Just Twilight-Chapter 59

“Why are you doing this? Why are you hitting Manager Kim?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Ask him yourself,” Seungwoon said, his voice devoid of inflection. “See if my actions are excessive.”

His gaze was fixed on Manager Kim, seething with unspoken fury, while his tone remained unnervingly calm.

Mihyang reached out to gently grasp his arm, her voice softening. “I’m sorry, Seungwoon. This is my fault. It’s all because of me.”

At her words, Seungwoon finally shifted his gaze away from Manager Kim. His eyes, however, were still cold as he looked at her.

“Why don’t you explain it to me, then?” he asked, his tone as sharp as glass.

Mihyang hurried to fill the silence. “I was worried about you living on your own. So I asked Manager Kim to make arrangements with the real estate agents ahead of time. That’s all. Was that really worth getting this angry over?”

“Mother.”

The emotionless tone of his voice made her flinch, and the way he looked at her was unnervingly foreign.

“Manager Kim manipulated and used me,” he said. “He destroyed something I had carefully protected. If he didn’t expect to pay the price for that, then he clearly thought I was a fool. Isn’t that right, Manager Kim?”

The man in question said nothing, keeping his head bowed as blood pooled on his swollen face.

Seungwoon took a step forward, but Mihyang quickly intervened. “Seungwoon!”

“Let me ask you something.”

He slowly turned his focus to her, his voice unnervingly steady.

“Did you know?”

“Know what?”

“Did you know what Manager Kim proposed to me? Were you aware when you attended that meeting today?”

Mihyang frowned, letting out a short sigh.

“That meeting was arranged at yesterday’s exhibition. It was about discussing potential buyers for the paintings. Deputy Director Lee Hanhee was staying at that hotel, and since it was close to the gallery…”

“Do you even know who JBK Financial’s Kwon Beomjin is?”

“What?”

Her confusion only deepened as she blinked at his sudden question. His lifeless eyes bore into hers as he continued.

“Was he one of those so-called buyers interested in the paintings? Since when did you start dealing with a lowlife loan shark like him? Do you even know who you’re dealing with?”

“Seungwoon!”

Her voice cracked with alarm as his harsh words spilled out. But he only raised his voice further, his frustration spilling over.

“That bastard could be a criminal for all we know! The kind of scum who used to hang around police stations! Trash who probably didn’t even graduate high school! And now we’re supposed to believe he’s a legitimate businessman? How could you—”

“Na Seungwoon!”

Unable to take it anymore, Mihyang slapped him lightly across the cheek. The household staff might not have been visible, but they were undoubtedly nearby. She couldn’t allow them to witness such an unseemly display.

Seungwoon stood frozen, not even raising a hand to touch his cheek. His lips pressed together tightly as his gaze fell to the floor.

Mihyang exhaled deeply, composing herself before speaking. “Everything I do is for your benefit. But just because it’s for you doesn’t mean you need to know everything. All you need to do is focus on your responsibilities, as you always have.”

A guttural sound, like the growl of a restrained animal, escaped from between his teeth. He muttered under his breath.

“…What does it feel like to be protected like that?”

“What?”

Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand his cryptic remark. He continued, his eyes still unfocused, staring into nothingness.

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“Junyoung once asked me that. After visiting our home at your invitation.”

Mihyang couldn’t recall when this conversation had taken place. She simply watched as her son’s lips curled into a bitter, twisted smile.

“I couldn’t answer her then. I didn’t even understand what she meant.”

He finally raised his eyes to meet hers, his voice slicing through the air like a blade.

“Now I can. It feels like being a blind fool.”

His words were ice-cold as he turned and walked out of the house.

In the suffocating silence that followed, it took Mihyang a long moment to steady her breathing. When she finally regained her composure, Manager Kim spoke softly.

“My apologies, ma’am.”

“Come to the study,” she instructed curtly, massaging her throbbing temple.

On her way, she grabbed a bottle of vodka from a display cabinet.

Even in her haze, Manager Kim dutifully followed, carrying a glass and a water bottle into the study. Seated at her desk, Mihyang took a swig straight from the bottle, waving off the water.

“Enough. Tell me why my son is acting like this.”

“I… made a deal with him.”

At her signal to continue, Manager Kim lowered his head.

“I agreed to gather information on a certain man in exchange for him spending a night with Jang Sera. He fulfilled his end of the bargain, but my information came too late. He ran into the man before I could brief him, and… it upset him.”

