Ch 33

<Chapter 33>

 

1 Month Before that day(5)

 

“Mom.””

 

-Oh, Eunho, it’s been so long.

 

She had woken up earlier than others to check the food ingredients coming in at dawn, and now she had just finished washing up, her face bare without any makeup. Seeing the deep wrinkles etched with the joys and sorrows of life, Eunho resented the passing of time. She had wrapped her hair in a towel and looked at Eunho, her eyes welling up with tears. Eunho swallowed hard, trying to suppress his own tears at his mother’s tears, and forced an awkward smile.

 

“How are Dad and my brothers doing?”

 

-They’re fine, doing well. And you?

 

“I’m doing okay too.”

 

After the Imprinting, Eunho was initially bewildered, but as time passed and he became more aware of reality, his mind became complicated. Had he taken the Rut too lightly? Was this something like the marriage blue he had only heard about? Just like when he became a full-fledged adult from adolescence, or when he set foot on Korean soil alone, leaving his parents behind, he felt an unknown sense of responsibility weighing heavily on both shoulders.

 

Eunho didn’t show it to Yoonjae, but he constantly worried while they were together. He quickly found the cause. Was he really a suitable person for him? Bringing up the topic of marriage, which was different from dating, made him worry about the barriers of reality.

 

Hyukpil Sunbae’s words kept swirling in Eunho’s head. Executive Director Choi had no one to support him, the intermarriage within the business world wasn’t for nothing, and he needed to expand his own power. According to Hyukpil Sunbae, he was of no help to Yoonjae at all.

 

But selfishly, his heart fluttered at Yoonjae’s confession of Imprinting. During their ambiguous dating period, he knew he wasn’t helpful to him, but he still hoped things would work out between them. He liked how Yoonjae took care of him, and Eunho also wanted to embrace and comfort the lonely Yoonjae.

 

-It’s so good to see you like this, even if it’s just this way.

 

She carefully examined Eunho’s face and smiled contentedly. Unlike Eunho, who was filled with worry after the Imprinting, Yoonjae seemed to have no vague fears or anxieties. Rather, he was busy comforting Eunho, who was anxious. The thought that they might become a couple within the year, as he had said, flashed through his mind, and he missed his mother very much.

 

“I miss you, Mom.”

 

The warmth and coziness of the word “family,” and the heavy responsibility behind it, rushed in all at once. His nose tingled and his eyes became moist. She looked at Eunho with a kind smile on the screen.

 

-Take a vacation from work and come visit. You said you’d come a few months ago, but you only ever video call.

 

“I’ll try my best to come before Christmas.”

 

Christmas was about half a year away, so by then, wouldn’t some of the promises Yoonjae had made be settled? Eunho looked ahead to 6 months, or even 1-2 years, rather than the 3 months he had suggested. As long as they continued to share this much affection, it didn’t matter how long it took.

 

-Okay, take care of yourself and eat well.

 

“……Mom.”

 

Her wrinkles deepened at Eunho’s earnest call. As if she was relieved just by seeing him, her eyes reddened. Eunho took a deep breath and composed his tearful voice.

 

“I love you.”

 

-I love you too, my Eunho.

 

Her eyes became moist again at the single word filled with emotion. Even after the screen went dark, he sat blankly, stroking the screen with his finger for a long time, when Yoonjae, holding a mug, approached him. He must have been watching for a while.

 

“If you were calling your parents, you should have included me. It would have been a good time to say hello.”

 

Yoonjae handed him a warm glass of milk with rising steam, looking disappointed. Not coffee, but warm milk. Eunho snorted and blew on the hot milk before taking a sip and looking up.

 

“We can surprise them later when we visit together.”

 

Yoonjae placed the cup on the bench for a moment, probably because there was white milk foam on his lips, then grabbed Eunho’s chin and leaned in, gently sucking on his upper lip. As the soft flesh touched and parted, Eunho’s face turned red.

 

“Are you still anxious?”

 

“……A little.”

