M 150

“No, that’s not it…!”

“Wait in the car.”

“Wait, Major General. That’s not what I meant, it’s not about being nice…”

“I said wait in the car.”

“Ma… jor General…”

At Sehwa’s tearful call, Ki Tae-jeong stopped abruptly as if brakes had been applied. Still unable to help his anger, blue veins bulged on the back of his hand every time he clenched and unclenched his fist.

“Major General, I…”

Sehwa slowly lowered the hand that had been gripping his sleeve and brought it to Ki Tae-jeong’s fingertips. Unable to hold tightly or intertwine deeply, he barely grasped his index and middle fingers. It was similar to what Hae-rim did instinctively, but for Sehwa it took great courage.

“In the past, I had to pretend I was fine and endure even when I heard such words… but thinking about it, I realized I don’t have to do that anymore. Telling them to apologize, saying such things to others… this was my first time.”

“…”

“I’ve never in my life heard an apology after being misunderstood like this… I wanted to demand it confidently too.”

“…”

“Without crying, without stammering much… I told them clearly to apologize to me.”

“…”

“Really…”

Even Ki Tae-jeong, who occasionally stroked his hair and touched his shoulders, never tried to hold his hands. Knowing that it was a completely different kind of contact from others, a touch that gained meaning from that moment, he had never deliberately held on even when their hands accidentally brushed while sitting side by side on the sofa.

But when he approached first and grabbed his hand, Ki Tae-jeong seemed surprised. His slightly rounded pupils, faintly twitching lips, the trembling fingertips. The breath he exhaled was much hotter than before, and veins bulged prominently on his neck that hadn’t flinched even when stabbed with a scalpel. At this human reaction from a man like a fighting machine that no one else could glimpse, Sehwa’s heart also sank. Even in such a moment, noticing such details and feeling secretly proud about it. It was an embarrassingly base thrill.

“So did those bastards apologize? Did they beg like this, trying to escort you?”

But apparently not lifting his foot was Ki Tae-jeong’s limit. The blade in his closed mouth now turned toward Sehwa.

“That’s…”

“No. What were you going to do if those bastards ignored you and dragged you away?”

“Then… I was going to scream. I was thinking of calling for you, Major General… Re-really…”

“…You should have done that from the start.”

Though there was less cold aura than when glaring at the staff, his piercing gaze was still blazing.

“An apology? Did those bastards just bump shoulders with you while passing by?”

“…”

“There are things that work and things that don’t. How can you say such easygoing words to bastards who tried to drag someone away while talking about sponsored new celebrity?”

Ki Tae-jeong seemed thoroughly angry that he had made easygoing talk about apologies, and that even in this situation he hadn’t looked for him. Facing him sunk low like this was the first time in a while, so his body naturally stiffened. Still, knowing he was suppressing his temper as much as possible and that he was saying this out of worry, it wasn’t just scary like before. He just felt a little hurt.

“I’m sorry…”

Sehwa’s insides were noisy with a tangle of embarrassment at being treated like a prostitute by strangers, self-reproach for his stupidity in not knowing priorities, the desire to be acknowledged for speaking up unlike before, gratitude mixed with shadows of past fears, and resentment wondering if there was really nothing to be angry about.

Still, Sehwa tried to smile. He was someone who had rushed over to help him. Ki Tae-jeong hadn’t hesitated even knowing that his intervention would make things bigger, and he had listened when he said not to use violence. So he wanted to soothe his anger too.

“Unlike when I was at the House, I was full of thoughts about how I should handle things differently… I also thought it was a misunderstanding that would soon be resolved. Looking like this, what kind of… what shabby-looking celebrity exists like this?”

Sehwa had deliberately spoken cheerfully to comfort Ki Tae-jeong, but his expression, which had been about to soften, turned grim again.

“…Lee Sehwa.”

“Wh-what’s the matter?”

Just as he slightly turned his head with a twisted expression, the owner came running in alarm, tablet in hand.

“Wh-what is this…”

“You said you’d escort him right over?”

