Ch 49

<49>

 

The Beginning of a New Time (10)

 

Taeoh simply smiled faintly. Olivia was just like Junseo, whom he had sent away earlier. Her way of speaking, gestures, and even her preferences were so similar that he was often surprised. She had loved drawing since she was little, so he made her a studio, and even the way she concentrated on her drawings was the same.

 

Even now, Olivia was eating her dessert, fresh fruit yogurt, with a spoon while drawing intricate pictures on her notebook with a pen. Eunho’s gaze was fixed on Olivia’s scribbles, which looked like surrealist paintings at first glance. Eunho couldn’t help but be amazed by the imagination that seemed unbelievable for a child’s mind.

 

Taeoh, who had been lost in Olivia’s drawing with his chin resting on his hand, looked up at Eunho’s voice. It was calm and neat, but there was a clear sign of tension.

 

“It might sound ridiculous…”

 

“…”

 

“You’re helping Executive Director Choi, right?”

 

Eunho was suspicious of Taeoh. He couldn’t understand how two people who didn’t know each other well could suddenly become so close. Being business partners meant that today’s enemy could be tomorrow’s ally, but the opposite was also possible.

 

“You don’t trust me?”

 

“No… well…”

 

“Executive Director Choi was worried and chased you all the way here, you know?”

 

Taeoh raised his voice as if he was disappointed, then chuckled. Eunho’s eyes seemed to be scrutinizing him to see if he was a threat to Choi Yoonjae, and Taeoh let out a sigh of helplessness.

 

“We met out of necessity, and we’re trusting each other because it’s not bad. I understand you’re surprised and suspicious since you came here without any information about me.”

 

“…”

 

“Still, Executive Director Choi was too much. How could he not tell you anything?”

 

Taeoh playfully teased Eunho. Eunho defended Yoonjae, saying that he didn’t give his partner prior information because he was worried, to which Taeoh retorted.

 

“Wow, are you taking Executive Director Choi’s side now? I can’t stand this. Olivia, come here.”

 

Olivia, with yogurt smeared all around her mouth, went to Taeoh and hugged him. He pretended to cry tears of sorrow, saying that his daughter was all he had, which made Eunho flustered. Eunho reached out his hand but soon clenched it into a fist and placed it on his knee. It was because he saw Taeoh smiling with his eyes narrowed. Eunho bowed his head politely to Taeoh, who had lightened the mood.

 

“Thank you for your help. This is all I can say.”

 

“Just think of it as a month and a half of vacation and relax. If you need anything, there are plenty of staff members you can ask. And if you want to go out, you can go out with the bodyguard Executive Director Choi assigned to you. Just don’t go too far, just in case.”

 

“I’ll stay here quietly.”

 

“Still, you’ve come all the way here, you should see your parents at least once.”

 

“It’s a bit of an awkward situation. I’m just trying to stay quiet.”

 

Judging from the atmosphere, Eunho could sense that something had happened without having to ask Taeoh. How anxious must Yoonjae have been to send someone all the way to America to bring him to a safe place? Eunho picked up his lukewarm coffee and took a sip. His face, reflected in the cup, was full of worries.

 

“It seems Choi Seryeong, the Vice President, found out about Eunho-ssi’s departure. That’s why Executive Director Choi urgently asked me to come here.”

 

“So it’s better for them to think I’ve disappeared.”

 

“Until the general shareholders meeting.”

 

Would the general shareholders meeting really solve everything? It would be fortunate if it did.

 

“What happens if Executive Director Choi wins at the general shareholders meeting?”

 

“Do you want to know?”

 

Taeoh thought of Choi Yoonjae and hesitated for a moment, but then smiled slightly, thinking that it wouldn’t matter if he told him now. Finding Eunho in this vast land of America was a more difficult game than finding a needle in a haystack. Even if Choi Seryeong’s people had followed Eunho, they would have lost him at the airport, so the probability of finding him again was close to zero.

 

“Vice President Choi and CEO Han are trying to dismiss Executive Director Choi, and Executive Director Choi will dismiss CEO Han.”

 

“CEO Han?”

 

“If Executive Director Choi wins, he’ll become the CEO and have the authority to control the entire company, right?”

