Separation Anxiety

28.

#The Second Son of Haedo Group

Even after coldly pushing away his female cousin, Hayun had to face several more people who wanted to speak with him. Among them were relatives, key figures from other groups who had come to see Chairman Jeong, and political heavyweights.

Observing from right beside him, Dawoon realized that Hayun’s attitude was more consistent than he had thought. He was fundamentally polite and courteous. However, if he sensed any disrespect towards Dawoon, he didn’t hide his displeasure. This was true whether the person was older or a peer. He could act so boldly because he was the heir to the Haedo Group. Even those much older than him visibly watched their step around Hayun.

Being dragged along by Hayun, Dawoon unwillingly had to greet various people. Whether they smiled at him or showed any sign of knowing something, it was equally uncomfortable. Everyone at this gathering knew the rumor that the second son of Haedo Group was a child brought in through remarriage. Even if some didn’t know, there were people whispering as they saw Dawoon with Hayun, and through them, the rumor spread quickly.

Dawoon was also aware of this rumor. As a result, even people who smiled at him seemed fake. Although he tried to face them as calmly as possible for Hayun’s sake, he gradually grew tired as time passed.

“I’m going to the restroom for a bit,” he said, using it as an excuse to escape for a moment. He left the garden and entered the mansion, walking towards the restroom when he spotted Ms. Lim. She had come inside but didn’t know what to do or where to go, standing awkwardly in a corner of the hallway.

“Ah, Dawoon,” her face brightened upon seeing him, but quickly changed to an expression that looked like she might cry. After standing alone for a long time in an unfamiliar place like a sack of barley, seeing a familiar face seemed to bring both joy and a surge of pent-up emotions.

If he ignored her, she seemed like she might burst into tears. He ended up approaching her but didn’t know what to say. Moreover, after hearing about her behavior towards Hayun, he suspected even this display might be fake.

“I’m so uncomfortable here…” she looked at Dawoon with an expression that seemed to beg for help. Dawoon stared at her and then sighed. Even if she hoped for something from him, he had no ability to fulfill her wishes.

“Would you like to leave early?” At Dawoon’s suggestion, she blinked with a dumb expression. Despite saying she was uncomfortable, it seemed she hadn’t thought about leaving early.

“Even if you stay here, it’ll be hard to even speak a word with Hayun,” he added. Her face visibly contorted at these words. It seemed she hadn’t realized that Hayun was an unattainable match for her, despite such treatment. Or perhaps she knew but was still being greedy. Either way, Dawoon couldn’t understand.

If, and it was a big if, she succeeded in winning Hayun’s heart and became the mistress of Haedo Group, it was obvious how the relatives gathered here would treat her. Just as they had disrespected his mother, and just as they were cold to him now, they would treat her the same way.

If he had a choice, he would never desire to be a part of Haedo Group. She who wanted in but couldn’t, and he who didn’t want to be there but had to be – who was more pitiful?

“I’ll arrange a driver for you to return. There’s nothing you want that you can get by staying here,” he said.

You’ll be lucky if you’re not insulted, he thought but didn’t add.

He called a passing servant and asked them to summon a driver to take her home, then entered the restroom. Standing in front of the sink, he turned on the cold water to wash his hands when his eyes caught his reflection in the mirror.

Despite feeling tired and wanting to escape immediately, his outward appearance was impeccably neat without a hint of dishevelment. The suit Hayun had chosen fit him perfectly, making him look even more so. To anyone, he looked like a proper son of the Haedo Group.

That’s right, he thought.

No matter how coldly his grandfather and relatives treated him, he was still the child of Jeong Seo-hoo, the former vice chairman of Haedo Group. After his father’s death, Hayun had confirmed this fact and even presented a paternal lineage test as evidence in front of everyone. If he truly wasn’t Jeong Seo-hoo’s son as people whispered, he would have been driven out long ago. Given his grandfather’s personality, there was no way he would have allowed a complete stranger to stay in that house.

“No matter what anyone says, you’re my brother. So act confidently.”

