Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 31

The war against the Sword Saint Faction was progressing smoothly. A month ago, the swordsman who finally broke under Moon Seonhyuk and Goo Haewoong’s torture revealed the hideout of Kang Cheolmyeong, Lee Hwanbae’s right-hand man. Seok Yunhyung immediately went to Incheon and ended Kang Cheolmyeong’s life.

With Kang Cheolmyeong, who controlled Incheon’s Chinatown – essentially a gateway for Korean-Chinese due to its proximity to Incheon Port – gone, smaller organizations not absorbed by the Sword Saint Faction began to run rampant, and Incheon quickly descended into chaos. Enraged by this, Lee Hwanbae, who smuggled drugs through Incheon Port, attacked DG’s underground businesses. However, thanks to Seok Yunhyung’s thorough preparations, the attacks only served to expose Lee Hwanbae himself.

The tracing team, who counter-tracked the attackers, uncovered Lee Hwanbae’s previously hidden identity, and Seok Yunhyung was now in pursuit of him. It seemed that peace would soon return to the back alleys of Seoul.

While busy chasing the Sword Saint Faction, spring passed and summer arrived. In late May, at the cusp of summer, Cheon Sejoo was on his way to Hwagak. Since it wasn’t the day he had promised to meet Kim Hyunkyung, Sejin wasn’t in the passenger seat as usual. However, he was indeed on his way to see her.

It happened two hours ago. Han Jiwon, with whom he didn’t usually speak on the phone, called him on a Monday, which wasn’t even a holiday. Since Hwagak was open, he wondered what was going on and quickly pressed the call button, only for her to deliver some not-so-good news. A few days ago, Sejin’s mother, Kim Hyunkyung, had collapsed while working. But even when Han Jiwon offered to send her to the hospital on her day off, Kim Hyunkyung seemed unwilling to listen. It didn’t feel like simple anemia, so Han Jiwon had asked Cheon Sejoo for help.

Kim Hyunkyung, having heard that Han Jiwon had called him, had specifically asked him not to tell Sejin. So, Cheon Sejoo drove out alone. Hwagak, upon his arrival, was overflowing with people despite it being early evening. Unlike the closed Wednesdays, he passed by the back road, which was packed with cars, and headed to the staff parking lot. Parking his car in a corner and stepping out, a cool breeze, unlike the city air, swept over him. Perhaps because of its location in the mountains, it seemed summer hadn’t quite reached Hwagak yet.

Walking on the round gravel path, he heard a pleasant crunching sound. Cheon Sejoo listened to the sound as he headed towards the staff dormitory. Opening the always-unlocked door, he saw Kim Hyunkyung leaning on the sofa. She definitely looked thinner than when he first saw her, confirming she was indeed unwell. Unlike her elegant and refined first impression, she now had a more sensitive air, much like Sejin.

Kim Hyunkyung had her eyes closed, unaware of Cheon Sejoo’s arrival. Observing her, sitting with one hand massaging the other, seemingly tired, Cheon Sejoo called her in a quiet voice.

“Ms. Kim Hyunkyung.”

At the gentle voice, Kim Hyunkyung’s eyes snapped open. She straightened her posture and smiled at Cheon Sejoo. Her sensitive expression vanished, replaced by regained elegance, and her smile was beautiful enough to evoke admiration from anyone who saw it.

Cheon Sejoo greeted her back and walked further into the living room. As soon as he settled into the seat opposite her, Kim Hyunkyung sighed and began to speak. Unlike the impression she gave of someone who would beat around the bush using flowery language, Kim Hyunkyung was direct, and she immediately got to the point.

“No, I don’t know what the manager said, but you really came all this way for nothing, Director. I’m really fine. I told you, I’m perfectly healthy!”

Sejin and Kim Hyunkyung were very much alike. So, she, too, despite her appearance, was strong, resilient, and steadfast like Sejin. Cheon Sejoo smiled faintly at her words as she raised her arm, flexing a non-existent bicep. He relayed what he had heard from Han Jiwon.

“You collapsed while working, I heard.”

“That was just a momentary dizziness. Everyone experiences that sometimes, right? And I have orthostatic hypotension, so I sometimes feel that way when I stand up after sitting for a long time. Really, Director.”

Kim Hyunkyung looked as if she didn’t know why she had to insist on her health to him. At her sigh-laced words, Cheon Sejoo tilted his head and asked.

