540

 [Chapter 147]

[The Power to Fabricate Truth (2)]

Though it was a rigged game, people in the political and business world couldn't actually criticize.

No matter how much it seemed like a place to slander Noh Eunha, Han Seo-hyeon, and Jung Ha-yang, there was always a plausible justification outwardly.

In the end, a justification others couldn't accept was like spitting on one's own face.

So Eunha thought it was the best option.

He thought so, but─

"─Do you like Yu-cheon oppa that much?" "Coward."

"Why are you doing this to me..."

His girlfriend and fiancée seemed displeased about something.

Eunha faced the two and felt cowed for no reason.

"Ahaha... It seems my role is over, so I'll go meet some acquaintances. Eunha, um, good job." "Hyung, I'll go with you!"

"Um... I came as hyung's bodyguard today, so I should go too..."

"Where are you going?" "Where are you trying to go?" ""..."" 

Soon Lee Yu-cheon and Yoo Do-jun quietly slipped away.

Eunha was abandoned just like that.

In front, his girlfriend and fiancée were raising the corners of their mouths.

It was a chilling smile.

This isn't a smile...

Was it because it was summer?

Eunha broke out in a cold sweat.

He wants to use Uboshin and run away right now.

But whether they knew Eunha's mind or not, the two grabbed his wrists.

"...!"

Jung Ha-yang on the left.

Han Seo-hyeon on the right.

They tightly gripped his wrists and growled lowly.

"We should go greet people..."

"Don't think about resting for today."

"...Yes."

With both wrists held by the two,

Noh Eunha sensed the hell of being dragged around by them.

☆

They go around greeting people to reveal their relationship.

But Eunha didn't actually need to go around greeting.

"Ha-yang, congratulations. This is the childhood friend you've liked since you were young, right? Your feelings have finally come true? That's great."

"Yes! Thank you, unni. Eunha, this is someone who was kind to me when I first entered the gathering..."

"Hello."

"Yes, hello. I've heard a lot about you from Ha-yang before. Just try making Ha-yang cry? I won't let you off then, you know."

"Ah, unni, don't be like that."

Among peers not much older, Jung Ha-yang and Han Seo-hyeon were people standing in positions no one could ignore.

Alice Group's ranking is 4th in the business world.

Sirius Group's ranking is 2nd in the business world.

Though the rankings between business groups are just rankings based on assets held by the groups,

Nevertheless, the influence of 2nd and 4th in the business world couldn't be ignored.

So direct descendants of business groups around their age naturally bowed.

Even if Eunha just stood next to Jung Ha-yang and Han Seo-hyeon, people came on their own.

"Whew..."

Though he was spared the trouble of going around,

It was also embarrassing to just stand still without taking a step and deal with people.

People are almost lining up to greet them.

To think I have to do this again when I go downstairs later...

It was truly an exhausting situation.

Eunha clicked his tongue at Jung Ha-yang who was dealing with people without showing it beside him.

It wasn't just Jung Ha-yang.

Nearby, Han Seo-hyeon was dealing with people flocking around her one by one.

So I have to go greet people over there as soon as I finish greeting here?

There are so many direct descendants of groups...

Eunha inwardly sighed.

Currently, he was going back and forth between his fiancée and girlfriend's sides at set intervals.

After Eunha finished greeting people who came to greet Jung Ha-yang,

He had to go to Han Seo-hyeon without even a moment's rest and exchange greetings with people who came to see her.

Of course, there were often cases where he encountered people he had already greeted once while going back and forth between the two.

"─Oh? Earlier you were Ha-yang's boyfriend, and now I'm meeting you as Seo-hyeon's fiancé? I won't let you off if you make Ha-yang cry, but I also won't let you off if you make Seo-hyeon cry, you know? Anyway, congratulations on your engagement!"

"...Thank you."

Of course, people who had good relationships with Alice Group and Sirius Group just passed it off as amusing.

Though they say Eunha got cursed at once more on top of curses he was already going to receive.

Still, it's fortunate that Ha-yang and Seo-hyeon seem to be in a good mood.

After the crowd flocking to Han Seo-hyeon disappeared once,

Eunha returned to Jung Ha-yang's side and exchanged greetings with people.

Though he was tired without a moment's rest, it was nice to see the people he was dating receiving congratulations without being cursed at all.

Then─

"─Eunha."

"What?"

While he was in the middle of exchanging introductions with a young man said to be 1 year older than him,

Jung Ha-yang quietly pulled on his clothes.

She whispered in his ear.

"I think you should go to Seo-hyeon unni." "Why?"

"Well..."

A worried tone.

Eunha immediately turned his head towards where Seo-hyeon was after hearing Ha-yang's words.

His brow furrowed naturally.

Because Han Seo-hyeon was talking with some man.

"It just seems like greetings... But I think Seo-hyeon unni will be uncomfortable..."

