Chapter 73. Lee Dohyun (3)

“Are you talking about sunbae?”

At Jaeheon’s calm, almost indifferent response, Dohyun turned to No Sanghee, who looked curious, and added,

“The building where Jaeheon’s studio is… turns out, it’s where Eunkyo lives too. Guess you could call it fate.”

“Oh my, really? That’s the girl, right? The sweet, pretty one.”

“You remember her.”

Dohyun’s eyes sparkled as if he was genuinely pleased. That flicker of anticipation and subtle emotion beneath his words rubbed Jaeheon the wrong way.

“It’s not fate. Just coincidence. I’m not a believer in that stuff.”

“Well… I won’t say it’s not. Either way, take good care of Eunkyo for me. Once the house is finished, I’ll come pick her up.”

Dohyun’s words were clear: he would be coming to get her. Jaeheon scoffed at the boldness and narrowed his eyes slightly.

It was subtle, polite even, but absolutely a provocation. And from the way he was talking, it was obvious Dohyun already knew about Jaeheon and Eunkyo’s situation. Yet he pressed forward anyway, showing no sign of backing off.

“Since things are like this,” Lee Jungsik interjected, smoothly changing the topic, “why don’t you bring Eunkyo over sometime, Dohyun? Even if you’re both adults, if you’re going to live together, we should at least have a meal and see her face.”

“Of course, Father. I’ll do that,” Dohyun replied.

“And that girl, Jo Yeonju, or whatever her name was,” Jungsik added, his tone suddenly cold. “I’m not letting that one off easy. I’m meeting with our lawyer soon—just so you know.”

“Father, that girl… Jo Yeonju… she was actually close with Jaeheon. So maybe we shouldn’t—”

“What?”

‘Ah… this guy.’

Dohyun, trying to sound sympathetic, patted Jaeheon’s shoulder with a helpless expression.

“I’ll take care of it, just trust me this once. The child… it’s not her fault.”

“That’s nonsense!”

Lee Jungsik took another drink, clearly frustrated, and sighed deeply. “Do whatever you want,” he muttered.

And just like that, things were headed in exactly the direction Dohyun wanted.

Whether it was cleverness or just nerves, Jaeheon couldn’t say. But one glance at No Sanghee’s shaken expression confirmed it—Dohyun’s plan was working.

“I’m sorry, brother,” Dohyun said with a smirk. “I really thought Jo Yeonju would end up being your wife. That’s why I tried getting close to her. My bad.”

As he turned his body, the arm slung over Jaeheon’s shoulder slipped away naturally. Jaeheon stared at him, his voice calm but cutting.

“You should’ve been more careful, then. Shouldn’t have left a trail everywhere.”

For a brief moment, something flickered in Dohyun’s eyes—just a hint of unease. The strange tension between them made No Sanghee glance around nervously and call over a housekeeper, asking her to reheat the stew.

Taking advantage of the brief chaos, Jaeheon stood up. Dohyun casually crossed his legs and called after him.

“Got a minute to talk?”

Jaeheon frowned slightly, holding his car keys and wallet.

“If this is just to pick a fight, I’ll pass.”

“I’m saying this because I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re not in a great spot right now, are you?”

“What’s wrong with my situation?”

“Didn’t Eunkyo tell you? Earlier… she cried a lot.”

The concern in Dohyun’s tone was forced. He rubbed his dry eyes, clearly checking for Jaeheon’s reaction.

“Jaeheon, that’s not love.”

Dohyun lowered his voice and stood up, brushing off Jaeheon’s shoulders with mock affection.

“So snap out of it. I’ll pretend nothing happened between you and Eunkyo.”

“Why?”

Jaeheon’s lips twisted into a slow, mocking smile, though his eyes were tight with irritation.

“Why pretend it didn’t happen? Don’t erase it like that. Who gave you the right to pretend it never happened?”

“Jaeheon…”

Dohyun called his name softly, like a patient older brother dealing with a stubborn child.

“You sound like you’ve been under a lot of stress lately… Maybe it’s time to get help. You’re acting kind of unstable.”

“What the hell did you just—!”

As Dohyun’s expression contorted in irritation, Lee Jungsik slammed his chopsticks down.

“That’s enough! I don’t care what’s going on between you two, take it outside if you’re going to fight. That’s not why I called you here.”

Jaeheon shrugged off Dohyun’s hands and stormed out of the house. His hunch had been right—something had happened to Eunkyo. But he didn’t want to imagine her crying, and especially not crying while talking to Lee Dohyun.

Just thinking about her soft, trembling voice on the phone with him was enough to twist his gut.

No Sanghee rushed out to stop him as he approached the elevator.

“What happened? Did you two really fight? What happened with your brother?”

At her easy use of the word “brother,” Jaeheon scoffed.

“You’d think you gave birth to him.”

“What? Jaeheon!”

“Mom, I’m tired. I sat through dinner, listened to all of Dohyun’s crap. Just let me go.”

“Is it about that girl? His girlfriend or whatever?”

“Mom, don’t you remember? Don’t you know who Eunkyo is?”

“…What?”

She looked genuinely confused. As if she truly didn’t remember Jung Eunkyo—someone who’d been in and out of the house so many times.

Jaeheon smiled faintly and stepped into the elevator. He kept his gaze forward as the doors closed, refusing to look back.

In the parking garage, he climbed into his car and, out of habit, called Eunkyo.

But the automated message said she was on another call. That message buzzed in his ears, through his chest, down his spine like an electric current.

Rain pelted down outside. He started the car, connected his Bluetooth, and played his usual driving music.

‘Eunkyo cried in front of Lee Dohyun. That bastard… how dare he…’

That was all he could think about. Like a man possessed, he could only see her face in his mind.

***