“Then why did you tell Sejin not to tell him? If it happens sometimes, Kwon Sejin would know about it, wouldn’t he?”

“Are you cross-examining me now?”

It was strange how he was pressing her, but for Cheon Sejoo, it was a matter he couldn’t help but find odd. If it was truly a pre-existing condition, as Kim Hyunkyung claimed, wouldn’t there be no need to hide it from Sejin? But since she had repeatedly urged Han Jiwon not to tell him, he couldn’t help but suspect she was lying. Kim Hyunkyung soon laughed exasperatedly, then started complaining about her son.

“You know now too, Director. Our Sejin… even though he’s my son, his personality is a bit… If he heard I collapsed, he’d make a huge fuss, insisting I go to the hospital for tests right away. You know hypochondria, right? Even if I tell him it’s orthostatic hypotension, he’d get angry and yell and fuss, saying ‘Aren’t there other reasons besides that?!’ So how could I tell him? I was fine right after drinking a glass of water when I collapsed. Why would I tell Sejin about something like that? It would only distract him from his studies.”

Kim Hyunkyung also knew that Sejin was diligently studying under Cheon Sejoo’s guidance. She had initially laughed, asking what kind of joke it was when she first heard that Kwon Sejin, of all people, was solving workbooks. Now, she was even trying to hide what happened to her so as not to disturb Sejin. Cheon Sejoo listened quietly to her words, then smiled.

However, if it had just been a momentary collapse, Han Jiwon wouldn’t have contacted him. Many people lost energy while doing strenuous work, and Han Jiwon wasn’t the type to overreact to minor things.

“The manager said you seem to have abdominal pain these days. And that you’re not eating well.”

“No, that’s…”

Kim Hyunkyung seemed surprised that Han Jiwon knew even that, and her voice trailed off as she closed her mouth. A furrow appeared between her beautiful brows. As expected, something was suspicious. Cheon Sejoo stared intently at her, as if asking for an explanation.

Finally, Kim Hyunkyung sighed, her shoulders slumping in resignation, and shook her head.

“Director, actually. Haa…”

She blushed and smiled. Awkwardly touching her face with her hand, Kim Hyunkyung then quietly explained to Cheon Sejoo, as if revealing a hidden secret.

“I’m actually on a bit of a diet right now.”

“……”

Cheon Sejoo’s eyebrow raised. His eyes quietly scanned Kim Hyunkyung. There was no part of her that needed to go on a diet. Her slender, lean body was so thin that Cheon Sejoo could probably lift her with one hand, feeling like she weighed around 30kg. Of course, considering Sejin, who he thought was 45kg but was actually 58kg, she probably weighed just under 50kg, but in any case, she was excessively thin.

“Actually, over there, among the staff working in the kitchen… Ah, really. Do I even have to tell you this? But if I don’t, you’ll tell Sejin, won’t you?”

Having opened up, Kim Hyunkyung looked troubled. But then, meeting Cheon Sejoo’s unwavering and firm gaze, she finally gave up and continued.

“In the kitchen… there’s a staff member I like. So, I’m dieting to make a good impression. The abdominal pain I felt was because my stomach hurt from drastically changing my diet since I have a body type that absolutely won’t lose weight if I eat anything. It’s not what the manager thinks; this is the reason.”

A man she likes? Dieting to make a good impression? Cheon Sejoo’s lips were quivering. Seeing his expression, Kim Hyunkyung added in a small, embarrassed voice.

“I know it’s not the situation to be doing this when I’m here to pay off debt, but he’s such a good person that I don’t want to miss out. And after I pay off all my debt, if I get a staff recommendation, I might be able to continue working here, so I feel it’s a good opportunity. It’s not like I’m going to do anything with him right away. But what can I do when I want to look pretty?”

“……”

Cheon Sejoo fell silent. After hearing Kim Hyunkyung’s explanation, he finally understood the situation. It would have been impossible to bring up a relationship with Sejin, who had no good feelings left for his father. And since the person was a colleague, she couldn’t tell Han Jiwon, the manager, the truth either. So, after being suspected, she ended up confessing her personal story to Cheon Sejoo, who was unrelated.

Realizing that, he felt that Kim Hyunkyung was in a very awkward situation. However, Cheon Sejoo had no intention of ending the conversation there.

