Unscented Trajectory - Chapter 70

Episode 70

 

Late at night, Seohwan, who was drinking liquor alone in the drawing room, woke up from a knock and a voice from outside.

 

“It’s me, Dad.”

 

Seohwan hurriedly put the glass he was holding on the table and opened the door himself.

 

As expected, Soohyun was standing in front of the door. It was a face without a single expression as if nothing had happened, but Seohwan was more afraid of that.

 

He raised his hand and stroked Soohyun’s cheek. It was cold.

 

“… Soohyun-ah.”

 

He called his name, but he didn’t know what to say.

 

Lee Jungho confided everything to Soohyun. The reason for the incident, the contract with Seohwan, and how Joohyuk lived because of it.

 

It was Lee Jungho and Jung Seonghwan who made the two of them go back far away.

 

He couldn’t even fathom the shock of Soohyun’s knowledge of all that.

 

Soohyun, who was looking at Seohwan quietly, grabbed his hand and closed the door. Suddenly, he saw a glass of wine on the table.

 

“Again, that poison… … .”

 

The poison that Seohwan drank was a well-known alcoholic beverage. He thought he was not drinking anymore, but in the end, he think he tried again to soothe his complicated stomach.

 

Soohyun sat on the sofa and picked up the glass on the table. Half of the brown wine was left inside. There was an ice bucket, but there was no sign of tampering as if he had no intention of putting ice in it.

 

As he brought the glass closer and took a breath, the dreadful smell of alcohol hit his brain. Seohwan, who was sitting opposite him, quickly grabbed it. In the first place, he had no intention of drinking because of the child in his stomach, so he gave it away.

 

Because it was so poisonous, Seohwan had long wished that Soohyun would not drink this alcohol. Still, when he was mentally exhausted, he always had a glass of wine alone.

 

Soohyun opened his mouth as he watched Seohwan push the glass filled with alcohol as if hiding it in an ice bucket.

 

“I went to the ossuary where Lee Joohyuk used to go.”

 

Seohwan’s shoulders shuddered.

 

“There was ashes. There were also clothes and shoes that I was wearing at the time of the incident.”

 

“Soohyun-ah… .”

 

“There were countless things in the cupboard. Subjects I had no memory of, things I liked, things I wanted, things he wanted to give… I wonder how he was able to put them all together.”

 

Soohyun’s face and voice were calm, as if they were talking to someone else. So he was even more anxious. It looked like he was holding on to evil.

 

“Isn’t he stupid? There was so much to give to the dead, once a month… Was it filled like that? At that time, it would have been better to find another mate.”

 

He was saying that, but he must have understood Joohyuk. Because Soohyun has always been like that.

 

“Really… He’s stupid… .”

 

A bitter smile appeared on Soohyun’s expressionless face. From that point on, the hard shell surrounding him began to crumble little by little.

 

Seohwan got up and sat down next to Soohyun. Shaking his hands, he carefully covered Soohyun’s face.

 

“… I’m sorry, Soohyun-ah.”

 

Perhaps Seohwan’s words were a stimulus, or Soohyun’s eyes were slightly watery. He closed his eyes and placed his face in Seohwan’s hands as if leaning on it.

 

“I know why. … You did it for hyung.”

 

Tears flowed from between the corners of Soohyun’s trembling eyes. When he thought of Seohwan 17 years ago, his heart ached.

 

He vaguely remembered. While he was hospitalized right after the incident, there was not a day that Seohwan did not visit him. He tried to pretend he was okay in front of him, but at times he looked sicker than he was, and he had a face that was out of control.

 

It was around the time Soohyun had just woken up. As he opened his eyes, he felt the two large hands holding his hand tremble.

 

“I wish I could get rid of them all.”

 

At the time, he thought it was resentment against those who kidnapped Joohyuk and caused the incident.

 

“If it wasn’t for his son… … .”

 

He knew who he meant. When he woke up and said that it wasn’t his fault, he remember being surprised and smiling bitterly.

 

Now that he thought about it, it didn’t mean that.

 

Seohwan was so angry that he wanted to get rid of Lee Jungho;s family at the time. But because of his son Joohyuk, he endured it.

