Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 52

It was a family photo. A man in a smart suit and a woman in a dress sat between them, a one-year-old child in a suit with a bow tie, looking tearful. Given the delicate and beautiful features, it clearly seemed to be the deliveryman, Yoon Heesoo.

However, unlike him, the faces of Yoon Heesoo’s parents were unidentifiable. Their faces, blackened with pen marks as if painted over, were smudged as if wiped a couple of times, but not to the extent that their features could be discerned. Cheon Sejoo stared intently at the photo, which somehow seemed to carry resentment, then checked the back of the photo. On the back, there was some roughly scribbled writing.

‘No family, no next of kin. Don’t bury the body, cremate it.’

The moment he saw that sentence, Cheon Sejoo’s patience finally ran out. Unable to suppress the sudden surge of indignation, Cheon Sejoo bit his lip tightly. Not content with that, he put down the photo and buried his face in his hands, letting out a deep sigh.

His body felt heavy. His head was hot. The anger and sorrow he had carefully hidden in front of Sejin, who had lost his mother, belatedly rushed in and overwhelmed him. His eyes burned, and his throat tightened. Cheon Sejoo exhaled short breaths and finally shed silent tears.

He didn’t understand why innocent and kind people had to suffer such pain. From Hyein’s death to Kim Hyunkyung ‘s death. And Sejin, left alone at the young age of twenty, and Yoon Heesoo, who had nothing to organize before his impending death. Everything he had seen and experienced made Cheon Sejoo resent the world.

Why.

Why is the world so cruel to the weak…?

He wanted to scream. He wanted to rage and demand why. But there was no one to answer that question…

“……”

Instead of being swallowed by torment, he roughly wiped his cheeks. It had taken a very long time to break down, but it didn’t take long to get back up. There was no time for useless sentimentality. Someone was waiting for him, so he had to go back.

He gathered the items he had found in Yoon Heesoo’s room, placed the card key on the desk, and carefully opened the door. Confirming that no one was in the hallway, he quietly retraced his steps to the car. And then, he headed straight to the workshop.

In the workshop in Gangdong-gu, the team members were gathered. He instructed Yoon Cheoljoo, who had returned after deleting the apartment’s CCTV footage, to handle the deceased’s aftermath, and woke Hae-woong to monitor Yoon Heesoo’s cram school dorm. This was in case of any unforeseen circumstances. And Jinyoung and Seonhyuk also had their respective tasks.

On January 4th, undertaking other work before the main operation was uncharacteristically unlike Shin Gyoyeon. However, no one objected. Everyone silently busied themselves with their tasks as if it were a matter of course.

During the cleanup of the incident that occurred in front of Room 4300, they were so busy that 24 hours felt insufficient. During that time, several calls and messages arrived from Sejin. Cheon Sejoo was worried about him being alone, but he had no time to go home.

4:21 I’m too busy, won’t be able to come home for a while. Make sure you eat, and rest well at home. Got it?

Cheon Sejoo barely managed to send a message to Sejin and then put his phone on silent. When doing this kind of work, he didn’t want to include Sejin in his thoughts.

Time passed, and on January 4th, the operation proceeded as planned. They ambushed Kang Junmyeon’s car on his way home from Incheon Airport after returning from Hong Kong. However, information must have leaked, as the resistance was intense. Kang Junmyeon, turning his car towards a secluded beach to escape their pursuit, tried to flee, putting his subordinates in front. At a dead end, all the team members except Yoon Cheoljoo drew their knives and charged, and they finally succeeded in capturing Kang Junmyeon.

While they ambushed Kang Junmyeon, Baek Seonghwan, another subordinate of Shin Gyoyeon, raided Kang Junmyeon’s secret business premises. When the sudden purge began, Kang Junmyeon’s henchmen fiercely resisted. Baek Seonghwan’s subordinates engaged in a knife fight with them in a club in the middle of the city. At the end of that fight, more than ten people died, and those who were alive were dragged away for disposal.

However, none of it was reported. Several trunks crammed with bodies passed among laughing pedestrians and were neatly loaded onto trucks, but no one noticed.

“Gy-Gyoyeon, Ah, Director…!”

Kang Junmyeon, his face a bloody mess, knelt before Shin Gyoyeon, his hands clasped in a pleading gesture. Although he had risen to the position of president of DG Construction, DG’s main branch, as an old subordinate of Chairman Shin Gyeongju, Kang Junmyeon, blinded by greed, betrayed Shin Gyeongju and allied himself with Jason Lee, who sought to seize control of DG’s Hong Kong investment project.

