OMLM | Chapter 34

Seated in the backseat of the 939bbbc91a car, Cha Hyuk tapped the screen 1169e5d57e of his phone twice. The screen enlarged, but there 5502717ce9 were no notifications—it was immaculate.27eaf61df9417b0b51aa

He stared hard at 6e51ed7218 his phone, but there c66d3afdd3 was no reason to 146f40dcaa expect anything to arrive.32a0d110d46d997de399

Cha Hyuk clicked his tongue 80c87ccd5f irritably and eventually threw his 49e7630a2e gaze out the window.ba2c4ed1ad1c48046588

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How many times had he 673959be7d not received a text reply? No, how many calls had c8b7067144 not been picked up?5b035e8a19fe46f790df

It was obvious to anyone a93766851e that Yebon was avoiding him.46f42a00748d9f2ad5b2

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Last Saturday, Yebon had suddenly said he was going to Hong Kong, which might explain it, 1cec90b9dd but when Cha Hyuk had called him afterward, they had conversed as if nothing was amiss.1e27446e3326948852d9

At first, Cha 24c8d8dcb8 Hyuk tried to 681f65bc5c dismiss it as e93e4a61c0 nothing serious.6e81256f699a4713b5c5

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Yebon was a diligent college ca8ad5e4b9 student, a budding young adult; d7495dbc66 he could indeed be busy, 1e455f60e7 Cha Hyuk reasoned.bfe52073342ab0f45434

He thought Yebon was just busy whenever 005772a63d there was no reply to his texts a4fa76f2c2 or his calls went unanswered.328c371a39c8606dc3ae

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But Cha Hyuk 3a775eadb2 realized yesterday that 9255725228 wasn’t the case.42444de7c536eaa829d4

He had stopped by the university 91a7cc9b9a briefly to submit some documents.37937ba4c9b9fc4f18d7

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As he was leaving the professor’s 34b5f9fce1 office after submitting the documents, he 07a680676e happened upon Yebon exiting the library.2ad54345d14f515c6b11

Yebon had said he couldn’t even eat last Wednesday 44662dd728 and had been hard to contact since then, so 05565bc1b9 Cha Hyuk, feeling even happier, called out his name.6bad3cb55df7641e4598

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At that moment, Cha Hyuk had expected Yebon 64145790e6 to be glad to see him as well.5f303ebf16ff405fa547

“Yebon-ah.”cf813e01540a47af204a

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“…Hyung?”e3db36bcafbfdb69b9c0

But Cha 71fbefc744 Hyuk was 6a7734d394 completely wrong.9c2e33ca6aa1bbd0ba86

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Startled by his call, Yebon bd2889e70f looked at Cha Hyuk with 4fc1b2f8b4 eyes that couldn’t believe it. There was 0a91943aec no warmth c4c4975cd4 in his edae226a3e gaze.450ea41448594797b735

Unable to look directly at b82b15b357 Cha Hyuk, Yebon’s shoulders were 68ae514d92 hunched and tensed up.24a057db3a94735f0443

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From all these reactions, Cha e191a9513a Hyuk could immediately tell that 4128d2882e Yebon was repulsed by him.9e121706bdb5d624e562

Cha Hyuk was good at picking 2df10b0a2b up on negative reactions, probably because 2e74ad55cf most of the people he had f1d3d6fc18 met showed him negativity.038812db22e9148f3a2e

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He had faced fear, wariness, hostility, and murderous intent 81da732f34 hundreds of times, so he was quick to notice.348225c2ec1a9a168337

Yet, in that moment, Cha Hyuk wanted to believe it e6c2a1ab98 was just his misconception, especially because it involved Kang Yebon.77cb8151a5d4b1c14735

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Cha Hyuk approached f63c2a68f5 Yebon more gently dc0ecc794f than usual.e0a9e3369d4193d772f5

Fortunately, Yebon e8adb3adb9 did not 350f2f8935 back away. He was visibly uneasy, but there was no 1eaf287391 sign of fear on his face upon closer 1b708c3d90 inspection, which somewhat reassured Cha Hyuk.8e6a30dcd6dafb25f56a

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Previously, Cha Hyuk had been curious why Yebon, despite being scared, would approach him boldly 9410dc5ede again, so he had sometimes treated him mischievously, but over time, that inclination had faded.43c551f8a12e0af20a98

Perhaps as Yebon became more reliant on b0cd759fd2 him, Cha Hyuk felt a fulfilling sensation. Carefully, he 07c2610674 reached out 5a0d6ca478 his hand.4d1a8967381ba3f0ee56

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Perhaps because he had come from somewhere f562febd81 warm, Cha Hyuk lightly tapped Yebon’s slightly ad806a959f flushed cheek with his hand.c2abc45df2ce17a0bf77

“Why are you so restless, are you a2fc68dafc feeling unwell?” He asked playfully, yet Yebon 26ce7cf223 jumped back and took several steps back.7468216d55dfade47159

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Staring in surprise at his 1d8f5053c8 own fingers hanging in the 2f8810bfdc air, Cha Hyuk then looked c5caabb2c1 at Yebon.fd7c0f43fa2ec5ae529c