 

Because it was Soohyun’s mate. Because he loved Soohyun enough to save his life. And because he was also a person who loved Soohyun desperately even though he was mentally ill.

 

Soohyun, who was leaning on Seohwan’s hand, raised his eyes and looked at him. There was no light of hatred or condemnation anywhere in Soohyun’s watery eyes. It was just infinitely deep, like the deep sea.

 

“I want to hear from my father. How did you feel, and why did you have to? … .”

 

He had already heard everything about the situation at the time from Lee Jungho, but there was no story of Seohwan in it.

 

Seohwan, who blinked for a moment, brought out the story of the past as he wanted.

 

The reason why Seohwan pretended he was dead was for Joohyuk.

 

Joohyuk, who lost his memory and mate, was in serious condition. The seizures got worse with each passing day, and as it stands, it could become worse sooner or later.

 

Seohwan was sympathetic to Joohyuk, but he couldn’t take Soohyun and show him.

 

The Lee Jungho family, especially Lee Joohyuk, was in a precarious state as if they were walking a tightrope due to family problems. If Soohyun intervened in the meantime, he too could be in danger or a tool of intimidation.

 

Rather, he hoped that Joohyuk would break his heart and find another Omega to imprint. He thought that if he did that, he would be able to find peace in his heart by focusing all his attention on his new mate, rather than worrying about missing his old mate.

 

If he did that, the link as a partner would be loosened, and Soohyun would be able to gradually forget him.

 

But that was a mistake.

 

Joohyuk’s heart was more than Seohwan thought, and Soohyun did not give up looking for him.

 

He only found out when his son, who had been bright, gradually lost his expression and almost died while insisting on trying to meet his mate that something was wrong

 

But it was ignored.

 

Seohwan started to hate Joohyuk when Soohyun stayed by his side. He told Soohyun to do whatever he wanted because he needed to organize his mind, but he didn’t know that Joohyuk would tear him to pieces and hurt him so much.

 

His blood was cold the whole time I heard the news. Even while he was busy with business in the United States, he repeatedly booked and canceled flights to Korea several times a day.

 

Although Soohyun was in so much pain, he wanted to be by Joohyuk’s side as promised. No matter how harshly he was rolled, no matter how hard it was, he wanted to keep his covenant with him, even if the wounds piled up over and over again.

 

The power of the covenant was known to Seohwan better than anyone else. The covenant he made with his wife, Yoon Jaehee, remained in him even after she died.

 

So he couldn’t deny it. Even though he knew well how hard it was for Soohyun, he clenched his teeth and endured it. If he kept his covenant safely and tucked his heart away, he was thinking of attaching another good alpha.

 

He couldn’t do everything for Yoon Ja-hee, who died, but he wanted to make Soohyun, who resembled her, be loved more than anyone else. He still longed for him to be able to restore the smile of the past.

 

He realized it belatedly as he looked at Soohyun’s face, quietly listening to the story of the past.

 

The person who can bring back the smile that he so desperately wanted was probably decided from the beginning.

 

* * *

 

“What… … ?!”

 

Joohyuk stood still and stiffened. The chief of staff groaned and continued.

 

“It doesn’t seem like anything major happened, but he came out and his complexion was so bad… … .”

 

“My father is good at doing useless things.”

 

He heard that the day before, Lee Jungho visited the Muyeol group and had a meeting with Soohyun. He didn’t know what kind of conversation they had, but he could guess. He thought it was probably because of his own dismissal plan.

 

He was worried that Soohyun might shake. In addition to that, he was worried that it was adding unnecessary stress to Soohyun because he had a lot to take care of and was not in good shape.

 

Without realizing it, he picked up his phone. Then he stopped and lowered his hand.

 

‘Anyway, what would happen if I called… … .’

 

They knew each other’s personal contact information. But he couldn’t get in touch right away. He wondered if he could get in touch with him first.

 

The only thing Joohyuk could do was hold down his phone tightly and suppress his desire to contact Soohyun.

 

“I’m going to see my father in a moment… … .”

 

Ring-

 

He was startled by the vibration that sounded while he was talking. Joohyuk looked at the phone screen with his eyes down and was startled.

