Chapter 99: Dissolve: His Last Choice

Yoon Jooho, who had been silent until then, snorted and sneered.
“Hyung.”

“What.”

“Sangho hyung.”

“What, man.”

“Isn’t it about time you got used to it? When will you ever get accustomed to this?”

His tone was as if it were someone else’s problem. But Song Hyunsoo didn’t believe that indifference. No one could ever get used to being stabbed in the back.

“Make sure to check thoroughly if anything else is missing.”

“How am I supposed to know what’s gone missing one by one?”

Yoon Jooho replied irritably to Director Bang’s comment, took a sip of his beer, and walked out of the kitchen. He brushed past Song Hyunsoo without making eye contact.

“There’s so much stuff lying around that no one even notices when something goes missing. That’s why everyone keeps getting distracted. Don’t you know the saying ‘possession breeds desire’?”

“So, you’re saying it’s my fault that those guys stole things?”

“Man, that’s not what I mean…”

Director Bang sighed deeply and slumped heavily onto the stool in front of the island counter. You could tell how upset he must be to say something like that.

Song Hyunsoo glanced alternately between Director Bang sitting on the stool and Yoon Jooho, who was seated in the lounge chair by the living room window.

Then he went into the kitchen, poured some water into a glass, and quietly slid it in front of Director Bang.

“Thanks. Really, thank you, Hyunsu-ssi.”

He looked quite touched over just a single glass of water.

“Would you like some painkillers, Director?”

“Hyunsu-ssi, do you even know where the painkillers are?”

“Oh… I do. If you tell me.”

“No, no. It’s okay. Water’s enough.”

Director Bang, who had drained half the water, looked up at Song Hyunsoo, who was standing there awkwardly instead of going to Yoon Jooho.

There was a meaningful look in his eyes, and Hyunsoo silently met it.

“Hyunsu-ssi, I’m sorry.”

“Huh? Director, you’re apologizing to me? Why?”

He seemed unable to look him directly in the eye. Director Bang’s gaze slipped away. He squeezed the glass with both hands as if wringing it dry.

Song Hyunsoo felt he understood the hidden meaning behind those words.

“Ah…”

“No, no. I wasn’t singling you out as a suspect. Please believe that.”

“Yeah, I know. I trust what you’re saying. It’s just that you had to keep everyone with a possible connection in mind. I’m fine.”

Song Hyunsoo smiled genuinely at Director Bang, who still looked tense. What he said was sincere.

After all, there were only about five people who came and went in this house.

Even if he were in Director Bang’s position, he would’ve put all those people on the suspect list first.

He looked back at Yoon Jooho sitting in the living room. Half reclining in what looked like a work of art of a chair, Jooho was staring out the window.

Could it be… that Yoon Jooho felt the same way?

Had he even once thought that maybe it was Hyunsoo who took it?

“Jooho was right.”

“…What?”

When Director Bang’s voice called him back, he turned to see Jooho smiling at him with a slightly relieved expression.

“Jooho jumped up, saying it absolutely couldn’t be you, Hyunsu-ssi.”

“When did I??”

Yoon Jooho, who had pretended not to care about this conversation at all, suddenly raised his voice and butted in.

Straightening up from his slouched position in the chair, he frowned in their direction.

“He’s like that, you know? Hyunsu-ssi knows. Sometimes he just acts like a kid for no reason.”

Director Bang clicked his tongue and continued talking, ignoring Jooho’s irritated outburst.

“Remember the day Hyunsu-ssi came by recently?”

“The day I was working part-time?”

“No. The day before I came when you had jjambbong and left.”

“Oh… yeah.”

Song Hyunsoo nodded, then frowned suddenly.

The day he had jjambbong and left was the day after he and Yoon Jooho had gotten drunk together at that members-only bar run by a guy named Seo Hae.

“Director, you came that day? After I left?”

“That’s right. When I came to see what that guy was up to, there were two empty jjambbong bowls.”

That day, Yoon Jooho had seemed anxious to get Song Hyunsoo out quickly, as if someone else was going to show up. It wasn’t a lie to say it hurt.

