Whisper Chapter 12

“You know that too, Secretary Lee. That’s why you’re keeping an eye on President Cha’s movements before making a move. That guy has no one above him.”  

 

“That’s why the Chairman likes him.”  

 

Jang Pal-yong let out a sigh filled with genuine envy, frustration, resentment, and anger.  

 

“Damn it. This is what makes people lose their temper. He throws everything in, but in such a twisted way.”  

 

With skills that allow him to handle everything himself and strong backing, who would dare climb over him?  

 

They said he was famous even back in middle school. That he was different from the start.  

 

“The woman who went into President Cha’s mansion with him—Sir Jang, you know who she is, right?”  

 

Secretary Lee asked in a gentle voice. As Jang Pal-yong had said, he was monitoring Cha Gyeol’s movements to a certain extent, but he maintained his own boundaries.  

 

“What? A woman in the mansion?”  

 

Jang Pal-yong asked back in shock, as if he had never heard such an absurd thing before.  

 

“They say she’s a young woman with short hair, incredibly beautiful. There’s no way you wouldn’t know, Sir Jang.”  

 

At the mention of short hair and an incredible beauty, Jang Pal-yong muttered an “Ah” as a face came to mind. But the phrase “very young-looking” made him exclaim internally, “!”  

 

That young lady or whatever they called her—he had brought her home? Cha Gyeol?  

 

They said she was a shaman’s granddaughter, but had he really been possessed or something? He was doing things he had never done before.  

 

“Who is she?”  

 

“I don’t know either.”  

 

“If you don’t know, then who would?”  

 

“I’m serious. I don’t know her name or anything about her. He picked her up from somewhere.”  

 

“President Cha did?”  

 

Yeah, it must be hard to believe. Even I saw it with my own eyes and still find it hard to believe. Jang Pal-yong frowned deeply as he recalled Cha Gyeol’s behavior. It was definitely strange. Unless he was making money from it or gaining something, there was no reason for him to do this.  

 

She was stunningly beautiful, but Cha Gyeol wasn’t the type to even bat an eye at such things.  

 

“That bastard has no conscience. He must’ve taken her home to sleep with her. Sometimes, you just want something new.”  

 

At Jang Pal-yong’s crude words, Secretary Lee still looked unconvinced.  

 

“Could there have been an emotional change that altered his preferences?”  

 

“Oh, come on, Secretary Lee. How the hell would I know what’s going on inside that bastard’s head? Just let it be.”  

 

Explaining further was a hassle, and considering Cha Gyeol’s reactions, it was impossible to say for sure whether he was a friend or foe. So Jang Pal-yong held his tongue. Secretary Lee reluctantly accepted this and pulled something from the inner pocket of his jacket, handing it to Jang Pal-yong.  

 

“These are opera tickets. Please give them to President Cha. I trust you won’t mention that they came from me.”  

 

Secretary Lee smiled like a fox. Jang Pal-yong scowled.  

 

“What am I, a spy or something? Secretary Lee, stop coming to me.”  

 

“I’d love that too.”  

 

Having finished his business, Secretary Lee stood up, gave a brief nod, and left the office. As Jang Pal-yong glared at the stiff opera tickets, Park Sae-min entered.  

 

“Why does Chairman Choi keep sending people to you, huh?”  

 

Holding overdue documents that needed to be processed, Park Sae-min sat in the chair where Secretary Lee had just been.  

 

“No idea. Damn it. The way he obsesses over him, they really are alike.”  

 

“Exactly. It makes me nervous. I keep worrying that President Cha will find out. I seriously thought he was going to end up in prison back then. It’s widely believed in this industry that President Cha’s personality is all because of Chairman Choi.”  

 

“That guy’s personality was given to him by the heavens from birth. Chairman Choi just helped a little. Hey, but you’ve never actually seen President Cha go wild, have you? When he does, damn, his eyes roll back—it’s the stuff of men’s dreams.”  

 

As they chatted animatedly, suddenly, a noise startled them. They flailed in alarm, making odd sounds.  

 

“What do you mean by ‘men’s dreams’?”  

 

Cha Gyeol, as large as a door, stood elegantly behind the open door. And right beside his arm, a small head popped out.  

 

“Holy shit! You scared me!”  

 

Jang Pal-yong flailed around in his seat in panic. Park Sae-min, equally shocked, clutched his chest as if his heart had nearly burst out. Every time this happened, he felt like Cha Gyeol wasn’t even human.  

 

“Y-You, President Cha—you need to stop sneaking around like that. Damn it, my heart keeps pounding like crazy.”  

