My Bloody Valentine - 79

Among the rooms named after jewels like Amber, Opal, and Topaz, there was one room without any name. Haejun was guided to that room.

It was surprising that there was no trace of the sultry atmosphere typically felt in entertainment establishments from the entrance to the interior.

Inside, the natural scent of a diffuser gently filled the air along with the soft flow of classical music, while neatly dressed waiters, moving to and fro, greeted guests as politely as hotel staff.

As soon as Haejun entered the room he was led to, the first thing that caught his eye was a heavy table, and a sofa covered in dark green velvet arranged in a ‘ㄷ’ shape.

The cozy and calm space seemed more suited for intimate conversations or even business dealings requiring security, rather than entertainment.

“Could you please wait here for a moment?”

“What? Oh, yes…”

“You can relax.”

Soon, a waiter brought a sparkling cup along with some bottled water and a couple of canned drinks. Feeling like a country mouse who just arrived in the city, Haejun cautiously poured some water into a crystal glass while surveying his surroundings.

A 100% membership club—perhaps this is where wealthy people go instead of common neighborhood bars. As he was feeling a sudden sense of discomfort, the door opened again, and a man walked in.

He was unusually tall, easily surpassing 190 cm. Just one person entering the room made it feel full.

Without realizing it, Haejun stood up from his seat and bowed deeply in greeting. The man looked young but gave the impression of being in a high position.

“Ah, hello. I’m Choi Haejun.”

The man, without saying a word, gestured for Haejun to sit back down and casually crossed his legs on the opposite sofa. He continued to observe Haejun with an appraising gaze.

When the man tapped his fingers on his clasped hands resting on his lap, Haejun was startled and looked up sharply, locking eyes with him.

The direct gaze felt like it was piercing through him. Though the man’s eyes, with their slightly drooping corners, gave off a strangely decadent vibe, it was undeniable that he was incredibly handsome.

He seemed like the kind of person who would be dreadful as a boss. Haejun instinctively sensed that no lies or flattery would work on this man.

Starting with the woman who had guided him here, were all the people working in this place so intimidating? Could the delicate Han-i really be working in such a place?

With various questions swirling in his mind, Haejun cautiously spoke up.

“Um… I’m looking for someone.”

“Go ahead.”

The man’s voice, as cold as his expression, made Haejun even more nervous.

“I’m looking for a friend named Lee Han… Excuse me, but may I ask who you are?”

Haejun’s voice grew weaker toward the end. With a low “Ah,” the man pulled out a business card from his suit jacket pocket and handed it over.

Haejun held the card with both hands, feeling its smooth texture as he looked down. The name “Tacenda” was engraved on the front in clean, embossed English font, matching the sign outside, and on the back was the man’s title and name.

[Representative Jang Taeshin]

Haejun alternated glances between the business card and Taeshin’s face, puzzled. He had only come to find a single employee, so it was hard to believe that the representative himself would meet him, and he couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

“You’re the representative? But… is Han-i really an employee here?”

“He was in debt to this place.”

“Debt…?”

As soon as the word “debt” left Taeshin’s mouth, Haejun’s hands started fidgeting nervously. Taeshin briefly glanced at them and made a quick judgment.

The hands of this man, Choi Haejun, were smooth and free of calluses. He clearly wasn’t from this world—if he worked at all, it was likely at a desk job, tapping away at a keyboard.

And the trace on those hands, which seemed less than a year old, led to only one possible conclusion: gambling.

Taeshin had heard stories about how gangsters running gambling houses would cut off the pinky fingers of customers who defaulted on their debts or were framed for fraud, as a warning to never return.

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Han wasn’t the type to get himself into debt; it must have been someone else who used his name. That someone had to be this man.

What he couldn’t figure out was the nature of their relationship.

“What is your connection to Lee Han?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked, what’s your relationship?”

Depending on the answer, Taeshin would decide whether or not to take the knife from the inner pocket of his jacket.

He stared at the side of Haejun’s neck, focusing on the thin vein passing near his Adam’s apple. If the answer displeased him, he would slice through that vessel.

“We’re just… older brother, younger brother types.”

“That’s it? Just an older brother, younger brother relationship?”

“Yes? What else would it…?”

From Haejun’s innocent, blinking eyes, Taeshin realized that this man couldn’t even fathom anything beyond a platonic relationship between two men. Only then did Taeshin’s tense posture relax.

Leaning lazily against the back of the sofa, Taeshin pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and spoke.

“He used to work here, but he suddenly ran away, so we’re in a bit of trouble.”

“Ran away?”

“Yes.”

Haejun, feeling his mouth go dry, took a sip of the water in front of him.

“Is he really not here? If it’s about the debt, I can pay it off immediately.”

