Episode 18

“What the.”

When returning home, he took a plane. As soon as he arrived home by taking a taxi from the airport, what he saw was a house in a complete mess.

‘Although I wasn’t home, the housekeeper should have still come to manage it 2 days a week.’

But the house was in utter disarray as if someone had turned it upside down. Seung-hyun put on his indoor slippers and looked around the house, passing the messy floor.

“Whoever it was must have been quite angry.”

Seung-hyun opened the bedroom door, avoiding the broken decorations. Fortunately, only the living room was a mess. Who would do something like this?

‘Since it’s a house with tight security, it doesn’t seem likely that a complete stranger came in and out. Among the people who might know the password, someone who would do this…’

After making inferences for a moment, Seung-hyun recalled the owner of the two missed calls on his cell phone a few days ago.

‘I was going to contact her again after coming up to Seoul, but I guess she couldn’t wait that short while.’

Ziing. The moment he thought that, Seung-hyun’s cell phone rang again. In the text window with ‘Father’ that had stopped just like the text he sent on Friday, a new message had arrived.

[Tonight at 8, to the main house.] 1:39 PM

This time too, it was a concise text with no personal opinion. If it’s at 8, he’s probably not calling to have dinner together. This time, Seung-hyun also sent a positive reply.

[Understood.] 1:40 PM

Anyway, Seung-hyun also had no intention of sitting across from them and having a peaceful meal while laughing. He just thought that, whether he liked it or not, they were a relationship tied by blood, so he couldn’t just never face them.

“Oh my, what is this?”

But what should I do about this mess? While blankly staring at the living room for a moment, a voice like salvation was heard from somewhere. The housekeeper had come to work.

“…It wasn’t me.”

“Ah, yes…”

Although there was no need to explain, Seung-hyun unknowingly spoke to the housekeeper as if making excuses. But the housekeeper nodded her head with a face that didn’t believe it at all.

‘Why is she suddenly doing this?’

It was a quarterly event for an angry Seung-hyun to turn the house upside down, and although there were times when he went into his room huffing and puffing telling her to clean up, it was the first time he made such an embarrassed face.

As the housekeeper began to clean up the messy living room with familiarity, Seung-hyun, feeling a bit relieved, went back to his room.

[Jae-young Ju: Did you get home safely?] 1:50 PM

In the meantime, a text had come from Jae-young. Seung-hyun spent almost the whole week with Jae-young. They rode a Ferris wheel with an ocean view together, saw the ocean, and tried all kinds of meals at restaurants famous for being delicious at every meal.  

What he felt during those few days was that Jae-young was a better person than he thought. In fact, the biggest reason Seung-hyun didn’t firmly cut off Jae-young’s approach was because he hated being alone.

He didn’t even hope for a great relationship. He was just happy to have someone by his side. But hanging out with Jae-young was more fun than Seung-hyun had expected.

Although he couldn’t coldly reject him because he disliked being alone and felt bad about drinking far past his alcohol tolerance and making a scene, he did wonder if he could really be friends with the person he had spent the night with.

‘It would be better to just be partners. Being friends but having slept together. Is this okay?’

Is this not much of a problem in this world view? He had been doubtful, but as the days passed, he came to think it was a needless worry.

As if their physical relationship was just a dream, the two were plain with each other. And Seung-hyun quite liked this relationship.

[Yes. Now I’m pondering what to do for fun.] 1:51 PM

If he had been given a chance to live a completely new life, he might have felt something like romantic feelings for him. But Seung-hyun had a set end.

If his end came faster than the end of love, wouldn’t that be too sad? Seung-hyun thought that somehow, romance seemed to not exist in his life.

[I guess you have to have played around a lot to be good at playing. I’m already tired.] 1:51 PM

[Jae-young Ju: How about collecting stamps at each department store since the brands are all different?] 1:52 PM

Somehow it seems like he just wants to play. Seung-hyun chuckled and continued texting with Jae-young. For now, since the timing was awkward today, Seung-hyun decided to watch dramas or laze around.  

“The sun has already set.”

Time passed quickly like that, and it was time to get ready to go to the main house.

“…This family seems like the type to wear suits even when meeting as a family.”

