Chapter 28
“……”
Everyone here knew. Eon’s silence was practically the same as saying “no.”
“So the fact that Mom left me behind and only took my sister to America—does that mean I’m supposed to just stay quiet because I’m ashamed?”
The way Doha said it—
He was terrifyingly calm.
“…Damn it.”
Eon covered his face with both hands.
What the hell is this mess?
He couldn’t believe this reality.
But at the same time, instinctively, he knew—
He shouldn’t push Doha any further.
“Then where’s the kid?”
In the end, Eon changed the subject.
“I left her with the CEO for a bit.”
“Why? Too precious to show her to me?”
“Yeah. Look at the way you talk. You can’t even say three sentences without swearing. That’s not good for a kid emotionally.”
“……”
It was hard to argue with that, so Eon shut his mouth.
“And I knew you’d get mad. She’d get scared.”
“If you knew I’d get mad, you shouldn’t have done something to make me mad.”
As if he’d finally caught something to nitpick, Eon sneered.
“Sorry.”
“!”
“Sorry for doing something that made you mad. I am.”
As if he never expected to hear the word sorry from Lee Doha’s mouth, Eon stared at him with a frighteningly stiff expression.
He wasn’t the only one.
Wooyeon and Youngoh were also staring at Doha, mouths slightly open.
But Doha’s face remained calm throughout. As if he had simply said what needed to be said.
“I won’t do things that make you mad anymore.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. As if you could.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“Get lost. I don’t believe you. If you meant that, you would’ve come to London at least once. You would’ve come and apologized.”
“I’m sorry about that too.”
“……”
Is this guy seriously crazy? Eon looked Doha up and down.
And now Wooyeon and Youngoh looked genuinely scared, on the verge of tears.
“Did you eat something weird? What’s wrong with you?”
But—
Eon didn’t know how much Yewon had influenced Doha while he was gone.
For the first time, watching Yewon, Doha had learned how much courage it takes not to avoid something, but to face it head-on—and how much that courage can change.
At the same time, he’d begun to feel a strong desire to fix everything he had ruined.
All the things he had once given up on.
“Fine. Don’t believe me. I’ll build the trust myself.”
“!”
At Doha’s reply, Eon only raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, hey. Lee Doha… what’s wrong with you… You’re seriously starting to scare me…” Wooyeon hugged his own arms, shivering.
“P-please calm down, Doha…” Youngoh looked like he was about to cry.
“Then why didn’t you come to London?”
“……”
As if he truly didn’t want to say it, Doha’s mouth shut tight.
Eon’s lips twisted, as if to say I knew it.
“See? You can’t even say this and yet you’re talking about—”
“I had panic attacks.”
“……!”
At the word panic, Eon forgot to breathe.
“I couldn’t go because I couldn’t breathe whenever I went to the airport. I’m sorry.”
“You bastard—stop saying you’re sorry!”
“If it’s something I’m sorry for, then I’m sorry.”
“…Are you kidding me?”
But instead of calming down, Eon looked even angrier.
“Are you happy turning me into the bad guy? You should’ve just told me from the start!”
“I called to tell you, but you didn’t pick up.”
“……”
Eon had nothing to say. His lips moved a few times without sound.
Thud.
“!!!”
He punched Doha in the chest.
“I didn’t hit your face because you need it to make a living.”
“…Thanks.”
“Get lost.”
Eon spat it out coldly.
“You’re always like this. You keep everything to yourself, handle everything your way, and then at the end you just dump it all out like a notice. I end up the bad guy. You feel relieved, and I’m left feeling uneasy.”
“……”
“You were like that with Yoo Taeyoung too. You could’ve tried persuading him together with me, or at least asked for help since that crazy guy was power-tripping on you nonstop. But you kept your mouth shut until he quit without knowing his place. Only then! Only then!”
Eon shouted, pouring out years of suppressed anger.
“Only then you go, ‘Sorry. It’s because I don’t have what it takes to be a leader.’ You spit out crap like that, and you’re done. But for me, that’s when it starts.”
He bit his lip.
Even though they lived in the same space, Lee Doha had never once asked Eon for help.
Just once—he had wanted to hear it.
“Help me.”
“I’m having a hard time.”
Out of 365 days, 24 hours a day—he never knew when Doha might finally feel like saying those words.
They were together 364 days of the year.
But he was afraid that on the one single day they weren’t together, that might be the moment Doha would want to say it.
Afraid he wouldn’t be there.
That’s why, damn it, he hadn’t even been able to leave the house—staying by Doha’s side.
And yet—
Only now.
Hundreds of words bubbled up in Eon’s mouth like foam, bursting out one by one.
Or maybe—did it only happen now because I’m finally gone?
A hollow laugh hung on his lips.
Maybe I should’ve left long ago. Why did we cling on and keep tearing each other apart?
It felt so pointless.
“Seven years of this crap, and you haven’t changed at all. I’m always the one who ends up the bad guy.”
Was it the spot Eon hit that throbbed, or just his heart?
Doha rubbed his chest and looked up at Eon blankly.
“Eon.”
“I don’t have it in me to keep doing this.”
“……”
With that, Eon turned toward the door.
Just before opening it, he said one last thing.
“It’s not because of your niece or your damn family that I can’t work with you. It’s because of the way you act. That’s why I can’t do this with you.”
And with that, he walked out.
“……”
“……”
“……”
Not long after—
Yewon found herself standing in front of two men in what felt like a funeral atmosphere.
“…I left to give Uncle Eon space so they could make up.”
So why does it feel like things got worse?!
Instead of making up, it felt like they’d fought even more…?
Yewon had no idea what had happened while she was gone. She didn’t even know where to begin.
“Uncle…?”
“Ah, Yewon.”
At her voice, Doha finally seemed to come back to his senses and looked at her with dull, lifeless eyes.
This is bad.
There’s no soul in his eyes…!
What on earth did Uncle Eon say to him?!
Her vision went dark.
From experience, she knew that when someone’s heart was this shattered, nothing you said would get through. She couldn’t think of anything she could do.
If it were me, I’d just lock myself in my room and rewatch my favorite dramas or movies.
When your heart feels broken and your thoughts are overwhelming, sometimes the best thing is something fun you can watch without thinking.
That moment when you escape your own life and immerse yourself in someone else’s.
What could be sweeter?
Yewon loved and longed for those moments—that’s why she loved acting.
…But that’s me.
What would make Uncle Doha feel better?
…Wait.
Fun content you can watch mindlessly?
Isn’t that… exactly my major?
Yewon’s eyes lit up.
