DS Ch2

“I’m sorry I’m late, hyung.”94bd8d5f37f0590a

Joo Taehyun bowed 037fcf183d his head slightly 2b461b2362 once more in ac1945bd21 apology, the chill b4ade885d1 from outside still ae16e458f7 clinging to him.9ea62a98e7394afc

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“It was jammed right in front of me.”7d1506d8f59bae13

“It’s fine. I only arrived a little while ago myself.”e6736fff65b87125

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Seo Baekhan leisurely looked over Joo Taehyun as he approached the table. Though he’d seen him occasionally in news photos and knew that little kid had grown up quite a bit, seeing him in person was still striking.b6f13c478466dede

When he was younger, Joo Taehyun had more of a cute, pretty look about him. If he remembered correctly, his body was so thin that Hatch’s group uniform hung loose on him alone. But now he’d grown tall enough that words like handsome and strapping suited him better.e4e0f5c93dc64d70

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“By the way, you’ve really grown a lot. How tall are you now?”e1a5bf5b71fc1ef2

“Hmm. About 180… just under, I think.”77736f37b61e1d68

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

As Joo Taehyun hurriedly unwound his scarf and took off his coat, his long fingers were bright red from the cold. Strangely, that made him look very young. No, he’s twenty this year, so while he’s grown tall, he was still young after all.b1cc4c013b28a446

Sure enough, the snow sprinkled like sugar on Joo Taehyun’s hair had already melted away without a trace. Judging by his high body temperature, he was still a kid indeed.5d89c6411cac855b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Is it still snowing a lot outside?”6a429f229c9890b2

“Yes.”c9a8c1a40bfca53d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

When Seo Baekhan gestured b1bd443250 lightly with his chin 7ef9872f29 for him to sit, ce69ef2cbe Joo Taehyun quickly took aa9d01df1e a seat across from 31a3e261c9 him. His obedient manner made a676329b2e him seem like a af8cb56049 well-trained pet. Like a purebred dog 7d578ca8e7 with sleek, untangled fur.27da4f6ab1111dae

“I ordered drinks in advance, is that okay?”e9b95b8004bc8942

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”a7c671bb2b88c1d5

Though Joo Taehyun answered agreeably, he didn’t reach for the cup. Seo Baekhan had ordered a safe iced Americano, but it didn’t seem to be to the kid’s taste.7c5a995edb5a9d65

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

But what could he do? It’s not like he’d met up with Joo Taehyun to chat and eat tasty food.e7205a2f3befff9c

“Have you been well?”6a071027e0731ead

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Ignoring how a2afc452ba Joo Taehyun 3ac6936ee0 kept grasping da70f6fb65 and releasing f1501e5f55 the coffee 4f9b11b920 cup, Seo 5204c97947 Baekhan chose 5908702e06 a bland acba8d762f greeting.5da59744bb1223c0

In truth, 1966669f7e Seo Baekhan 615d7e4bff preferred people 6fae1182bd who could 464c6fe1f1 clearly express 6709bd8487 their own d6d2a60ef6 opinions. He absolutely 08734df671 hated it d934112f90 when acquaintances aa145f7ed5 or lovers 4f5f4b5654 acted vague 688fe2ab33 around him. If they c2a689b491 lacked that 0b9f7932b0 ability, they bcc9b16dee needed to bb809352c6 be skilled c2e52572d6 enough actors 8f54af15d5 to deceive 44d1c93883 others flawlessly.14404a3f4b2386c6

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

But Joo Taehyun wasn’t someone who would ever step into his domain anyway. It would be ridiculous to critique the immature behavior of a kid born with a diamond spoon, raised on only the finest things.71ec4f1d4fa30595

“Well… Same as always for me. How about you, hyung?”022ef332ce714349

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I roughly finished my thesis, so things are a bit more manageable now. You started university early too, right?”7f77920dc20379ae

“Yes.”7b0ea197aab1fa46

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Washington was unexpected. Are you interested in politics by any chance?”402418d575e8625f

“Not really.”687b57a1618e40ec

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

More perfunctory questions were exchanged after that, with Joo Taehyun sticking to short answers. For someone who had asked to meet first saying he wanted help, he seemed rather indifferent. Well, it didn’t matter to Seo Baekhan either way, since he hadn’t planned to spend much time on this meeting.191546be31e378df

“By the way, Taehyun.”eb0afe0eec56f7c2

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yes?”7332e1d45a4c196b

“Shouldn’t you be greeting me a bit more warmly than this?”150114799df3e49d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“…Pardon?”8eb7326b0ce92330

Regardless, he didn’t want to put up with a green kid acting all high and mighty as if he had nothing to lose.248640e41e540f1a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“You know I schedule my time down to the minute when I’m in Korea.”9fbc75bf0ae291a2

A ripple finally disturbed Joo Taehyun’s calm eyes. It seems he hadn’t expected Seo Baekhan to come at him so critically.8200590ebbf6d232

