#8

Tilting my head to the side, I pondered for a moment when I suddenly noticed the members’ complexions. Their faces were still pale and dark. Seeing that reminded me in succession of the bruises I had seen on Yoo Euiseo earlier and the swollen edge of Lee Daon’s hand.

“……Secretary Sung.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Could you find a hospital that guarantees confidentiality and security?”

“Of course.”

I asked while keeping my gaze fixed on the members’ faces, and thankfully, a positive answer came back. Feeling somewhat relieved, I turned to the members and spoke.

“Everyone, if you’re not too tired, would it be alright if we stopped by a hospital first?”

“A hospital? Why a hospital……?”

“I’m worried about your health.”

I responded sincerely despite still feeling awkward using formal speech, causing Yoo Euiseo to blink in surprise.

“We went to the hospital just a few days ago, though.”

“Yes, I heard.”

“Then why are we going again? If you ask for the test results, they’ll just give them to you.”

“I personally don’t believe anything that subhuman scum says.”

Who knew what tricks President Lee Yongjun had pulled with that report? There was no way I would accept it at face value. Conversations should be held with people who could actually be reasoned with, not with someone who was worse than trash.

As I spat out my sharp words, confusion appeared on Yoo Euiseo’s face. He clearly didn’t fully grasp what I was saying. Ah, how was this naive kid supposed to survive in such a harsh world? I glanced at Nam Yisol, who, unlike Yoo Euiseo, seemed to understand me perfectly and was now laughing hysterically. Then I explained further.

“I mean that I can’t trust any test results given by President Lee Yongjun. I want you all to be examined objectively by a doctor I can actually trust. Do you have any objections?”

At my careful question, Yoo Euiseo awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. He seemed to be seriously contemplating how to respond.

“If you’re uncomfortable with me or anyone else seeing the test results, you can check them privately. Unless there’s a major issue, I’ll also instruct the hospital not to share the results with anyone else.”

“Since the president is going this far for us, what’s the big deal about getting checked one more time? I’ll go.”

Nam Yisol, who had laughed so much that tears were welling in his eyes, draped an arm around Yoo Euiseo’s shoulder as he spoke.

“And you can look at my results, sir. No, I actually want you to see them.”

That bright, beaming smile spread across his face, yet his words felt strangely meaningful. As I watched the mischievous glint in Nam Yisol’s eyes, I slowly nodded. It left a weird feeling in my gut, but checking things with my own eyes would definitely give me the most peace of mind.

“Oh, and one more thing—everyone else is going too. So don’t worry too much.”

Saying this, Nam Yisol glanced around at the other members. It was an unspoken cue: if anyone objected, now was the time to say so. But no one did.

I had heard that the leader was supposed to be Jung Hosu, but Nam Yisol seemed much more accustomed to taking the lead.

Well, that could happen. It wasn’t anything to dwell on. I quickly moved past that observation, scanning the members one by one, noting their silent agreement, before finally turning to Manager Ahn Siwon. Given the situation, it was clear that the van he had brought was meant to transport the Tartarus members.

“Leave it to me! I’ll make sure they get there safely!”

As expected, Manager Ahn Siwon, who met my gaze, gave a bright salute and winked with one eye. A full-grown man acting all fresh and lively like that—it should have felt ridiculous. But the most surprising thing was that it didn’t feel like an act at all. It genuinely came off as refreshing.

“……Alright, then. I’ll leave it to you.”

Feeling awkward after sensing that freshness from another man my age, I responded somewhat reluctantly. Manager Ahn Siwon grinned and nodded.

“Alright then, shall we get going? Hop in. I’ll make sure to get you there comfortably and safely.”

His voice was gentle as he gestured toward the van, its door opening automatically. At his words, the members of Tartarus slowly began moving forward.

“Should we head straight to the dorm after stopping by the hospital?”

“Yes.”

“Understood. I’ll arrange it that way.”

With a big smile, Manager Ahn Siwon answered, then gave a small bow to both me and Secretary Sung Yoojun before climbing into the driver’s seat.

I was watching him closely when I suddenly sensed a gaze and turned my head. Through the heavily tinted window, I saw a pair of eyes with a bleak, desolate aura.

Jung Hosu.

