Episode 24

“Nice weather.”

Seung-hyun took off his sunglasses after getting out of the car. Perhaps because the sun was blazing, the weather felt a bit warmer than usual.

“Oh my. You have a lot of luggage. Should I help you move it?”

As soon as Seung-hyun’s car entered, a pleasant-looking caretaker came running out. The caretaker, who helped Seung-hyun unload the luggage, spoke to him.

“Will your companions be arriving later?”

“No. I’ll be using it alone.”

“Huh? Ah… well, that’s possible too.”

The caretaker, who was briefly flustered, returned to his kind face as if nothing happened and laughed. He seemed to think it didn’t matter since the accommodation fee remained the same even if one person used it.

“Wow. This is the first time a guest has come alone. Honestly, I’m a bit envious. Although ours is a separate building, I sometimes think I want to spend some time alone in a place like this too.”

“The facilities were nice.”

“The weather will be good for the next few days, so it’s perfect for using the pool. Even if the weather gets a bit chilly, the water temperature is maintained, so it’s okay. Also, if you look over there, there’s an indoor pool inside too…”

The caretaker chatted amiably and explained the separate building to Seung-hyun. It was a place he had seen several times through photos and reviews, but seeing it in person made his heart flutter again.

“If you need anything, please call the number attached here at the entrance. Have a pleasant time, guest.”

“Yes. Take care.”

After the caretaker who helped move the luggage left, Seung-hyun, now alone in the spacious building, threw himself onto the fluffy sofa. Unlike Seung-hyun’s house that lacked a human touch, the beautifully decorated house felt cozy.

“What should I do first? Should I play in the water while the weather is nice? Hmm. Before that… I should buy some food first. So I can eat right away.”

Seung-hyun looked at the clear sky through the front window, feeling a bit excited. Indeed, the peacefulness brought by nature was not something to be ignored.

“Nice weather…”

After blankly staring at the sky for a moment, Seung-hyun got up from his seat again. At this rate, he would end up just admiring the scenery until the sun went down.

“Meat… buy meat, and ramyeon after playing in the water. Are soft drinks enough like this?”

Let’s move right away now that I’ve made up my mind.

Seung-hyun immediately took his car out and pushed a cart around the mart, looking here and there.

He wasn’t confident he could eat it all, but wouldn’t it be better to have too much than not enough?

“Oh. This looks delicious too.”

When he put everything that caught his eye, a surprisingly large amount of food was placed in the cart. But it seemed a waste to take out even one.

‘The meals the madam makes are delicious, but sometimes…’

Seung-hyun, who had diligently packed all sorts of snacks, ramyeon, and soda that he wasn’t drawn to in the house with such a barren interior that he felt self-conscious even eating a snack, paid for the items.

“Will you be able to carry it alone?”

“Yes. I have a car too.”

“Still… ah, here. Please help this customer move the luggage to the trunk.”

Seung-hyun, who moved the luggage more comfortably than expected with the unexpected kindness, returned to the accommodation in a slightly excited state. Perhaps it was because he came to a place with good mountains and water, but the people seemed kind too.

Of course, he had to move it alone after returning, but isn’t this all part of the fun of a trip?

“Now, shall we really play?”

Seung-hyun, who finished organizing everything he bought in the refrigerator, looked at the outdoor pool with an eager face. Seung-hyun, who quickly changed into loose-fitting swim trunks and a white short-sleeved shirt, inflated the tube he brought and fastened the buckle of the life jacket.

Splash-!

The water, slightly warm unlike the cool air, made Seung-hyun feel good. Seung-hyun, who immediately floated to the surface thanks to the life jacket, laid on his back and looked up at the clear sky.

Leaving behind all the bothersome people and quietly floating in a pool with no one around was more enjoyable than he had imagined.

“Ah… this is it.”

Seung-hyun closed his eyes and lightly kicked his legs, enjoying the leisure. The sunny weather, the quietness with only the sound of birds, although there was another identical separate building next to him, it seemed Seung-hyun was the only one reserved for today, as no one entered even after the check-in time passed.

‘Should I get rid of the Seoul house too? If I search well, it seems there would be a villa in a quiet place. No. Then it would be hard to get deliveries…’

Seung-hyun, who liked this quietness, briefly dreamed of a country life but shook his head. Seung-hyun was someone who liked living mixed in the city.

This kind of quietness and peacefulness was nice, but it was good because it was occasional. If he had to spend every single day like this, it seemed it might get a bit boring.

It didn’t take that long to get here, so wouldn’t it be okay to come again when someone was being annoying or when he wanted to clear his head?

