Chapter 110: Dissolve: His Last Choice

His mother stepped forward.

“Your father isn’t asking because he has some other intention. He’s just worried because you’ve had experiences with men, too.”

From a certain point on, Yoon Jooho had been hiding his private life from his parents. They no longer felt like allies.

Because of that, they didn’t know about the men Yoon Jooho had been with. Not about Jung Ji-in, and of course, not about Song Hyunsoo either.

Yoon Jooho tilted his head in confusion.

“Experiences with men?”

“Have you forgotten your relationship with Lee Seokyung?”

Khh. Before his father even finished speaking, Yoon Jooho burst out laughing.

“You’re laughing?”

Despite his father’s harsh tone, Yoon Jooho’s laughter didn’t stop.

He lowered his head deeply between his broad shoulders, shaking as he chuckled quietly, then looked up.

“Are you seriously bringing that up in front of me right now?”

The hint of laughter in his eyes quickly cooled into icy anger.

“Perhaps you’ve forgotten who persuaded me to have ‘relations’ with Lee Seokyung — no, who practically drove me to the brink.”

“I—I’m the one talking here!”

His father tried to interrupt, but Yoon Jooho cut him off.

“But it’s funny you call it a ‘relationship’ between Seokyung and me. It was a bed I shared for the sake of a drama’s male lead role. I was just selling my body.”

“Jooho, man.”

Ignoring Director Bang’s attempt to intervene, Yoon Jooho continued, fueled by bitterness.

“You two were right. Down there, I wasn’t exactly dignified. Whether the partner was a man or a woman, it didn’t make much difference. It’s not like it wore out my dick.”

“Shut the fuc—!”

“It’s just that, if we’re being honest, by your logic, it was ‘business.’ So treating me like I’m gay because of that isn’t right.”

His father glared at him, trembling with anger, then finally spoke.

“Don’t mock us like that.”

“I’m not mocking. I’m just repeating exactly what you said back then.”

“That was the only way back then. Didn’t you agree to it?”

“That was the only way? And I agreed?”

The skin beneath Yoon Jooho’s eyes trembled.

It was as if he was transported back to that moment, blood boiling inside him.

“I clearly said I wanted to start over from the beginning. That maybe, just maybe, this was a chance to act as Actor Yoon Jooho, not Top Star Yoon Jooho.”

“What about my life? Your father’s life, who put everything on you? You want to turn everything we built into nothing?”

Yoon Jooho shot a glare at his mother.

“What about me then?”

“…”

“What about me? The one who suffered because you treated me like useless leftover merchandise and acted as if the world had ended? I wasn’t happy — wasn’t that important to you?”

This time, his gaze shifted to his father.

“You hate me when I’m not a star? You don’t need me?”

His father, who had been silently staring at him, suddenly looked away.

“You’re still young and don’t know what really matters. Living in your position comes with sacrifices…”

“Fuck off!”

With a loud thud, Yoon Jooho slammed the bottled water onto the desk opposite him.

His jaw clenched tightly, the muscles twitching as he flinched.

He knew he’d never hear what he wanted to hear.

Yet, why was he still sitting here, going over the same conversation again?

He couldn’t understand himself — parents, children, family ties.

That damned blood relationship.

“We’re your parents, whether you like it or not, and for thirty years, we’ve also been your managers. You know what that means, right?”

“So if you start making money and become famous too early, your parents can turn into monsters?”

His father clicked his tongue at the sarcastic provocation.

“You arrogant brat. We have your dirty secrets in our hands. That’s a warning—behave accordingly.”

Director Bang, who had been silently listening until then, couldn’t hold back any longer and suddenly interrupted.

“President, you’re… threatening Jooho, your son?”

“Threatening? Don’t you think that’s presumptuous, Director Bang?”

“Jooho never wanted to be a star. I saw the whole process where he was forced to accept that offer, that threat. He only stood in front of the camera because he hated seeing his parents fight and wanted a happy family. And you never once gave him the right to decide on his roles.”

His mother looked at Director Bang with contempt.

“You’re just some road manager who we took care of for over a decade. Now that you have the title of Director, you think you’re something?”