 

Ring ring-

 

The vibration continued even as he fixed his gaze on the phone, as hard as a stone. Joohyuk, who came to his senses only when the fifth vibration sounded, motioned to the chief of staff to go out. As he watched him leave, he answered the phone with a nervous look on his face.

 

“… Yes. This is Lee Joohyuk.”

 

It was a call in broad daylight, so of course he thought it was because of work. Soohyun’s name was floating around, but he couldn’t call his name.

 

– Can you give me a minute?

 

It was an emotionless voice, as usual. However, he stayed silent as if he had contacted ‘Lee Joohyuk’ rather than ‘Chairman of Shinwoo Group’. What was this? My heart was jumping like crazy.

 

“Yes. where should we go?”

 

– Come to the villa in two hours. I want you to come alone.

 

He hung up the phone, leaving only those words.

 

His heart trembled. His heart was pounding at the thought of meeting Soohyun, but the problem was that Lee Jungho had met him the day before. Maybe that’s what made Soohyun uncomfortable.

 

But there was no more time to think. Joohyuk immediately picked up his coat and left the president’s office.

 

Joohyuk, who rushed into the vicinity of the villa, made a bitter face as he saw that most of the trees around him had been cut. Through the slightly opened windows, the noise from the logging operation came in little by little.

 

The villa would be demolished when all nearby logging work was done. It was bittersweet to think that it would be demolished without a trace and only a flat vacant lot would be left.

 

A luxurious black car stood in front of the villa surrounded by trees that had not yet been felled. When he saw the man standing next to it and looking up at the villa, his heart pounded.

 

Hearing the sound of a car coming in, Soohyun turned and looked at him. His face was still expressionless, but somehow he looked tired. It was a subtle detail that others might not have noticed, but Joohyuk reacted sensitively.

 

Joohyuk, who stopped the car and got out of the driver’s seat, quickly stood in front of Soohyun. He raised his hand to cover his face as he had done out of habit, then paused and stepped back.

 

“… are you okay?”

 

Soohyun just stared at him without saying a word. So it was Joohyuk who was anxious.

 

“I don’t know what my father said, but whatever… … .”

 

“Lee Joohyuk.”

 

In the middle of Joohyuk’s nervous voice, his name was clearly called by Soohyun.

 

“I really hate you.”

 

It felt like his heart was being stabbed by a knife. It was throbbing so hard that he almost raised his hand to squeeze it as if squeezing his chest, but he managed to endure it.

 

“I didn’t like trying to make money out of people, and I was terrified of you using me as a tool to solve you sexual desires.”

 

Joohyuk couldn’t say anything. He just silently accepted Soohyun’s criticism.

 

“It was terrible not being treated like a human being. When you said I was dirty, I felt like I had heard more swear words than ever, and yet, I felt pathetic about being bound by a covenant.”

 

His whole body trembled as he listened to Soohyun’s words. He thought he was used to pain now, but he guess he wasn’t. One by one, Soohyun’s words became a painful dagger and pierced every part of his body.

 

“When I figured out that you were projecting someone else on me, I was already exhausted. When I found out that it was the mate you cherished… I felt like I was going to die from this crazy feeling of betrayal.”

 

Soohyun’s words evoked a sense of guilt that could not be added to Joohyuk.

 

It was so painful that he wanted to run away. As he looked back at each of the great wounds he had inflicted, he was suffocating as he recalled the pain he must have felt.

 

His fingertips trembled so much that he clenched his fist. The fingernails dug into the palm of his hand, giving him a sharp pain, but the other pain was so great that he didn’t seem to even feel it.

 

“You projected the past me onto the present me and treated me like a shell, and in the end you tried to forsake the past me and forcefully keep the present me by your side. you are… you mutilated me twice.”

 

“… I’m sorry.”

 

That was the only thing he could say.

 

Say he’s sorry as he couldn’t do anything other than that.

 

“If you have an excuse, say it.”

 

“There’s no such thing.”

 

Everything was true, what excuse can he make?

 

“What if I want you to pay for it?”

 

There was nothing to think about.

 

“I will do whatever you want.”

