Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 25

Though completely uninterested, Cheon Sejoo summarized his words thus: Han Jonghyun was a rich youngest son, a good-for-nothing who idled his life away. One day, he met Shin Ji-ho while frequenting a club in Cheongdam-dong. Through him, he got to know Shin Gyoyeon, and when he showed interest in the organization, Shin Gyoyeon offered him a place. Han Jonghyun, as expected, accepted the offer, and when Shin Gyoyeon immediately offered him a director position, he thought he would get a significant role in DG.

Han Jonghyun, thrilled to be called ‘Director’ after being an ordinary scoundrel, committed all sorts of misconduct, including drug use. Then, one day, he suddenly came to his senses and realized five years had passed. But upon careful reflection, he hadn’t done a single thing as an organization member during that time. Realizing his own fault belatedly, Han Jonghyun met Shin Gyoyeon to apologize and ask for any task, but Shin Gyoyeon just smiled and told him to wait. That was already six months ago, the day he received and delivered something from Cheon Sejoo.

However, from then until now, Han Jonghyun still hadn’t been given any work, and now he was sick of doing nothing and was poking around everywhere, eager to do something. As part of this, he seemed to have gone to Shinsa Capital and acted like a senior to Kim Donggil, who was older than him. But since Kim Donggil only said “Yes, yes” outwardly and completely ignored him, Han Jonghyun, being an ‘executive,’ was annoyed and his pride was wounded.

Then, by chance, he met Cheon Sejoo, who could be called Shin Gyoyeon’s closest aide, and feeling envious of his position, Han Jonghyun’s sorrow exploded.

Listening to his utterly pointless and lengthy story, Cheon Sejoo inwardly cursed him as an idiot. If he had wasted five whole years of his life intoxicated by the title of director, he should now try to get a grip on himself, but instead, he was just drinking and blabbering on, which was truly pathetic.

“So… damn it, you… just keep looking at me like I’m unlucky, and…”

Muttering like that, Han Jonghyun started fumbling through his jacket pocket, which he had placed beside him. Cheon Sejoo expressionlessly watched him, then frowned and fell silent as he pulled out a white powder, presumed to be drugs.

He debated whether to stop Han Jonghyun or not. If he provoked a drunk, there might be a greater commotion with staff rushing over, but leaving him alone wasn’t ideal for doing drugs. However, Cheon Sejoo’s deliberation wasn’t long. Han Jonghyun, sniffing, collapsed onto the table, unconscious, before he could even inhale the drug.

“What the hell…”

Cheon Sejoo, utterly dumbfounded, stared at him and cursed under his breath. Haa, he sighed, ruffled his hair, then slowly smoothed it back into place and lit a cigarette. Han Jonghyun didn’t wake up even as he leisurely smoked. Realizing he would ultimately have to clean up after him, Cheon Sejoo rose from his seat with an expression full of disillusionment.

“Director.”

Even roughly slapping his cheek with ill intent, Han Jonghyun didn’t wake up. Cheon Sejoo wrapped his arm around Han Jonghyun’s surprisingly slender waist and laid him on the floor. Then he took out a handkerchief, neatly cleared the scattered powder from the table, and pressed the bell to call a staff member. He handed over a tip with the request to call a taxi for his overly drunk companion, and the staff member bowed, saying he would notify him when the taxi arrived. He planned to send Han Jonghyun back to his usual haunt, the club. As for Han Jonghyun’s car, that was none of his business.

While waiting for the taxi, he drank a cup of cold tea. His calm gaze fell upon the face of the sleeping drunkard. Although Han Jonghyun was pathetic, Cheon Sejoo honestly couldn’t help but be curious after hearing his story.

Han Jonghyun’s family, who ran a mid-sized company, was well-off but not a large enough enterprise to significantly benefit the organization. Moreover, Han Jonghyun himself wasn’t a particularly meaningful asset to the organization.

He couldn’t understand why Shin Gyoyeon still kept someone in that position who merely caused trouble everywhere while being called ‘Director’. Furthermore, Shin Gyoyeon didn’t particularly like incompetent people. This meant there was no reason to take in Han Jonghyun, who was practically the embodiment of incompetence.

He had always had serious doubts about Han Jonghyun being a director, but hearing his story only made him more curious. Cheon Sejoo decided he should ask Chae Beomjun about it sometime.