 

Eunho had expected CEO Han’s dismissal, but he was worried about the repercussions. CEO Han had worked as the CEO of Yuseong Venture Capital for a full 10 years, so there was no place in the political or economic world that his influence didn’t reach. In some ways, CEO Han was a more threatening presence than Vice President Choi Seryeong.

 

“Managing Director… no, A Second, what do they gain?”

 

“Actually, even if they do nothing, they’ll receive dividends from a successful company, and they can resell it later… but the ultimate goal is to dismantle the Yuseong Group.”

 

“Dismantle it?”

 

“Executive Director Choi is writing the scenario, and A Second currently holds 15% of the shares. They’ll use that as leverage to dismantle the Yuseong Group.”

 

Was that possible? Even if the financial structure was a mess and the Yuseong Group’s stock price had fallen a lot, it was still a powerful company. Eunho raised his well-groomed eyebrows with skepticism.

 

“Is that possible?”

 

“Yes.”

 

There must be something certain, so the two of them joined hands. Yoonjae wasn’t the type to start something without preparation. Eunho kept fiddling with his teacup before looking up.

 

“If there’s anything I can do to help, please tell me. You’re providing me with room and board, so I should do that much.”

 

“We’ll get a good price from Executive Director Choi, though?”

 

Eunho’s face turned pale at Taeoh’s words that he would get paid separately by Yoonjae.

 

He was taking these words literally. Taeoh waved his hand, raising one corner of his mouth, as if he was about to misunderstand something if he stayed still.

 

“I can’t even joke. So that’s why Executive Director Choi is so careful with his words.”

 

Taeoh chuckled and leaned back in his chair. As the shadow subtly fell on the cleavage revealed between the unbuttoned shirt collar, Eunho, who had been talking and looking at him without thinking, flinched and turned his head.

 

“I’m going back to Korea in a few days. At that time, please take care of Olivia. Is that okay?”

 

Taeoh smiled gently and raised his voice a tone to ease Eunho’s tension. Thanks to Taeoh, who made the atmosphere comfortable, Eunho tilted his head and smiled slightly.

 

“Ah, give it to me this way.”

 

A servant came in with Taeoh’s meal. Various kinds of food were neatly arranged on the marble table like a full-course menu. When the plate glass dome cover was opened, the smoky aroma of the T-bone steak pierced Eunho’s nose. In an instant, his stomach turned upside down, and nausea pricked his uvula, causing him to block his mouth, but the retching didn’t stop.

 

“Ugh!” Eunho quickly got up from his seat and ran to the bathroom. The spinach, potato, and cheese omelet he had eaten earlier surged up like it was alive, rising through his throat and into his mouth. He hurriedly opened the bathroom door and put his face over the toilet, and the food he had eaten poured out. The sour and fishy gastric juices caused him to gag continuously.

 

“Haa.”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Taeoh, who had followed him, picked up Eunho, who was sitting on the bathroom floor with his face in the toilet. After rinsing his mouth and gargling, the nausea disappeared, but he was already pale. Eunho, who belatedly understood the cause of his nausea, staggered out of the bathroom. He had only taken out what he had put in his stomach, but he was exhausted as if he had run a hundred meters.

 

“Managing Director Kang, I’m sorry, but can I ask you for a favor?”

 

“Please tell me.”

 

Why hadn’t he suspected it? Although he didn’t remember it, he had even been imprinted during knotting, but he had completely forgotten.

 

“When your secretary goes out, please buy me a pregnancy test.”

 

Taeoh, surprised by Eunho’s words, immediately called his secretary.

 

The day after Yoonjae was hospitalized, word came that Chairman Choi, who was in the same hospital, was in critical condition. Despite Chief Yoon’s dissuasion, Yoonjae dragged his IV pole and went to Chairman Choi’s room in his hospital gown. Chairman Choi’s family and close aides, who had heard about Yoonjae’s accident, were surprised by his visit but deliberately avoided eye contact, causing Chief Yoon to sigh.

 

Yoonjae, who endured their contempt with all his body, stood far behind without even getting close to Chairman Choi before returning to his room.

 

“The doctor told you not to move for the time being…”

 

Chief Yoon felt unfairly aggrieved. Even though he appeared as a complete invalid only a day after the surgery, no one asked if he was okay or worried about him. Instead, they treated Yoonjae with cold eyes. Yoonjae smiled weakly as Chief Yoon sighed, feeling frustrated by his steadfast appearance.

