PEN Vol 3 Ch. 24

I wonder if Kwon Sejin is asleep. 

Cheon Sejoo sent Sejin a message asking if there was anything he wanted him to bring home and, after waiting briefly, left the annex.

The humid summer air enveloped him. Even though Ehwagak was in the mountains, the weather was hot enough to make him sweat quickly. It was a tropical night, and even this place was no exception. However, Cheon Sejoo didn’t mind the stifling heat and sat down on the annex’s porch to smoke a cigarette.

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As he was leisurely enjoying the heat and smoking, he heard small footsteps approaching. A child appeared and rushed towards the moss garden, shouting.

“Han Junhoo, if you go there, the scary mister will roar at you!”

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There was another voice following close behind. Cheon Sejoo fixed his gaze on the man appearing around the corner. 

It was Han Jonghyun. A face he hadn’t seen in a while.

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Unaware of Cheon Sejoo’s presence, the two were wrestling in front of the moss garden. The little boy reached out to touch the moss, and Han Jonghyun wagged his finger, saying no, then tickled the child’s armpits until he collapsed onto the ground, giggling.

Cheon Sejoo watched the scene with an expression that suggested he was witnessing something truly bizarre. He thought Han Jonghyun must have multiple personalities. The guy who lazed around like a drug addict whose life was ruined, and the guy who drank himself silly and bemoaned his fate, both felt like they possessed different personalities from the Han Jonghyun before him now.

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“Uncle! Uncle! I surrender! I won’t do it again!”

Finally, the giggling child declared surrender. Only then did Han Jonghyun, smiling, help the boy up and dust off his little suit. Suddenly, as if catching a whiff of cigarette smoke on the breeze, Han Jonghyun looked around and spotted Cheon Sejoo. His cheerful face stiffened awkwardly, his lips turning downwards.

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“Carry me. I want to sleep.”

The child clung to Han Jonghyun’s leg and whined.

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Cheon Sejoo glanced at the child and then nodded in greeting to Han Jonghyun. Seemingly displeased with Cheon Sejoo’s casual attitude, Han Jonghyun frowned with a stretched-out smile and patted the child’s head, placating him.

“Stay here and look at the garden for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

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“Okay…”

The child nodded glumly and squatted down in front of the moss garden. Han Jonghyun approached Cheon Sejoo with leisurely steps. Before he could start an argument, Cheon Sejoo spoke first.

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“Is he the Director’s son?”

“What? You see me after a while and that’s all you have to say? No polite greeting?”

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Han Jonghyun grumbled as he approached and sat down next to Cheon Sejoo. It was their first encounter since Cheon Sejoo had listened to his drunken ramblings during the winter. 

Cheon Sejoo didn’t think they were close enough to sit side by side like this so casually, but apparently, from Han Jonghyun’s perspective, the last incident had closed the distance between them. The fact that he didn’t complain about the lack of a proper greeting seemed to confirm it.

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Han Jonghyun picked up Cheon Sejoo’s cigarette pack from the floor without asking. He opened the cover, took out a cigarette, and said,

“Do you think this face could belong to a married man?”

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“…….”

Cheon Sejoo thought, Why not? He wasn’t too young to be married, and the child looked just like Han Jonghyun. Remaining silent with this thought, Han Jonghyun suddenly raised his hand and pointed at his own face with a somewhat vulgar gesture, saying,

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“Married men’s faces are all wrecked. I’m glowing.”

“…Yes.”

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“He’s my nephew.”

“Is that so.”

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It was somewhat absurd, but not entirely wrong. Han Jonghyun seemed to be in good condition for once. His innocent face was practically sparkling, and for once, he seemed somewhat normal. Of course, every time he opened his mouth, he reverted back to the Han Jonghyun Cheon Sejoo knew.

“Han Junhoo! Junhoo! Come here.”

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“Mom!”

“Yes. Grandpa is looking for our Junhoo. Oh, Young Master.”

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While Han Jonghyun leisurely lit his cigarette, a woman in a suit appeared, walking along the path leading to the annex. At the sound of his name, the child ran to the woman. She embraced him and then, noticing Han Jonghyun and Cheon Sejoo, her eyes widened.

