The Country Life Diary of a Gangster’s Secretary

This chapter is paid for by Mimzy and Nemuru!

Hyeseong was witnessing a strange and magical scene before his eyes. Two people who troubled him in his few relationships were standing side by side in front of him. Though he had known Park Dohyun since college, Kwon Ihyeok would be almost a stranger to him.

On the other hand, Dohyun might roughly know Ihyeok, but it must be the first time he sees him directly like this. Hyeseong was dumbfounded at this coincidental three-way encounter.

“You.”

“Yes?”

Then Ihyeok approached Dohyun with an inscrutable expression.

“Get away.”

Ihyeok gestured to Dohyun with his head tilted as if displeased with something. But the other person only blinked his large eyes innocently as if he didn’t understand. Of course, he also seemed too surprised by Ihyeok’s appearance to even realize he was hugging Hyeseong.

“Hyeseong is sick. So get away.”

Then Dohyun’s eyes grew wide and he hastily pulled away from Hyeseong.

“What! Hyeseong, you’re sick somewhere?”

“No, that’s…”

“Come to think of it, you look like you lost some weight… And your face is pale too!”

Before Hyeseong could explain anything, Dohyun started to make a big fuss. Knowing that he wouldn’t stop once he got excited, Hyeseong sighed deeply. Then he just covered Dohyun’s mouth with his own hand.

“Go to the hospital fir- mmph.”

“Hey, I’m not sick. I didn’t lose weight, I actually gained more after coming here. My face is always pale. So stop overreacting and stay still.”

“Oh, okay.”

Only then Dohyun abruptly stopped as if calming down a bit and nodded. At this extremely natural scene flowing like water, Ihyeok’s face crumpled even more. Hyeseong seemed to know this guy named Park Dohyun surprisingly well.

He really didn’t like that. The person who should know Cheon Hyeseong the best was himself. The reverse was the same. But Dohyun also didn’t seem to have any reservations in treating Hyeseong. Why did he not know until now that there was a guy this close to him?

“Still, you should say if you’re sick. I came here for nothing then.”

“Is that what you should be saying now when you called only after arriving?”

“That’s true.”

Park Dohyun laughed foolishly. Something unknown was slowly creeping up from the tips of Ihyeok’s toes. That emotion subtly gnawing at one’s nerves. Yes. In other words, displeasure. 

Kwon Ihyeok was very displeased right now. Hyeseong was talking to someone without reserve and even engaging in physical contact right in front of his eyes.

Things like him clicking his tongue and grumbling, or that personality of ultimately accepting everything despite seeming angry. He thought those were all parts only he knew.

But that wasn’t the case. If he had to make an analogy, he thought Hyeseong was a frog in a well who only knew about himself and Taesung, but in fact, the one who knew nothing in the well was himself. So even when Cheon Hyeseong brazenly went around with a kiss mark clearly visible, he didn’t notice anything.

“…Hyungnim. CEO.”

Then Hyeseong’s voice calling him gradually grew louder. He had been dazed for a moment at the displeasure and surprise of seeing a new side to someone he thought he knew well.

“…Yeah.”

“I’m just asking in case, but you didn’t mistake the yard, right? The CEO’s house is over there.”

When Hyeseong pointed to the house next door, Dohyun covered his mouth with his eyes wide open like before. He was asking with his gaze why the CEO lives next door to you. Even without chattering loudly, his gaze alone was noisy. That guy.

Hyeseong roughly gestured that he would explain later and looked at Ihyeok again.

“I didn’t come to the wrong place. I came to see if you’re okay.”

“I told you yesterday that I’m fine.”

The guy who was so friendly in front of Park Dohyun avoids his gaze. He felt something unknown boiling up inside.

“You can go now.”

With those words, Hyeseong turned around as if he had no regrets. Gesturing to Park Dohyun, he leisurely went inside. Dohyun glanced at Ihyeok who was left alone, then diligently followed the owner of the house.

Dohyun ran up like a puppy and walked beside him. What should I say about that sight? If I had to express it in words,

“He’s really like a dog.”

That’s right. Ihyeok burst into a smirk and ran his hand through his hair strongly.

Not knowing Ihyeok was cursing, Hyeseong quickly entered the house. Then he peeked at the yard, moving his head back and forth through the window. The moment Ihyeok got in his car and went into his house, Hyeseong finally let his guard down.

“If you’re going to care that much, why don’t you just come in? Tell the CEO to stay with us too.”

Dohyun carefully opened his mouth after seeing that. The guy was loud and his mind jumped strangely, but sometimes he acted sharp and quick-witted. He seemed to have noticed that the relationship between Hyeseong and Ihyeok was subtly twisted.

“There’s no reason to do that anymore. I won’t have anything to do with the CEO anymore, and we’re not in that kind of relationship.”

Hyeseong said that and went into the kitchen, saying there was only instant coffee to drink. Dohyun alternately looked at his friend moving into the kitchen and the empty yard.

He knew that no matter how cruelly he said those words were all insincere. Dohyun had a relationship with Hyeseong since college. He knew that his friend had feelings for that person but gave up and that he still hadn’t been able to completely let go.

