Just Friends, I Swear
"Oh, no... I just thought you made up an imaginary friend so you could move out..." Lee Da-bi, who was listening nearby, muttered under her breath.
"Tae-hyun, do you really have an imaginary friend?"
"No, I don't."
Flustered, Kim Tae-san cleared his throat and quickly composed himself as he looked at Lee Da-bi and her younger sisters.
"Ah, my apologies. It's terribly rude of me to barge in at this hour. I just thought Tae-hyun was lying to play a prank on me..."
"...?"
"...???"
The three members of the Lee family stared blankly at Tae-hyun. Their eyes conveyed a single, unified question: Do you and your father usually play around like this?
But Tae-hyun remained completely unfazed. Hey, what's wrong with playing around like this!
In the meantime, Lee Da-bi spoke up. It wouldn't do to leave the apologetic Kim Tae-san hanging.
"Oh, please don't be. We're the ones who are imposing. Tae-hyun has truly helped us so much today..."
How on earth did my rascal of a son get close to such a polite young lady? Before Kim Tae-san could even finish his thought, Tae-hyun cut in.
"No, she's right. Barging in at this hour is definitely rude."
Kim Tae-san glared at Tae-hyun, his blood pressure rising. Ignoring his father's glare, Tae-hyun held out his hand.
"Dad, hand over the card. Da-bi and her sisters are going to be living here from now on, and they'll feel anxious if you keep holding onto it."
"Y-you little brat...!"
They say a man in love forgets his own parents, but to think Tae-hyun would actually be like this! Then again, now that he thought about it, Tae-hyun had always been a bit of a shameless bastard...
Grumbling, Kim Tae-san handed over the card. "Fine, here! Happy now?"
"Thank you, Father."
Kim Tae-san stole a quick glance at Lee Da-bi and her sisters, then dragged Tae-hyun into another room.
"So... is she the one? Huh?"
"...?"
"You know, that... Stop playing dumb!"
"Oof!"
As if too embarrassed to say the words out loud, Kim Tae-san playfully jabbed him. Tae-hyun, who hadn't been paying much attention, let out a groan as the fist connected with his ribs.
"I-I've never even been hit by gangsters before..."
"Ah. Sorry about that."
"Dad... please, watch your strength..."
"It's because you keep dodging the question!"
"It's because you keep phrasing things so weirdly! What on earth are you even talking about?!"
Their voices began to rise.
"I'm asking if you two are dating, you idiot!"
He had intended to keep his voice down, but Tae-hyun's refusal to answer pushed Kim Tae-san's frustration to the limit. His final words were practically a shout.
"Pfft!"
"..."
From across the room, Lee Da-bi, who had been taking a sip of water, suddenly choked. Her sisters, who had been chattering away, instantly fell dead silent. Realizing what he had done, Kim Tae-san's face flushed bright red. He had wanted to ask quietly, but now he just looked like a completely tactless middle-aged man!
"M-my bad."
"It's fine... and we're not dating."
"What? Really? Then is it Lee Se-yeon?"
"How does your train of thought even jump from her to Lee Se-yeon? I told you, it's nothing like that."
"O-oh, it's not? I just figured since you were linked with someone like Lee Se-yeon—who is way prettier, kinder, and has a much better personality than you..."
"..."
Tae-hyun silently endured his father's verbal assault, waiting to see just how far he would take it.
"...I thought the only reason you'd deny dating rumors with a girl like her was because you had someone else."
"Don't you think I denied it because Se-yeon and I are genuinely not in that kind of relationship? Isn't that the most logical conclusion to draw first?"
"Ahem. Well, just tell me what's going on then. How did this happen?"
"Well, here's the story..."
Tae-hyun gave a brief explanation. He had met Lee Da-bi in the game, and since she had helped him out a lot and seemed like a genuinely good person, they became close. However, because she was stubbornly reluctant to accept any help, he had hired some people to do a background check on her...
"You did what?"
"What?"
