MHD - 31

Chapter 31: A Humiliating Apology

“…Ah.” 

The moment she heard Baek Dong-hwan’s voice, her body began trembling again. Her legs gave out, knees buckling under her weight. Seo Hee-soo barely managed to steady herself by gripping the wall. 

“What brings you here at this hour?” 

Her voice was sharp with suspicion, prompting a nervous cough from Dong-hwan on the other end of the intercom. 

[“I-I came to apologize! You have to see me today.”] 

His stuttering made him sound unreal, but Hee-soo forced herself to focus and stared at the blurry image on the intercom screen. Beyond the haze, she could faintly make out what looked like Baek Dong-hwan’s face—but she wasn’t entirely sure. 

“I’m not available today…” 

She tried to decline as politely and firmly as possible, but suddenly, Dong-hwan let out an ear-piercing shout. 

[“Ahh! I’m dying here!”] 

“What?” 

[“If you let me die, you’ll regret it too, Seo Hee-soo! You hear me?!”] 

“…” 

[“No, wait, that’s not what I meant! Ugh, damn it! Hey, please, just come out! Huhhuk…”] 

His voice cracked at the end, trembling with suppressed sobs. 

Dong-hwan, who had been shouting in anger just moments ago, now sounded like he was on the verge of tears—completely unhinged. 

[“If I don’t see you today, I won’t be able to go anywhere! Huhhuk…”] 

[“Hee-soo, if President Baek is here, I have to stay too. Please, don’t be upset—just come out.”] 

Whether it was Baek Dong-hwan throwing a tantrum to apologize or Cha Joo-won helplessly trying to mediate, Hee-soo couldn’t understand their behavior. 

But regardless of whether she understood them or not, both men seemed determined to camp outside her door all night unless she showed up. 

“Fine, I’ll come out. But—” 

[“Really? What do you mean, ‘but’?”] 

Joo-won’s tone brightened immediately at her agreement. 

“Call Yoon-seok for me. I’ll come out once Yoon-seok arrives.” 

Without missing a beat, Joo-won responded. 

[“Don’t worry—he’s already here! Yoon-seok!”] 

The sound of Joo-won calling for Yoon-seok echoed through the intercom, and shortly after, a message from Yoon-seok appeared on Hee-soo’s phone. 

[“Nuna, I’m waiting in the car. I’ll stay close by your side.”] 

Reassured by his message, Hee-soo finally exhaled in relief. She trusted Yoon-seok completely. Even if these two men harbored ill intentions, at least they wouldn’t dare pull something reckless like earlier while he was around. 

“Give me five minutes.” 

After double-checking the recording app on her phone, Hee-soo headed into her room to change clothes. 

---

“Over here!” 

When Hee-soo stepped outside, Cha Joo-won waved her over. 

In front of the villa, the space was blocked off by Joo-won’s car and Baek Dong-hwan’s vehicle. Hee-soo slipped her hand into the pocket of her cardigan, gripping her phone tightly. 

Inside the enclosed area stood Baek Dong-hwan, his hands stuffed into his pockets—a posture that seemed no different from usual. Hee-soo glanced once more at Yoon-seok standing beside her for reassurance. 

“Ugh, seriously.” 

Yet Dong-hwan, now face-to-face with Hee-soo, only sighed repeatedly. 

“This is so embarrassing…” 

Several minutes had passed since they’d faced each other, but Dong-hwan continued to scowl, gnawing nervously on his nails. 

It would’ve been helpful if he’d at least explained why he’d called her out. 

Hee-soo stared absently at Dong-hwan’s right leg, which trembled uncontrollably like it was resting on a vibrator. The rapid shaking betrayed how anxious he was. 

‘Why is he so nervous in front of me?’ 

This atmosphere was completely different from their first encounter at the Namyangju villa. 

Back then, he had swaggered arrogantly, drunk and leering. Now, he radiated the pitiful aura of a cornered rat. 

The constant trembling of his leg only amplified the impression. Anyone watching might think Hee-soo was reprimanding him. 

“Didn’t you say you had something to tell me?” 

Unable to wait any longer, Hee-soo spoke up. Dong-hwan snapped his head up and glared at her. 

“…I said it!” 

“Huh?” 

“Damn it, I said I’m sorry!”

Dong-hwan’s sudden outburst startled Hee-soo, causing her to widen her eyes in shock. Though he had clearly apologized, it felt more like an insult than a genuine act of contrition. 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you’re saying.” 

“Haa...” 

The sigh that followed was so long and heavy that it almost felt like his exasperated breath brushed against Hee-soo’s face. She momentarily held her own breath, furrowing her brow slightly. 

When their eyes met again—Hee-soo’s faintly creased forehead meeting Dong-hwan’s gaze—he pressed his palm to his forehead and shook his head. When he lowered his hand, Baek Dong-hwan’s expression seemed to convey a sense of resignation, as if he’d given up entirely. 

And then… 

“Seo Hee-soo.” 

Calling her name with deliberate gravity, he uttered something utterly unbelievable coming from him: 

“I’m sorry.” 

“What?” 

Surprised, she asked for clarification, only for Dong-hwan to deliver another baffling statement. 

“...For calling you out with impure intentions, for humiliating you by exploiting our business relationship, and for using my influence to interfere with your work—I’m truly sorry. This kind of thing will never happen again... Huhk.” 

His voice wavered at the end, verging on tears. 

“Damn it, why am I even doing this? Ugh...” 

Unable to contain himself, he clenched his fists tightly, trembling all over before finishing his sentence. 

“This won’t happen again. I was wrong.” 

As Dong-hwan spoke these words of apology, his face flushed red and then pale, his complexion shifting erratically. 

