Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 10

Having descended to the first floor, he covered the lingering smell of marijuana on his body with cigarette smoke. After smoking two cigarettes and lighting a third, his head throbbed. Cheon Sejoo ignored the pain and burned the last cigarette clean. After that, he got into the car that Seonhyuk had brought around and said,

“To the office.”

He knew the nature of this impatience. Cheon Sejoo annoyingly ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Then, he took out his phone from his pocket and called Shin Gyoyeon.

• Speak.

“CEO, I found the goods. The quantity is the same, but I’ll have to weigh it to be sure. I just came out of the club.”

• Club? Ah, right…

The other party was silent for a moment, as if organizing their thoughts. Then, a detached voice commanded.

• I’ll send it to Director Han, so I’ll deliver it to him.

“Yes? No, understand.”

• And find out who the bastard who pulled this stunt is.

“Yes, I’ll contact you.”

Han Jonghyun? It was the first time Shin Gyoyeon had assigned him work in this manner. Cheon Sejoo frowned, hung up with Shin Gyoyeon, and then patted Seonhyuk’s shoulder.

In any case, it would take a while for Han Jonghyun to come to the office. Cheon Sejoo had no intention of waiting that long. Whether he was drunk on drugs or alcohol, Han Jonghyun would likely be able to manage himself, so Cheon Sejoo instructed Seonhyuk to turn the car around, planning to deliver the goods immediately.

The car, which had been heading to the office, crossed the center line and made a U-turn. They entered the club’s underground parking lot again. Leaving Seonhyuk and Haewoong, who offered to go with him, in the car, Cheon Sejoo headed to the 5th floor alone.

The elevator door opened, revealing the hallway. The manager was standing in front of room 13, on a phone call with someone. It was probably Shin Ji-han. He was reporting into the receiver when he spotted Cheon Sejoo and asked with a puzzled expression.

“Do you have further business?”

“Director Han is still inside, isn’t he?”

“Yes… No, wait! He told me not to let anyone in…!”

As soon as he heard the manager’s words, Cheon Sejoo flung the door open. And he frowned with all his might. Han Jonghyun was still there. The only problem, if it was one, was that he was lying on the sofa on his side, shaking his dick.

His languid, unfocused gaze, which had been fixed on the ceiling, turned towards Cheon Sejoo. Han Jonghyun’s eyes contorted in horror.

“…Fuck! Hey!!”

He screamed, hiding his erection as if he had been sexually harassed. The person who really wanted to scream, however, was Cheon Sejoo.

Does this filthy bastard suffocate if he doesn’t jerk off for a day? He never expected to see such a sight, and unable to suppress the rising disgust, he let out a small curse. Then, as if he didn’t want to be there for another second, he strode towards Han Jonghyun and placed the pill bottles he was holding on the bedside table. Thump, thump, Han Jonghyun held his breath until all five pill bottles were laid down.

“You received a call from the CEO, didn’t you? I delivered them.”

“……”

Han Jonghyun was consumed by shame and couldn’t say a word. He just looked up at Cheon Sejoo with a beet-red face and nodded.

Cheon Sejoo turned away, leaving him there. This time, he slammed the door shut as if he would never return. He went back down to the underground parking lot, escorted by the fidgeting manager. Seeing his face, which looked even worse than when he went in, Seonhyuk and Haewoong again couldn’t find anything to say.

“To Shin Sa Capital.”

“Yes.”

At Cheon Sejoo’s terse command, Seonhyuk gently pressed the accelerator.

Throughout the drive from the office to the club and back, Kwon Sejin occupied Cheon Sejoo’s mind. He had to confirm what exactly he was doing that led to being called a homeless person. If he hadn’t met Kim Hyunkyung, he wouldn’t have had to worry about this. When he thought of Sejin, the earnest voice of Kim Hyunkyung, pleading with him, came to mind as if it were a natural progression.

