Chapter 55

Chapter 55

With a dull thud, the man collapsed forward without even managing a scream.

As Sungang shoved the fallen bulk aside, a fist flew toward his injured ear. He twisted his head and barely avoided it, but it grazed past by a hair’s breadth, tearing open the gauze covering the wound.

“Hey, hey. Gang-ah. Kang Sungang.”

Chulhyun rushed in after them, wrapping his arms around Sungang from behind and desperately holding him back. Sungang thrashed wildly, shaking Chulhyun off.

“Let go. Fc!I’m killing that bastr.d today!”

“Yeah, I get it, just stop for a second.”

“He came here asking for it. That f>king bastr.d shows up here with that shameless face and you want me to hold back?”

“Hey, Kang Sungang. Shut up already. Director Yoon, get your guys out of here.”

Chulhyun snapped irritably toward Seokchan. Only then did Seokchan flick his eyes at his secretaries.

“That’s enough. Step back.”

The men who had raised their arms and grappled with Sungang hesitated, then slowly retreated.

“Fc, why are you stopping me?!”

Sungang shook off Chulhyun’s arm with a sharp motion.

“Why do you think? Because this is a hospital, you idiot.”

“So what if it is? I kill that bastr.d and send him straight downstairs to the morgue. Saves time.”

“There’s a police station right next door, too. Why not walk in there while you’re at it.”

“If I was scared of that kind of sht, I’d’ve gone and died a long time ago.”

Sungang snapped and tugged at his disheveled patient gown.

“Gang-ah. If you’re going to do big things like a real man, I’ve told you how many times to rein in that temper of yours.”

At Seokchan’s smooth, coaxing tone, Sungang tipped his head back and let out a dry laugh. Then he turned to Chulhyun.

“That bastr.d is provoking me. You still think I’m supposed to just take it?”

“Director Yoon, shut up for a second. You know what he’s like when Gang-ah gets pissed. There’s nothing he sees. And he can barely hear as it is, f***….”

Chulhyun frowned as he looked at the gauze hanging halfway off Sungang’s ear.

“We need to have that put back on.”

Seokchan soothed Sungang in a tone like he was calming a child.

“Yeah. Let’s not get worked up, Sungang. The wound could flare up. Your attending doctor is right here too. You startled her. You can’t just start swinging your fists anywhere like some back-alley thug.”

Sungang ripped the loose gauze off his ear and glared.

“What did you do to her.”

“What would I do?”

Seokchan flicked a glance at Heeju’s pale face and shrugged.

“I just came by to visit. The patient wasn’t here, so I waited with her. I don’t go around laying hands on women, no matter what.”

“Bullshit.”

Sungang muttered cynically as he stalked forward. Seokchan’s secretaries immediately went on high alert, but Seokchan raised a hand to signal it was fine.

“Considering it was Executive Director Kwon who got you into a VIP room, it wouldn’t be smart to act even dumber here. Cause a scene in the hospital and see what happens. What do you think that does to his reputation?”

As Sungang closed the distance, Seokchan spoke in a coaxing voice, like he was calming a dangerous wild animal. His hand slipped into the inside pocket of his suit, as if there were some kind of weapon tucked away.

“People already say he runs around with a pack of lowlife punks with no roots. That’s the reputation, isn’t it?”

“Hearing that from the biggest rootless thug of all is fc**ing hilarious.”

Sungang walked straight up and planted himself squarely between Heeju and Seokchan, blocking her from Seokchan’s line of sight. He flicked a look at Chulhyun, a clear signal to get Ko Heeju out first.

“It’s supposed to be a hospital visit, so coming empty-handed felt wrong. I brought a gift instead of flowers. You’ve got a flower allergy, remember, Sungang.”

“So you poison someone and then hand them the medicine to feel better about it. That kind of thing?”

“Pretty much. This is something you said you wanted. Use it once you’re discharged.”

Seokchan pulled a car key out of his inside pocket and dropped it onto the table. Then he gave Sungang’s shoulder a few friendly pats.

“I’ve seen your face, so I’ll get going. I’ve still got some unfinished business to talk about with your big brother’s attending doctor. Ko Heeju, if you’ve got time, how about a quick chat at the café downstairs?”

