A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 96

“The 99th-floor lounge?”

When I received Choi Taejoon’s call, I was still in bed.

Holding the phone to my ear, I blinked groggily and looked around.

Where… was this?

Stretching lazily, I suddenly jolted awake.

Right. This wasn’t my room.

It wasn’t Park Ha Hyun’s place, nor was it the uncomfortable hospital chair I had dozed off in before.

It was Choi Taejoon’s bed.

When I didn’t respond right away, Taejoon’s gentle voice flowed through the phone.

—If you’re still sleepy, just rest. I’ll send up room service. Eat in the room.

“…No, I’m up. I just woke up now.”

Sitting up abruptly, I glanced around again.

Yes, this was definitely his bed, yet its owner was speaking to me from somewhere else.

—Alright. Then dress warmly before coming up. It’s cold outside.

I muttered an agreement and hung up.

Then I just sat there, dazed.

“…….”

I had slept, but I felt like I had dreamed a thousand different dreams.

It was probably because of everything that had happened last night.

Then again, it would be weird if I had slept peacefully after all that.

I worried that I might have said something incriminating in my sleep.

I glanced at the empty space beside me.

Pressing a palm against the mattress, I found both the bed and pillow completely cold.

He had been up for a while.

Or maybe he hadn’t slept at all.

I covered my face with both hands and let out a long, deep sigh.

“Ugh, Hyun Wookyung… you idiot.”

Memories of last night churned in my mind.

His cold palm against my lips.

His trembling voice.

His desperate, devastated gaze.

Where did we stand now?

In Alcohol Swab, Choi Taejoon was obsessively meticulous, cutting out every single threat in his vicinity.

When it came to people, he was borderline pathological—he neither trusted nor believed in anyone.

That was why ‘Hyun Wookyung’ had met such a gruesome end.

And yet, last night, Taejoon had made it clear that he knew I was involved with the police.

I had practically admitted it myself.

But instead of cutting me off… he had held me.

He had soothed me, lulling me to sleep.

A lump formed in my throat.

The weight of guilt and gratitude pressed down on my shoulders.

His sincerity last night had been overwhelming.

And compared to that, what did I have to offer him?

What were my own feelings toward him?

Feeling uneasy, I grabbed a cardigan and threw it on.

With a heavy heart, I made my way to the lounge on the 99th floor.

—

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, the rich aroma of high-quality coffee and freshly baked bread filled the air.

Wow.

I had been staying here for months, yet I had never set foot in this place.

It was stunning.

No matter what hardships life threw at you, you still needed food.

Just looking at the beautifully arranged fruit and elegant dishes lifted my spirits slightly.

Following the staff’s guidance, I walked deeper into the lounge.

Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched endlessly, flooding the room with sunlight so bright I could see the dust particles in the air.

Soft classical music played in the background.

And then—

Just a few steps away, I spotted him.

I stopped breathing for a moment.

On the surface, he looked the same as always.

A man far too handsome for his own good, seated casually, gazing out the window.

“Vice President.”

At my voice, he slowly turned his head toward me.

His firmly closed lips twitched into something that might have been a smile—before disappearing again.

My heartbeat quickened.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Y-yes. I, uh, I slept well.”

His gentle voice made my chest tighten.

I quickly lowered my gaze, pressing a hand against my sternum.

My mouth was dry, and my fingertips trembled slightly.

Sitting across from him, everything from last night resurfaced in an instant.

“Um, did you sleep well, Vice President?”

“I did.”

“Without waking up?”

“I think so. Why do you ask?”

“That’s a relief. I, uh… I tend to talk in my sleep when I’m really tired. I was worried I might’ve kept you up.”

“…Sleep talking?”

Taejoon’s expression flickered.

“W-wait. Hold on. Did I say something weird in my sleep?”

“You did.”

“…What?”

I’m doomed.

What the hell had I dreamed about last night?

Taejoon, frowning as if recalling something, leaned forward over the table.

“…It sounded like a dirty dream.”

“WHAT?! You’re lying.”

“You kept mumbling, more… more… more…”

“Y-you’re just messing with me, right? You think this is fun?”

“You also said, I can’t… I can’t do it anymore…”

“Oh! Oh. That must’ve been a dream about riding a bicycle.”

I scrambled to grab my water glass, my face burning.

“I must’ve been pedaling so hard. I was probably saying, More! More! Keep going! And then, I can’t! My legs are dead!”

I trailed off, taking a long sip of water.

Taejoon narrowed his eyes, struggling to suppress a laugh.

“…So you were exercising in your sleep?”

“Y-yeah. I like working out.”

“Oh? That’s good to know.”

“…Why?”

“Sir, your food is ready.”

Just then, a waiter arrived with warm tea, an egg dish, and a sandwich.

It was my favorite.

A pork cutlet sandwich.

“Oh! It’s pork katsu!”

“If you want anything else, just order more.”

I waved my wrist playfully.

“Ah-ha! So you remembered what I like and went out of your way to request it specially! A custom order, just for me!”

It was surprising to see him be so considerate.

Taejoon let out a short, exasperated laugh.

Then, with his long fingers, he tapped the small acrylic menu sign on the table.

—This Fall’s Recommendation! Pork Cutlet Sandwich!

Oh.

So it was on the menu.

“Well… But it says here it’s only available during lunch. An exception… Ah. On weekdays, it’s available anytime.”

Taejoon leaned in slightly, reading the smaller text, then smirked.

“Sure, let’s go with that. I made a special order just for you, Hyun Wookyung. Now, eat.”