“Long-term overseas trips are impossible because of the hospital. But I can still go nearby.”

Seung-hyun recalled the passport he had found while rummaging through the house. It was filled with only short-term, short-term, short-term schedules as if he had only gone on business trips.

Even so, it was only to the countries he always visited. The schedule was so packed that it made him wonder if he had ever been on a trip.

“Go to hot springs, amusement parks… amusement parks are no fun alone.”

Should I hint at Ju Jaeyoung to go together? Seung-hyun was lost in thought for a moment. If he says no… should I take Lee Seok-hyung? That seems a bit boring though.

Seung-hyun pictured Seok-hyung, who would probably have the same expressionless face as usual even at an amusement park. No, he might have told him not to go to such places in the first place, saying it’s dangerous to be surprised.

“Although he’s the person who worries about Han Seung-hyun the most in this world… he’s still burdensome.”

A family no better than none, human relationships with not a single person to call a friend was a bit of a relief for the current Seung-hyun who didn’t know much about Han Seung-hyun’s past.

There would be no questions like ‘Do you remember that time?’, and he wouldn’t have to experience the awkwardness of forcibly pretending to be close with someone he doesn’t know.

But there was exactly one person who was like a collection of those troublesome situations – Lee Seok-hyung. Should I say it felt like the burden of worrying of about five people combined into one?

“I wonder if he met Jeong Hyeokjae by now. Although he’s not a particularly good person either… he didn’t have the moth-like aspect like Han Seung-hyun.”

So he felt sorry for him and also wanted him to escape from Seung-hyun and live a happy life.

Jeong Hyeokjae. He was Seung-hyun’s aide and also one of the villains. But unlike Seung-hyun who rushed in with a mindset of having nothing to lose, he was rational and smart.

‘In the end, he subtly withdrew and contributed to Han Seung-hyun’s failure.’

In a way, from Han Seung-hyun’s perspective, he was a bastard, but what does it matter for something that won’t happen anyway? I should find a job for the poor subordinate whose position became ambiguous because the superior he trusted and followed suddenly quit.

‘At least he’s someone who distinguishes where to stretch his legs and where not to, so maybe he can control Lee Seok-hyung if necessary…’

Seung-hyun thought like that and surrendered his body that had become drowsy in the warm water. He felt so languid that it seemed he might fall asleep like this.

“Wow. This place is nice. Maybe I should come here for my next vacation too.”

Then, someone’s voice pulled Seung-hyun back to reality. It was a voice too close to be just a passing tourist.

‘…A country bumpkin making trouble?’

“Long time no see. Director Han Seung-hyun.”

The moment he heard the most disliked title in an unfamiliar voice, Seung-hyun got up and turned his gaze from the sky.

Perhaps because he had been looking at the light for a long time. The person in front of him was not clearly visible in his slightly darkened vision.

“It’s nice to see you enjoying your vacation so well.”

His vision gradually became clearer, and the face of the man who spoke began to be seen properly. But like the voice, the face revealed under the sunlight was also unfamiliar.

However, before long, Seung-hyun couldn’t help but stiffen his face. Because the man he thought he wouldn’t see for the time being, the one he was just thinking about a moment ago, appeared behind the stranger. Seeing him, Seung-hyun could deduce who the unfamiliar person in front of him was.

“Jeong Hyeokjae…”

“Well, there’s no need to use titles now… but it still feels a bit awkward to be called like that.”

They say even a tiger comes when you talk about it, but did it come even just by thinking, not talking? Seung-hyun looked at Seok-hyung standing behind Hyeokjae.

‘This is why I said he’s burdensome…’

Perhaps because his peaceful time was interrupted. His face immediately frowned. Seung-hyun got out of the pool. It was warmer than the recent weather, but as soon as he got out of the water, he got cold and had to wrap his body with the towel he had prepared in advance.

“We have something to talk about…”

“……”

Seung-hyun lightly ignored Hyeokjae’s words and picked up the cell phone he had placed next to the sun bed. Seung-hyun, who walked to the front door without hesitation, called someone.

“…What are you doing now?”

“Hello.”

Seung-hyun spoke as if he couldn’t hear what was being said next to him. A voice could be heard from the other end of the receiver, and Seung-hyun immediately spoke to the person on the other end.

“Someone who didn’t make a reservation has intruded here. I’d like you to kick them out right away.”

“…Director Han Seung-hyun?”

“Yes. They said they’ll come right away. I understand.”

Seung-hyun finished the short conversation and put down the phone. Glancing at the two people with dumbfounded faces, Seung-hyun spoke.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and get lost.”