Ch 50

<50>

 

The Beginning of a New Time (11)

 

Though not certain, Taeoh smiles tepidly at my expression, which is full of suspicion.

 

“It’s the same person.”

 

“……”

 

“Lee Junseo.”

 

He couldn’t close my mouth. How could there be such a connection? The fact that Kang Taeoh knows the painting in Choi Yoonjae’s house suggests that many conversations have already taken place. Eunho ran a hand over his forehead, rewinding the time.

 

“You’ve heard about my partner.”

 

“Ah, that.”

 

His thoughts stopped at the sudden question. Eunho pondered where to start explaining, then decided to be honest.

 

“Vice President Choi Seryeong mentioned him to me a few times.”

 

“……Vice President Choi Seryeong?”

 

Taeoh’s eyebrow arched sharply at the unexpected person. Eunho regretted bringing it up and clenched his fist on his lap. His palms began to sweat.

 

“What did she say?”

 

“……It might sound unpleasant if misunderstood…”

 

“It’s okay. Please tell me.”

 

Feeling Taeoh’s earnest desire to hear the story, Eunho hesitated for a moment before conveying only the facts without embellishment.

 

“She said that Executive Director Choi couldn’t forget Lee Junseo-ssi, so he kept me by his side as a substitute.”

 

“……”

 

“…Because our pheromones are the same.”

 

It was difficult to grasp the meaning of Taeoh’s ambiguous smile. Eunho, on edge trying to discern the other’s intentions, was subtly shaken by Taeoh’s expression.

 

“It’s true that it’s similar, though not perfectly identical.”

 

Taeoh, who had been rubbing the corners of his lips with his thumb and forefinger, smiled cynically. It was closer to a sneer directed at Choi Seryeong, not at Eunho or Choi Yoonjae.

 

“Do you remember the day you pulled me out of the gallery?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“She was talking about that that day too.”

 

At the time, Taeoh could sense that Eunho was cornered just by looking at his back, so he deliberately pulled him out of there. He hadn’t encountered him there before the regression, and Taeoh was very happy to see Eunho appear as if to remind him not to forget, but he belatedly realized the circumstances and wore a sneer.

 

“So Vice President Choi Seryeong knows my partner.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Choi Seryeong knows Junseo. Taeoh swept his cheek with a feeling beyond displeasure, hiding his twitching jaw.

 

***

 

The morning sunlight seeping through his eyelids made his eyes feel lukewarm. Eunho squinted, adjusting his eyes to the light in the room. Only after his eyes had adjusted to the indoor brightness did he slowly lift his eyelids.

 

The first thing to do upon waking up. Eunho picked up the test kit he had placed by his bedside and entered the shower room as if possessed. In the tense flow of half-expectation and half-doubt, the first line turned red, followed by a second line that was clearer than yesterday’s. Eunho covered his mouth and savored the overflowing joy. Various emotions that he couldn’t express in words enveloped his entire body.

 

Soon after, Isabella came to the room herself with food that wasn’t heavily seasoned. Having watched Lee Junseo’s morning sickness together in the past, she deliberately separated the dining area so that Eunho could be as free from morning sickness as possible. Her words, saying that he had to eat well even if he felt sick and that she would find something he could eat, melted his heart.

 

The nausea was still there, but he slowly pushed down bananas and mashed potatoes over time. After digesting slowly for about 30 minutes, Eunho headed to the OB-GYN with Taeoh. The raw sunlight, widening its range as it filtered through the car window, didn’t bother him today. Eunho opened the window and rested his arm on the sill. The summer breeze that rushed in felt cool and refreshing, not humid.

 

When he came out after the examination, Eunho had several ultrasound photos in his hand. Even though he had listened intently to the doctor’s explanation inside, there were some things he had missed, and Taeoh kindly explained them again after coming out. As someone with experience, he skillfully explained that the black, oval shape was the gestational sac and the small white dot inside was the baby, looking at the ultrasound photos.

 

“Congratulations. The baby’s father is supposed to come, aren’t you sad?”