It was unclear whether he had come seeking forgiveness or provoking trouble—his gaze was unreadable—but every word he spoke was laced with politeness. 

“Oh my…” 

Hee-soo instinctively covered her open mouth with one hand, staring at him in disbelief. 

The mere fact that someone like Baek Dong-hwan—a man who wielded immense power and acted however he pleased within the industry—was bowing his head to her felt surreal. 

“Tsk, damn it.” 

Straightening his back, Dong-hwan shot a sharp glare toward Yoon-seok and Cha Joo-won standing nearby. 

The humiliation of apologizing while being watched burned visibly on his face. For someone with such pride, even this level of submission could feel deeply shameful. Whether voluntary or coerced, it wasn’t easy for someone like Baek Dong-hwan to beg for forgiveness. 

“Why are you suddenly apologizing?” 

“Hah. It’s because I—” 

Dong-hwan chewed on his lip, then jerked his chin toward Joo-won and Yoon-seok, signaling them to step away. 

“Hee-soo, we won’t go far. We’ll stay close by.” 

Joo-won pulled Yoon-seok aside, maintaining a respectful distance. Once they were sure the two men were appropriately distanced, Dong-hwan continued. 

“I came here to apologize since I was wrong. Do I really need a reason for this… hahaha.” 

Mid-sentence, he erupted into laughter that bordered on hysterical before continuing. 

“Do I really need a reason?” 

Judging by his irritable tone and deeply furrowed brow, it was clear this wasn’t entirely voluntary. But who could possibly have forced someone like Baek Dong-hwan into such a position? 

Hee-soo eyed him suspiciously, trying to decipher his true intentions. 

However, perhaps sensing that Hee-soo’s reaction wasn’t as explosive as he’d expected, Dong-hwan suddenly lost his temper. 

“Don’t look at me like that! I’m not doing this for any ulterior motive!” 

Then, abruptly, he pulled out his phone. As Hee-soo watched, her gaze naturally followed his hand. 

“W-What is this?” 

“Take a picture of me with that!” 

“What?” 

Their eyes met again, and Dong-hwan glared down at her fiercely. 

“Just do as I say! Don’t make me repeat myself!” 

“...What’s going on?” 

Before Hee-soo could fully process the situation, Dong-hwan shoved his phone into her hands and dropped to his knees. 

“Hurry up and do it!” 

Startled by his commanding bark, Hee-soo reflexively snapped a photo of Dong-hwan kneeling. 

Click. 

The flash went off. 

In the resulting image, Dong-hwan’s eyes glowed crimson due to the red-eye effect, making him look utterly ridiculous. 

But then...

“…And a video too.” 

Dong-hwan pressed her further, urging her to record a video as well. 

“What?” 

“A video!” 

Perplexed, Hee-soo raised her phone toward Dong-hwan again. 

“I was wrong. I promise this won’t happen again. I won’t call you out with bad intentions anymore, I won’t humiliate you, and I won’t interfere with your work—no, your business. I’m… I’m truly sorry.” 

After finally choking out the apology, Dong-hwan froze momentarily, his shoulders trembling slightly. 

Hee-soo couldn’t help but think she might be the first person to ever receive an apology from someone like him—a man who was practically the epicenter of every scandalous rumor circulating in the entertainment industry. Watching this seemingly untouchable figure break down into sobs evoked a strange pang of pity within her. 

Stopping the recording, Hee-soo spoke softly. 

“Uh, it’s fine. You can get up now.” 

“Huk… huk…” 

Still shaking, Dong-hwan slowly rose to his feet, wiping away tears as he took his phone back from Hee-soo. During the day, he had looked like a thug from the back alleys, but at night, he resembled nothing more than a deflated child. 

The dramatic turn of events made Hee-soo wonder who could have orchestrated such a scene—and Dong-hwan’s next words provided the answer. 

“...Later, tell Jae-hyuk that I came and apologized properly.” 

“Ah.” 

Jae-hyuk? How did he know? Why? 

Her mind brimmed with questions. 

“Why… why is that?” 

“Tsk, I don’t know! Ask him yourself if you want answers.” 

Though she reflexively questioned him, Dong-hwan’s sudden flare-up silenced her. Having already received his apology, there was no reason to spend more time with him. 

“…Thank you for bringing this up first. I also apologize for my behavior that day. It was inappropriate.” 

Hee-soo offered a polite response to placate him. In turn, Dong-hwan awkwardly loosened his stiff expression and added one final plea. 

“Make sure to mention… politely… that I said all this. Got it?” 

To Dong-hwan, who now whined like a child, Hee-soo nodded in agreement. 

Muttering curses under his breath, Dong-hwan abruptly turned toward his car, grabbing the door handle before glancing back at Hee-soo once more. 

“You’re lucky, Hee-soo. There aren’t many guys like him among rich kids. Seriously, he hasn’t dated anyone in ten years.” 

“…” 

“Hah, Lee Jae-hyuk. Lee Jae-hyuk!” 

Gritting his teeth and muttering Jae-hyuk’s name repeatedly, Dong-hwan shot Hee-soo one last glare before climbing into his car. 

“Let’s never meet again.” 

It was a sentiment Hee-soo wholeheartedly agreed with. 

“Is… is everything done?” 

From a distance, Cha Joo-won cautiously approached. 

“Yes. I should head inside now.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Right. Hee-soo, go inside and rest well tonight.” 

Joo-won’s tone was unusually gentle compared to his usual demeanor, but Hee-soo simply nodded indifferently and turned away. 

“Nuna, please go inside.” 

She gave Yoon-seok a faint smile after his respectful bow and hurried her steps. 

There was something she needed to do as soon as she got home.