Perhaps because it was something he had never possessed, the plea of Kim Hyunkyung, a “mother,” left a very strong impression on Cheon Sejoo. If I had a mother, and if I saw her bow like that for me, how would I feel? Because of that thought, Cheon Sejoo couldn’t easily turn his attention away from Sejin.

About 30 minutes later, they arrived in front of the Shin SaCapital building. Cheon Sejoo rummaged in his pocket, took out a check from his wallet, gave it to Haewoong as pocket money, and then told Seonhyuk,

“Go tell Cheoljoo to clean out the deliveryman’s account. If there’s nothing there, have him check all the cash receipts to see if he received any money recently. Contact me if anything comes up.”

“Understood. Are you coming back to the office later?”

“No. I left my card in your desk drawer, so use that to buy dinner.”

“Yes, understood. You worked hard, Team Leader.”

“Thank you, Team Leader! Have a good one!”

Haewoong, who had followed along thinking he could grab something to eat at the club, was ecstatic to receive the pocket money, grinning from ear to ear. Cheon Sejoo got out of the car, receiving his beaming farewell.

The burly men guarding the building entrance were whispering and chuckling among themselves, as always. Still, perhaps because it had only been a week since Cheon Sejoo visited, the floor was clean, without a single piece of trash. As he approached the entrance, they spotted Cheon Sejoo and greeted him.

“Hello, Hyung-nim!”

Cheon Sejoo disliked being called hyung-nim. Even though there was a proper title like “Team Leader,” hearing them call him “hyung-nim” repeatedly, like they were trying to act like gangsters, made him feel his own actions becoming rougher. Frowning, Sejoo merely nodded and stepped into the building.

He took a slightly hurried pace, passed the stairs with their old iron railings, and turned the corner. He wondered what state Kwon Sejin would be in. But contrary to his expectation, the hallway leading to the elevator was empty.

Cheon Sejoo stopped in his tracks, slowly tilted his head, and looked around. Sejin was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t in the stopped elevator, nor in the stinking public restroom. He had said he was homeless, but where had he gone now? His mood sank fiercely.

Confirming Kwon Sejin’s absence, Cheon Sejoo immediately called Kim Donggil and asked about his whereabouts. This was to help Sejin if he had been handed over to the police. Fortunately, listening to the story, that wasn’t the case.

‘I don’t know what he does during the day. He only shows up at night.’

Even as a homeless person, Kwon Sejin seemed to have his own routine. It probably wasn’t very productive, though. Anyway, Cheon Sejoo took a taxi home, and the next morning, he drove out again. He didn’t forget to switch to a black SUV so Kwon Sejin wouldn’t recognize him.

He went in front of Shin SaCapital and waited for Sejin for about an hour or two. Around 8 AM, the sensor light in the hallway inside seemed to turn on, and then a figure shambling out appeared.

Sejin’s appearance hadn’t changed since they parted ways. School pants, a shirt, and a black hoodie over it. He looked a bit dirtier than last week, but still, his face radiated light through it all.

Sejin left the building and walked somewhere with tired steps. Cheon Sejoo started the car and slowly followed behind him.

Perhaps looking for a part-time job, Sejin walked around the neighborhood with a free newspaper containing job advertisements in his hand. However, it was unlikely that an unaccompanied minor could easily find a part-time job. Each time he was rejected and bowed his head as he came out, Cheon Sejoo could see Sejin’s face hardening with coldness.

After wandering around the neighborhood for nearly three hours, Sejin stuffed the newspaper into his pocket around 12:30 PM and headed somewhere. With dragging, creeping steps, the place he sought out was a school.

Dongseoul Boys’ High School. Cheon Sejoo narrowed his eyes upon seeing the signboard hanging above the main gate. He didn’t go to school when he was at my house… Indeed, Cheon Sejoo’s house was in Seongsu-dong, and Kwon Sejin’s school was at the very end of Gangdong-gu. Could it be that he asked to be dropped off at Shin SaCapital to go to school? Surprised by the unexpected fact, Cheon Sejoo tilted his head and watched his disappearing back as he vanished inside the school gate.

