Ever since he’d learned that the one who’d orchestrated the kidnapping was his own mother, there had been nothing inside him but rage and hatred. He had lived carrying only fury — what kind of parent would ever think to have their own child killed. He had spent over ten years in an endless cycle of clutching that anger and letting it burst out of him.
He wasn’t sure whether to call that idea strange or just plain foolish.
And yet it didn’t leave him feeling disgusted. Only a stunned, disbelieving laugh escaped him. Strangely, something inside him settled. Displeasure, unease, irritation, anger. The negative feelings that had followed him his entire life sank quietly downward, stilling. He didn’t believe his mother had regretted it — but it was possible, wasn’t it. Just for a brief moment, that thought passed through his mind.
“Im Munyeong.”
Haejeong called to him with a subdued expression. His full name, all three syllables. Something rarely heard from his lips. He’d always just been called hey, you, oi — plain, blunt summons, nothing more.
“…Yeah?”
“Let’s get a meal after I’m done.”
“……What?”
Munyeong had been bracing for a scolding, so the out-of-nowhere words made his eyes go wide.
“…Somewhere nice.”
“…….”
“A proper meal this time.”
He looked directly at Munyeong as he said it, his voice carrying a quiet weight, a wordless resolve beneath it. The complete one-eighty from his usual self left Munyeong visibly caught off guard, and before he could even answer, Haejeong continued.
“I have something to say.”
He didn’t wait for Munyeong’s response and disappeared into the building at a leisurely pace. Through the glass doors, people could be seen bowing to him as he passed. For some reason, his retreating figure looked a little larger today. More than usual.
**
Since they were already at the office building, Munyeong headed down to the basement to see Section Chief Jo and some of his former colleagues. Outside visitors weren’t permitted, but the security guard at the entrance recognized Munyeong’s face and opened the visitor’s door for him. Munyeong thanked him and made his way down the emergency stairwell. Heading toward the employee break room, he spotted some of his former coworkers having an early lunch. Munyeong smiled softly and approached them.
The moment Munyeong appeared, the entire break room erupted. Among them, Sunggil and Jeongmi scolded him for taking so long to come by. Then they personally made him instant coffee and forcibly sat him down, even though he’d said he was only stopping in for a bit.
“Why does your face look so gaunt? Is something going on?”
Sunggil, the oldest among them, reached out with wrinkled hands to touch Munyeong’s face. Munyeong smiled warmly and covered her hands with his.
“No. Nothing’s going on.”
He shook his head, holding the hands of someone old enough to be his mother — and then some.
“Goodness, this place has been so gloomy without you, dear.”
“Right—. There’s nobody who works as hard as you, Munyeong.”
Jeongmi chimed in. Munyeong only smiled awkwardly at the flattery.
“But it’s so nice to see you again like this. Come visit more often. Oh, since you’re here—.”
As if something had just come to her, Sunggil rummaged through a bag she’d mentioned buying at the market for twenty thousand won and pulled something out. She handed Munyeong a heavy black plastic bag with a warm smile.
“This is misugaru. Take it home and mix yourself a cup. I saw you enjoying it so much last time — figured it must suit your taste.”
“…Oh. You’re giving all of this to me?”
“Of course. I felt bad that I’d never even bought you a proper meal. It’s nothing much, but I hope you’ll at least eat well at home.”
“……This is a great deal to me. Thank you so much.”
Munyeong received the bag of misugaru with both hands, his expression slightly flustered.
“Oh, don’t be like that. Every time I saw you, I’d think of my kids — the ones I can’t see much of these days. Made me happy. You’re not like young people nowadays. I always thought that was lovely about you. Always so respectful, so well-mannered. The unpleasant jobs no one else wanted to do — you just quietly took care of them.”
“…That’s only natural. Thank you for saying so.”
Seeing her smile through a face etched with the passage of time, he found himself thinking of his mother — a woman he couldn’t even remember. Abandoned children are cursed. Cursed to think of parents they have no memories of, no moments with, and still miss them, somehow, from time to time.
