Unintended Echoes

[I am attaching the photos taken by the reporter just in case.]

In addition to the massive photo I had already seen in the article, the email was packed with several other shots. Naturally, my mood soured completely. I was thoroughly planning to give Secretary Choi strict instructions to never do something this meaningless ever again.

“……Ugh.”

That was exactly when I checked the very last photo. Seohan dropped the phone as a vivid chill raced up his spine.

“This is insane.”

In the photo, Jin Yeon-oh’s gaze was directed straight at the lens.

A curse broke out of my mouth, and immediately after, I was left completely tongue-tied. It felt like all sorts of thoughts were being swept up and tangled by a massive tidal wave. My mind, which had gone completely blank, belatedly realized a solitary fact proven by this photo.

‘He’s looking right at the camera?’

If that’s the case, it means Jin Yeon-oh knew a camera was there. And yet…….

‘And yet he just left it alone?’

Thinking back on the days I spent suffering from that sudden scandal article, anger flared up from deep inside my chest. If I could have it my way, I wanted to rush over to him this very second and demand answers. To ask exactly why he just let it happen, and if it made any sense that he didn’t utter a single word despite knowing all along.

“……Let’s just not do this.”

However, the moment I imagined how Jin Yeon-oh would react to that, the anger that had surged up vanished into thin air. He would undoubtedly look at me with those bone-chilling eyes and spout some absolute nonsense like, “Just because it looked entertaining.”

Rather than facing him directly to listen to those words and getting stressed out, reducing the number of times I had to see his face would be far more beneficial for my mental health.

Lee Dohun walked down a path that was remarkably familiar for the first time in a long while.

‘……How long has it been.’

In reality, it hadn’t been an exceptionally long time. However, recalling the events of being kidnapped by “Baek Seohan” and confined in the basement of his house made it feel incredibly distant. Especially now that he had signed a contract and gained his freedom.

The house where Dohun lived with his grandmother was located in an area close to what people commonly referred to as a moon village. The steep uphill path he used to climb frequently felt just a tiny bit foreign today.

The exact moment he finally opened the gate and stepped into the house.

“You absolute brat!”

Dohun was greeted with a massive smack to the head. Rubbing the spot that still stung just a tiny bit, he shifted his gaze.

“……Grandmother.”

“You rascal! How could you not even think to call your grandmother even once!”

From his perspective, it was incredibly unfair. He had been kidnapped and locked up, so there was no way he could have made contact. However, even though he received another smack, Dohun didn’t open his mouth about what had happened.

Half of it was the desire not to cause her worry, and the other half was…….

‘It’s strange.’

He couldn’t bring himself to speak because of a lingering thought that if he revealed the truth, he would never be able to return to that house again. The moment he noticed that part of himself, Dohun could only let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“What did you do so well that you’re laughing!”

“……I’m sorry.”

Of course, because he caught the attention of the person right in front of him, he had to wipe the smile off his face immediately.

Upon hearing her tell him to eat before leaving since it had been so long, he nodded meekly. Only after being shoved into the bathroom to wash his hands first could he drag back the thoughts he had tried so hard to erase.

‘I clearly thought I would never have to see his face again.’

Until not too long ago, that was exactly what he believed. Yet now that he was actually freed, far from returning to the place where he originally lived, Dohun had settled right into his house.

There was no distinct reason. His mood just felt foul. Therefore, Dohun instinctively followed his mood.

‘Shameless.’

Isn’t he shameless?

He understood that “Baek Seohan” had developed another personality. He understood it, but that wasn’t a reason to forgive the actions of that other personality either. That guy was exactly the same in turning a blind eye and keeping him locked up downstairs.

Yet right in front of him, the guy would pretend to walk on eggshells, act as if he were the one wrongfully accused…… and completely fail to hide the subtle fear anchoring his eyes, making it impossible to look away from him.

The ignition point for everything was the entertainment news channel on the TV.

[The scandal news regarding two individuals famous as third-generation chaebols has become a hot topic…….]

Watching the sudden news and the vividly captured photos, Dohun felt an unknown emotion run rampant inside him. He couldn’t define what that emotion was, but if there was one definitive certainty, it was that it was by no means a positive feeling.

Unfairness? Anger? Contempt?

It must be because of that. A strange bastard who didn’t resemble “Baek Seohan” in the slightest despite wearing his skin had kept him locked up, yet was running around outside enjoying a romance, which was thoroughly displeasing.

