noveltune Chapter 25
Chapter 25
“What is this.”
Beyond bewilderment, he was simply dumbfounded. The luxury homes in Hannam-dong, famous as a wealthy neighborhood, were worth at least tens of billions of won even before the Great Change. With his name written on documents for such a house, it couldn’t help but feel unreal.
“I heard you’ve been staying at a hotel with your sister recently.”
“Well...”
“Isn’t it uncomfortable? High expenses, lack of stability.”
“I’m only staying there temporarily anyway. It’s fine. I’ll find a house soon...”
“I don’t think so.”
Rational suspicion arose again at his words filled with strange certainty. Could he have manipulated the situation behind the scenes? He didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it from the start.
“I’ve heard it’s a growing trend for companies to provide company housing for employees. So feel free to accept it.”
What company in the world would give an employee a luxury home worth tens of billions of won? Moreover, to transfer or gift it outright without compensation. It was on a completely different level from simply moving in.
“It would be convenient to commute together by helicopter if you come over to my house every morning.”
“No...”
Choi Gang-hu grabbed his hand again after briefly letting go, interlaced their fingers, and started walking towards the dining room.
“I’ve taken care of the tax issues cleanly. You don’t need to worry about that side of things.”
He thought food might have been prepared like before, but surprisingly the dining room was empty. Passing through a large door leading to the kitchen area, a beautifully decorated greenhouse came into view. It was a place set up with flowers, trees, and cozy tea tables.
After crossing straight through the greenhouse surrounded by glass walls and ceiling and opening a door, a familiar space appeared. The backyard of Choi Gang-hu’s house. It was a large, spacious garden with walking paths.
“You can take that elevator up to the helipad.”
To think the two houses were connected in this way. Aren’t wealthy neighborhoods usually extremely sensitive about privacy? The fact that a helicopter landing pad was installed on a privately owned mansion wasn’t even surprising anymore.
As he entered through the folding doors, a buzzing vibration sound was heard from somewhere. Choi Gang-hu, who had been walking without paying attention, stopped as Ryu Seo-ha halted with force.
“I really appreciate your consideration, but.”
He twisted his interlaced hand free and bowed his head while grasping one of his arms as if for support.
“I’ll just accept your goodwill.”
As he slowly raised his head, he saw Choi Gang-hu turning around with an expression that said “I knew it.”
“As expected, you never accept anything easily no matter what I give.”@@@@
He muttered lowly as if sighing, then pulled something out of his pocket and abruptly held it out. He almost stepped back in surprise but managed to stop. When he received the offered item in bewilderment...
‘Candy?’
It was a white peppermint candy. A very common and cheap kind, the type that would be distributed freely at events.
“Will you eat that?”
“......”
The cheap wrapper crinkled in his palm. Ryu Seo-ha, who had been staring blankly at that single small candy, raised his head. Choi Gang-hu’s deep eyes were staring down at him intently.
He vaguely grasped what he wanted to say. He probably wanted to say that to him, there was no difference between a single candy and a house deed.
When the half-turned finger brushed against the tender mucous membrane of his palate, he couldn’t help but flinch at the illusion of electricity running through his body. Without realizing it, his breathing had become rough.
“Stah...”
“You want more?”
He tried to escape by twisting his head, but it was useless. It was because the large hand was cupping his jaw as if to hold the inserted thumb in place. Buzz, he was confused whether the vibrating sound was coming from the phone or bursting from his brain.
The sweetness of the candy made saliva pool heavily in his mouth. He couldn’t swallow it properly. Saliva flowed down between his lips which quickly became moist. Choi Gang-hu looked down with satisfaction at it wetting his hand.
“I’ve been holding back.”
His other hand caressed Ryu Seo-ha’s reddened ear. The large hand that gently stroked his earlobe and auricle then naturally slid down to his nape, and below to his collarbone, awakening a chilling sensation.
“Why do you keep asking for it, hm?”
The moment he sensed the strange touch pulling down his neatly worn ivory sweater.
The characteristic ‘Sanctification’ is being cast.
Ryu Seo-ha, who came to his senses as if waking with a start from a dream, wrapped [Sanctification] around his body and bit down hard on the thumb with his teeth.
Applies status ailment ‘Paralysis’ to designated target (1 person of unknown rank).
Without thinking, he also applied a debuff. The paralysis was applied for just a moment, for an extremely short time that was barely noticeable, but it was enough for him to roll his body off the sofa.
“Haa, haa.”
Though looking at Choi Gang-hu leisurely licking his hand without a single tooth mark, it seemed like he had let him go on purpose. Ryu Seo-ha composed himself while breathing roughly due to psychological pressure.
“What on earth...”
As he was about to sharply protest while wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he couldn’t finish his words. Cough, a handful of red blood was spat out.
Choi Gang-hu’s expression, which had been relaxed throughout, hardened in an instant. It was a surprisingly new reaction. Even though he already knew that he often coughed up blood.
“Are you alright?”
Ryu Seo-ha distanced himself again, avoiding Choi Gang-hu who was quickly approaching. The vibration sound continued even during this.
“I’ll be going now.”
Ryu Seo-ha replied in a businesslike tone, ignoring the hand offering a handkerchief while standing still at an appropriate distance. Choi Gang-hu, who let out an incomprehensible sigh, roughly ran his hand through his own hair.
“I’ll take you.”
“No, I can go alone.”
Noticing his desire to avoid him, Choi Gang-hu closed his mouth and a troubled look flashed across his expression. It was a look as if he didn’t know how to deal with a small, delicate life form he had encountered for the first time.
Ryu Seo-ha neatly placed the house documents that had caused this situation on the sofa, bowed politely and turned around. At that moment, the pattern on a circular rug placed in one corner of the spacious living room emitted light. A subtle flow of mana could also be felt.
‘An item?’
In the moment he paused, a familiar face appeared. It was Secretary Jang.
“Guild Master!”
He burst out in a very urgent voice, having appeared through an extremely expensive disposable item. Presumably, he was also the caller of the vibrating phone from earlier.
“The Chairman has summoned Ryu Jeong-ah to his residence!”
Ryu Seo-ha’s expression, who had been thinking he could slip away easily in this gap, hardened.