If he said he was going straight down to the branch office, it seemed like he’d be buried alive by Jung Kyungwoo’s hands.
“Let’s go to your house. I’m tired.”
“Good thinking.”
Meanwhile, Kyungrok and Dohyun supported Jungok. She staggered, perhaps dizzy from raising her blood pressure too much. Jungok, who seemed on the verge of exhaustion, caught her breath and called out to Jaeha.
“You said Seo Jaeha?”
“Yes, Mother.”
At the word “mother,” Jungok’s eyes widened. Kyungrok was also slightly surprised. But perhaps not disliking it, Jungok didn’t correct the form of address.
“Please take good care of our Kyungwoo. Kyungwoo is a bit sensitive, but please help him well.”
As she said that, Jungok firmly grasped Jaeha’s hand with both of hers. Her cold hands were similar to Kyungwoo’s.
“I’m the one receiving a lot of help from Kyungwoo.”
“That’s good. It’s good if you can rely on each other. Get along well. If you need anything, tell me through Kyungwoo. I’d like to have a meal together, but today seems a bit difficult.”
“Please invite us together with Kyungwoo next time.”
“Yes. See you next time.”
When Jaeha bowed his head in greeting, Jungok smiled. With Kyungrok and Dohyun, he communicated only with eye contact. After the three people left first in a cart, Jaeha and Kyungwoo also went to a cart.
Looking at the distant clubhouse, Jaeha asked, “Should we just walk?” Kyungwoo silently passed by the cart.
“How did you know to come?”
“Choi Dohyun.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“I asked Mother where Father went, and she said he was playing night golf. Noona knew the golf course location.”
“Did you come together?”
“We met here in the parking lot.”
Jaeha nodded.
“Your mother seemed to know something.”
“I’ve never told her. She just thinks we’re friends.”
“Won’t she be shocked when she finds out later?”
“That’s a matter for later.”
“I feel guilty though.”
At those words, Kyungwoo stopped. His gaze had been strange from earlier, and he placed his hand on Jaeha’s shoulder in the middle of the path where bright light poured down. His long fingers moved elegantly, groping around Jaeha’s neck area.
“So? Can’t do it anymore?”
“I never said that.”
“Seo Jaeha. Remember this well. You’re mine. Everything that lays hands on you…”
“Don’t say you’ll kill them. I said I don’t want a murderer boyfriend.”
Jaeha wrapped his arm around Kyungwoo’s waist. When he lowered his head, his lips brushed against Kyungwoo’s jaw.
“Did you ask your distant mother for help to save me?”
He whispered low in Kyungwoo’s ear. A low sigh leaked out as the lips that suited a cold smile parted.
“Yeah. Mother is the only one who can beat Father.”
“Reliable. Jung Kyungwoo.”
As he said that, Jaeha lightly bit Kyungwoo’s earlobe. The body embraced in his arms flinched and trembled.
“Knowing how to endure even things you dislike for my sake. I’ve fallen for you again.”
“Don’t just talk, show me something proportional to how much you’ve fallen.”
Kyungwoo’s touch burrowing into his shirt was urgent. Jaeha gauged his own condition and then whispered in a cracked voice.
“I don’t think I can make it to your house.”
“There’s an auxiliary parking lot nearby. No one comes at night.”
“Good.”
In an instant, the two of them ran to the cart that had fallen behind as if they had been waiting. Kyungwoo grabbed the cart’s steering wheel. The electric cart raced toward the parking lot.
*
The car driven by Dohyun was coming down the mountain and driving along. Jungok, holding her forehead with her hand as if her head hurt, groaned the entire time. As they say, even throwing a tantrum is done by those who can do it, and it seemed her body was strained from exploding in anger like that for the first time.
Watching such a mother, Kyungrok asked, “Should we stop by the hospital?”
“No. What feast has happened that I should go to the hospital? I can rest at home.”
“Can you face Dad?”
At those words, Jungok opened her closed eyes.
“Call Director Yoo and tell him to take the Chairman to a hotel for the time being. Add that it’s less embarrassing for the Chairman to live in a hotel than for me to live in a hotel.”
“Yes.”
Kyungrok followed Jungok’s words exactly. After the call with Director Yoo ended, Kyungrok chuckled.
“Dad also said he won’t come home for the time being.”
“Acting like a child even at that age.”
“Still, it’s fortunate. Both of you should clear out everything you need to at this opportunity.”
“You clear things out with your husband. What’s a divorce? There’s a murderer in the family.”
“Still.”
“Your father knows. If you really plan to divorce, nail it down this time.”
