Pr: K
It was late in the evening when Jaegyeom returned home.
After they finished shopping, Yoon Taehee walked Jaegyeom to his front door. His initial goal was to do the orentation, but he had to skip it because Yoon Taehee got a call from the headquarters. He postponed the orentation to the next day again. Yoon Taehee turned his car around and drove out of the alley, saying that he would come pick him up tomorrow.
Jaegyeom watched his car driving away from the gate. After Yoon Taehee came out of the dressing room, the amount of words he spoke decreased significantly. He didn’t say much in the car on the way back, which made it very awkward. Feeling bothered for some reason, Jaegyeom watched the car completely drive away and opened the front door. As soon as he entered the door, Jeongju and Mesani, who had been waiting impatiently for him to get home from work, rushed out.
“My lord, you came… back?!”
“Come! Jaegyeom… uh? Huh?”
As soon as he saw Jaegyeom entering the door, Mesani opened his mouth in awe. It was the same for Jeongju, realising Jaegyeom was dressed in a perfect suit from head to toe. Jeongju froze for a moment and looked Jaegyeom up and down.
“I’m back.”
After giving a brief greeting, Jaegyeom took off his shoes and threw them away. The new shoes were rolling around like fallen leaves. Jaegyeom looked a little tired. He put the shopping bag in his hand down on the floor. There must have been a dozen of them.
“Oh my… Jaegyeom, you! What’s going on?”
“They say you have to dress like this when you go to work from now on.”
Jaegyeom explained with his displeased face. He also said that he went to the department store with Yoon Taehee. Jaegyeom didn’t want to change his outfit, so he just kept it on after they left the store. Although it was purely out of annoyance, it ended up giving Jeongju and Mesani an unexpected surprise.
“Wow, I would have never imagined… seeing you wearing a suit…”
Jeongju adjusted Jaegyeom’s suit with an expression of disbelief. When he was dressed in a suit that fit his body perfectly, he had a more distinct youthful beauty. This was what they meant when they said ‘clothes make the person’. Jeongju couldn’t help but admire Jaegyeom. Mesani was also looking at me with his eyes shining brightly.
Jaegyeom gently stroked Mesani’s head.
“Did you have a good time?”
“Yes!”
“What did you play?”
“I played around with this and that with Jeongju!”
“And?”
“I said hello to the birds, but they didn’t say hello back!”
“Why?”
“I don’t know!”
“…Are the Seoul birds scums?”
While Mesani and Jaegyeom were chatting, Jeongju was rummaging through the shopping bag and checking its contents one by one. The brand name was written in gold on the outside of the luxurious-looking shopping bag, and it was one of the expensive luxury brands he was familiar with. There were several sets of suits, various shoes, ties, and even socks.
“Jaegyeom, then Taehee-ssi bought all of this?”
Jaegyeom took off his suit jacket and nodded as the other gave him an incredulous look, wondering, ‘so how much did this all cost?’ Looking at the price tag, one suit was over 2 million won.
He was grateful, but there was no need to do this…
“I gave you my card. You should have used it.”
Jeongju felt sorry for no reason. It’s not that he didn’t have money, moreover it’s the clothes Jaegyeom will wear anyway, so it was only right for him to pay for it. He felt burdened by having to keep being indebted to Yoon Taehee like this since he had already given them a house.
“I tried to do that too, but he refused.”
Still, Jaegyeom took out his card in front of the cash register. Since he didn’t know exactly how much it would be, he thought he could just use the card he had. But Yoon Taehee gently pushed Jaegyeom’s hand away and said, “I’ll use my card.” And he paid the bill himself. Jaegyeom asked a question with a puzzled look on his face.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
‘Why are you buying these clothes that I will wear?’
‘Pa’r atf mibatfr P mtbrf, rb P rtbeiv yes la.’
Pa kjr j ragjcuf ibulm, yea la rffwfv ab wjxf rfcrf.
Ajfusfbw jrxfv, ‘Cgf sbe glmt?’
‘Zw. P tjnf j iba.’
Tbbc Kjftff byfvlfcais cbvvfv.
‘Efjiis? Dea P jirb tjnf j iba bo wbcfs.’
Ajfusfbw gfrqbcvfv klat jc eclwqgfrrfv abcf.
‘Isn’t that Jeongju-ssi’s money?’
‘Jeongju’s money is my money.’
‘Then use my money as your money.’
So in the end, the winner at the checkout counter was Yoon Taehee.
“What on earth? Does he own any stocks?”
