Chapter 121: The End I Chose

“I… don’t know.”

“Hyung….”

He was confused.

Hyunwoo was simply overwhelmed.

Seunghyuk’s sudden confession only left Hyunwoo flustered.

“We’re… already over, Seunghyuk.”

“…….”

In the end, that was the only thing Hyunwoo’s mouth could say.

He was deeply shaken and had no idea what he should do… but no matter how much he thought about it, his conclusion didn’t change.

Before regression, his relationship with Seunghyuk had already ended, and that was that.

Even if Seunghyuk had supposedly liked him, even if he regretted everything—

Hyunwoo died without ever knowing any of that.

And if it ended that way, then it would be the same even after regression.

That Seunghyuk followed him in death was shocking, yes.

But even after hearing all of that… Hyunwoo felt surprisingly nothing.

At first he was startled and confused, but gradually the feelings disappeared.

“Even if you regret it, nothing changes.

Your regrets don’t erase the things you did to me.”

“Hyung….”

“And I also did a lot of wrong to you.

We started off with the wrong button from the beginning.”

“…….”

His arrogance had hurt Seunghyuk, and Seunghyuk’s revenge had ruined him.

Even if he hadn’t died back then, their relationship would have ended disastrously.

“Let’s end it now.

That’s what’s right.”

“Hyung, I…”

“It has to end now, Seunghyuk.”

“…….”

At Hyunwoo’s quietly spoken words, Seunghyuk couldn’t say anything.

Hyunwoo turned his head away.

“Then… take care.”

“…….”

Hyunwoo walked past Seunghyuk.

Seunghyuk did not reach out to stop him.

No—he couldn’t.

Hyunwoo smiled bitterly.

A wave of shocking truth had swept through him.

Chapter 9. Dirty XX

Beep, beep-beep, beep, beep-beeep—

“Haa….”

Hyunwoo opened his eyes to the loud alarm and let out a deep sigh.

Dark circles drooped heavily beneath his exhausted eyes.

He reached out to stop the alarm, grimacing at his own worn-out face.

“This is the worst….”

His body felt terrible too—everything was terrible.

Hyunwoo barely managed to sit up.

Yesterday, he learned that Seunghyuk had regressed just like him… and that Seunghyuk had actually liked him all along.

He had said coldly that everything was over, but… human feelings don’t disappear that neatly.

He couldn’t sleep all night, tossing and turning.

He couldn’t even think of eating, so his stomach felt like it was stuck to his back.

Despite speaking so firmly to Seunghyuk, he himself was lost, unable to calm his spinning thoughts and heart.

“Huuuu….”

But no matter how much he thought about it, there was nothing he could do.

He couldn’t just accept Seunghyuk again as if nothing had happened.

Seunghyuk said he regretted everything, but Hyunwoo couldn’t even believe that.

People don’t change that easily.

And who knew what Seunghyuk might do again if things went wrong?

Hyunwoo simply couldn’t trust Lee Seunghyuk.

‘I still haven’t caught the data thief either.’

It probably wasn’t Seunghyuk—more likely another employee.

But he had to consider all possibilities.

First, he needed to go to work and fix the mess left from yesterday.

He couldn’t let the project crash.

Hyunwoo got out of bed and dragged his feet.

He washed up quickly and stepped out of the room.

“…….”

Walking down the hallway, he passed by Seunghyuk’s room.

Without realizing it, he paused.

But there was no sign of anyone inside.

Did Seunghyuk not return home last night?

Hyunwoo hadn’t told him to leave outright, but the words “let’s end it” might have been taken that way.

He should feel relieved that Seunghyuk left, but instead, his chest twisted strangely.

Hyunwoo pressed a hand against his uneasy heart.

‘I’m still… still just shocked.’

He never imagined Seunghyuk had regressed like him.

Nor that the man he thought hated him had actually held different feelings.

So of course his mind hadn’t settled yet.

Thinking that, Hyunwoo continued walking.

When he passed through the living room and reached the dining room, he sensed someone.

“Hyung, you’re up early?”

“…Yeah.”

Hyunjin greeted him with a bright smile.