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I had to really squeeze my schedule to meet you today.”eac4ba5b04e01853

“Ah… That, yes, I know. Um, so, thank you for making time, hyung.”cf9df5b0befb1994

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Watching Joo Taehyun’s Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed hard, Seo Baekhan finally gave a short, satisfied smile.8b5da88b2c58fa4b

“I came out of curiosity too, so you don’t need to thank me, just be a little more pleased to see hyung, okay?”de05c00ffe3e5884

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Yes, I will. …I’m sorry.”99c9d12a485e7f69

Seo Baekhan 8444ce6c70 responded by f6b888191d maintaining eye 555c9aaaef contact while 39b31427f3 bringing the 6567c59836 coffee cup e460ec608b to his 315da3da67 lips.0d6041fdb01eacf7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Fortunately, Joo Taehyun seemed to quickly grasp what Seo Baekhan was trying to say. Judging by how he mumbled something about being shy, as hyung would know…24c503726cb6304b

Normally, he couldn’t stand having others above him, but he didn’t act prickly towards kids. What could be more unseemly than that?bac9c9ede357da9a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But that’s only if Joo Taehyun were truly an ordinary twenty-year-old college student.5048a79edec10f2b

‘Are you free that day?’c4d1782076d6eae4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

─ Yes.3f5b5ba25b5e6aee

‘You do know who you’re contacting, right?’be3a82b4975222e4

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

─ Yes, Baekhan hyung. I’m contacting you.f4a23495e332cecf

‘Hmm. What’s this about?’0d4dffcf45eb946e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

─ …It doesn’t seem like something to discuss over the phone.63ed37995fa2382f

The precious 0901d58dc4 youngest son 94faec52bb of the 75d9fa5fe5 DH Group cfa6d523cd had requested c26310e856 to meet 4d3e19074d first, saying 0ef260a720 he wanted d3a4bd7261 advice on 71767c1e20 a family 7f79001d31 matter from 76c3ce3189 the eldest eaadeebd6e son of e3aca864c3 Special Representative 7c0e0f115a Seo Honggyu. From that 6fa5063ffe moment on, 37cbbed15d every conversation 2f777e259f between Seo c12bd3795f Baekhan and 85e71feb23 Joo Taehyun 7dfe2b927e became a c51dd4b282 strategic performance d9ee74b04e where even 00219080be a single 0fd0cf0dbc sigh was 64fa131657 calculated.dc8372b4e894c8d8

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Ah. Let me say this in advance, if you’re asking for my help with something like a tax audit-”6e83e16488ddcc3c

“It’s not that!”e61cedc59819af97

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

When Seo Baekhan spoke playfully to break the frozen atmosphere, Joo Taehyun’s eyes went wide with surprise. The way he opened his mouth slightly and waved his hands was not much different from when he was a little kid whose head barely reached Seo Baekhan’s waist.1354bc4d84a7a42e

“Absolutely, absolutely not. It’s just, I have no one else to ask but you, hyung.”23d2aa526306343b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“A family matter you can only confide in me? This is getting more interesting.”722c36e2f3485451

Seo Baekhan smirked and 50a7193cb7 loosely crossed his arms.d9c5499357094e95

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Alright. As long as it’s nothing illegal. What is it?”1e979118c2e42f82

As if he hadn’t raised his voice in surprise just moments ago, Joo Taehyun returned to a calm and sullen expression. If not for the way he slowly rubbed his thumb and index fingernails, a stranger wouldn’t have noticed that Joo Taehyun was somewhat tense.cdabf8b3700bf127

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“So, um…”aa850e65f6473fd6

Seo Baekhan fixed his acdbbc935e gaze on Joo Taehyun 69e2c23975 as he searched for 91e2778fbd words, slowly sipping his dede5f685d coffee.a64726b42360cf83

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘Something you can’t say over the phone might be hard to say in person too.’e09893975b383f4c

─ It’s, um, related to my family…8d4b22b97a6bc020

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘Family matters? Are you saying you want to tell me about DH Group’s internal affairs?’748500c25202a39d

─ …Yes. It’s something I can only discuss with you, hyung.f6503bb5d24f62b2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

At first, Seo Baekhan had responded indifferently, but his curiosity was quickly piqued when he heard it was a family matter. A kid he hadn’t met separately in years suddenly wanted to consult him, an outsider, about DH Group’s internal issues? Moreover, considering the last conversation he’d had with Joo Taehyun, it was even more perplexing that he’d contacted him.1a48b8f8d60c3944

‘I-I liked you, hyung.’9042d70c45a4ec3b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Indeed, 3 years ago, at the year-end party for Hatch, a group of independence activists’ descendants, Joo Taehyun had nonchalantly thrown out his feelings.b8f977a0c8af9b07

‘Just… that’s how it was.’861522ada03c6298

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

And in the 543d384d19 past tense, at 2174bf732f that.6456f4aaf1bd36f1