Her eyes quickly darted over Cheon Sejoo. When their eyes met, Cheon Sejoo smiled gently and nodded in greeting. Seeing this, Han Jonghyun sighed and stood up.

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“Sister-in-law, you go ahead. I’ll be in shortly after a quick break.”

“Yes, take your time. Father is at it again.”

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“The old man is full of energy. Be careful on your way.”

The woman smiled cautiously at his teasing remark and disappeared back down the path with the child in her arms. 

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After they departed, silence fell over the area in front of the annex. Han Jonghyun, with the unlit cigarette still in his mouth, tapped his foot, then tossed the lighter that had been resting on the cigarette pack onto Cheon Sejoo’s lap.

“Light this for me.”

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He had hands, didn’t he? This man was truly a master at making other people do things for him. Cheon Sejoo, accepting the inconvenience, picked up the lighter and lit Han Jonghyun’s cigarette. Hoo, a faint puff of smoke dispersed in front of his face. Narrowing his eyes, Han Jonghyun asked, dangling the cigarette at the corner of his lips,

“You’re not even interested in women, so why do you flirt with people?”

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“…What? When did I?”

It was a ridiculous accusation. Perplexed, Sejoo frowned and asked back, and Han Jonghyun lifted the hand he had been resting on the floor. His index finger poked Cheon Sejoo’s lips and tugged them upwards slightly.

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“You just smiled at my sister-in-law like this. With a dick that doesn’t even get hard, who are you trying to seduce?” 

It was such a nonsensical argument. Cheon Sejoo, dumbfounded, turned his head away, brushed off Han Jonghyun’s hand, and then faced him again. Staring at the mouth that spewed nonsense every time it opened, he asked,

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“Does it look like I’m seducing someone just by smiling, Director Han?”

“So you’re not?”

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The scoffing question made his blood boil. Han Jonghyun always treated him like some promiscuous gay man whenever they met. 

Does he think I’m a convert or something? He’s the one who carelessly plays around, Cheon Sejoo thought.

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The saying “A thief believes everybody steals” perfectly described him, swinging his dick around carelessly while judging others. Annoyed, Cheon Sejoo lifted the corners of his mouth, looking at Han Jonghyun.

“Would it make sense? As you said, Director Han, it doesn’t even work with women, so why would I seduce your sister-in-law? If I were to seduce anyone, it would be you, Director Han.” 

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As he said this with a deep smile, Han Jonghyun, who had been smoking, opened his mouth and frowned. He stared intently at Cheon Sejoo’s smiling face, then let out a hollow laugh and cursed.

“Fucking bastard.”

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“I’m well aware that I’m a fucking bastard.”

Cheon Sejoo responded as he usually would when Han Jonghyun was about to make a fuss, expecting the usual tirade. However, the words that followed were beyond his expectations.

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“Uselessly handsome bastard.”

“…….”

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Cheon Sejoo’s expression froze at the words he never expected to hear from Han Jonghyun. Seeing his bewildered face, Han Jonghyun finally grinned mischievously and turned his head away. Only then did Cheon Sejoo realize he had been playfully disarmed. He let out a dumbfounded sigh. 

It was absurd that Han Jonghyun had played a joke on him, and even more unbelievable that the joke revolved around a topic he always detested.

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What’s wrong with this guy? 

Hiding his bewilderment, Cheon Sejoo glanced at Han Jonghyun sitting next to him. The impeccably dressed man exuded the peculiar scent of cologne that could be considered Han Jonghyun’s signature, but mixed with it was a strong smell of alcohol.

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Recalling the last time they met when Han Jonghyun had been drinking heavily and on the verge of tears, Cheon Sejoo quickly realized he wasn’t in his right mind. He had already endured five hours of Seok Yoonhyung’s drunken rambling, and he couldn’t handle Han Jonghyun’s on top of that.

Cheon Sejoo, deciding he needed to leave quickly, reached for his cigarettes and lighter scattered on the floor. However, Han Jonghyun, holding the lighter, wouldn’t give it back. Opening and closing the lid of the Zippo lighter Doyoon had given Sejoo, Han Jonghyun stared intently at Cheon Sejoo.

