It's Just A Picture (BL)
Chapter 265: I’ve heard you out but I still don’t want to release a statement

Chapter 265: I’ve heard you out but I still don’t want to release a statement

Dongwoo stared at the CEO in disbelief.

He wanted them to leave the rumor as it was?

Haejoo looked at Dongwoo’s expression and grinned.

"A little rumor won’t hurt anyone. Why the look of disappointment?" He asked. "It’s good for business and in this industry, there is no escaping dating rumors." He said.

Dongwoo clenched his fists. That was true but... If they didn’t make a statement about it, if they stayed quiet about it, the lie would keep spreading and everyone would begin to believe that lie as the truth.

"Hm, tell me," Haejoo spoke up, dropping his chin on his palm. "Why are you, their photographer, more concerned about the rumors than the ones who are involved?" He asked with a smug look on his face and Seojun kicked his table, causing Haejoo’s chin to fall from his palm and actually hit the table.

"Next time, I’m kicking your leg." Seojun threatened, not minding that Dongwoo was in the same room with them and Dongwoo wasn’t paying attention to that either.

In fact, he wished they could give a good smack to this CEO who was so nonchalant about the dating scandal and was even encouraging it.

"Can’t you at least pretend you have respect for me when there’s someone else in the room?" Haejoo asked, rubbing his chin, which had turned red.

"Hyung isn’t someone else so fix your attitude when you’re speaking to him." Seojin said, smiling and added with a cold glare. "Or we’ll fix you instead."

"Sheesh, I don’t know who’s the thug among you anymore." He muttered and rested his back. "Lee Dongwoo, right?" He said, facing Dongwoo. "Or should I call you Lee Minwoo instead?"

"Lee Dongwoo would be good." Dongwoo answered.

"Right, Lee Dongwoo. The only human on earth who can keep these two on a leech." He said and they frowned. "Didn’t mean anything bad by that, but... I just want to know, how do you do it?"

"Excuse me? How do I do what?"

"You know, how do you handle these two so well? You guys are dating, right?"

Dongwoo flinched. How did he know that?

"It’s not hard to guess. And besides, you wouldn’t be having those spots on your neck if you weren’t dating." He said and Dongwoo slapped his neck, shocked. "Ah, I’m kidding. There’s nothing there."

Dongwoo was annoyed. Was he messing with him?

"Anyway," Haejoo crossed his legs, rolled his eyes towards Seojin, and then to Seojun before letting it settle on Dongwoo. "...how do you handle them so well and still have the strength to stand the next day? You work so well. I’ve seen your work and it’s very impressive. I wonder how you do it all and never get exhausted."

Dongwoo furrowed his eyebrows.

He was not even excited that the CEO of Wailers called his work impressive. Well, he’s heard it from a lot of people to confirm he was a genius in the field, and on a normal day, if he got that compliment from the CEO, then he would’ve been elated.

But this wasn’t a normal day.

What he came to that office to do was to ask for an official statement to be released. But what he got in return was an interrogation section.

The twins were not happy with that either but it wasn’t a provoking question that would rile them up to hit Haejoo in front of Dongwoo.

And... They wanted to know how Dongwoo would respond.

"I’m sorry but I fail to see how that’s any of your concern." Dongwoo said and Haejoo paused.

"What?" He was in disbelief. He did not expect Dongwoo to speak like that to him.

"Yes, you heard me. How is me handling the twins a concern to you? Yes, I’m in a relationship with them. You know that fact very well, yet you’re asking why I’m so concerned about the rumors." He stepped closer to Haejoo’s desk. "I’m seeing my lovers on the news being talked about with some woman, do you know how that makes me feel?"

Haejoo looked at him and then laughed.

"Sharp tongue, I see." He said. "I didn’t expect you to talk to me like that, but it’s amusing, and I want to hear you speak more. So I’ll answer, you feel jealous, right?"

"Jealous?" Dongwoo scoffed. "I wish. All I feel is deep irritation and it makes me angry knowing this was all part of her plan. And because I’m angry, I want to act on it. So, please, release a statement and let this rumor die."

Haejoo stared at Dongwoo for a while and said,

"Hm, I’ve heard you out but I still don’t want to release a statement. Like I said, it’s good for business."

Dongwoo gritted his teeth.

So, he wasn’t going to do anything?

Were they to wait it out till everyone moved on to a new topic?

"But I’ll tell you what. After a week." Haejoo suddenly said, "After a week, I’ll release the statement. By then, people should be tired of it and move on to other hot stuff anyway. How about that?"

"It’s not like I have a choice." Dongwoo said.

Haejoo couldn’t say he wasn’t amused.

The first time they met, Dongwoo was accused of being an artist looking to get sexual favors. He was pretty bold to have punched Peri with a knuckle brace but it didn’t hide the fact that he was shaken by what happened.

He gathered intel on Dongwoo and got to know that the guy standing in front of him was not the outspoken type.

So, for him to speak so confidently and sharply in front of him then the amount of courage this little thing had to build up must’ve been quite great.

"Hey, stop looking." Seojun kicked his table once more. "It’s disgusting."

"Ah, yes, yes. It’s disgusting when I look at him but it’s not when you shove your rod into a fragile thing like him." Haejoo said, intending to provoke with a sly grin and Seojun’s eyes twitched.

"You..."

Dongwoo stretched his hand out to stop Seojun from advancing forward aggressively and said,

"You’re something, Mr. CEO." He looked Haejoo straight in the eye. "It’s clear that you want something from me. But be it intel on how to handle the twins or what their weak points are, know that I won’t tell you because there’s nothing to tell." He shifted back and added, "There’s no secret. You just have to be among the list of people they care about. And do you know how many people are on that list?"

Dongwoo’s lips suddenly curled up and he grinned.

"Just one, and that’s me. You wanna know how to handle them? Then you’d have to be me. But of course," he turned. "...that’s not possible. Goodbye, Mr. CEO. You’ve been of no help at all."

Dongwoo walked out and the twins displayed this proud and victorious smirk.

They were proud of Dongwoo’s response and were looking down on Haejoo and letting him know the bitter reality that he would never be able to control them, no matter what he did.

"Goodbye, Mr CEO." They both chorused as they turned, mimicking Dongwoo’s style. "You’ve been of no help at all."

"Please, stop. Don’t do that. It’s just nasty." Haejoo said and they laughed at him.

"What’s nasty is the way you try to provoke us every damn time." Seojin said. "You know quite well we don’t have the best self-control. So, make sure to stay in your lane next time."

"Mind what you say in front of Hyung." Seojun added, looking at him over his shoulder with cold eyes. "Hopefully, you two will never have to share a conversation again."

They both walked out and Haejoo gave out a sigh of relief.

He was eighty percent certain that they would hit him after Dongwoo left. Well, looks like he had his lucky stars to thank.

He dared say that much in front of them. His left hand was trembling.

How could they instill so much fear in him even to date?