Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 16

Almost three minutes passed before he spoke again. Cheon Sejoo, having stubbed out his cigarette, parted his lips as if he had lost the power of speech, and finally asked Sejin, “You’re joking, right?”

“……”

However, Sejin’s expression conveyed that what he had said was by no means a lie. Cheon Sejoo, truly astonished, ran both hands over his face, then lifted his head to look at Sejin. He looked at Sejin’s small head and thought.

Is his brain as small as his head? No, that can’t be right. A ridiculous thought crossed his mind, but it couldn’t be true. Cheon Sejoo himself had always been told he had a small face, but he wasn’t stupid. This was just…

“Did you not study, or couldn’t you study?”

“Why are you so interested in my grades anyway?”

Sejin sat with his arms crossed, annoyed by Cheon Sejoo’s excessive meddling. It seemed as if he was pointing out that interfering even with this was overstepping. At his boundary-setting attitude, Cheon Sejoo hesitated.

He had decided to take responsibility for Sejin. The scope of his responsibility included supporting Sejin’s entire life and future. Having even brought him into his home, he intended to interfere with Sejin even more than he had with Hyein, not neglect him in the slightest.

When Kwon Sejin became an adult and left his home, Cheon Sejoo wanted him to be filled with confidence and stability. He didn’t want him to leave his side consumed by anxiety and fear like Hyein. For that reason, since he was taking care of Sejin anyway, Cheon Sejoo wanted to give him everything he couldn’t give Hyein. It was a kind of vicarious satisfaction.

However, all of that was Cheon Sejoo’s own situation. He had no intention of revealing all his reasons to Sejin, with whom he would only spend a little over a year. So all he could say were somewhat shameless, threatening words. And for the stubborn Kwon Sejin, those worked better. Cheon Sejoo informed Sejin in a serious voice.

“My house is off-limits to anyone below a 1st grade GPA.”

“…You’re talking nonsense.”

“So study. I’ll teach you.”

If he were to send him to a cram school on the spot, there was no way any school would accept such an idiot. Even elementary school students would be better than him, and a basic class for children wouldn’t accept someone so old. So what choice was there? Until his grades reached a certain level, he would have to teach himself.

He had tutored plenty during his school days, and teaching a blockhead in human form was no big deal. However, Cheon Sejoo’s words were met with ridicule from Kwon Sejin.

“You? Teach me?”

Ha, Cheon Sejoo’s eyebrows tilted in disarray at Sejin’s incredulous laugh. Ignoring him, Sejin furrowed his brow and said, “What are you going to teach? How to rip people off? How to forge loan documents? What do you know that you can teach me? I’m not interested in learning to be a loan shark thug.”

“……”

Cheon Sejoo had never touched a single document at Shinsa Capital. It didn’t matter what Sejin thought of him, so being misunderstood as a loan shark was fine. But for him to be lumped together with the idiots at Shinsa Capital was deeply unpleasant from his perspective.

The brawny men who worked there were so dense that if you hit their heads, a metallic clanging sound wouldn’t be surprising. Moreover, for a guy who was last in his class to treat him as a more ignorant fool than himself, Cheon Sejoo was subtly offended. And at that moment, it was a childish thought, but he wondered what expression Sejin would make if he knew that he was a graduate of Korea University Medical School.

“You, I…”

However, as he began to speak, he quickly realized it was pointless. Did he really need to prove himself? It was all in the past. What path he had walked no longer held any meaning. It had been a long time since he had strayed from that path.

He slowly erased his expression and looked at Sejin. His eyes, suddenly cold, focused on the triumphant child.

“On second thought, showing a student ID to an idiot like you seems pointless.”

“Who’s an idiot!”

At his casual remark, Sejin flared up, clenching his fists. Cheon Sejoo snorted and gestured with his chin at Sejin.

“Do you know how to spell ‘University’?”

“If I say it, will you even know?”

“Yes or no. Just tell me that.”

“Of course I know!”

At Sejin’s confident shout, Cheon Sejoo raised an eyebrow and looked him directly in the eye. As he stared silently, as if telling him to speak, Sejin opened his mouth as if to immediately spell it out, then quickly narrowed his eyes. Then he snapped back in a fast tone, as if he couldn’t understand.

“Don’t you think this is too much? You know anyway that this won’t last long. You didn’t adopt me; you just feel sorry for me and want to help me out of charity. So just stop here. I’m already getting enough help from you, so you don’t have to pretend to care about my future.”

Sejin, having made the effort to finish his words nicely, ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. He had managed to end the conversation well, but in truth, he wanted to scoff, asking if he was suddenly a saint, having been about to sell him off. However, seeing the man’s serious face, he couldn’t bring himself to utter such accusations. Sejin, with frustration filling his captivating eyes, argued with Cheon Sejoo.

