Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 9

In that state, the car stopped in front of a building in Cheongdam-dong. The place where the deliveryman hid the drugs was a private club operated by Shin Ji-han. Shin Ji-han was one of Chairman Shin Kyung-ju’s five sons, the head of DG, and the younger brother of Cheon Sejoo’s superior, Shin Gyoyeon, also serving as the CEO of DG Entertainment.

The club he managed was not a place anyone could enter. It was membership-based, so ordinary people couldn’t even enter the parking lot without a membership card or being accompanied by a member. Therefore, their sedan was blocked from entering the parking lot.

“Who are you?”

It was nominally a guard, but the man, no different from a gangster, flexed his bursting chest muscles and glared with fierce eyes. Moon Seonhyuk silently rolled down the back window. Cheon Sejoo, sitting behind the driver’s seat, rummaged in his chest pocket and pulled out a business card. When he handed it to the guard, the man flipped the card this way and that, scrutinizing it as if to distinguish a fake. Then, as if convinced it was genuine, he bowed 90 degrees and greeted.

“Hello, Team Leader Cheon Sejoo. I will escort you inside.”

The barrier bar went up, and the sedan entered the underground parking lot. Cheon Sejoo received his business card, which read “DG O&M Strategic Planning Team Leader,” and put it back in his pocket. DG O&M was an investment company operated by Shin Gyoyeon, DG’s successor, and being part of its Strategic Planning Team meant that Cheon Sejoo was a direct subordinate of Shin Gyoyeon. That business card was practically an access pass to all buildings belonging to DG.

Parking near the elevator, the three, led by Cheon Sejoo, immediately went up to the 5th floor. When they got out of the elevator, the hallway before them was dead silent. It wasn’t the time for people to come and go, and the soundproofing was so good that even if someone screamed inside, it couldn’t be heard from outside. Cheon Sejoo walked without hesitation. He already knew where the goods were hidden.

Finally, he found Room 13 in the center of the hallway and turned the doorknob. But thunk, the door was locked. Cheon Sejoo frowned, looked around, found a camera watching him in a corner of the ceiling, and gestured towards it. After a few minutes of wiggling his finger, a man in a perfectly fitted suit appeared before them. He was the club manager.

“Open it.”

At Cheon Sejoo’s blunt demand, indicated with a flick of his chin, the man wore a troubled expression. The two had met before. Cheon Sejoo quietly narrowed his eyes. Seeing him hesitate to open the door even though he knew who Cheon Sejoo was, someone inside must have been quite high-ranking.

“Who is it? A National Assembly member?”

At Cheon Sejoo’s question, the manager shook his head. If not a National Assembly member, then a rich family’s scion? But even at that question, the manager shook his head. If it wasn’t either of those two, there was no reason to hesitate. Annoyed, Cheon Sejoo sighed and asked again.

“An executive?”

“Yes…”

Which brazen bastard would be doing drugs here in broad daylight? A couple of people came to mind, but in any case, they weren’t people Cheon Sejoo had to wait for. Even if Chairman Shin Kyung-ju were inside, if he said he came on Shin Gyoyeon’s orders, they would have understood. What right did they have? The recovery of the goods was paramount, so Cheon Sejoo notified the manager.

“If you don’t open it, I’ll break it. Open it.”

“Ha, Team Leader… Then please, please shield me…”

The manager fidgeted and said so, then took out a key from his pocket and thrust it into the doorknob. Click, with the sound of the lock disengaging, the door opened. A sour smell poured out from the small gap, and Cheon Sejoo frowned deeply.

“Fuck… What the… Open… the door…”

The slow, familiar voice was recognizable. Realizing it was Han Jonghyun’s voice, Cheon Sejoo stopped Seonhyuk and Haewoong from entering. Han Jonghyun, who already had a bad temper, was especially abusive towards his subordinates. Moreover, judging by the atmosphere, it seemed like he had partied hard all night, and it didn’t seem like a good sight for Haewoong, who was only twenty-five. He entered alone and called out to Han Jonghyun.

“Director Han.”

Thud, the door closed. As the light from outside disappeared, only the faint glow of indirect lighting remained in the dim interior. Cheon Sejoo looked around the room, his face now expressionless.

“What…”

The interior was a mess. Wine glasses and withered fruit snacks were scattered everywhere on the tables, and several used condoms lay on the floor. The air was thick with the smell of marijuana, and even a syringe lay rolling on one side of the table. It was a disgusting sight.

However, unlike the traces left by many, only Han Jonghyun remained. The tall, lanky man was sprawled on the sofa. Perhaps a chill had run through his bare upper body from the wind that entered when the door opened, as he was stroking his arm and lifted his head towards the source of the sound.

