episode_0075

How does trust form in human relationships?

By not dealing with deceit and facing them as they truly are. By keeping promises and showing respect. By spending a long time together and observing them.

If you nitpick the methodology, there’s no end to it. Furthermore, there’s no such thing as a right answer for this. It’s definitely not something that can be easily acquired. That’s why the word ‘trust’ holds precious value.

My companions came along because they liked me. The beginning was, to some extent, merely an impulsive personal feeling. If you ask if I trust my companions… I would say, ‘Not yet.’ Because the time I’ve spent with my companions is short, I can’t make any definitive statements. The time I’ve been connected with CEO Choi is even shorter.

He revealed his own disgrace and weakness without hesitation. That’s a drastic means to develop his relationship with me. Actually, CEO Choi didn’t need to go this far. Just a straightforward and honest conversation as he is would have been enough. But CEO Choi unexpectedly highly evaluates me. I can tell by how he consistently treats me with a polite attitude. His confession of his birth secret, as if dropping a bomb, is in the same context. I could ignore CEO Choi’s confession as if dodging a thrown bomb. In modern society, moreover, in the current situation, a birth secret is worthless. However, I know at least a little about how miserable the fact of being an illegitimate child can make a person. Although I haven’t experienced it directly, I’ve glimpsed at least fragments of that emotion. It’s merely my personal memory, but because of that, I couldn’t ignore CEO Choi’s statement. So now, I intend to take CEO Choi Junseong seriously.

“…I am….” Gulp- At the unusually loud sound effect, my gaze and CEO Choi’s gaze turned. “S-sorry.” Amusingly, Dong-woo’s Adam’s apple couldn’t overcome the tension. Anyway, he doesn’t give me a chance to be serious. Meanwhile, CEO Choi waited for my answer with a gentle expression.

“I am an orphan.” “…Huh?” Looking at CEO Choi, who showed a stunned reaction, I paid him no mind. “As you said, CEO Choi, since you revealed your secret, I’m telling you mine too.” “Hmm…” He looked greatly flustered, perhaps having not anticipated it. CEO Choi’s eyes, which had been calm, trembled violently. Seeing that, I continued seriously without scoffing.

“I’m someone who was abandoned from birth. I was dying, abandoned under a telephone pole, when the director took me in and saved me.” “……” “It’s a bit out of the blue, but since I heard your secret, I’m telling you my secret too. It doesn’t matter now, but it’s not a fact to go around blabbing about either. Just like yours, CEO Choi.” “This… you got me good.” Perhaps my answer was unexpected; CEO Choi, who rubbed his face, looked dejected.

“So, putting it nicely, they say I have no roots, and putting it badly, they say I’m someone without a mother or father.” “No, who on earth would say such a thing….” “The world says so.” Although I spoke the truth, perhaps it sounded aggressive; CEO Choi and Dong-woo, with blank expressions, could only gape, unable to say anything. “Can you say such words so casually?” Perhaps unable to hide his surprise, CEO Choi’s words trembled, and I gave a small laugh. “What’s wrong with that?” “Huh-huh…. This is really….”

CEO Choi, flustered for a moment. Then, as if realizing something, he blinked his eyes widely. And then, shaking his head from side to side, he gave a bitter laugh. “This really got me good. Haha~” “I didn’t particularly intend to offend you, though.” “No, that’s not it.” CEO Choi, looking dejected, met my gaze and gave a small laugh.

Matching the secret CEO Choi threw, I also opened up about one thing. Although the order was reversed, the context is the same as the previous conversation. Our conversation, having come full circle, returned to the starting point. At first glance, it seemed like wordplay, but we mutually acknowledged the weight contained within the words. …In fact, when you get down to it, it’s like we both self-destructed in a diss battle.

“Recently, no, in my entire life, I don’t think I’ve ever had such a simple, clear, and fair conversation.” “Is that so?” “Truly, I wonder if there’s ever been another time I’ve felt this refreshing and liberated.” CEO Choi, touching his lips and wearing a refreshing smile, looked utterly satisfied. Only Dong-woo, caught in the middle, was speechless.

“…Seonghan, you really don’t seem like someone of a young age.” “CEO Choi, you’re the one with a flexible and open mind.” After a short while, CEO Choi returned to a gentle expression. A much more comfortable mildness could be felt than before. “I was very curious about many things regarding Seonghan.” I listened carefully to CEO Choi’s words as he calmly continued the conversation. From surviving by the skin of my teeth at the convenience store to the scene where I met Jihyeok hyung at school. The core was his curiosity about me.

“When we were escaping by truck, I thought, ‘This is how I die!’” It was CEO Choi who was driving the 6×6 truck from behind during the escape with the soldiers. It seems he was recalling that time. “I couldn’t forget the sight of you rampaging and sending zombies flying back then.” “Uh… um…” “A person flying around on the roof of a moving car, really. I thought I’d gone mad with fear and was hallucinating.” Recalling that time, I scratched my head while looking at CEO Choi, who was excited.

