Acts We Shouldn't Do (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 21

The last day of the year was drawing near. Tae Seo, who had been ignoring every year-end gathering invitation that kept piling up and focusing solely on work, rubbed his temples.

It was another headache beginning again. The bottle of sparkling water he always drank when he had a headache was already empty.

“May I ask why you don’t take painkillers?”

“I don’t take medication without a prescription from a doctor.”

“Oh, I see. Understood.”

Even if he had a doctor’s prescription, Tae Seo rarely took any medicine. Medication brought back memories from his childhood—dark, painful, and horrifying.

Tae Seo closed his eyes, placing the ice pack Executive Director Jang had set down over his forehead and straight down to the bridge of his nose. Just as Executive Director Jang, hesitating for a moment, was about to leave the office to let him rest—

“Has there been no contact?”

Perhaps it was fatigue—his voice trailed off at the end, sounding less like a question. At the slightly hoarse tone of Tae Seo’s voice, Executive Director Jang began reciting the list of people who had tried reaching him that day.

“Ms. Jo Yuri called three times. And Representative Seon from J Planning, as well…”

“…Not that.”

Even to himself, his voice sounded unmistakably disappointed. Tae Seo found his earlier confidence—so certain that Jae In would appear before him—now absurd.

It hadn’t even been a full week since he’d last met Jae In for a meal and parted ways. In that short time, the man who had been brimming with confidence and arrogance had changed. He’d claimed he was waiting eagerly with hopeful eyes, yet now his lips were parched with impatience.

He’d asked Executive Director Jang several times a day whether anyone had tried calling him. Each time he heard there wasn’t, he made no effort to hide his slumped shoulders and deflated spirit.

“…If you’re referring to Ms. Yoon Jae In, you didn’t even give her your contact information, did you?”

Read full content of this chapter on r e d c a t t y . c o m