OMLM | Chapter 31

A black sedan came to a stop next to the roadside trees. Yebon unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Thank you for driving me home. You must be tired after all that work on the assignment today.”

“Yebon, you too.”

Silence followed. Yebon deliberately avoided Cha Hyuk’s gaze as he got out of the car.

“Get home safely. See you next week.”

“Sure, let me know if you need anything.”

Yebon hesitated for a moment but quickly smiled, not wanting to give away his thoughts, and replied, “Okay.”

Only then did the car drive off, and Yebon watched the black sedan grow smaller in the distance.

Ever since Cha Hyuk mentioned he was heading to Hong Kong, Yebon couldn’t recall how he managed to concentrate on his assignments.

He had been half out of it, missing much of what Cha Hyuk had said.

It was only when Cha Hyuk’s car blended into the traffic that Yebon finally moved.

“I won’t be back for at least five years…” So, is he completely dropping out after next year?

‘Probably… There’s a limit to how long I can take a leave of absence.’

Realizing Cha Hyuk was truly gone, Yebon discovered just how deeply he had grown attached to him.

It made sense; Cha Hyuk had treated him in a way that made it impossible not to depend on him. Anyone would have relied on Cha Hyuk.

It’s not like he’s gone forever… We can still contact each other in this digital age, so why do I feel so gloomy?

Yebon quickened his pace, trying to shake off the clinging thoughts. The cold wind boldly swept through his deep V-neck knit.

But why did Cha Hyuk choose that moment, of all times, to announce his departure?

His voice had been urgent, as if trying to prevent Yebon from speaking.

‘Was he afraid I’d say something weird? Or ask if he likes me? So he preempted it.’

At the apartment elevator, Yebon pressed the button and tilted his head.

‘What was I about to say at that moment?’

He couldn’t remember if he had actually spoken or if he had just thought about speaking. Yebon couldn’t even recall what he had intended to say.

All the way up in the elevator, he thought hard but couldn’t remember.

The black sedan left the bustling area and entered a dark street with several broken streetlights.

Dilapidated buildings and clean, upscale ones were oddly mixed, making it hard to tell if this was a slum or a wealthy neighborhood.

Cha Hyuk parked the car in a stylish three-story building’s parking lot.

No sooner had the car stopped than a burly man hurried out and opened the driver’s door.

The man had hurried out so quickly that his shirt buttons were all messed up. A long scar stretched from under one eye to the corner of his mouth.

“What’s the matter? Weren’t you supposed to stay over at the family home tonight?”

Cha Hyuk handed over his coat from the passenger seat and got out of the car.

“I changed my mind. Got a problem with that?”

“Not at all!” The man realized immediately that Cha Hyuk was not in a good mood.

With his face and body completely tense, the man silently followed Cha Hyuk into the building.

Despite its clean exterior, the office inside was filled with a hazy smoke.

Cha Hyuk, ignoring the people bowing to him, frowned and waved his hand.

“Anyone looking to drop dead from pneumonia?”

As soon as Cha Hyuk finished speaking, the panicked people quickly opened the windows. Cha Hyuk sneered, but fortunately, that was all.

Heading to his office, Cha Hyuk spotted a man half-bent over in a corner and raised an eyebrow. The man stood out with his bright red hair among the crowd of black-haired men.

“Who’s that?” At Cha Hyuk’s question, the man’s face fell as if he was caught off guard and hurriedly brought over the man Cha Hyuk had pointed out.

“He’s the new recruit.”

“…New recruit?”

A recruit I didn’t know about? Cha Hyuk’s face darkened further. The man’s fingertips trembled as he added, “He just arrived today, sent by President Lee. I thought you already knew, hyung. I’m sorry. And… he said to send him to Bluemoon.”

Ah, Cha Hyuk’s face turned cold as the office atmosphere froze over.

The newcomer was Lee Wonpil’s doing; he was the hyung who had mentored Cha Hyuk and disliked him from the start. He’d even said that the ignorant kid would probably die within a few years.

However, as Cha Hyuk’s power within the organization grew, Lee Wonpil had subtly tried to check him, though Cha Hyuk had no intention of taking over Lee Wonpil’s position.

Cha Hyuk looked down at the newcomer with a bored expression.

The new guy stood up straight, defiantly meeting Cha Hyuk’s gaze. It was clear why he had been sent here.

Ah, how annoying.

“Name.”

“Kim Hyunwoo.”

Even his simple introduction sounded mocking, his eyes slightly squinted in a way that reminded Cha Hyuk of someone he particularly disliked lately—the one fawning over Kang Yebon.

Cha Hyuk smirked.

“Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

“It seems so.” The bold reply from the newcomer made the man beside him smack the back of his head.

Despite the curses flooding his ears, the young man’s eyes did not falter; if anything, the hitter seemed more at a loss.

Looks like Lee Wonpil treated him quite well.

“See you often, then?”

“Yes.”

Cha Hyuk, filled with insolent amusement, glanced at Kim Hyunwoo one last time before turning away. Fighting spirits here was just bothersome for him.

“Woo Jongsik.”

“Ah… he’s been quite elusive, still on the run…”

The man bowed slightly lower, his eyes flicking up briefly under Cha Hyuk’s harsh gaze before drooping again.

“I’m sorry, I’ll find him as soon as possible!”

“Find him within this month.”

“Yes, I’m sorry!”

Cha Hyuk wondered if he should have just gone home, but the thought of his empty house felt particularly bleak today.

Cha Hyuk glanced once more at his subordinate, still bowed, and walked past Kim Hyunwoo.

He turned on the light in the dark office and slumped down at the desk in his study.

He stared into space for a moment before turning on his computer and inserting a USB. The monitor flickered to life with the movie he had watched earlier with Yebon.

Cha Hyuk watched the movie absentmindedly, rubbing his chest, but the clothes cooled by the outside air remained chilly.

He knew that cutting things off was right for both him and the kid, but emotions were tenacious by nature.

The sharp kid was likely catching on to his feelings.

It was a night he wanted to just run away and leave everything behind.

But Cha Hyuk knew he would return to this place no matter what. It was the only place he could live.

Yebon propped his chin with one hand, staring down at his textbook.

His gaze was as blank as the clean, unmarked pages.

Ever since he heard Cha Hyuk was leaving for Hong Kong on Saturday, he had been in this state.

Why did he choose that moment to tell him? Was he drawing a line, endlessly guessing Cha Hyuk’s intentions?

Still, it’s not like they couldn’t keep in touch even with him in Hong Kong, but why draw such a line? Yebon couldn’t understand why he was agonizing so much.

After sighing as if the ground was swallowing him up, Yebon realized there was no one else left in the classroom.

Caught up in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed the class was over. Yebon rolled his eyes and began packing his bag.

Seriously, the kids left without saying anything. Just as he cursed his classmates for leaving him behind, a voice called out to him from behind.