 

Hurriedly, he shoved the opera ticket behind his waistband, hiding it. Grabbing the documents that Park Sae-min had brought in, he swiftly disappeared.  

 

When Cha Gyeol strolled in with something trailing behind him like goldfish poop and lounged on the sofa like an idle aristocrat, the “goldfish poop” also sat down next to him, as if they were a set. Jang Pal-yong, faced with this strange sight once again, completely forgot about his pounding heart.  

 

“What’s your deal? Why do you make people curious and then refuse to answer?”  

 

In the sweltering summer, one was dressed head to toe in black like a grim reaper, while the other wore long sleeves that covered even the backs of their hands. If they were strangers, anyone would think that these good-looking people had gone mad as a set.  

 

“What else? For men, it’s being surrounded by women. But that has nothing to do with you, so mind your own business.”  

 

Looking at them closely, they did seem like a somewhat fitting combination. Judging by appearances, Cha Gyeol looked like he was in his twenties, while the ambiguous-looking girl beside him could be either a minor or not. Visually, they were a top-tier match.  

 

“That… Did you call her ‘kiddo’? Shouldn’t we introduce ourselves first? I’m Jang Pal-yong, an officer here. But our president, this bastard, didn’t even bother to introduce people.”  

 

With an odd mix of Busan dialect and an awkward Seoul accent, Jang Pal-yong tried his best to give a friendly smile.  

 

“‘Kiddo’? Who are you calling ‘Kiddo’?”  

 

“Then tell me your name.”  

 

“Why do you need to know my name?”  

 

“…”  

 

Was this what it meant to be utterly speechless? Jang Pal-yong suppressed the irritation bubbling inside him. Anyway, Cha Gyeol had brought a shaman along, and the “goldfish poop” was there too. If they suddenly decided to cut off fingers, he’d be completely defenseless.  

 

“Why is your name such a secret that you won’t even tell me? Then what should I call you? ‘Hey, you’?”  

 

Maybe he should just go ahead and call her “goldfish poop.” As Jang Pal-yong contemplated this, he caught Lee Heewoo looking at him with a slightly strange expression and grinned again. Cha Gyeol’s sharp, three-white eyes narrowed threateningly.  

 

“Just don’t call her anything.”  

 

“Have you lost your damn mind? If someone you know suddenly starts treating you like you’re invisible, would you feel good about it? Seriously, you’re impossible.”  

 

Pfft.

 

A laugh, more like a cough, suddenly burst out. As Cha Gyeol and Jang Pal-yong struggled to hold back their laughter, Lee Heewoo completely lost control, unable to stop laughing.  

 

Cha Gyeol had never seen Lee Heewoo laugh out loud like this before. He had no idea what was so funny, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she smiled so radiantly that her mouth formed a perfect cave.  

 

For a fleeting moment, as her mischievous, androgynous face turned toward him, time seemed to halt, the world going eerily silent like a vacuum before sound returned.  

 

“…Ha, isn’t your taste a little weird?”  

 

“Kiddo,” she called in a voice that had suddenly sunk to a deep murmur. Lee Heewoo coughed, wiping the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand.  

 

Cha Gyeol leaned back into the sofa, reaching for a cigarette. He felt like he needed a drag just to clear his head, but when he searched for his lighter, it was missing. Giving Jang Pal-yong a meaningful glance, he silently asked for one, only to receive a look of utter disgust in return. Holding the cigarette loosely between his lips, his narrowed eyes looking downward, Cha Gyeol didn’t just resemble a grim reaper—he looked like an alluring, seductive one.  

 

Just looking at this bastard made him want to turn against this unfair world.  

 

“Sir.”  

 

He was about to curse when a soft voice called out to him. His head turned slightly in response.  

 

“Hm?”  

 

“Can I tell him my name?”  

 

At the gentle question, Cha Gyeol bit down on the cigarette filter. He didn’t understand this feeling. He didn’t want to know. So he turned his head away.  

 

“If the little miss wants to, then go ahead. Let’s hear your introduction.”  

 

With permission granted, Lee Heewoo looked at Jang Pal-yong with a determined expression. Judging people based on appearance wasn’t right, but at first glance, Jang Pal-yong looked exactly like the kind of cattle thief that the village ladies always talked about. But once he started speaking, his impression softened, taking on a more rustic warmth.  

 

“I’m Lee Heewoo. I just turned twenty. I live alone with my grandmother, so I don’t know much. Please take care of me!”  

 

At the mention of “twenty,” Jang Pal-yong squinted at Cha Gyeol but then clapped his hands loudly when she finished with “please take care of me.”  

 

They sure knew how to have fun. Cha Gyeol scoffed and stubbed out his unlit cigarette in the ashtray.