#28

I wasn’t angry at Nam Yisol for one simple reason: his actions posed no threat to me. At any moment, I could have pushed him away or restrained him. Because he wasn’t a threat, I could afford to remain calm and listen to him. And with a generous heart, I could forgive him.

Someone had staked everything on a final desperate struggle, but to me, it was nothing more than that.

I found that incredibly sorrowful. And the fact that I had gained complete superiority over someone and was now looking down on them disgusted me.

“To me, that wasn’t a threat, just a reckless impulse. It’s sad, but it’s the truth.”

“……You are too soft, sir.”

“I know. Just as you said, my response was too lenient. But just this once, I want to let it go. If something like this happens again, I won’t handle it this way.”

Saying that, I picked up my spoon again. It was an indirect way of expressing that I didn’t want to continue the conversation any further. Seeing this, Sung Yoojun let out a faint sigh. And, as I had wished, he refrained from bringing up the topic again and simply focused on finishing his meal.

Our meal proceeded in silence. Since he wasn’t a talkative person to begin with, it was expected. Even after we finished eating and went down to the underground parking lot to head to work, the silence remained unbroken. It was only shattered when we pulled the car out of the garage.

“Wait a moment!”

“What the……!”

A strange man suddenly jumped in front of the car Sung Yoojun and I were in. Secretary Sung Yoojun slammed on the brakes in time, preventing an accident, but it was still a nerve-wracking situation that could have ended terribly.

“Please, just hear me out!”

“What do you want?”

The man who had just thrown himself in front of the car approached the driver’s side and knocked on the window. Frustration flickered across Sung Yoojun’s face as he reluctantly rolled the window down.

“President Goo Won is in this car, right? I’m Lee Jaewon, Tartarus’ former manager. I need to talk to him.”

Me? I frowned deeply at the sudden mention of my name. What kind of business did this man have that he would go so far as to block my car like this? Sung Yoojun glanced at me, but I shook my head. I had no intention of engaging with someone who blatantly disregarded manners and barged in like this.

Seeing my firm refusal, Sung Yoojun turned his gaze back to the man.

“Whatever you have to say, say it to me.”

“But……!”

“I said, say it to me.”

Secretary Sung Yoojun’s words made it clear that any conversation would be with him, not me. Lee Jaewon seemed ready to argue but soon deflated under Sung Yoojun’s pressure.

“What is it?”

“I have something to give you……”

Lee Jaewon hesitated, his voice lowering, before timidly holding out a thick envelope.

“And what is this?”

“It’s evidence. A collection of proof regarding what President Lee Yongjun did to Tartarus.”

Evidence? Even I, watching from the back seat with disinterest, found my ears perking up at that. Sensing my reaction, Lee Jaewon hastily continued.

“I’ve always thought that what President Lee Yongjun was doing to Tartarus was unfair. But as a mere employee, there was nothing I could do. All I could do was gather these materials, hoping that one day they might help those kids……”

“Why are you bringing this to us?”

“Because after seeing how you treat them, I believe you’re a good person. I think you’ll really help Tartarus, so I’m giving this to you.”

His voice was full of conviction. Hearing it, I finally opened the car door and stepped out, looking at Lee Jaewon.

“Hello, I’m Goo Won, the President of Goo Won Entertainment.”

“Ah, yes! Hello! I’m Lee Jaewon, Tartarus’ former manager! It’s truly an honor to meet you!”

“You said you brought evidence of President Lee Yongjun’s actions?”

“Yes! Here it is!”

I accepted the envelope from Manager Lee Jaewon with a softened expression. The thick brown envelope felt quite heavy in my hands.

“There’s quite a lot here.”

“Yes…… It’s truly a heartbreaking matter……”

Hearing Lee Jaewon’s sigh, I gripped the envelope tightly. Inside, it would contain the painful past of Tartarus.

“Manager Lee, may I ask you something?”

“Of course, ask me anything. I’ll answer everything.”