 

The fact that they were a complete pair connected as one was still cautious. As per Yoonjae’s plan, they had decided to keep their relationship a secret at work until the situation was settled, so it seemed best not to tell their families either.

 

“I’ll move the moving boxes tomorrow, so take your time organizing. I’ll take care of all the costs until the existing officetel is sold.”

 

Yoonjae sat down next to him and took a sip of the slowly cooling milk from the mug he had put down. Eunho reached out and pressed down on Yoonjae’s thigh. His thigh was so firm, built with muscle, that it didn’t sink in much even when pressed. Yoonjae’s smiling gaze moved from the fingers on his thigh to Eunho’s face.

 

“I get a salary, you know. It’s enough, so don’t worry about that. It makes me uncomfortable.”

 

“…….”

 

“Please.”

 

Eunho continued calmly, gently stroking Yoonjae’s thigh. At the end, his tone changed to a coy one filled with shyness, and a faint smile spread across Yoonjae’s face.

 

***

 

Eunho moved his fingers more nimbly than ever, trying to catch up on the schedule he had missed since Thursday afternoon. Even though he had processed and uploaded the reports that had piled up during the weekend, the amount of data that had come in again was about the size of a book of essays. This meant that the amount Yoonjae had to look at was even greater. Besides the documents disclosed to Eunho, a considerable amount of documents were delivered directly to Yoonjae through Chief Yoon.

 

The monthly executive meeting was filled with cheerful shouts from all over due to the earnings surprise. The places where Yoonjae and CEO Han had invested since last year had hit the jackpot, so to speak, and an investment boom was taking place among high-net-worth individuals.

 

Usually, investing in 10 startup ventures and having only 3 survive is considered a good evaluation, but 8 out of 10 had succeeded, and 2 were predicted to grow into unicorn companies worth trillions of won. It was said that even if outsiders belatedly followed only the places Yuseong Venture Capital invested in, they would get half of it.

 

Eunho was looking at the shareholder change data from the finance team when he belatedly confirmed that the shareholding ratio of a company called A Second had recently increased significantly. He didn’t know if it was being purchased for investment because the performance was so good these days, but the fact that it had entered the ranks of major shareholders in a short period of time felt uneasy. Even when he searched for the company, there was only vaguely packaged company information, and no accurate information. Holding his cell phone, Eunho quietly walked out of the secretary’s office.

 

“Sunbae, are you busy?”

 

-What’s up?

 

Eunho asked Hyukpil Sunbae for help because there were many unsatisfactory parts in the company information investigated by the finance team. He had a vague expectation that he would be better than the finance team because he had connections with overseas economic newspapers.

 

“Can I get some information about a foreign company?”

 

-…I’ll check. But if you can’t find it, what makes you think I can?

 

“Please, just give it a try.”

 

He could hear the loud sound of wind, so it seemed like he was outside. His breathing was rough, as if he was running somewhere in a hurry, and it was vividly transmitted into the speaker.

 

-Send it to me in a message. I have to go cover a story now.

 

“Okay. Thank you, Sunbae.”

 

After pressing the end call button, Eunho’s movements gradually slowed as he scratched his neck without thinking. Was it because of the Imprinting that the pheromone gland felt different than usual when touched with his fingertips? Eunho lowered his head and smiled faintly, afraid that others would see him. As much as they were connected by a single thread, Eunho wanted to stand by his side and do anything that could be helpful.

 

Eunho, who had taken the entire afternoon off under the pretext of Yoonjae’s external meeting, went to the officetel to check the moving boxes being moved. Because it was a built-in officetel, the only large pieces of furniture were the bed, sofa, and dining table. Fortunately, the place he was moving to also had all built-in appliances, so there was nothing to buy and put in additionally.

 

Luckily, a tenant appeared on the moving day who wanted to see the house he was putting out, and they wanted to sign a contract right away, saying it was exactly the option they wanted. Eunho easily finished moving on the condition that he would only pay the monthly rent and brokerage fee for this month.

 

Yoonjae felt sorry that he couldn’t take care of the move because of a scheduled meeting, so he assigned a private bodyguard. Eunho told him several times that he didn’t have to do this, but he insisted strongly because he felt uncomfortable, so Eunho had no choice but to step back.