Observing my awkward reaction, CEO Choi continued speaking carefully, serious. The only people who saw me fighting then were a few soldiers. CEO Choi was very curious about me, but the soldiers apparently kept quiet, as if they had to. I thought it would quietly pass with that implicit atmosphere. But at the girls’ high school, I encountered Jihyeok hyung and the others alive. The joy of the completely unexpected reunion was brief. Having learned that the companions were with me, he decided to approach.

“I’m sorry to say this, but I asked Hyuk and Shia this and that about Seonghan.” “What did Hyung and Shia say?” “They said you’re strong and good at fighting.” A laugh escaped me at the simple assessment. “That’s not wrong.” “Certainly, Hyung’s strength isn’t ordinary.” From the seat beside me, Dong-woo’s expression, nodding and showing empathy, was utterly serious. Looking at Dong-woo like that, I then stared intently at CEO Choi. “Hyung and Shia are right. That’s exactly it. You can just remember me as someone who’s strong and knows how to fight quite well.” “Hmm…” “Dong-woo, same goes for you.” “Uh… but Hyung.” “You understand what I mean, don’t you?” Dong-woo succeeded in reuniting with his grandparents thanks to my extraordinary ability. Perhaps that’s why his favorability towards me is quite high. But that’s as far as it goes. Strong and good at fighting. About me, you just need to recognize me as exactly that. For now, on the surface, I’m just an ordinary adult male. There’s no way to explain or convince anyone about my strength. Above all, there’s no reason to reveal it either. Even if you dig deeper, we’ll only get tired and entangled with each other.

“If Seonghan says so, then it must be so. I understand.” Seeing CEO Choi nod in understanding without adding any other words, Dong-woo also agreed. ‘Did he really understand?’ Seeing Dong-woo’s ambiguous reaction, CEO Choi carefully spoke to me, who was feeling a slight doubt. “Seonghan. I know very well that I was very rude to you at our first meeting the other day. And it’s also cautious to say such a thing now, but….” CEO Choi cleared his throat for a moment, then hesitated before continuing with difficulty. “Could you join us?” “Hmm…”

This is the main point. We haven’t known each other for long. Our relationship isn’t deep, and the time we’ve spent together is short. We don’t even know each other well. But it’s certain that if you’re with me, you can survive. A proposal to join, directly related to life and safety. For this, CEO Choi had tried to create a connection with me. That attempt was somewhat forced and absurd, though.

“Shia said so. She said she feels anxious, like you might suddenly disappear.” “…Is that so?” “I also felt somehow you might just leave. I’ve had that feeling since we arrived here.” ‘It’s true I’ve been deliberating, but I don’t think I showed it.’ “…Even so, we’ve spent time together, so would I disappear without a word?” “Anyway, it’s true you were thinking of leaving, isn’t it?” I had no words to refute.

“If Seonghan joins us, it will be very reassuring. That doesn’t mean we’ll just rely on you blindly. We’ll rely on each other and cooperate…. We hope you’ll lend us your strength.” CEO Choi quietly observed my reaction. “If it’s Seonghan, you’d do well anywhere, even alone. But you’d be hard-pressed to find facilities of this caliber. It’s awkward to say myself, but this place will truly be a good home.” CEO Choi’s words were indeed true. I don’t know about this building yet. But I could feel that it was a place built with great care. I think the conditions as a shelter are very good.

“The most important thing is….” “?” “Didn’t I promise to give you this building?” “Ah…” He had clearly promised to hand over money and a shelter. “This building, don’t you like it?” “I like it, but aren’t you regretful? Are you really going to give it?” Now that it’s actually presented before my eyes, it’s awkward to accept it immediately. I also thought about just taking the money, but. “It’s a promise, isn’t it? If one can preserve their life, what wouldn’t they do?” Certainly, compared to the value of a life, nothing would be regrettable. “Seonghan, you’ll become a building owner too. With a property of this scale in the current situation, no less.” !!! The moment I heard those words, my heart pounded violently. The intense pounding was as if it was directly hitting my eardrums. ‘No, what the hell, why suddenly like this?’ A pleasant pounding, close to excitement, wouldn’t stop. Seeing my heart react so strongly at the words ‘building owner’… ‘…I was really a materialist, wasn’t I?’ Looking at it this way, it seems there was still a part of me that was a normal twenty-something (?). Perhaps noticing my reaction, CEO Choi smiled gently. “So, don’t think about going anywhere and please take good care of the residents.” CEO Choi’s words naturally clinched the deal. In my mind after hearing those words, the option to refuse didn’t exist.