It was the same just now. He spoke coldly that there was nothing to be involved, but Dohyun clearly saw how Hyeseong’s eyes changed the moment Ihyeok got out of the car in the yard earlier. Didn’t he grow restless until Ihyeok disappeared even after coming inside?

“Hyeseong is a liar.”

“What did you say?”

Dohyun was muttering to himself when Hyeseong suddenly approached next to him.

“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing.”

Dohyun waved his hands in surprise. If Hyeseong heard those words, he would definitely glare at him.

“Drink.”

“Thanks.”

Hyeseong brewed two cups of instant coffee and placed them on the living room table. The two sat facing each other and sipped the coffee.

“Whew, this is the taste.”

Dohyun took a sip of the coffee Hyeseong made and showed his thumb, exclaiming in admiration.

“What is this, soju?”

Hyeseong laughed at him. Perhaps because his thoughts didn’t wander off thanks to the noisy Dohyun, he felt his mind gradually clearing.

“By the way Hyeseong, where should I stay?”

“What?”

Hyeseong paused before putting the cup to his mouth.

“There seem to be quite a few rooms, so can I just use any of them?”

“Park Dohyun.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t tell me you came here thinking of staying for a few days?”

He was already surprised enough. Kwon Ihyeok’s appearance and Park Dohyun’s sudden visit. Just that made his heart shrivel up in surprise. He thought there was nothing more to be surprised about, but he must have been mistaken.

“Yeah! Didn’t I tell you then? When you showed me the house photos!”

When he shows the photos? Hyeseong quickly racked his brain, trying hard to recall what happened then.

“Wow! The house has a great vibe. Looks like something out of a movie. The one thing I really wanted to do when I returned to Korea was experience rural life. This is perfect!”

Then the most likely words slowly came to mind. No way. So when he said it was perfect then, it was because he could fulfill his wish? Hyeseong was so dumbfounded that he temporarily lost his language function.

“Wait, so you’re really saying you’re going to stay here? For how long?”

“Hmm, well…”

Dohyun tilted his head with an innocent face.

“Still, about a month? Usually, when I looked up experiences, they did that much!”

“Hey, am I someone running an experienced business? I have no intention of doing that.”

He couldn’t just let this slide. Staying over was fine, but this was too sudden.

“Ahh, Hyeseong. I’ll help you with housework too! I’ll be bored alone in Seoul. I’m not starting work right away and I want to rest a bit, and I want to spend some leisurely time in a place like this too.”

Park Dohyun seemed to have some grand fantasy about rural life. He probably watched movies or dramas and got some strange delusions.

“Hah…”

Hyeseong let out a deep sigh. He felt like he suddenly got two tumors before he could even adapt to this neighborhood.

* * *

The sun was starting to set, turning dusky in the evening. Perhaps because it was the countryside, it got darker here faster than in the city. In that dim time, Hyeseong and Dohyun slowly came out of the house.

An innocent smile hung on Dohyun’s face, who had safely gotten permission from Hyeseong. On the other hand, Hyeseong’s face, who came out following his friend saying he would buy dinner to thank him for allowing it, was darkened by the anticipated hardships ahead.

“Huh? Hyeseong. Isn’t that the CEO over there?”

Dohyun pointed to the side with his hand. Perhaps because the houses were so close together, Ihyeok’s yard was also clearly visible. And in the place Dohyun pointed, Ihyeok in comfortable clothes was smoking and talking to someone on the phone.

“Quitting smoking has gone down the drain.”

Hyeseong frowned deeply seeing that, then quickly turned his gaze again before catching Ihyeok’s eyes.

“But your CEO is really handsome.”

Dohyun murmured, glancing at Ihyeok. Hyeseong didn’t bother to refute it. It was a fact he knew best.

“Huh? Hyeseong.”

“What now.”

“He’s coming this way?”

“…What?”

It was really as Dohyun said. Ihyeok, who seemed to have spotted the two, was slowly walking towards them.

“You two are going for a walk? Intimately?”

What’s with that drawling tone? It had been a long time since he gave off a nuance as if picking a fight. Back in his gangster days, Ihyeok used that kind of voice when provoking or inciting the anger of rival gang members.

“Oh, no! We’re going to eat dinner.”

Should I call that affability or being dense? Dohyun was saying everything smoothly and straightforwardly.

“Dinner? At this late hour? What were you doing until then?”

“Ah, about that…!”

“I don’t think I have an obligation to tell the CEO every detail.”

Hyeseong retorted a bit curtly. Then cracks appeared on Ihyeok’s face that had been smiling all along.

“By the way, I thought you said you quit smoking, but it was all a lie.”

“I don’t think I have an obligation to tell you every detail about whether I quit smoking or not.”

Strange sparks were flying between the two. It was an immature nerve war, so to speak.

“Uh…”

Dohyun shrank like a shrimp caught between the two, then suddenly clapped his hands.

“Hey, let’s all go eat together!”

It was the best method Dohyun, who had no immunity to others’ conflicts, came up with in his own way.

This chapter is paid for by Mimzy and Nemuru!