“The taxi has arrived.”

Just then, knock, knock, the staff member’s voice came from outside. I’ll be right out, Cheon Sejoo quietly replied, then woke Han Jonghyun. But no matter how many times he called, “Director, Director, you son of a bitch,” Han Jonghyun wouldn’t get up. If he’s so weak to alcohol, he should stick to beer, what’s with the sake? Cheon Sejoo cursed inwardly, then finally hoisted Han Jonghyun onto his back.

“Oh, I’ll carry him!”

“No, it’s alright.”

The staff member, seeing him, approached in surprise, but Cheon Sejoo waved him off. It was annoying enough that they had come during break time; he had no intention of making the staff do this as well. Fortunately, Han Jonghyun wasn’t as heavy as he had thought. His body, devoid of any muscle, fluttered like a paper doll. Cheon Sejoo supported his backside with one hand and exited the restaurant building.

“Ugh…”

If Han Jonghyun hadn’t come to his senses halfway, it wouldn’t have been such a terrible time. After all, by following Han Jonghyun, he had discovered that Sejin was lying and working part-time. However, the impact of going down the stairs half-woke Han Jonghyun, and as if proving that old habits die hard, he began to knead Cheon Sejoo’s chest, which was within reach.

“You, haa, you’re a bit small…”

“Ah, you son of a bitch, really…”

“It’s okay, oppa likes small ones, too…”

The hand that gripped his chest muscle while whispering in his ear definitely didn’t seem to belong to a drunk person. Cheon Sejoo quietly swore, suppressing the urge to just throw him onto the floor, and barely managed to walk. Soon, he practically shoved the grinning Han Jonghyun, whose eyes weren’t even properly open, into the backseat of the taxi.

“Oh dear, he’s quite drunk. Where should I take him?”

The taxi driver asked Cheon Sejoo, looking at him as if wondering why a young man was like this. Cheon Sejoo took a deep breath to suppress his anger, then gave the driver the address of the Cheongdam-dong club. After the taxi departed, he immediately went to the parking lot. During that process, he felt an impulse to half-destroy Han Jonghyun’s car that caught his eye, but he managed to endure it. If he did that here, the valet staff would be blamed, so he had to hold back.

Leaving the parking lot, Cheon Sejoo parked his car in an alley near the restaurant. He sighed with a crumpled face, then pulled out his phone. The drunk was dealt with; it was time to solve the next problem. He sent a message to Sejin.

I’ll be at the office late due to work. What time are you meeting your friend? 5:29 PM When it’s time, we can go home together.

Stray Dog 10 PM. Are you staying until night? 5:43 PM

The reply arrived after more than 10 minutes. The different-than-usual time he was coming home suggested he might be covering for someone. It seemed like his shift ended at 10 PM. He lied, but he doesn’t want to take the subway home, huh? Cheon Sejoo chuckled and replied to him.

5:45 PM Yep. Text me where to go at 10 PM.

Stray Dog Okay, see you later. 5:47 PM 5:47 PM It’s ‘Itta’, not ‘Itda’.

Stray Dog — 5:48 PM

After finishing his conversation with Sejin, Cheon Sejoo reclined the driver’s seat and lay down. Gazing at the flickering streetlights in the already dark alley, all sorts of thoughts came to mind. The contemplation that had been interrupted by meeting Han Jonghyun was about to resume.

Various emotions tangled in his heart like a skein of yarn. It had been so long since he had truly looked into himself that he couldn’t precisely pinpoint what he was feeling, but what he could be certain of was that the outermost layer of emotions was disappointment. At this very moment, Cheon Sejoo felt hurt that Sejin had been working part-time without saying a word to him.

Why are you disappointed about what? I told him he couldn’t do a part-time job, so it makes sense he’d hide it and do it anyway. He tried to reason with himself, feeling absurd, but his tangled feelings showed no sign of easily unraveling.

The reason was clear. Last December, when he resolved Sejin’s assault case, he thought he had stepped within Sejin’s boundaries, but realizing that wasn’t the case made him wonder if his belief that he had grown closer to Sejin was all an illusion.

It was certain that Sejin had opened up to him more than when they first met. While both of them occasionally got annoyed with each other, it was proof that they were comfortable, and Cheon Sejoo no longer felt any discomfort when dealing with Sejin. So he thought Kwon Sejin would feel the same way, but…

Was it just me? Was I the only one who felt like I got closer to Kwon Sejin? He felt such childish sentiments, like a primary school student. Cheon Sejoo let out a hollow laugh, feeling utterly dumbfounded.

