TL | Chapter 28 | Even If It Was a Mistake

“Here.”

A mug was thrust in front of him. Looking up, Seowon saw Min standing there, looking down at him.

“You look tired.”

The mug held coffee with a rich aroma, not instant, but freshly brewed from beans.

“I didn’t add anything else. I remember seeing you drink it like this before.”

Min added as he furrowed his brows, as if unsure if the Seowon in front of him would like it the same way the old Ha Seowon did.

“Thanks.”

Seowon took the coffee without resistance and brought it to his lips. The warmth soothed his frayed nerves as it went down his throat, calming him.

“Did you get into an argument with the Director?”

Min’s question made him pause. Since leaving Iden’s office, he’d been sitting in a corner of the secretary’s office, but he hadn’t thought he’d shown any signs of tension. How did he know?

“Did it show?”

Wondering if he should be more careful, Seowon asked. Min shrugged and pointed with his eyes toward the office.

“It’s more obvious with the Director than with you. The secretaries are all on edge. The atmosphere is icy.”

“Oh…”

“This isn’t the first time, so don’t worry too much.”

Though Min’s words were meant to reassure him, they didn’t have much effect.

“So, you’ve argued before?”

“Nothing major, just some back-and-forths. You know, people have those.”

Min’s tone was as if little squabbles were natural in any relationship. But Seowon couldn’t let it go so lightly. The idea that a small argument could affect everyone around them so much didn’t sit right with him.

“Actually, it’s better that he’s just being cold now. Not long ago, we really didn’t know what to do. The Director didn’t react to anything that wasn’t related to you, so everyone was on edge.”

Min seemed to accept Iden’s coldness with an air of familiarity. Working by his side for nearly ten years probably did that.

“Since you’re the only one who can calm him down in that state, the secretaries are all looking to you for help.”

He gestured with his eyes towards the secretaries, who, indeed, were stealing glances at Seowon. The moment their eyes met, they quickly looked away. Seowon gave a wry smile at their reactions.

Maybe calming down an angry Iden wouldn’t be that hard. The problem was that he didn’t feel up to comforting him right now.

You’re the one who brought up being a sex partner. Don’t tell me you think you can have your way once and be done with it. Since you chose it when you needed it, I should be able to choose it when I want too, right?

Iden’s words echoed in his mind. Even though it was absurd, Seowon couldn’t argue. It was true that he had dragged Iden into it because he had no other way to calm his Heat Cycle. Back then, Iden had given Seowon a choice. Even if there hadn’t been any suppressants, he could have pushed Iden away if he’d truly hated it. But he hadn’t. Iden was right: Seowon had chosen it himself.

During the Heat Cycle, you get to decide. If you don’t want it, I won’t force it.

Iden had made it clear this time as well. If Seowon didn’t want him during future Heat Cycles, he would never initiate anything. However…

But outside the Heat Cycle, I get to choose. Just like you used me when you needed it, I’ll hold you when I need you, when I want to.

Standing a step away, Iden had grabbed Seowon’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze, and warned him sternly, his glossy eyes capturing Seowon’s face.

You can call it whatever you want—sex partner, whatever. But neither of us has any other options, so cooperate.

Hearing that, Seowon realized he’d made a mistake. From the beginning, he never should have brought up the term “sex partner.” That one word forced him and Iden to recognize each other as the only means to satisfy their urges.

It dawned on him, albeit too late, that Iden had been considerate of his feelings this whole time. During his Heat Cycle, and when Iden was in Rut, he could have easily forced himself on Seowon, yet he didn’t. Even in the car, he had shown remarkable restraint, waiting until the emergency suppressant kicked in, and even at home, he’d asked Seowon’s opinion first.

Even though he knew he’d made a mistake, there was no taking it back. Redefining their relationship would only make him feel guiltier toward his “Iden hyung.” Even thinking of the “Ha Seowon” here didn’t bring him peace.