Ki Tae-jeong looked back at the owner while kicking the fallen, groaning staff with his foot.

“…An order came in on the way, so I was handling that before coming.”

The owner, who had been about to protest, trailed off hesitantly. It seemed that person had also been judging Sehwa’s status as he pleased, just not showing it.

“I’m truly sorry for arriving late. But Major General, I don’t know what happened, but if you assault our staff like this…”

“Whether you’re selling people behind the restaurant’s name or selling something else, I don’t give a shit.”

Ki Tae-jeong turned toward the owner. It was a very gentle movement so as not to let go of Sehwa’s hand, but his eyes blazed as if poison would spew out.

“Then you should have distinguished customers properly. Whether this person is a customer or a bastard who’s so horny that he wants to fuck while eating.”

“Excuse me?”

“How often does this happen for staff to ask someone who came to eat if they’re here for sponsorship?”

The young Air Force Major General with a beautiful face. A famous figure that people who lived in the 5-Star couldn’t possibly not know had visited, and the owner’s face, which had been so excited, turned pale.

“Good heavens, surely our staff wouldn’t… No, Major General. There must have been some mistake…!”

“Fuck, that damn mistake…! Then it wouldn’t be a big problem if all these bastards died here? I could just say it was a mistake too, right?”

Fierce eyes searched around the corridor. Sehwa clung to him, calling “Major General,” realizing he was assessing what could be used as weapons.

“Major General… let’s just, let’s just go…”

His voice trembled terribly. He pleaded while forcing himself not to look away from his eyes reddened with rage.

“…Come on.”

How much time had passed? Only after several seconds that felt like eternity to Sehwa did permission finally come.

Ki Tae-jeong gently pushed away Sehwa’s hand that clung to him like a child with his thumb, then deeply inserted his fingers into the gaps between hers. His thick knuckles pressed against his hand bones enough to make them ache slightly. Even though he must have known it was overwhelming strength for Sehwa, he walked silently with their hands intertwined like vines.

“So what exactly did those bastards say?”

Only after reaching the gleaming black car did Ki Tae-jeong loosen his grip and open the car door for him.

“You feel sorry for the bastards who tried to drag you away, but you’re scared of me trying to help you?”

“…”

“I won’t kill them, so tell me. Insult charges, assault charges, the fucking shit they’re doing behind the scenes… There’s more than enough to report them for, so I’ll let it slide, just tell me. What happened.”

It wasn’t quite an assault… And reflecting on his experience working at the House, this establishment seemed more like a place that catered to the whims of high-ranking regulars who came to show off their wealth, rather than arranging sponsors. Even Ki Tae-jeong had said it was famous as a dating spot, so whether it was a lover or mistress, they probably just came to have a meal. But he wasn’t so clueless as to ramble about such things in this situation.

“Should I just kill them all? Instead of making reports?”

“N-no! It’s exactly what you heard from those people. I was… looking at a painting on the wall… and apparently that celebrity person said he’d wait in front of that painting…”

Ki Tae-jeong carelessly threw his jacket into the back seat and rolled up his sleeves. Sehwa, thoroughly intimidated by his irritated gestures of loosening his tie, just kept his eyes downcast.

“Lee Sehwa.”

“…”

“I understand that you haven’t completely opened your heart to me yet, but even after what happened earlier, why didn’t you look for me?”

“…I told you, I was going to try first… and call you later…”

“Later? When. After you’re locked in a soundproof room where no matter how much you scream inside, it won’t be heard outside?”

“…”

“And what? Shabby appearance? Why do you keep putting yourself down like that in front of others?”

“That was to cheer you up, Major General… the atmosphere was so tense earlier…”

Muttering hesitantly, Ki Tae-jeong started the engine as if to say he wouldn’t say anything more.

Sehwa didn’t know what to do and just twisted the hem of his shirt. Ki Tae-jeong understood well that he was saying this out of concern for him, that he was angry because he cared… but he couldn’t help feeling hurt.