How would he change? Would he become solid or would he cling to him in a completely weakened state? The changed appearance of Muyoung he’d confirm in the near future wasn’t properly drawn yet just with Dowon’s imagination.
He wanted to confirm that sight as soon as possible.
* * *
The high wall, said to have recently completed major maintenance, was densely built with marble. Garden trees showed lushly above the wall, and the mansion that would be positioned inside could only barely be seen at the edge of the roof. From outside, its massive body couldn’t be confirmed with the eyes.
Only after the car entered through the gate that opened obediently did Dowon exhale shortly and lightly twist his neck to relieve tension. He’d been on edge continuously since waking up to adjust arriving at a time that was deliberately neither too early nor too late.
Black flagstones were laid over the garden’s green lawn, leading to the gate. While moving his steps, quietly and calmly treading on them, Dowon looked at the large ginkgo tree standing on one side of the garden. The tree with leaves already starting to turn yellow hanging thickly had been enduring in the same spot for quite a long time through the landscaping that changed several times. Perhaps non-human things endured longer in this household. Dowon, scanning the scenery he was encountering after a long time with dry eyes, soon entered the mansion.
“You’re here. You can go straight to the dining room.”
Dowon, who lightly nodded at the servant’s greeting at the entrance and took off his shoes, organized his expression once more.
Passing through the wide living room with indifferent eyes and entering the dining room, which was the destination, the table where setting was already finished had exactly three servings prepared. As expected, he was the first to arrive. Han Cheolwon, who lived not far from this mansion, would come soon, but the problem was Chairman Han. His habit of deliberately appearing late at his seat to show off power—every time he experienced it, the feeling wasn’t good.
“What, you were called too today?”
“It just happened.”
Clear mockery was contained in Han Cheolwon’s eyes as he came to the table and sat down with leisurely steps. The shirt unbuttoned to the point of seeming dissolute was an appearance of having just woken up and barely dressed properly, let alone preparing for work. Though he already knew he would participate in the meal and pretended not to know and was in that state, it was like the arrogance of someone who knew his position would be solid no matter what he did.
Dowon also knew. Moreover, today there was even Han Cheolwon’s gaze thrown as if looking down on him as soon as they faced each other. It was probably largely due to the article mentioning Dowon and Muyoung the day before. Han Cheolwon still seemed not to know why that article had come out.
“You should be more careful. Well, it doesn’t matter if you cause an accident or two when you’re young, but you have your age too. Why bother going around causing headaches? Just get married.”
At the continuing words, Dowon laughed softly. Han Cheolwon, who’d proceeded with a strategic marriage in his early thirties, went around playing just fine regardless of whether he was married. Though he officially produced quite an atmosphere as a very family-oriented person, everyone knew that both he and his wife were people far from a family-oriented atmosphere.
For example, every time Han Cheolwon caused an accident, his wife was apparently selling off bit by bit the Jaeyoung stocks she’d received as a wedding gift. Perhaps taking whatever appeared on Dowon’s face as something, Han Cheolwon shrugged his shoulders and acted carelessly.
“How is sister-in-law?”
“My wife? She’s doing well, of course.”
“That’s fortunate.”
After words that were nothing but superficial pleasantries were exchanged, Chairman Han soon entered the dining room. Dowon’s appearance of rising from his seat quietly without making loud noise and waiting, then sitting in his seat only after seeing Chairman Han sit down, was as natural as if painted. To the extent that he seemed like someone who’d sat together at this seat for a long time.
“You worked hard coming early.”
“Not at all. I should have come earlier.”
“Let’s eat, Father. Dowon, you eat well too.”
Dowon, who had been looking at the appetizingly prepared table, moved his hands slowly. Though it was table setting with a lot of care put into it in many ways, his appetite didn’t turn much. If it weren’t for the digestive medicine Min Jeongryul, who’d come to pick him up, had prepared in advance, he had no sensation to the point it would be reluctant to put it in his mouth. He only focused on matching Chairman Han’s pace.
“Cheolwon, you’ll have to take charge of reorganizing the educational media side for a while.”
“Pardon?”
“Since the company decided to cooperate at the company level in the support project sector that the Seoul Superintendent of Education said was needed recently…”
“No, why me! There’s another professional manager handling that just fine.”