"N-no, wait. Am I the only one who thinks that sounds incredibly sketchy?" Kim Tae-san looked utterly bewildered. Didn't his son just casually admit to something highly questionable?
"You two should have something to drink while you talk."
"Ah. Thanks."
As Lee Da-bi walked over and handed them some drinks, Tae-hyun accepted his gratefully. Kim Tae-san took his as well, still in a daze.
"Uh, excuse me, but... do you happen to know about...?"
"Know about what?"
"Well, you see, my..."
"Dad. You're making Da-bi look at you like you're crazy."
"That's because of you, you punk!!" Kim Tae-san roared in sheer exasperation. He had been carefully choosing his words to avoid making Tae-hyun look like a complete creep, and this was the thanks he got!
"I mean... did you know this guy... did a background check on you...?"
"Oh, the part where he hired people to investigate me? Yes, he told me about it."
"...And you're... you're okay with that?!"
"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't be. But since it was Tae-hyun, it's fine."
"?!?!"
As Lee Da-bi walked back to her sisters, Kim Tae-san remained frozen in absolute bewilderment. What in the world is the relationship between these two?!
"You interrupted my explanation, Dad."
"O-oh? Right. Sorry. So, what happened next?"
Tae-hyun continued. He explained how the background check revealed some malicious scumbags, so he contacted everyone from his lawyer to his father's influential friends, and even reached out to Chairman Yoo...
"Cough, cough!"
Hearing Chairman Yoo's name brought up, Kim Tae-san choked on his drink.
"What's wrong?"
"N-nothing... Keep going."
So, with everything sorted out, he decided to have them move here just in case, and he planned to stay nearby to keep an eye on the situation...
That was the end of Tae-hyun's explanation. Kim Tae-san nodded slowly. It wasn't a nod of understanding, but rather a mechanical gesture from someone whose soul had temporarily left his body.
"Well... you did a good job. You really... handled everything perfectly, didn't you?"
"Thank you?"
"I mean, I did teach you to do things that way..."
If you're going to make a move, make sure you finish it completely. Kim Tae-san had always said that out of habit, but he never expected Tae-hyun to take it so literally and thoroughly. From the sound of it, the perpetrators were undoubtedly going to rot in prison for the rest of their lives.
"You did well. And yes, you can certainly do that much for a friend. Sure. But... are you two really just friends?" Kim Tae-san hesitated, trailing off. Do kids these days worry about their "friends" this intensely and thoroughly? Well, his son was a bit unusual, so maybe...
"Yes. Why?"
"Hmm... No, never mind. Anyway, I get it... I'll explain things to Yoon-hee."
"Huh? I'll tell her myself. Why should you?"
"Just stay quiet, you idiot!" Kim Tae-san snapped. Tae-hyun would undoubtedly tell the absolute, unvarnished truth with complete confidence. And who would have to deal with the fallout? Kim Tae-san, of course! Why should he get scolded for doing nothing when Tae-hyun was the one who caused all the chaos?
"Anyway, I'm leaving. Take good care of your... 'friend'..."
"Ah, let's head out together."
"What?"
"I have to go downstairs and set up the team house anyway. I'll be staying there from now on."
"...Are you two really just friends?"
"Pardon?"
"Nothing, you punk."
Seeing Tae-hyun choose to leave with him instead of staying behind to spend some quality time alone with her, Kim Tae-san couldn't help but wonder, Wait, are they actually just friends?
Well... it's not like Tae-hyun's bizarre social skills are anything new...
With that thought, Kim Tae-san left the apartment. And so, the night finally came to an end. It had been an incredibly long night.
"Congratulations, Cain."
"What? What is it? Y-you're not planning to send me to self-destruct on the Great Chieftain, are you...?"
"...No, you idiot. I've officially formed the gaming team and secured a team house, so get over here."
"What?! Really?!" Cain leaped to his feet.
"The address is..."
"Hold on, let me tell my family first!"
"Sis! I finally got into a gaming team! Take back what you said last time about me being a loser! You hear me?!"
-Are you sure it's a real gaming team? Which one is it?
"W-well... the team's name is..."
