PEN Vol 1 Ch. 22

“But it’s not the kind of atmosphere you think it is!”

Sejin tried to argue, but to Cheon Sejoo, his words sounded like nothing more than excuses. There are always kids who don’t study, no matter where you go.

Saying that he couldn’t study because of the atmosphere was nothing more than a lame excuse. Unless Kwon Sejin was one of those “kids who don’t study,” learning was entirely up to him.

It was a bit of an old-fashioned belief, but Cheon Sejoo was serious. After all, he was someone who had managed to study all weekend in an orphanage with twenty noisy kids and still managed to rank first in the entire country.

Thud.

With a displeased expression, he threw the torn-up newspaper into the metal bin and spoke.

“The school atmosphere, my as*. It’s all the same everywhere. Are you just going to keep making excuses?”

“There really are places like that…!”

It was clear they were talking past each other. Frustrated, Sejin was about to shout when suddenly—

“Manager.”

A huge shadow fell over Sejin’s back. Startled, Sejin turned his head to see who had spoken in the low voice behind him.

There stood a man dressed in the same gangster-style suit as Cheon Sejoo. It was Moon Sunhyuk, who had come looking for Cheon Sejoo.

Sunhyuk was glaring down at Sejin with cold eyes, who had dared to raise his voice at Cheon Sejoo without fear. Standing there with his expressionless face, he exuded an atmosphere so intimidating it felt as if he were ready to kill someone

However, Kwon Sejin didn’t back down.

What the hell are you looking at? His eyes seemed to say as he glared defiantly at Moon Sunhyuk. Watching this, Cheon Sejoo felt a headache coming on.

“What is it? Do you have something to say?”

Before the two of them, especially Kwon Sejin, could say something nonsense and make the situation even more exhausting, Cheon Sejoo spoke up first. At his voice, Moon Sunhyuk, who had been staring blankly at Sejin, turned his attention back to Cheon Sejoo with his usual stoic expression, as if nothing had happened.

He responded in a respectful tone.

“No, sir. I just came to find you since you hadn’t come back inside.”

“Ah. Nothing else to report, right?”

With a quick glance at Sejin, Moon Sunhyuk shook his head in response to the question. Cheon Sejoo let out a short sigh as he watched Sunhyuk and then waved his hand dismissively.

“Got it. Go ahead. I’ll go first so tell everyone to wrap up what they’re working on, I’ll report to the boss myself.”

“Understood. Shall I drive you back?”

“No need.”

At the brief refusal, Moon Sunhyuk nodded. Then, with his head bowed low, he respectfully said, “Please go inside,” before turning and walking away. Once Sunhyuk was out of sight, Cheon Sejoo placed his hand on Sejin’s small head as he tried to quietly slip out of the alley. Sejin’s soft, fine hair wrapped around Cheon Sejoo’s fingers.

“Let go.”

Sejin grumbled, trying to escape in annoyance, but he couldn’t evade Cheon Sejoo’s firm grip. Pretending to pat his head, Cheon Sejoo subtly pushed Sejin forward, eventually dragging him all the way to the parking lot on the first floor of the workshop.

Cheon Sejoo practically shoved Sejin into his car before getting into the driver’s seat himself. As he fastened his seatbelt, he glanced at Sejin, whose pale cheeks puffed out in anger, and then pressed the accelerator and spoke.

“You seem to be under some kind of misunderstanding. I didn’t bring you in just to shelter you for a night like a stray dog.”

It seemed necessary to make Sejin fully aware of his situation. Of course, Cheon Sejoo didn’t want to force him into anything, but it was also problematic for Sejin to think he could just do whatever he wanted while living under the same roof. If something were to happen to Sejin, he knew he would regret it. He wanted to make sure Sejin understood that he was still under Sejoo’s control, even if it wasn’t obvious to him.

“…….”

Sejin frowned at the mention of being compared to a stray dog. But ignoring Sejin’s reaction, Cheon Sejoo continued speaking.

“As long as you’re living in my house, you’ll do as I say. It’s not like I’m asking you to score top marks on your exams, right? What’s so difficult about doing what you’re told without all this fuss?”

“No. I just don’t get why it matters to you whether I go to school properly or not. I cook, I clean the house. I think I’m paying my dues for staying at your place. So why do you feel the need to interfere with my personal life?”

As expected, Sejin’s response, was as defiant as ever. Cheon Sejoo shit his eyes closed, trying to calm the anger simmering within him and slowly took a deep breath. He knew better than to lecture a teenage boy, but he also had no idea how to have a meaningful conversation with one.

Cheon Hye-in, before she passed away, was a quiet child who would nod and listen to whatever he said, and the younger kids at the orphanage never questioned his words either. Thus, this situation was entirely unfamiliar to him, making him want to act purely on instinct.

Would hitting him make him listen?

Cheon Sejoo bit his lip as he glanced to the side.

However, Sejin was not the kind of kid he could easily hit.

