PEN Vol 1 Ch. 12

2. Shadow 2 (Part 7)

The man looked troubled at Cheon Sejoo’s curt command and nodded. The two were already acquainted. Cheon Sejoo narrowed his eyes, noticing the manager’s hesitation despite knowing who he was. It suggested that whoever was inside must be quite high-ranking.

“Who is it? A congressman?”

The manager shook his head at Cheon Sejoo’s question. If not a congressman, then a spoiled rich kid from a chaebol family? The manager shook his head again. With those two ruled out, there was no reason for delay. Irritated, Cheon Sejoo sighed and asked again.

“A high-ranking executive?”

“Yes…”

What kind of bold b*stard would be doing drugs here in broad daylight?

A few names came to mind, but in any case, they weren’t people Cheon Sejoo had to wait for. Even if Chairman Shin Gyeongju himself were inside, claiming he was there on Shin Gyoyeon’s orders would settle it. The priority was retrieving the item, so Cheon Sejoo notified the manager.

“If you don’t open it, I’ll break it down. Open it.”

“Haah, Manager… Then please, just cover for me…”

The manager, looking extremely uneasy, said this and then pulled out a key from his pocket, and inserted it into the doorknob. With a click, it unlocked, and the door opened. A sour smell wafted out through the small gap, making Cheon Sejoo frown deeply.

“F*ck… why won’t the d*mn door… open…”

The slow, familiar voice was unmistakable. Recognizing it as Han Jonghyun’s voice, Cheon Sejoo stepped in front of Sunhyuk and Haewoong, preventing them from entering. Han Jonghyun, already notorious for his nasty temper, was particularly harsh towards his subordinates. Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed like he had been partying all night, and it wasn’t a sight fit for the twenty-five-year-old Haewoong to witness. Cheon Sejoo stepped inside alone and called out to Han Jonghyun.

“Director Han.”

Thud, the door closed behind him. With the light from outside cut off, only the dim indirect lighting remained in the darkened interior. Cheon Sejoo, now expressionless, looked around the room.

“What the…”

The place was a mess. There were glasses and wilted fruit platters scattered across the tables and used condoms littered the floor. The air was thick with the smell of marijuana, and there were even syringes rolling around on one of the tables. It was a disgusting sight.

However, despite the traces left by many people, the only one remaining was Han Jonghyun. The tall man lay sprawled on the sofa. The breeze from when the door opened earlier seemed to have given him a chill, as he shivered and rubbed his bare arms before turning his head toward the sound.

His red, bloodshot eyes were unfocused. Sniffling and shaking his head several times, the pale-faced Han Jonghyun propped himself up, leaning back against the sofa. While he lazily exhaled a breath and tried to gather his wits, Cheon Sejoo pulled a jackknife from his coat. Without hesitation, he began searching for the item.

The room was furnished with semi-circular seating. According to the delivery man, the drugs were hidden inside one of the sofa cushions.

Rip!

The sound of the sofa’s leather tearing filled the room, causing Han Jonghyun to widen his eyes. His narrow gaze landed on Cheon Sejoo.

“Who do we have here? Isn’t it our manager…? Ow! Sh!t… What are you doing?”

Whether he was still dazed, Han Jonghyun cut himself off mid-sentence, thudding his head against the table and swearing sluggishly as he lifted his head. He rubbed his reddening forehead and tilted his head, speaking to Cheon Sejoo.

However, Cheon Sejoo wasn’t in the mood to talk to a junkie. Ignoring the question, he moved to the next spot.

Rip!

The jackknife savagely tore through the leather again.

“Hey, give me some water…”

His throat parched, Han Jonghyun rubbed his exposed neck and spoke. Cheon Sejoo glanced at him briefly before grabbing a water bottle from the table and tossing it to him. Thud! The bottle hit Han Jonghyun’s head and rolled to the floor. A scream filled with irritation echoed.

“Ah! D*mn it! You did that on purpose!”