Song Hyunsoo had been nervous too, wondering if Jooho was trying to be involved with someone else.

But the fact that Director Bang had come right after him meant no other person had been called in.

Forgetting that he’d just been rejected a few minutes ago, Song Hyunsoo’s mouth twitched as he fought back a smile.

“The watch is missing, right? And Hyunsoo-ssi happened to stay over yesterday… I said I’d check the CCTV. Then Jooho went nuts, asking if I suspected you and if there was any proof the watch disappeared yesterday, practically trying to eat me alive…”

“Was he clicking his tongue?”

“Huh?”

“No, never mind. Don’t worry about it.”

“Jooho acted all prickly like a teenager who’d been suspected… uh! uh!”

Unable to hold it in, Yoon Jooho had come up behind Director Bang and slapped his palm over his mouth.

“If you’re just going to keep blabbering nonsense, why don’t you just leave?”

Director Bang shrugged off Jooho’s hand and turned back with determination.

“Where do you think you’re going? Didn’t you hear? We need to discuss how to handle this.”

“Handle what?”

“Whether to report it to the police or send a content certification to Cha Kyumin.”

“Forget it. It’s a hassle. Just let it go.”

Walking toward the fridge, Yoon Jooho waved his hand dismissively like shooing flies.

Song Hyunsoo’s gaze followed him from behind when he covered Director Bang’s mouth, but Jooho still didn’t look back.

Still, Hyunsoo could bear it.

It was fine if Director Bang or others doubted him. Given the circumstances, it was understandable, and he didn’t mind.

But if Yoon Jooho did that, it was a different story. Even if he understood it intellectually, it felt like his heart was bleeding.

The joy that Jooho had trusted him outweighed the bitterness of having his confession rejected.

Director Bang raised his voice toward Yoon Jooho’s retreating back.

“Just let it go? Do you even know how much the watch’s actual value is?”

“So what if we report it? Send a content certification? It’d just end up with me getting blamed in the news. Why waste time and effort making a fuss? No way.”

Yoon Jooho answered casually while looking inside the fridge.

There had been news before about a manager being caught using a star’s credit card for personal expenses or a stylist stealing luxury goods.

Despite having billions, the star was labeled petty for reporting a manager’s “little theft,” and there were plenty of mocking reactions.

One manager’s credit card use had even totaled over 70 million won over two years.

Come to think of it, it had been a while since such news appeared— not because these incidents stopped, but perhaps because they stopped exposing them to the world altogether.

“Are we really just going to keep getting hit like this every time?”

Yoon Jooho closed the fridge door without taking anything out.

“What good comes from adding more scandals in times like this?”

His eyes, when he turned toward them empty-handed, looked exhausted. This time, instead of pretending not to care, he spoke to Director Bang almost pleadingly.

“Just focus on dealing with Look Planning.”

“You’re the victim, though.”

The words slipped out unintentionally, and only then did Yoon Jooho look at Song Hyunsoo.

“If you’re the victim, why are you the one getting blamed?”

“The guy who has a hundred things complaining about losing one isn’t a victim, just making a fuss. Didn’t you know that?”

Yoon Jooho said that, rubbed his face several times with both hands, then shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

“If you’re both so bored, just finish the contract.”

“What about you?”

“Tired. I’m going to rest.”

Yoon Jooho walked quickly toward the Master Zone. Song Hyunsoo hurriedly called out to him.

“Hyung.”

“Don’t look for me. Just finish the Contract Agreement with him.”

“That’s not it. My clothes and stuff are still inside.”

A sigh escaped Yoon Jooho, who wiped his face like it was crumpled. Then he said to Director Bang,

“Bring them out.”

“I can just go get them…”

Song Hyunsoo took a few steps but stopped shortly after.

Blocking the door like a wall stood Yoon Jooho, staring hard at him.

Song Hyunsoo understood the meaning behind that look. That was how well he knew Yoon Jooho.

It was as if to say, Don’t come any closer. The look was like raising a hand to refuse.

“No need for that. Hyung will bring them out.”

Turning his back to Song Hyunsoo, Yoon Jooho unlocked the door and disappeared inside.