Jason Lee had promised Kang Junmyeon exclusive distribution rights for drugs entering Korea from Hong Kong if the deal went through, but now that too became a distant prospect. Jason Lee, hearing the news of Kang Junmyeon’s capture, tried to smuggle himself to Macau to escape Liu Yuan but was caught by public security and was in critical condition from fatal injuries sustained in the process. Now, no one could save Kang Junmyeon.

“We’ve known each other for many years…! Huh?”

Kang Junmyeon pleaded for leniency, his words slurring due to missing teeth. But to Shin Gyoyeon, Kang Junmyeon was merely an old man who had sold out organizational information and betrayed them. The times when Kang Junmyeon had given pocket money to young Shin Gyoyeon and carried him on his back had long lost their meaning in his memory.

“They say Jason Lee is dying today or tomorrow from shock due to excessive bleeding.”

Shin Gyoyeon, sitting on a chair in front of Kang Junmyeon, calmly said this while smoking. Cheon Sejoo stood in front of him, clutching Kang Junmyeon’s hair. The old man easily succumbed to the violence, swaying as if he would collapse at any moment. He supported Kang Junmyeon’s body with his leg to prevent him from falling sideways. A metallic smell rose from his hand, damp with blood. A splitting headache assaulted him, but Cheon Sejoo endured the entire time with an expressionless face.

“Liu Yuan, the eldest son, barely got the project proposal after years of lobbying, so how could Jason Lee, who came from the streets, take over the casino?”

“My… my… child… made a mistake…”

His voice, begging for forgiveness, was laced with sobs. Shin Gyoyeon smiled broadly and placed his foot on the spine of the knife plunged into Kang Junmyeon’s groin. He pressed down firmly, and Kang Junmyeon shrieked in agony. Cheon Sejoo stood by, observing the entire process.

“The Chairman is very angry. Knowing the old man’s temper, I can’t understand it at all.”

How many things could Shin Gyoyeon truly understand? Cheon Sejoo tried to divert his thoughts elsewhere, tightening his grip on Kang Junmyeon’s hair. In familiar patience, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

The reason he joined the organization was solely for Hyein’s revenge. After the funeral, after placing Hyein in the columbarium, and staying there until sunset, he returned home. That day, Cheon Sejoo met a girl hesitating to ring the doorbell in front of his door.

She was startled to see Cheon Sejoo in funeral attire, then with a conflicted expression, she tried to speak to him before suddenly turning and running towards the emergency exit. The moment he saw her retreating figure, he somehow felt he couldn’t let the child go. Cheon Sejoo hurriedly ran and grabbed the girl, and finally, from the tear-streaked child, he heard the circumstances that led Hyein to make such an extreme choice.

Cheon Hyein, with a face so beautiful and striking that no one could help but turn their head, had a simple personality that didn’t match her flashy appearance. The bullies at Hyein’s school wanted to pull her into their group, but Hyein’s nature made her reluctant to refuse, which seemed to be the start of her ostracization.

They would frequently call Hyein out to humiliate her, causing physical harm and emotional pain with their words. After they found out about her older brother, a medical student, whom she had only bragged about to a few close friends, Cheon Sejoo became Cheon Hyein’s weakness. They slowly drove Hyein to despair, telling her that she was nothing but a burden on her brother’s life, and that it would be better for someone like her to die.

The moment he heard that from one of Hyein’s friends, Cheon Sejoo was overwhelmed by an inescapable despair. While he was holed up in the operating room, Hyein had called, and Cheon Sejoo couldn’t answer. Perhaps Hyein had been trying to ask him something then. Cheon Sejoo couldn’t erase that thought from his mind after that day.

Oppa, if I were gone, would your life be a little easier?

If he had answered Hyein’s call, if she had asked him that, Cheon Sejoo would have explained in detail how precious she was to his life. Cheon Hyein was the purpose of Cheon Sejoo’s life, the pillar that supported his existence. Cheon Sejoo was someone who, from the day he learned he had a younger sibling, had vowed at a young age to live for his only family member, and therefore, he had never once thought of Hyein as a burden.

However, he couldn’t answer the phone, and Hyein, thinking that Cheon Sejoo considered her a burden and rejected her, just as they said, opened the window and jumped.

Thus, after realizing the full story of her death, Cheon Sejoo was consumed by fierce vengefulness. He asked the child for the identities of the perpetrators who had tormented her and prepared to take revenge on them.

There were many bystanders, but there were two main instigators. First, Cheon Sejoo grabbed one of them, cut the tendons in her arms and legs, and severed her tongue. The malicious child, reduced to something less than a worm, crawled on the floor, begging him for mercy. Of course, Cheon Sejoo had no intention of killing them.

Hyein chose death because life was too much for her. Therefore, Cheon Sejoo intended to give them a life where death would be eagerly desired.