His bloodshot eyes were unfocused. Han Jonghyun, with a pale face, sniffled and shook his head a few times, then lifted his torso and leaned against the sofa. Haa, he let out a languid breath as he regained his senses, while Cheon Sejoo pulled out a jackknife from his pocket. Then, without hesitation, he began to search for the goods.

The room had a semi-circular seating arrangement. The deliveryman had said he had hidden the drugs inside the sofa cushions. Rip, at the harsh sound of the sofa leather tearing, Han Jonghyun’s eyes snapped open. His narrow eyes scrutinized Cheon Sejoo.

“Look who it is. Isn’t it our Team Leader… Agh! Fuck… What are you doing, though…?”

Perhaps he was still dazed, as Han Jonghyun mumbled mid-sentence, then thump, hit his head on the table. He slowly chewed out a curse and lifted his head. Han Jonghyun rubbed his reddened forehead gently, then tilted his head and spoke to Cheon Sejoo.

However, Cheon Sejoo was not in the mood to converse with a drug addict. He ignored his question and turned his eyes to the next seat. Thud, the jackknife plunged in again, savagely tearing the leather.

“Hey, give me some water…”

Han Jonghyun, perhaps thirsty, stroked his exposed neck and spoke. Cheon Sejoo glanced at him, then grabbed a water bottle rolling on the table and threw it. Thwack, the water bottle hit Han Jonghyun’s head and fell to the floor, rolling away. An annoyed scream echoed.

“Ah! Fuck! You did that on purpose!”

It must have been a pain that fully woke him up. At his now clear voice, Cheon Sejoo shrugged his shoulders, pretending not to know. Then he moved to the next sofa. He wanted to quickly find the drugs and leave, but the item didn’t easily reveal itself. Meanwhile, as he got closer to Han Jonghyun, who was sitting in the middle of the sofa, a sense of repulsion rose. Feeling the increasingly strong smell of marijuana, he continued his work with a hardened expression.

“You rude bastard…”

While Han Jonghyun grumbled at Cheon Sejoo, he picked up the water bottle from the floor and mercilessly poured its contents over his face. He’d stick out his tongue to catch the gushing water, or he’d wipe his face as if washing it, and when the water ran out, he’d toss the empty plastic bottle anywhere. It was truly a pathetic sight.

“Haa, it’s hot…”

Rip, tear, the leather ripped again. But the item didn’t appear this time either. Surely he hadn’t lied. Cheon Sejoo frowned and shifted his gaze. Next was the spot where Han Jonghyun was sitting.

“Move.”

At his indifferent words, Han Jonghyun, who had been smacking his lips on the water dripping, widened his eyes. Then, as if he had heard something unbelievable, he raised his hand and pointed at himself, asking, “Me?” Cheon Sejoo nodded, and Han Jonghyun scoffed, laughing as if incredulous.

“Haha, how dare you tell a Director to move… Agh! Fuck!”

Cheon Sejoo didn’t wait for Han Jonghyun. Thwack, the jackknife plunged in between his widely spread legs.

Han Jonghyun’s wide eyes dropped downwards. For a moment, thinking his dick was about to be cut off, he screamed. Realizing the blade had merely ripped the sofa, he gasped loudly. Then, as if his pride was hurt by the fact that he had been scared, his face flushed, and he gritted his teeth. This bastard, Cheon Sejoo, ignored the sound of him cursing and concentrated on the sensation on the tip of his knife. There was something inside.

“You really…”

“Just be quiet.”

Cheon Sejoo met Han Jonghyun’s angry gaze and reached his hand between his legs. The man flinched, stiffening his body, misunderstanding the gesture.

“What in the…?”

His unpleasant face turned pale. What. Cheon Sejoo replied silently and pushed his hand inside the sofa seat. Then, something touched his fingertips. Grabbing the hard plastic container, Sejoo took it out without hesitation. Han Jonghyun’s surprised gaze followed the white container. Recognizing what it was, he soon let out a sigh of relief and mumbled,

“Fuck, you scared the hell out of me.”

The white pill bottle was filled with clear methamphetamine crystals. It was what the deliveryman had stolen. One, two… Cheon Sejoo took out a total of five pill bottles and placed them on the table.

“If you came to find the drugs, you should have said so, why did you reach between my legs without a word? I thought you were touching my dick…”

Meanwhile, Han Jonghyun grumbled, as if afraid someone wouldn’t know he was straight. Sejoo, who was checking if anything else was left in the hole, frowned at the words and lifted his head. Why would I touch your filthy dick?

Coincidentally, because the sofa was low, his posture was strange. Cheon Sejoo, who was bent low as if performing oral sex on Han Jonghyun when viewed from outside, saw Han Jonghyun looking down at him with disgust and spoke out of irritation.

“What, do you want me to suck your dick?”

“…Are you, you, you crazy queer bastard?”

