Tensegrity

Thank you @OATan for Ko-fi. Thic chapter is for you.

 

“Psychopaths hide among people. Nobody suspects a psychopath even if there are constant mysterious accidents happening around him.”

Jun-Kyung hoped Si-Eun Lee would only make use of the exhibition concept moderately.

“What would you do if there was a psychopath in front of you?”

“If they are a psychopathic criminal, I would take a shot and report it to the police.” Jun-Kyung’s voice naturally become tense.

“What if that psychopath is someone who has power and wealth at the same time that prosecutors and police in the country won’t believe you at all?”

“Could there be such a person? If he came from a family with that much wealth, he would be unable to do anything else since he was busy with tutoring from a young age.” Jun-Kyung brought up a story he heard from his older brother Jun-Hee.

“There is.” The tips of her red lips curled up. Darkness shone in her innocent, cruel and cheerful eyes. Lee Si-Eun wrapped her body with both arms.

“And it’s a lot closer than you can imagine.” She glanced up at Jun-Kyung.

“I could be right next to Mr. Jun-Kyung.”

“Let’s stop talking about scary things.” He was slowly getting annoyed. After roughly covering it with a polite smile, he took out the phone for no reason.

“Give me a minute.”

Jun-Kyung acted as if someone contacted him. The persistent gaze was unpleasant. He came out to the entrance of the exhibition hall and called his mother-in-law.

― Oh, I am going up now. Where are you?

“I am at the entrance.” He saw madam coming up the escalator. He was so happy that he burst into laughter.

“Did you wait long?”

“Not at all.” After explaining to her briefly about what he had been told at the hospital, they walked into the showroom. While he was suffering at the hands of Lee Si-Eun, Madam’s friends all arrived at the exhibition hall.

“Taewon, you’re late.” Madam name is Jeong Kyu-Jin. However, her friends called her Taewon. It’s kind of like a nickname.

“You are the one who is fast, Misung” There were names of well-known companies thrown around the group as greetings. Some of them were already acquainted with madam.

“This is Taewon’s new family?”

“Yes. Jun-Kyung, say hello.”

“Hello, my name is Jun-Kyung Ho.” He politely bowed his head.

“He is much more handsome than you told me.”

“That’s right. I told you that he is perfect for the youngest son because he has a good personality.” For a moment, the eyes of the wives gathered in one place. The dumbfounded mother was taken aback. “Oh, I am sorry. My mouth is out of control.”

Madam, who was really like a Bodhisattva, quickly dispelled the atmosphere. This was the reason why the wives from different companies were able to be friendly.

The chairwoman of the Taewon Group, which is ranked among the top five in Korea, naturally has no choice but to be the focal point. Because of her nature, she often mediates the atmosphere, so the individuals with such enormous influence went well without much friction.

“Should I say male daughter-in-law? Is it son-in-law? Anyway, this is the second time your son has brought a new member of the family.”

The atmosphere was like an ordinary middle-aged women gathering. Perhaps because they were close friends even though the wives have tremendous social influence. Of course, the outfit is far from wearing hiking clothes. (T/N: Korean middle-aged aunties often wear hiking clothes and gossiped together.)

“How did they meet?”

For a moment, the eyes of the wives were all focused on Jun-Kyung. Madam swept her glanced at Jun-Kyung with a proud smile.

“I packed a lunchbox and had Jun-Kyung send it.”

“Lunch box?” The wives’ eyes twinkled with curiosity. Madam explained how Jun-Kyung and Executive Director Min met face-to-face for the first time.

“Packed lunch. Will it work for my child?”

“There is no harm in trying.” This was followed by a discussion among the wives about how to get rid of unfilial children who don’t get married early. It was such a difficult and embarrassing position, but Jun-Kyung stood by the side with a smile until his cheeks hardened.

Because of a series of tragic family history, madam rarely went out recently. The reason why so many wives gathered here at once was to see madam who had been out for a long time.

A cheerful voice flew in with a fresh scent. It was Lee Si-Eun.