With a face small enough to be covered by his hand, skin so pale that even a paper cut would stand out, tiny lips, and thin cheeks… He looked so fragile that even a single hit would probably keep Cheon Sejoo wracked with guilt for days. Of course, his body was still like that of any other teenage boy.

As Sejoo contemplated hitting him, he ended up realizing that Sejin’s face was so pretty that it made him hesitate. In the end, Cheon Sejoo kept his mouth shut, deciding they should rather have a serious conversation once they got home.

Sejin didn’t push him for a response either, so the ride home was only spent in silence.

It was a weekday afternoon, so there was barely any traffic. Before long, they were entering the underground parking lot. However, as Cheon Sejoo drove toward his designated parking spot, he noticed a familiar sedan following his car and cursed under his breath. It was Shin Gyoyeon’s car.

It was early in the afternoon on a Wednesday, far too early for a president to be leaving work, but Shin Gyoyeon was someone who did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted so it wasn’t entirely surprising.

What rotten luck.

Cheon Sejoo clicked his tongue in annoyance and parked in an empty space. As he saw the black sedan glide past him to park near the elevator, Cheon Sejoo turned to Sejin.

“Hey.”

Sejin’s mouth was set in a straight line, clearly unhappy. He looked back at Sejoo with eyes full of discontent but didn’t say anything. There was nothing good to gain from letting Shin Gyoyeon face this insolent kid.

However, if they didn’t get out of the car, it would only raise more suspicion, so it was better to just act normal and stay out of the way. With that in mind, Cheon Sejoo spoke to Sejin.

“Wipe that look off your face. And keep your mouth shut until we get to the apartment.”

“I was going to do that even if you didn’t tell me.”

“…….”

This brat…

Cheon Sejoo gave a displeased look at Sejin’s confident response before getting out of the car. After making sure Sejin followed him out, he adjusted his clothes and headed toward the elevator. As the elevator doors slid open, Shin Gyoyeon stood there with a blank expression.

“Good afternoon, sir.”

Cheon Sejoo greeted him in a calm voice, bowing his head.

Sir?

Hearing the formal address, Sejin who was standing behind him shot a wary glance at Shin Gyoyeon.

But before he knew it, Shin Gyoyeon’s blank face softened into a faint smile. As Sejin’s eyes met the gaze of the man who was now looking at him with a gentle expression, he paused before bowing in greeting as well.

“Hello,” Sejin muttered without much thinking. Shin Gyoyeon responded with a polite smile and nodded before turning his gaze back to Cheon Sejoo.

“Good afternoon, Manager Cheon. You’re leaving work early today.”

“…It’s because I’ve finished my work for the day.”

Cheon Sejoo replied in a stiff voice, not entirely comfortable with Shin Gyoyeon’s courteous tone. However, Shin Gyoyeon’s smile didn’t waver as his eyes passed over Cheon Sejoo and glanced at Sejin again. Cheon Sejoo subtly shifted his body to hide Sejin behind him and reached out his arm to hold the elevator door.

“Please, after you.”

“Thank you.”

“……”

Such a polite manner.

It had been a while since Cheon Sejoo had seen Shin Gyoyeon wearing this kind of mask, and he couldn’t hide his discomfort. As he cleverly blocked Shin Gyoyeon’s view, he discreetly reached back and grabbed Sejin’s wrist.

With a faint squeak, Sejin’s sneakers slid across the elevator floor as he was dragged helplessly into a corner behind Shin Gyoyeon.

“What the….”

Before Sejin could even ask what was happening, Sejoo tightened his grip on his hand. He looked down at the large hand intertwined with his own, momentarily at a loss for words.

There was nothing affectionate about the gesture at all—instead, Cheon Sejoo pressed down on Sejin’s knuckles with his thumb, sending a silent but painful message. Only then did Sejin remember Cheon Sejoo’s earlier words telling him to keep his mouth shut until they reached the apartment, so he nervously shifted his eyes.

Sejin’s gaze flickered toward Shin Gyoyeon’s back, who was standing diagonally across from them. Unlike the rough and gangster-like Cheon Sejoo, this man seemed polite and proper. Yet, the fact that Sejoo didn’t want him to speak indicated that this man wasn’t as harmless as he appeared.

With that realization, Sejin kept his mouth firmly shut and carefully pried Sejoo’s hand away from his own.

“…….”

As the elevator went up, Cheon Sejoo and Kwon Sejin briefly made eye contact through the mirror. Cheon Sejoo gave him an approving nod and then let go of his hand completely.

Ding.

The elevator chimed as it arrived on the 41st floor. Cheon Sejoo reached out once again, gently pushing Sejin’s shoulder forward, and sent him out of the elevator. Sejin glanced back at him in confusion.

“Go inside first.”

Cheon Sejoo responded to Sejin’s questioning look before quickly pressing the close button. Soon enough, Sejin’s puzzled face disappeared from their sight as the doors shut.

With just the two of them left in the elevator, the atmosphere suddenly grew cold. Shin Gyoyeon, who had been expressionless since Sejin left, turned to Cheon Sejoo and spoke.

“I didn’t realize you had such dangerous tastes.”