It was just after 1:00 PM when he saw Sejin again. Kwon Sejin stayed at school for less than an hour. Leaving behind the children diligently playing soccer in the schoolyard during lunchtime, Sejin left the school, hood pulled down as he had been seen earlier. Could it be that he just came to eat? Cheon Sejoo watched Sejin recede back, fostering a plausible suspicion. Since all school lunches were provided free of charge these days, it was possible that he really just came to eat.

Cheon Sejoo drove slowly again, following Sejin, just as he had done when trailing him that morning. He seemed to continue going around stores, looking for a part-time job. But even if he was lucky enough to find a job, he would still have to sleep rough for a while until he could even get a semi-basement room. What was he thinking…?

Cheon Sejoo followed Sejin, a mix of irritation, hopelessness, and frustration churning within him. His pale face looked even more haggard than when he last saw it. He must have only eaten one meal a day, the school lunch, for several days, so such a face was inevitable. He might have even starved on the weekends.

Suddenly, Cheon Sejoo recalled the day he ordered chicken at his house. His expression seemed like he didn’t want to eat, but he ate so well. Cheon Sejoo had seen Sejin finish a whole boneless chicken and smack his lips, thinking, High school girls these days eat a lot, and pushed his own portion towards him. Now that he thought about it, it wasn’t a high school girl but a growing boy in his prime eating period.

While Sejin continued to look for part-time jobs and faced several more rejections, time passed relentlessly. He wandered all over Gangdong-gu. Cheon Sejoo wondered how he could find his way so well without a phone. He was like a human GPS.

It was around 5:00 PM, nearing 6:00 PM, when a group of students in school uniforms appeared in front of Sejin.

Perhaps using the school as a central point, Kwon Sejin would pass by his school whenever he went a long distance, trailblazing his path. This time too, after winding through alleys and coming out in front of the main gate, Sejin was about to turn towards Shin SaCapital when some boys suddenly appeared and blocked his way.

Caught off guard by the situation, Cheon Sejoo pulled over his car nearby and watched. The children surrounding Sejin were much bigger than him. Perhaps because Sejin was small for his age, their encircling formation even seemed somewhat menacing. Cheon Sejoo’s neatly furrowed brows creased.

The children poked and prodded Sejin with smirking faces. But no matter how much they smiled, pushing his shoulder hard enough to make him sway looked nothing but bullying. Cheon Sejoo felt his blood run cold. At the same time, he felt an emotion he couldn’t explain.

An unknown force seemed to guide him towards Sejin. The situation, so similar to that of his younger sister, Cheon Hyein, who died five years ago, made him unable to see Kwon Sejin as just Kwon Sejin anymore. Cheon Sejoo felt confused and bit his lip. Anger surged endlessly within him.

He had never been this angry, not when he saw Hyein’s last moments, nor when he confronted those who tormented Hyein. But as Hyein’s image began to overlap with Kwon Sejin, his anger started to grow uncontrollably.

Was Hyein like that too?

While I was confined to the hospital, did my sister suffer like that in an unfamiliar place? He felt his insides rot.

While he suffered, the boys poked Sejin’s shoulder and then left. Sejin, left behind, stood with his head bowed low. Then, he suddenly bent down and picked something up from the ground.

Sejin carefully stuffed what he held into his pocket and headed towards a large supermarket across from the school. As Sejin disappeared inside the supermarket, Cheon Sejoo rolled down his window, put a cigarette in his mouth, and lit it. He felt that if he got out now, his trembling hands would be exposed, so he planned to regain his composure and talk to Sejin when he came out.

But as he was leisurely smoking, he saw the bastards he thought had disappeared earlier loitering in front of the supermarket again. Through the open window, meant for exhaling smoke, the malicious voices of the young punks drifted in.

“Hey, hey, decide quickly. You first.”

“I’ll get bean sprouts.”

“I’ll get that, ah, damn, what was that last time? Pink sausage? But can you buy that for a thousand won?”

“Probably not?”

“Ah, shit! I don’t know, then cola?”