 

Soohyun stared at Joohyuk with cold eyes.

 

“I will send you a contract soon. I want you to sign it no matter what.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“It will probably be very unfavorable to you. It can’t be compared to my pain for a year.”

 

“… Yes.”

 

As if to entrust everything to Soohyun, Joohyuk just quietly accepted it. Even if he asked for a higher price than that, he was confident that he would give it to him.

 

Soohyun, who was looking at the obedient Joohyuk, came closer to him.

 

“I want to ask you something.”

 

There was a slight tremor in Soohyun’s voice.

 

“Why didn’t you try to find me? You said you were in love, so why didn’t you find it?”

 

Joohyuk, who had been hesitant, answered with a lie he had already thought about.

 

“I couldn’t find you because I can’t remember much. I only remember that I had a lover, but I had forgotten everything else.”

 

“You couldn’t find me… You forgot… … .”

 

Soohyun, who had been contemplating the words, suddenly grabbed Joohyuk’s neck. A sharp light emanated from his eyes.

 

“Why are you lying?!”

 

Soohyun’s voice contained emotion and gradually trembled. His face, which seemed detached, began to crumble as if he had reached the limit.

 

“You thought I was dead! That’s why you couldn’t find me even if you wanted to! Why don’t you make excuses?!”

 

Joohyuk’s face hardened at the words Soohyun uttered.

 

“Forget? You forgot me? You never forgot! In the meantime, every year, every month, every day! Forgotten… You didn’t.”

 

Tears welled up in Soohyun’s eyes. The words continued while Joohyuk looked at him with surprised eyes.

 

“Even if you didn’t recognize me, you remembered. The conversation we had, the place we met, the place only we knew, you remembered me even if you forgot everything… . For 17 years… I remember and missed you… .”

 

Soohyun, who had gasped for words, distorted the corners of his eyes and blamed Joohyuk.

 

“As much as I have missed you, you… , hyung was missing me too… Why are you lying?”

 

Soohyun took a deep breath and grabbed his chest. His complexion quickly turned pale and he was in cold sweats. Joohyuk, realizing that Soohyun’s condition was strange, held him in contemplation.

 

“I… … , I… mana… … . ha… .”

 

“Soohyun-ah, calm down. Breathe slowly and look at me.”

 

He grabbed Soohyun, who was struggling to breathe, and supported him, thinking that it would be impossible, so he hugged him and headed for his car. As he sat him in the passenger seat and was about to fasten the seat belt, he remembered what the doctor had told him before.

 

“If you have symptoms of anxiety, alpha pheromones are a big help. The pheromone of the child’s alpha father can quickly relieve symptoms.”

 

Joohyuk realized that Soohyun’s frequent ill health was due to anxiety. If it was the child’s alpha father, it would be Kang Junwoo, Soohyun’s assistant.

 

He hurriedly pulled out his cell phone from the pocket of Soohyun’s jacket and picked it up. Fortunately, he was able to find Junwoo’s name without difficulty.

 

As he got into the driver’s seat while making a phone call, the other person answered the call.

 

– Yes, Chairman.

 

“Kang Junwoo, where are you now?”

 

Junwoo, who thought it was Soohyun and answered the phone, paused for a moment. Joohyuk said in a hurry with a burning feeling in his stomach.

 

“He seems to have anxieties. Alpha’s father’s pheromone should be able to calm him down quickly. Aren’t you nearby?”

 

It wasn’t late at night, it was midday on a weekday. That being said, it was highly likely that the secretary Junwoo also knew about Soohyun’s destination, and considering his unfavorable condition, there was a high probability that he was waiting nearby.

 

Joohyuk was panicking, but for some reason, Junwoo was calm.

 

– Slowly release the pheromone while holding him in your arms. Your body should be as tight as possible. It will take some time for him to calm down, but Lee Joohyuk will be able to make it easier for him in no time.

 

“What are you talking about now? More than me, of course… … !”

 

– You are now.

 

Junwoo’s words came out between Joohyuk’s hasty words.

 

-I’m teaching the alpha father how to relieve his anxiety.

 

It seemed as if all sounds were cut off.