DOTH Volume 3 Chapter 11.1

[Gangnam Firearms Incident Takes New Turn]

[Illegal Firearms Trade Suspected in Shocking Scandal!]

[South Korea’s Firearms Cartel: Is It the Result of Collusion Between Government and Business?]

Jung Heeyeon fidgeted with his fingers. The news headlines he’d glimpsed on Director Yeon’s phone before they left the house lingered in his mind. Even though he knew how things would play out, facing the reality of it still made him uneasy. His fingertips had gone cold with tension.

“Heeyeon, are you worried?”

The man, glancing at a tablet, asked with a slanted, casual smile. As if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Yes.”

“Want me to hold your hand?”

Director Yeon’s gaze fell to the way Jung Heeyeon’s fingers kept moving restlessly. It would’ve been nice to place and soothe the omega on his lap, but unfortunately, being inside the car made it impossible.

“Pardon? …No, I’m okay.”

“Hmm. Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Normally, he would have said yes, please without hesitation. The fact that he was saying he was fine meant something was weighing on his mind. Director Yeon tried to guess what it might be, but couldn’t quite figure it out. From the expression on his face, it was clear he wanted to hold hands…  It seemed the only way to give his young lover what he wanted was for the alpha to coax it out himself.

“Well, I want to.”

Director Yeon deliberately drew out the words.

“…Should I hold yours then?”

As expected, Jung Heeyeon extended his hand with that gentle face of his. Director Yeon immediately intertwined their fingers tight. The sleek watch he had gifted Jung Heeyein was strapped around the omega’s slender and small wrist.

“Make sure to wear the watch well.”

The man deliberately rubbed his thumb slowly over the skin just under the bracelet, making the hand in his hold twitch lightly.

“Yeah. I’ll wear it every day.”

There probably wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary happening, but not being able to keep Jung Heeyeon in sight made Director Yeon uneasy. He stared at the wrist in his grasp for a moment. Some time had passed, and Kim Chulwoo turned from the passenger seat.

“Sir.”

They were approaching the parking lot entrance of the office building. As soon as Director Yeon’s recognizable car turned the corner, a swarm of reporters loitering nearby rushed toward them. Beyond the car windows, loud shouts erupted from every direction, accompanied by the burst of camera flashes.

“Tsk.”

Without hesitation, Director Yeon pulled Jung Heeyeon close into his arms. The heavily tinted windows made it unlikely that their faces would be exposed, but he didn’t want to risk even a one-in-a-thousand chance. Startled by the sudden commotion of reporters, Jung Heeyeon clutched at the hem of his coat.

“What should we do?”

Just hours ago, the article that had been under embargo was released alongside the morning news. Normally, investigations and press coverage would proceed in tandem, but this was clearly an unusual situation. It was practically an invitation for reporters to dig into the political-business collusion.

Illegal arms trade, a firearms incident, and now political-business collusion—this was a goldmine for the media. With an expression of pure boredom, Director Yeon issued a curt command.

“Push through.”

No one flinched at the harsh order. As the car began to move without hesitation, reporters who had blocked the way jumped back with cries of “Whoa! Hey!”.

Director Yeon’s bad temper was no secret to the public, so he had no image to protect. The sound of fists pounding on the car and muted curses filtered through the windows. Director Yeon, feeling the tension in the omega in his arms, gently stroked Jung Heeyeon’s head.

“Call in the guys. Clean this up.”

The man’s words could have easily been mistaken for those of a gangster.

“Yes, I’ll make the call right away.”

Kim Chulwoo picked up his phone the moment he saw the cold look in his boss’s eyes.

Normally, Director Yeon would’ve just brushed it off as another nuisance of swatting a bothersome swarm of flies away. But today, his unusually sensitive response made the reason all too obvious. As if sensing the urgency, the call was answered after just a few rings.

“Team Leader Shim Soocheon, we need men downstairs.”

-Is the director pissed?

Shim Soocheon’s easygoing voice rang out through the tense silence of the car.

