Small and Fragile Things - Chapter 60

Time didn’t stop, it just kept flowing. The moon waxed, waned. Seasons slowly shifted, and yet not a single corner of the world crumbled.

In the meantime, a strange rumor began circulating among those with ties to the Samun Group. The Chairman’s attack dog had slipped his leash and disappeared.

Some claimed they’d seen it coming. Others said it was absurd. But since no one knew the truth, wild speculation spread like weeds.

There were stories about the Chairman discarding an illegitimate son after using him up, rumors that Choi Hyun had gotten too ambitious and been eliminated, even ridiculous claims that he’d gone to Japan to strike deals with the yakuza.

None of it was remotely true, of course. But gossip like that made for great entertainment, so it didn’t die down.

“…In today’s press briefing regarding the raid on Samun Group headquarters, prosecutors announced they found no evidence of wrongdoing. The investigation into alleged tax evasion and embezzlement…”

The truth, meanwhile, sank quietly beneath the surface, neatly concealed.

“…With this, Chairman Choi Jung-do of Samun Group is cleared of all charges, though some are questioning whether the investigation was deliberately soft…”

“Sir, is it okay if I drop you off here? This street’s one-way, so I’d have to go around if we go in.”

The news on the taxi’s radio didn’t hold the driver’s interest.

“I’ll get out here.”

Muk-hyun was standing in the middle of Seoul—not hiding in some far-off place, but strolling right in Samun’s front yard.

And yet, no one noticed him. He was good at this kind of thing, good enough to disappear in plain sight. He also didn’t look anything like he usually did when working.

“Keep the change.”

In a loose T-shirt, black jeans, and a plain cap pulled low, he blended into the street crowd without a hint of awkwardness.

A short walk up the incline, and his destination appeared, Samun Hotel. The revolving glass door spun endlessly as people streamed in and out.

I saw it last time—this glass door just kept spinning, and everyone was going through it. It was so weird.

For a second, his expression darkened.

“Enough,” he muttered to himself, almost like scolding. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.

This was something he hadn’t anticipated.

When he’d decided to let Irang go, he had thought about what came next. He’d worried it would hurt, not being able to see her. But he’d never imagined it would be like this.

Choi Muk-hyun, you idiot.
…Guess your hands are itching again.
Huh? You weren’t asleep? N-No, I didn’t mean—
Come here.
Hey, you can’t just pretend to be asleep like that—wait!

The memories came uninvited, gnawing at him. Her voice crept in at random moments, lashing around him like a whip.

Her scent, her touch, the afterimages—if he’d known they’d ambush him like this, he would’ve braced himself.

Muk-hyun ran a hand over his dry, tired face, then veered away from the main entrance into a side alley.

He slipped through a little-known entrance, took a service elevator straight up, and stepped into a dressing room that connected directly to the CEO’s office.

The name “dressing room” was just for show, in reality, this was where Choi Jihyun secretly brought lovers and did all sorts of things.

Moving like a shadow, Muk-hyun quietly collected all the hidden equipment he’d stashed there. Then, from the whiskey table, he pulled out an empty glass and filled it with ice.

“Well, well. This is new.”

The owner of the room strolled in at the sound of clinking ice, voice dripping sarcasm.

“If I saw you on the street, I wouldn’t recognize you. You’d still stand out, though, you’re too damn big.”

“Someone left in a hurry, huh? Smells like sh1t in here.”

“Oh, sorry. Ventilation sucks. My dog was here earlier.”

She didn’t even look embarrassed. Muk-hyun only lifted an eyebrow.

“Have you heard the rumors? People think you’ve been exiled somewhere far away. Meanwhile, here you are, walking around like nothing happened.”

“Get to the point.”

“What, no fake smile? Not even gonna pretend you’re happy to see me?”

“Should I just leave?”

Choi Jihyun let out a dry laugh and sat down first. What good was a different exterior when the inside was exactly the same? He still didn’t show a single crack, and it left her strangely disappointed.

“Choi Il-hyun’s wedding might get delayed.”

“And?”

His flat look made her scoff in disbelief.

“You don’t think that has anything to do with you? After what you did to him?”

“He brought it on himself. And I don’t think I did much—if that’s all it took.”

“Come on, you don’t actually think he was going to hurt her, do you? He was just posturing, showing off. Did you really have to break him down like that? Now the heir to the group is too busy getting psychiatric treatment to work. What do you think happens then?”

“He should thank me for showing him how weak he really is.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“And I doubt Hanmin’s putting things on hold because of Choi Il-hyun’s mental state.”

“…….”

The jab made Jihyun’s face tighten.

Her look said, You disappeared, so how the hell do you know all this? But in the end, she had to just get to the point.

“Let’s make a deal.”

Truth was, she was in trouble. A problem she’d thought was minor had spiraled way out of control.

“Kim Sejin lost her damn mind and sent that video to Hanmin. It got cut before hitting the desk, but they’re clearly not letting it slide. Acting all high and mighty like they’re spotless.”

Chairman Han of Hanmin, being the head of a media conglomerate, was notoriously strict about keeping his family out of scandals. His sons and grandsons were shipped off to frontline military units early, and he kept them under tight control to avoid any whiff of womanizing, abuse of power, or violence.

No way would a family like that ignore Jihyun’s mess of a private life. Of course they’d known about it before, but the fact that there was now a whistleblower meant things were out of control. The wedding delay was really a demand to clean up Samun’s image.

“My father wants me to go overseas to run a branch office. Can you believe that? After everything I’ve done to build up this hotel, I’m supposed to step aside over this? Why should I have to take the fall for Choi Il-hyun’s damn wedding?”

It was proof enough of how badly the Chairman wanted the Hanmin connection, enough to get rid of his own wild child rather than try to manage her.

“And honestly, is Hanmin even that great? I could say I’ll nab one of the famous Taejin brothers, and he wouldn’t even blink. It’s like he’s lost his mind. Does Hanmin promise to make him president or something? Ugh, it’s infuriating.”

Muk-hyun just watched her rant.

He’d already seen this coming. He knew exactly where the Chairman was aiming and which routes he’d mapped out to get there, so none of this was a surprise.

What did puzzle him was how rushed it felt. The Chairman could’ve eased her out quietly, but instead he’d gone straight to a public order. Had he lost his touch? Gotten careless?

“This is what I want, you bring me something I can use to blackmail Hanmin. If it’s related to Jung Songyeon, even better. An eye for an eye. I’m gonna show them exactly who’s in charge.”

Right now, the Chairman was lighting a fuse on a bomb that could blow at any moment. And where was Director Gu in all this? Why wasn’t he stopping it?

“What do I get?”

“What do you think? The thing you want most right now.”

A pale face flashed in Muk-hyun’s mind, and he bit the inside of his cheek. It wasn’t a logical reaction, he knew this wasn’t the time to be thinking about her.

Luckily, Jihyun didn’t notice and just curled her lip.

“My father’s something else, huh? You didn’t think he’d play this dirty, did you?”

Of course he did. Muk-hyun knew the Chairman inside and out, knew exactly how that black, greedy mind worked.

“So, how does it feel, losing both your right arm and your left, all in one day?”