IPSTDS Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Just like he had never dyed his hair, Nahyuk had also never set foot in a club before.

Perhaps that was why this place felt so unfamiliar.

The ornate exterior of the building, as grand as Yoon Noah’s mansion.

The imposing guards standing at the entrance.

The beautiful and impeccably dressed people inside.

For a brief moment, Nahyuk wondered if he even belonged in a place like this.

The feeling of awkwardness made him hesitate at the entrance.

Even though he knew he had to go inside to secure the experimental drug.

In the end, Nahyuk decided to call Kangil.

“……”

But no matter how many times he tried, Kangil didn’t pick up.

After hearing the voicemail message for the fourth time, he finally gave up.

“Guess I have no choice. I’ll just go in alone.”

Forcing himself to move, Nahyuk stepped forward and approached the guards.

“Uh, excuse me…”

The moment he uttered those few words, the guards’ eyes widened in shock.

“Y-Yoon Noah-nim! We’ll escort you inside immediately!”

“We sincerely apologize for not guiding you in sooner!”

…Huh?

That was way too easy.

It was clear—Yoon Noah must have caused a scene at this club before.

Maybe something like…

‘Do you even know who I am, you bastards?’

‘How dare you make me wait? Hurry up and let me in!’

Barking orders like that, no doubt.

Jeez. The staff here must have had a hard time dealing with him.

Nahyuk nodded absentmindedly, still thrown off by the massive men bowing their heads to him.

It was surreal.

‘Right… Radena was mentioned a few times in The Withering Flower, wasn’t it?’

Radena was an exclusive members-only club, open only to those with verified social status—or, in simpler terms, rich brats.

Even among its members, there were different levels of access.

The highest-tier members had entry to the innermost section of the club, a space that was far quieter and more private than what one would expect from a club.

And that was precisely where Seo Dowoong and Kim Daon often met to escape Yoon Noah’s interference.

From what he recalled, Yoon Noah had also visited this place before, though there were no detailed episodes about it in the novel.

‘…There’s no way I’ll run into those two today of all days, right?’

Nahyuk had zero interest in crossing paths with Seo Dowoong and Kim Daon.

He also had no desire to disrupt their relationship.

After all, he wasn’t Yoon Noah.

But given everything Noah had done in the past, he hoped to avoid them altogether.

Still, an unsettling feeling gnawed at him.

Hoping it was just paranoia, Nahyuk silently followed the guards further inside.

At the entrance, the booming bass of club music pulsed against his chest, but as they moved deeper in, the noise gradually faded.

Eventually, what replaced it was classical music.

An oddly refined contrast to the chaotic sounds from outside.

“This is where I leave you, sir,” one of the guards said.

“Thank you.”

The polite response made the guard flinch slightly.

Without causing any trouble, Nahyuk stepped into the space where classical music flowed.

It was far grander than he had expected.

And… kind of fascinating.

The high domed ceiling was painted with murals reminiscent of a cathedral.

Below, luxurious furniture and antique decor adorned the vast hall.

On the second floor, a row of private rooms lined the balcony.

From the setup, it was clear—that’s where people gathered to drink… or handle more secretive affairs.

While he stood there, taking in the scene, Nahyuk suddenly realized—

People were staring.

The moment he entered, some clicked their tongues in disapproval.

Others shook their heads.

And then it hit him—naturally.

‘…Yoon Noah. You caused a scene here too, didn’t you?’

Even though the novel never mentioned it, Nahyuk was certain.

Noah had definitely wrecked havoc here at some point.

And then—

He saw them.

The very people he had wanted to avoid.

Seo Dowoong. And his entourage.

---

Lee Kangil had been at the club for the past thirty minutes.

Hidden in the shadows on the second floor, he quietly observed Yoon Noah, whose expression was filled with confusion.

‘Now all the key players are here.’

Before long, Seo Dowoong and Kim Daon, who had already arrived, also spotted Yoon Noah.

Kangil couldn’t tear his eyes away from this fateful meeting.

It was exhilarating—more thrilling than when he had successfully developed the experimental drug.

‘Wildcat, this time, you’re not looking at me—you’re looking at Seo Dowoong with Kim Daon. How will you react?’

Like a devil amused by chaos, Kangil let out a quiet chuckle.

Because, of course, this so-called coincidence was his doing.

He had deliberately orchestrated this encounter.

After learning that Seo Dowoong and Kim Daon planned to meet at Radena on Saturday evening, Kangil had personally invited Yoon Noah here.

For two reasons.

First—because it seemed fun.

Kangil remembered Seo Dowoong’s expression.

That irritated, frustrated gaze as he watched Yoon Noah suddenly ignore him.

A gaze filled with annoyance, despite having wished for Noah’s attention to disappear.

Seo Dowoong had gone so far as to dig into Yoon Noah’s background.