 

“It’s my last respect.”

 

“Last respect, even in this situation?”

 

Yoonjae, who was lying on the sheet with difficulty, roughly wiped the cold sweat that had soaked his forehead with the back of his hand. Even if Chairman Choi’s teachings were rough and mean, he was the one who had turned a carnivore who didn’t know how to hunt into a ferocious beast.

 

“When you get off work today, please bring me a black suit.”

 

“…Are you going to the funeral in this condition?”

 

“I think I’ll feel better if I do.”

 

His relationship with Chairman Choi was over. After the funeral, Yoonjae would cut them off completely. Yoonjae, who had already confirmed that his dismissal was on the agenda of the general shareholders meeting, smiled bitterly and enjoyed the situation.

 

Choi Seryeong, Choi Youngjae, CEO Han, and anyone else who was an enemy would be found and cut off at the root. It was a golden opportunity to sharpen his sharp blade while holding his breath until the end.

 

“CEO Han is still summoning shareholders, and he’s even contacting minority shareholders because the situation isn’t favorable.”

 

“The shareholders won’t want the company to be shaken.”

 

“I’ll compile the reports from each division and report to you, so please get some sleep, even if it’s just for a few hours. What if the surgical site gets infected?”

 

“…Okay.”

 

Chief Yoon, who had stopped by Yoonjae’s house to prepare the necessary clothes, clicked his tongue as he checked the payment approval notifications that had been approved overnight. Should he just watch Yoonjae, who was working as if he was working normally less than half a day after surgery due to a traffic accident, or should he say something? Chief Yoon couldn’t break his stubbornness and indirectly tried to appease him quietly.

 

***

 

The hand holding the pregnancy test trembled slightly. Even after focusing on it for a while in front of the bright light, something was ambiguous. One line was clear, but the other line was blurry, so it was hard to tell.

 

“Why? Is it not?”

 

“Well… I don’t know.”

 

Taeoh, who was playing chess with Olivia in the living room, became curious about the test Eunho was holding. As his gaze followed her movements, Eunho crossed over to the sofa.

 

“Do you want to see it? Maybe you’ll know.”

 

As soon as he said that, Taeoh reached out his hand. Eunho trembled as he handed over the test, feeling nervous.

 

‘He’s experienced it before, so he might know?’

 

His heart was pounding as much as it did before the university acceptance announcement, and the sound of his swallowing didn’t leave his ears.

 

“Ah, is it because it’s early?”

 

“…It’s not… pregnant?”

 

“No, I think it’s blurry because it’s early. It’s better to test again tomorrow morning and go to the OB/GYN. Congratulations, Eunho-ssi.”

 

Taeoh congratulated him with a bright smile that crinkled his eyes, convinced that he was pregnant. Eunho, who received the test back, looked at it again with wide eyes, doubting whether he was pregnant. The line was so faint that it looked like a test error.

 

“By the way, this is a big problem. If it’s this bad from the beginning, it’ll get worse and worse.”

 

Taeoh stroked his lower jaw, recalling Eunho, who had been nauseous from the smell of meat a few hours ago. If it was meat and not other food, the range of foods he could eat would be greatly reduced.

 

“My wife was like that. When he was pregnant with Olivia, he couldn’t eat anything properly until he was six months old, so he was mostly lying down.”

 

“…Why?”

 

“It’s hard. You can’t eat, so you lose energy, and you’re constantly dizzy and nauseous, so you become lethargic.”

 

Just thinking about that time made Taeoh shake his head. He had tried everything that was said to be good for morning sickness, but he didn’t realize at the time that time was the answer. Junseo, who survived on rice water, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, and sweet fruits, vomited even at the slightest whiff of other food. In the end, he had to move his base to a room farthest from the kitchen, and every day was a series of hardships.

 

“Six months?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Eunho roughly calculated the date with his fingers at the word “six months.” Did he have to feel the same nausea as the day after being drunk for more than five months? Eunho slapped his forehead after calculating, and Taeoh stopped him, frowning.

 

“Morning sickness is said to end in a month or two at the shortest, so don’t be discouraged.”

 

“A month or two in this state?”

 

“You should be grateful if it’s a month or two. Of course, it’s a stroke of luck if you get through it without morning sickness, but it’s already started, so you have to accept it.”