The kid in a black tight shirt and black tight pants that looked like leggings seemed to weigh twice as much as Sejin. At the “tight pants” kid’s words, another one folded his waist in half, giggling.

“Would that half-homeless kid buy cola? He probably couldn’t even drink it because he’d feel bad about wasting money.”

“Right. Then I’ll get tofu. Hey, but Sejin doesn’t have a home now, does he? So he’s not even a semi-basement beggar anymore?”

“Then what is he? A Junior? Homeless beggar?”

“Kwon Hobeg? Or did he go to a shelter? Kwon Shelteg?”

They didn’t seem close at all, yet they were called Kwon Sejin by familiar nicknames. Cheon Sejoo cultivated his patience, waiting to pick Sejin up in the car as soon as he came out of the supermarket. He clenched his fists, feeling that if he got out of the car now, he might lay hands on the children.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Sejin to emerge from the supermarket. With a black plastic bag hooked on his wrist, hands stuffed in his pockets, Sejin stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted the “tight pants” brothers waiting in front of the supermarket. Watching his pretty face harden coldly, Cheon Sejoo took one last drag from his cigarette.

“Hey, Sejin. What did you buy with that thousand won you picked up?”

The “tight pants” brothers approached Sejin as soon as their eyes met. Then they tried to snatch the black plastic bag Sejin was holding. Seeing that much, Cheon Sejoo rolled up his window. He no longer wanted to see Kwon Sejin in such a miserable state.

Perhaps this was destined to happen the moment he discovered Kwon Sejin, who resembled Cheon Hyein.

Five years ago, Cheon Sejoo was left with many regrets in his heart after losing Cheon Hyein. Not being able to visit her for a week, not being able to reply to her messages, not being able to answer her last phone call – all remained as painful regrets for Cheon Sejoo.

The moment he despaired the most was when he was caught by the police before he could complete her revenge. That’s why, when he later received the opportunity for revenge in exchange for his life from Shin Gyoyeon, and finally choked the life out of his enemy with his own hands, Cheon Sejoo experienced ecstatic satisfaction at the perfect ending that came after his regrets.

Since that day, Cheon Sejoo had vowed. He would never leave any regrets in the days he had left to live. That was his oath.

However, after taking Kwon Sejin into his home, small regrets kept surfacing for Cheon Sejoo. What Sejin needed wasn’t just temporary help. He needed a guardian by his side to take responsibility for him.

But because Cheon Sejoo wasn’t someone who could take responsibility for another, he regretted bringing him in with a hasty decision and tried to forget him by sending him away, albeit belatedly.

But he couldn’t forget. Kim Hyunkyung’s desperate plea shook Cheon Sejoo, and now Cheon Sejoo even saw Hyein’s image in the bullied Kwon Sejin.

If he let Sejin go now, it was obvious that all that would remain for Cheon Sejoo was regret again. What happened to Sejin? Did he give up on himself like Hyein after being bullied? He would surely regret thinking, I should have just taken him in.

So, to undo all the regrets since meeting him and to leave no future troubles, Cheon Sejoo had no choice but to take Sejin in. That was the conclusion he reached in the brief moment he witnessed Sejin being bullied.

Vroom, with a loud engine roar, the SUV started. Cheon Sejoo checked that the road was empty, crossed the center line, and turned the car around. Then, he pressed the accelerator towards the sidewalk in front of the supermarket, where the curb had been removed for delivery vehicles. Thump, with a slight vibration, the car felt like it mounted the sidewalk. The headlights of the jet-black SUV shone on the backs of the “tight pants” brothers.

Sejin, who was talking to them, was seen pulling his hand out of his pocket and gripping the black plastic bag. As Sejin lowered his head and began to stare at the ground, Cheon Sejoo, like a man who had gone mad, charged towards them.

***

“Hey, Sejin. What did you buy with the thousand won you picked up?”

He knew that the thousand won dropped in front of the school gate belonged to Lee Haegyun. But he didn’t feel hesitant about picking up what they had dropped. Sejin, who was hungry, was not in a position to refuse that thousand won.