Seung-hyun, who headed to the dressing room to change clothes, contemplated for a moment then shook his head, thinking ‘nah.’ It’s not like he’s going to a job interview, so there’s no need to dress uncomfortably.

Seung-hyun, dressed in a moderately neat outfit, headed to the garage. He, who used to admire the sight of several cars lined up that were so expensive that just seeing them on the street would make you gasp, picked up the car key that was closest at hand and opened the car door.

“Main house. Pyeongchang-dong.”

He started the engine after entering the destination into the navigation. To think the day would come when I would drive this kind of car myself. Seung-hyun grabbed the steering wheel, thinking he would die soon.

‘What will I hear when I go? I probably won’t hear anything good. I’ll just have to listen with one ear and let it flow out the other.’

Seung-hyun didn’t think much of facing his family. He just wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible and return home.

The main house in Pyeongchang-dong and Seung-hyun’s house weren’t very far. Before long, Seung-hyun was able to enter the parking lot of the main house.

“7:56. Barely made it.”

Seung-hyun checked the time, roughly tidied his clothes, and entered the mansion. Seung-hyun’s main house had a similar atmosphere to Seung-hyun’s house.

A dry house decorated by the book, but giving off a slight feeling that no one lives there. Are the parents and child alike after all? Seung-hyun thought as he stepped inside.

“Yo, young master, you’re he…”

Slap-! With a loud sound, Seung-hyun’s face turned to the left. Seung-hyun, who couldn’t grasp the situation for a moment, blinked and slowly turned his head.

“Pathetic bastard.”

A middle-aged woman who couldn’t contain her anger and was panting heavily stood in front. At a glance, her upturned eyes quite resembled Seung-hyun’s.

“…Mother.”

“To think that what I sacrificed my one and only chance to give birth to is a bastard like you. If there is a god, he can’t be this heartless to me.”

It seemed the guess was right. After huffing for a moment, Seung-hyun’s mother turned her feet as if she couldn’t stand the sight of him and returned to her room. There was no particular mention of his mother, so he didn’t know, but it seemed her personality wasn’t much different from his father’s.

‘I heard she was unable to have children after giving birth to Seung-hyun because her body was damaged.’

The child she gave birth to by sacrificing her one and only chance. It’s a title that seems like it should be treated quite preciously, but her attitude towards him was not like that at all.

Although the hand that struck his cheek didn’t hurt to the point of being unbearable, he felt a slightly stinging sensation, perhaps from being slightly scratched by long nails.

“Uh, the CEO is waiting for you inside.”

The housekeeper, who had been looking at the situation for a moment, spoke to Seung-hyun. Seung-hyun soon nodded his head at the pitifully flustered appearance.

“Let’s go.”

“Y-yes.”

It seemed like the housekeeper was trembling more, even though he was the one who got hit. Seung-hyun tried hard to ignore his throbbing cheek and followed the housekeeper.

“You’re late.”

At Taehyeop’s words, Seung-hyun unconsciously checked the time. Only about 1-2 minutes had passed since 8 o’clock.

There’s no way he couldn’t see the swollen cheek and scratches. To say “You’re late” as soon as he sees his face. Seung-hyun let out a laugh soft enough not to be heard.

“What did you call me for?”

“Have you become so stupid that you don’t even know that?”

Although he looked quite composed compared to his mother, Seung-hyun could instinctively notice. That this person was not someone who would let this situation pass with just one slap on the cheek.

“I have no intention of returning to the company.”

But even if something happens to him, would it be worse than dying? Seung-hyun spoke calmly. He didn’t want to beat around the bush because it seemed like the time spent facing this unpleasant man would only increase.

“Then what are you going to do for a living?”

Taehyeop asked, putting down the glass he was holding. He had a face that seemed to say, ‘Is there anything you can do?’

“Anyway, it’s already set in stone that the position of the next chairman will go to Managing Director Han Tae-sung. The company will run fine without me, and I just decided to stop making useless efforts.”

Seung-hyun spoke without being intimidated. He wanted to end this meaningless conversation quickly and return home.

Clang-!

But it seemed Taehyeop didn’t want that.