The first revenge thankfully concluded without major problems. He escaped without leaving a trace, and the police, unaware of the motive, could not identify him as a suspect.

Cheon Sejoo was caught the moment he was about to harm the next instigator. There was a gap of a few days before he prepared for the second revenge, during which Hyein’s friend, concerned that Cheon Sejoo might make an extreme choice while left alone, visited his house, sensed something suspicious, and reported it to the police.

He was immediately detained, and the revenge drama enacted by him, the sole perfect scorer on the SAT of that year, a graduate of a prestigious medical school, and a self-made doctor who grew up in an orphanage, was sensationalized in newspapers. At the Korea University alumni reunion held at the same time, there was much debate about what he had done, and Chae Beomjun, who attended the reunion, conveyed the story to Shin Gyoyeon.

How much must he have loved his younger sister to abandon his promising life and make such a decision? It was both a misfortune and an opportunity for Shin Gyoyeon to become interested in the person Cheon Sejoo.

Chae Beomjun visited Cheon Sejoo, who was confined in a detention center, awaiting trial. He offered him a proposition: to join the organization and work under Shin Gyoyeon in exchange for helping him complete his unfinished revenge.

Cheon Sejoo was deeply immersed in extreme regret, so at the time, he had no room to think about how that decision would twist his life. He thus accepted Shin Gyoyeon’s offer, and as soon as he was released due to insufficient evidence, he finally completed his revenge with Shin Gyoyeon’s help.

However, the euphoria was short-lived. Stepping into the darkest shadows of the organization to receive training from Seok Yoon-hyung at Shin Gyoyeon’s will, Cheon Sejoo soon realized that he had lost everything he had left as the price for Hyein’s revenge.

His peaceful life had been shattered from that day on. From the moment he also held a knife to survive against Seok Yoon-hyung, who rushed at him with a knife, Cheon Sejoo had endured every single moment.

The same applied to the work in the workshop. While interrogating Kang Junmyeon and his subordinates with Shin Gyoyeon, Cheon Sejoo endured the moments of violence and death, just as he always did. There was always a continuous test of patience.

After all that was done and Cheon Sejoo finally emerged under the blue sky, a week had passed since he left home.

Cheon Sejoo, his cheeks noticeably thinner from not eating properly for several days, got out of the car. His headache was intense. Even after showering once at the workshop, he felt as if his whole body smelled of blood. He walked, trying to forget Kang Junmyeon’s screams echoing like the wind.

Shin Gyoyeon mostly handled Kang Junmyeon’s interrogation. Even though Cheon Sejoo rarely directly laid hands on him, enduring that time was incredibly difficult. Shin Gyoyeon was a person who had no mercy in his actions. Watching him torture the opponent with extreme cruelty made him feel as if he was losing his mind. Cheon Sejoo had to bite his tongue several times to maintain his sanity.

In the middle, Baek Seonghwan, who had raided Kang Junmyeon’s club, came to the workshop with documents he found in his office. Cheon Sejoo stood guarding Kang Junmyeon and watched everything as Shin Gyoyeon scanned Kang Junmyeon’s burner phone and transaction ledgers.

Shin Gyoyeon does not share all information with his subordinates for security. Chae Beomjun was the only one who knew everything he knew, so Cheon Sejoo couldn’t know what information Baek Seonghwan had found. But judging by Shin Gyoyeon’s mood hitting rock bottom afterward, Kang Junmyeon must have caused more trouble. Even his subordinates were called in one after another and suffered greatly.

Cheon Sejoo pressed his eyes tightly to erase the lingering bloodstains and boarded the elevator. Arriving on the 41st floor, he stood in the lobby and saw the front door. Cheon Sejoo stood there for a while, silently staring at that door.

The worry for Sejin, which he had reluctantly pushed aside, now bloomed. Sejin, who hated quietness and was so weak that he couldn’t sleep properly for a while when Cheon Sejoo wasn’t there. A sudden wave of guilt washed over him for leaving such a child alone at home for over a week.

He punched in the code and entered, greeted by a quiet entryway. Sejin’s and his shoes were neatly arranged on the floor. Seeing his sneakers next to them, it seemed he hadn’t left the house. Unlike when he first met Sejin, the fact that he had been home for several days didn’t make him feel scared. Cheon Sejoo knew well how strong and resilient Sejin was.

As he entered the hallway, the sensor light turned on, illuminating the space. Cheon Sejoo followed the guiding light and walked towards the living room. Even as he got closer to the living area, no sound was heard. He slowly looked around the house.

The dishwasher in the kitchen was left open. Realizing that the dishes inside were different from what he remembered, Cheon Sejoo understood that Sejin had been eating meals. There was nothing in the refrigerator, but since he was a child who readily ordered delivery and could make something even with simple ingredients, he didn’t need to worry about him starving.

