TSG 91

“Fvck. They even called the cops.”

Ha Jin-woong, hiding in a corner before the police could reach the second floor, cursed while looking for an escape route.

He thought neither Ha Min-hyuk nor even Ha Jin-seong, who had Ha Min-hyuk’s phone, could call the police. Because he was Ha Jin-woong. Escalating the situation would only be spitting in his own face.

“That bastard Shin Tae-oh must have done it.”

He must have called them just to spite him.

“If I can just get out of here…”

As Ha Jin-woong turned his body away from the police, he found himself staring directly at someone’s chest blocking his path. Slowly raising his head, he tried to call out when—

Smack. With a sharp slapping sound, Ha Jin-woong’s head turned sideways. Caught off guard by the sudden slapping, Ha Jin-woong could only blink, unable to react.

“Did you just hit me?”

“You should have come when I told you to.”

Ha Jin-seong sent a reproachful look toward Ha Jin-woong.

“Am I a dog that comes when you call? I’m your brother. Ha Jin-woong.”

Ha Jin-woong looked at Ha Jin-seong, not hiding his reddened cheek. He wasn’t sure if he deserved to be hit. He just felt wronged.

“If you’re my brother, you shouldn’t have caused more trouble. Why did you do something I didn’t ask for?”

Ha Jin-seong sighed.

“We can’t cover this up. Thanks to your stupidity kicking away the chance Shin Tae-oh gave, tomorrow the internet and newspapers will be plastered with your name.”

Ha Jin-woong lowered his head. He knew the situation he caused had grown beyond control, but he resented Ha Jin-seong for not understanding his feelings.

“Don’t you… want to ask why I did it?”
“It’s probably your petty jealousy. You felt hurt by me and resentful towards Min-hyuk, so you caused this mess. How pathetic.”

Ha Jin-woong remained silent at Ha Jin-seong’s merciless words.

“If my jealousy is petty, then what about you?”

“Cut the nonsense and go to the police station quietly.”

“You like Ahn Se-hyun, don’t you? Isn’t that why you’re more worked up?”

Ha Jin-woong glared at Ha Jin-seong. Then he snorted as if he knew why Ha Jin-seong was acting this way.

“Pathetic bastard. I need to handle this situation right now, so you just wait quietly.”

Ha Jin-seong threw a cold glance at Ha Jin-woong before turning away. He was annoyed, but he had no time to waste before the situation got worse.

“What happens if I wait?”

“Once things calm down, I’ll put you on a plane.”

Ha Jin-seong looked back at Ha Jin-woong with contempt.

“Don’t ever think about setting foot in Korea again.”

With that, Ha Jin-seong walked away without a second thought, as if he never planned to see him again. Left alone, Ha Jin-woong touched his cheek, which still retained some warmth. When he spat on the floor, the saliva was mixed with blood.

For a brother, he sure slapped hard. Feeling even more infuriated, Ha Jin-woong glared at the floor and muttered.

“If I caused trouble once, why not do it again?”

His anger transformed into laughter. Ha Jin-woong now laughed genuinely as he thumped the iron pipe on the ground. As he walked, the pipe dragged along the floor, making an unpleasant sound.

“Live abroad forever. I won’t let you set foot in Korea again. I’ve been cast aside, and Ha Min-hyuk has become the real brother.”

Kidnapping Yoo Jin-ha had turned into an axe chopping at his own foot, rather than Ha Min-hyuk’s.

“This is all… because of that bastard.”

Ha Jin-woong glared at the small back of the man’s head walking ahead. If only he hadn’t clung to Yoo Jin-ha if only Shin Tae-oh hadn’t gotten involved!

“It’s all because of Ahn Se-hyun, that son of a b1tch…”

He felt he’d only be satisfied if he took that guy down. As he glared at Ahn Se-hyun, the police approached.

“Mr. Ha Jin-woong, you’ll need to come with us to the station.”

Ha Jin-woong forcefully struck the ground with the iron pipe he was holding, in a threatening manner.

“Whoa! Put that down.”

Though the police tried to stop him with outstretched hands, Ha Jin-woong, with bloodshot eyes fixed on Se-hyun, charged forward.

“Aaargh!”

Evading the police, Ha Jin-woong rushed at Se-hyun, screaming as he swung the metal pipe.

“What the…”

Se-hyun, who had been walking while embraced by Shin Tae-oh, turned around confused by the situation and met Ha Jin-woong’s eyes.

It was as sudden as a car accident, leaving no chance to avoid it. As Se-hyun clenched his eyes shut, all he could wish for was to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Then, he felt a warm embrace enveloping him.

Thud.

He heard a dull sound, but nothing happened to him.

‘What on earth…’

Se-hyun slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Shin Tae-oh’s face so close, an uneasy feeling rose with a ‘surely not’.

“No.”

This wasn’t what he wanted.

