VDN Ch 125

Hae-geon’s uncle wiped the sweat off his face with a handkerchief.

“So what are you doing now?”

“I have a small office.”

“An office? If it’s an office…'”

Unlike before, the tone of his words was very cautious. 

“At first I worked in a different industry, but recently I started working a detective agency.”

“That’s right. You recently got your first commission at the detective agency a while ago. Isn’t that right, Nam-woon-ah?”

“Yeah.” 

“You earned a lot of money.”

“Yeah…”

Listening to the conversation between the two, Hae-geon’s uncle and his wife wore complicated expressions. Gangster, different industry, detective agency… These were unwelcome words, but it wasn’t polite to show displeasure in front of them. So, Hae-geon’s uncle just broke into a cold sweat and soon stopped talking. He couldn’t ask any more questions because he was afraid of the answer he would get.

This time, it was the aunt who asked a question in place of her husband. 

“So, how’s the detective agency doing?”

“To be honest, there haven’t been many commissions yet. I think it’s just because we’re starting out.” 

“You young people have it tough.” 

“It’s not that tough. There are a few employees, and they’re all kind and good at their work, so I think we can quickly get work done in no time. Since I’ve already started, I’m planning to work hard and give it my best.”

Nam-woon’s calm demeanor seemed to ease the troubled expression of the uncle a little. He subtly resumed the conversation. 

“Well, with Hae-geon around, if it gets too tough, you could always think about starting another shop.”

“No, this is my work, so I need to manage it well. I think things will work out somehow as I go along.”

“…It might feel odd to say this from the start, but I’ve seen plenty of people go out of business.”

“If I have to give up, I’ll consider other work because l’ll need to find a way to put food in my employee’s mouths. It’s not like I’m completely lacking in skills.”

Nam-woon said with a slight smile. His playful yet serious expression made the aunt gasp and cover her mouth slightly, saying, “Oh my.” The uncle also raised his eyebrows as if he were surprised by Nam-woon’s answer.

As if to praise him for answering his relative’s questions so quickly. Hae-geon gently stroked Nam-woon’s nape with his palm.

“If I live with Nam-woon, I don’t think I’ll starve to death.”

Nam-woon frowned at the sudden contact, tilting his head to the side. Unable to speak with the adults present, he fiercely glared at the man beside him and stabbed his food hard with his fork. Hae-geon opened his mouth, lowered his head, and made an “Ah” sound, asking to be fed. His uncle, mistaking this for an affectionate act between the two, opened his mouth too.

“I’m glad you two seem to be getting along. It’s only now that I say this, but… Honestly, I once suspected that you, Hae-geon, might be a psychopath.

Nam-woon turned his head in surprise. This bastard is a psychopath! The words he couldn’t bring himself to say lingered on the tip of his tongue.

“But seeing you meet a good person and date like this puts my mind at ease. I often thought that we should have brought you to our home and raised you when you were younger…”

He murmured as if to himself and made eye contact with Nam-woon.

“I know a good person when I see one, and you, Nam-woon, have a good heart and kind eyes. I’m glad someone like you is by Hae-geon’s side.”

“Yes…”

It was the first time Nam-woon had ever heard someone say he had a good heart and kind eyes. He felt a bit shy at the unexpected praise. The aunt chimed in from the side.

“When Hae-geon was younger, we were very worried about him because he lacked empathy, had poor social skills, and had a cruel temperament. But now that Nam-woon is by his side, I feel at ease. Please take good care of him. He’s clumsy at giving affection to others, so please show him some love and understanding.”

It was a rather harsh comment to make in front of the person involved. And love, too. That was the worst word that should never come between Hae-geon and himself.

“Why are you speaking ill of me in front of Nam-woon?” 

Hae-geon only responded lightly with a smile. Unlike their stiff attitudes at the beginning, as time passed, the uncle and his wife gradually became more warm with Nam-woon. Especially his uncle, who kept asking Nam-woon various questions and gave a long lecture on what true love is, even though his aunt tried to intervene to no avail.

Nam-woon nodded along and played along appropriately. For some reason, Hae-geon didn’t act out or do anything annoying. Instead, he quietly sipped on sparkling water, occasionally touching against Nam-woon’s hand under the table.

It was surprising to see that Hae-geon had a family that cared about him. He had worried that Hae-geon might have turned out twisted due to not receiving proper love when he was young, but it was amazing to see such good people by his side. On the other hand, he felt relieved. If he regularly interacted with such a family, perhaps Hae-geon wouldn’t resort to cruel acts like burying someone alive. Nam-woon thought as he shook off the hand that grabbed him.

At that moment, a boy who looked like a middle school student approached the table. The aunt spoke up in a stern voice as she spotted him.

“Jung-hoon-ah, stop wandering around and sit quietly to eat.”

Jung-hoon? Nam-woon looked at the boy standing in front of him. The six-year-old child who had once been threatened by Hae-geon had grown up to the age where he was now wearing a school uniform.

Jung-hoon didn’t respond to his mother’s words and only stared at Nam-woon, who was sitting next to Hae-geon. Why is he looking at me like that? Should I greet him first? While he hesitated, Hae-geon leaned slightly forward, blocking Jung-hoon’s line of sight.