The pain must have jolted him awake. With a clearer voice, Han Jonghyun yelled, but Cheon Sejoo just shrugged, pretending not to notice. He moved to the next sofa. He wanted to find the drugs quickly and leave, but the item was not easily revealing itself. As he got closer to Han Jonghyun, who was seated in the middle of the sofas, his aversion grew. The smell of marijuana grew stronger, and Cheon Sejoo hardened his expression as he continued his work.

“You insolent b*stard…”

In the meantime, Han Jonghyun grumbled while watching Cheon Sejoo and then opened the cap of the water bottle he had picked up from the floor, pouring it mercilessly over his own face. He stuck out his tongue to catch the flowing water and wiped his face as if washing up. When the water ran out, he tossed the empty bottle aside carelessly. It was a pitiful sight.

“Haah, it’s hot…”

Rip, slice, the leather tore again. But the item still didn’t appear. He wouldn’t have lied about it, would he? Cheon Sejoo frowned and shifted his gaze. Next was the spot where Han Jonghyun was sitting.

“Move aside.”

At Cheon Sejoo’s indifferent command, Han Jonghyun, still smacking his lips from the water, widened his eyes. He then raised his hand and pointed at himself, asking, “Me?” When Cheon Sejoo nodded, Han Jonghyun scoffed in disbelief.

“Haha, telling a director to move… Argh! F*ck!”

Cheon Sejoo didn’t wait for Han Jonghyun. Suddenly, a jackknife was thrust between his widely spread legs.

His wide eyes dropped downward. Thinking for a moment that the knife was aimed at cutting his gen1tals, he screamed. Realizing that the blade had only cut into the sofa, he panted heavily. Embarrassed by being scared, his face turned red, and he clenched his teeth in anger. Ignoring Han Jonghyun’s mumbled curses, Cheon Sejoo focused on the sensation at the tip of the knife. There was something inside.

“You really…”

“Be quiet.”

Cheon Sejoo, maintaining eye contact with Han Jonghyun, reached between his legs. Misunderstanding the gesture, Han Jonghyun flinched and tensed up.

“What the hell…”

His face paled in a mixture of anger and confusion. Without a word, Cheon Sejoo slipped his hand into the sofa’s cushion. His fingers touched something hard. Grabbing the hard plastic container, Cheon Sejoo pulled it out without hesitation. Han Jonghyun’s eyes followed the white container in Cheon Sejoo’s hand, and realizing what it was, he sighed in relief and muttered.

“D*mn, that scared me.”

The white container was filled with clear methamphetamine crystals, the very drugs the delivery man had stolen. One by one, Cheon Sejoo pulled out five containers and placed them on the table.

“If you were here for the drugs, you should’ve just said so. Why reach between my legs like that? I thought you were trying to grab my d1ck… scared the hell out of me.”

Meanwhile, Han Jonghyun grumbled, seemingly eager to prove to everyone his sexuality. Cheon Sejoo, checking the inside of the sofa for any remaining items, frowned at his remark and looked up at him.

Why would I touch your disgusting junk?

Due to the low sofa, the posture was awkward. From the outside, it looked like Cheon Sejoo was performing oral sex on Han Jonghyun. Seeing Han Jonghyun looking down at him in disgust, Cheon Sejoo, irritated, opened his mouth.

“What, should I suck your d1ck?”

“…You… you crazy homo b*stard, are you insane?”

Han Jonghyun had no redeeming qualities, but the main reason Cheon Sejoo hated him was because of this. For some reason, Han Jonghyun always acted like he was afraid Cheon Sejoo, whom he called a homo, would r*pe him, constantly walking around guarding his butt.

At first, Han Jonghyun’s behavior was somewhat amusing, but that wore off quickly. Now, just hearing people call him gay or a homo was infuriating. They were of similar height and build, and Han Jonghyun had a clean-cut look rather than being pretty.

