Chapter 36: Between Loyalty and Misunderstanding

“We have something to discuss among ourselves, Director. Please go back.”

“Hm, do I need the Director’s permission to talk to him now?”

“……”

That bastard was speaking informally again.

Hyunwoo frowned, feeling irritated.

Sure, Cha Kwon-oh was older, but hearing him throw around casual speech still felt insulting.

Hyunwoo didn’t bother hiding his annoyance and sharply turned his gaze toward Seunghyuk.

“Do you have something to say to Director Cha?”

“No.”

“He says no.”

Hyunwoo looked rather smug as he faced Kwon-oh.

Kwon-oh just let out a small laugh as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Creak.

“Uh… Director Hyunwoo?”

“Ah.”

Just then, the driver who had been waiting noticed Hyunwoo coming out of the hotel and drove the car up.

He must have assumed Hyunwoo was alone, because he looked puzzled seeing the tall men with him and glanced at them cautiously.

“Sorry, but the car’s already full. Maybe next time.”

“Ha.”

Once Hyunwoo pushed Seunghyuk and Hyunjin into the back seat, there was no room left.

He climbed into the passenger seat and said to the driver,

“Drive.”

“Yes, sir.”

The driver nodded and started the engine.

Maybe because Cha Kwon-oh’s expression had been so ominous, the driver kept glancing nervously at him through the side mirror as he stood alone behind them.

“Don’t mind him. Just go home.”

“Yes, sir.”

Even so, Hyunwoo couldn’t help feeling uneasy leaving Kwon-oh alone.

The man was vindictive. He might retaliate at work.

Even though they were rivals, there were still joint projects between Munseong and L&S.

Hyunwoo sighed as the scenery outside the window flickered by.

“……”

Still, interrogating those two troublemakers came first.

He rested his chin on his hand, looking into the rearview mirror.

Maybe because they knew they’d done something wrong, both of them had been silent ever since getting into the car.

Hyunwoo turned his head slightly and let out another deep sigh.

“So, who wants to talk first?”

“……”

“……”

After arriving home, Hyunwoo sat on the living room sofa and questioned them.

For some reason, both Seunghyuk and Hyunjin knelt on the floor before the sofa, looking uneasy.

Yet, neither said a word.

Hyunjin, who had been loud enough to cause a scene in a crowded hotel, now sat like a clam with his mouth shut.

It was unbelievable.

“Not talking?”

“Well…”

Unable to hold back any longer, Hyunwoo raised his voice.

After glancing nervously at Seunghyuk, Hyunjin finally spoke timidly.

“After you met the Chairman last time, you seemed strange… so I asked Manager Kang, and he said you were going on a blind date.”

“And?”

“So then…”

“……”

Hyunjin hesitated and glanced sideways at Seunghyuk.

Even though Hyunwoo was questioning them, he could already guess most of what had happened.

Sungyoon must have carelessly mentioned the blind date to Hyunjin.

But he wouldn’t have revealed the exact date or place.

So Hyunjin probably asked Seunghyuk for help, and—just like Cha Kwon-oh had said—Seunghyuk must have used him to find out the details.

Then the two of them teamed up and ruined everything.

Hyunwoo couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

“Joo Hyunjin. Do you think me going on a blind date is some kind of joke? Something you can mess around with?”

“I… I didn’t think it was a joke.”

“Then what was that? If it wasn’t childish nonsense, what was it?”

“I just…”

Of course, Hyunwoo was angry at Seunghyuk too for helping, but the real problem was Hyunjin.

No matter how much he had spoiled him, there had to be limits.

How little must he think of him to ruin a blind date like that?

Seunghyuk probably only helped because Hyunjin asked.

But Hyunjin himself—there was no excusing that.

“But I… you’re the only family I have left…”

“…What?”

“If you get married… then I’ll be… alone… hic…”

“……!”

Big, fat tears rolled down Hyunjin’s cheeks.

This time, he wasn’t pretending.

Hyunwoo blinked, taken aback.

“Why… why would you think that?”

“B-because… hhhk…”

“……”

So that was it.

He’d been this sensitive about Hyunwoo getting married.

Come to think of it, before the regression, Hyunjin had cried a lot when Hyunwoo married Seunghyuk too.

