PA 48

“Understood. I will check the book numbers and return them to their proper places.”

Gyeongchan knew very well. That Yejun was incredibly famous here, in Barcelona. The people here, free and passionate, would often fall in love with Yejun at first sight, whether they were men or women. That was why the book cafe was always bustling with people who had gathered to see the pale and mysterious Yejun from some country in the East.

Jingle jingle.

The small bell attached to the cafe’s door rang cheerfully, and Yejun’s gaze turned in that direction.

“Wooju hyung!”

“Have you been well?”

Yejun, with a pleased expression, smiled brightly and approached Wooju.

“No, how did you get all the way here?”

“I had a shoot nearby, so I stopped by. I barely managed to postpone my Korean schedule and decided to go back a day late.”

“What about the other hyungs?”

“They’re all doing well.”

Yejun spoke to Wooju, smiling radiantly just like he did when he was twenty.

“I just finished cleaning the window seat. Sit here.”

“The Barcelona sun isn’t just harsh, it’s scorching hot. But how have you not tanned at all?”

“Hah… I guess it’s my constitution.”

Gyeongchan bowed his head to Wooju from a distance and spoke.

“I’ll bring you a cappuccino and some cookies.”

“Thank you.”

Gyeongchan, with his characteristic friendliness, had quickly become close with Wooju as well.

“Are you still living with Gyeongchan?”

“At first, we lived together to save on rent, but the book cafe is doing so well. Gyeongchan found his own place and moved out.”

“Hyung, I’m telling you, I moved out because I was genuinely upset. This guy Yejun is fine at other times, but when he sleeps, he’s so particular about keeping his distance.”

“How so?”

“He always locked his door when he slept. Was he afraid I’d do something bad or what?”

Gyeongchan pouted his lips for no reason and spoke as if he were tattling to his own older brother. At the same time, he set down a tray with two cappuccinos and cookies. Wooju just chuckled at the sight of Gyeongchan, who seemed to have gotten even darker, and said nothing.

“Wooju hyung, how about a big round of drinks later?”

“Let’s do that.”

Gyeongchan plopped down in a seat and continued to speak.

“A new pub with a great atmosphere opened up near the coastal cliffs. Let’s go there later.”

“Okay.”

Yejun was about to praise how great the view was there, but he had to quickly run to the counter because of the customers who had just swarmed in.

☂︎

Lee Yejun.

Junhyuk tapped his index finger on the desk. Tap tap. The tapping sound echoed unusually loudly in the quiet office. Junhyuk had been looking up articles related to the Daesung Scenario Contest. Then, he suddenly pressed the button on his intercom and spoke.

“Secretary Jung, to my office.”

In a forest of gray-blue high-rise buildings, Junhyuk, occupying the highest one, had achieved a super-fast promotion from managing director to executive director in just three years since joining the company. This was because after he joined, Taejin Electronics’ sales hit an all-time high since its founding.

Junhyuk had gone to Harvard University as an exchange student to study business administration, and after completing his MBA, he returned to Korea. Upon his return to Korea, he chose Taejin Electronics instead of Seil Distribution. It was a firm resolve to go on a separate path from Sanghyeon.

“Secretary Jung.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

“Is the scenario that won the grand prize at the Daesung contest being made into a film?”

“We did conduct the contest with that public announcement.”

“You ‘did conduct’ it?”

Junhyuk’s gaze, which had been focused on the computer monitor, turned to Secretary Jung.

“But right now, the financial situation is difficult.”

“Tell TJ Entertainment to invest in it.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After Secretary Jung left, he closed his weary eyes and leaned his head against the headrest. On a quiet Friday afternoon with no meetings, Junhyuk relaxed his body to try and get at least a moment of sleep. But he couldn’t fall asleep today either.

He stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling window that took up one entire wall. He pressed his temples firmly due to the recent persistent migraines, but it was no use. Junhyuk, who was about to take the headache medicine on his desk, put the medicine back down and just drank some cold water for no reason. The headache was still there, but his burning insides seemed to calm down a bit. Just then, the intercom buzzed, and Junhyuk brought the receiver to his ear.

— Chairman Yoon and a guest have arrived.

“What guest?”

— It is Director Han Jiyun of Hangang Gallery.

“…Let them in.”

Junhyuk let out a deep sigh. Then, the door to the executive director’s office opened, and Chairman Yoon and Jiyun walked in.

“What were you doing?”

Chairman Yoon naturally sat in the seat of honor on the sofa and gestured for Jiyun to come over. Jiyun walked haughtily, the heels of her shoes making clicking sounds.

“I was working.”