Munyeong smiled with a trace of bitterness and held Sunggil’s age-worn hands a little tighter. He really did love this place. He loved the warmth that was so rare in his life, the sense of belonging.
Other employees recognized him as well and came over to speak to him with familiar ease. Most said similar things. How have you been? Any chance you’re thinking of coming back? Munyeong answered each one with a face that hadn’t quite adjusted to the unfamiliar welcome.
As the conversation with the employees was winding down, Section Chief Jo happened to be passing nearby and spotted Munyeong. Eyes wide with surprise, Section Chief Jo said he had something to talk about and grabbed Munyeong by the arm without preamble, dragging him off to the office.
“I was actually going to contact you — good timing.”
Section Chief Jo quickly sat Munyeong down in a chair and took a seat across from him.
“…What is it you wanted to say….”
Munyeong asked in bewilderment, unable to make sense of the urgency.
“Hey, you. What on earth have you been up to?”
“…Pardon…?”
The blunt question made Munyeong’s expression grow even more puzzled.
“I mean, what have you been doing that has the Vice Chairman’s secretary coming to find me?”
“……What?”
“Came by and pulled up everything they had on you.”
Section Chief Jo recalled what had happened just the day before. True to his title, Vice Chairman Yeon Juhyeok had a total of five secretaries assigned to him. The most junior member of the secretary team, who handled driving and odd tasks. Two secretaries who managed his schedule and supported his work. And two close aides who stayed by the Vice Chairman’s side and assisted him most directly. One of those had come to Section Chief Jo and flat-out ordered him to hand over all of Munyeong’s personal information. Every last detail. On top of that, he’d been pressed to share anything and everything he knew about Munyeong, without leaving a single thing out.
“First the Senior Managing Director, and now the Vice Chairman… just what are you?”
Section Chief Jo was finding it harder and harder to make sense of who Munyeong really was. He couldn’t understand how the most untouchable people in the entire company kept coming around looking for Munyeong.
Munyeong was no less startled. The Vice Chairman meant Haejeong’s older brother, and if he was aware of Munyeong’s existence, it was surely because of Haejeong. And Haejeong and he were… standing on a very ambiguous line between them.
Just as Munyeong was beginning to feel disoriented by a situation he couldn’t make heads or tails of, the office door swung open. Without so much as a knock — the door was thrown open rudely — and behind it stood a solidly built man in a black suit. Simultaneously, Section Chief Jo shot to his feet and cried out.
“Director Jang?!”
There was a flash of something close to fear in Section Chief Jo’s widened eyes. Sensing that this was someone Section Chief Jo was wary of, Munyeong rose awkwardly alongside him. Before he could even ask who this person was, the man called Director Jang walked slowly toward Munyeong.
“W-wait, Director Jang, how did you get here….”
He couldn’t hide his shock as his voice trailed off. But the man didn’t spare Section Chief Jo so much as a glance, and turned to Munyeong with a rigid voice.
“The Representative is asking for you.”
It was a polite but wholly inconsiderate way of speaking — a one-sided command. At the man’s words, Section Chief Jo’s eyes grew even wider. The Representative meant the matriarch of Baekil Group. She was the most fearsome person that Section Chief Jo — that Jo Dongjin — knew among all the adults in his life.
“…The Representative is… who…….”
Munyeong, unable to make sense of any of it, stammered with a flustered expression, and Section Chief Jo leaned in and whispered urgently.
“…Senior Managing Director Yeon’s mother…!”
It was a whisper, but audible to everyone in the room. The color drained from Munyeong’s face by degrees. Words escaped him entirely as he stared at the man as though he were the grim reaper himself. An entirely unexpected bomb had just gone off.
**
Secretary Ju, on her way to Senior Managing Director Yeon’s office to inform him of the morning meeting, crossed paths with him just as he arrived for work. His air was noticeably different from the past few days, when his condition had been poor.
“Welcome, sir.”
Secretary Ju gave a respectful bow and offered her morning greeting, and he — who had been lost in thought — gave a slow, composed nod.
“The morning meeting is in ten minutes.”
