MDQ Ch 25

Even after I mentioned the evidence, the CEO’s expression didn’t change.

Just like Park Saebit said, I strongly felt that maybe the CEO already knew about my innocence and the evidence.

It didn’t seem like he would have threatened me without knowing anything.

Instead, the CEO began persuading me.

“Chief Lee, if you admit your mistake now, I can help you. I’ll make sure this passes off as just a minor mishap……”

Who would that benefit? I cut off the CEO’s words, “No, it’s fine. I’ll claim my innocence myself. Spread the articles or whatever you want, I don’t care.”

“You’ll regret it.”

Maybe something to regret really would come up, just like the CEO said. Even now, my whole body was trembling, and I felt awful.

But I didn’t want to bow my head to them. If I yielded here, I felt like I’d regret it for the rest of my life.

And unless the CEO was a fool, he wouldn’t drag this into court and blow it up.

Even if it was a fight he could win, if it got too big, both Given and the company could take a fatal hit.

“CEO, you should think carefully about this, too. I won’t sit still, either.”

“If you won’t accept what my proposal, Chief Lee, then you won’t be able to work as a manager anymore.”

To me, who had already given up everything, that kind of threat had no persuasive power.

I spoke clearly, “As of today, I resign as manager.”

At my firm declaration, the CEO froze for a moment.

“W-what did you just say? As far as I know, there’s still quite a lot left on your manager contract… You do know that if you quit in the middle, you’ll have to pay the penalty fee, right?”

When I signed the manager contract, in exchange for getting a higher salary than regular managers, an extra clause had been added: if I failed to complete the contract period and quit midway, I would have to pay a penalty.

It was an evil clause created because Given’s managers changed so frequently.

At the time, I had no thought of quitting midway, so I overlooked it.

I’d have to pay quite a large penalty, but I didn’t care. Money didn’t matter to me anymore.

“Yes, do whatever you want.”

“…”

At my unwavering answer, the CEO only glared at me in silence. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of my chest, but I didn’t avoid his gaze.

“CEO, you’d better think carefully too.”

“Chief Lee.”

It was a heavy call, with the nuance of telling me to stop there.

“If you have nothing more to say, then I’ll be going now.”

At that moment, the CEO’s voice came.

“Alright. I understand Chief Lee’s words well. I’ll make sure the plagiarism issue is settled quietly, just as you said.”

“…”

“But I mean it when I say something you’ll regret will happen.”

It wouldn’t matter anyway. I figured writing an article slandering an ordinary person like me wouldn’t get them far. And if they did go overboard, I could always respond with legal action.

The ones who had much more to lose were the CEO and the Given members.

Without answering, I left the CEO’s office.

Park Saebit was waiting for me in front of the office.

“Hyung.”

It was an oddly anxious call. But I completely ignored it and kept walking forward.

I heard footsteps following me. Without turning back, I knew Park Saebit was following.

I tried to leave the company before he caught me, but suddenly my vision spun.

The panic hadn’t subsided, and with the crushing stress on top of it, my head was spinning. I had barely been enduring with mental strength, but even that now seemed to have reached its limit.

Clutching my temple, my body staggered, and Park Saebit called out to me again.

“Hyung!”

A ringing echoed in my ears, and Park Saebit’s voice broke apart into fragments.

I saw his hand reaching toward me. I would rather collapse to the floor than let him touch me.

I clenched my teeth and twisted my body desperately—when suddenly, not Park Saebit, but someone else caught me first.

The large hand wrapping around my waist was warm. In my blurred vision, I saw a familiar face.

“Are you alright? I heard you came to the company, so I came right away. Why didn’t you contact me?”

It was Park Chungrim, who must have rushed straight over from his studio inside the company.

Right now, when I was feeling betrayed by so many people, Park Chungrim was one of the few I could still trust.

Relieved, I leaned into his warm embrace. The warmth was enough to make me cry.

“Should we go to the hospital first?”

I lightly shook my head.

“No, I…”

“Alright. Don’t say anything more. Just trust me and follow.”

Supporting me, he began walking somewhere. But Park Saebit quickly blocked our way.

“Hyung, if you don’t choose me now, you’ll end up regretting it.”

I’ve already spent the past few days regretting the life I sacrificed for my father, Saebit. What regret could possibly be greater than that? Hearing the CEO and you spout nonsense about regret was nothing short of laughable.

I didn’t answer. I only looked at Park Chungrim. Soon, his voice came.

“Step aside, Park Saebit-ssi.”

“But…”

“This is a company. Don’t you see people gathering around?”

Just as Park Chungrim said, people had begun crowding around us one by one. Passersby seemed to have spotted Park Saebit and stopped in their tracks.

Realizing the attention, Park Saebit said nothing more. Park Chungrim and I pushed through the crowd and left.

From the moment we left the company, my memory was hazy. It felt like being on a dizzying amusement ride, the world spinning round and round.

Even Park Chungrim’s voice reached me in fragments.

Where’s your house? Shouldn’t we go to a hospital……? Amid the blur, one question rang clear.

“Shouldn’t we contact your family?”

To that question, I answered firmly.

“Please don’t…… Please.”

Since learning my father’s true feelings, I hadn’t wanted to face him.

After that, the spinning world went dark. I blacked out as if a fuse had blown and lost consciousness.

---

I dreamed.

In the dream, it was one of the very rare moments when I got along well with the Given members.

That day had been sweltering hot, so hot it was hard even to breathe.

It was the last day of the nationwide tour fan-con. After the concert ended, there was a day when the Given members and I collapsed in the waiting room.

We lay sprawled in the waiting room, soaking in the air conditioning. It was a strangely peaceful moment.

That day, the members seemed so drained they didn’t even have the strength to complain to me.

Of course, I was the same.

Though I hadn’t performed myself, throughout the concert, I had been gauging each member’s condition.

On top of that, I checked the overall state of the stage in real-time, anxiously watching for any unexpected incidents…… My nerves had been on edge the entire time.

It was so exhausting, I thought I’d lost years off my life that day.

In the dream, even the conversations we had that day resurfaced.

“Hyung, I’m so fucking hot.”

“Sorry, Saebit. I’m too tired to fan you. Just stay right under the AC.”

“Hyuuung. Help me get this outfit off.”

“Seoho, I’m seriously exhausted too. Let’s take them off together once we cool down.”

“Hyung, I danced so fucking well, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, Junhyuk. You were the best.”

They were the usual kinds of things they’d say to boss me around, but strangely, it didn’t feel bad that day. Maybe because they weren’t laced with spite or malice, just weak, harmless requests.

And as always, Jung Yohan said nothing. But when I happened to look at him, our eyes met immediately.

In his subtle gaze was a heat stronger than the summer swelter. I couldn’t look away from those eyes, filled with secret desire.

When I met that gaze, I sometimes felt the illusion that he loved me. That day, especially, it felt that way.

Of course, as always, that feeling was probably just my imagination.

Suddenly, the scene began collapsing. The Given members sprawled under the AC shattered into pieces.

Even Jung Yohan’s face, which had been looking at me, melted away—then I opened my eyes.

“Gasp…”

A broken breath escaped between my lips.

When I glanced around unconsciously, nothing from the dream was in sight.

I was lying in a completely unfamiliar room.

‘Why did I dream that?’

Why would such a peaceful moment with the Given members—something that would never come again—appear in my dream? Did I really miss that day now? How foolish.