LM 110

Woo Hyunse arrived right on time for the appointment. He seemed to have come in a hurry, wearing comfortable clothes with his hair softly tousled over his forehead like a college student. He was even wearing sneakers instead of dress shoes. Upon closer inspection, the cuffs and collar of his shirt showed signs of wear and tear. It was quite refreshing to see him dressed like this, compared to his usual crisp appearance with even his trouser hems perfectly creased.

However, the atmosphere was far from relaxed. Woo Hyunse looked as if he was about to bury someone. Though he had no weapon in hand and wore his usual charismatic smile, an underlying murderous intent occasionally seeped through his persona, like water through the loose gaps of a net. Perhaps because of this, even his casual attire seemed like preparation for something sinister.

In Seohee quietly scanned the cafe. While some people glanced at Woo Hyunse, they didn’t seem particularly afraid, just curious about his appearance. It was proof that he was hiding his true nature well. Or perhaps they simply must’ve thought he was a celebrity.

“Thank you for making time in your busy schedule.”

“What’s this about?”

Every time Woo Hyunse’s energy leaked out, In Seohee’s exposed skin prickled. Ignoring her goosebumps, she asked this question. Even though she abruptly inquired about the main point, Woo Hyunse smiled amiably.

“Let’s break off our engagement.”

She looked up at him, still holding her coffee cup in her hands. His tone was as casual as if he were suggesting they grab a meal, but the content was quite shocking. In Seohee put down her cup and straightened her back.

“I thought we had finished discussing the wedding.”

They had spent a lot of money on it, and secured a newlywed home and a wedding venue. How would they handle the land, buildings, and stocks that were to be gifted as part of the marriage? What about the cancellation fees? It was supposed to be a done deal, just needing them to show up in their wedding attire. She couldn’t understand why he was ruining their perfectly planned out arrangement at the last minute.

“What’s the reason? Why did you suddenly change your mind?”

Woo Hyunse hadn’t even ordered coffee. It was a sign that he didn’t intend to stay long.

“It’s because I’m a recessive.”

“What?”

She furrowed her brow deeply at this nonsensical statement. There was no way Woo Hyunse could be a recessive.

“I thought I was dominant, but it turns out I’m just a shitty recessive. Practically a beta, they say. That should be enough for Assemblyman Kim to understand.”

Ironically, Woo Hyunse seemed to know her grandmother better than she did. Her grandmother, with her sense of privilege and class-based authoritarianism ingrained in her very bones, would be the first to demand they break off the engagement if Woo Hyunse turned out to be recessive. She had already been displeased that Woo Hyunse wasn’t a biological child, only reluctantly agreeing because he was supposedly dominant.

“No, why suddenly…”

Woo Hyunse grinned, showing all of his even teeth. His smile made him look like a mischievous child about to play a nasty prank.

“What’s the real reason?”

“Do I really need to say it?”

“I’ll keep it confidential.”

It was a question born purely out of personal curiosity. Whatever the reason, there was no need to disclose it to others.

She felt his intense gaze upon her. He seemed to be gauging whether she would keep her word or reveal what he was about to tell her to others. The sharp scrutiny only ended when In Seohee took a sip of coffee to alleviate her boredom. As if it didn’t matter if she talked about it, Woo Hyunse casually blurted out, “I’ve found someone I love.”

“…”

She wondered if she had heard wrong. In Seohee looked at Woo Hyunse with a serious expression on her face. Had he perhaps suffered a head injury and experienced temporary regression while she wasn’t looking? Their relationship was far too complex in terms of mutual interests to break off the engagement for such a trivial reason. They were also well past the age of letting emotions ruin their affairs.

“Are you in your right mind?”

“Yes, I am. I’ve slept well too.”

He responded as if nothing could be clearer. No matter what she said, he seemed to have no intention of reconsidering the breakup. Since she didn’t care enough to talk him out of it him, In Seohee simply nodded lightly.

“Is this really the end?”

“Yes.”

Since he was willing to take the blame, she had no objections. Feeling secure in her position, In Seohee merely shrugged her shoulders.

“Did we really need to meet in person to discuss this?”