He knew this because Dowoong’s secretary had visited Kangil’s company several times during the investigation.

Like a loyal dog suddenly left behind, stunned that its former master had turned to someone else.

It was ridiculous.

So, Kangil was curious—now that Kim Daon was present, how would Seo Dowoong look at Yoon Noah?

Would his irritation flare up?

Would the situation spiral into something even more entertaining?

The second reason—he wanted to gauge Yoon Noah’s true feelings.

That wildcat, who had once only ever cared about Seo Dowoong, had been acting like a completely different person.

And while Kangil found it amusing, he also wanted to test the limits of this new behavior.

Was it all just an act to get the drug?

Or had he truly changed?

Because Yoon Noah had despised seeing Seo Dowoong with Kim Daon.

To the extent that he had once kidnapped Kim Daon to stop him from meeting Dowoong.

Though things had been settled with an apology, Kim Daon had never forgiven him.

So now—with all three of them face-to-face again—

Kangil would finally see the truth.

Whether Noah’s indifference was genuine or if he was merely putting on a show.

Yoon Noah stood frozen, visibly shocked by the sudden confrontation.

And among the three, the first to move was Seo Dowoong.

Kangil, sipping his wine through the straw in his glass, watched the scene unfold with rapt amusement.

---

Nahyuk’s mind raced.

Should he ignore Seo Dowoong or respond?

But before he could even decide, Dowoong was already in front of him.

Towering over him, Dowoong stared down with an intimidating intensity.

His gaze was so cold and piercing that meeting his eyes felt nearly impossible.

“Are you insane? Do you even know where you are? Why the hell did you follow me here?”

Shit.

Just as he feared, Dowoong completely misunderstood the situation.

He must have thought Nahyuk had come to interfere with his date with Kim Daon again.

In a small voice, Nahyuk hurried to explain.

“I… I’m sorry, but I didn’t come here to see you, Seo Dowoong.”

“You really think that excuse is going to work? And here I thought you’d been quiet lately.”

“I’m telling you, it’s not like that.”

“You’re even speaking formally now—trying to get a reaction out of me?”

Dowoong clicked his tongue, but—for some reason, a faint smile flickered on his lips.

It almost looked like… he was enjoying this.

Was that just Nahyuk’s imagination?

As he tilted his head in confusion, the man standing beside Seo Dowoong spoke up.

“Senior, I’m sorry, but there’s no way to see this as anything other than suspicious.”

Nahyuk’s gaze shifted to the man beside Dowoong.

And he knew instantly.

This was Kim Daon, the novel’s main Shou.

It was obvious from the way he stood next to Dowoong—and his features perfectly matched the novel’s descriptions.

‘The novel wasn’t exaggerating. He really is a perfect beauty.’

Kim Daon’s looks were captivating—the kind that could enchant anyone, regardless of gender.

The small mole beneath his long, elegant eyes was especially alluring.

His eyes were naturally reddish near the edges, as if he had lightly applied makeup—but it was completely natural.

And in that moment, Nahyuk instinctively realized something.

He now understood who Yoon Noah had tried to imitate.

The brown hair.

Yoon Noah must have envied Kim Daon’s natural beauty.

But Noah’s dyed hair couldn’t compare to the effortless, organic warmth of Daon’s natural shade.

Nahyuk’s gaze flickered between Seo Dowoong and Kim Daon.

A handsome Gong and a beautiful Shou—

They were a stunning match.

The fact that Yoon Noah had spent years sabotaging their relationship… honestly, it was both incredible and pathetic.

“Noah-Sunbae?”

Hearing his name, Nahyuk finally spoke up.

“…Are you Kim Daon?”

“Huh? Senior, what’s with the sudden formality?”

Should he drop the formalities?

Kim Daon was a year younger, having attended the same high school as Dowoong and Yoon Noah.

Taking a deep breath, Nahyuk made up his mind.

“…Daon-ah, it’s really nice to see you.”

“……What?”

“I support your love.”

Yoon Noah might hate him for this, but Kim Daon was Nahyuk’s favorite character.

And now, seeing his ultimate bias standing right in front of him, even more attractive than he had imagined—

How could he not support him?

But judging from Daon’s confused expression, his attempt at encouragement wasn’t coming across well.

“……?”

“Well, I have someone to meet, so I’ll get going. Have a great date with Dowoong.”

“……What?”

Since this might be the last time he saw Daon, Nahyuk decided to confess his true feelings.

With a bright smile, he said—

“I really, really like you.”

Kim Daon blinked in stunned silence.

Even his confused expression was beautiful.

Satisfied that he had properly cheered on his favorite character, Nahyuk turned away.

He needed to find Lee Kangil.

Without hesitation, he bowed politely and walked past them.

Neither Kim Daon nor Seo Dowoong stopped him.

They were too shocked to react.