Among the media businesses Jaeyoung operated, the educational media that launched the latest was continuing maintenance through professional personnel early on because the results weren’t as good as predicted. The misstep was not properly catching the flow between the nationally operated educational channel business and the formidable private education groups that had already established themselves. And everyone at this seat knew that now putting down the headquarters director position and telling Han Cheolwon to take charge of that place was tantamount to exile.
“Be quiet. You’re being unseemly at the table.”
“Father…!”
“I’m just telling you to do it for a bit. Wouldn’t it be good to focus on headquarters work after properly finishing work there?”
“What about the work I’m in charge of now? There’s already a lot of talk these days, so if I transfer, later will be more of a problem.”
Though they say words depend on how you say them, what Han Cheolwon was saying now was nothing but whining not to take away his position even for a moment since it was the best. In reality, the headquarters director position couldn’t be handed over to someone else right away, and the work Chairman Han had directed wasn’t that difficult either.
“That’s why you shouldn’t have caused an accident! You need to at least have the appearance of being self-reflective so there won’t be talk behind your back. Listen.”
That was Chairman Han’s point. Since the action already committed couldn’t be undone, the assertion was that at least a superficial action of reflecting should be taken. Since the victim’s side also didn’t want articles to appear, they could block it, but stories about the content of a disturbance occurring inevitably spread.
Though general public opinion didn’t need to be minded, the situation was a bit different when it came to the legal world. Though it was covering eyes and saying “boo,” they had to at least express that there was some will to bow down. While Dowon continued his meal pretending not to hear, he thought Chairman Han had surprisingly conceded many parts for Han Cheolwon. However, Han Cheolwon’s thoughts seemed different.
“Ha, what talk would come out just because I got hit a few times? That’s all them looking down on Father and acting tough, I’m telling you?”
“Just finish your meal and prepare for work. You’ll need to go there soon too, so get the materials through the secretary’s office.”
“Father!”
“Shut up!”
Finally, an angry roar burst from Chairman Han’s mouth. When Dowon gave a look to the servants who had remained out of necessity, they quickly left on their own. It was early morning. Those who had been busily preparing breakfast from the time not long after darkness lifted naturally had tight lips, but the words exchanged at the table weren’t something they’d be happy to hear either.
Perhaps not even noticing the presence of people disappearing, the confrontation between Han Cheolwon, who had stopped eating and was trembling unable to control his temper, and the stubborn Chairman Han continued in silence.
“Anyway, because of the article about that bastard Dowon sponsoring an actor, no one knows about my business. What mortal sin did I commit that I have to be so cautious?”
“…Watch your words.”
“…What?”
Han Cheolwon, who couldn’t hide his reddened face from the rage rising within him, turned his head at Dowon’s low, sunken voice. Dowon, who had been quietly staring at his appearance of being startled as if he’d forgotten he was even there, opened his mouth.
“No matter how much you first learned about it through an article, if you say things like sponsorship about the person your younger brother is dating, wouldn’t the listener feel bad?”
“…Really? Did you know, Father?”
“Cheolwon, you just think about doing what was handed over to you. Second son, finish eating and come to the study for a moment.”
“…Yes.”
Though Han Cheolwon talked back more to Chairman Han who organized his seat and got up to leave, there was no way it would work on Chairman Han who had already made his decision.
Dowon, quietly gauging Chairman Han’s inner thoughts, slowly finished his meal and soon moved his steps toward the study. Han Cheolwon, who had left the dining room first, was standing in front of the door with an anxious face, as if he’d been completely issued an eviction order.
“Did Father tell you anything today?”
“What are you talking about?”
Han Cheolwon grabbed the arm of Dowon approaching close to the door and asked in a small voice. It was a posture seemingly worried that the voice would reach Chairman Han who would be inside. How could a person this slow to grasp situations, even if he was the chairman’s son, be sitting in the headquarters director position?
“Why am I suddenly being sent to educational media? Over just that kind of thing!”
“I don’t know, it’s something the Chairman decided. I also heard it after coming here.”
“Then why were you called in from the morning?”
“I haven’t heard anything about that either, so there’s nothing I can tell you.”
Deep impatience showed on his face as he wavered. Just when Dowon, unable to delay any longer, was about to avoid Han Cheolwon and enter the study, his arm was grabbed again.
“You talk to Father for me. I don’t know why he’s being like this.”
“Me? When he has his own judgment, do you think my words would work?”
“It’s better than not even trying to say anything.”