Mihyang’s hand, which had been massaging her temple, stilled. Her gaze sharpened as she spoke, her voice dangerously quiet.

“The man you were supposed to investigate… don’t tell me.”

“It’s Director Kwon Beomjin of JBK Financial,” Manager Kim replied.

Mihyang exhaled sharply, almost a scoff.

“And how does Seungwoon know him? Why would he want a background check on that man?”

“There was an incident back in high school,” Manager Kim began cautiously. “Young Master wrote a disciplinary essay once. It involved Deputy Yoon Junyoung and another individual.”

Mihyang frowned as she poured herself another shot of vodka, the strong scent quickly filling the study.

“I remember. I even went to that shabby school myself to have a word with those nosy old men. The other individual… wasn’t there an issue with him?”

“He was accused of being involved in a string of assaults in the neighborhood and ended up in a detention cell. The real culprit was caught later, and he was released.”

Taking a long sip of her vodka, Mihyang drew a deep breath.

“…And that boy is now Director Kwon Beomjin?”

“Yes. A few years ago, I heard his name come up in a conversation with Young Master and decided to look into him, thinking it might be useful later. However, he was hard to track down with standard investigative methods.”

“Wait a moment.”

She raised her hand to stop him, needing time to sort through her thoughts.

“I was the one who approached JBK Financial first. There was no prior plan connected to them. And it was me who set the meeting at the hotel this morning. So, this encounter… it was all a coincidence.”

Manager Kim nodded silently. Mihyang pressed her fingers to her temple, her forehead creasing with thought.

“Then Junyoung… she must have recognized Director Kwon, didn’t she?”

“It seems they were quite close. After the detention cell incident, Director Kwon disappeared suddenly. Apparently, Deputy Yoon visited the police station frequently, trying to track him down. No one had realized how close they were until then.”

“She’s always been like that,” Mihyang said with a smirk. “A clever little thing.”

Leaning back in her chair, she exhaled slowly, letting the tension in her shoulders ease.

“So that’s why my son’s so upset. He’s afraid of losing her to Kwon.”

“My apologies.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I thought it would be better for Young Master to move on from Deputy Yoon, considering our ties to Myungin Daily. Perhaps I was too aggressive in my approach.”

“Was Junyoung’s presence part of your plan?”

“Yes.”

Blinking slowly, Mihyang let out a short sigh. “What about Sera?”

“I received word that she checked out before you arrived.”

“We have a field meeting with Chairman Jang tomorrow. I’ll get a better sense of the situation then.”

Finally, she grabbed the water bottle, rinsed her mouth, and spat into an empty cup. Rubbing her stiff shoulder, she glanced at Manager Kim and let out a chuckle.

“Raise your head. Don’t act so defeated just because you got slapped around a little.”

At her words, Manager Kim straightened his posture slightly. Mihyang stood up, stretching her neck.

“You did well. This kind of tantrum won’t last long. If I’d known my son would act so pathetically over something he couldn’t have, I’d have let him have her earlier so he could tire of her faster.”

She spoke with a detached air, almost as if observing a game from above. Today’s outburst, she thought, was merely an emotional reaction. The fact that he had exploded like this only meant he subconsciously knew that things wouldn’t work out between him and Junyoung. The anger was a manifestation of that realization.

“Assign someone to keep an eye on Junyoung. Given their past, there’s no way they’ll just pass each other by now that they’ve reconnected. I don’t like the idea of only our side being vulnerable. If Junyoung becomes Kwon’s weak point, that’d be even better.”

Her words, laced with cold precision, made Manager Kim lower his gaze once more. “Understood. I’ll see to it.”

“I’m exhausted. I need a spa before dinner.”

Manager Kim hesitated before speaking carefully. “Ma’am.”

“Yes?”

“Wouldn’t it be better if I got involved in the upcoming financial matters? Given the situation with Young Master and Deputy Yoon, it might be helpful to stay informed.”

Mihyang let out a faint laugh, exhaling slowly. “This matter has been under Team Leader Han’s oversight since the beginning. It’s better to let it continue that way. Besides, everyone knows you’re my right hand. There’s no need to draw unnecessary attention to yourself. It’s easier to cut ties if things go wrong.”

At her last remark, Manager Kim instinctively bowed his head. Mihyang patted him lightly on the shoulder.

“Put some ice on your face and rest. I’ll be dealing with the gallery arrangements.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Even as she left, Mihyang doubted he would actually take a break. Shaking her head, she stepped out of the study. There were plenty of things left to think about.