“Do you happen to have more of this?”

At my question, Manager Lee Jaewon shut his mouth as if it had been zipped closed. His eyes darted around as he hesitated, clearly gauging my reaction.

“I believe this is a highly sensitive matter. So, I have to be cautious. Do you have any additional related materials? Copies or anything like that?”

“Well…… Yes. Actually, I do. Just in case, I prepared extra copies……”

“Would you be willing to give those to me as well?”

“What?! But that’s……!”

As expected, that was his reaction. I didn’t think he’d hand them over so easily.

“Manager Lee, you said you trusted me. I’d like proof of that statement.”

“……”

“I don’t work with people who can’t prove themselves. So if you want something from me, you’d better think carefully and make your choice.”

At my firm and caution-laced words, Lee Jaewon hesitated for a long time before finally rummaging through his back pocket and pulling out a USB. He handed it to me with a reluctant expression.

“This is the copy. There’s nothing else. I swear, please believe me, sir.”

I stared at Lee Jaewon’s face, his expression filled with desperation. He didn’t seem to be lying. Determining that, I offered him a gentle smile and took the USB from his hand.

“Thank you. I’ll keep it safe.”

“Uh, um! Wait!”

Just as I was about to turn back and return to the car with everything secured, his hesitant call stopped me. Turning around, I saw him holding out a pristine white business card.

“This is my business card! I thought you might need it……”

“Ah, I see. Yes, I suppose I might need it.”

I slowly reached out and took the card. Seeing Lee Jaewon’s face brighten considerably, I spoke.

“Then, I’ll be going now. You should head back as well, Manager Lee.”

“Yes, yes! Thank you so much, sir! I’ll be in your care!”

Leaving Lee Jaewon behind, still bowing repeatedly, I got back into the car. The moment I fastened my seatbelt, Sung Yoojun immediately started driving. Lee Jaewon, still bent at the waist, grew smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror until he was just a dot.

I erased the smile from my face and stared coldly at the business card still in my hand.

“Secretary Sung, it would be wise to expand the security perimeter around my house. Make sure that man doesn’t run into the Tartarus members.”

“Understood. I’ll take care of it immediately.”

Satisfied with Sung Yoojun’s prompt response, I let out a small sigh and turned my gaze toward the envelope and USB in my hands.

“Said he was worried about Tartarus? With eyes like that, I’d love to see who would actually believe him.”

His words were smooth, but his eyes had given him away. Lee Jaewon was clearly someone who wanted to use this evidence as an excuse to gain favor with me. Would a person like that really have gathered this material out of goodwill? It was far more plausible that he had kept it intending to use it for blackmail someday.

“What do you plan to do?”

“Well…… As long as he doesn’t approach the kids, it’s best to leave him be for now. He might prove useful in some way.”

Saying that, I crumpled the business card in my hand. I had already memorized the number—there was no need to keep it.

“And what will you do with that?”

Secretary Sung Yoojun, who had been watching me through the rearview mirror, posed another question. He was referring to the envelope and USB still in my hands.

“I’m not going to look at it.”

At my firm response, a look of confusion appeared on Sung Yoojun’s face.

“I thought you would.”

“What made you think that?”

“Since you care about Tartarus, I assumed you would be curious about what happened to them.”

This time, it was my turn to look puzzled at Sung Yoojun’s words.

“It’s true that I care about them, but that doesn’t mean I have the right to pry into their past without permission, does it? If they choose to tell me themselves, that’s one thing, but I have no intention of digging into it on my own. I won’t look at what’s inside this, nor will I use it to take down President Lee Yongjun.”

Hearing my calm yet resolute declaration, Sung Yoojun remained silent for a moment before finally speaking again.

“To think you’d hold the best card in your hand and not use it…… To be honest, I don’t understand you at all, sir. At times like this, you seem like the most ethical person in the world, but then you assess Manager Lee Jaewon as useful and decide to let him be, which makes you seem like the opposite. I really can’t figure you out.”