 

“Why did it end so quickly? Is it usually this fast?”

 

-There weren’t many things.

 

The clock on the car display was just approaching 3 o’clock.

 

‘Is it possible to move in 3 hours?’

 

Yoonjae turned on the blinker and smoothly turned the steering wheel, entering the next lane. He had finished the first meeting and was moving to the second meeting place. He pulled off the ash gray tie he was wearing and roughly stuffed it into the shopping bag in the passenger seat. The 1 o’clock meeting required solemnity, so he needed to look neat, but the 3:30 meeting didn’t require it.

 

“Rest a little and organize slowly.”

 

-No. I’m going back to work. There’s too much time left.

 

At the words “going back to work,” the fingers holding the steering wheel moved gracefully like playing the piano.

 

“I told them I was going to work after an external business, why?”

 

-I have a lot of work to catch up on. Then I’ll go back to work!

 

“Okay.”

 

Eunho didn’t want to just rest, so he firmly cut off and declared that he would return to work. But his tone was playful and energetic, and the corners of Yoonjae’s lips turned up pleasantly.

 

After ending the call, Yoonjae checked the signal one block ahead and the speed of the car in front with his coolly opened eyes, and slowly stepped on the brake. While waiting for the signal, Yoonjae rubbed his eyebrow bone with his fingertips and once again fell into deep thought about the investment destination he would arrive at soon. It was the last investment destination he had reviewed before time returned, and it was a very hot pharmaceutical company among investment companies. It was also an investment destination that had been reported several times within the general investment headquarters.

 

Yoonjae didn’t prefer pharmaceutical companies as investment destinations, but he made exceptions and boldly executed investments if he occasionally judged that the CEO’s mindset and research results were certain.

 

Hanseong Pharmaceutical, which Yoonjae was trying to confirm now, was a pharmaceutical company developing a gene recombination therapy that selectively infects and kills cancer cells and activates immune functions to systematically attack cancer cells.

 

This place had recently secured five new drug substances and was waiting for the interim results of the phase 3 clinical trial of an immune anticancer drug that had proven to be effective against lung cancer. If they predicted the success of the phase 3 clinical trial, it was the timing to invest boldly.

 

Yoonjae carefully read the report and asked his colleague, a senior researcher at a large pharmaceutical company, about the parts he found difficult to understand, checking them one by one due to the vagueness that came from not being a professional field.

 

The colleague expressed his reluctance, saying that he was skeptical about the pharmaceutical company. He said that the fact that the research results were perfect without any traces of classics was suspicious in the first place, and that the target treatment figures were significantly higher than the usual research results.

 

If he judged coldly, the research results were likely to be inflated or false, but judging from the way things were going, it seemed certain, giving an ambiguous answer. But the last words of the conversation grabbed Yoonjae’s wavering judgment. Even large companies that are known to be skilled are currently making generic drugs, so if a new drug was really developed, it would be truly innovative, he said cynically. Yoonjae said he would check a little more and ended the call.

 

Yoonjae wanted to meet the CEO of Hanseong Pharmaceutical directly to confirm the interim results of phase 3 and research-related information. As he saw the pharmaceutical company building far away, he put his dry lips inside and stepped on the accelerator.

 

He parked the car in the ground parking lot on the first floor and entered the building entrance. CEO Kim, who had come out to greet him earlier than expected, gave Yoonjae a bright smile, passed through the security checkpoint, and approached him. He held Yoonjae’s hands tightly with both hands and shook them vigorously, focusing on the person in front of him without paying attention to the glances of the surrounding employees.

 

“Welcome. Executive Director Choi.”

 

“Hello. CEO Kim.”

 

His eyes were closer to those of a salesman who was promoting to sell the company’s brand value at a good price, rather than the head of a pharmaceutical company who valued human life and devoted himself to research.

 

“I’ve been hearing a lot about Yuseong Venture Capital these days. They say that if you invest, they’ll make you a listed company like a diviner.”