It's YH Group's direct descendant, Choi Ye-jang.

Han Seo-hyeon's ex-fiancé.

"Alright, I'll go. Ha-yang, wait here for a moment."

"I'm fine, so hurry and go. And thank you so much for coming today."

"Of course I had to come to a place to announce to others. I'll be back."

"...Okay!"

Jung Ha-yang gently pushed his back.

Eunha soon lightly kissed her lips.

Her face softened, and people who came to talk with her squealed.

☆

After breaking off the engagement with Han Seo-hyeon,

Choi Ye-jang had to be surrounded by rumors that he had problems as a man.

Though it was a matter of hurt pride, he had to accept it since the disqualification for engagement was on him.

"─Ye-jin, you stay here." "Where are you going, oppa?"

"...To Seo-hyeon." "Oppa, are you crazy?" "I'm not crazy. Don't follow me needlessly, you go stay with Jung Ha-yang."

Of course, for the past year,

Choi Ye-jang had been receiving invisible finger-pointing from people in the political and business world.

His reputation was ruined.

His pride was thoroughly trampled.

It was a year no different from the worst.

No, it's still ongoing now.

But─

─You look happy.

Han Seo-hyeon was different from him.

Choi Ye-jang could see his ex-fiancée among people after a long time.

She was shining brightly under the brilliant lights.

"Did Han Seo-hyeon have that kind of face?" "What's with her? She wasn't like that before." "Wow... She can smile too... I'm seeing it for the first time."

Next to Noh Eunha,

Han Seo-hyeon was smiling brightly.

She who always showed an indifferent face in front of people.

Even the people around were surprised, so Choi Ye-jang, who was Han Seo-hyeon's ex-fiancé, couldn't have failed to notice.

"─It's been a while, Seo-hyeon." "..."

He couldn't stand it.

So he approached Han Seo-hyeon who was dealing with people alone after Noh Eunha disappeared.

Seeing him appear parting the crowd, Han Seo-hyeon flinched.

""""...."""

Among the people here,

There was not a single person who didn't know the relationship between the two.

People fell silent, and curiosity filled their gazes.

"...It's been a while."

A voice falling in the silence.

She who seemed flustered for a moment soon treated him with a comfortable face as if nothing had happened.

Crunch

Choi Ye-jang gritted his teeth.

Inwardly, he was hoping she would show some lingering feelings seeing him.

Or he hoped she would have even a little apologetic feeling towards him who was being cursed at by people.

But she had a face showing she didn't have any feelings towards him.

"Have you... been well?" "...Yes, I've been well thanks to you."

"...I see."

Gritting his teeth with a crunch,

He clenched his fist with a pop.

What on earth does she mean by "thanks to you".

While someone is in this state.

Choi Ye-jang felt hatred towards Han Seo-hyeon standing alone loftily.

Why, how.

Why does only he have to become dirty?

Why are you standing in front of me receiving people's congratulations and becoming another man's woman?

Choi Ye-jang was angry.

Because he was angry─

"─I'm glad if you've been doing well. I'm still keeping the letters you sent..."

""""...."""

He decided to become petty.

He decided to tarnish Han Seo-hyeon.

You try falling like me too.

Choi Ye-jang smirked seeing Han Seo-hyeon unable to open her mouth.

"Come to think of it, was it around this time? You said before that when you return from Japan, we should go to YH World just the two of us." """"...."""

"You sent a letter saying you were scared to ride the Viking, right? Eunha, doesn't Seo-hyeon not ride Vikings?"

""""...."""

"That too, right. You..."

While people were rolling their eyeballs,

While Han Seo-hyeon was frozen,

Choi Ye-jang revealed facts and non-facts here.

He wasn't unaware that he was lowering his own reputation.

But since it was already a fallen reputation, he didn't care much.

So accepting the truth was up to the listeners─

As he was thinking that and continuing to fabricate lies as truth─

"─Sorry, did you wait?" "...Eunha."

""""...!""""

"What were you doing?"

Suddenly popping out,

Noh Eunha putting his arm around Han Seo-hyeon's shoulder from behind.

When he touched her hair as he pleased, Han Seo-hyeon flinched.

"Are you done on Ha-yang's side?" "There's still more there too. But it looked like there were more people here so I came here."

"...I see."

"..."

Then Han Seo-hyeon entrusting herself to his touch after confirming his face.

Sparks flew in Choi Ye-jang's eyes.

Regardless─

"─I think I vaguely heard just now, did you want to go to an amusement park? You should say so." "...No, not really."

"Do you want to go with me if you want to go?"

"What?"

"Let's go together. It works out well since it's break so we'll have plenty of time." "..." "Why? Don't you want to?"

"No, I want to. Okay, let's go together."

Completely ignoring his existence,

Han Seo-hyeon and Noh Eunha rubbing salt in his wounds right in front of him.

