Swallow Hunting - Chapter 59.1
As expected, there was an employee who appeared to be a secretary waiting in front. Hae-jun quickly handed her a coffee as well. He bowed his head and offered a pleasant, lingering smile like a sales representative who had come to pitch a product. It was closer to a hard-wired habit. Because every woman looked like a potential customer to him, his body became subservient before his mind could react.
“Please wait for a moment.”
The secretary spoke kindly and gestured toward the sofa. Hae-jun sat in a formal posture, resting both hands on his knees and straightening his spine. Even though he had contacted the man, he wondered if he had dropped by too abruptly while he was working. A timid worry arose that he might be disturbing the busy Lee Kang-ju. Still, his desire to see Lee Kang-ju had won out, making him rush over in a single breath.
To calm his anxiety, he deliberately looked around the room. Aside from the secretary, nothing had changed. The sofa was the same, and the fish swimming leisurely inside the massive tank was the same. Though, the body of the fish seemed to have grown a bit thicker and longer.
Before long, the office door opened. Hae-jun’s lips parted in a broad grin. He tried to hide it by covering his mouth with his fist and fake-coughing, but his nostrils flared and the corners of his mouth twitched upward. Not wanting to look like an idiot, he bit the inside of his cheek to steady his expression.
However, the person who emerged from the office was not Lee Kang-ju. A man who was shorter than Lee Kang-ju but still lanky, with a build like a wrestler, strode out. Looking only at his physique, he seemed like the type of thug who beat people for a living, but perhaps because of his thick framed glasses, he also looked like an ordinary employee.
His face, which had been about to brighten, stiffened awkwardly at the appearance of a stranger. But the man, upon spotting Hae-jun, raised an eyebrow and acted as if he recognized him.
“Hey, aren’t you that kid from back then?”
“Excuse me?”
It had been a while since he was called a ‘kid.’ Since he had no idea who this was, Hae-jun sat there staring blankly until the man let out a boisterous laugh.
“Oh, come on. The one who was going to jump off the bridge the other day.”
Had there been another witness besides Lee Kang-ju back then? Thinking back carefully, there had been one more man who was driving the car. It seemed this man was that person.
Hae-jun clenched his fists. It wasn’t as if he had done something he shouldn’t be caught doing, but realizing the presence of a stranger made him feel defensive.
“What are you doing here? A young kid like you couldn’t have come because you need a loan.”
The man asked casually, leaning his arm against the back of the sofa. He smiled faintly as if to explain that he wasn’t a scary person, but the combination of his clothes, which looked ready to burst at the seams due to his muscles, and the scar that distorted his face made him look even more chilling.
“I came to see the CEO.”
“Okay, but why the CEO?”
“That is…”
He couldn’t bring himself to explain with his own mouth that Lee Kang-ju had paid money to buy him that day, nor the long story hidden behind it. He was worried that he might tarnish Lee Kang-ju’s reputation by letting his tongue wag. It was just as he was shifting his weight uncomfortably due to the awkwardness.
“He said he doesn’t want to answer, so why are you prying so much? Aren’t you leaving?”
Lee Kang-ju appeared like a savior. The man shrugged and took his hand off the back of the sofa.
“I was just curious because that kid from back then suddenly showed up. A hidden son… Well, the age gap doesn’t seem quite right for that. Maybe your nephew, CEO?”
The man tilted his head and scrutinized Hae-jun. It was a gaze searching for any resemblance to Lee Kang-ju.
“No. If you had made a mistake early on, CEO, he could be your son… Agh!”
The man couldn’t finish his sentence; he doubled over, clutching his shin, and slumped to the floor. Since it happened so suddenly, Hae-jun craned his neck, looking bewildered. When Lee Kang-ju pulled his foot back slightly, preparing to strike again, the man stopped groaning and jumped to his feet.
“I’ll be going right now.”
“Why do you only listen after getting hit?”
“I’m sorry.”
The man bowed 90 degrees and scurried out of the reception room like someone being chased. The secretary glanced over as if this were a common occurrence and returned her gaze to the monitor.
Hae-jun, who had been dazed for a moment, suddenly remembered something and looked around. At the end of his gaze was the drink carrier.
“Ah, yours is here, CEO.”
Instead of coffee, he had bought tea for Lee Kang-ju. When he took it out of the carrier and handed it over, Lee Kang-ju accepted it readily. Hae-jun grinned inwardly and pushed the desserts toward Lee Kang-ju as well. These were items he had carefully selected, considering the man’s distaste for flour based foods.
“Did you have lunch?”
As expected, Lee Kang-ju didn’t even glance at the desserts. He only asked the question while sipping his tea.
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