Anyway, if disappointment arose from such a trivial matter, the conclusion was singular: he cared for Sejin more than he realized. While he couldn’t say Sejin had already become his weakness, as Shin Gyoyeon had suggested, there was a high possibility he would become one over time.

What on earth am I supposed to do…? Cheon Sejoo sighed with a complicated heart.

It was a little past 9:30 PM when he, blaming himself, got out of the car and walked out of the alley. Taking advantage of the lull after customers had left and staff were busy closing up, Cheon Sejoo headed to the back entrance of the restaurant where the employee-only door was. He hid himself in the darkness near a large refrigerator and a snow shovel in the storage room.

Sejin messaged him around 9:50 PM, asking to meet at the nearby subway station at 10:15 PM. After replying “Okay” and waiting, employees who had finished their shifts began to pour out. Many people passed him by, and Cheon Sejoo finally heard Sejin’s voice after 10 PM.

“Sejin, are you okay? Did you get scolded a lot? Why was the manager like that?” 

“A customer patted my butt, and I told them not to, and it was because of that.” 

“What?! Hey, don’t worry about it too much. There are often people like that. They’ll pat your head, praising you like you’re their own kid. But you have to put up with it, even if it feels bad. If you mess up, even the store manager gets called, and it becomes a really big deal.” 

“Yes.”

Listening to the conversation between Sejin and the girl, Cheon Sejoo let out a baffled chuckle. If he was going to lie just to do a part-time job, he should at least pick a proper one; it made his stomach churn that Sejin was enduring such things. Hidden in the dark, Cheon Sejoo swallowed his vexation and listened intently to their conversation.

“Still, Sejin, you got a lot of tips tonight, right? See? Serving is so much better!” 

“I know. But the manager said it was just a temporary fill-in, so they couldn’t help but let me. They said I’m underage, so I can’t do it yet.”

“Oh, really? Ah, that’s such a shame… But you’ll be an adult in just one year, right? You’ll probably be able to serve from next January. If you save for just two months then, you’ll have enough for the deposit for a room to live alone.”

He had only felt disappointed that Sejin hid his part-time job, but while waiting for Sejin in the car, he hadn’t deeply considered why Sejin would do a part-time job. He had simply assumed it was for pocket money, but a deposit… At the unexpected word, Cheon Sejoo’s face hardened.

“I need to save more.” 

“Why? Oh, you want to live in a bigger house? Or do you want to go somewhere better?” 

“Yes…”

He was likely preparing for what would happen after leaving his current home. Or perhaps, he was doing this because he thought he might be suddenly kicked out of his house.

If it was truly preparation for the latter, he felt extremely unpleasant. Cheon Sejoo had no intention of kicking Sejin out. Did I make Kwon Sejin anxious? Just as a bitter expression formed on Cheon Sejoo’s face,

“Noona, please spray this for me.” 

“Okay. Turn around.”

Sejin and the girl stopped not far from where Cheon Sejoo was hiding. Sejin took a fabric freshener out of his bag and handed it to the girl, who, with a very accustomed gesture, sprayed it all over Sejin’s body and bag. He must have kept his padded jacket in a locker while working, so it wouldn’t have absorbed any smell, yet Sejin was thorough enough to even spray freshener.

“Anyway, I’m going first. See you tomorrow!” 

“Go on.”

After parting ways with the girl, Sejin left the restaurant and headed towards the alley leading to the subway station. As he walked, he slung his bag to the front and rummaged through his pants pocket. He took out an old wallet from his bag and neatly arranged the banknotes he had received as tips inside. From behind, it looked like a little over 200,000 won.

A face with a faint smile, seemingly in a good mood, came into view. He found Sejin both cute and pitiful. Cheon Sejoo silently watched Sejin’s triumphant back and had to acknowledge his own feelings.

The fact that disappointment outweighed anger, even though Sejin had lied to him for nearly two weeks, meant that Cheon Sejoo harbored considerable affection for Sejin. For Cheon Sejoo, who lived precarious days, affection was a burdensome presence. The members of the processing team, who could be said to be closest to him, were merely people he cared for, and he had never felt disappointed by them. Thus, feeling such emotions after losing Hyein was almost a first for him today.

