“Are you Choi Junsik-nim’s brother?”
“No, just… because of work.”
Mentioning Choi Junsik, the landowner, the employee asked about their relationship. The boss cut his words short with a leisurely face. Since he had to have the real conversation with the site manager anyway, there was no need to waste his breath now.
“I see Myeongjin is also doing a golf course?”
“We’re subcontractors, so we don’t know the details well.”
When Eunchan asked, mentioning the construction company, the employee evaded the answer with a smiling face. That side also didn’t seem to want to have deep conversations with outsiders. Hyungsik took out his phone and started playing a game, and the boss yawned and began reading the golf course pamphlet next to him. Eunchan also thought about taking out his phone, but remembered he’d turned it off before coming and decided to just leave it.
He was just blankly counting the ceiling patterns when the boss nudged Eunchan with his elbow from the side.
“Hey, just in case, take out your business card.”
At the whispered words, Eunchan frowned. He didn’t want to get involved with the lawyer more than necessary, and felt uncomfortable as if he was doing something that would get him in trouble for no reason.
“Do we really have to?”
“I said just in case.”
He hated it to death, but the boss was superior and he was subordinate. Eunchan told Hyungsik that his wallet was there, and if needed, he’d take it out. Only then did the boss nod.
What if the lawyer asks why I did that? I’ll be the one who has to meet face-to-face and make excuses. Eunchan cursed the boss in his mind. That cunning snake of a person…
“Sorry I’m late. Are you brothers?”
While he was busy cursing, the site manager they’d been waiting for opened the door and came in. Hyungsik and Eunchan stood up from their seats and greeted the site manager.
“Hello.”
“We’re not brothers, we came because of work.”
“Where do you work…?”
“There’s a grave mound on the mountain, right? Has that been discussed?”
Since it was mostly the eldest son’s duty to perform ancestral rites, he also had grave site rights (a property right similar to superficies recognized by customary law for someone who has a grave on another person’s land). Instead of answering the site manager’s question, the boss immediately brought up the main purpose.
“As far as I know, I heard it’s in progress.”
The second son who was said to be in America seemed unaware that the grave had been relocated. The site manager scratched the back of his head and began searching through file folders.
“Are they asking for a lot?”
“Well…”
Avoiding the exact amount, the site manager looked at the boss with a reluctant face.
“But where did you come from? Who are you?”
“I have some information about that grave. Would you like to hear it?”
The boss grinned and tapped the table with his finger.
“What kind of information?”
“Information you won’t regret hearing.”
“Step outside for a moment.”
The site manager gestured to the employee to dismiss them.
“Hyungsik-ah, you go out too and look around outside.”
The boss also sent Hyungsik, who was sitting with a blank face, outside. Eunchan got his wallet back from the departing Hyungsik and put it in his pocket. Soon after the two left, only the boss, the site manager, and Eunchan remained in the office, starting to gauge each other.
“You’ll need to talk to the company president about contract-related matters. We only direct the site.”
“Then should we call the president too?”
“…Let’s hear it first.”
The site manager sat with his arms crossed and made eye contact with the boss.
“You know the grave is empty, right?”
Eunchan looked back at the boss in surprise. It was quite important information, so what was he going to do laying out his cards like that?
“I know.”
“But you haven’t been able to remove the mound yet?”
“Yes.”
The site supervisor frowned and clicked his tongue. Eunchan inhaled at the fact that the construction company already knew. It had been an impossible task from the beginning. They almost got stuck with the burden in the middle for nothing.
“We have evidence.”
“We also have witnesses.”
There were several village residents who saw the relocation at the time. The site manager mentioned this and looked at the boss and Eunchan alternately.
“Wouldn’t evidence be more certain? What will you do if the witnesses change their words later?”
“What kind of evidence do you have?”
“The brothers personally entrusted the request to our company. They asked us to relocate to the empty grave.”
“Do you have documents?”
“Yes, we even have a signed contract.”
When the boss spoke with a confident voice, the site manager’s expression changed. After seeming to think for a moment, the site manager soon picked up his phone.
“I don’t think you should talk with me. Let’s speak with someone else.”
Eunchan wiped his hands on his pants. It felt like things were getting bigger and bigger. However, unlike Eunchan who looked anxious, the boss leisurely drank the coffee placed on the table.
“Could you wait a moment?”
“Yes—”
As if he was going to make the call outside entirely, the site manager picked up his phone and stood up. The boss laughed, saying time was all he had. When the site manager went outside the office, Eunchan signaled to the boss with his eyes.
“Boss, is it okay for us to do it this way? Things seem to be getting a bit big.”
“Where can you be used with such small guts? Did you get the business card ready?”
“Yes…”
“You have to throw it out like this to make big money. How can I run the company and pay you guys’ salaries with petty jobs?”
The boss laughed while brushing off the dirt dust on his pants.
“The lawyer is also with Myeongjin, what if problems arise from getting them unnecessarily involved?”
