From somewhere across the room, those words drifted out. Everyone was reacting to Tae-gyeong’s comment. They were people who shared a closer familiarity with Moon Tae-gyeong than with Kwon Gi-jeong — most of them alumni from the same school, or else those with close business ties to his father. It wasn’t as though they were complete strangers to Gi-jeong either.
“I’m telling you, he got dumped!”
Moon Tae-gyeong murmured it loud enough for them to hear. But since it came from Tae-gyeong’s mouth rather than Gi-jeong’s, no one seemed to believe it. Instead, they kept glancing over at Gi-jeong — who was still quietly emptying his glass — waiting for him to open his mouth.
“You guys know, right? That Gi-jeong and Ho-won were pretty close. Sure, Ho-won ended up going abroad to study, but since when do borders stop love? Ah — I guess that’s exactly why he got dumped. Because there are borders.”
Tae-gyeong chewed on those self-deprecating, bitter parting words before slowly turning his gaze.
Kwon Gi-jeong set his emptied glass down on the table with a dull thud. It was nothing more than a careless motion, yet it seized the attention of the entire room — enough that a brief silence fell over the space.
“Tae-gyeong, don’t come.”
“……?”
Having said that, Kwon Gi-jeong straightened his legs. The body that had been lounging lazily until just a moment ago stretched upward in one smooth motion. The drinks have lost their taste. Time to leave.
He reached for his suit jacket that he’d taken off earlier. Moon Tae-gyeong scrambled to his feet. His eyes went wide.
“What? Are you seriously marrying Ho-won?”
Moon Tae-gyeong jumped up and hurried after Kwon Gi-jeong, who was already heading out the door. Secretary Lee stood waiting at the front entrance, shoes prepared and ready.
“Say something! You can’t just leave like this! Now that I think about it — didn’t Ho-won say she was coming back for a domestic performance? Was she coming back to marry you?”
“Not Lee Ho-won.”
Kwon Gi-jeong stepped down from the entrance, slipped on his shoes, and faced forward. He moved both arms and shook out his suit jacket.
“Park Seo-in. I intend to marry him.”
“Whaaaaaat? I must have heard wrong, right? You’re not talking about Beom-yeong’s little brother — Seo-in — are you?”
Park Beom-yeong didn’t attend tonight’s gathering, but he was someone who had often shown his face here. Kwon Gi-jeong’s indifferent tone carried on. Is he not drunk? I thought he was talking nonsense from being drunk.
“You heard right.”
Drink more. In my place. The dress shirt shifted softly, shadows cast across it in the moonlight. The suit jacket, draped over his arm, slipped into place along Kwon Gi-jeong’s broad shoulders.
“Gi-jeong, don’t joke around like that — it’s unsettling. I’ll stop messing with you too, I promise!”
While Moon Tae-gyeong’s words stretched on, Kwon Gi-jeong crossed the scenic pond bridge without once looking back. The shadow that had been waiting stretched out longer than his own.
“Please get in.”
As he stepped out through the entrance, Secretary Lee opened the rear door of the waiting car. Kwon Gi-jeong leaned his upper body slightly and settled into the back seat. Secretary Lee quickly moved to take the passenger seat.
“You’re late tonight?”
Secretary Lee ran a palm down over his face once, then glanced at the driver. The car began to move at a smooth, unhurried pace. Secretary Lee met Gi-jeong’s eyes through the rearview mirror.
“Secretary General Kim came to see me.”
“Ah.”
Kwon Gi-jeong acknowledged it without any particular interest — as though he’d already known as much. Secretary Lee turned partway around and added:
“I told him everything I know about Park Seo-in.”
“Did you?”
“But I didn’t give him everything.”
“You deceived my father? You’ve got more nerve than you look.”
Secretary Lee swallowed dryly and murmured:
“W-Well, if I were to tell him the whole truth……”
“Father would blow his top, wouldn’t he? I’m capable of thinking that through on my own.”