“Yeah. This director is pissed. So tell him to get moving right now.”

-Oh no, sir. Did you hear me? We will get down quickly.

Still huddled quietly in Director Yeon’s arms, Jung Heeyeon blinked slowly. Was he mad? Judging by his voice, he probably was. Jung Heeyeon tilted his head slightly, and sure enough, Director Yeon met his gaze.

His eyes, which had been cold just moments before, softened.

“Director, are you angry?”

“I’m not.”

“Please don’t get mad at the team leaders. It’s not their fault the people outside are weird…”

“Okay, I won’t. I promise.”

Director Yeon pulled him close again and whispered gently.

Reporters who had clung to the moving vehicle were quickly blocked by a wave of alphas spilling out of the building. No doubt retaliatory articles would be flooding the internet soon, but Director Yeon couldn’t have cared less.

“Secretary Kim Chulwoo.”

“Yes, sir.”

What truly mattered to him right now were the actions that had frightened Jung Heeyeon.

“Track down every single bastard who hit the car. File damage claims.”

“Excuse me? Ah, yes, sir. Understood.”

Before, this kind of thing would usually be dismissed as it was bothersome, but today, the man showed no room for mercy.

–

Director Yeon stood at an angle, lowering his eyelids. When he glanced down at his feet, he saw the swarm of reporters sitting in a tight mass like a colony of ants. The morning had already long passed. He could still picture how they’d swarmed the delivery guy who had brought lunch, like vultures to a carcass. The way they acted like crusaders of justice was laughable, and he let out a cold, sardonic smirk.

“It’s not like they’re trying to interrogate me…”

He’d anticipated this from the start, but that didn’t stop the annoyance and inconvenience from creeping in.

Out of habit, his hand moved to reach for a cigarette, but it stopped when he remembered Jung Heeyeon was present. He suppressed the craving with a quiet sigh. Just as he turned to go back inside, his phone buzzed.

[I am on my way. Should be there in 10 minutes.]

It was a message from Kang Seoui.

Director Yeon deleted it immediately and slowly turned back toward the sofa. Jung Heeyeon’s gaze followed each step.

“Come here.”

With a small laugh, Director Yeon pulled Jung Heeyeon onto his lap. Hugging him had become such a habit that it now felt natural for both of them. Normally, he would try to sit apart at the office, but today, Jung Heeyeon’s small body nestled into his arms without resistance. He was probably still feeling uneasy.

“Heeyeon.”

“Yes?”

Director Yeon gently brushed up Jung Heeyeon’s hair. When he fiddled with the perfectly shaped eyebrows under that forehead, Jung Heeyeon’s body twitched slightly, like it tickled.

“Detectives will probably show up soon… Don’t be startled.”

“Detectives?”

“I told you how this is going to go. It’s nothing serious.”

“Yes. I know nothing bad will happen to you, Director.”

Jung Heeyeon made an effort to sound calm. It wasn’t that he was afraid something would happen to Director Yeon. But the thought of being apart, since they had never been separated after meeting by the sea, made his stomach churn. He was used to being alone, so he didn’t know the feeling of being lonely, but without Director Yeon nearby, he might have a little tough time. 

“I’ll probably be arrested. It’s supposed to be a non-custodial investigation, but there’s a higher chance it’ll be custodial.”

“Yes…”

“If Executive Director Kang moves quickly, I’ll be out in two days. But honestly, dragging it out would be more advantageous for him.”

Jung Heeyeon swallowed the words ‘I hope you come back quickly’ before they could leave his mouth. He didn’t want Director Yeon’s plan messed up because of himself. If he stayed quiet any longer, he was afraid some childish complaint would slip out, so he bit his lip. He wasn’t a young child, and he didn’t want to worry the Director with unnecessary things.

“If I ask you a favor, will you do it for me?”

Director Yeon moved his finger to stop Jung Heeyeon from biting his lip again, throwing in the question with a soft chuckle. He could see the plea to come back quickly behind those lips, but since his lover didn’t want to say it aloud, he switched the subject.

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