Jeongju, who was quietly listening to the story, made a serious face. Or was it real estate? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand how someone with a yearly salary of 200 million won could have such financial power… Maybe he should secretly ask if there is any good investment information?
“Anyway, I feel bad because I keep getting things like this. Even though it may seem like you’re getting it all for free, when you look back, it’s all debt. You’re supposed to give back what you get, right?”
A fox who had completely integrated into capitalist society rummaged through a shopping bag. Mesani was also squatting next to him, putting his head in a shopping bag and looking around.
“Speaking of which, shouldn’t we invite him to our house sometime? It also serves as a housewarming party and as an invitation to a meal as well. Jaegyeom, ask Taehee-ssi when he’s free.”
“Why are you inviting him? He’s probably giving away his money because it’s rotten. Just leave it be.”
Jaegyeom pulled on his tie with a disgruntled look on his face.
“Aye, it’s give and take. And honestly, I didn’t feel that good when I just heard your story. When I met him, he seemed to have good manners and common sense.”
Jeongju continued speaking as he neatly organised the shopping items. “I think it’s better to experience it yourself rather than rely on my instincts.”
“Weren’t you the one saying you had good instincts, take off your tail, you bastard.”
Jaegyeom glanced at Jeongju with a pitying look.
“Ahem, even monkeys fall from trees sometimes…”
Jeongju made a small noise with a puzzled expression and said, “Ah, that’s right.” He changed the topic.
“It was a bit surprising when I shook Taehee’s hand.”
“What’s surprising?”
“How should I say? It felt strange.”
Jaegyeom, who was neatly folding an empty shopping bag, looked up.
“What do you mean, it felt strange?”
“Uh, so to speak, does it feel like your heart is being squeezed?”
Jeongju looked at his palm and said, “I don’t know how to express it, but something struck me. Should I say that I felt something like intimidation?”
Jaegyeom asked back with a puzzled expression.
“Intimidation?”
Jeongju nodded quietly.
“Yeah. But it wasn’t unpleasant or anything, it was something… I felt my blood rushing as my chest tightened. Jaegyeom, did you feel this way when you shook hands with Taehee?”
Jaegyeom rolled his eyes around and pondered. He had never felt that way before. Actually, has he ever shaken his hand? He briefly looked back on the past, but all he could remember was beating him up…
***
“Department Head, Chief Yoon is here.”
Along with the knocking sound, Han Jooyoung’s business-like voice was heard from beyond the door. Seok Juryeon, who was sitting at the spacious desk in the Exorcism Department director’s office and working, flipped through documents.
“Let him in.”
The door opened without a sound. Yoon Taehee, who had received a call from Seok Juryeon, came in and bowed silently. However, her eyes were still fixed on the documents. Yoon Taehee walked over and as he stood in front of the desk, he spoke slowly, “You called for me.”
His tone of speech was loose, unlike the bowed posture that displayed subservience and respect. Seok Juryeon didn’t even give Yoon Taehee a glance, let alone acknowledge him. She just looked at the documents in silence, as if she were the only person in the spacious department head’s office.
“…”
“…”
There was a strange tension flowing. Yoon Taehee was staring straight ahead with his hands behind his back. It was as if they were waiting to see who would speak first. Normally, Yoon Taehee would have been the first to speak, but right now, he was in a bad mood. A long silence persisted and only After a while, Seok Juryeon calmly muttered.
“You’re not wearing a mask for some reason.”
Since Yoon Taehee arrived, Seok Juryeon’s gaze has never left the documents. Yoon Taehee stroked his bare face.
The mask was a symbol of the Exorcism Department. Anyone who was part of the department was given a traditional mask. The mask served as both a symbol of carrying on the will of Bangsangsi and a protective device that prevented the shock of spiritual energy. Therefore, those in the department must wear masks in the field. Of course, there were exceptions in special situations, such as having to disguise yourself as a criminal or sneaking into a place where many eyes were watching. Generally, the times when they had to wear a mask were when they had to go out into the field as a combatant.
Therefore, there was no need to wear a mask inside the main office. Most of them took off their masks when they arrived at the headquarters. However, it was not like no one wore masks even within the headquarters. The reasons were varied. Some were called out several times a day so it was annoying to take it off and put it on every time, some kept losing it whenever they took it off, or it was because they were proud to be part of the Exorcism Department, or because the mask looked better than their bare face, etc…
Yoon Taehee was also one of those people who never took off their masks.
