Chapter 9
Because of His Obsessive Cleanliness
Damn it.
Gunwoo swallowed the curse that almost escaped his lips.
What had felt like a dream a moment ago had suddenly plunged into a pit of filth and frustration.
It was beyond unpleasant—he felt dirty, tainted.
Even so, he made every effort not to show it, keeping his expression smooth and his gaze indifferent.
He almost wanted to praise himself for holding it together this long.
“Oppa! What are you doing here? Did you come to see me?”
“No.”
A faint crack appeared in the composure he had fought to maintain.
Just hearing that shrill voice crawl into his ears made him feel contaminated, and his patience was nearing its limit.
“I saw you standing in front of the music department, so I thought you came for me. I was really excited, you know.”
“……”
He didn’t even want to reply.
He just stared at the figure in front of him, saying nothing, not even offering the courtesy of a reaction.
Whether it was intentional or not, she bent forward slightly, resting her hands on her knees so that her eyes met his at the same level.
Her tight T-shirt dipped low, accentuating her cleavage—and to him, it was nothing short of repulsive.
“Shouldn’t you be at work right now?”
She glanced at her luxury watch, and he almost sighed aloud.
Yeoul always keeps herself simple and neat so she doesn’t distract from her cello performances.
The jewels circling the rim of the woman’s watch glinted so harshly that it made him long even more for Yeoul’s pure, clean image.
“That’s none of your concern.”
The same words he had once said gently to Yeoul came out this time cold and sharp—like a blade honed to perfection.
A single touch would cut.
And yet, the woman before him didn’t even flinch.
“That’s mean. We’ve known each other for years, haven’t we? Even the Chairman told us to stay close—”
“I said I don’t like it.”
Gunwoo cut her off before she could finish, his voice slicing through the air.
He was sick to death of hearing that cursed word “Chairman” every time she opened her mouth.
Haa…
He forced down his irritation, opened the car door, and got in.
The sudden motion made Chaerin stumble backward, struggling to regain her balance—but Gunwoo didn’t spare her a glance.
In fact, he almost felt disappointed that she hadn’t fallen.
He shut the door with a light push, leaned against the car, and looked down at her with a gaze full of contempt—like someone regarding something beneath his feet.
“You really think you’re in my league now just because your company became one of Seodo Group’s affiliates?”
Before he’d even finished speaking, a flicker of self-satisfaction flashed in Chaerin’s eyes.
It was absurd. She truly believed she was on his level.
“That kind of delusion is a luxury you can’t afford.”
Gunwoo saw it—the brief rise of anger that she tried, and failed, to hide.
It only irritated him more.
“You should know your place. The only reason your pathetic little company even became a Seodo affiliate was out of pity. You should be grateful for that much.”
Seo Food’s CEO, Seo Byungjun, was known by everyone.
Ever since he’d founded the company, the number of underhanded deeds he’d committed to secure a position under Seodo Group was countless.
And his daughter—the one now standing before him with greedy eyes masked by false innocence—was Seo Chaerin.
Greedy, the lot of them.
As she pretended to be meek before him, two familiar faces flashed in his mind—Ha Myungwoo and Ha Jongwoo.
Brothers by blood.
Men with no talent but overflowing greed.
Despite having everything, they never knew satisfaction.
And when they wanted something, they didn’t earn it honestly—they destroyed others to take it.
And they think that’s normal.
That was their real problem.
He knew Chaerin hadn’t yet done the kind of vile things those two had.
And yet, he still despised her.
Because she’s too much like her father.
The gleam in her eyes was identical to Seo Byungjun’s—cold and hungry, standing atop others’ pain.
People with eyes like that could never stand to see someone else succeed.
They always had to have more, no matter what it took.
Looking at Chaerin’s serene smile, even as he dismissed her, he knew she was no better than her father.
He would never allow someone like her to step even a single foot into the boundary he’d drawn.
“I know Seodo Food is the smallest among Seodo’s subsidiaries. But still, there must’ve been value in it for Seodo Group to—”
Gunwoo let out a low, icy laugh before she could finish.
“You really don’t understand what ‘smallest’ means, do you?”
He tilted his head toward her.
“Parading around in designer clothes like that? All it means is your father will end up in prison one day.”
“Why would you say something so scary? Oppa, instead of that, why don’t you buy me lunch?”
Wow.
He wondered how a single person could connect the words ‘scary’ and ‘lunch’ in the same sentence.
She clearly hadn’t heard a word he said—and now she was even trying to link arms with him.
That’s when he realized it.
Chaerin possessed a rare talent: the ability to kill one’s appetite entirely.
Gunwoo calmly brushed her hand away.
“From now on, be careful of everything you do in front of me. You only get one warning.”
His low voice carried the chill of a predator, composed yet undeniably dangerous.
“I don’t keep people around who don’t match my standards. I’m obsessive about cleanliness.”
The cruelty beneath his words made Chaerin flinch, though she didn’t step back.
That’s how badly she wanted him—how unwilling she was to give up.
But Gunwoo saw the look in her eyes, smirked, and walked past her without a backward glance.
The moment he disappeared from sight, Chaerin’s expression twisted into venom.
Her red-painted lips pressed tightly together, trembling with barely contained fury.
Seodo Group – Chairman’s Office
“Chairman.”
At Secretary General Choi Namgi’s call, Chairman Ha Daehyup lifted his eyes from the papers he was reading.
“The Deputy took a day off, sir.”
“The third one?”
“Yes, Chairman. He came to the office this morning, but before the meeting began, he suddenly left and said he’d be taking a personal day.”
Though Choi Namgi’s title outranked that of Deputy Director, the respect he showed was only natural—Gunwoo was the Chairman’s son.
“Apparently, his friend Kim Seungtae’s fiancée, Kang Yeoul, came to his desk looking for him.”
“Kim Seungtae… that name sounds familiar.”
“He’s the son of the DH Memory CEO.”
Choi responded instantly to the Chairman’s vague remark.
Recognition flickered in Ha Daehyup’s narrowed eyes, and he gave a small nod.
“I don’t recall him ever taking leave before, am I right?”
“Yes, sir. He hasn’t even used his summer vacation.”
Years of serving the Chairman had made Choi calm even when the conversation jumped topics abruptly.
“If someone didn’t know better, they’d think he’s a diligent worker, giving up his vacations for the company,” Ha Daehyup said with a short laugh. “But that boy doesn’t actually work—he just shows up.”
A dry chuckle followed.
“And now he’s suddenly taking a day off…”
His voice trailed off in thought. Choi kept silent, standing straight and composed.
“The other two will find out soon enough.”
“Yes, Chairman. Now that you’re aware, the Vice President and Executive Director will hear about it shortly.”
“Of course. Stirring up trouble is the only thing those two are good at.”
Choi said nothing. His face remained perfectly still, betraying no emotion.
Even if the Chairman’s words belittled his own sons, it was dangerous to appear in agreement.
He knew all too well the price of a misplaced expression.
“Keep an eye on things.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Choi bowed, answering promptly before leaving the office in silence.
“It’ll be worth watching,” Ha Daehyup murmured to himself, a glint of sharp light flashing in his eyes.
