IKC C24

Chapter 24

 

Even as he exhaled a long plume of pale smoke, Seong Sehan did not avert his gaze from me.

“Seong Sehan…”

How far could I maintain composure in such an unreasonable situation? Perhaps the status window had overestimated me—unaware that I was so pitiful I couldn’t even manage this degree of emotional control.

“Why should I quit smoking for you?”

He appeared before me for the sole purpose of saving his life, and yet…

I shot to my feet, striding straight toward Sehan, and snatched the cigarette from his lips.

“Because it’s bad for your health.”

Deliberately, I flung the cigarette to the floor and crushed it under my foot.

Sehan remained sprawled in the chair, eyes cold and glinting, his composure undisturbed.

[Time remaining: 53 minutes!]

But none of that could scare me now.

“Don’t ever touch these things again.”

Without hesitation, I grabbed the pack of cigarettes and the lighter from the table. Just then, Sehan’s hand seized my wrist.

“Taegyeong.”

His grip was so tight I nearly cried out in pain.

“I find it cute, even when you get angry or say harsh things to me.”

“Hey, you…!”

Grinding my teeth, I tried to yank my hand free, but it was pointless—this brute’s senseless strength only made my wrist ache more.

“But not today.”

His upturned gaze felt entirely unfamiliar—that, more than anything, was what I could not endure.

Indifferent to my turmoil, Sehan smiled viciously in a way I’d never seen before.

“Don’t cross the line today.”

In that instant, I heard the fuse in my mind snap.

“Who are you to look at me like I’m cute, you bastard?”

Cross the line? I already felt like I was dancing on a razor’s edge every single day.

Could you even imagine the terror I can’t tell anyone about?

“You fucking son of a bitch…!”

Do you have any idea how much you scramble me up inside?

I struggled with all my might to wrench free from Sehan’s grasp. But he didn’t loosen his hold, and I accomplished nothing but a frantic, undignified struggle.

“Let go. While I’m still talking nicely.”

I glared at his perfect face, ready to hit him if I had to, and Sehan rose from his seat. His sudden height made me unconsciously shrink back.

“I know this is when I’m supposed to yield. But I can’t quit smoking, Taegyeong.”

He took back the cigarette pack and lighter from my loosened grip—it was all I could do to release them.

“I can’t always be the one losing, can I?”

Loosening his grip, he cradled my wrist with a ridiculous show of concern.

“What loss have you ever suffered?”

I finally wrenched my hand away and stepped back. It was odd that even after so brief a hold, my wrist now throbbed.

“Joined a major label, got massive investment, explosive interest before debut…! Genius idol Seong Sehan, with the greatest shares in Baeknyeon Entertainment and star-producer Kang Robin backing him—what loss have you possibly known?”

The more agitated I became and raised my voice, the quieter and heavier his gaze grew.

From the start, I had never been taller than Sehan. Though my own height was well above average, he always seemed to be looking down on me from some higher place.

Was it just the shadowy after-hours lighting of the company, or did he block my path tonight with extra size and weight?

“You’re right.”

Hand on hip, Sehan massaged the nape of his neck, not even bothering to look at me now.

“Just go.”

Without another word, he turned away.

“!”

I snapped back to my senses.

“Hey! Wait….”

[Time remaining: 42 minutes!]

Lee Taegyeong! What the hell are you doing? You didn’t come here to get into an argument with Sehan!

“Seong Sehan! Wait…!”

I called after him, but he just marched away down the corridor without looking back.

“Ha…! I really must be out of my mind.”

I clutched my head as if to tear my hair out. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead.

“What did you even come here for?”

At this point, regret was useless. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t take back all the things I’d blurted out.

You only care about your own feelings. Do you even have any true determination to save him?

“Sehan!”

I raced toward him, his figure shrinking at the end of the hallway. First, I had to calm him down—only then could we have a proper conversation. There was still time left….

