IPSTDS Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Meanwhile, the very first thing Kim Daon did after returning home was call Park Sangcheol.

He had written down the number just in case, back when Park Sangcheol had called the company the previous day.

Kim Daon could not simply let go of the man who had driven Yoon Noah into such anguish.

He thought it best to handle the matter himself before his already-ailing older brother worried over it any further.

Park Sangcheol answered immediately, even though it was an unfamiliar number. Typical of a man who charged ahead like a madman, with no fear in his heart.

That unpleasant voice echoed in his ear once again. No, not just unpleasant—infuriating.

Daon exhaled deeply, trying to remain calm. Losing his temper would do no good.

-Hello.

“Mr. Park Sangcheol. This is Kim Daon.”

-Oh, Kim Daon? I didn’t expect you to call me yourself. Did the shocking news frighten you? You, with your oh-so-precious status, actually picked up the phone first. What an honor.

Then as now, the man was full of useless chatter. Such speech, which always muddled the point, was usually the habit of someone who lacked honesty.

To Kim Daon, who never kept liars close, Park Sangcheol was the worst sort of person.

That was why he had always hated watching Yoon Noah trail after him. And even more so because he knew exactly why Noah had gone along with him.

Daon had even tried persuading Seo Dowoong to make Noah stop associating with Park Sangcheol.

But back then, Dowoong had been a stubborn high schooler.

‘Why should I? He hangs out with Park Sangcheol because he wants to.’

There must have been a deep rift between the two that Daon didn’t know about. Since Seo Dowoong would never explain, he stopped intervening.

But now, it was different. He could not stay silent. He didn’t want Yoon Noah to be hurt by Park Sangcheol again.

With a voice far steadier now, Daon replied,

“The one who should be afraid is you, Mr. Park. Shouldn’t you be worried about the consequences of messing with a chaebol executive?”

-If I were the type to fear that, I wouldn’t have started this.

It seemed Park Sangcheol was firmly set in his resolve. His voice burned with a vengeance Daon could not comprehend.

There was no persuading him. But Daon hadn’t called to do that anyway.

“If you want to release that article, go ahead. Just stop threatening my brother or trying to rope him in.”

-Oh, so you’re defending Yoon Noah now, not Seo Dowoong?

“Seo Dowoong will wriggle his way out however he likes. He’s more than capable.”

-Interesting. That sounds to me like you’re saying Seo Dowoong won’t help you.

So, he was sharper than he looked. Which only made Daon dislike him more.

Believing Daon’s silence meant he’d struck a nerve, Park kept running his mouth with glee.

-Didn’t you two use to be close? If word spreads across the country that you’re gay, and you’ve even lost the one person who could shield you… that’s the worst case. Poor thing, what will you do?

He was clearly trying to provoke anger.

But unfortunately for him, Daon felt none. Instead, he pitied him—pity that this was the only kind of threat Park Sangcheol could muster.

To revel in outing someone’s sexuality like this.

Did he not realize that he himself was guilty of something disgraceful?

A life so pitiful—chained to the past, never moving forward, wasting it only on vile acts. Despicable, base, able to do nothing but sneer at others. A worm destined to self-destruct.

“I don’t believe I owe you an answer. In any case, I meant what I said: I don’t care what you do. If people find out I had a strange connection with Seo Dowoong, if I get fired from my company—it doesn’t matter. None of it will decide the course of my life.”

No matter how much he imagined the worst-case scenario, he felt no fear.

Though his life had been short, Kim Daon had lost his parents early on and had endured countless failures.

His life now seemed successful, but that success had only come after many failures.

Hardened by experience, Kim Daon was confident that little could shake him anymore. The only things that could still move him were matters concerning his younger brothers or Yoon Noah. He could say that with certainty.

-……

For once, Park Sangcheol, who had done nothing but sneer, fell silent. It seemed he had not expected Daon to come at him this strongly.

Daon drove the nail in.

“Do as you please.”

And then he hung up immediately. There was nothing more to say.

After weathering that storm of a conversation, he suddenly felt drained. Lying on his bed, he rubbed his face with his hands as if to wash away the weariness.

The fact that he was lying alone felt unusually lonely.

‘I miss him.’

It had only been a handful of times that he had slept beside Noah, and yet the absence beside him felt hollow. Should he go back now and slip in beside him like nothing had happened?

The desire was strong, but there was something Daon had to do today.

He planned to confront Seo Dowoong.

If Seo Dowoong ignored his calls again, he was prepared to go directly to his officetel. It was for that reason he had left Noah’s house early.

Steeling himself with a few deep breaths, Daon dialed Seo Dowoong’s number. After a couple of rings, that low, subdued voice came through.

-…What is it you want to say?

The tone was sharper than expected, unlike the man who only days ago had claimed he wanted to reconsider their relationship.

“I heard what you said about me from Noah.”

-Do you want to argue about it? Or ask me for something?

Ask him for something? What could that mean?

Could he be suggesting that Daon might beg him to help escape Park Sangcheol’s scheme?

Not a chance.

-Do you want to ask what made me go this far, after what we were to each other, Daon?

The mocking use of his name made what little affection Daon had left for Seo Dowoong vanish like dust.

Perhaps now they were truly worse than strangers.

“I wanted to meet in person, but I don’t want to see you sneer at me.”

He was afraid that sight would taint even their good memories.

Not because those memories were precious.

But because he didn’t want them twisted into something ugly, making even the past unbearable to recall.

“I’ll keep it short. I don’t need your help. Just stop tormenting Noah.”

-I always hated that about you. No matter how much I despised Yoon Noah, you insisted on seeing him in a good light.

“That’s not something to drag up now. We’re already over.”

-……

“Take that as my final word, and I’ll end the call here.”

On the other end, there was only silence. Seo Dowoong seemed lost in thought, but said nothing.

Clutching the phone after the line went dead, Daon closed his eyes.

Now that he had done the things he couldn’t bear to do in front of Noah, for fear of worrying him, a strange emptiness washed over him.

If only Noah were here. If only he could hold his soft body close, tumble with him in bed, kiss him playfully.

That alone would lift his spirits in an instant.

Daon found himself aching for Noah.

The thought even crossed his mind—if he ended up jobless, he might ask to move into Noah’s house as his live-in servant, just to see him all day.

He had finished what needed doing, so he could go see him now, but…

‘I don’t want to see him with Kangil.’

He had always disliked it, but after realizing fully that he loved Noah, it had become unbearable.

He wanted Noah to look only at him, to spend all his time with him. He wanted Kangil out of the picture.

But knowing how unlikely that was only deepened his sorrow.

He didn’t want to lose the one he loved twice. He was painfully serious about that.

* * *

The next day, Nahyuk managed to coax Kangil out of the house, convincing him to go to work.

No words had moved him before, but the moment Nahyuk said, “Aren’t you going to keep researching the new drug to save me?” his expression changed instantly.

‘Darling, I’ll go save you again today. Call me right away if you feel even a little sick.’

And with that, he had gone to work. For all his smug confidence, he was still cute and tender.

In front of him, Nahyuk had acted nonchalant, but in truth he was deeply concerned. He worried that Park Sangcheol might release the article today.

This was the final day of the three-day grace period Park had given him to think.

‘Kangil said he’d take care of it, but I can’t just sit by and do nothing.’

Gathering his courage, Nahyuk reached out to Yoon Taesik. Someone he had avoided contacting ever since being dragged into the project.