Chapter 100: Airport Pickups and Suspicious Strangers

At the same time, a bicycle whizzed past my side. Do-yun released his hold on my waist and asked, sounding puzzled:

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“…It’s nothing.”

The park in front of the house was, as always, refreshing and quiet. Do-yun now came and went from my place naturally, even without a specific reason. If it had been because of Han Won-ju, he wouldn’t need to come anymore since the guy ended up in the ICU, but seeing him keep coming made me feel strange.

“…I just thought I might be taking up too much of your time lately.”

“Huh? You, taking up my time? What kind of nonsense is that….”

Do-yun laughed as if he’d just heard the most absurd thing in the world. I stared at him for a moment before looking away.

Han Won-ju was a bad person to begin with, and he had caused harm not just to me but to many people, so there was no need for me to feel sorry for him.

I should be happy.

But I felt so uncomfortable….

Without realizing that Do-yun was staring at me, I continued walking stiffly like a toy soldier. Eventually, Do-yun grabbed my hand again and came to a dead stop.

“Hyung…. Is something going on lately?”

“No? No. Not at all. Everything’s great,” I replied, startled.

Do-yun shifted his gaze thoughtfully and muttered, “Lately, you’ve been….”

“Hmm?”

“Never mind.”

Do-yun’s eyelashes were very long as he looked down. I watched him sigh as if frustrated and thought:

What would happen if I asked him about Han Won-ju right here?

In the original story, right after the secret of Choi Seung-hyeon’s birth was revealed and the whole country was buzzing with gossip, Bae Ji-an had asked Do-yun about Choi Seung-hyeon.

‘By the way, Do-yun-ssi… what happened to your brother?’

To Bae Ji-an, Choi Seung-hyeon was an incredibly uncomfortable person—not just uncomfortable, but the criminal who had kidnapped her. If that criminal was her boyfriend’s brother, it would have been difficult for someone with a normal mindset to keep dating Do-yun. Thinking about it again, Bae Ji-an, who decided to marry him anyway, isn’t exactly an ordinary person either.

To her, Do-yun had said with a worried face:

‘Well, he must have been shocked because he ran away from home. I guess he was embarrassed because the articles only talked about him. But he’ll be back soon. You don’t have to worry too much, Ji-an-ssi. My brother has always been that kind of person.’

But Choi Seung-hyeon never returned after that. Thinking of that… even if I asked about Han Won-ju, Do-yun would probably…

‘I heard he regained consciousness, which is a relief. You were so worried, Hyung.’

He’d likely say something like that. I knew he wouldn’t be honest with me anyway, so there was no need to go looking for trouble. Whether in the original work or now, Do-yun never spoke about things he had decided to keep quiet.

I mean, look at how he still hasn’t told me why he left me back then. Just then, Do-yun looked at me with a slightly somber face.

“…Did I do something wrong?”

Suddenly, Do-yun’s trademark “pitiful puppy” face came out. I waved my hand dismissively.

“No, I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately.”

“About Han Won-ju?”

I was terrified. Can this guy read minds?

“Why are you so surprised? Your mind has seemed elsewhere ever since that day.”

“…Was it that obvious? I just… I was thinking about how fragile a human life is.”

I ended up saying it. But Do-yun looked at me as if I were talking nonsense.

“Pardon? He’s alive, isn’t he?”

“Uh… right.”

So as long as he’s breathing, it’s not a problem?

“I mean, just that life feels empty. No matter how much money he has, he won’t be able to live a normal life now….”

“Hmm, true. Money isn’t everything.”

Do-yun nodded lightly, agreeing with me.

“Anyway, you still worry about that… person even though you suffered so much because of him. You said he even tried to force drugs on you.”

“I’m just… I just think his life is pathetic. But did you also have something bad happen with him?”

The question finally escaped my throat. Do-yun looked at me for a moment before answering.

“I did.”

Gasp.

The motive is clear. That bastard Han Won-ju… I briefly thought of Bae Ji-an, but it didn’t seem like she was the one he had messed with. I’d confirmed she went to work fine today, and there didn’t seem to be any trouble at her home.

Maybe the reason Han Won-ju survived at all was because the person he touched wasn’t Bae Ji-an.

“Is it all resolved now?”

“Yes.”

Do-yun said with a smile. Just then, his phone rang. His expression stiffened slightly for a moment before he turned away to take the call. Judging by his tone, it sounded like a close friend, but his voice was quite serious.