In Seohee grumbled while checking the time on her phone. Meeting with Woo Hyunse was never boring, but it wasn’t particularly enjoyable either.

“We were engaged once. It’s only polite to say it face-to-face.”

“You’re being courteous in unnecessary ways.”

More than half of her coffee remained, but she didn’t mind. Woo Hyunse seemed to share the same sentiment as he stood up and extended his hand to her. Since he had shown her courtesy, she would reciprocate.

“At least I got plenty of wedding rehearsal practice thanks to you. Well then, take care.”

Her attitude was as businesslike as when sending off a client. Woo Hyunse grasped her hand. A dry handshake served as their farewell.

***

As he parted his lips, a wisp of white smoke escaped. He had smoked it down to the filter and put the butt in a portable ashtray. He had resisted the urge to toss it in front of this wretched mansion. He didn’t want to stoop to the level of someone who had sold their morality to a passing dog.

Woo Hyunse leaned against the mansion wall and took out his phone to check the video Joo Shindo had sent. The runtime was quite long. Five minutes would have been enough, but at this length, there was no way the entire nation wouldn’t recognize that face.

He knew Segwang Construction had been bribing the big shot, but he hadn’t realized they were providing other forms of entertainment too. The cast was star-studded. Not only was the chairman of the construction company there, but also senior members of the big shot’s political party and notable newspaper columnists.

A lewd video of such esteemed figures—it was undoubtedly bait that the mass media would go crazy for.

He had blurred out the victims’ faces but left the main culprits exposed. With a few gestures, the video spread across the Internet. The view count exploded with each refresh. He also anonymously submitted it to online and offline media outlets, mixing in some reliable sources. It was a bomb set to explode within hours, or by tomorrow at the latest.

He slipped his hands into the prepared gloves. As he clenched and unclenched his fists, the stiff leather softened pliably. The cold, smooth sensation he hadn’t felt in a long time filled him with exhilaration.

After slowly cracking his neck left and right to loosen his muscles, he opened the mansion door. As he crossed the lawn and entered the house, Secretary Yoon, who had been notified in advance, came rushing out, clearly flustered.

His usually stoic expression was gone, likely having heard the news of the broken engagement. He already looked like he’d taken a hit. His hair was disheveled, and dried blood stained his forehead. The patriarch must have thrown an ashtray at him.

Secretary Yoon’s job differed from that of an aide. He was the type to grovel and handle any task the patriarch ordered, no matter how dirty.

“He’s waiting for you.”

Woo Hyunse stared at him intently. He knew the secretary was just following orders. But his anger was impartial right then.

“You’re Secretary Yoon, right? The one who brought Siyul here.”

Secretary Yoon, who had bowed politely, flinched and raised his head. Woo Hyunse was smiling.

“Let’s settle this with one hit.”

There was no sympathy. The secretary was suddenly kicked in the stomach and fell backward with a groan. He heard a maid gasp but he didn’t pay no attention to her. In Woo Hyunse’s eyes, everyone who had remained silent when Kwon Siyul was brought here was an accomplice.

“Is he in the annex?”

He asked, addressing the secretary still on the ground. Clicking his tongue at the man’s attempt to buy time while clutching his stomach, he grabbed him by the hair. Only then did the man hurriedly nod.

Tossing the secretary aside, he moved on. Even while meeting In Seohee, this was the only thought on his mind. His pace quickened. He crossed the small path between the main house and the annex in an instant.

“Young master!”

The secretary, who had somehow caught up, called out urgently. Woo Hyunse didn’t look back. Aware of his arrival from the commotion outside, as soon as he opened the door, a silver object flew rapidly toward him. He twisted his shoulder to dodge, but couldn’t completely avoid the sharp scissors that grazed his cheek. Blood trickled down from the long cut.

“You bastard—!”

A thunderous roar shook the study. Woo Hyunse faced the patriarch, Woo Jung-ryeol, without so much as blinking. His face was flushed deep red with anger, his eyes and sparse eyebrows were raised high, furrowing his brow.

“I’ve indulged you for so long, and this is how you lose your mind?”

The sound of grinding teeth was amusing. This was all going according to plan, so it was obvious he hadn’t lost his mind.