“Show me quickly. We made a bet on what beggars buy when they pick up money. Did you buy bread? Or tofu? Bean sprouts? For your information, I bet on tofu. If you didn’t buy tofu, you’re dead to me.”

But it wasn’t dropped accidentally. They had deliberately left the thousand won. Sejin frowned at Kim Byeongjun’s words.

They might want Sejin to feel ashamed, but unfortunately, Sejin was not the type of person to feel great embarrassment about such things. At this moment, what dominated Sejin was disillusionment with the guys who kept talking to him with idiotic faces.

It was tiresome and annoying. Lee Haegyun and Kim Byeongjun’s bullying was not a one or two-day affair, but Sejin simply couldn’t understand why they wanted to torment him by acting out this whole scenario.

Do they really have nothing to do? Sejin sighed, and just as he bowed his head deeply, the SUV parked on the road moved with a loud roar. At the undeniable roar, Sejin turned his head as if possessed. Lee Haegyun, who poked Sejin’s shoulder, badgered him.

“Damn it, I said tell me quickly! Sejin, I won’t ask for the thousand won back. Just tell me. Huh? Can’t I even give you that much charity?”

As Sejin remained silent, Lee Haegyun smirked and tried to coax him. Sejin’s lips hardened at the familiar nicknames flowing from their mouths. “Sejin, hurry.” And seeing Lee Haegyun’s disgusting face, trembling as if begging, annoyance began to take precedence over shame.

It was truly infuriating. What’s so great about having a little money? He wanted to smash Lee Haegyun’s head for treating him with such contempt and bullying him.

Sejin gripped the large radish inside the bag. The radish was the largest item Sejin could buy for a thousand won at the supermarket. He could have bought high-calorie ramen, but he chose the radish, twice the size of his face, thinking it would be more filling than a single ramen. How much would it hurt if I hit him with this? Sejin pondered, gripping the radish tightly.

You need to fix that temper of yours, the nagging he always heard from his mother echoed in his head, but he couldn’t pay attention to that. Sejin was hungry, tired, and annoyed. This was not a situation where he could think about what would happen next. “Think before you act” was something people with the luxury of thought would say. Sejin had no such luxury.

It was then that the impatient Kwon Sejin was thinking of hitting Lee Haegyun’s gang with the radish. Vroooom, the SUV roared again, leaving its lane and charging onto the sidewalk. His body stiffened, feeling as if it would be run over at any moment.

But in that fleeting moment, the license plate that caught his eye was somehow familiar. Sejin remembered where he had seen that car. The number 1818 was unique and unforgettable. The SUV charging towards them was the same car that had been parked next to the thuggish man’s white Lamborghini.

“Agh!”

Whether it was misfortune or fortune, the relentlessly charging SUV stopped right in front of Lee Haegyun and Kim Byeongjun. Unlike them, who fell backward covering their faces with their arms, expecting a collision, Sejin stood rooted to the spot, unable to even think of dodging.

No way, it can’t be. Even after seeing 1818, Sejin denied his assumption. There was no way the man who had left so coldly would come looking for him now. However, as soon as he confirmed the man getting out of the car, Kwon Sejin’s face twisted into an even fiercer grimace than when he saw Lee Haegyun’s gang.

It really was that man. The human trafficker.

“Sejin.”

He called his name in a gentle voice, just like when he threatened him with his mother in the car. Sejin clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to throw the radish he was holding onto the man’s car hood, and met his gaze.

He had the same handsome face as the day they parted. His dark black hair slightly covered his eyebrows, and his not-too-thick eyebrows stretched sharply. His smoothly long eyes, without double eyelids, met his jet-black pupils, exuding a coolness like winter wind. He was the kind of man who could make you feel like you were on a screen just by looking at you with those eyes and tilting his head slightly. Annoyingly handsome. Sejin glared at the man and bit his lip.

“Get in.”

He didn’t add any other words. Sejin, of course, didn’t budge either.