He looked at Kim Hyunkyung, his brows slightly furrowed. He knew well that women were sensitive about their weight. But to starve herself to the point of stomach pain to lose weight? Was it that important? He couldn’t understand it at all. In Cheon Sejoo’s eyes, Kim Hyunkyung was beautiful enough just as she was.

“You’re beautiful even now.”

“…Pardon?”

Cheon Sejoo praised her abruptly, without thinking. Kim Hyunkyung’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, as if questioning if she had heard correctly. He then gave her his opinion.

“You don’t need to diet; you’re more than beautiful enough as you are, Ms. Kim Hyunkyung. If a man only likes you if you lose weight, I don’t think Sejin would welcome him much either.”

“Huh…”

Since he had come here deceiving Sejin, he couldn’t help but think from Kwon Sejin’s perspective. Kim Hyunkyung let out a bewildered chuckle at Cheon Sejoo’s serious words, then burst into bright laughter. Her cheeks were rosy, seeming pleased to have heard that she was beautiful from Cheon Sejoo.

“I never thought I’d hear something like that from you, Director. I’ll have to keep this a secret from the manager.”

Kim Hyunkyung, who had been laughing for a long time, wiped the tears from her eyes and said that. Her tone suggested she also knew that Han Jiwon had an interest in Cheon Sejoo. Cheon Sejoo listened quietly, a slight smile playing on his lips. Soon, having collected his thoughts, he looked at Kim Hyunkyung and said.

“I’ll also keep what I heard today a secret from Sejin. So, make sure you eat well and diet in moderation. If I hear you’ve collapsed again, I’ll tell Sejin then.”

“Oh, I can already hear Kwon Sejin nagging. Alright, Director. I’ll take your words to heart.”

“Then I’ll see you next Wednesday.”

Fortunately, unlike his worries, there were no major problems.

Sejin didn’t talk about his father, but anyone could tell what a terrible person he was, one who would rack up debt under his wife and child’s names just to gamble, without needing anyone to explain it. It would be a good thing for Sejin if she were to welcome a hardworking man as a stepfather instead of someone like that.

Of course, Kim Hyunkyung seemed quite embarrassed to have fallen for someone in her current situation, but Cheon Sejoo thought it wasn’t a bad thing. Hwagak had good welfare and excellent living conditions for its employees, making it a place where not just anyone could work as a permanent staff member. So, if she could continue working there with that man’s recommendation, Sejin would also be able to enjoy a stable life.

Cheon Sejoo and Kim Hyunkyung left the dormitory together. He saw Kim Hyunkyung off as she walked along the flagstone path back to Hwagak to work, then went to the parking lot and leisurely smoked a cigarette. After that, instead of getting in his car, he walked back towards Hwagak.

Avoiding the busy staff, he arrived at the kitchen and peered inside through a small kitchen window facing the storage room. Among the busy cooking staff, he didn’t see anyone as young as Kim Hyunkyung. Hwagak’s head chef was in his early 50s, someone who had worked at a five-star hotel for 20 years, so there was quite an age gap with Kim Hyunkyung.

Cheon Sejoo watched her laugh and talk with the head chef for a while, then left. From the outside, he couldn’t tell, but he didn’t seem like a bad person. However, he himself didn’t look like a murderer from the outside, so Cheon Sejoo decided he should look into the man and headed to the parking lot.

On his way home, driving his car, he received a call from Doyoon for the first time in a long while. Cheon Sejoo talked with him as he drove out of Gyeonggi Province and entered Seoul. Doyoon’s words were slurred, like someone heavily drunk.

“- Hyung, but seriously… Ah, it’s so annoying…”

Doyoon, who had started an internship near Jongno in April, was hard to see these days. One wondered how much they were overworking an intern; his recent messages were filled with cute curses about his awful superior. Wishing his superior would get a hot Americano when he ordered an iced one, or that the meat would be missing from his galbi-tang due to a staff mistake, Doyoon was busy wishing small misfortunes upon his superior.

“You drank a lot.”

“- Nooo, because I’m an intern, I have to drink whatever they give me…”

It seemed Doyoon’s internship company was no good. In this day and age, forcing an intern to drink? Cheon Sejoo chuckled lightly and shook his head. It was only 7 PM, but Doyoon, who had participated in a company dinner since broad daylight, was so drunk he couldn’t even string a sentence together properly. It was clear what would happen if he continued like this, so Cheon Sejoo, driving his car towards home, asked Doyoon.

“So where are you now?”

“- Here… here… Wang simni…? My feet hurt after less than ten li… Hehehe.”