He was afraid to feel such emotions for a child who would leave in a year. To be honest, he even thought it was an excessive emotion and relationship. But on the other hand, he wondered if that made it all the more okay. It was just one year. Wouldn’t it be alright to care for Kwon Sejin as much as he wanted during that time? After all, once Sejin left, that affection would have nowhere else to go…

With the fading echo within, Cheon Sejoo made up his mind. Just before Sejin left the alley, he called his name aloud.

“Kwon Sejin.”

At the cool voice, Sejin’s steps halted. Kwon Sejin slowly turned around, his expression as if he had seen a ghost. Watching his pale face, illuminated by the streetlamp, fade, Cheon Sejoo quietly curled his lips. He asked in a leisurely voice,

“You said you were meeting a friend. Was that woman your friend? Your girlfriend?” 

“…”

Sejin’s eyes wavered. Seeing him scrutinize him with tightly sealed lips, he seemed confused as to whether this was reality or a hallucination. It wasn’t a hallucination, of course. Cheon Sejoo slowly walked over and extended his hand. He pulled up the zipper of Sejin’s padded jacket, which was resting at his chest, all the way to his neck, and said,

“You’re taking your supplementary lessons in a strange place.” 

“That’s… not it.” 

“It’s not?”

Cheon Sejoo tilted his head and smiled. He gave Sejin a chance to retract his lie. He was fully willing to let it slide if Sejin told him the truth right then.

However, Sejin, perhaps thinking that Cheon Sejoo only knew he had come out of the restaurant, prepared to deny the part-time job. Swallowing dryly, Sejin nodded and explained to Cheon Sejoo,

“After my supplementary class, I was going home, and a friend, my friend… asked me to have dinner. So…” 

“Is that so?” 

“Uh…”

Cheon Sejoo smiled gently and licked his dry lips. His tongue rolled in his mouth. His fingers, chilled by the cold wind, brushed through Sejin’s neatly styled hair. Even though he was messing up his hair, Sejin, feeling guilty, stood there silently. Looking down at Sejin, Cheon Sejoo whispered,

“You were wearing a name tag, too.” 

“What…?” “You were working diligently from early in the morning. Very conscientious.” 

“…”

Of course, it was a lie.

Cheon Sejoo had seen Sejin at the restaurant only after 3 PM. While meeting a friend for dinner was a lie, it meant his part-time job could have been a one-off. It was possible he had really been at school before 3 PM, when Cheon Sejoo hadn’t seen him.

However, judging from the conversation Sejin had with the girl and the name tag on his shirt, it seemed clear that Sejin had been working part-time continuously since the vacation began.

So, Sejin mulled over the words Cheon Sejoo had thrown out to test him. Then, suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he retorted angrily, in an act of shifting blame:

“Were you spying on me?” 

“I expected you’d react that way.” 

“What?”

His pretty forehead furrowed. Cheon Sejoo sighed and turned around. Heading towards his car, he said,

“Follow me. The car is over there.” 

“I asked if you were spying on me!”

From Sejin’s perspective, it was a situation that could easily be misunderstood. He must have heard it as Cheon Sejoo following him all day, so it was understandable he’d be angry. Cheon Sejoo ignored the rare scolding and walked towards the alley. Sejin seemed to stand there huffing, but eventually followed Cheon Sejoo. Only after pushing the bristling Sejin into the passenger seat did he explain the situation.

“I wasn’t spying; I just happened to come to the restaurant, saw you, and waited.” 

“…”

Sejin stared at Cheon Sejoo with narrowed eyes, as if he thought he was lying. Ignoring his gaze, he added,

“If you don’t believe me, ask your co-workers. If a very handsome man came to the last room on the first-floor hallway.” 

“That’s ridiculous…”

Seeing Sejin grimace at the mention of “handsome man,” Cheon Sejoo smiled leisurely. Starting the car, Cheon Sejoo pressed the accelerator to exit the alley and asked him,

“Sejin, think about it. Should I be the one dumbfounded, seeing a guy who’s supposed to be diligently attending supplementary classes serving at a Japanese restaurant, or should you be?” 

“…”

Sejin fell silent. Kwon Sejin had a habit of exercising his right to remain silent whenever he was at a disadvantage. That silence was as good as proof that he was in the wrong, so Cheon Sejoo chuckled softly.