His throat was still tingling and sore. The thought of the regurgitating food scratching his throat was terrible, so even on the day after being drunk, he would somehow calm his stomach and not deliberately vomit to get rid of the alcohol. But this time, he didn’t even have a choice. He was hungry because his stomach was empty, but he didn’t want to put anything in it, even a little, because he was afraid that the smell of food would make him nauseous again.

“In this state, you wouldn’t have been able to do your job in Korea even if nothing had happened. Think of it as a good thing.”

As Taeoh said, it wouldn’t have been easy to do his job in this state, even if he had died and come back to life. He remembered when Yoonjae had mentioned his resignation so easily before coming here. He had pretended to be calm on the outside, but he had been secretly upset that day. But when he found out he was pregnant, he realized that his choice was right. Could he have predicted this far? No, he couldn’t have.

Eunho, who had drooped his shoulders, leaned back on the sofa and released the remaining strength. His mind was tired and he wanted to lie down, but he endured it, rubbing his thighs, feeling like a nuisance.

“Keep this safe. It’s the first notification of a new life. You have to show it to Executive Director Choi.”

“I’ll show it to him when it’s confirmed.”

Taeoh handed over the test and looked at Eunho. His eyebrows were heavily lowered as if he was tired. Eunho was trying hard not to show that he was having a hard time.

“Are you tired? How about going in and resting?”

“…I’ll stay a little longer.”

The way he was holding the test with both hands and checking it with suspicion was like watching Junseo in the past, and his heart felt warm. Taeoh moved the king forward to deliberately lose because there were not many pieces left on the chessboard. Fortunately, Olivia didn’t notice and took out the queen, moved it diagonally, and took the king.

“Oh, our princess won?”

Taeoh added an exaggerated gesture and raised his thumb, saying she was the best, and Olivia, who was excited, took care of the chessboard herself and organized it. Eunho smiled faintly as he watched the two fathers and daughters.

“Dad, I drew Dad, come and see.”

“You drew me again?”

The small hands that had organized the chess pieces and placed them on the table grabbed Taeoh’s long fingers. Even with the child’s weak grip, Taeoh followed as if he was being pulled by a great force. Looking at the way he waved his hand at Eunho, it seemed like he wanted to show off his daughter. Eunho got up from his seat and followed them at his gesture to come and see.

When the door opened, the smell of oil paint rushed into his nose. The studio, which was as big as Yoonjae’s master bedroom, was densely filled with paintings, and easels were set up here and there on the floor. When viewed as a whole, it looked somewhat messy and difficult, but when you looked at each piece, the color expression and the completeness of the painting were so high that it was hard to believe that a child had drawn it.

“Olivia drew all of this?”

“Does she seem talented?”

Taeoh, who bent his waist to match Olivia’s height, showed off his hedgehog side to Eunho, who was coming in with admiration. He had always been itching to show off his daughter, and since Eunho had come, he volunteered to be a curator, saying that he would explain everything without holding back.

“Really, she drew well.”

Eunho admired each of Olivia’s paintings as if he was excited. It contained such rich emotions that it was hard to believe it was a child’s imagination.

“Is this also Olivia’s painting?”

Among the paintings hanging on the wall, one painting in a frame caught his eye. If Olivia’s paintings had a rough touch but were warm, the painting in the frame had a heavy brush touch, was cold, and felt lonely. Why wasn’t it unfamiliar and familiar? He had never seen it before. He wondered if it was a painting he had seen in an auction catalog, so he looked at it carefully, and Olivia stood next to Eunho.

“My mom drew it.”

“Mom? Was your mom a painter?”

Eunho bent his knees and squatted down to match Olivia’s height.

“Olivia looks like her mom?”

After stroking the little lady’s head and praising her for growing up so admirably, Eunho turned his gaze back to the painting. A sense of déjà vu, as if he’d seen it somewhere before, swirled in his mind when Taeoh came over and plopped down on the floor beside him.

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

“It’s not that, it’s just that I feel like I’ve seen a painting with a similar feel somewhere before.”

“At Director Choi’s house?”

Now that he thought about it, it did have a similar overall feel to the two paintings Choi Yoonjae had. Was that why it felt so familiar? But how did he…?

“…How did you know?”