Kyungrok was startled. Then she grinned like a guilty mischief-maker.
“Dad knows?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t a father know? He knows.”
“I worried for nothing.”
“If Kyunghyun hadn’t caused trouble, you wouldn’t have gotten off safely either.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to tell them about Kyungwoo and Jaeha’s relationship at this opportunity? No matter what, compared to a murderer, homo…”
“Still, that’s too early. Your father will collapse. He’s old and doesn’t even have the energy to beat his wife, so if he finds out his son is dating a man, he’ll faint.”
Dohyun unconsciously stepped on the brake.
Screech.
She slowed down in an instant and then properly sped up again. She didn’t hit anything, but because of the sudden stop, the people in the back seat lurched forward.
“Secretary Choi!”
“I’m sorry, Director. I made a mistake.”
“Mom! You knew?”
Before reprimanding Dohyun, who had hit her head on the front seat, Kyungrok confronted Jungok first.
“My head hurts. Don’t yell.”
“No. Since when did you know? No, you knew and you’re fine with it?”
“Why are you being so loud?”
“Say something!”
“Secretary Choi, open the window. My head hurts.”
“Yes, Director.”
When Dohyun opened the empty passenger seat window, the night wind rushed fiercely into the car. Dohyun’s attention was also entirely focused on Jungok. She kept watching the rearview mirror and perked up her ears, worried that Jungok’s voice would be drowned out by the wind.
“I met Kyungwoo this afternoon. When he said the friend who changed him wasn’t a woman but a man, honestly I was a bit uncertain.”
“And?”
“Just now, I saw the way Kyungwoo looked at Prosecutor Seo and became certain.”
“And you’re fine with it?”
At those words, Jungok cast her gaze toward Kyungrok.
“Then what should I do? Kyungwoo isn’t someone who can be with just anyone. It’s better than living alone for life.”
“Still.”
“From the time he said he had no interest in women for life, I thought it might be so. Do you think the American students would have left that handsome kid alone? I’ve suspected for a long time that if not women, then men.”
Kyungrok seemed dumbfounded and let out a short sigh before leaning back in her seat.
“What about being happy he had a girlfriend?”
“Then should I have been happy without reserve that he got a man?”
Having shot back sharply, Jungok looked out the window and added wistfully, “I thought it would be nice if it were a woman, so I did that.”
“Did Secretary Choi know?”
Kyungrok’s arrow flew to Dohyun.
“A little… I also became certain just now like the Director.”
“How? Did you witness something?”
“Just… how should I say? It’s Executive Director Jung’s private life, so it’s difficult to reveal details.”
“Then how did you know?”
This time Jungok interrogated Kyungrok. Kyungrok crossed her arms and pouted. She was a cold businesswoman in front of others, but utterly a daughter in front of her parents.
“Dad put Director Oh behind Prosecutor Seo. Director Oh saw the two dating and was so surprised he brought it to me.”
“So? What did you do?”
“I confirmed the facts with Kyungwoo, but the kid brazenly came at me like ‘so what are you going to do about it?’ so I told him to demote Prosecutor Seo and cover it up. I thought Mom would be shocked. You should have given me a hint if you knew beforehand.”
“Wait, you demoted Prosecutor Seo? Don’t tell me Kyungwoo was so haggard because of that?”
“How would I have known?”
“Hey! You take care of your own child! I’ll take care of my child!”
Jungok shouted angrily at Kyungrok. Kyungrok was startled and whined, “Mom, that’s too much. I said I was thinking of you.”
“Anyway. All those Jung bastards are willful. They embrace everything alone and cause trouble. I’m so tired of it.”
“Moooom.”
Kyungrok hugged Jungok’s arm and acted cute.
“Get off. Disgustingly. You raise your kid from today!”
“Aw, you’re just saying that. Mom likes it too. Really taking him? Really? Really?”
Like a high school student, Kyungrok teased Jungok. Though it seemed like she would say to take him, Jungok didn’t open her mouth until the end. Instead, she firmly held Kyungrok’s clinging hand.
“If Professor Kim acts up and causes a scene with you, call Mom. I’ll grab him by the hair. I haven’t shown the spicy side of being a chairman’s wife enough. That’s why he can’t tell heaven from earth and makes my precious daughter suffer mentally.”
“Our mom suddenly became cool.”
“You saw earlier, right? Mom can do it when she does.”
“Reassuring.”
Watching Jungok patting her fully grown daughter acting cute, Dohyun also missed her mother particularly today.
Resolving to call later and definitely go on the weekend to be embraced in her mother’s arms, Dohyun firmly gripped the steering wheel.