“There won’t be a use for it. Still, it’s good to have one person you know at Myeongjin, so I told you to prepare it just in case. Ah, this bastard is so damn scared.”
Isn’t it because I’m afraid I’ll end up cleaning up their shit? Eunchan gave up on the conversation and looked up at the ceiling again. While keeping silent, the boss’s phone ringtone sounded.
“Is it Hyungsik? Yeah, what? Hello?”
“…?”
“Yes, Kim Eunchan? Yes. Is it very serious? Ah…”
At hearing his own name, Eunchan mouthed “what happened” with his lips.
“Yes yes, I understand.”
The boss, who quickly finished the call, turned his head blankly to look at Eunchan.
“What is it?”
“You… that, what happened with the stalker? Are you close with that guy?”
“Why are you suddenly asking that?”
The boss rolled his eyes for a moment before opening his mouth.
“The guy at the hospital suddenly self-harmed. He’s looking for you?”
“Nyeh?”
Because it was so absurd, “ne” and “ye” mixed together and came out as a sound. Until this morning, he was a person sleeping peacefully with a tranquil face, so why did he suddenly self-harm?
“Did you turn off your phone? They said they can’t reach you.”
“Did they call from the hospital?”
“Yeah. But what to do, our work isn’t even finished yet.”
Eunchan chewed his lips and trembled his legs. Did the stalker come back? Somehow, he seemed to hear Miro’s voice in his ear saying he was scared. Eunchan gripped the car keys in his pocket tightly.
“Boss, I’m going to go.”
“Hey! Where are you going!”
At Eunchan’s words, the boss shouted.
“Hyungsik is here too.”
“Does that make sense? You need to be here!”
“I’ll go up first.”
“Just try leaving.”
When Eunchan stood up, the boss spoke in a firm tone. However, Eunchan walked toward the door without even pretending to listen.
“Kim Eunchan! You bastard, won’t you listen?!”
When the boss finally got really angry, Eunchan stopped walking in front of the door. And soon he turned around again and approached the boss.
“This bastard has been getting full of himself lately, sit down quickly!”
“Han Inju’s business card. I’ll give you this before I go.”
Since he was taking the car, it was okay to hand over the business card to the boss at least. Eunchan, who placed the business card on the table, quickly walked out of the office.
“Kim Eunchan!”
“Hyung, where are you going?”
Inside the office was the boss loudly calling Eunchan’s name, and outside the office was Hyungsik looking puzzled at Eunchan who suddenly came out.
“I have something to do, so I’m going up first. Finish the work well and come back.”
“Is it urgent?”
After roughly waving his hand to greet Hyungsik, Eunchan started running toward where he parked. I should’ve just closed my eyes and said I’m going back to the hospital today too. He didn’t know what happened, but he thought that in the future—or rather, absolutely—he shouldn’t leave Miro alone. His heart pounded heavily in time with Eunchan’s running sounds. Somewhat urgently.
* * *
He didn’t know with what state of mind he drove. Just two questions kept floating around in his head—how much and why was he hurt—so he couldn’t think about anything else. Eunchan, who immediately parked his car in the hospital parking lot, ran into the elevator.
His palms were drenched with sweat from anxiety. At the sense of responsibility he felt, Eunchan chewed his lips. Giving one answer, what’s so difficult about that…
While looking up at the slowly rising numbers, Eunchan stamped his feet. Soon after, the familiar VIP lobby appeared and he saw the now-friendly face of a nurse.
“Kim Eunchan-ssi?”
“I heard he was hurt. Is he in the hospital room?”
“First, catch your breath.”
The nurse gave Eunchan a moment. Eunchan tidied his disheveled hair and smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. When he finally signaled to the nurse again asking if he could go in, the nurse shook her head as if not yet.
“The wound wasn’t deep and the treatment was completed well.”
“But?”
What’s the problem then? Eunchan continued to ask back.
“You know that Miro-ssi has a rare blood type, right?”
“No? This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
I’m also someone who only found out recently. Eunchan swallowed his words inside and waited for the nurse’s explanation.
“You didn’t know? It’s a blood type that’s really difficult to get transfusions for. There are almost no blood packs available domestically right now.”
“Isn’t it very serious?”
“What I mean is, even small bleeding can be dangerous for Miro-ssi, so please be careful.”
“…Yes, I’ll be careful.”
“The patient is currently very anxious and having a hard time emotionally. At times like this, you need to support him by his side.”
“Yes.”
Eunchan repeatedly nodded and engraved the nurse’s explanation in his head. Soon after, permission was given to enter the hospital room. After greeting her, Eunchan walked down the long corridor. Standing in front of V-004, Miro’s hospital room, Eunchan finally felt the fact that Miro was quite a critically ill patient. Eunchan, who exhaled, raised his hand and carefully knocked on the hospital room.
“Miro-ssi, this is Kim Eunchan.”