“Junhyuk, I know you’re a busy fellow, but you’ll have to make some time.”

“What time are you referring to….”

“Let’s have lunch with Jiyun for the first time in a while.”

“Hmm….”

Chairman Yoon thought that since seven years had passed, Junhyuk would be okay by now. He had been particularly rushing Junhyuk’s marriage recently.

“I’m a bit busy. Let’s have the meal later.”

“Make time even if you’re busy. What is more important than the great affair of marriage?”

“Grandfather.”

“Chairman! This fellow still can’t distinguish between public and private matters….”

Chairman Yoon deliberately used an angry tone to press Junhyuk. Junhyuk sighed and stared blankly at Jiyun. It seemed his headache had gotten worse.

“One hour.”

“Alright, you rascal.”

“Chairman Yoon, please call me Executive Director Cha as well.”

Despite Junhyuk’s blunt tone, Chairman Yoon seemed to be in a good mood. He patted Jiyun’s shoulder and escorted her.

As expected, Junhyuk’s prediction was correct. After entering the high-end restaurant in the hotel, Chairman Yoon got up from his seat in less than five minutes.

“Something urgent has come up, so I must be going. You two continue your meal.”

“……”

“Grandfather, how can you leave so early? That’s so disappointing.”

Jiyun whined, linking her arm with Chairman Yoon’s. Chairman Yoon adamantly refused Jiyun’s offer to see him to the hotel entrance and hurriedly left the restaurant. When Jiyun returned to her seat, an awkward silence hung between the two.

“Do you not know my type?”

“Looking at you these days, I think even a monk in the mountains might be more promiscuous than you.”

Jiyun was as bold now as she was when she was twenty. Junhyuk was particularly annoyed by his throbbing migraine today. Perhaps because he hadn’t slept a wink in a week, he felt more tired than usual. He stood up from his seat and spoke to Jiyun as if pacifying a child.

“I’m leaving first.”

“Hey, Cha Junhyuk!”

“Blame yourself for following me even though you knew you’d be treated like this.”

Jiyun shot up from her seat and blocked the path Junhyuk was about to take to leave.

“Move.”

“Not just your father, but your grandfather is getting involved too. We’re going to get married.”

“Han Jiyun, why are you trying to make yourself miserable?”

“Let’s just have one child. Then I won’t ask anything more of you.”

Junhyuk was sick and tired of having to deal with the teary-eyed woman in front of him at this very moment. He walked past the woman and out of the private room.

“If you want to have both Taejin and Seil, you have to at least pretend to have a normal married life, even if it’s not with me.”

“……”

Junhyuk did not reply to Jiyun and simply walked away, making a phone call to someone.

“I haven’t been able to sleep for a week.”

— Come to the hospital right now. Did you take the sleeping pills I prescribed?

“They don’t work.”

— What about the headache medicine?

“That doesn’t work either.”

— If you keep this up and fall asleep just anywhere like last time, you’ll definitely be the subject of gossip. Chairman Yoon is elderly, what do you think will happen if rumors spread that you have problems too? So I’ll prescribe sleeping pills via injection today, so you need to sleep, even if it’s forced.

“I’m on my way.”

It was around the time Junhyuk had left for Boston and started studying. At some point, he had become completely unable to sleep. Since he couldn’t sleep at all, migraines naturally followed. He would go without sleep for about a week, and then he would collapse and fall asleep in the middle of the school campus. His body, unable to overcome the fatigue, had shut itself down. He had undergone all sorts of tests, but the cause could not be found.

‘It’s likely a psychological factor.’

For the past seven years, he had met with all the renowned doctors, but in the end, all he heard was the ambiguous statement that it was likely a psychological factor. Junhyuk let out a long sigh and got into his car.

☂︎

Yejun and Wooju drove in a car for a long while, climbing up a road that followed the winding cliffs that embraced the sea. The car carrying the two men came to a stop in front of a small pub at the top of the cliff. The place was a comfortable space with quiet and soft music playing. They went inside and took a seat on the terrace that faced the cliff.

Dark blue waves rushed toward the vertically steep coastal cliffs and crashed hard, shattering into pieces with a spray of white foam. Yejun and Wooju gazed at the magnificent yet very beautiful scenery for a long time.

“Where’s Gyeongchan?”

“He has to close up the cafe and then come.”

Simple snacks and beers in chilled glasses were placed on their table.

“Shall we have a toast for the first time in a while?”

“Let’s.”

The two men clinked their glasses and smiled faintly. Wooju gulped down his beer, then set down the half-empty glass and spoke to Yejun.

“Have you thought about coming back to Korea?”

“…Not yet.”