Hyunwoo blinked, looking at him.

“I thought you said you were leaving today?”

“Yeah, I’m going later.

I wanted to have breakfast with you first.”

“Okay.”

Today, Hyunjin was leaving on a trip with his club friends.

While they sat across from each other eating, Hyunjin nagged nonstop.

“Got it? Don’t open the door for strangers.

Don’t take anything people give you randomly outside.

And if someone suspicious follows you—”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“You’re too careless.

You never know what might happen.”

“…….”

Well… coming from someone who had literally been stalked, it had a strange persuasive force.

But as an Alpha, Hyunwoo couldn’t imagine such a thing happening to him, so he only nodded half-heartedly.

“And I’ll be back before your birthday, so don’t worry.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t need to worry that much, but Hyunwoo kept his mouth shut, fearing more nagging.

He never imagined he’d be nagged like this by Hyunjin of all people.

His expression must have looked that awful.

Hyunwoo let out a bitter smile.

“Maybe I should just not go?”

“What are you talking about? Your friends are waiting—go.”

“Hing.”

At the front door, Hyunjin kept looking back repeatedly, unable to let go.

“You’re really okay, right?”

“…….”

Hyunwoo hadn’t told Hyunjin anything.

Not about him and Seunghyuk.

Not about L&S stealing Moonseong’s project.

Hyunjin just worried because Hyunwoo seemed depressed.

Hyunwoo let out a small laugh and reached out to pat Hyunjin’s head.

“I’m really fine.
Go enjoy your trip.”

“…Okay.”

Hyunjin’s face reddened at the touch.

Hyunwoo suddenly had the urge to pinch those pink cheeks—they looked soft and squishy.

But he barely resisted, lowering his hand.

He couldn’t treat his grown brother like a child forever.

“I’ll call when I get there.”

“Okay.”

After seeing Hyunjin off, Hyunwoo prepared for work.

Just thinking about going in made his body feel heavier.

He sighed and left the house.

“Good morning, Director.”

“…Good morning.”

He arrived a little later than usual, and several employees were already there.

Hyunwoo gave a small nod to the ones greeting him.

But the office atmosphere felt wrong.

He could feel a strange hostility in people’s gazes.

He forced himself to ignore it.

“Director, you’re here.”

“Yes, good morning.”

Jung-hoon’s expression didn’t look good either.

Hyunwoo listened to his report with a stiff face.

“Uh… we tried to publish a rebuttal article, but orders came from above to wait.”

“…What?”

The only person above Hyunwoo was Chairman Joo Moonhyuk.

He had directly blocked the rebuttal.

Hyunwoo had no idea what he was thinking.

‘Don’t tell me… he plans to negotiate with L&S?’

Hyunwoo clenched his fist.

This was the project he led himself.

Whatever went wrong, he should be the one to fix it and finish it.

But Chairman Joo Moonhyuk was moving on his own without telling him—
and in the worst possible direction.

Negotiating with L&S might make sense for immediate profit.

But the opponent was Cha Kwon-oh.

That snake of a man could demand anything under the excuse of negotiation.

It was far too reckless.

“I need to meet the Chairman.”

“Um, but…”

“Why?”

“…….”

Jung-hoon hesitated and couldn’t speak.

A bad feeling crept up Hyunwoo’s spine.

“The Chairman… told you to take a vacation for a while…”

“…Ha.”

So now he planned to push him out entirely.

Hyunwoo laughed bitterly in his head.

Unable to endure it anymore, he jumped to his feet.

“What’s the Chairman’s schedule?”

“D-Director—”

“Just check if he’s in the main office right now.”

Startled, Jung-hoon tried to stop him, but Hyunwoo was adamant.

Realizing he couldn’t stop him, Jung-hoon left to check.

“Haa….”

Hyunwoo sank back into his seat and pressed his throbbing forehead.

Bzzzt, bzzzt.

“…?”

His phone vibrated on the desk.

Hyunwoo flinched and turned his eyes toward it.

Whenever his phone rang these days, one person always came to mind.

But the name on the screen wasn’t who he expected.

[Cha Kwon-oh]