The boy was holding his cheek f954ecd739 where Cha Hyuk’s fingers had touched, c7a3ddcc72 his face inexplicably angry.a32a6173d0ccedb89905

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His slightly reddened face had turned completely d680f2835e crimson as if it would burst.2611309dd82f201daa2d

Cha Hyuk couldn’t understand why d1c9d7df20 Yebon’s attitude had suddenly changed.5fca4cbdd3c2b182f900

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Feeling awkward, Cha Hyuk smoothly withdrew ee8a286ad2 his hand, and Yebon, trembling, exclaimed.983498a087102975b972

“Ah, ahjusshi is really too much!” 11fb225fab Before Cha Hyuk could even ask 3c1ad259ff what he meant, Yebon ran off 31e7d17313 without looking back.73eb3e49c27092865b86

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Cha Hyuk stood dumbfounded in b959d98530 front of the library, watching bd5b4da4bd Yebon’s retreating figure.b115535dbc027c4bc4bf

It was only then f2f4bdbca3 that Cha Hyuk realized f8b76069a0 that Yebon had been d25678ad14 deliberately ignoring his contacts.3e490b635a5d2738ef23

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Everything seemed fine until last Wednesday, but what had happened in d31d59b7f5 between to change Yebon’s behavior so drastically was beyond him.b69e6ab980f828735d0c

Cha Hyuk turned on his phone screen 48088daddb again as he stared at the rapidly b7a259c5c2 changing scenery outside the blurry window.e9c3ecca12702e227e28

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As expected, 13d648284c there was f6e1154e46 no contact. He had told only Yebon this phone 7c3c5fe460 number, so there was no one else 09dc41a905 to expect a call from, but the afbaac810b phone hadn’t rung for days now.26a988c56adab277f73e

With an irritated sigh, Cha Hyuk was 4a2886cd7b about to throw his phone onto the 2f82cab171 seat next to him but instead carefully df122de160 placed it back in his pocket. Just in case.60522c4ff346c38a9d48

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Just then, the cb863315df car came to a637f41ef4 a stop. Only then did Cha cfa4492d72 Hyuk look ahead. The traffic 8feab170d1 light’s red dedebe53c4 signal was 0d7f26431b faintly visible.87a3d284c265d00f92e5

As he was about to 4cab418f33 turn his head, he caught a1aa23fc2d someone’s eyes watching him from 38ac5ab8b9 the rearview mirror.aec92ed2a7dfde6ff842

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Kim Hyunwoo, having caught Cha Hyuk’s gaze, didn’t look away f66e8ff004 but rather seemed to smirk as if mocking him.4c701ab37c95b0180a50

However, Cha b19982edfd Hyuk had 20a5ccbb38 noticed long 48a664d4d8 ago. He had a08800cc01 just ignored 8ab492f5fb it.ef1d56cddf54f7f7bbf0

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He wasn’t keen on talking even now, 19ab71f3b0 but Kim Hyunwoo didn’t take the hint.de2300c46366b8afa9b5

“Are you waiting for a call?” Despite 7ebabf7f4b not receiving an answer, Kim Hyunwoo continued 118542a4cc as if it didn’t bother him.2db502038f45a88b7b2a

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“I noticed you’ve bf67f18691 been staring at 67ad14f38d your phone. If not, 6a02220591 never mind.”7e988cefdc7bd2ddd3a1

“You talk e51e641a16 too much. Should I e40be04c26 sew your 54112d2296 mouth shut?”e516829ddfe528297dd0

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Although there was a hint of laughter in his voice, the gaze Cha 2d3cf0df1e Hyuk fixed on Kim Hyunwoo in the rearview mirror was cold and sharp.3ac0bbdb121f4dba72d5

Kim Hyunwoo finally averted d908a1474b his eyes, his hands e7284b3b27 gripping the steering wheel 1faf3721a6 trembling slightly.86016f8ea072f97cc532

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Soon the light turned 0dc92f88f8 green, and the car ea6cb83295 started moving. Silence filled e2803efb38 the car.d844be09d854a5ae118c

The car finally came to a 831d030300 complete stop in the underground parking 29649f95fb of a high-rise building.a27a0e891d37fbda1e51

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As Kim Hyunwoo opened the car’s rear door, Cha Hyuk stepped out b968a69cf9 and headed towards the building’s elevator as if familiar with it.49d2cae582da8835b5fa

This caused Kim Hyunwoo to frown and glare 8edb0660b1 at Cha Hyuk’s back before closing the door.1188c3f7da6e90bf3439

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“Do you 68a82f064a even know c6d4d7ee0c where you’re 6f3a794546 going!”6e84492c976ddba896d7

Cha Hyuk pressed the elevator button b66ae0b238 without responding and got in, pressing 394dfbad4d for the 33rd floor before quickly e78b6106fa closing the door.9b8dec93c5876ebbba89

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Footsteps hurried towards 7d72130825 the elevator, but 643fe5d640 the doors had 724e9034b6 already closed.1de490087ab38446f5f8