“Isn’t it ridiculous that I have to talk about my future, or whatever, with you? We’re nothing to each other.”

“What’s ridiculous is your grades.”

“……”

But Cheon Sejoo paid no mind to whatever he prattled on about. Realizing that staying like this would only lead to pointless back-and-forths, he decided to firmly convey his will to Sejin.

“You’re mistaken about something. As I said before, I didn’t bring you here out of pity. My meddling bothers you? Instead of telling me to cut it out, you should get used to it. I will be responsible for you until you leave my side.”

Sejin felt a deep surge of repulsion within him at those words.

The father who should have truly been responsible for Sejin had abandoned him. Subsequently, the uncle who came to take responsibility for him and his mother also eventually left them. So who were you to take responsibility for me? The man’s words didn’t even sound like pretense. They just sounded like nonsense.

Cheon Sejoo spoke to Sejin, who sat with his fists clenched, as if summing things up.

“I’ll say it again. Once you’re in my house, you have to obey my every word, from beginning to end. If you don’t like it, leave. But honestly, I won’t let you out, and I’ll do whatever I want, no matter what you say.”

“……”

A question of “What kind of bastard is this?” floated across Sejin’s face. Cheon Sejoo then explained in a soft voice.

“But think about it, Sejin. If you just listen to me, there’s nothing for you to lose. It might feel bad to receive help from a human trash like me, but your feelings are up to you, aren’t they? I’ll let you sleep here, feed you, even drive you to school if the timing works, and I’ll even teach you. What reason do you have to dislike this?”

“That’s, of course…!”

He had a mountain of counter-arguments. But at Cheon Sejoo’s next words, Sejin had no choice but to shut his mouth obediently.

“No, actually, whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. But know this one thing. If you say no, you won’t be able to see your mother anymore.”

“……”

Sejin gritted his teeth. It was a somewhat petty threat, but Cheon Sejoo couldn’t help it. If he had to argue every time he tried to do something, how would he live such a tiresome life? Cheon Sejoo realized he needed to hold Sejin’s leash more firmly. To handle that disobedient little dog, nothing was more effective than bringing up Kim Hyunkyung.

Looking at Sejin, who had clamped his mouth shut, Cheon Sejoo wore a rare gentle smile. In that state, he asked again, “You’ll listen well, won’t you?”

“……”

Sejin had no choice. The only person who could let him see his mother was that dirty, petty loan shark in front of him. So he should have agreed immediately, but Sejin found Cheon Sejoo so detestable for bringing up his mother that he couldn’t easily concede.

“Answer me.”

However, at Cheon Sejoo’s urging, Sejin finally bit out, “Fine,” through gritted teeth. Only then did Cheon Sejoo nod, seemingly satisfied.

“Good. Tomorrow, when you come back from school, bring all your textbooks. Do you even have a bag?”

“…It’s in the locker.”

At Sejin’s terse reply, Cheon Sejoo looked at him with an expression that seemed to ask what kind of pathetic person he was. Then he sighed briefly and said, “Alright. We’ll go together tomorrow. And what time does school end? Not when you leave, but regular class hours.”

“……”

“You don’t mean you don’t know, do you?”

Sejin silently rolled his eyes. He came out every day after lunch, so Sejin didn’t know when classes ended. At his expression, Cheon Sejoo finally stretched his lips, looking as if he was truly seeing something in human form. He shook his head quietly with a displeased look, then soon stood up and pointed towards Sejin’s room.

“Alright, go in and rest. Tomorrow, when you’re at school, take a picture of your timetable and text it to me. I’ll pick you up when classes end, so don’t even think about running off. Even if you don’t understand anything, listen to what the teacher says during class. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Don’t just lie down and sleep; at least pretend to understand. Kids like you need rote learning.”

“I said I got it!”

“Don’t shout. The guy who’s last in his class has no right to shout in my house.”

“……”

Sejin made a fed-up expression at Cheon Sejoo’s incessant nagging. Standing there, letting Cheon Sejoo’s words go in one ear and out the other, he quickly escaped to his room at the command to do so. Once Cheon Sejoo was out of sight, an expression of utter disbelief appeared on his previously frowned face.

Though he had never expressed it, Sejin was truly grateful to the man. Just the fact that he had a place to stay so his mother wouldn’t worry was reason enough to bow his head to him. But whenever he tried to say, “Thank you for helping me,” and then saw the man so deeply meddling in his life, a rebellious feeling kept rising. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous the man seemed. It was ludicrous how he acted as if he owned the world just for giving him a room. Even his own mother didn’t nag this much. Sejin felt a strong aversion to the man who tried to act more like a parent than his actual parents.

