Unhealthy - Chapter 13

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 13. Rude Proposal

At Hae-yeong’s boldly declared words, the light in Taejun’s eyes completely died out.

“Protector and protected.”

Like someone who had heard unfamiliar and uncomfortable words, Taejun pondered Hae-yeong’s words for a long time, then picked up his cup, took a sip of water, and slowly stood up.

The main course had only just been served and they hadn’t even seen dessert yet, but Taejun growled threateningly.

“Get up.”

It was a moment when she awkwardly grabbed her shoulder bag at that command-like word, but even that, Taejun couldn’t tolerate and snatched Hae-yeong’s hand.

Then he strode out of the restaurant just like that.

“It hurts.”

Unable to endure the grip that felt like it would crush her wrist bone, Hae-yeong barely shook off Taejun’s hand.

Standing face to face in the middle of the long corridor, Hae-yeong rubbed her reddened and swollen wrist. Then he took a step closer, narrowing the distance he had forcibly created.

“Even if the atmosphere was like that, I should have pushed you away, but since I couldn’t do that, this happened. I think it’s right not to question each other’s responsibility. So, let’s pretend yesterday never happened. That’s more comfortable for both of us.”

“Says who.”

Hae-yeong, with her head deeply lowered, took a deep breath.

“If you’re done eating, I’ll head back now. Thank you for the meal.”

“Hae-yeong.”

When Hae-yeong tried to pass by Taejun, he blocked her path.

She tried to turn her steps to the other side, but Taejun blocked Hae-yeong’s path again.

“I’m not done talking yet.”

The hand she had finally shaken off caught her hand like a snare again.

“I don’t understand. Saying you’d marry me like you’re mocking me in front of people discussing marriage, and why you called me to a place like this to talk about yesterday…”

“Want me to explain it simply?”

“I don’t need that—”

“My marriage talk needs to fall through for you to be safe.”

It sounded exactly like his marriage was directly connected to her safety.

As if, really as if… because Gi Taejun had been playing the role of Hae-yeong’s protector all this time, she had been able to remain safe and intact until now.

Even though he had never warmly offered his side. Even though he had always been cold. He spoke as if he had raised her with great overprotection.

“What does that mean…?”

“Exactly what I said.”

Protector and protected.

The words spat out like a declaration became an inescapable brand. That terrible sentence felt like an irreversible fate, making her eyes blur.

“If I get married and leave the house, your safety won’t be guaranteed either.”

“What does that matter. If you leave the house, I can just leave too.”

“Hae-yeong.”

Her heart clenched tight at the voice flowing down coldly.

“What do you think is the reason father won’t let you go.”

“Well…”

The outside world is dangerous.

Hae-yeong, how could you endure this harsh and cruel world alone. This old man’s side is the warmest and safest place.

These were the words the elder always said like a habit whenever independence was mentioned.

“Well… it’s because he worries about me. When a woman lives alone, being exposed to danger is inevitable. So…”

She had always been grateful to Gi Chairman and said she would definitely repay the kindness of raising her someday.

However, it was true that she had been puzzled in one corner of her heart.

No matter how much he owed her father his life.

Even if she was the daughter of a superior who had been close enough to deserve gratitude.

No matter how much money they had.

Taking in an abandoned child with no relatives or place to stay and caring for her for years was never a light matter.

Not only Gi Chairman, but Taejun and Jae-jun too—wherever they went, talking about the child they took in and raised, there was no way complaints wouldn’t arise.

But why wouldn’t they kick her out of the house even after she turned twenty, saying they wanted to keep her around?

At first, she thought it was simply due to overprotection, but after hearing that the situation would be different from now if Taejun got married, the small ember buried deep in her heart began to blaze instantly.

“…Is there a reason I shouldn’t leave the house.”

Having lived her whole life receiving her father’s devoted love, she had never had to read others’ faces.

But after taking Gi Taejun’s hand and standing before Gi Chairman, she always had to read someone’s mood or raise the blade of unnecessary suspicion.

“If not for that, there would be no reason for father to cherish an unrelated freeloader in the house.”

That terrible paradox flowing from Taejun’s mouth pressed down on Hae-yeong’s chest heavily.

No matter how coldly Gi Taejun had treated her, he was the very person who had led her to this house.

Therefore, while always maintaining guard against Gi Chairman and Gi Jae-jun, she harbored nameless emotions and trust only toward Gi Taejun.

But that solid trust shattered in an instant.

Faced with the truth that the embrace she believed to be safest was actually the most dangerous swamp, Hae-yeong could only stare blankly at his sunken eyes, unable to even swallow her rising tears.

“Then, all this time… what you showed me was all…”

To her who couldn’t continue speaking, Taejun drove in the wedge as if imprinting cruel reality.

“It was probably good-looking acting. Whether there was any sincerity, I don’t know either.”

What could Gi Chairman have possibly gained from a mere fifteen-year-old child?

From what she overheard at the funeral, her uncle and father who died on the same day had led a dark organization together and accumulated massive wealth.

But all she actually received was a bank account her father had left in her name.

In other words, there wasn’t a single inheritance left under her father’s name.

According to Gi Chairman’s explanation, both her father and uncle had become addicted to gambling just before their deaths and squandered all their wealth.

The excessive kindness shown to a child who had nothing was itself the most ominous foreshadowing, which she realized far too late.

Regardless of the circumstances, since there wasn’t a penny of inheritance that fell into her hands, logically, there was no value that Gi Chairman could extract from her in the first place.

“The reason you must keep me tied down. Could it be…”

“Taejun, there you are. I was about to call you thinking you’d left without saying goodbye.”

She was about to confirm the answer she had reached after much thought, but her sentence was brutally cut off by Seo I-jeong, who had come out looking for the missing Taejun.

“Didn’t we already greet each other earlier?”

Taejun positioned Hae-yeong behind him and dealt with Seo I-jeong approaching closer.

“I said I would marry Gi Taejun.”

It was a sudden declaration.

Seo I-jeong threw a challenging gaze toward Taejun as if she wouldn’t let him go.

“If it’s about that, I think we already concluded it last time. Wasn’t that so?”

Taejun asked back, raising his eyebrow as if annoyed. However, Seo I-jeong didn’t back down and came one step closer.

“To be precise, you said to avoid it because it was a marriage beneficial to only one side. You did, Gi Taejun.”

“There being nothing beneficial for Ms. Seo I-jeong isn’t much different now either.”

“At the time, I thought what Gi Taejun said made a lot of sense. I’m not reckless enough to bet on something with no benefit to my side either.”

Seo I-jeong smiled leisurely and lifted her smooth chin.

“Our interests aligned properly, so we broke up cleanly.”

It was a voice with the reproach of why she was suddenly going back on her word omitted.

“Chairman Gi earnestly wants our marriage, but I kept thinking about it. About that upright temperament of yours, Gi Taejun.”

Seo I-jeong rolled up her red lips and looked Taejun up and down. It was a sharp gaze as if appraising a coveted object.

“Come to think of it, I just need to make it so there’s benefit on my side too. I just need to make myself owe you more than you owe me.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————