“That ‘over a decade’ was enduring it all because of Jooho’s talent and future. Not because you treated your son like a tool to hold on to the title of parents of Top Actor Yoon Jooho.”

“Do you have any proof?”

“What?”

“Jooho wasn’t a minor back then. If you hated going to Lee Seokyung that much, why didn’t you just refuse? Did we hold a knife to your throat?”

“Filthy people.”

Director Bang shook his head in disbelief at his father’s shameless words.

“Who do you think is to blame for how things turned out? You fought relentlessly, treating your son like a disposable, washed-up has-been. In the end, he thought if he just endured once, you’d stop fighting. Don’t you realize that? You used him knowing it.”

“So, do you have proof that we pushed him into that?”

Anticipating this question, his father’s voice and expression remained steady.

His mother then hammered the point home.

“Jooho, you and Director Bang, I don’t know what you’re talking about. You were just as anxious for that role when your popularity waned after your military discharge, weren’t you?”

“Who wants to take a role like that…!”

Director Bang raised his voice, but Yoon Jooho grabbed his arm.

Watching the legs of the two rising from their seats, something inside Yoon Jooho completely collapsed.

Parents, children, blood ties — all of it.

He lifted his head and looked up at them.

“At the very least, we’re accomplices, aren’t we? You, the presidents, and me.”

Then he smiled and added,

“If I’m the male prostitute, you’re the pimps.”

His mother’s expression hardened to an unrelenting coldness.

Like a noblewoman afraid her coat would touch the ragged street beggar’s collar, she regarded her son with disdain and contempt.

“I could have ignored your tantrums up to the certified mail. But if you insist on taking this to court, I will truly be disappointed in you.”

“Do you still think your threats will work on me? That I’ll tremble just because you say you’re disappointed?”

“…”

“Be as disappointed as you want. When have I ever satisfied you?”

“That’s why you’re still a clueless kid.”

His father clicked his tongue at Yoon Jooho and continued.

“I’m not going to just sit back and let you take over the company. This company isn’t something a guy who’s only been acting like you can handle. You’re ungrateful and don’t know your place.”

Even after they left the meeting room, Yoon Jooho remained seated.

He was no longer a child needing their care and approval.

Their backs, coldly turning away whenever they were displeased, left a branding scar behind his eyelids that wouldn’t fade.

“Don’t try to settle this peacefully, Jooho. There’s no need.”

Director Bang paced anxiously around the sofa, then suddenly stopped.

“No matter what, you’re not seriously thinking of exposing all this, are you?”

Listening to Director Bang’s worried voice, Yoon Jooho answered surprisingly calmly.

“Don’t worry about that. At least I have evidence that we’re accomplices.”

“Evidence? What is it?”

“I got into the habit of recording everything because of them.”

Rising from the sofa, Yoon Jooho stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and left the meeting room.

Director Bang followed after him.

“Jooho, don’t drive right now.”

“You think I’m so shocked I can’t drive? This has been going on for days now.”

Though he smiled it off, Director Bang’s face looked even more concerned.

“Bro, I’m really okay. Actually, it’s better this way. I don’t have any regrets left now.”

“Do you think I don’t know you? You don’t look okay, man.”

Yoon Jooho only smiled quietly and passed by Director Bang.

“Jooho, get in my car. I’ll take you home.”

As Yoon Jooho headed down the stairs that led straight to the piloti parking lot on the lower floor, Director Bang grabbed his arm firmly.

“No, I have somewhere to go.”

Like he had urgent business he couldn’t delay, Yoon Jooho shook his head and hurried his steps.

He resolutely shook off Director Bang’s hand and descended several steps before stopping and looking up.

“Ah, bro. Stay at my place tonight, too. You’re still too young. I don’t want you alone all night.”

“That’s not a problem… but where are you going? You said you were going home earlier, to drink at Seohai’s place?”

Jooho, hey, Yoon Jooho!

Despite the desperate calls, Yoon Jooho didn’t stop this time.

He rushed down the stairs as if fleeing from something.

A little while later, Yoon Jooho’s 911 screeched sharply, tires squealing as it sped out of the alley.