After a moment, he hung up and told me:

“Hyeong-ju says he’s coming back to Korea this Saturday.”

“Was that Hyeong-ju just now? What happened to make you look so serious?”

“Just business talk.”

Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind like a bolt of light. If Yu Hyeong-ju is just returning now… doesn’t that mean he wasn’t involved in the Han Won-ju incident? Just as I was breathing a secret sigh of relief, Do-yun asked me:

“Do you want to see him together that evening? It’s been a while.”

I briefly checked my schedule and shook my head.

“No, my mother is coming back Friday evening. She said she has a lot of luggage, so I think I should go to the airport. And I’ll probably be at the main house for a few days. Let’s see him another day.”

“Ah.”

Do-yun nodded, appearing flustered. My mother had been staying at my aunt’s place in Italy for two months. Attending an international exhibition was the main reason, but the goal was also to get some rest.

Meanwhile, Do-yun seemed embarrassed to have so openly revealed that he had momentarily forgotten Shin Mi-seon’s return date.

I spoke quickly before Do-yun could overthink it.

“I can handle the bags myself, so you don’t have to come.”

“…Okay.”

The real reason, of course, was that Madam Shin Mi-seon didn’t particularly like Do-yun, and we both knew it, but we decided to wrap it up like this for now. However, Do-yun hesitated uncharacteristically before suddenly grabbing my hand.

“Can I ask one childish question?”

“What is it?”

“If it weren’t Yu Hyeong-ju, but me and your mother returning at the same time…. Who would you go pick up, Hyung?”

“…That really is childish.”

“I know. So, couldn’t you just say it would be me?”

He sounded like he knew it wouldn’t be him, so he was just asking for the words. I finally let out a weak laugh.

“Fine, it’s you. You.”

Do-yun beamed. I felt a bit troubled for a moment, wondering how this boy, who looked like a delicate pear blossom, could be linked to a terrifying group like the Yakuza.

It was Friday, and I had applied for an afternoon field assignment so I could head to the airport to pick up my mother. It was a great tip for leaving work early without using annual leave. But as I was heading home a bit early, someone followed me and struck up a conversation. He looked to be in his 30s, but his behavior felt strangely unnatural for that age.

“Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to Haewon E&M from here? My phone battery died.”

“Oh, just go to that church you see over there, turn right, and keep going straight.”

The man looked very apologetic. “I’m sorry, but this is my first time here…. Could you just walk with me to that traffic light? I’m so confused.”

I looked at the man again. What is this? A cult? As I scanned him, he scrunched his face into a pitiful expression.

“I’m from the countryside, so I really don’t know the way….”

“Aha.”

He had a scar under his eye, so he looked more scary than pitiful, but I nodded reluctantly. The church was just up ahead anyway. And if he turned out to be weird, I felt like I could take him.

“Follow me.”

“Th-thank you!”

The man followed half a step behind me and started talking about things I hadn’t asked. He said he’d been in Seoul for a while, but making a living here was so hard. He’d been unemployed for years and started a business, but that didn’t go well either, and he was exhausted. Just as he was about to give up, he fortunately met a like-minded “older brother” recently, and the two of them were living together in a tiny room.

“But that brother has a really amazing business item. If it succeeds, it’ll be huge. A real life-changer.”

He talked so much that we arrived at the traffic light in no time. He said he’d lived alone for a long time, so he seemed lonely and curious. It felt like he just needed someone to talk to. Feeling annoyed, I just played along.

“Yeah, I hope that ‘huge item’ is a success.”

The man’s eyes sparkled as he laughed.

“It has to be. By the way, do you have a roommate, sir?”

“I…. My brother comes over sometimes. We don’t live together, though.”

The man nodded with a short “Ah.” I pointed out the way to him once more.

“See that church? Turn right there.”

“Thank you.”

The man bowed to me and crossed the crosswalk, disappearing. I felt bad, but he looked so shady that I was tense, thinking he might ask if I “believed in the Tao” or something, but surprisingly, nothing happened.

I guess I have been too sensitive lately.

I took a taxi immediately. Since my mother’s secretaries and staff from the main house were supposed to be there, I didn’t need to take my own car. It was before rush hour, so fortunately, the road to the airport wasn’t congested. Arriving quickly, I stood at the arrivals hall on the first floor and waved when I saw my mother walking out elegantly with her suitcase.

“Over here!”

My mother spotted me and gave a faint smile.

“I told you that you didn’t have to come.”

Even as she said that, she looked pleased.