He’d thought it was because Seunghyuk had “stolen” his brother, but maybe it wasn’t jealousy—maybe it was fear of losing his only real family.

Now that he realized it, Hyunwoo’s heart softened.

“Stop crying already. You’ve got nothing to be proud of.”

“Huuh, hyung…”

“Sigh…”

The man he’d thought was his father, Chairman Joo Moon-hyuk, wasn’t his real father.

And Nayeon only cared about herself.

It made sense that Hyunjin had clung so tightly to the only family who treated him kindly.

Still, if he didn’t say something firm now, Hyunjin would cross the line again someday.

He couldn’t let that happen.

“…Enough. Stop crying.”

“H-hyung, I’m sorry…”

“……”

Hyunwoo couldn’t stay angry.

He sighed and patted Hyunjin’s back.

‘This is insane…’

He knew something felt off, but there was no helping it.

With another deep sigh, Hyunwoo hugged Hyunjin briefly.

When Hyunjin finally seemed calmer, he spoke again.

“I’ll talk to Father, so just stay quiet for now.”

“…Okay.”

“And don’t ever do something like this again. Got it?”

“……”

No answer.

Hyunwoo narrowed his eyes, and Hyunjin quickly nodded.

“Whew…”

Blinking tiredly, Hyunwoo turned his head—and met Seunghyuk’s gaze.

For some reason, his expression seemed a bit discontent.

“…You and I need to talk.”

“Yes, sir.”

Even though Seunghyuk’s eyes were unreadable, there was something else Hyunwoo needed to ask—about Cha Kwon-oh.

He motioned toward the bedroom.

“You’re going to talk in the room?”

“Yeah.”

“……”

“Why?”

Hyunjin, who’d just stopped crying, looked startled.

They could’ve talked in the living room, but Hyunjin didn’t know much about Cha Kwon-oh.

If he overheard, it might spark unwanted curiosity.

So Hyunwoo called Seunghyuk aside instead.

But Hyunjin didn’t like it.

“Why are you leaving me out?”

“It’s work stuff.”

“……”

Even so, Hyunjin’s frown didn’t fade.

He glanced toward Seunghyuk.

“I’ll be quick. Just wait here.”

“Okay…”

Hyunwoo reached out and gently patted Hyunjin’s head.

Thankfully, Hyunjin nodded quietly, though his eyes still darted toward Seunghyuk.

‘Hmm…’

He must have been uneasy seeing them go into a room together.

To avoid misunderstanding, Hyunwoo decided he’d keep it short.

He stepped inside.

Click.

The door shut behind him.

Hyunwoo turned to face Seunghyuk.

“When did you start talking to Director Cha Kwon-oh?”

“……”

“Ha… I’m not interrogating you. I just want to know.”

After all, he had no right to demand answers.

It was natural for Seunghyuk to network between Munseong and L&S.

It just irritated Hyunwoo seeing Cha Kwon-oh’s smug face.

“…A few months ago.”

“A few months? That long?”

“He came to my department’s seminar last semester.”

“Ah.”

Right—Cha Kwon-oh was an alumnus of Korea University.

So he’d been eyeing Seunghyuk since then.

That meant even before the regression, the two had probably met much earlier than Hyunwoo had thought.

And since Seunghyuk had disliked Hyunwoo back then, it would’ve been easy for Kwon-oh to lure him away.

But now… things were different.

“…What did he say to you?”

“……”

Hyunwoo couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

It might have been a sensitive question, but Seunghyuk didn’t seem offended.

“He said I should join his company. Even offered to get me an internship.”

“But your summer internship…”

“I told him I was joining Munseong, so I wasn’t interested.”

“…What?”

He said that to Kwon-oh?

Now it made sense why Kwon-oh had looked so irritated at the hotel.

He’d already been rejected.

Hyunwoo struggled not to smile.

Even so, he couldn’t show it too openly.

He cleared his throat and tried to sound casual.

“L&S is a good company though.”

“I said I’m not interested.”

“……”

So Seunghyuk really wanted to be with Munseong.

Well… that made sense.

Hyunjin was here, after all.

Compared to a rival company with no ties, Munseong was the obvious choice.

Hyunwoo nodded to himself in quiet satisfaction.