“What kind of bullsh—”

Just as Sungang scowled and grabbed Seokchan by the collar, slow footsteps echoed as someone entered the room. As if pulled by a magnet, everyone’s gaze snapped in the same direction.

The first thing that caught the eye was a broad, solid chest. Lift your eyes a little higher and the sheer pressure tightening around your heart made it hard to breathe. A brief silence fell over the room.

“What do you think you’re doing, Director Yoon?”

At Gukhyeon’s appearance, the easy smile Seokchan had been wearing cracked with unmistakable dismay.

“Is it really that hard to send an invitation and ask to meet properly?”

Seokchan had gone so far as to check Gukhyeon’s schedule in advance and carefully choose a time their paths would not cross. He had done everything possible to avoid running into him, and now he felt cold sweat soak into his lower back.

“Why is it that you always scurry around like a rat, carefully dodging me while you poke your nose into everything?”

“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.”

Seokchan let out an awkward laugh.

“There’s old affection between us, you know. I was worried, so I even brought gifts and came to visit, and the first thing I get is someone grabbing my collar. And now I’m a rat in the middle of the night? That’s a bit unfair, Gukhyeon, don’t you think?”

“What is it that always feels so unfair to you, Director Yoon?”

Gukhyeon walked forward without hesitation. The closer he came, the more plainly fear showed on Seokchan’s face. Seokchan shrank back without thinking, lifting his arms into a guard. But the place Gukhyeon stopped was not in front of Seokchan.

It was in front of Heeju.

“What’s wrong with your face?”

Heeju looked up at Gukhyeon with a face pale as wax. Her clear, light brown eyes were shaking violently, as if an earthquake had just hit.

“Did Director Yoon mess with you?”

Gukhyeon reached out toward Heeju. She had been frozen so stiff she could barely breathe, and before his hand could cup her cheek, she quickly turned her head aside to dodge his touch.

“……”

The large hand that had been moving toward her stopped, hanging uselessly in midair. Heeju wanted to shake her head hard and tell him not to do this to her, not here, not with Yoon Seokchan watching.

This was exactly the kind of scene Seokchan wanted to see. Just as expected, Seokchan ignored the fist still gripping his collar and stared at Gukhyeon and Heeju with blatant interest.

No, to be precise, his eyes were fixed on Gukhyeon alone. He watched him obsessively, his gaze sharp and crazed, thick with malice, desperate to catch even the smallest crack, any flicker of emotion that could turn into a weakness.

“…No. Nothing happened.”

Heeju took a step back and finally managed to speak. The only saving grace was that her voice sounded reasonably calm when it came out.

Meeting those dark gray eyes, Heeju spoke with her gaze alone. Please don’t act close to me. Don’t touch me. Don’t look at me like that. Don’t say kind things. Don’t do anything to me.

Her nerves were burning down to the wire, her entire head throbbing. Each careful breath caught in her throat, hitching painfully. Locked in his gaze, it felt as if sparks were flying.

Did he read the desperation in her eyes?

Gukhyeon looked down at her and let out a quiet, crooked smile. The intensity in his eyes softened, melting into something languid in an instant. It was the same look he wore when he held her, and her chest clenched painfully.

“If nothing happened, you wouldn’t look this shaken. You must’ve been pretty startled.”

“……”

“Go wait in the car.”

Gukhyeon flicked his eyes briefly toward the door. Yunam, who had been standing there like a shadow without anyone noticing when he’d arrived, stepped up and wrapped an arm around Heeju’s shoulders.

“Let’s go.”

Heeju left the room without a word. Seokchan watched her retreating back with a faint, unreadable smile.

After Heeju and Yunam were gone, Seokchan glanced at the hand Sungang still had clenched in his collar and tilted his chin toward it as he spoke to Gukhyeon.

“How about you start by getting him to let go of my collar? There are plenty of ears listening outside. Making a scene here isn’t good for you or me.”

“When have you ever seen me care about that?”

At Gukhyeon’s low reply, Seokchan’s lips twitched. He forced a smile and gently patted the back of Sungang’s hand still gripping him.

“That’s exactly why I’m saying you should start caring. Sungang, is this really what your hyung’s like?”