Han Jonghyun was so far removed from Cheon Sejoo’s tastes that he wouldn’t want to eat him even if he was delivered to him by truck. On top of that, even if Cheon Sejoo tried to close his eyes and get it over with, Han Jonghyun’s body was so filthy that the thought of needing a thorough STD check beforehand was enough to kill any potential arousal. So where did he get the confidence to act like this?

Already irritated, Cheon Sejoo couldn’t afford to have any patience for this garbage. He withdrew his hand from the torn sofa cushion and provocatively grabbed Han Jonghyun’s crotch. It seemed like he wasn’t just boasting, as it felt quite hefty.

“That’s why you shouldn’t talk about d1cks in front of a gay guy, Director. I almost got turned on.”

Cheon Sejoo, who was right in front of him, said this with a smile, causing Han Jonghyun’s eyes to widen and his mouth to snap shut. Soon, feeling the subtle touch down below, he screamed like a virgin being teased.

“Let go, let go! I said, let go of it!”

Han Jonghyun screamed, his face turning red. For once, his normally annoying expression was tinged with genuine fear, which was almost satisfying to see. Cheon Sejoo chuckled and squeezed his balls hard enough to make him squirm before letting go. Han Jonghyun, gasping and cursing, scrambled away. As he got to his feet, the cool demeanor returned to his handsome face. Han Jonghyun glared up at him, his pride deeply wounded.

“You really want to get hit, don’t you?”

“If you want to hit me, go ahead.”

Cheon Sejoo genuinely hoped he would. If Han Jonghyun threw the first punch, Cheon Sejoo could claim self-defense and tear his noisy mouth apart, and Shin Gyoyeon wouldn’t say a word about it.

However, as if reading Cheon Sejoo’s mind, Han Jonghyun just huffed and didn’t make a move. He only pulled his legs up onto the sofa and hugged his knees like a child. Seeing this pathetic display, Cheon Sejoo scoffed and shook his head. The time he wasted with this guy was regrettable.

Deciding to just finish the job, he grabbed the five containers of drugs from the table. As he was about to head towards the door without saying anything, Han Jonghyun called out from behind. His voice was clearer now as if he had fully regained his senses from shouting.

“What are those? Why are you taking them?”

“It’s none of your business.”

It seemed that Han Jonghyun’s usual personality had also returned along with his senses.

“Cheon Sejoo, you insolent b*stard. When a director talks to you, you should look him in the eye and respond.”

“……”

Cheon Sejoo stopped abruptly in his tracks and sighed, clicking his tongue. Han Jonghyun held the title of director in the organization despite not having any significant responsibilities. Cheon Sejoo had once subtly asked Chae Beomjun what Han Jonghyun’s role was, but Chae Beomjun had just shrugged, indicating that Han Jonghyun was truly useless. Despite knowing that Shin Gyoyeon hated seeing the executives using drugs, it was clear to everyone by simply looking at him sprawled out like a dog in the summer heat.

However, regardless of his meaningless title, Han Jonghyun technically still outranked Cheon Sejoo. The organization valued hierarchy. Cheon Sejoo, cursing under his breath, turned his head.

Thanks to the water poured over him, Han Jonghyun’s pale face was now wet. Cheon Sejoo directed his gaze vaguely toward Han Jonghyun’s eyes and spoke.

“I’m here on the president’s orders. If you’re really curious, I can call him and ask if it’s okay to disclose this to Director Han. Should I do that?”

“…Forget it, just get out.”

Normally, this tiresome conversation would drag on, but Han Jonghyun seemed satisfied with Cheon Sejoo’s formal response and gestured toward the door. Likely, he was too exhausted due to the drugs and alcohol which had drained his energy. to even keep arguing.

In any case, with permission granted, Cheon Sejoo left the room without looking back. He wanted to get out of that foul-smelling place as quickly as possible.

As he closed the door behind him and left, Sunhyuk immediately stepped up beside him.

“Did you find it?”