“What are you looking at?”

The boy stepped back at Hae-geon’s words, then seemed to make a decision as he clenched his fist. He walked around the table and approached Nam-woon, holding something out. It was a black marker, the kind you find at wedding venues.

“Can you sign this, please?”

“What? Me?”

When Nam-woon pointed to his chest with his index finger, the boy nodded strongly.

“Yes. I heard earlier in the hallway that Hyung is a rapper…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Nam-woon hurriedly placed his palm over the child’s mouth and jumped up from his seat.

“Jung-hoon, right? Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Nam-woon glanced at Hae-geon’s uncle and aunt for permission.

“I’ll be right back after talking to Jung-hoon for a bit.”

“W-where are you going all of a sudden with our Jung-hoon?”

No matter how much he had turned over a new leaf, his past as a gangster wasn’t easily forgotten. Ignoring the anxious voices of the uncle and aunt, Nam-woon quickly took the child outside, heading to the spot where he had spoken with the prosecutor earlier. Grabbing the boy’s shoulder, he urgently asked,

“Jung-hoon, did you hear what I said here earlier?”

“Yes.”

“What exactly did you hear?”

Nam-woon couldn’t hide his anxiety. If the conversation he had with the prosecutor got leaked, it would be a serious issue. The moment the news about Hae-geon’s perverted tendencies spread, Nam-woon, who was the first to leak it, would be sued for defamation. He also didn’t know how Jin Hae-geon would take revenge.

The boy looked up at Nam-woon and said,

“Starting with your rap name and after.”

“Really, you heard from there?”

“Yes. But is it true that you’re rapper Seo? I’m a huge fan! I still listen to your ‘D*ck Rap’ every day before I go to bed.”

D*ck rap? The child had a rough choice of words, quite unlike his model student appearance.

“Can you sign this?” 

Jung-hoon suddenly turned his back and leaned forward slightly. When he asked for an autograph on his light blue shirt. Nam-woon turned the boy back around.

“No, not on your shirt. I’ll sign your palm instead.”

“But it will wash off!”

Jung-hoon pouted his lips in a way that made it clear he was disappointed. It was true that writing on the palm would eventually fade away.

Nam-woon grabbed the boy’s hand and wrote something small in English in the corner.

“It’s a secret that I’m rapper Seo. If Jin Hae-geon finds out I’m writing lyrics like that, he’ll kill me. You know Jin Ha-geon’s personality, right?”

“Heck. Jin Hae-geon to Hyung?….I promise to keep it a secret until the grave!”

They made eye contact with serious expressions and made an oath of secrecy.

I wonder if I will become the next victim of Rapper Seo’s diss song if I continue to impersonate Rapper Seo like this.

With a troubled expression, Nam-woon capped the marker. The boy looked at the scribble on his palm in awe.

“Wow.”

[SUCK]

The signature was written following the English rap we saw earlier. Of course, Nam-woon did not know that the spelling of the English word ‘Seo’ was used in a way different from that.

“Hyung, I have a songwriting notebook in my bag. Can you take a look at it for me? I’m struggling with a part.”

Jung-hoon pulled on Nam-woon’s hand, making his request. When Nam-woon replied that someone of his stature wouldn’t just look at any random notebook, the boy surprisingly accepted it without complaint. They continued to chat casually as they walked down the hallway. Not too far ahead, Nam-woon spotted the groom, the son of the Jonghwang Pharmaceutical, engaged in conversation with someone. The man who had turned his head absentmindedly suddenly lowered his head when he saw Nam-woon standing nearby.

As expected, he hadn’t seen wrong. The son of Jonghwang Pharmaceutical knew him and was avoiding him.

Keeping his head bowed, the man turned and left the area. After confirming the direction he was headed, Nam-woon said to Jung-hoon,

“You go in first. I’ll make a quick phone call and then join you. And call me Nam-woon, not Seo.”

“Got it. Seo, no, Nam-woon Hyung. Come quickly!”

After confirming that Jung-hoon was heading into the dining hall, Nam-woon quickly turned his feet. As he walked, he carefully scanned the surroundings, wondering if anyone else might be hiding nearby. His attention was drawn to the open staff entrance at the end of the hallway. Nam-woon quickly dashed over and cautiously opened the emergency exit door.

Gasp, gasp. The sound of a man’s heavy breathing and hurried footsteps echoed through the dim corridor. Nam-woon slipped off his sneakers, holding them in one hand, and quickly descended the stairs. As he continued his quiet pursuit, at some point the sound of the man’s dress shoes stopped. Perhaps believing he was no longer being followed, the man lifted his head to check the top of the stairs. Nam-woon swiftly moved to the side and hid himself.

After a moment, the man let out a deep sigh and made a phone call.

“Hey, it’s me. Yeah, I’m here now. That bastard is Chairman Seok’s subordinate!”

The man seemed to be mistaking him for Chairman Seok’s subordinate rather than his son.

“It’s definitely because of that last time. What? Of course I went into hiding. The wedding is just around the corner, why would I risk getting dragged away and having my face smashed in the mud? Ha, sh*t! If only that bastard hadn’t lied about being the dominant alpha…! When he pulled out the form with his name on it, I was in a rush too, so I just grabbed it right away.”