The solitary fact that he wasn’t the “Baek Seohan” he used to know was the only thing pulling the brakes. That was the reason he had entered into the contract, but a strong wave of unfairness washed over him at the thought of things ending just like this.

The eccentric behavior Dohun was currently engaging in was, to put it simply, a way to torment Baek Seohan. Whenever he watched the guy forced to move his body to comply with the absurd demands made under the threat of the contract, the sorrow remaining on his face because he couldn’t hide it properly particularly caught his eye.

‘No, this is just…….’

Satisfying. He chose to believe it was entertaining to watch a face that used to constantly suppress and torment him now look at him with weariness, show fear, walk on eggshells…… and struggle desperately somehow just to preserve his own safety.

Turning off the faucet and stepping straight outside, Dohun let out a faint sigh at the sight of a dense, full spread covering the entire center of the living room. All while listening to a voice clicking her tongue, asking why he was sighing in front of a meal.

“There isn’t even anyone else here to eat, so why did you prepare so much? You need to take care of your health.”

“I’ve been bursting with energy lately, so don’t you worry and just sit down and eat.”

Only then did Dohun’s gaze carefully examine his grandmother’s appearance. Somehow, her skin looked better, her hunched back had straightened a little bit, and her complexion was bright……. Compared to the last time he saw her, she looked far healthier. Just as suspicion began to fill his eyes.

“For the longest time, no one close to you ever showed their face besides this old woman, so I worried day and night. If you made such a good friend, you should have told me in advance. Don’t lose him, hold on tight.”

“What did that guy give you?”

“Calling him ‘that guy,’ hush! You shouldn’t use such language for a friend.”

Dohun could immediately guess who the ‘friend’ his grandmother spoke of was. He had heard the guy mention checking in on her before leaving, but…….

Seeing her heap praises about how remarkably kind-hearted he was, it didn’t seem like a casual check-in. Observing closely, he could even realize the fact that his grandmother genuinely found Seohan adorable.

“He told me not to worry about you, and swore he would safely return you to me. Did you go somewhere dangerous or something?”

“……No.”

Dohun answered slowly. For some reason, his heart fluttered restlessly.

The phone that had been sealed inside the drawer emerged back into the world. Dropping it onto the desk and staring blankly at it, Seohan’s gaze was filled with deep agony.

‘Do I do this, or do I not.’

Time simply ticked away while he remained unable to discard his dilemma regarding a ‘close person.’ Then, the voice of the man who had cried out “Seohan-nim” in a semi-deplorable tone suddenly flashed through his mind.

“If it’s that level, they seem close…….”

Setting aside the fact that just imagining it made him feel burdened, his judgment tilted toward one side. Let’s just squeeze my eyes shut and ask once. If I can obtain a clue by enduring a small amount of discomfort, it won’t be a terrible choice.

Ultimately, after agonizing for a long time, just as Seohan gripped the phone in his hand.

The other side—meaning, the phone Seohan had been carrying around the entire time—began to let out a continuous ring. Glancing at the screen, an unknown phone number was displayed.

He had no choice but to set down the device he was holding. Because it was a moment where his tension was slowly rising, it felt as though his momentum had been completely snapped. Answering the call with a oddly uncomfortable feeling, he spoke.

“Who is this.”

–……Who is this? Hyung, did you not save my number?

Because it was an unfamiliar number, it was a greeting he had extended naturally, but the opponent’s reaction was strange. Seohan pulled the phone away from his ear briefly to stare at the screen. The eleven-digit number flashed once more.

‘……Was there someone who would call Baek Seohan hyung?’

Though it was a fleeting moment, Seohan racked his brain furiously. Unfortunately, no one came to mind. The closest guess he could make…… was that it might be someone who was unilaterally friendly with “Baek Seohan,” similar to the strange bastards who had approached him at the charity party last time.

However, this was also merely a guess, and he couldn’t provide the answer the opponent wanted. Hesitating for a brief moment, Seohan answered as calmly as possible.

“……Yeah. So, who was it again.”

–It’s me, Nam Kangmin! Aren’t you seriously being too much?!

Since the opponent claimed to be a younger brother, his judgment that it would be fine to use informal language seemed correct. When he probed cautiously, the opponent’s name returned along with a pliable reaction. The moment he heard that name, Seohan urgently began to call for the system in his mind.

A blue window blinked before his eyes.

[Information | Nam Kangmin is ‘Baek Seohan’s’ cousin (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧!]