IPSTDS Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Yoon Noah did occasionally go overboard (like that time he kidnapped him, for instance), but after experiencing enough of those antics, there were times when his behavior almost seemed… cute.

It was like watching a rich, slightly dim local fool acting tough for show.

To be honest, if he really thought about it, Noah had never actually done anything that threatened his life or reputation.

Kidnapping—a heavy word, sure—but it wasn’t the kind of kidnapping people usually imagined.

There were no thugs with knives, no stripped clothes or assaults like in some dark fantasy. Nothing like that ever happened.

He was just forced into Noah’s car on his way to meet Seo Dowoong, wrists and ankles tied, and taken on what was basically a weird, unsolicited joyride.

He hadn’t realized it before, but Noah was a much better driver than Seo Dowoong.

‘You little bastard, Kim Daon. There’s a huge-ass speed bump coming up, so brace yourself.’

What kind of kidnapper warns their hostage about a speed bump?

That was just the kind of person Yoon Noah was. Sharp-tongued, reckless, and impulsive—but surprisingly soft-hearted underneath.

The day he was kidnapped, they even had a beer together by the Han River.

Daon listened to Noah talk about Seo Dowoong for a whole hour—drunken ramblings after just one can of beer.

That side of Noah was pitiful. And maybe, in a way, a little bit endearing. But that didn’t mean Daon had any intention of giving up Seo Dowoong to him.

Because Kim Daon also had feelings for Seo Dowoong.

The little kidnappings always ended when Seo Dowoong came looking for him. Dowoong would blow up, curse Noah out, and physically shove him away.

Before Dowoong arrived, Daon would usually call Noah’s driver and tell him to come pick him up.

Even after that, there were times when, while on a date with Seo Dowoong, Noah would show up out of nowhere—turning it into an accidental outing for three.

Every time that happened, Daon couldn’t help thinking their situation was really weird.

And honestly, the fact that he found some of those times kind of fun… made him feel weird, too.

Still, the idea that that Yoon Noah had some terminal illness just didn’t sit right with him.

That sharp, fiery personality didn’t match death in the slightest. Noah seemed like the kind of person who’d live to be ninety, kicking and screaming the whole way.

Yet, as Seo Dowoong had pointed out, Yoon Noah had definitely been acting strange lately.

‘Daon-ah. It’s really good to see you.’

‘I’m rooting for your love.’

Daon still didn’t understand those words.

It was hard to believe Noah would suddenly give up on Seo Dowoong now, after all that time.

And what lingered in his mind most was the way Noah had looked at him.

When they met at Raedena, Noah’s gaze held no trace of jealousy. Just a clear, intelligent brightness.

That was the first time Daon ever realized Noah’s eyes were actually beautiful.

He was just about to consider whether he should try reaching out to this strange new Yoon Noah—when the phone in the secretary office rang.

“Daon, could you get that?” his senior called.

Kim Daon picked up the receiver.

“This is Executive Director Seo Dowoong’s office at Hansan Group.”

A deep voice came through the other end of the line.

–What if someone else picked up? But it’s Kim Daon who answered, huh.

“Who is this?”

–It’s been a while, Kim Daon. This is Park Sangcheol.

Park Sangcheol. A name ‘he’ could never forget, no matter how hard ‘he’ tried.

‘Daon’s’ grip on the receiver tightened.

“…Park Sangcheol Sunbae?”

As soon as ‘Daon’ recognized him, Park Sangcheol’s tone turned mocking.

–You remember me, huh? Well, of course you would. It’d be pretty damn hilarious if you didn’t. You guys are the reason I got expelled, remember? Kinda hard to forget an event like that. I know I couldn’t.

“……”

–Wondering why I called? Let me tell you. A juicy little article’s about to hit the news.

“What article are you talking about?”

–Lately, school bullying exposés have been pulling in massive views. So what do you think’ll happen if word gets out that a well-known executive at a major company was involved in school bullying? Think about how much that’ll tank the company’s image. Hahaha!

“There was no such incident. And if you’re planning to make threats like this, I’ll have to transfer the call to our legal team.”

–Oh, and you, Kim Daon—like you’ve got nothing to feel guilty about? You ruined my life, and now you’re living it up at a big company thanks to Seo Dowoong’s backing.

“This call is being recorded.”

That was ‘his’ way of saying: Watch your mouth. Every word Park Sangcheol was saying could be used for a defamation suit.

‘Yes, I work at Seo Dowoong’s company, but I got this job fair and square through the proper interview process.’

‘It’s no one else’s place to make baseless accusations about that.’

–Go ahead and squirm all you want.

That was the end of the call. The line went dead, and Park Sangcheol’s voice disappeared with it.

Kim Daon held the receiver for a long moment, unable to let it go.

Park Sangcheol…
That miserable bastard—why the hell did he come back now, and why is he threatening ‘me’ and Seo Dowoong?