Cheon Sejoo handed the drug containers to Moon Sunhyuk, who had asked. Sunhyuk, holding five white plastic bottles in his arms, passed them to Haewoong. Haewoong stuffed them all into the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie. His eyes sparkled.

As if he wanted to get something to eat before leaving, Haewoong glanced back and forth between the manager and Cheon Sejoo.

“Is that, ah, by any chance, those?”

The manager, aware of the mishap that occurred during the delivery process, asked with a shocked expression. There was no need to explain anything to him, so Cheon Sejoo left without a word. Haewoong’s disappointed voice could be heard from behind, but Cheon Sejoo was in a hurry. He wanted to wrap things up quickly.

He went down to the first floor and covered the lingering smell of marijuana on his body with cigarette smoke. By the time he lit his third cigarette after smoking two, his head was spinning. Ignoring the pain, Cheon Sejoo burned the last cigarette to the end cleanly. Afterward, he got into the car that Sunhyuk had brought around and said.

“To the office.”

He knew what this impatience was about. Cheon Sejoo sighed and ran his hand irritably through his hair. Then he took out his phone from his pocket and called Shin Gyoyeon.

-Speak.

“Sir, I found the items. The quantity is the same, but we need to weigh them to be sure. We’ve found it in the club.”

-The club? Ah, I see…

Shin Gyoyeon was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts. Then he gave an order in a detached voice.

-I’ll send Director Han to your place. Hand it over to him.

“Pardon? No, I understand.”

“And find out who the idiot responsible for this mess is.”

“Yes, I’ll get back to you.”

Han Jonghyun?

It was the first time Shin Gyoyeon had assigned something like this to him. Frowning, Cheon Sejoo ended the call and patted Sunhyuk on the shoulder.

In any case, it would take a while for Han Jonghyun to reach the office. Cheon Sejoo had no intention of waiting that long. Whether Han Jonghyun was high or drunk, he should be able to manage himself, so Cheon Sejoo decided to deliver the items directly. He instructed Sunhyuk to turn the car around.

The car heading towards the office made a U-turn and crossed the centerline. They entered the club’s underground parking lot once again. Leaving Sunhyuk and Haewoong waiting in the car despite their offers to accompany him, Cheon Sejoo went up to the fifth floor alone.

The elevator door opened, and the hallway came into view. The manager was standing in front of room 13, talking on the phone with someone—likely Shin Jihan. As he was making his report into the receiver, he noticed Cheon Sejoo and asked with a puzzled expression.

“Is there something else you need?”

“Director Han is still inside, right?”

“Yes… No, wait a minute! He said not to let someone in…!”

Ignoring the manager’s words, Cheon Sejoo flung the door wide open. And he frowned as he did so. Han Jonghyun was still there. However, the problem was that he was lying on the sofa, shaking his gen1tals.

His lazy gaze, directed at the ceiling, turned toward Cheon Sejoo. Han Jonghyun’s eyes widened in shock.

“…F*ck! Hey!!”

He yelled, trying to cover up as if he had been sexually harassed. The one who truly wanted to shout was Cheon Sejoo.

Could that filthy bastard not go a single day without engaging in such depravity as if he’d suffocate if he didn’t?

The sight was so repulsive that Cheon Sejoo couldn’t hold back a small curse under his breath. Then, as if unable to stand being in the room for another second, he strode over to Han Jonghyun and placed the drug containers on the table beside him. Han Jonghyun held his breath until all five containers were set down with a thunk, thunk.

“You got the call from the president, right? I’ve delivered the items.”

“…”

Han Jonghyun, consumed by shame, couldn’t say anything. He just nodded, looking up at Cheon Sejoo with a face red with embarrassment.

Cheon Sejoo turned away, leaving him there. This time, he left the room with a bang, as if he had no intention of returning. The anxious manager saw him off as he went back down to the underground parking lot. Seeing the even worse expression on Cheon Sejoo’s face, neither Sunhyuk nor Haewoong dared to speak.

“To Shinsa Capital.”

“Yes, sir.”