 

“You flatter me.”

 

“I even heard that people are saying they want to be chosen by Yuseong Venture Capital. Did you know that?”

 

The nuance of the conversation revealed his earnest desire for his company to be invested in. Yoonjae gave an artificial smile at his eloquence and saved his words. He had come to hear the explanation, not to write an investment contract, but CEO Kim was already putting his back to the wall and drawing Yoonjae in.

 

“Recently, Vice President Choi Seryeong also invested, and even Executive Director Choi is directly involved, so I don’t know what to do.”

 

Yoonjae’s brow furrowed slightly as Choi Seryeong’s name was mentioned in his glib tongue. He didn’t like the fact that Yuseong Group’s financial statements were a mess, but they kept investing in places with unclear intentions without finding a way to improve them.

 

After passing through the security checkpoint, CEO Kim quickly walked to the elevator and pressed the button, carefully watching Yoonjae, who was walking neatly, and cautiously spoke.

 

“Before I tell you, I’d like to ask for your understanding… Another person is coming, would that be okay?”

 

His eyes, which had invaded Yoonjae’s vision, were asking for understanding. He seemed to be dividing his time into minutes, expanding his business to include institutional investors and foreign investors these days. What was making him so urgent?

 

“Managing Director Kang Taeoh of Seoin Construction is coming because of the investment. As you know, I’m short on time these days due to investment meetings.”

 

At the words “Kang Taeoh of Seoin Construction,” the sound of shoes rubbing against the marble stopped. Wasn’t Kang Taeoh the mysterious person who had come to Eunho’s funeral without even contacting him? He seemed to be related to Eunho, but he couldn’t find any connection, and the other person knew Yoonjae, but Yoonjae didn’t even know him. Yoonjae drew his eyes into a crescent shape and pleasantly agreed.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

“Thank you for understanding, Executive Director.”

 

He had wanted to meet him once, but he was connected by a chance opportunity, so Yoonjae’s heart leaned towards Kang Taeoh rather than the investment. In fact, he had failed CEO Kim’s first impression, so the somewhat boring seat was expected to flow interestingly with the appearance of Kang Taeoh.

 

Yoonjae, who had entered the office first, sat on the sofa near CEO Kim and held the tea that the secretary handed him. CEO Kim’s round cheekbones were not coming down and were floating because of the flood of investment these days. While he was boasting about the research results, the secretary knocked and opened the door, approached CEO Kim with a troubled expression, and whispered softly.

 

“Sir, the CEO of Hanse Investment & Securities called. He said it’s urgent and asked you to contact him as soon as possible…”

 

He, who had been smiling contentedly, bowed his head, looking back and forth between Yoonjae and Kang Taeoh. He seemed brimming with confidence, as if our company was incredibly famous.

 

“I’ve been getting so many calls lately that I turn off my phone during meetings… Hehe… I’m sorry, but I’ll be away for about 10 minutes.”

 

He looked as if he would burst into screams of joy at the requests to invest from everywhere. CEO Kim, wearing a smile as wide as a washbasin, looked quite comical as he left the office.

 

As CEO Kim left, a chilling silence filled the office.

 

Yoonjae’s gaze slowly reached the research report in front of him, then widened to the report across the long marble table, and finally to Kang Taeoh, who was sitting with his legs crossed.

 

Two pheromones that seemed like they would never mix filled the office, making it turbid, before being reined in as if by a silent agreement.

 

Kang Taeoh, who had been pretending not to be while setting up a confrontational stance, lifted his teacup, took a sip, and frowned slightly. The lukewarm green tea seemed to be not to his taste at all. Yoonjae, calmly watching his eyes, hardened his lips at Kang Taeoh’s indifferent voice that broke the silence.

 

“The investment has changed a lot since then.”

 

The investment has changed… What does that mean?

 

And when is ‘then’ referring to?

 

Yoonjae recalled Eunho’s words that Kang Taeoh knew him, and frowned with intense displeasure.

 

“It’s like… you knew in advance and only picked the ones that would succeed.”