TIN 78

“…”

Henry frowned as if he found what I just said to be utter nonsense. His expression suggested he was about to tell me not to talk rubbish, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes. He didn’t believe my words, but it seemed to make him feel uneasy nonetheless.

For me, it was half a joke and half out of spite. I couldn’t say I didn’t intend to tease him, but it was also true that I was too lazy to explain in detail. Besides, he probably wouldn’t be interested in my identity anyway, so there was no need to continue to rack my brains over it.

And to be honest, I also wanted to rant a bit for taking me there.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Everything would be fine if I just stayed put? I didn’t know what made him so confident to guarantee such a thing, especially when dealing with Joo Do-hwa’s father. If the son, Joo Do-hwa, could shoot people dead on a whim, surely the father, Chairman Joo, could do the same. Did he really not know what consequences his irresponsible assurance could bring?

“…I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Henry quickly gave up on getting an explanation from me. In fact, asking how I did it was unlike him from the start. Like most assistants, Henry usually turned a blind eye and pretended not to know anything beyond what he was told to do.

“Go inside.”

As if intending to watch me enter the mansion, he pointed to the entrance while remaining rooted to the spot, staring at me the whole time. The fact that he wasn’t coming in with me suggested he had somewhere else to go afterward.

“Mr. Assistant.”

Before entering the mansion, I spoke to him one last time. I had a vague idea, but it wouldn’t hurt to confirm once more.

“Is today’s event really a secret from Joo Do-hwa?”

I meant it as in, “You’re going to report it anyway, aren’t you?” But Henry replied without batting an eyelash. His answer was childishly absurd.

“I don’t repeat myself.”

“…”

What a petty person. I shot him an incredulous look, but it was of no use. He just nodded his head toward the entrance as if asking why I wasn’t going in. I didn’t think he’d be like this, but he seemed to be holding quite a grudge toward me.

Joo Do-hwa returned home late at night.

It was around the time I had finished preparing for bed and was about to lie down, which was usually when I could enjoy what little freedom I had. Without knocking, Joo Do-hwa flung the door open and leaned against the doorframe, staring at me intently.

“Oh…you’re back now?”

Just as I was about to lie down on the bed, I had to raise myself awkwardly and ask him. He hadn’t shown his face even during dinner, so I wondered if he had just gotten off work.

I thought it wasn’t an unusual question, but Joo Do-hwa silently swallowed and tilted his head slightly.

“Hmm…”

A water droplet that had been clinging to the tip of his hair fell onto his shoulder. He seemed to have just finished showering, as he was wearing only a robe without even drying his hair. The robe was loosely tied, revealing much of his chest through the gap.

He once criticized me for not having a single scar, but ironically, his own body was clean and unmarked as well.

He always dressed similarly to this when he told me to undress, so I became acutely aware of his barely clothed appearance. Especially since I was already in bed.

“…What’s wrong?”

So I cautiously asked him again. If he had something to say, he should just come out and say it. Why was he standing there giving me meaningful looks? Especially with those eyes that I couldn’t read.

“Just looking.”

Joo Do-hwa casually replied, straightening his posture. His bright red lips curled up slightly. It was his usual languid smile, but for some reason, it looked particularly unpleasant.

“Did you guard the house well?”

I furrowed my brow at his question as he took a step closer. The seemingly casual question had struck a nerve.

“…”

Asking if I stayed at home well…Is he pretending not to know? Or does he really not know?

I could say with certainty that he must know I went out and came back. Even if he didn’t check the CCTV, someone must have reported it. Either Henry or the mansion’s employees. They were all essentially Joo Do-hwa’s eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that again?”

When I didn’t readily answer, Joo Do-hwa slowly approached me. The smile on his face grew more intense. Seeing him like this, I felt a sudden surge of irritation.

This bastard is testing me again.

It was similar to when I met Kei. He was clearly testing me, pretending not to know while already knowing everything, to see how much I would say. Maybe even if I told him everything honestly, he might throw one of his typical tantrums and take out his anger on me.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t upset. Although it was true that I had left the house without his permission, the thought of reporting every little detail made me feel rebellious.

Of course, being stubborn would only hurt me more in the end.

“I met your father.”

“Father?”

He raised an eyebrow at my casual confession. I looked up at him, now much closer, and calmly explained what had happened today.

“Earlier today…your assistant asked me to go somewhere with him, and when we got there, the Chairman was there. We had a brief conversation and then I came home.”

“Ah…”

His soft breath was emotionless. As expected, he didn’t seem particularly surprised.

The problem was the question he asked while looking down at me.

“You just followed along when he said to go?”

“…”

His curled lip seemed to mock me.

Come to think of it, that was the problem from the start. As Henry pointed out, I got into the car with him without even asking where we were going.

“You’re not a child who would follow just anyone offering candy, are you?”

Joo Do-hwa leaned his upper body slightly forward as he said this. Another water droplet rolled down and pooled near his collarbone. Even his small movement seemed to cast a dark shadow over me.

“Or…did you go because it was Henry?”

“…I thought you had called for me.”

I calmly replied while gripping the edge of the blanket. Glancing up, I saw his bright yellow eyes blinking slowly.

“He’s your assistant, after all.”

Was he slightly taller than Chairman Joo? When I was young, I thought the child’s father was as big as a giant, but when I met Chairman Joo again, he wasn’t as enormous as I remembered. It might be because I had  gotten used to Joo Do-hwa’s size.

“I was wrong to go out on my own. But I didn’t go out because I wanted to.”

I said this with the clear implication: If you’re going to make a fuss over this, do it to Henry. Even if I initially went voluntarily, from the beginning, it was practically a kidnapping.

Fortunately, my plea seemed to work, as Joo Do-hwa asked in a somewhat softer voice.

“What did you do when you met with Father?”

“…”

What should I say?

We only exchanged a few words of conversation, but I wasn’t sure where to start explaining. Should I repeat everything Henry reported there, or just talk about what Chairman Joo said, or perhaps boast about pretending to be his hyung?

But before I could answer, he let out a chuckle.

“Did you put out for our dad too?”

“What?”

It was such a vulgar statement that I was struck speechless. What the hell is this bastard even saying? As I moved my lips in disbelief at what had come out of his mouth, he casually added.

“You must have enjoyed it. Father would know a lot about Yoon Ji-soo.”

“…”

Yoon Ji-soo. There was no need to ask why that name came up. As soon as I heard his mocking words, I remembered what he had said before.

‘I was just curious. To see how you would react.’

I had wondered why he told me about Chairman Joo and Yoon Ji-soo’s marriage. Now I see he must have been watching my reaction from back then. Thinking I would do anything to find out about Yoon Ji-soo. Yeah, thinking I would even endure putting out for it.

“Ah…”

Shit. I was trying to control my temper.

“You’re right, I didn’t think of that.”

But of course, my lips moved faster than my belated resolution. Something welled up inside me, and I looked straight at him and spoke deliberately.

“As you said, I should have put out and asked.”

There was a limit to treating someone like a whore.

It wasn’t so much that my pride was hurt by being treated this way, but rather that I didn’t like his behavior of acting out however he pleased. I didn’t know how much he knew, but it didn’t change the fact that this was a groundless accusation.

“I’ll talk to him about it next time I see him.”