Is being handsome everything? What is he going to teach me? He doesn’t even know anything… Sejin, completely disregarding Cheon Sejoo, whom he saw only as a con artist thug, went into his room and closed the door.

The next morning, Cheon Sejoo awoke to a damp humidity clinging to his body. His brows furrowed in displeasure, and he let out a sigh like a lament. He lifted a hand that had been sprawled on the bed and ran it over his face.

There had been no mention of rain last night, but it seemed a sudden autumn rain had arrived. Even with all the windows closed, the chill he felt on his body made his forehead begin to throb, and he sat up.

The thick, heavy blanket slid off with a soft thud, revealing his naked upper body. His white skin was covered in small scars. Among them, a stab wound about a span long, running from beneath his left breast to his waist, still showed a reddish tint as if it hadn’t been long since it was inflicted.

Cheon Sejoo sat there blankly until his upper body grew cold, then, after a long while, he reached out. He picked up his phone and checked the time. 5:32 AM. Next, he checked the rain cloud icon on the weather app and opened his messenger.

5:32 Are you free this morning?

It was around the time Doyoon’s midterms had ended. But it was still time for him to be sleeping, so he added a message to contact him when he woke up and put his phone down.

He calmly swept his gaze around the window and then stood up. A vitality began to circulate through his taut, naked body, and his relaxed muscles regained their elasticity. The tiger tattoo traversing his back seemed to gleam like a beast eyeing its prey today. Its extended front paw seemed to grip his waist as if taking a step.

The fanged tiger symbolized that he was one of Shin Gyoyeon’s men. The tattoo, which took two years to complete, had been started the day he received his manager title. That day was also the day Cheon Sejoo had plunged a knife into his own abdomen.

Today, coincidentally, was the day he was going to meet the man who held his life in his hands. Cheon Sejoo entered the dressing room and put on a black t-shirt and training pants. He quickly washed his face and went straight to the 7th floor.

“Good morning, Section Chief.”

He nodded to the brawny man guarding the gym and entered room 701. The room was dark, as if no one had arrived yet. He pressed a button to brightly light up the gym and headed to his locker.

As he opened the door and wrapped guards around his hands, his senses began to awaken throughout his body. The sound of rain lashing against the windows was vividly audible. It felt as if it was hitting his ears, not just the glass.

It was always like this on rainy days. His nerves were tightly strung, keenly perceiving every stimulus. He gazed at the rain-soaked world and listened to the sounds.

To Cheon Sejoo, rain held a different meaning than for others. The sound of rain covering the world was a reminder of the despair and sorrow of that day. The endlessly falling raindrops were a nightmare that didn’t flow away but accumulated, forming a sea within him. On rainy days, Cheon Sejoo felt as if he would suffocate in that sea. The only thing that could save him was the warmth of another person. That’s why he sought out people every rainy day. Like today, for the past two years, he had held Doyoon on most rainy days.

“Good morning.”

With the greeting, the sound of a door opening and closing was heard. He quietly lowered his eyes and listened. The footsteps of two people, familiar voices, fortunately, those he had been waiting for had arrived early.

“You’ve arrived.”

He silently greeted Shin Gyoyeon with a subdued gaze. Leaving the man who nodded in acknowledgment, he headed to the ring first. As he waited there, Shin Gyoyeon also changed his clothes and, like him, came onto the mat with hand guards wrapped.

Today’s sparring was bare-handed. His clenched fists brushed past his opponent many times, and thanks to his heightened nerves, Cheon Sejoo easily subdued Shin Gyoyeon. Regaining his breath, he helped the man who had fallen to the floor stand up, and then bowed first.

“Good work.”

“You too.”

Shin Gyoyeon replied in a low voice and quickly left. Chae Bum-joon tried to say something, but Cheon Sejoo casually nodded to him as well and went straight into the strength training room.

After his workout, his body, radiating heat, felt hot. Although he still felt lower than usual, it was better than when he had first woken up and seen the rain.

Returning to the 41st floor, Cheon Sejoo entered the house, his sweat-soaked t-shirt flapping, and as he passed through the hallway, he stripped off his clothes. As he then took off his pants in front of the living room bathroom, a click was heard, the door opened, and Sejin appeared from the end of the hallway. Before their eyes could meet, Cheon Sejoo stepped inside first. He turned on the hot water to wash off the sweat, and by the time he had showered slowly and come out, it was almost 8 AM.

