hospital where Im Gyeong had been admitted on the day of the attack. Perhaps the [unauthorized copy]doctor was skilled for a quack, as there were no particular problems with the surgical site.

Until then, I thought I had grown a bit closer to Im Gyeong.

Close enough to impulsively reveal my past.

“Piece of shit….”

I cursed under my breath and closed my eyes.

Actually, there was nothing to resent. Hadn’t I vaguely predicted that things might turn out this way?

I shouldn’t have been greedy, I should have rejected Im Gyeong’s proposal, I should have stormed out when I met Assemblyman Choi—all sorts of regrets flooded in, but I couldn’t undo what had already happened.

Dozing off and waking up repeatedly, I eventually arrived in Seoul. Even after getting off the bus, I couldn’t decide where to go and sat in the waiting room for a long time. Every now and then, my face appeared on a large screen. The image of me dressed neatly during the briefing.

Back then, I thought I had grown wings and would fly high…. I smiled bitterly, then blamed myself, then felt [stolen content]rage, then unauthorized copyrationalized it. By the time I was done, lunch had long [unauthorized copy]passed. After roughly making do with kimbap for a meal, the sun was beginning to set.

I walked aimlessly until night fell, and I stopped when I spotted an advertisement promoting a new car. It was a car ad for the Seoil Group, with a slogan saying they would help you achieve your desires. As I stared at it for a long time, a bell rang in my head—ding. Finally, Hee-shin made up his mind and decided on a clear destination.

As Yoon Se-na hurried into the restaurant, a staff member recognized her and guided her to a private room in the back. When she opened the sliding door and entered, Kang Hee-shin, who had arrived first, waved his hand. Seeing his gaunt face after just a few days, a surge of emotion welled up inside her.

“I will prepare your meal.”

After the staff member left, she approached Kang Hee-shin.

“What happened? Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

“I was out of it. I ordered the food as I liked; is that okay?”

“Is the food the problem right now? What about sleep? I saw reporters lined up in front of your house. You should have at least contacted me.”

“I didn’t want you to get caught up in this.”

At those words, Yoon Se-na bit her lip hard and lowered her head.

“Oppa, there’s something I have to tell you….”

“Yeah. Go ahead.”

“I don’t think our marriage is going to work out…. I’m sorry to bring this up as soon as we meet….”

“Okay.”

Yoon Se-na’s face distorted at Kang Hee-shin’s indifferent attitude.

“You’re not even going to ask why?”

“I’m sure there’s a reason.”

“Do you even love me, Oppa?”

Kang Hee-shin didn’t answer, and Yoon Se-na continued calmly.

“You never told me you loved me first, even if you died. You only ever answered after I asked. It’s the same this time. You don’t even ask why.”

“If I ask? Would you tell me the truth?”

Yoon Se-na opened her mouth but soon closed it. That she had betrayed him, that she wanted to look good to her father, that she wanted to own a subsidiary, and that she had slept with another man…. She couldn’t bring herself to say it, and her eyes grew red.

However, Yoon Se-na could feel it instinctively. That Kang Hee-shin already knew everything.

“So. Did you get what you wanted?”

At that question, Yoon Se-na looked as if she had been struck. What?

“What do you mean? Do you want to criticize me?”

“No. I understand. Everyone has at least one thing they desperately want.”

“…….”

In the silence that followed, Kang Hee-shin placed a USB drive on the table.

Yoon Se-na’s gaze followed it.

“What is this…?”

“Your second brother’s dirty secrets are in there. Use that to negotiate with your father.”

“Where on earth did you get this….”

“If you want to get what you desire, don’t let any means or methods stop you. Whether it’s your family or your lover. That’s how I’m going to be from now on. That’s why I asked to see you.”

“What does that mean…?”

Hee-shin stood up and, forgetting all dignity, fell to his knees on the floor. Startled, Yoon Se-na stood up as well. “Oppa!” The moment she took a step toward him, Kang Hee-shin lifted his head and looked straight into Yoon Se-na’s eyes. The pitch-black pupils she had always loved had become firmer than before. Even though he was kneeling, he didn’t look pathetic at all, which instead left her speechless.

“Save me, Se-na.”

“…….”

“I don’t want to collapse here, even if it kills me.”