Usually, Yoon Taehee did not take off his mask often. Except for his teammates and a few people he knew, he rarely showed his face in front of others. One day, when Seok Juryeon asked the reason, he answered that he was afraid that his proud face would wear off, and from that day on, she stopped asking questions.
“Hmm, I left it in the car.”
Yoon Taehee answered slowly,
“I heard you hit a new recruit.”
Seok Juryeon quietly handed over the documents.
“Who said that?”
“Just answer me.”
Yoon Taehee slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
“Rumors travel so fast. I wonder if they have feet.”
Seok Juryeon closed her eyes for a moment at the playful reply. Immediately, she put down the folder in his hand with a loud thud. Sighing softly, she opened her mouth.
“Chief Yoon.”
In response, Yoon Taehee relaxed his posture and rubbed the corner of his eyes.
“Ah, I see, it must have been Senior Hwang. Did he run to the Department Head and tell you that his younger brother got beaten up? It seems like incompetent bastards are good at snitching.”
“Chief Yoon.”
Seok Juryeon coldly opened her mouth. Her voice sounded as if she was suppressing her anger. Yoon Taehee picked up the ballpoint pen placed on one side of the desk with a nonchalant face. He looked around at the ballpoint pen. Seok Juryeon glared at Yoon Taehee’s shameless attitude.
“Aren’t you past the age where you can behave as you please?”
“That’s exactly what I said, so I gave him a smack.”
In the end, Seok Juryeon shot back with a harsh expression.
“I’m talking about you, not Hwang Seungsoo, you bastard!”
Knowing it, Yoon Taehee clicked the ballpoint pen and laughed softly.
“Hey you bastard, are you that ignorant of common sense?”
“Sometimes? I also have no common sense in the presence of people who have no common sense.”
Ah, a migraine… Seok Juryeon touched her forehead.
“Go and apologise.”
Yoon Taehee replied, putting the ballpoint pen back in its place.
“I don’t want to.”
“Yoon Taehee.”
He pulled out the chair and sat down.
“He laid a hand on my successor, so I’m just paying it back.”
“You hit a new guy who just joined the team?”
Furious, Seok Juryeon narrowed her eyes and looked at Yoon Taehee.
“Yes, Department Head, you also did that in the past. Don’t you remember when I first applied a long time ago? I also had a fight in the exam room. At that time, you saw that my lip was busted and went to see that bastard and broke his arm.”
“…”
Seok Juryeon was momentarily speechless. When he quietly looked back on her past, she realised that she was like that too. It seemed like she could barely remember it. Yoon Taehee, who was staring at the woman who became quiet, smiled with his eyes. It was as though he was saying ‘Right?’.
“I also learned from you.”
“… You learned that because you have nothing else to learn?”
Yoon Taehee had also been a recommended applicant, and the person who recommended Yoon Taehee was Seok Juryeon. Seok Juryeon briefly scolded Yoon Taehee, who was smiling.
“You bastard, are you laughing now?”
Inevitably, Seok Juryeon’s mood softened.
“You once told me to walk around smiling.”
“What? When did I say that?”
“Yes, you said that when we first met.”
Yoon Taehee said, resting his chin comfortably with his hand on desk.
“You said it was like I had a knife in my eyes.”
The first time Seok Juryeon met Yoon Taehee was 10 years ago. At the time, Yoon Taehee, whom she met on the street, was a vagabond whose birth had not even been registered. After he was brought home he lived with her for three years. After he became an adult, he had lived apart since then.
“Hide the knife in your stomach, not in your eyes.”
At that, Seok Juryeon narrowed her eyes at the soft words. The smile slowly disappeared from Yoon Taehee, who was looking at Seok Juryeon as she stared back. She felt unfamiliar, a sense of déjà vu.
Finally, with an expressionless face, Yoon Taehee asked.
“What do you think? Can you still see the knife in my eyes?”
Thank you for the chapter!💖
Is Yoon Taehee really just a mortal? Or is he also some kind of super-natural being or an immortal?? 👀 Also, I’m so excited to see who will fall in love first! Would it be Jaegyeom? Or Yoon Taehee???
Thank you so much for the chapter!! ❤
actually I think you should already be able to tell who fell in love first 😹
Truthfully I can see it either way bc jaegyeom didn’t kill him while Yoon teases jaegyeom.
I am absolutely craving for Taehee’s backstory. Since he’s super rich, I thought that maybe he comes from a prominent family of gwijaes, but then it also makes sense if he wasn’t born with a golden spoon. But he was homeless?? Didn’t expect that, I want his salary now
oooh well his background was a pretty unexpected plot twist i will say!