-...Oppa. No matter how desperate you are, you shouldn't get scammed... I know I was harsh before, but...
"No, I'm not lying! It's real! You saw me win the tournament!"
-Well, yeah, but...
Hearing the sister's voice over the phone, Tae-hyun felt a pang of pity. Just how much abuse had Cain suffered from his family to get this kind of reaction...?
"O-okay, I'm back. So where is it?"
"I sent you the address. Let me know when you arrive, and I'll hand over the paperwork. I can recruit a few more guys like you for the team."
"Is the team house big?"
"Well... it's smaller than Da-bi's place, but..."
"Why are you bringing up Da-bi's place?" Cain tilted his head in confusion. Why did her house suddenly enter the conversation?
"Ah, it's nothing. Just get over here."
"Alright, I'm on my way!" Cain excitedly began packing his bags. His younger sister watched him with a look that clearly said, Is this really okay? but Cain didn't care. Soon, she would realize he wasn't lying!
"U-uh, um..."
"Excuse me, how can I help you?"
"Oh, well, you see, I'm..."
As a security guard stepped forward and eyed him suspiciously, Cain completely froze. This place was...
G-Gangnam High Palace!
The ultra-luxury apartment complex where only the ultra-wealthy and top celebrities lived! Cain was struck by a sudden realization. Tae-hyun had tricked him.
This is too cruel, Kim Tae-hyun! What did I ever do to deserve this?! Wait... did he find out I was talking trash about him behind his back?!
Cain's guilty conscience flared up. But no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't think of anything he'd done to warrant this kind of punishment. Lugging a massive pile of luggage on his back, Cain began to babble incoherently, trying to explain why he was there. But the more he talked, the more suspicious the guard's expression became. Eventually, the guard reached into his pocket for his walkie-talkie!
Just then, Tae-hyun called.
-Hey, when are you getting here?
"Y-you evil bastard!"
-...?
"What did I do to deserve this?!"
-...Could you first explain what exactly "this" is?
"There's no way the team house is here!!"
"It is the team house, you idiot."
"?!?!"
Cain jumped in shock as the voice came not from the phone, but from right in front of him. Tae-hyun was walking out of the lobby.
"...You weren't tricking me?"
"Wow, is that really what you think of me? I'm actually hurt. Here I was, securing such a nice place for someone's sake..."
It wasn't like he had gotten the place specifically for Cain—it was mostly for Lee Da-bi. But Cain had no way of knowing that, and his face instantly filled with deep remorse as he bowed his head.
"I-I'm sorry...! I had no idea...!"
"Forget it. My feelings are hurt."
"No! It's my fault! Sob! This mouth of mine! This stupid mouth...!"
The security guards watched the two men's bizarre exchange with strange looks. They already knew who Tae-hyun was. He was the son of the Kim Tae-san, and after his recent broadcast fame, he was a well-known figure.
"Wait, is that guy Cain?"
"Ah, must be. I thought he was some suspicious peddler, but it's definitely Cain."
"But did he just say this was their team house...?"
"You must have misheard. What kind of gaming team uses a place like this as a team house?"
"Let's head up first. You need to unpack."
"Yes, sir!"
"Don't use honorifics. It's creepy."
"Okay..." Cain followed dejectedly behind Tae-hyun.
"Whoa...!"
"How many times are you going to gasp?"
From the lobby to the elevator, the entryway, and finally the living room, Cain gasped in awe at every single turn.
"Are we really living in a place like this?"
"Yeah. We can set up the capsules over here."
"I-I can't believe I get to live in such luxury...!"
No need to tell him that Da-bi is staying in the penthouse. Tae-hyun thought to himself as he watched Cain's ecstatic reaction.
Click, click—
"What are you doing?"
"Taking photos to send to my sister!"
"You do the weirdest things."
"She'll definitely believe me once she sees this!"
Cain excitedly sent the text message. A moment later, a reply came back.
"...Can I invite my sister over?"
"Huh? Sure, do whatever you want. We need to unpack and claim our rooms anyway."