“……”

Coming out to the living room with only a towel wrapped around his head, he saw Sejin, dressed in his school uniform, eating with a displeased expression. Thanks to him having asked not to prepare his breakfast, only a modest bowl of rice and a few simple side dishes sat on the table in front of the sofa.

It was still an unfamiliar sight. It would take a long time to get used to the fact that someone was preparing and eating breakfast in his house early in the morning. Cheon Sejoo glanced at Sejin eating, then went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. As he mixed a vanilla protein shake, having no appetite, a voice full of complaints soon reached him.

“Do you really have to go around like that?”

The owner of the voice was, of course, Kwon Sejin. Cheon Sejoo quietly raised his gaze and looked at Sejin at his question. His face was rigidly hardened, as if he was displeased or annoyed. It wasn’t strange. He had never seen Sejin smile.

“Like what?”

“You’re always naked.”

At his indifferent reply, Sejin frowned and answered.

“……”

At those words, Cheon Sejoo realized he wasn’t wearing a single piece of underwear. belatedly, he thought, ‘Oops,’ and with a natural movement, took the towel from his head and wrapped it around his waist. He tried to be mindful, but he kept forgetting to put on a bathrobe after showering.

It was a bit awkward for him, being gay, to walk around naked in front of Sejin, who was also male, but he had lived alone for five years. During that time, he had always walked around naked after showering at home, so he wasn’t used to putting on clothes immediately.

Moreover, despite Sejin clearly being born with a dick, which he liked, because of his temper and the large age difference, Cheon Sejoo didn’t see Sejin as a man at all. He didn’t mean he saw him as a woman; rather, he didn’t feel him as a sexual object, which meant he didn’t feel the need to care about such things. So, to Cheon Sejoo, Sejin was… just like a very young brother.

“Better?”

Cheon Sejoo looked down at the towel barely covering his lower half and asked. Sejin, instead of nodding, frowned and stretched his lips. Then he placed his chopsticks on the empty rice bowl and said, “I’ll listen to you, so you be polite too. Why do I need to know you have no hair down there?”

“You looked closely, didn’t you?”

“I did not look closely!”

Sejin shrieked, his face reddening. He screwed up his face as if he had seen something truly unpleasant, which only made Cheon Sejoo feel more defiant. It was always like this with Kwon Sejin. He became childish. Forgetting his low mood, he left the island bar and approached Sejin with the sole intention of teasing him.

Sejin, who was clearing the empty side dish bowls, spun his head around sharply at the approaching presence and glared. Cheon Sejoo met his eyes, which seemed to say, ‘Don’t do anything stupid,’ and wore a deep smile.

“How is it? Hyung’s is big, isn’t it?”

As he said this, perching on the back of the sofa, Sejin snorted in disbelief. Yet, his ears were red to the tips. At his appearance, Cheon Sejoo felt a little better and laughed.

“Hyung, what do you mean…”

“Are you jealous, so you don’t want to see it?”

Should he tease him a little more? Kwon Sejin’s face was a pleasure to watch. Whether he frowned, rolled his eyes and glared, or bit his lip as if about to curse, every expression was beautiful. It seemed that this face played a part in why he didn’t get angry even when Sejin behaved so rudely. Cheon Sejoo waited for Sejin’s flustered reply, a smile on his lips. But this time, the response was chilling.

“It’s grotesque. Go away.”

“……”

Cheon Sejoo was speechless and closed his mouth. This time, his pride was truly wounded. It was incomparable to being grouped with the thick-headed idiots at Shinsa Capital.

Countless men who had passed through his life had all said the same thing in unison: that his face was handsome, and that was handsome too. Cheon Sejoo’s smooth, hairless dick, a consistent dark pink tone and straight without veering to one side, was often described as resembling a 3D-modeled prosthetic. To call such a precious thing grotesque…

What do you know?

Cheon Sejoo wanted to immediately throw off his towel and show Sejin how straight and well-formed his penis was, but that would be blatant sexual harassment, so he couldn’t bring himself to do it. With no choice but to sit there, pondering how to retort, he saw Sejin clearing the dishes with a sullen expression. Cheon Sejoo’s enthusiasm deflated.

Sejin, tidying up and quickly washing dishes, looked very grown-up from behind. Feeling that he wasn’t acting his age, he sighed briefly and got up from the sofa.

He went into his room, changed, and came out. He wore a light blue shirt with a navy suit, and as usual, left the top button unbuttoned without a tie. He chose a silver metal watch with a visible movement from his three watches, styled his hair back with wax, and put on cologne. He probably put in a little extra effort than usual since he was meeting Doyoon.

When he came out to the living room, Sejin, who had finished getting ready, was sitting on the sofa waiting for him.

“Let’s go.”