“Hello.”

“Si-Eun.”

“Our artist is here.”

Among them, there are many people who know Si-eun Lee directly, and they were happy to shake hands with Si-Eun Lee one by one.

“The work is very nice.”

“Thank you.”

Jun-Kyung was glad that Lee Si-Eun showed up. Their interest in Jun-Kyung has shifted to an attractive unmarried woman.

“Si-Eun, do you have a good person in mind?”

“Not yet. That’s just how it is.”

“Come over to my house sometime.”

“Shall I?”

The invitation to the house, in other words, was to introduce their son. The fact that she was engaged to the deceased Hyun-Jun Min was not widely known to the outside world. It was thanks to the family’s silence. Even Jun-Kyung who was living in the house doesn’t know, so of course, the wives did not know either.

While Lee Si-Eun is dealing with the grown-ups, Jun-Kyung naturally withdrew from the gathering with the excuse that he wants to see more of her paintings.

“Okay, go and see.” Jun-Kyung didn’t even catch madam either.

Jun-Kyung, who was finally alone, sighed and slowly walked around the exhibition hall. He didn’t like Lee Si-Eun’s world of art very much, but since he had nothing to do, he casually looked at her paintings that he hadn’t seen before.

The audience moved in groups of twos and threes and stopped in front of one painting. Jun-Kyung, who was following the audience in front, naturally stood behind them.

At the center of the exhibition, a space with carefully set lighting appeared. Unlike the other paintings that had several hanging on one wall, this one hung on the entire wall. The size of the painting was so enormous that it filled a wall. As a non-artist, he was more curious about the cost of the frame and paint.

“Wow, nice.”

“I came to see this.”

Judging from the conversations of the spectators standing next to it, it seemed to be a representative work, so this time Jun-Kyung took a closer look.

The colors were similar to the pictures he had seen so far. The only difference was the back of a man standing in front of the stormy sea at night. A man wearing a suit looked like a giant even though there was no special comparison group around him. His shoulders were exceptionally wide, and his back was even broader.

“What?”

The moment when the man strangely felt a bit familiar, something new was reflected in Jun-kyung’s eyes. The shape of the black and blue wave stretching around the man was strange. It wasn’t just a wave. He walked forward using the space between the spectators.

“Ah.”

Jun-Kyung, who is 180 cm tall, also had to lift his chin up to see the top of the painting. There was something he could only see when he was standing close.

The ominous black waves that stretched all over the place were not just mere spray. There were a lot of tiny bumps that you couldn’t notice unless you looked very closely. Among the shades, a black hand sprouted from the water and threatened the man along the silhouette.

Jun-Kyung’s heart throbbed. Cool goose bumps ran along his ankles.

Hyung.

His spine stiffened. As his mouth dried up, the cold feeling that started at his ankles gradually rose up. Hisvankles stiffened. The presence of visitors and the volume of conversations heard throughout the exhibition hall gradually decreased.

I’m so lonely.

The floor suddenly turned into chlorine-like water. The stream soon became as deep and strong as the waves in the Han River.

The lower body of Jun-Kyung, who was standing tall, was pushed and he lost his balance. The smell of chlorine from the ice-cold water quickly disappeared and was replaced with the fishy smell of salt.

Come with me.

The hard floor becomes like mud. The world shook. Now, black water flows down from the painting as well. A man in a tight suit blocked the center, but it was not enough to block the water flowing in all directions.

“No. Go away.”

What? What’s wrong with this person? People were buzzing around him.

“Fuck! Get out of here! Go away!”

Jun-Kyung screamed. His fists were tightened and released. While something flashes, the black water and the hand falter back. He quickly picked up the phone with trembling hands. There was only one person that immediately came to mind.

The other party received it before the first signal even reached out.

ㅡHello.

The moment he heard the heavy and stable voice, Jun-Kyung felt like he was about to burst into tears.

“Hyun……Seung…”

ㅡYes, I am listening. Tell me.

“I’m sorry…here….. could you come please… now.”