“Nothing to say, huh?”

At his derisive words, Sejin bit his lip tightly. His white cheek twitched. He looked as if he had something to say but eventually said nothing and sealed his lips again.

Ultimately, the question fell to Cheon Sejoo.

“Why did you lie?”

At that question, Sejin, who had been looking down at his knees, raised his head. There was a reason for his part-time job that anyone could understand, but he didn’t particularly want to explain it to Cheon Sejoo. It was a reason that wounded his pride and felt a little pathetic to tell him.

He couldn’t bring himself to say that he wanted to find a house as bright, warm, and spacious as Cheon Sejoo’s house, even if he left it later. He was afraid Cheon Sejoo might scoff, and somehow… it was just difficult to say such things in front of Cheon Sejoo.

“You don’t want to tell me?”

Since Sejin didn’t answer, Cheon Sejoo eventually pulled over. On the bridge crossing the Han River, cars sped past them on the night road, but they remained still. In the silence, as if time had stopped, it was Cheon Sejoo who spoke first again.

“Kwon Sejin. Don’t I have even this much right with you?” 

“…What?”

Sejin was greatly flustered by his sudden words, expecting him to be angry or lecture him. His eyes, wide and round, turned to Cheon Sejoo. He was looking at Sejin with a face tinged with faint fatigue. As cars passed by, the headlights repeatedly illuminated and vanished from his face.

“Don’t I have the right to understand your circumstances?” 

“…”

Cheon Sejoo, asking in a low voice, had a serious face, devoid of his usual smile. Sejin looked at him, feeling strangely familiar yet unfamiliar, and wondered when he had seen that face before.

A memory naturally surfaced. The day Cheon Sejoo had come to school, claiming to be his guardian. The day he protected Sejin, calling him a victim in front of those who accused him of being an assailant, Cheon Sejoo had worn that very same face.

“Kwon Sejin, think carefully.”

It was Sejin himself who had called Cheon Sejoo that day. It was Kwon Sejin himself who had given Seo Bo-hyung his number and hidden behind his back, escaping hardship without even a word of apology.

As if directly addressing Sejin’s realization, Cheon Sejoo asked,

“Am I not your guardian?” 

“…” 

“Still?”

His cool eyes deepened. Listening to Cheon Sejoo’s subdued voice, Sejin closed his mouth.

There was no doubt. Cheon Sejoo had protected Sejin, and within his care, Sejin was enjoying a comfortable life.

At first, even being together was uncomfortable, but not anymore. Sejin had become accustomed to daily life with Cheon Sejoo, and he occupied a large part of Sejin’s day. The reason Sejin could meet his mother without any worries was because Cheon Sejoo was taking care of him, and similarly, Sejin could interfere with his meals and his overall life. They shared the right to care for each other equally.

It was pointless to argue now who had first assigned such a role to the other. Regardless of who started it, Cheon Sejoo was undeniably Kwon Sejin’s guardian. Sejin had to give him a chance to understand him. He had the right to understand Sejin. Realizing this, Sejin looked at his reaction and quietly opened his mouth.

“Money…”

He felt his face flush hot. Feeling his chest somehow burning as if on fire, Sejin struggled to reveal the truth.

“I needed money. I have to leave your house when I become an adult… and I want to live with Mom in a house with sunlight then.”

Unlike how he had thought it would wound his pride, once he opened his mouth, revealing his true feelings wasn’t so difficult. Sejin cleared his throat and gazed at Cheon Sejoo. Looking into his dark eyes, tinged with sorrow, the traces of poverty he had never shown to others didn’t feel so shameful. An unfounded confidence welled up. He didn’t think Cheon Sejoo would mock his poverty and humble wish. Sejin continued with a slightly firmer voice,

“I’ve always lived in a semi-basement until now. It was a house with no sunlight, poor ventilation, and a lot of mold. But living in your house, I loved how much sunlight there was… and how well-ventilated and warm it was, so I started thinking I want to live in such a house with Mom when she gets out. I’m going to the military right after I become an adult, but it seemed like it would be hard to get such a house with the military savings. The part-time job, actually, I passed the interview that other time, when you weren’t home. When I was angry with you in December… And after that… if I told you I had already agreed to work without your permission…”

Sejin finished his explanation, blushing slightly.