When was that? Hayun had said those words when Dawoon was hesitant about attending his grandfather’s birthday gathering. Following Hayun’s advice that others wouldn’t disrespect him if he acted confidently, he had attended these gatherings without fail ever since.

The second son of Haedo Group.

At school, this label was unnecessarily burdensome, but here, even though it was true, no one acknowledged it. Even after 15 years, Dawoon was still treated as an outsider because half of his blood was from his mother.

Thinking about it, it was ridiculous. Haram was also a son born of his mother. The only difference from Dawoon was that he was born within Haedo Group after a proper marriage to his father. Whether born from an affair while the first wife was alive, or born after becoming the legal wife – that difference was bigger than one might think. The reason his grandfather and relatives didn’t acknowledge Dawoon was because they thought he was born through improper means.

They should have never given birth to me, he had thought at times. As everyone criticized, it was his father and mother’s mistake. Dawoon was born when Hayun’s mother was still alive. It must have been painful for Hayun and his mother. So it was natural that everyone cursed him and his mother.

But he didn’t resent his parents.

“It was because of you that I could marry your father,” his mother had said to comfort him when he cried about people looking at him strangely before Haram was born. She said that because Dawoon existed, she was able to live with his father, albeit belatedly, so Dawoon’s existence was a gift and luck to her. His father, too, had said similar things with a bitter expression while holding the crying Dawoon.

So until his parents were alive, it was okay even if his grandfather was scary and his relatives were uncomfortable. Because his parents and Hayun loved him enough, he could think that other people didn’t matter.

He realized belatedly that this was possible because of his father’s shadow. When his father was alive, no one except his grandfather openly picked on Dawoon. After his parents’ accident, the relatives became more blatant. With added accusations that his mother had killed his father, most didn’t hide their criticism and hostility towards Dawoon.

“What are you doing?”

Lost in thought, Dawoon snapped back to reality at the sound of Hayun’s voice. Looking in the mirror, he saw Hayun standing behind him.

“Just… a bit tired,” he replied.

“Are you sick?” Hayun stepped forward and placed his hand on Dawoon’s forehead.

“You don’t have a fever.”

“I’m not sick. I told you, I’m just tired,” Dawoon answered again, removing Hayun’s hand.

“I’m not used to dealing with people.”

Understanding that Dawoon meant he was different from Hayun, Hayun finally smiled faintly.

“Even if you don’t like it, you need to get used to it little by little now.”

The only thing that had changed from yesterday was that he had graduated high school, but suddenly it felt like everything around him was changing like a whirlwind. Just thinking about it made him feel tired, and as he frowned, Hayun rubbed between Dawoon’s eyebrows with his thumb.

“Don’t show it when you’re outside.”

“I don’t,” Dawoon replied, pushing away Hayun’s hand with a slightly gruff tone.

“True. You were doing well.”

While Hayun had faced everyone with a smile, Dawoon couldn’t fake a smile but at least maintained a neat and calm demeanor. Hayun seemed quite pleased with this.

“I saw Ms. Lim still standing in the hallway, so I asked for a driver to be called so she could go home. If possible, I’d like to go back with her.”

“I don’t care whether she leaves or not, but you can’t. Bear with it a little longer. We should be able to leave in about an hour.”

Dawoon hadn’t expected much, but as he thought, Hayun said they couldn’t leave early.

“If you were going to ignore her like this, why did you insist on her coming along?”

Dawoon was projecting his own dissatisfaction onto Ms. Lim’s situation.

“Because she needs to experience it firsthand to realize quickly and clearly.”

At this nonchalant answer, Dawoon paused while turning off the faucet and looked at Hayun through the mirror. As their eyes met in the reflection, Hayun looked back as if asking what the problem was.

It wasn’t wrong. Dawoon had also thought earlier when he encountered her that she was trying to climb a tree she could never reach by attempting to get involved with Hayun. Even so…

“It’s a bit…” cruel. The last word didn’t come out audibly. For a moment, Hayun overlapped with his cold-blooded grandfather in Dawoon’s mind.

What am I thinking? Putting grandfather and Hayun on the same level.

Shaking his head at the absurdity, he pushed down the eerie feeling that had surfaced.