He felt as if his body and mind were completely disconnected. If they were, then maybe he could have drawn a clear line and told himself they were just sex partners. But that wasn’t the case, and so Iden’s anger stabbed at his heart like a thorn.

What did he really want? He couldn’t even figure out his own feelings.

Seeing the conflict on Seowon’s face, Min quietly sipped his coffee without adding more. Just then, Min’s phone rang.

“…It’s this Friday. The location…”

After a while on the call, Min glanced back at Seowon, with a somewhat strange expression. He ended the call and addressed Seowon.

“You’ll need to head to the security team now.”

“The security team?”

“As mentioned before, the Director has a personal security team. They’re usually not visible, but they’re active during official events.”

Seowon remembered hearing about this last week.

“There’s an auction this Friday. The Director is scheduled to attend, so the entire security team will be mobilized.”

For the whole team to move out, it didn’t sound like an ordinary auction.

“It’s being held in Seoul, but attendees from Hong Kong, Japan, China, and even the U.S. will be present.”

The presence of foreign guests wasn’t the only important thing here.

“One of the organizations interested in the casino project will also be there.”

Finally, it clicked for Seowon. It meant that those who had targeted Iden, the ones responsible for killing the “Ha Seowon” here, might be among them.

**

In a dark warehouse, the only light came from a few computers on a desk. A man sat with his legs propped up on the desk, staring at a monitor, one eyebrow raised as he looked at a recently received email.

Right on cue, his phone rang. The man glanced at the number on the screen with a blank expression. It wasn’t a Korean number; it began with +1, an international code.

“Hello.”

Answering indifferently, he connected his phone to the computer. As the caller spoke in English, the words appeared translated on a monitor via a translation app.

—The DNA test results? Are you sure it’s Ha Seowon?

The man clicked his tongue as he read the translated message on the screen.

“Ha, damn it. If you’re calling Korea, you should speak Korean.”

He muttered to himself, and the caller continued talking, half-cursing, half-demanding that he do his job properly since he’d been paid. It was because of the high payment that he’d reluctantly accepted the overseas request in the first place.

“I’ll send the DNA test results by email so you can check yourself.”

With a short reply, he opened his email and forwarded the DNA results to the caller. There was silence on the other end as the caller took a moment to review the email. Meanwhile, the man absentmindedly pulled out a jackknife, flicking the sharp blade in and out.

—So, the person beside Iden isn’t really Ha Seowon?

The caller’s words appeared on the monitor once more.

“How should I know?”

He responded in Korean. He could manage basic English, but he didn’t feel like accommodating the caller.

“So, what’s the plan? Do you want me to target Ha Seowon first or go straight for Iden?”

The caller hesitated, seemingly deep in thought.

—If that person isn’t Ha Seowon, targeting him would be pointless. Iden might have set this up, using him as bait to set a trap. Any rash moves could expose us.

This was different from the original plan. Initially, they’d ordered him to kidnap Ha Seowon and use him to lure Iden out.

“What a mess. If all you want is to kill Iden, why not just target him from the start? Why even involve Ha Seowon if you’re going to backtrack now?”

—You don’t understand Iden. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

Easy or not, it wasn’t his concern. His job was to carry out the task for the money he’d been paid.

“So, am I killing him or not?”

—Try it if you think you’re up for it. If you fail, you won’t get the remaining half of the payment. That’s assuming you’re still alive to care about it.

“We’ll see. Just give me the information on when to strike.”

With a confident answer, he heard the caller sigh shortly. Despite hiring him, they didn’t seem to trust him, which only stoked his competitive spirit.

—This Friday at 9 p.m., Grand Hotel Ballroom. An auction is scheduled.

A message popped up on the man’s phone. Grinning, he turned around and pressed a remote on his desk. The sound of gears whirring filled the room, and the wall behind the desk slid open, revealing an array of hidden weapons displayed before him.