Taeshin gestured with his chin toward the glass in Haejun’s hand.

“It’s over two billion won. How do you plan to pay it? You don’t look like someone who could.”

“Two billion won? No, that’s… It should be no more than one and a half billion, even at most.”

“The interest has added up.”

The subtle smile lingering on Taeshin’s lips made his words even more intimidating, leaving Haejun unable to argue further.

“It’s not me… someone else is looking for Han-i.”

Taeshin’s gaze instantly sharpened.

“Who would be looking for a man with nothing but debt?”

“It’s hard to explain in detail to someone I just met, but there’s someone desperately searching for Han-i. They have more than enough ability to pay off two billion in a blink of an eye.”

“……”

Taeshin’s hand tightened as he stubbed out the shortened cigarette in the ashtray. From his earlier investigations, Han had no connections whatsoever. The closest person he had was the owner of the convenience store where he worked part-time.

The thought of someone else coveting the person he had firmly in his grasp made anger boil up from deep within him.

But without showing any of that, Taeshin maintained his indifferent attitude and tone as he replied.

“Well, that’s fortunate. We’ll be able to get our debt repaid.”

“Yes.”

“Leave your name and phone number. We’ll contact you immediately if we find Lee Han.”

“Oh, okay!”

Haejun gladly took the notepad and pen that Taeshin handed him and began writing down his name and phone number.

【Choi Haejun 010-0000-0000】

As he finished the conversation and headed out, Haejun once again asked earnestly.

“It’s really important. Please contact me as soon as you find out where Hani is. If I can find her, I can take care of the debt, no matter how much it is.”

“Of course.”

Taeshin smiled softly and called over a passing waiter, instructing him to guide Haejun to the entrance.

As soon as Haejun’s figure disappeared down the hallway, Junho approached Taeshin from behind as if he’d been waiting.

“Who was that?”

“……”

“Who could it be that Manager Lim even called the hotline for? Someone looking for Ihan, right?”

“……”

Taeshin stared at the memo in his hand as if he wanted to burn it, then handed it to Junho.

“Put a mark on him.”

Junho, understanding Taeshin’s intention immediately, accepted the memo and asked, “What scope?”

“Every detail, down to a single strand of hair.”

Knowing how obsessive Taeshin became when it came to Ihan, Junho spoke cautiously.

“I don’t think he’s from Oh Seongjin’s side. Maybe it’s best to send Ihan away now.”

“……”

“What if they come charging in, demanding a war all of a sudden?”

There are things you can’t let go of, even when you know they’ll destroy you. Taeshin’s vision was already blurred by his obsession. Junho, trying to wake him up, spoke more forcefully.

“The more precious something is, the more carefully you have to protect it.”

“……”

“It might be more dangerous to keep him here. You know that.”

Junho believed Taeshin should let go of Ihan. He even wanted to help Ihan escape if he could.

In this world, having something to protect was a fatal weakness, and Ihan had already become Taeshin’s weak spot long ago. The problem was that Oh Seongjin’s side was aware of this too.

Ihan had now become a ticking time bomb. And Taeshin, fully aware of its danger, was still choosing to hold onto it.

“……That can’t happen.”

Taeshin quickly ended the conversation with Junho and headed to the 15th floor.

He walked straight to the bathroom as if trying to wash away his complicated thoughts and stood under the shower. His meticulously combed hair fell over his forehead as the water streamed down.

Wearing a shower gown, he came out of the bathroom and grabbed a bottle of water from the minibar to quench his thirst. Just then, the door opened, and Ihan walked in. His face was flushed like an excited child on the eve of a school trip.

“Ah…!”

Seeing Taeshin, Ihan smiled brightly without saying a word.

The sight made Taeshin freeze with the water bottle still in his hand. It felt as if time and space had stopped.

“Jeong-i woke up!”

Ihan, forgetting Taeshin’s earlier threat to rip her apart if he heard that name again, ran toward him like a child eager to show a perfect report card to their parents.

“Thanks for paying for the surgery and getting her treatment.”

“……”

Though Taeshin couldn’t stand hearing that woman’s name from Ihan’s lips, he couldn’t hate the smile Ihan directed at him.

Taeshin put the water bottle down on the nearest console and pulled Ihan toward him by the waist with his arm.

“Then let’s finish what we started.”

“Huh?”

“You said it yourself earlier. We’ll do the rest after you get back.”

“Ah… yeah…”

Ihan nodded, his face turning red.

Taeshin lifted Ihan’s chin with his fingertips. His long, downcast eyelashes opened, revealing his large, submissive eyes fixed on Taeshin.

As Taeshin looked at the determined man reflected in Ihan’s wide eyes, he reconfirmed one thing.

I will never let you go.