He was looking at me through the window.

Why was he staring at me like that? Feeling curious, I met his gaze instead of avoiding it. Our eyes locked in midair.

That strange exchange of looks ended as Manager Ahn Siwon started the van. As the van smoothly pulled away, Jung Hosu’s dry eyes grew more distant. Eventually, his gaze disappeared, and the vehicle vanished through the parking garage exit.

Even after the van was gone, I stood there for a long time, staring at the exit. The image of Jung Hosu’s dark, emotionless eyes seemed to be etched into my mind.

“President.”

“…Yes.”

It was only when I heard Secretary Sung Yoojun calling me that I finally came to my senses. I reluctantly tore my gaze away from the parking garage exit and turned to look at him. He bowed politely.

“It’s still quite cold. Would you like to get inside the car?”

“Oh, yes. Thank you for your concern, Secretary Sung.”

“I’m simply doing my job.”

With that, Secretary Sung Yoojun opened the rear door of the luxury sedan I had arrived in. The warm air that escaped through the open door suggested he had started the engine in advance using the smart key.

As I settled into the back seat, Secretary Sung Yoojun closed the door and took his place in the driver’s seat.

“Sir, here is the contract. I reviewed it, and there were no suspicious alterations, so we proceeded with the agreement. There shouldn’t be any changes from what you were originally aware of.”

I accepted the brown envelope he handed me and pulled out the documents to inspect them.

“There are a few extra pages.”

When I had last checked, there had only been five pages, but the documents that came out of the envelope were nearly twice that amount. With a sense of confusion over what had happened to increase the number of documents, I asked Secretary Sung Yoojung my question, laced with curiosity.

“I made copies of the contract between Lee Yong Entertainment and Tartarus.”

The contract between Lee Yong Entertainment and Tartarus? At his words, I quickly flipped through the papers. The five pages fluttered by, and just as he had said, the contract that Lee Yong Entertainment and Tartarus had signed years ago was now in my hands.

“……Did they hand this over so easily?”

“Yes. A few words were all it took.”

I briefly wondered what exactly those ‘few words’ had been, but deciding that it wasn’t particularly important, I pushed the thought aside. Instead, I focused entirely on carefully reading through the contract between Lee Yong Entertainment and the members of Tartarus.

It took quite a bit of time to read.

Normally, I was a fast reader, but this contract required much longer than usual. Not only because I was making sure to carefully analyze every detail, but also because I kept needing moments to double-check whether what I was reading was real.

“This…… this can’t possibly be a legitimate contract……”

“It isn’t. It’s a completely one-sided contract. If I were to add my personal assessment, even slaves probably had better contracts than this.”

At his cold words, I gripped the contract tighter. A rustling sound filled the car as the pages crumpled under my fingers.

The contract between Lee Yong Entertainment and Tartarus…… I didn’t even know how to begin defining it. The revenue distribution was outright absurd, forcing the members to cover expenses that were clearly the company’s responsibility. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. There were so many other unfair clauses that I wouldn’t have enough fingers to count them all. It felt like someone had taken injustice itself and turned it into a tangible document.

“President.”

“……Yes, Secretary Sung?”

“I apologize for adding to your frustration, but could you also take a look at this?”

Still trembling with anger, I turned my gaze toward Secretary Sung Yoojun, who was now holding out a single, neatly folded piece of paper. He had pulled it from the inner pocket of his suit jacket, handling it carefully.

I hesitated. Something about that piece of paper filled me with an inexplicable sense of unease. But eventually, I reached out and took it.

Unfolding it, I read the contents.

“Haa……”

And then, the first thing I did was let out a hollow sigh. The second thing I did was question whether my eyes were deceiving me. The third thing I did was recall the conversation I had earlier, right outside the company President’s office, with the members of Tartarus.

They had told me they had no belongings to take from either the company or their dorm. That had struck me as odd at the time. Even if they had nothing to take from the company, how could someone who lived in a dorm have absolutely nothing to pack?

Yeah. That really didn’t make any sense. With a deep sigh, I pressed a hand against my face as a dull headache began creeping in. My other hand remained tightly clenched around the sheet of paper Secretary Sung had given me.

Because on that paper, the explanation for that impossible claim was written in black and white.