Doyoon had a habit of walking aimlessly when drunk. Before graduating from university, he once walked from Gangbuk, where his school was, all the way to Mapo-gu, forcing Cheon Sejoo to pick him up in the early hours of the morning.

Wangsimni was near Cheon Sejoo’s house. He had already walked from Jongno to Wangsimni while on the phone. Estimating Doyoon’s walking speed, he asked him what buildings he could see nearby. Based on that answer, he drove his car to Wangsimni instead of home.

“Kang Doyoon.”

Cheon Sejoo found Doyoon when he was approaching the promenade that connected Wangsimni to the Han River. The swaying figure in the dark alley near the fire station looked clearly out of his mind at first glance. Doyoon was the drunkest Cheon Sejoo had ever seen.

“Doyoon.”

Even when he called from the passenger window, Doyoon didn’t seem to realize he was being called from beside him. Cheon Sejoo hung up the phone with Doyoon, turned on his emergency lights, and got out of the car. When he walked around to block Doyoon, the small head finally lifted.

“Don’t block my way…”

His flushed face looked sulky. Cheon Sejoo let out a chuckle at Doyoon, who didn’t recognize him and was talking nonsense, then grabbed his shoulder.

“If you touch me, I’ll report you…! Let go of me…!”

Doyoon weakly resisted, but it had no effect on Cheon Sejoo. He practically pushed Doyoon into his car. After putting him in the passenger seat and locking the door, he immediately unlocked only the driver’s side and got in.

“Kidnapper… It’s a kidnapper…!”

Doyoon frowned and pounded on the window. Cheon Sejoo watched him, then shook his head and called him again. When Doyoon’s phone vibrated in his hand, he squinted at the screen, then answered the call. He put the phone to his ear and said.

“Hyung…”

He seemed unaware that “Hyung” was right beside him. Cheon Sejoo laughed exasperatedly and responded to him. “Yes, Doyoon.” And so, the two continued their absurd conversation as they headed to Cheon Sejoo’s house. Perhaps engrossed in the call, Doyoon kept chattering, oblivious to the fact that someone he didn’t recognize had put him in a car.

Even when they arrived at the parking lot, Cheon Sejoo opened the passenger door, helped him out of the car, and Doyoon was still on the phone with Cheon Sejoo. His phone was in his pocket with the screen off, but Doyoon was unaware and was diligently talking on the phone with Cheon Sejoo, who was standing beside him. It was a stand-up comedy act in itself.

After taking him up the elevator, Cheon Sejoo belatedly remembered that Doyoon had no proper place to sleep. The room he often stayed in had long been taken by Sejin, so it seemed he would have to let him sleep in his own room.

The elevator stopped on the 41st floor, and Cheon Sejoo carried Doyoon, who was on the verge of falling asleep, on his back. He opened the front door, without ending their rambling conversation. Taking off his shoes, and Doyoon’s shoes, placing them on the floor, he entered the hallway, where a delicious smell wafted through the air. It was long past dinner time, so surely Sejin hadn’t waited without eating. Thinking that, he stepped inside, and that ‘surely’ turned out to be true. On the dining table, Sejin had set out side dishes and two pairs of chopsticks neatly.

On his way to Hwagak, he had told Sejin to take the subway home today, and his response of “I won’t be too late” when asked how late he would be was the cause of this. It seemed Sejin had waited to have dinner with him.

Cheon Sejoo felt a presence and looked back, meeting Sejin’s eyes. Kwon Sejin, wearing an apron, quietly narrowed his eyes at the sight of him carrying someone on his back. His expression was unreadable, but Cheon Sejoo could tell it was closer to displeasure. Cheon Sejoo smiled faintly and subtly headed towards his room, asking.

“Didn’t you eat dinner?”

“No.”

Sejin’s gaze was fixed on Doyoon as he answered. Cheon Sejoo, in a voice barely audible, adjusted Doyoon, who was still talking to himself on the phone, and grabbed the doorknob of the bedroom.

“Wait. I’ll put him down and be right out.”

“……”

Leaving Sejin, who was staring without a reply, he entered the room. After laying Doyoon on the bed, he took out the bag he was clutching tightly as if it were a treasure, placed it beside him, and undressed him. He hadn’t seen Doyoon since he started his internship, so this was his first time seeing him in a suit, and contrary to his thought that he’d look like a little groom, he actually suited it quite well.