Park Sangcheol had been expelled back in high school because of his own wrongdoing. ‘He’, Seo Dowoong, and Yoon Noah had been involved, yes—but it was they who were the real victims.

Even though ‘he’ knew it probably wouldn’t blow up into anything huge, Kim Daon couldn’t shake the uneasiness crawling up his spine.

‘Focus. I need to tell Dowoong about this.’

Finally snapping out of it, Daon stood with his phone still in hand.

“I’m going to see Executive Director Seo for a moment.”

“Okay. Let me know if anything serious comes up.”

“Yes.”

Kim Daon took a heavy step toward the executive office.

---

Seo Dowoong stared blankly at his phone, which had been silent all day.

Back when Yoon Noah used to call him non-stop, he’d wanted to smash the thing. But now that no calls were coming in, he felt strangely hollow. Like he was waiting for Noah to contact him.

He had been angry at Noah for not reaching out, not even once—at least not until he visited the hospital.

But after that visit a few days ago, he came to understand Noah’s true intention.

That his distance had been a deliberate tactic to catch his attention.

And now that he knew the truth, he couldn’t really stay mad at him anymore. If anything, it just made him want to retaliate—see how long Noah could hold out without contacting him.

‘Go ahead, ghost me all you want. I’m not falling for the same trick twice.’

Maybe he’d fallen for it once, but there was no way it would work again. Seo Dowoong decided to wait, calmly and patiently.

He had no doubt Noah would come looking for him again. Cling to him like always.

And when he did…

Right as that thought formed, Kim Daon’s voice rang out—crisp and formal.

“Executive Director, it’s Kim Daon.”

Though the two shared mutual feelings, they pretended to be nothing more than coworkers at the office. There was no reason to spark unnecessary rumors.

“Come in.”

As he stepped into the office, Daon quietly locked the door behind him and pulled the blinds all the way down.

Now in a completely sealed-off space, the cold look on Seo Dowoong’s face softened.

“Trying to seduce me? You never know what I might do in here.”

Of course, even at work, when it was just the two of them, they relaxed enough to chat. No need to pretend they were strangers behind closed doors.

“It’s not like that.”

Daon’s curt reply was followed by a small purse of his lips.

His puffed-up cheeks, full of frustration, made him look like a hamster. Seo Dowoong couldn’t help but smile.

“So who’s bothering our favorite junior? You came to secretly report them to me?”

“That’s not it either. You know as well as I do—not many people can mess with me.”

“Fair point.”

For all his pretty looks, Kim Daon had a sharp edge.

Everyone—regardless of gender—was drawn in by his beautiful face, but most ran off the moment they encountered his blunt replies and strong presence.

If Yoon Noah was soft on the inside but tough on the outside, then Kim Daon was the opposite—gentle outwardly, but steely within.

“Then what’s so secret that you had to go all stealth mode?”

Daon stepped up to the desk where Seo Dowoong was sitting.

“Do you remember Senior Park Sangcheol?”

At the mention of that name, Seo Dowoong instantly furrowed his brows. It brought up memories he’d rather have left buried.

“What about that bastard?”

“He just called the secretary’s office. Said he’s planning to release an article tying you to a school bullying case.”

“He’s out of his damn mind.”

“There’s no truth to it, so it probably won’t blow up too big. Still, shouldn’t we be ready?”

“I’ll notify the legal team. And the article? We’ll just have it taken down. That punk thinks he can do anything now?”

“Yeah.”

“I should tell him to get ready for a defamation lawsuit instead.”

Daon nodded.

Even though he knew nothing serious would happen now that Dowoong was informed, he still couldn’t shake the anxiety from his chest.

He had a feeling—like something unpredictable was about to happen.

‘Please let nothing go wrong…’

He couldn’t understand why Park Sangcheol, who had stayed silent for years, suddenly resurfaced, bringing up the past now.

There had to be some reason, one beyond anything ‘he’ could guess.

“But Daon, is that why you came straight up here? Because you were worried?”

Leaning his chin on the desk, Seo Dowoong looked genuinely pleased.

He hadn’t smiled much lately, and seeing his expression lighten gave Daon a little relief.

Pushing all thoughts of Park Sangcheol aside—he focused solely on Seo Dowoong.

Seeing him smile like that—it reminded him of their school days. When everything felt a little purer, a little more… vibrant.

The Seo Dowoong from back then, full of energy and freshness.

“You were wondering if I was worried, right? Staring at my face like that, Kim Daon.”

Seo Dowoong always had an uncanny knack for picking up on the weirdest things.

Caught red-handed for sneaking glances at his face, Daon flushed.

“…Of course I was.”

“Want to hang out this weekend? Last time, we couldn’t even spend time together because of Yoon Noah.”

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Then Daon added hesitantly:

“Do you think Noah’s doing okay?”

The moment Noah’s name left his mouth, the crescent-shaped smile on Seo Dowoong’s face vanished.

The look in his eyes, now turned on Daon, grew icy.