Choi Ye-jang gritted his teeth.

Just then─

"─By the way, who's the person in front of noona? Introduce me too." "...This is YH Group's Choi Ye-jang oppa. He's 3 years older than you."

"Ah, I see. Nice to meet you." "...Nice to meet you."

Though he already knew,

Noh Eunha brazenly exchanging introductions as if meeting for the first time.

Choi Ye-jang shook hands with him.

And─

"─Ugh...!"

"I heard well from Seo-hyeon."

"...Kuk..."

"We're only 3 years apart so I'll speak comfortably. That's okay, right?"

""""...."""

It feels like his hand is being crushed.

Choi Ye-jang couldn't manage his expression and distorted his face.

People couldn't have not known that.

He was only able to escape from Noh Eunha's hand after his face turned bright red.

"You... you bas..." "What." "..."

Just before he was about to get angry,

Choi Ye-jang looked up at Noh Eunha looking down at him while hugging Han Seo-hyeon from behind.

Until a year ago, they were about the same height.

But in just a year, Noh Eunha had grown tall and was looking down at him.

"Why, do you have something to say?" "Ah, no..."

A sense of defeat felt instinctively.

Choi Ye-jang lowered his head naturally.

"Then take care. Sorry but we're a bit busy. Let's go, Seo-hyeon."

"Okay."

A feeling of something grabbing his ankles.

Choi Ye-jang couldn't move.

In that situation, Han Seo-hyeon moves away while hugging Noh Eunha's arm.

"Ah, and─"

After taking just a few steps,

Han Seo-hyeon suddenly turning only her head.

Choi Ye-jang raised his head.

The smile on Han Seo-hyeon's lips then was clearly a sneer.

"─I've never sent a letter to oppa." "Th-then..."

"It was sent by our house's driver. He retired last month." "..." "And I like Vikings."

Han Seo-hyeon giggles and disappears.

Choi Ye-jang thought the people around were laughing at him after hearing that.

It felt like even the little pride he had left was being crushed.

In contrast, his hatred towards her soared─

"─...!!"

He was about to curse at Han Seo-hyeon,

But immediately after meeting Noh Eunha's eyes, he was swallowed by fear.

☆

"This is..."

When Choi Ye-jang came to his senses, he was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar street.

"..."

A scene as if fallen into the past.

People walking by are chattering but strangely no sound can be heard.

A rickshaw passes in front of him.

"─Huh?"

Then the rickshaw stops not far away.

A man wearing all black gets off.

The man sees him and grins.

"Wh-what..."

The man approaches towards him.

It's dangerous.

Choi Ye-jang instinctively sensed.

He hurriedly tried to flee to avoid the place, but─

─Bang!!

The man was faster than him.

Suddenly the man took out a gun from his breast and pulled the trigger.

Though it was a world where no sound could be heard,

Choi Ye-jang could clearly hear only the sound of gunpowder exploding.

"─...!!"

The world looks slow.

Choi Ye-jang could clearly see the bullet that escaped the muzzle slowly flying towards him.

Naturally, he could predict where the bullet was flying.

N o t t h e r e

It's flying to a bad place.

He has to avoid it.

But though the world looks slow, his body doesn't move as he thinks.

It's slow.

At this rate, the bullet will─

──!!

The bullet touches that place.

 More than pain, fear overwhelms him that the bullet is piercing through his clothes, tearing his thin skin, and burrowing deeper and deeper inside.

The fear was instantaneous. 

And also sudden.

His mind screams before his body can scream in pain.

So in his fading consciousness, all he remembers is the man wearing a hat making a sinister smile.

...

Blackout.

☆

"─..."

He regained consciousness.

The first thing that caught his eye was an unfamiliar ceiling.

Choi Ye-jang wondered why he was lying on a bed.

"Come to think of it..."

As if it had just happened moments ago.

Events he wished were a dream flashed through his mind.

He bolted upright.

"..."

Looking around, it seemed to be a hospital.

He was wearing a patient gown.

Recognizing the situation, Choi Ye-jang soon felt his body trembling.

No.

It can't be.

His lips quivered.

He tried to move his hand downwards as if about to have a seizure.

Just then─

─Slam

In a world without sound, the sudden noise of a door opening was heard.

"..."

People wearing white clothes.

Soon they entered the hospital room and surrounded his bed.

...No.

It can't be.

People with dark expressions.

The oldest man standing at the front opens his mouth.

No sound can be heard.

But Choi Ye-jang could intuitively sense what the man was saying to him.

"..."

No.

It feels like his consciousness is about to cut off.

But he has to check.

He reached out his hand and felt below.

"...!"

It's not there.

He can't grasp it.

There's nothing.

It's gone it's not there why isn't it there it's gone it's not there no matter how much I touch it's not there no this can't be!!!

W h y...

I t ' s n o t...

T h e r e...

Blackout.