“That’s why I couldn’t tell him everything. The circumstances behind how the marriage between Park Seo-in and the Executive Director came to be arranged — those details.”
Kwon Gi-jeong closed his eyes and leaned back deeply into the seat.
“Keep him from finding out.”
“But if he finds out later, it will cause serious trouble.”
“That’s exactly why I’m telling you to make sure he never finds out.”
Kwon Gi-jeong’s low tone left no room to press further. Secretary Lee had no choice but to pull back. But then something abruptly flashed through his mind. Ah — but this, I have to say.
“This is regarding the matter I mentioned over the phone earlier. The request that Park Seo-in made.”
It had been just as Secretary Lee was about to resume his report — the one he hadn’t been able to finish over the phone when he was with Park Seo-in earlier that afternoon.
“Just do it. I’m now saying this for the third time — let’s see just how much nerve Secretary Lee actually has.”
“I apologize.”
Secretary Lee didn’t bring the matter up again after that.
“You understood me this time, I trust?”
“I will follow your instructions.”
“And I’ll be taking him to the hospital to make introductions, so let them know to prepare ahead of time.”
“I’ll inform Director Jeong. I’ll ask them to contact us right away once Lady Go Eun-ju’s condition improves.”
“Do that.”
With that, a quiet silence settled inside the car. No further instructions came from Kwon Gi-jeong.
The car had been traveling for some time before it finally came to a stop, and Secretary Lee quickly stepped out from the passenger side. He opened the rear door. Kwon Gi-jeong lifted his closed eyelids and slowly stepped outside.
Beyond the arched iron gate lay a garden. Lights were lit along the stone steps like embroidery, one by one. Trees had come into bloom with the arrival of spring.
Kwon Gi-jeong crossed the meticulously maintained garden and stepped through the entrance.
A middle-aged butler with greying hair bowed at a measured distance, maintaining his composure.
“You’ve returned quite late. Chairman Kwon is waiting for you inside.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Pardon?”
Butler Yang lifted his head. Kwon Gi-jeong walked right past him. Doesn’t he ever sleep?
“Tell him I’ll hear the lecture tomorrow. He was already going on about it in the afternoon — does he still have more to say?”
Having said that in his usual indifferent manner, Kwon Gi-jeong stepped into the elevator. The doors closed. Secretary Lee, who had been standing at the entrance, averted his gaze.
“He was delayed visiting the research institute and worked late into the night under a heavy load — he is simply fatigued from that.”
Secretary Lee murmured it without a hint of shame. Butler Yang looked briefly discomfited, then fell silent. …It wasn’t as if this was something new. In fact, a faint smell of alcohol had drifted off Kwon Gi-jeong just moments ago as he passed. If he were to face Chairman Kwon looking like that, the late hour would be rendered meaningless — it would become noisy and hectic all the same. He quickly schooled his expression and replied.
“Then I shall inform the Chairman that he said he would come to see him first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I would appreciate that.”
Butler Yang went inside. Secretary Lee watched the elevator come to a stop on the third floor. Then he, too, turned and made his way back the way he had come.
Knock, knock.
Butler Yang knocked on the door to the study. A quiet acknowledgment came from inside, and he turned the ornately gilded gold handle and stepped in. A stern voice filled the room.
“Gi-jeong? Why is he nowhere to be seen?”
“He returned just a short while ago, but he appears to be quite exhausted.”
Afraid that Chairman Kwon might call for Gi-jeong to be brought to him again, Butler Yang added with an uncomfortable expression:
“He said he would come to see you first thing in the morning.”
“Honestly……”
The paper in Chairman Kwon’s hand crinkled. Even so, he said nothing more about bringing Gi-jeong to him.
Chairman Kwon, who had been seated on the sofa, set the papers he’d been looking over down on the table. On top lay what appeared to be a recent photograph. The documents Secretary General Kim had brought contained personal information about Park Seo-in.
Park Seo-in. Age 26. Superior omega.
The second son of Horim Savings Bank, he currently holds the position of Chief Operations Manager in the Strategic Planning Division.
