Separation Anxiety

36.

#It’s a Coincidence

Although Dawoon remembered they were supposed to eat near the school, they ended up at a hotel restaurant about a 10-minute drive away. It seemed Hayun had made a reservation in advance, as they were led to a private room when he gave his name.

“What about Director Park?”

When Dawoon mentioned the man who had come to the hotel with them but didn’t enter the room, Hayun simply replied that there was no need to worry about him. Dawoon was curious if he was eating separately, but Hayun had seemed in a bad mood since they left the school, so he couldn’t ask.

There was no need to choose a menu. After the waiter left, saying they would prepare the meal soon, a heavy silence fell in the room. The thought of having to eat in this atmosphere was already making Dawoon feel uneasy.

“Are you angry?”

No matter how he looked at it, Hayun seemed upset.

“Well…”

Usually, Hayun would smile and say no at this point, but something was clearly off.

“Why?”

Dawoon could tell Hayun was angry, but he couldn’t understand why. Was it because he hadn’t told him that Na-eun was in the same university and department? But was that really something to be this angry about? It didn’t make sense. Moreover, Hayun seemed to be in an even worse mood after seeing Choi Yu-na. Dawoon had been completely honest about her. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand why Hayun was in a bad mood.

“Just…”

Hayun sat with his arms crossed, leaning back in his chair, staring at Dawoon. He opened his mouth but didn’t continue immediately. After silently looking at Dawoon for a while, he finally chuckled. Dawoon had been uncomfortable with Hayun’s expressionless stare, but the meaning behind this laugh was even more incomprehensible.

“I have many thoughts.”

Dawoon couldn’t read what Hayun was thinking at all. He had no idea what Hayun wanted to say. Hayun usually thought ahead of Dawoon and spoke and acted with consideration for Dawoon’s feelings. Being used to that consideration, this unfathomable Hayun felt strange.

“And it’s not entirely your fault either.”

Dawoon flinched at these words. It meant that while not everything was his fault, some of it clearly was.

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth about Kim Na-eun?”

Hayun mentioned Na-eun. Thinking it was better than the suffocating silence, Dawoon met Hayun’s gaze directly. He had indeed hidden the truth, but he hadn’t done anything to feel guilty about.

“I didn’t want you to worry about it.”

“Me?”

“Back in 10th grade, when you first saw Na-eun, you were strangely concerned.”

“…”

Hayun silently stared at Dawoon. Dawoon didn’t avoid his gaze, as if he had said everything there was to say. After a few seconds that felt like minutes, the corner of Hayun’s mouth turned up slightly.

“That’s right. I did.”

He admitted it readily.

“You didn’t like that I was concerned…”

After mulling over Dawoon’s words, he shook his head lightly. When he looked at Dawoon again, his face had a faint smile, seeming less displeased than before.

“Why was Choi Yu-na there? Her department and year are different, so you couldn’t have had the same lecture.”

Dawoon frowned at Hayun’s question. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Hayun had been particularly concerned about Choi Yu-na. How did he even know her? He seemed to know even her department.

“How do you know Senior Choi Yu-na?”

“I have my ways.”

The brief answer did nothing to resolve Dawoon’s doubts. Displeased, he frowned, which only made Hayun’s smile grow.

“Did you investigate Senior Choi Yu-na?”

Even as he asked, Dawoon thought it couldn’t be. He couldn’t imagine Hayun investigating someone. Maybe grandfather, but…

“No way…”

He started to speak but couldn’t finish. The possibility that suddenly occurred to him seemed too absurd even to himself.

“You mean, is she someone grandfather assigned?”

Hayun completed Dawoon’s unfinished thought.

“Choi Yu-na’s grandfather is Congressman Choi Min-guk, the floor leader of the ruling party.”

Dawoon fell silent at Hayun’s words. It was the kind of connection Hayun would know without needing to investigate. At the same time, it was also grandfather’s connection.

His mind was suddenly in chaos. Was it a coincidence that the granddaughter of a ruling party congressman happened to be his senior? But Dawoon had chosen the university, the department, and decided to take the Broadcasting Club test all by himself. Grandfather’s opinion hadn’t been reflected in any part of that process. Even Hayun had left Dawoon to do as he wished.

“It’s a coincidence.”

He wondered if he was forcing things to fit an unlikely possibility.

“It probably is.”