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“How have you been?”

“…Yes, well. Yes. I’ve been well.”

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Cheon Sejoo himself had never asked Han Jonghyun how he was doing. Startled for a moment, he answered, and Han Jonghyun slowly nodded, shifting his gaze to the moss garden. Somehow, it felt like they were obligated to continue the conversation. Sejoo cursed inwardly, realizing he should have left with the woman earlier. After a brief silence, Han Jonghyun spoke.

“The president still hasn’t said anything to you about me?”

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“…No.”

It had already been more than six months since their last conversation about this. At Han Jonghyun’s question, Cheon Sejoo realized that Shin Gyoyeon still hadn’t given him any word. He himself hadn’t heard anything about Han Jonghyun from either Shin Gyoyeon or Chae Beomjun.

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While Baek Seonghwan and other executives were frequently mentioned, Han Jonghyun never seemed to come up in their conversations. 

Shouldn’t he have given up by now? Cheon Sejoo suddenly thought.

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The self-sacrifice of others in the organization was all for the sake of maintaining their own positions. But Han Jonghyun, whether he worked or not, received the treatment of a director, and enjoyed all the privileges that came with the title. So, wasn’t there really any need for him to engage in illegal activities for the organization?

Cheon Sejoo scrutinized Han Jonghyun’s appearance with a serious gaze. From his clothes to his shoes, everything he wore was expensive. They were all luxury brands, and the watch on Han Jonghyun’s wrist was from a high-end brand, not easily obtainable, with most models exceeding hundreds of millions of won¹. 

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Why would someone who lacked nothing be so attached to this place? 

Cheon Sejoo couldn’t understand Han Jonghyun. He couldn’t fathom why he would bother helping Shin Gyoyeon and getting involved in this dirty business. After a brief silence, Cheon Sejoo cautiously asked, gauging Han Jonghyun’s reaction.

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“Why do you want to work for the organization, Director?”

“What?”

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“You seem like… you could live well enough without doing this kind of work.”

This was the first time Cheon Sejoo had shown any curiosity about Han Jonghyun. At his question, Han Jonghyun’s eyes lit up as he looked at Cheon Sejoo, as if surprised. His eyes were hazy as if he were slightly drunk. He stared at Sejoo with a glazed expression, then chuckled and opened his mouth.

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“You saw her earlier, my sister-in-law.”

“Yes.”

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Perhaps thanks to the alcohol, his words flowed easily. Cheon Sejoo tilted his head slightly, listening to Han Jonghyun.

“She’s the daughter of a three-term congressman from the countryside.”

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“Ah….”

“My brother is quite accomplished. He went to Harvard, but dropped out because it wasn’t a good fit, then went straight to Yale, graduated top of his class, and even went to graduate school there.”

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His voice lacked energy despite describing his accomplished brother. Han Jonghyun seemed strangely dejected. The reason became clear soon enough.

“There’s a bit of an age gap between us, but my brother so always smart from a young age, so my parents had high expectations for him. He absorbed everything they taught him like a sponge, so when he turned nine and I was born as a late child, those expectations were passed down to me. But damn it, look at this. I didn’t even start talking until I was over three, and I was so slow that I had to take developmental tests several times.”

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Han Jonghyun snatched the cigarette pack Cheon Sejoo was holding and took out another cigarette. Sejoo took the Zippo lighter he offered and lit it for him again. Whitish smoke dispersed into the air. Amidst the heat from the cigarette lighter and the stifling heat of the tropical night, Sejoo listened to Han Jonghyun’s story.

“The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment, and because of that, I grew up being compared to my brother. I was so frustrated that I tried to do something, but maybe because I wasn’t smart enough, I couldn’t even get into a university in Seoul. After I got into a local university, I gave up on everything, thinking it was all bullshit.” 

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It wasn’t a particularly remarkable story, but Cheon Sejoo finally felt like he understood the background of Han Jonghyun’s delinquent behavior. Of course, not everyone with an inferiority complex commits such acts, but he could at least understand Han Jonghyun’s arrogant behavior, given his director title.