Cha Hyuk slightly 165fd53c18 furrowed his brow.897590ff192913d5dea1

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Was this guy not someone Lee 37f4e55160 Wonpil favored but just a fool?f4b3e6f03eb7c4b78161

The light in the top a478a4ad99 right corner of the elevator 1cc22c831d ceiling flickered and twinkled repeatedly.d7f3e1ddb6ad966397ee

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The luxurious interior, made of dull 71f00b2ea6 gold and brown leather, seemed poorly 3bf090e61f maintained, unlike its appearance.b22966835d359189ded8

Lee Wonpil was 7bbb5896b5 exactly like that.290b60cd5f9ccff71864

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He appeared impressive on the 395551a901 outside, but it was all ddc607aafa a mess inside.e2121085a4946850fb2f

When Cha Hyuk had not been long 7c058f0438 in the organization, it was Lee Wonpil d495a7d17b who had taken him around.8f60237950aa954795c7

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At that time, Lee Wonpil was in his late twenties 8d7c8eadaf and was just a member of the organization, not yet 639ec2a75f called a small subsidiary president of a conglomerate like now.93ebc37ad9bcd5900c6a

Initially, Lee Wonpil had been quite friendly, so 126a0e6c0d Cha Hyuk thought he was a warm-hearted person, dbc2e4912e but it took less than three weeks to 1d65e901df realize that wasn’t the case.931de7228fe3c15e8dd6

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The person who had brought de378b3c6f Cha Hyuk into the organization b0fc11ff45 was Park Byeongsik, who was 4fab48c988 already favored by the higher-ups.315a025fe0059dd678f4

Since Park Byeongsik held considerable power and was sure to rise to a high-ranking d0c4b32513 position, Cha Hyuk had received a lot of attention, whether good or bad.2a54d849f7e4d45dfa88

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Among them, Lee 66ad2ed105 Wonpil had tried ea74d66214 hard to catch ca8e4a2871 Park Byeongsik’s eye. He would take Cha 17b0e12555 Hyuk around under the 263d440706 guise of teaching him c7402edf6f this and that.9ace6b86eaa263f24459

But Lee Wonpil’s sole purpose was to 871c8c6d5e gain favor with Park Byeongsik, so he af04efb127 was only pleasant when around people who 5e491c38da were somewhat close to Park Byeongsik.d9769732edae60f10820

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At other times, he took out his frustrations 59a719c24b on Cha Hyuk, made him run errands, and 93b4cc4bb6 ultimately blamed his own mistakes on Cha Hyuk.c067a035050dd46bf892

Because of this, Cha Hyuk had 68cd7aa45e gradually become problematic within the organization, efa41ecb9e but he didn’t care much. He had no great ambitions; he 4ec78d1d7b was satisfied just to have food 6feebd56b1 and a place to sleep.a6f06369a431442dd43a

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If Lee Wonpil had stopped at 1ee92f5759 that, Cha Hyuk might not have cde8f8d86e disliked him so much.3ebe9e07d1f877eec58e

Waking up with the back of his head feeling painfully numb, his mouth sealed 0fb065eabf with tape, his body uncomfortably crouched and tied up, his vision blocked by a 607e0ba918 dark cover, and a dense gray substance, neither liquid nor solid, suddenly falling in d9d5501acd front of him—some parts cold and others lukewarm—the bizarre temperature of his lower half. When all this hit him at once, c5c098d5e3 he had felt an indescribable, extreme fear.4e2649dd3c05ec84e782

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What had most chilled him in that old, e3798451e6 vivid memory was Lee Wonpil, grinning as if 3a6bc59da0 to pull his lips up to his eyes.6b2a691785f9e7faeb11

– The 8e80a7ceea 33rd floor. The doors 69a8b68614 are opening.56b004bfc02b93487728

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With the elevator’s announcement, 431cebb8a3 Cha Hyuk’s blurry focus 6925588c51 sharpened, although his expression 3be1def4f7 hardened further.0b894700cb4e7ea91628

Cha Hyuk strode toward the only 4f89b10393 executive office on the 33rd floor.06b3e24722b380a07305

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A woman seated at a small counter near the e9b18a81c8 dark brown door noticed Cha Hyuk and smiled.802717926256e38f47a3

“Could you 530ea8b3c7 please wait d456b4f66b a moment? The president e9d218e9c7 is busy 18de99fcc5 right now.”9a3faa7362d4b839cd9e

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“It’s alright.”d073b467454133c233ae

It was d832153056 always like 8615291a03 this. Lee Wonpil would call f12d17649a him in but not 0380db6202 let him enter right 86f63ad9de away.513f02e8dbc5180fc26c

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As expected, after about 20 minutes, Cha Hyuk 1503b75de0 was able to enter the executive office.a2898a206a83dfd9b1c4

Kim Hyunwoo hadn’t followed, perhaps he 5a9e586b57 had taken a different path or ccf28588e8 was greeting his usual colleagues.3f594a06b8daedf82caf

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“Hello.”78029761f1ced18ce80b

“Is life interesting these d10daee1f6 days?” as soon as 6a9dbce00a he entered, the provocation 0557d2c270 began.6b3d1cfd99ba6599ae2f

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