Cheon Sejoo, assured that Sejin was doing reasonably well, moved his feet. He was about to go into his room to get clothes to wash, but then he felt that Sejin might be sleeping in his room, so he lowered his hand from the doorknob. He didn’t want to wake him. No, he didn’t want to face Sejin in this state.

Cheon Sejoo, who had been staring blankly at himself clad in black, silently turned away. He went into the alpha room, took out clothes from the dryer, and went into the bathroom. And there, he washed his entire body with hot water. He stood under the water for a very long time until the smell of blood, which lingered beyond reality into his memories, faded away. Only after a long time did he come out.

Cheon Sejoo, with a flushed face, stood in front of his bedroom. He put his hand on the doorknob, hesitated, and then slowly opened the door.

The inside of the dark bedroom was quiet and dim. A small sliver of light pouring through the gap between the ceiling and the curtain barely illuminated Sejin’s form.

Curled up alone, Sejin looked incredibly lonely. Somehow feeling a lump in his throat, Cheon Sejoo stood still, unable to move, and looked down at Sejin.

Kwon Sejin was lying on Cheon Sejoo’s bed. Instead of a blanket, he was covered with clothes Cheon Sejoo often wore, and he was curled up, clutching the T-shirt Cheon Sejoo had taken off a week ago.

His eyes were wet, as if he was dreaming something, and the veins on Sejin’s hand, gripping the shirt, bulged. Sejin was waiting for him like that, holding onto his traces with all his might as if he would never let go.

Seeing that sight, he suddenly felt a fire spreading deep in his chest. Cheon Sejoo recalled the countless gazes and touches Sejin had sent his way. The arms that embraced his waist, not just a hug, the head that leaned on his shoulder. Sejin’s gaze that met his intently always lingered on Cheon Sejoo’s lips at the end, and that gaze didn’t easily leave even after he turned his head away.

He finally realized that such a meaning was hidden in Sejin’s actions, which he had strenuously tried to frame as affection for a guardian.

It wasn’t that it had never been strange, but until now, Cheon Sejoo had simply thought that Sejin’s leaning and relying on him was just a feeling towards a guardian. He had been an overly attentive son to Kim Hyunkyung , and he was quite childish for his age. That’s why Cheon Sejoo had also comforted Sejin and held him in his arms without hesitation, but it had been a complete misjudgment.

This… this was too much. The desperation, the affection, the craving that he faced in silence could never be feelings for a guardian.

Why, me…?

It was the moment he instinctively stepped back, losing his voice. Sejin, who had been dozing, woke up at the feeling of a presence. In the darkness, his glass-like eyes glowed. Sejin, who had been staring blankly ahead, soon discovered the silhouette hidden in the shadows and lifted his head.

“…Cheon Sejoo.”

Focus gradually returned to his hollow eyes. Even in the faint light, Sejin’s eyes immediately became moist. Cheon Sejoo stiffened like a statue and remained silent. Meanwhile, Sejin got up from his spot and rushed to him, collapsing into his arms. He folded his large body, wrapped his arms around Cheon Sejoo’s neck, and pressed himself against him. A hot warmth enveloped Cheon Sejoo.

“Why, now…?”

Sejin blamed Cheon Sejoo in a fragile voice. The longing, resentment, and yearning contained in that question were heavier than anything else in the world. When did he grow so big? The feelings that had grown in Cheon Sejoo’s misunderstanding carried a weight too heavy for him to bear. Cheon Sejoo felt like he was suffocating and closed his eyes.

Sejin, who frequently leaned on him, came to mind. That small body… No, in fact, Sejin had not been smaller than Cheon Sejoo for a long time. Cheon Sejoo had only thought of him as a child, but at some point, he had been looking down at him from a higher place.

The reason he treated Sejin like a child was clear. Sejin’s often blind gaze towards him was as pure as a child’s. It was a complete heart that no one could defile. That’s why Cheon Sejoo didn’t think it was meant for him. He had only considered his feelings for the role he had taken on: ‘guardian’.

…This isn’t right. He hadn’t wanted such heavy feelings. Cheon Sejoo had only cherished Sejin because he wanted him to be happy, and that was a selfish act that didn’t deserve reciprocation.

“You’re all I have left…”

Tear-like flames wet Cheon Sejoo’s neck. In the realization that caused pain like his breath being cut off, Cheon Sejoo pushed Sejin away. Sejin looked down at Cheon Sejoo with a pathetic expression. His soaked face flushed, he grabbed Cheon Sejoo’s wrist, asking where he was going again.

Shaking off even that hand, Cheon Sejoo turned and left. An unbearable wave was crashing over him. He fled from the suffocation.