IWDAR Chapter 7

He looked like a trainee dragged here against his will by his agency President. Standing there awkwardly on crutches, with a pure face that seemed to exude the scent of milk, he looked almost bizarre. Despite subtly attracting the attention of those around him, the boy seemed completely unfazed.

“I see Secretary Choi has also noticed him.”

“Yes, I see him clearly.”

Tae-uk’s eyelids narrowed slightly.

‘Yes, he’s definitely alive…’

Some time passed as his gaze remained fixed on the boy. The celebratory performance ended, and some of the dimmed lights brightened. 

Applause erupted. 

Choi Do-hoon, who had been standing with a tense expression throughout the performance, looked at Tae-uk with a worried face. Ghosts were said to be crazy about music and dance, but the specters that had tormented Mo Tae-uk for so long strangely hated music. 

They would disappear without a trace when music filled the air, only to return with even more violent outbursts as if seeking revenge the moment the music stopped.

Following the program schedule, Do-hoon quietly asked Tae-uk as he walked beside him, 

“Sir, are you alright?”

Tae-uk stopped abruptly, his head tilting slightly. A flicker of interest crossed his usually impassive eyes.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said I’m alright.”

Normally, he would have started screaming as soon as the music ended. Tae-uk’s gaze, following his secretary towards the stage, slowly swept across the party hall. 

He couldn’t see anything, nor could he hear anything. Even on his way here, a dark mass had been sprawled on the hood of his car, glaring at him in the back seat.

“Perhaps the new talisman the Chairman gave you worked.”

“I doubt it.”

If it could be dispelled with a mere talisman, he wouldn’t have suffered so much until now. 

Tae-uk gave a cold reply and, after briefly greeting the emcee, went up on stage. Secretary Choi watched Tae-uk with an uneasy look. As if his words were true, Mo Tae-uk, conducting the opening ceremony, was flawless. 

Every time a guest was introduced, people’s attention was drawn to them, but no one had captured their attention as much as CEO Mo Tae-uk had upon his entrance. 

This wasn’t simply because of the man’s looks, wealth, or position in the industry. Some of the people gathered here stared at Tae-uk with gleaming eyes, as if licking him with their gaze but no one could comfortably approach the man with his overwhelming aura.

‘The rumor about seeing ghosts is quite helpful in times like these.’

Tae-uk suppressed a smirk.

‘I heard the CEO of ON Entertainment sees ghosts.’

‘He often acts crazy, don’t he?’‘

‘What good are his skills if he’s not in his right mind?’

There were probably some people in the venue today who were anticipating Mo Tae-uk’s ‘crazy’ behavior. After all, Tae-uk, who rarely made public appearances, was at an official event after a long time. Mo Tae-uk clearly observed the mixture of anticipation and disappointment flickering across some of their faces.

Wooyoung, who had been captivated by the performance, now found it hard to take his eyes off CEO Mo Tae-uk on stage for a different reason. 

Wooyoung was certain that Mo Tae-uk was a perfect leader. 

The gazes directed at him proved it. 

Wooyoung could easily tell that many people present had their attention fixed on the man at some point.

‘But, how should I put it…?’

It didn’t seem to be simply because of his wealth and appearance. The way people looked at him had a different nuance than simple desire.

‘As if they’re expecting him to crumble.’

Having grown up reading the room, Wooyoung could easily discern not only kindness but also hostility in others. He frowned at the blatant malice he sensed from some of them. Was it related to the strange atmosphere surrounding the man? Yes, Mo Tae-uk exuded a strange, indescribable aura.

Wooyoung suddenly remembered Soohee and Hyun-jong repeatedly mentioning the ‘Year of the Rabbit.’

‘What connection does that have with him?‘

As Mo Tae-uk put down the microphone, applause erupted. Wooyoung finally joined in with a small, “Clap, clap, clap.”

Hyun-jong roughly grabbed Wooyoung’s arm.

“Ugh—”

The grip that reached out was so strong it felt like his bones were being crushed. Wooyoung had to stifle a groan. Park Hyun-jong pushed his way through the crowd.

“Excuse me!”

A reproachful voice rang out. His leg throbbed as if he had bumped into something, but Wooyoung couldn’t even utter a word of complaint about the pain. Because he realized where Hyun-jong was dragging him, despite his limited mobility. 

It was probably possible only because Hyun-jong had been solely focused on the man since he appeared. He was so anxious about losing his chance to speak to Tae-uk first.

The gaze of the tall, dark man landed on Hyun-jong, who was approaching with obvious eagerness

“Greetings, CEO Mo. It’s a true honor to meet you like this. I know you must have had a lot on your mind with the completion of the concert hall, and I sincerely congratulate you on its successful completion.”

Hyun-jong bowed deeply, almost subserviently, as he approached. The gaze that had been following Hyun-jong slowly shifted.

“I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

“Oh, my apologies. I haven’t even introduced myself…”

Flustered by the cool voice, President Park hurriedly took out his business card he had tucked away and offered it. 

Wooyoung unconsciously gulped as he saw the business card being offered respectfully with both hands, then taken by the large hand with prominent knuckles. Strangely, everything about the man made him nervous. He didn’t know why.

“Lilac Entertainment.”

The low voice softly uttered the name of the company printed on the business card. 

Hyun-jong, raising his head sharply, put on his brightest smile.

“Allow me to formally introduce myself, CEO Mo. I’m Park Hyun-jong of Lilac Entertainment. I’ve recently entered this business, and it’s an honor to have this opportunity to greet you. I’d like to contribute to the domestic music industry you’re leading.”

“Secretary Choi.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man standing silently next to Mo Tae-uk replied. He was smaller than Mo Tae-uk, but still a tall man. 

Tae-uk handed the business card to his secretary and scanned President Park with a bored expression.

“I told them not to distribute invitations carelessly.”

“I apologize.”

Hyun-jong’s face, which had been plastered with a smiling face, stiffened. The atmosphere between the two men grew heavier. Hyun-jong’s eyes darted around for a moment, but he forced a smile and waved his hand dismissively.

“Haha, I think there’s been a misunderstanding, CEO Mo. Isn’t this a party for everyone to enjoy before the ceremony? In the case of large events like this, invitations circulated informally, and interested industry professionals often attend at their discretion.”

“So, you mean to say that your presence here, as someone completely unrelated, is solely due to your own capabilities?”

“…That’s correct, CEO Mo.”

Perhaps slightly offended by Tae-uk’s condescending attitude, Hyun-jong’s tone also contained a hint of sarcasm. 

Seeing right through Hyun-jong’s intentions, Wooyoung cautiously observed Tae-uk’s expression. 

He was, after all, a complete outsider in this situation, so he thought it wouldn’t hurt to steal a glance. However, he was startled when his slightly raised gaze was immediately startled to find himself locked onto by jet-black eyes. Mo Tae-uk’s gaze was too direct to dismiss as his imagination, like before. The man was definitely looking at him. 

Tae-uk’s eyes, which had been fixed on Wooyoung for a moment, shifted. His gaze scanned over Wooyoung’s body, noting how he looked awkward in his decent clothes due to the casts on his injured arm and broken leg. 

Wooyoung, feeling ashamed again, lowered his head. He had endured countless scrutinizing gazes throughout his life, but there was something different about this man’s gaze. It was similar to the feeling he had when he first saw the man’s name on the phone screen. 

‘Ah, yes.’ 

Familiarity. It was definitely familiarity.