Hayun didn’t deny Dawoon’s words, but his tone was cynical. Glancing at his face, Dawoon saw that while his mouth was smiling, his eyes were not.

“Whether it’s a coincidence or intentional, it’s good to know properly. That Congressman Choi Min-guk is behind Choi Yu-na.”

Dawoon couldn’t fully grasp the meaning of Hayun’s words. Even if Choi Yu-na was Congressman Choi Min-guk’s granddaughter, what did that have to do with him?

“Do I really need to explain that just like grandfather, Choi Yu-na might be approaching you not for who you are, but for your background?”

Hayun added, as if scolding. Dawoon clenched his fist under the table. Did he really have enough value for that? Even if she didn’t know, even if she didn’t know how Dawoon was treated within the Haedo Group, someone like Congressman Choi Min-guk would have heard the rumors and know everything. Wouldn’t he have stopped Choi Yu-na then?

Dawoon didn’t want to think that Choi Yu-na had intentionally spilled her drink from the beginning. While he didn’t have any feelings for her and had no intention of accepting meals from her, he didn’t want to suspect and be wary of every encounter. If he had to live like that every day, it would be too exhausting.

“It’s not like that.”

His complicated feelings made it difficult to articulate his words clearly. At Dawoon’s vague response, Hayun’s eyes narrowed as he stared at him. His expression seemed to ask what exactly wasn’t like that.

“If it’s as you say, they shouldn’t have anything to gain. Why would they approach me?”

Until now, those who had approached Dawoon had sought to benefit from his background, especially financially. Choi Yu-na was the opposite. Whether intentional or not, she had offered her card to Dawoon when they first met. At the time, he had been bewildered by her sudden offer of a card, but knowing she was the granddaughter of the ruling party’s floor leader, her behavior made sense. She was also someone who lacked nothing financially. Why would such a person be interested in him?

“That’s why I’m saying you’re naive.”

Hayun sighed softly and shook his head.

“What if grandfather has designated Choi Yu-na as your match?”

Dawoon’s eyes widened at these unexpected words. He had thought grandfather might be involved, but to think of her as his match… Even Hayun hadn’t been mentioned for a political marriage yet. Why suddenly for him, who had just entered university…

Is that the extent of my usefulness to grandfather?

He swallowed hard at his own conclusion. He couldn’t control the sudden bitterness he felt. He didn’t know whether to be happy that his existence was acknowledged even in this way, or sad that he was judged solely for his usefulness until the end.

“Don’t think too deeply about it.”

Perhaps because Dawoon’s expression had darkened, Hayun’s voice became gentler.

“If you don’t like it, no one can force you.”

“I didn’t know that ‘no one’ included grandfather.”

His complicated emotions made his words come out harshly. Who in the Haedo Group could defy grandfather? At least Dawoon wasn’t confident he could refuse if grandfather forced something on him. It was because fear and reverence for him had been deeply ingrained since childhood.

“I won’t let that happen.”

At Hayun’s firm tone, Dawoon raised his eyes to look at him. As their eyes met, Hayun smiled slightly. It was a smile that seemed to reassure him, telling him to trust Hayun.

“I just thought you should know, but there’s no need to feel unnecessary pressure.”

Hayun added that regardless of what grandfather might think, Dawoon should do as he wishes.

“Just be careful.”

Hayun’s expression turned bitter.

“You’re more precious to me than anyone. Even if grandfather is behind it, I don’t want you to be swayed by that.”

At his sincere-sounding concern, Dawoon exhaled deeply and nodded. He was truly fortunate that Hayun was there, that he was his brother.

While Dawoon didn’t have any particular feelings for Choi Yu-na, now that he knew who she was and why she might be approaching him, he felt he should be wary. He also felt bitter, wondering if perhaps Choi Yu-na had misunderstood something about him.

“You’ve really grown up, I saw earlier.”

Hayun changed the subject. Dawoon blinked at him, confused by what he meant. Hayun smirked.

“You’re big enough to hold a woman with one arm now.”

Dawoon was bewildered by the sudden remark, then belatedly remembered catching Choi Yu-na when she almost fell on the stairs.

“That was…!”

“And you were watching porn the other day too.”

Dawoon flinched at the mention of porn, which hadn’t been brought up since then.

“I’m starting to wonder if I really need to teach you properly.”