“Lee Taegyeong-ssi.”

The one who blocked me was Assistant Manager Jungseob.

“Assistant Manager! I’m in a hurry right now….”

Because of him standing in my way, I could barely see Sehan anymore. Sorry or not, I tried to push past, but was caught in an unexpectedly strong grip.

“Let’s just go home today, Taegyeong-ssi. All right?”

“Huh? No, please, could you move aside for a moment? I have to talk to Sehan, I—oh, huh?”

Suddenly, Assistant Manager Jungseob swept me up, leaving my mind a total blank. What on earth—was I slung over his shoulder?

When I realized what was happening, I found myself in the elevator. As the doors closed, he clarified the situation.

“Sehan’s gone back to his studio. I’ll take you to Global. All right?”

“No, this is—”

Flustered, my words stumbled out.

“Manager! Are you carrying me like a sack? I told you I need to talk to Sehan!”

“Sehan said the conversation is over.”

The manager’s unwavering attitude set my heart pounding in panic.

N-no, this can’t be—there’s so little time left, I must see Sehan soon….

Even before the elevator doors fully opened on the first floor, I frantically hammered at the close button.

“I have to get to Sehan, now!”

[Time remaining: 23 minutes!]

“I didn’t take you for someone like this, Taegyeong-ssi….”

“Wah!”

Assistant Manager hoisted me onto his shoulder again.

“You are stubborn, aren’t you?”

“Manager! Let me go!”

No matter how fiercely I twisted, I couldn’t break free. Looking around in disbelief, I saw that the lobby staff paid us no mind as we passed.

“Agh, no!”

I truly was in a situation where I could expect no help from anyone.

“Manager! I have to see Sehan! This is really important!”

“Ugh!”

The only way out was to kick him as hard as I could. Before he even had a chance to crumple, I landed on the floor and bolted.

“Stop him!”

Mere minutes ago, the staff had ignored me, but now they guarded the elevator.

I spun on my heel and darted into the emergency stairwell, locking the door behind me to slow any pursuit.

Stay calm. There’s still plenty of time. Taking deep breaths to refocus, I sprinted up the stairs.

I had to pull myself together—reach Sehan, and this time, don’t lose my mind.

“……”

Still, my breakneck pace began to falter.

Just how was I supposed to persuade someone so downcast today…?

With each step, my pace slowed, until finally I ground to a halt.

Even with a perfect solo album in the works, why was Seong Sehan in such a terrible mood?

“Sigh…”

Not just as a member of Perfect Puzzle—this was his first solo album. The weight pressing on his shoulders was entirely different.

No matter how strong Seong Sehan seemed, there’s no way he wasn’t feeling the strain.

And… I’d heard that fan complaints were growing more and more fierce on the fan sites. That meant the rumors and talk on the community boards would only get nastier.

Sehan might pretend to be indifferent and live as he pleases, but he was only twenty. There’s no way he wouldn’t care about the group fans’ resentment.

[Time remaining: 11 minutes!]

“So… why release a solo album all of a sudden?”

There had been backlash even when he’d only released singles, but nothing compared to this.

The ‘I’ll wait until two o’clock’ meme had gone so viral that, at least then, the negativity hadn’t gained so much traction.

“If Seong Sehan wants to release an album, he can. Who could, or would, ever stop him?”

I could only hope that this change would strengthen him, that he’d endure even more tenaciously. He was strong, but I wished for him to have even more resilience. That was all I could do now.

[Time remaining: 8 minutes!]

Bang. The door swung open nearby, and hurried footsteps echoed on the stairs. Surely, those sneakers belonged to Sehan.

As expected, I saw his figure appear at the second-floor landing.

“Lee Taegyeong! You…!”

His black cardigan had slipped halfway down his shoulders, and he was panting harshly.

“What the hell is wrong with you!”

He stormed down the steps to where I stood, raking a hand through his hair.

“You’re really driving me crazy!”