Deleterious

Chapter 15

It's been two weeks. No phone call, no text, no random unexpected turn-up with Cha-young. Absolutely nothing. The only evidence that Hanseo hadn't been completely abandoned was Babel. It was still running, even without his direct involvement.

Within that time, Min Seong had been persistent. Messages, calls, random outings—the man had even shown up uninvited to the office a few times. When they'd meet, he'd drop off random gifts. Hanseo was currently examining the latest one he'd received over the weekend: a Rolex made of yellow gold, fitted with a brilliant green dial. It was impressive, undoubtedly expensive, and wholly unnecessary. The first gift, diamond-encrusted cufflinks with a red hue, was a well-received gesture. Hanseo could understand it for what it was, a sign of interest from a man who had more than enough money to spare. But one gift turned into three, three to five, and so forth. Hanseo couldn't shake the feeling that he was being bought in many ways, not that he could blame Min Seong for it. Growing up with an understanding that money could get you anything, even people, can cause this. Even so, being showered with these things so soon into, well, something that wasn't even a relationship, made him uncomfortable.

Somewhere, mangled up in that uncomfortable feeling, was guilt. As unexpected as Min Seong's feelings were, they were real. Far more strong than Hanseo could've imagined. Before the week ends, Shikwang Bank and Babel will be finalizing their partnership. Fear of what could happen if things go wrong prevents Hanseo from ending it all beforehand, allowing this "talking stage" to grow further and further into something more in Min Seong's mind. However, Hanseo is now uncertain about how to handle everything moving forward.

A buzzing sound causes Hanseo to look down at his phone. The phone illuminates the otherwise dark office and 'Min Seong' appears in bright white bold letters across the screen. He decides not to answer the phone. Of course, he won't end it either. He just watches patiently, waiting for the ringtone to die out naturally on its own before picking it up. Guilt only rears its head for a short moment when 'Missed call from President Hwang' appears right under the time.

Hanseo looks at other calls, missed and received: Min Seong, Min Seong, Sunghee, Sunghee, and a few more from Min Seong. No one else. Switching to his contacts, his thumb hovers carefully over one of the four names saved.

I can't.

He knows what he needs to do; in hindsight, it was simple. The meeting shouldn't have been planned without Hanseok's permission, he knows this. But, things are well, he's practically received the funding already. This is great news, news Hanseok will appreciate no matter the circumstances. Hanseo believes this with all his might, but he just can't. He can't press call.

With a defeated sigh, he packs everything away and decides it's time to go home.

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The ride home felt longer than usual. Hanseo's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. The silence of the car offered no comfort, only amplifying the chaos in his head. He tried to distract himself by scrolling through his phone, but a new text notification from Min Seong had him quickly place it back in his pocket.

The Rolex glinted on his wrist, a stark reminder of his current problems. He took it off and placed it gently on the empty seat beside him.

When he finally reached home, Hanseo let out a long sigh, stepping out of the car and into the quiet solace of his apartment. He no longer hesitated at the door, wholly sure there wasn't any unexpected guest waiting on the other side. The familiar, empty surroundings should have been comforting. He tossed his belongings onto the table and collapsed onto the couch, staring at the ceiling . The silence in the empty room was stiffening, almost suffocating.