Chapter 23
The morning had broken, but inside the room, tightly shrouded by curtains, only a single sliver of light seeped through. The living room remained dark and silent, with one unmoving figure seated within.
Kang In-hyuk’s sharp gaze landed on the documents he had roughly placed down the night before. Documents that were meant for Kang Se-heon. Yet, the first person that came to mind upon seeing them was Yoon Tae-seo.
The shock of seeing Yoon Tae-seo at Kang Se-heon’s house was still fresh in his mind. The image of Tae-seo looking up at him remained like an afterimage, refusing to fade.
In those startled eyes, a mix of injustice and resentment had surfaced. It had shaken Kang In-hyuk. That shouldn’t have been possible. Considering everything Yoon Tae-seo had done, he should have confronted him about it—without hesitation. And yet... he felt like he had wronged him.
It was confusing. What if he truly had misunderstood? What if he had cornered Yoon Tae-seo without confirming the facts first? Kang In-hyuk leaned his head back and covered his eyes.
“Pathetic.”
His voice came out rough, vibrating in his throat with frustration. Instead of resenting the embarrassment he had shown in front of Yoon Tae-seo, he should have acknowledged it and moved on.
If he were to run into Yoon Tae-seo again, he thought he should apologize for what happened yesterday. His once-tense lips loosened slightly at the realization. Regret alone wasn’t his style.
“But...”
His low voice trembled slightly in the empty living room. That was how quiet it was. There was no sign of anyone else. Then, the doorbell rang, and Kang In-hyuk’s head turned stiffly toward the sound.
As he slowly moved toward the entrance, he recalled someone he had yet to properly check on.
“I was going to reach out anyway, but why did you go home...?”