He hadn’t meant for this to happen, hadn’t wanted to see Shin Tae-oh collapse like this…

He should have followed the original story. No, he should have just told someone about this happening. No, he shouldn’t have become Shin Tae-oh’s secretary in the first place.

If he had done that…

He embraced the unconscious Shin Tae-oh.

This wouldn’t have happened to Shin Tae-oh.

⍣⍣⍣

The light in the operating room didn’t turn off. Time seemed to stop, with no sense of flow, and a distant swamp seemed to rise up to his neck, pressing down on his whole body.

Shin Tae-oh had hit his head and surgery was unavoidable.

“Se-hyun, don’t just stand here like this… No, at least sit down.”

“I’m fine.”

Despite Lee Jin-ho’s words, Se-hyun remained motionless, staring at the operating room.

“It’s been over five hours already. You’ll collapse too at this rate.”

Lee Jin-ho looked at Se-hyun, who still hadn’t received any treatment, with troubled eyes. While Shin Tae-oh’s condition was critical, Se-hyun wasn’t unharmed either. His face was covered in cuts and bruises, but the most serious injuries were to his hands.

Even now, the flesh on his wrists was tattered, but Se-hyun refused treatment and wouldn’t budge from this spot, making Lee Jin-ho even more anxious.

Knowing it would be futile to tell him to go see a doctor right away, Lee Jin-ho pointed to a bench as a compromise. He must have been straining his body, standing rooted to one spot.

“It’s been five hours. Since the CEO went into surgery.”

With the realization that the same time applied to Shin Tae-oh, Lee Jin-ho couldn’t bring himself to push further. He turned to get something to drink but made eye contact with someone who had just rushed in.

“Chairwoman.”

 

It was Shin Tae-oh’s mother, Jeong Min-jung. Having flown in urgently from abroad, she was trying her best to maintain composure. She didn’t even realize her two hands clutching her clothes were trembling violently.

“The CEO is still in the operating room. It’s been five hours… 13 minutes since he went into surgery.”

Lee Jin-ho checked his wristwatch and gave the exact time. Although there was a waiting room nearby, he had been standing right in front of the door Shin Tae-oh had entered, tracking the time precisely.

“I heard there was bleeding in his brain.”

At Jeong Mi-jung’s question, Lee Jin-ho glanced at Se-hyun and lowered his voice further.

“I’ll explain the details of what happened. Please come with me over there…”

“I’m sorry.”

As Lee Jin-ho was pointing to the waiting room while speaking to Jeong Mi-jung, Se-hyun’s quiet voice interrupted. When Jeong Mi-jung turned her head, she met Se-hyun’s gaze, who had already turned around.

“He was injured while protecting me.”

Since it wasn’t just anyone, but someone who got hurt while protecting him, Se-hyun felt it was his responsibility to explain.

Jeong Mi-jung slowly looked over Se-hyun’s face.

“I’ll explain.”

“Chief Secretary, please stay put.”

Jeong Mi-jung, who had calmly settled Lee Jin-ho’s attempt to intervene, narrowed her eyes as if recalling who Se-hyun was.

“You’re Shin’s secretary. I’ve seen you before.”

“I’m Ahn Se-hyun.”

Se-hyun revealed his name. Though she could find out if she wanted to, he wanted to say it.

“It sounds like you’re taking responsibility.”

Understanding that this was more than just a simple introduction, Jeong Mi-jung changed direction towards Se-hyun. As she walked slowly, Se-hyun saw her hands, which had been clutching her clothes, form into fists. He closed his eyes. Even if she slapped his cheek, he had nothing to say.

He was prepared to take whatever hits she might give.

Though he couldn’t see her with his eyes closed, he could feel her presence. He expected to be hit at any moment, but as time passed, nothing happened.

He had thought time stopped while looking at the operating room, but surely not now too…

When Se-hyun half-opened his eyes, he saw Jeong Mi-jung’s hand. Though still clenched into a fist, her hand hadn’t been raised.

“I knew it.”

Se-hyun couldn’t tell what Jeong Mi-jung was thinking. However, when he raised his gaze to look at her, he was surprised to find warmth in the eyes he had expected to be glaring at him.

She reached out and lightly grasped Se-hyun’s arm. As she gently caressed it, it wasn’t a touch that blamed Se-hyun.

“Please take care of him.”

At Jeong Mi-jung’s calm voice, Se-hyun showed a confused look.

“I think you need to be there for Tae-oh more than I do. Let’s go.”

Without waiting for Se-hyun’s reply, she turned towards Lee Jin-ho, and soon, the sound of their footsteps faded away.

Now left alone in the corridor, Se-hyun held his arm where she had touched him. The spot still felt warm.

Standing again facing the operating room, Se-hyun calmly reconsidered what had happened to him. He had already thought about it dozens of times and each time, he came to the same conclusion.

‘Isn’t a spoken confession better?’

The confession he had planned to make after leaving that place…

He decided not to go through with it.