PEN Vol 2 Ch. 19

When he was young, Sejin’s dream was to become a police officer.

He wanted to be one in order to protect his mother and himself from his awful father. However, after realizing that the police couldn’t do anything to help them, he changed his dream to become a powerful martial artist, someone strong enough to beat up his father.

But for Sejin, who didn’t have the height or a large build, the only quality he had for becoming a martial artist was his stubborn persistence. By the time he reached 168cm tall in high school, Sejin gave up on the idea of becoming a martial artist and stopped dreaming of anything.

To dream about something was only possible when you have the time to do so.

Sejin was already busy enough secretly planning to work part-time without Cheon Sejoo knowing, and saving up money for a rental deposit to live with his mother. He didn’t have the time to worry about his future.

However, there was still one thing he dreamed of.

Sejin simply wished not to starve in the future and not be constantly struggling with money. A life free from poverty—Sejin’s dream was that small and simple.

“I don’t know.”

In response to Cheon Sejoo’s question, Sejin did not give an answer in the end. Cheon Sejoo eventually gave up trying to have a serious conversation with him. Instead, he kept pushing Sejin to study with the belief that, as he continued to study and improve his grades, he would also naturally develop some ambition of his own.

In the meantime, the lawyer finished wrapping up the case.

As a result, the amount Cheon Sejoo paid to settle the cafeteria fight exceeded several million won^[1]. Part of it went toward legal fees, and some of it was paid as settlement money under the guise of covering medical expenses for Lee Haegyun and Kim Byungjun. It was a lot of money, but Cheon Sejoo didn’t regret it.

As part of the settlement, he had included a condition that Lee Haegyun and Kim Byungjun would have to transfer to a different school. He was satisfied knowing that Sejin wouldn’t have to worry about being bullied at school anymore.

In fact, Lee Haegyun’s side seemed to be hoping for a larger settlement, considering that moving schools would also mean having to move houses, which would cost more. However, when they saw Cheon Sejoo’s expression at the final settlement meeting, they couldn’t say a word.

Although Cheon Sejoo had no intention of actually resorting to violence, he deliberately acted more aggressively and arrogantly so that they would be afraid of him. He hoped they would remain fearful of his potential retaliation for as long as possible.

When Sejin heard that everything had been resolved, he asked Cheon Sejoo for the settlement amount, insisting that he would pay it back. Cheon Sejoo deliberately quoted an outrageous sum on purpose, telling Sejin to repay it slowly once he became an adult. This was because he knew full well that everything he had done was more for himself than for Sejin.

With the matter resolved, Sejin began attending his supplementary classes, and Cheon Sejoo went back to his usual routine of shuttling between the office and home. On some days, he would tail someone, on other days, he threatened people, and on some occasions, he got his hands dirty with blood.

Whenever it rained during the winter, he would contact Doyoon and spend restless nights together.

Though there were times when he couldn’t return home, Sejin no longer expressed any resentment toward him. It was because Cheon Sejoo had made it clear from the beginning that he was a busy man.

Cheon Sejoo did his best to help Sejin start dreaming about his future. In response to his efforts, the “idiot” who once couldn’t even recite the multiplication table had now mastered up to the 19-times table, and he could now even take a taxi by himself to visit his mother on days when Cheon Sejoo wasn’t around.

And so, the winter they spent together passed by.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

By the end of January, during a meal with Shin Gyoyeon and his secretary, Chae Beomjun, Cheon Sejoo finally brought up something he had wanted to discuss for a while.

“The situation has settled down quite a lot, and Kim Donggil is managing the kids well. None of them are at each other’s throats like before. So, wouldn’t it be time for us to withdraw from Shinsa Capital?”

At Cheon Sejoo’s words, Shin Gyoyeon raised his eyebrows as he tilted the glass in his hand. Noticing the subtle reaction, Chae Beomjun chimed in.

“The news about the incident and the clean-up in the Capital has already spread to other subsidiaries, sir. Manager Cheon is right. There probably won’t be much to address in the other areas for a while, so I think it would be best for Manager Cheon to focus solely on his original duties.”

“…I see.”

After quietly listening to Chae Beomjun, Shin Gyoyeon leaned back into his chair and turned his head. Meeting his sharp gaze, Cheon Sejoo silently raised the teacup in front of him. His expression was one of acceptance as if he was ready to comply with any decision.

As he sipped his tea, Shin Gyoyeon finally gave his approval.

“Fine. Withdraw from that area and keep an eye on Director Kang at the headquarters. There are rumors going around that he’s been frequenting a casino in Hong Kong, and it’s said that the place is under the name of an executive who has a bad relationship with Liu.”

“Understood. I’ll redirect all attention there.”

When Cheon Sejoo nodded in agreement, Shin Gyoyeon rose slightly from his chair, signaling the end of their conversation. He tidied his napkin, set it neatly on the table, and stood up, casually slipping his arms into the suit jacket that Chae Beomjun held out for him.

Before leaving, Shin Gyoyeon glanced back at Cheon Sejoo, who had also risen to escort him out. His indifferent eyes lingered on Cheon Sejoo, making him feel puzzled about the gaze. Then, Shin Gyoyeon spoke in a low voice.

“Cheon Sejoo.”

“Yes, sir. Please go ahead.”                 