He was a human with few endearing qualities in many respects, but this was the biggest reason why Cheon Sejoo disliked Han Jonghyun. For some reason, whatever he had heard, Han Jonghyun would always refer to him as a “queer bastard” whenever he saw him, guarding his rear end as if afraid Cheon Sejoo would take it.

At first, such a Han Jonghyun was somewhat amusing, but it was only for a day or two. Now, just being called a “queer” when he wasn’t even gay irritated him. Similar eye-level, similar physique, even a refreshing rather than pretty appearance. Han Jonghyun was so far from Cheon Sejoo’s type that he wouldn’t want to sleep with him even if he were offered a truckload. Moreover, even if he closed his eyes and tried to do it once, he wouldn’t even get an erection at the thought of having to get an STD test first, such was his dirty body. Yet, what confidence did he have to keep acting like that?

He was already annoyed, and he didn’t have the patience to put up with this trashy bastard. Cheon Sejoo pulled his hand out of the torn sofa hole and grasped Han Jonghyun’s crotch suggestively. It seemed he hadn’t just been spreading it around aimlessly; it was quite hefty down there.

“So why do you talk about dicks in front of a gay bastard, Director? I almost got aroused.”

At Cheon Sejoo’s words, spoken with a smile as he made eye contact up close, Han Jonghyun’s eyes widened, and he shut his mouth. Soon, he screamed like a virgin being harassed as the subtle hand gripped and shook his crotch.

“Let go, let go! Don’t, don’t let go!”

He screamed, his face flushed red. His usually unpleasant face, now contorted in shock, was quite a sight to behold. Cheon Sejoo scoffed at him, then squeezed Han Jonghyun’s testicles as if to burst them before letting go. He rose to his feet, sneering at Han Jonghyun, who was screaming and pulling away. A cool demeanor returned to his handsome face. Han Jonghyun, looking up at Cheon Sejoo, fumed with his pride, utterly wounded.

“You really want to get hit, don’t you?”

“Do so if you want to hit me.”

He really wished he would. If Han Jonghyun just hit him once, Cheon Sejoo would ask for nothing more. If he got hit first, Shin Gyoyeon wouldn’t say anything even if he tore that noisy mouth to shreds in self-defense.

However, as if reading Cheon Sejoo’s true intentions, Han Jonghyun merely fumed and did nothing. He simply pulled his knees tightly to his chest, like a child, with his legs on the sofa. At his pathetic sight, Cheon Sejoo scoffed and shook his head. The time wasted on such a person was regrettable.

He planned to just finish his work and gathered the five pill bottles on the table. As he silently tried to leave the room, Han Jonghyun belatedly asked from behind him. His pronunciation was clear again, as if the screaming had fully restored his senses.

“What is that? Why are you taking it?”

“None of your business.”

And with his senses, his usual character seemed to have returned as well.

“Cheon Sejoo, you rude bastard. When a Director speaks, you should look him in the eye and answer him.”

“……”

Cheon Sejoo stopped dead in his tracks, sighed, and clicked his tongue. Han Jonghyun held the title of Director even though he didn’t really do anything in the organization. Cheon Sejoo had once subtly asked Chae Beomjun what kind of person Han Jonghyun was, but Chae Beomjun merely shrugged, which suggested Han Jonghyun was truly useless. It was evident just by seeing him sprawled out like a dog in the sweltering heat, even though he knew Shin Gyoyeon disliked executives doing drugs.

However, even if it was just a title, the fact remained that Han Jonghyun was in a higher position than him. And the organization prioritized hierarchy. Cheon Sejoo grumbled a low curse and turned his head.

Due to the water he had poured over his head, Han Jonghyun’s pale face was wet with moisture. Cheon Sejoo met his gaze roughly around his pupils and said,

“I came on the CEO’s orders, but if you’re really curious, I’ll call the CEO and ask if it’s something that can be disclosed to Director Han. Should I do that for you?”

“…It’s fine, just leave.”

Normally, the tedious conversation would have dragged on, but Han Jonghyun, at Cheon Sejoo’s formal question, indicated the exit as if that was enough. It was also partly because he was too exhausted from the drugs and alcohol to engage in further mind games.

Anyway, once he had permission, Cheon Sejoo left the room without looking back. He wanted to get out of this stinking place as quickly as possible.

As he closed the door and stepped out, Seonhyuk immediately stood beside him.

“Did you find it?”

He handed the pill bottles to Moon Seonhyuk, who had asked. Seonhyuk, holding the five white plastic bottles, handed them over to Haewoong again. Haewoong stuffed them all into the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie. His eyes sparkled. As if hoping to get something to eat, Haewoong looked between the manager and Cheon Sejoo.

“Is that… ah, is that it?”

The manager, who knew about the accident during delivery, asked with a horrified expression. There was no need to explain to him, so Cheon Sejoo left without replying. He heard Haewoong’s disappointed voice behind him, but he was in a hurry. He wanted to finish the work quickly.