Feeling my cheeks heat up for no reason, I rubbed them lightly before taking a sip of tea.

The aroma was rich, and the sandwich was delicious.

“It’s good.”

“That’s a relief.”

“I never knew a place like this existed here.”

“Yeah. I haven’t been here in a while either.”

The lounge had a spacious, open feel.

There were quite a few people dining alone, as well as families with young children.

“And since you like exercising, why don’t we work out together in the mornings?”

“……?”

Mid-bite, I looked at him, blinking.

“Uh… That’s a bit of a problem.”

“Why? You were exercising in your dream just this morning, weren’t you?”

“I never said I liked morning workouts.”

“Then why don’t you like them?”

I swallowed the bite of my sandwich before answering.

“I have low blood pressure.”

Taejoon, who had been waiting with an expectant expression, parted his lips slightly.

Then, as if unable to hold back, the corners of his mouth twitched before he burst into laughter.

“So you have low blood pressure.”

He looked far too amused by the fact.

Honestly, I was being completely serious.

I really did have low blood pressure, and waking up early was absolute hell for me.

The worst was waking up early on a rainy morning.

And besides, was that really something to laugh about like I was some kind of adorable little creature?

Taejoon probably thought I was just making excuses to avoid working out.

“I’m serious. You wouldn’t get it because you never even catch a cold.”

“Alright, alright.”

He trailed off, studying my face carefully.

“Then, what about a walk?”

“As long as it’s not too early, that’s fine.”

Taejoon leaned back into the sofa, looking thoroughly pleased—like he had gotten the exact answer he wanted.

If he liked the idea that much, I wouldn’t mind going on a walk morning, noon, and night.

But wasn’t he the one with the busier schedule?

Even now, he kept glancing at his phone while talking to me.

Thinking that I should finish eating quickly and let him get back to work, I was just about to take another bite when—

From behind him, in the farthest corner of the lounge, a familiar pale face appeared.

“Senior!”

I blinked in confusion.

I knew that face.

But it was so out of place here that I couldn’t recognize it right away.

“…Park Ha Hyun?”

The moment his name left my lips, Taejoon’s face darkened.

Why the hell is that bastard here?

The instant our eyes met, Ha Hyun stood up, as if he had been waiting for this moment, and approached us.

He waved a hand casually in greeting.

“Hello!”

I glanced between him and Taejoon.

“Hey! What are you doing he—?”

“If you want anything else, just order more.”

I waved my wrist playfully.

“Ah-ha! So you remembered what I like and went out of your way to request it specially! A custom order, just for me!”

It was surprising to see him be so considerate.

Taejoon let out a short, exasperated laugh.

Then, with his long fingers, he tapped the small acrylic menu sign on the table.

—This Fall’s Recommendation! Pork Cutlet Sandwich!

Oh.

So it was on the menu.

“Well… But it says here it’s only available during lunch. An exception… Ah. On weekdays, it’s available anytime.”

Taejoon leaned in slightly, reading the smaller text, then smirked.

“Sure, let’s go with that. I made a special order just for you, Hyun Wookyung. Now, eat.”

Feeling my cheeks heat up for no reason, I rubbed them lightly before taking a sip of tea.

The aroma was rich, and the sandwich was delicious.

“It’s good.”

“That’s a relief.”

“I never knew a place like this existed here.”

“Yeah. I haven’t been here in a while either.”

The lounge had a spacious, open feel.

There were quite a few people dining alone, as well as families with young children.

“And since you like exercising, why don’t we work out together in the mornings?”

“……?”

Mid-bite, I looked at him, blinking.

“Uh… That’s a bit of a problem.”

“Why? You were exercising in your dream just this morning, weren’t you?”

“I never said I liked morning workouts.”

“Then why don’t you like them?”

I swallowed the bite of my sandwich before answering.

“I have low blood pressure.”

Taejoon, who had been waiting with an expectant expression, parted his lips slightly.

Then, as if unable to hold back, the corners of his mouth twitched before he burst into laughter.

“So you have low blood pressure.”

He looked far too amused by the fact.

Honestly, I was being completely serious.

I really did have low blood pressure, and waking up early was absolute hell for me.

The worst was waking up early on a rainy morning.

And besides, was that really something to laugh about like I was some kind of adorable little creature?

Taejoon probably thought I was just making excuses to avoid working out.

“I’m serious. You wouldn’t get it because you never even catch a cold.”

“Alright, alright.”

He trailed off, studying my face carefully.

“Then, what about a walk?”

“As long as it’s not too early, that’s fine.”

Taejoon leaned back into the sofa, looking thoroughly pleased—like he had gotten the exact answer he wanted.

If he liked the idea that much, I wouldn’t mind going on a walk morning, noon, and night.

But wasn’t he the one with the busier schedule?

Even now, he kept glancing at his phone while talking to me.

Thinking that I should finish eating quickly and let him get back to work, I was just about to take another bite when—

From behind him, in the farthest corner of the lounge, a familiar pale face appeared.

“Senior!”

I blinked in confusion.

I knew that face.

But it was so out of place here that I couldn’t recognize it right away.

“…Park Ha Hyun?”

The moment his name left my lips, Taejoon’s face darkened.

Why the hell is that bastard here?

The instant our eyes met, Ha Hyun stood up, as if he had been waiting for this moment, and approached us.

He waved a hand casually in greeting.

“Hello!”

I glanced between him and Taejoon.

“Hey! What are you doing he—?”