Cheon Sejoo bowed his head with a serious expression. As he quietly looked down at the table, Shin Gyoyeon casually spoke in a passing tone.

“Don’t create any weaknesses.”

“…”

It was an ambiguous statement, but Cheon Sejoo instantly understood what it meant, because he too knew that Kwon Sejin was no longer insignificant to him. However, it was just a fleeting connection. The time he had left together with Sejin was less than a year. Wearing a bright smile, Cheon Sejoo raised his head and laughed.

“I’ll make sure there’s nothing you need to worry about.”

At his response, Shin Gyoyeon chuckled lightly before leaving the room with one final remark.

“If you lose something precious twice, it will be hard for you to bear. So, be careful.”

“…”

The sliding door closed without a sound.

That b*stard…

Cheon Sejoo cursed silently as he glared at the spot where Shin Gyoyeon had disappeared. He stood there with a cold expression for a while, until Chae Beomjun, who had been sitting at the table tapping on his phone, clicked his tongue and spoke.

“Tsk, tsk. Do you think glaring at the door will change anything? Why don’t you just go over and give him a good smack on the back of the head, Manager Cheon? If you hit him hard enough to erase the memory of being hit, that would be perfect.”

Chae Beomjun, who had been Shin Gyoyeon’s friend for thirty years, stuck by his side and involved in all his affairs, probably had even more grievances against him than Cheon Sejoo did. Though Chae Beomjun himself was also an unpleasant person, the fact that he found Shin Gyoyeon’s nasty personality irritating provided a shared ground between him and Cheon Sejoo.

Hearing Chae Beomjun’s words, Cheon Sejoo let out a small, disbelieving scoff but found himself actually tempted by the idea of landing a punch at Shin Gyoyeon. He clenched and unclenched his fist, his fingers twitching as he considered it. Noticing this sight, Chae Beomjun chuckled, his usual obnoxious laughter grating on Cheon Sejoo’s nerves as ever.

But his irritation was brief, as Chae Beomjun soon got up from his seat and approached him, a more serious expression appeared on his face as he asked.

“So, how’s your new lover growing up? He’s what, 19 now, right? Looks like you’ll have to wait another year before you can devour him. How are you managing to hold back well, Manager Cheon? Or have you already had a taste?”

After the incident at Ehwagak, Chae Beomjun had learned about Sejin’s background information and had firmly convinced himself that Kwon Sejin, who had been staying on the 41st floor for a long time, must be Cheon Sejoo’s new lover.

It was exactly the kind of assumption a sleaze like Chae Beomjun would make, causing Cheon Sejoo to scowl as he walked away and headed toward the window.

When he opened the window and put a cigarette to his mouth, Chae Beomjun, who had come up beside him, offered him an already lit lighter. Playing along with the obvious gesture, Cheon Sejoo leaned his head forward, letting the cigarette catch the flame as their eyes met. He looked at Beomjun’s eyes as he inhaled through the filter.

After a drag, cigarette smoke began to drift out through the open window, and Cheon Sejoo finally opened his mouth.

“Let’s choose our words carefully when it comes to kids. Also, I only go up to a five-year age difference.”

His point was clear, he had no interest in someone that young.

At Cheon Sejoo’s response, Chae Beomjun perched himself on the windowsill, took out his own cigarette, and lit it. With a deep smile that showed off his dimples, he looked up at Cheon Sejoo and said with a smirk.

“I’m exactly five years older than Manager Cheon, aren’t I?”

Chae Beomjun was teasing, fully aware that Cheon Sejoo had meant five years younger, not older.

As Cheon Sejoo watched Beomjun’s playful face, he bit down on the cigarette filter with a cold expression.

Even if this b*stard didn’t have his brain attached to his d1ck…

Recalling the times he had gotten into fistfights with Chae Beomjun, Cheon Sejoo soon curled his lips into a sneering smile and whispered mockingly at him.

“But Manager Chae, you’re a virgin back there, aren’t you? I prefer ones that are a bit more used… How about you go learn how to use your back properly, and then I’ll consider it? Though, I have to say, a man nearing forty isn’t really my type.”

Chae Beomjun let out a chuckle at the way Cheon Sejoo spoke as if he were doing him a favor. He stubbed out the cigarette he had barely smoked in the ashtray, then reached a hand towards Cheon Sejoo’s firm butt.

“If the two of us were to sleep together, wouldn’t it make more sense for the skilled one to be on top? I’d say I’m better than Manager Cheon at that… while I do like the well-used ones, there’s also pleasure in breaking in the fresh ones. It has a certain charm, teaching them.”

Before his large hand could touch the hem of Cheon Sejoo’s pants, it stopped. Cheon Sejoo, who had blocked him, shoved his hand away with an annoyed expression.

“F*ck off. Why are you bringing a rag close when there’s nothing to clean?”

“Hey, come on… Calling me a rag? That hurts a bit.”

Feigning a wounded expression at the unkind remark, Chae Beomjun squinted one eye as if hurt. It was amusing to see him act hurt despite not caring at all about being called a rag.

Before he could spout any more nonsense, Cheon Sejoo turned away.

He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the table and headed straight for the door. As he walked away, Chae Beomjun called out with a sly laugh.

“If you ever need a new experience, just give me a call, Manager Cheon.”

“Go f*ck yourself.”