 

After putting Eunho in the back seat first, Taeoh followed and asked in a leisurely tone with his arms crossed. He subtly probed, thinking that if he went to his first OB-GYN appointment without his partner, he would keep it in his mind for a long time, but Eunho said he was okay and focused only on the ultrasound photos. Even though all there was was a gestational sac and a white dot, he kept looking at it as if it were amazing, and his hand gestures of touching it with his thumb were full of affection.

 

“My mouth is itching.”

 

“……Yes?”

 

“When are you going to tell Executive Director Choi?”

 

“Tomorrow morning. It’s dawn in Korea right now. And I’m going to wait until he contacts me.”

 

He was confident that he could wait for the call from the person he loved. Moreover, he didn’t feel lonely because he thought that now there were two of them waiting, not just one.

 

“It’s just a dot now, but it’ll be like a person when you meet Executive Director Choi. But it’s a shame. It turns into a gummy bear in two weeks, and that’s when it’s really lovely.”

 

“Gummy bear?”

 

“That’s when it’s still a tiny dot, but it’s shaped like a person? It’s really cute.”

 

Taeoh took out his cell phone and scrolled far down into his photo album, which was full of Olivia’s pictures. Even a cursory glance showed the child’s growth process in reverse order, which was very interesting and amazing. In between, there were also pictures of Junseo, who was Taeoh’s partner. His expression was rather monotonous, and he was mostly static.

 

“Wow.”

 

“Olivia is so cute, isn’t she?”

 

In the ultrasound photo that Taeoh showed, there was a baby lying down in the shape of a little gummy bear, as he said. Seeing the head and torso in a 1:1 ratio and the arms and legs like dots made him compare it to his own ultrasound photo.

 

“How many weeks from now is this?”

 

“About two weeks from now.”

 

Eunho felt infinite affection for his baby, who would change from a dot to a human form in two weeks.

 

“They say you can hear the heartbeat next time, so record it and send it to Executive Director Choi. He’ll probably be touched, right?”

 

“Do you think so?”

 

“I think he’ll like it a lot.”

 

“……I hope so.”

 

Yoonjae was just as lonely, so he thought he would like the news about the baby, but Eunho worried about what to do if he didn’t. Kang Taeoh assured him not to worry. He didn’t know what he was confident about, but seeing his confident expression made him want to believe him.

 

***

 

On the afternoon of the third day of hospitalization, Chairman Choi passed away peacefully. Yoonjae, unconcerned by Chief Yoon’s deep sigh, stubbornly put on his clothes and left the hospital room. If it weren’t the same hospital, it wouldn’t matter, but since the funeral hall was in the hospital, it wasn’t easy to turn a blind eye to it right in front of him. The blood bag and IV line had been removed, but it was still difficult to bend his body or move his arms, so Chief Yoon had to help him by his side.

 

The sunlight shattered through the windows and deeply penetrated the funeral hall. The corporate wreaths stretched out from the entrance of the building, endlessly continuing like Chairman Choi’s achievements. It had been a long time since he had retired from management, but he was the one who led the brilliant heyday, and even in his old age, his ability to understand various social issues was outstanding. However, unfortunately, there were signs that the lineage would not be passed on to his children and would be cut off. Chairman Choi’s only mistake and the biggest flaw that would remain was family management. Perhaps because of this fatal mistake, the funeral hall was only filled with wreaths, but not as many mourners.

 

The last path of Chairman Choi, who drew a line in the business world and disappeared. The portrait was not of a withered figure as a patient, but of his past robust and sturdy physique. Yoonjae stubbornly lit incense and offered a silent tribute, even while receiving the cold glares of the Choi family.

 

‘Now, my great-uncle’s era is over.’

 

The reason he had quietly endured the contempt he had received so far was 80% because of Chairman Choi. It was Yoonjae’s last consideration for him, who had dominated an era.

 

Choi Yoonjae faced Seryeong, who was emitting pheromones full of anger. In the fleeting moment of exchanging a light bow instead of a deep bow, their fiercely burning gazes collided in the air. Yoonjae, who had been consistently indifferent to Seryeong, who was glaring at him as if to devour him, revealed his expression. As their gazes met, piercing through each other like beasts, Seryeong’s blood ran cold in her veins. Perhaps conscious of the surrounding atmosphere, she trembled, clenching her fists instead of getting angry or shouting.

 

He had no intention of going to the funeral procession, but it was thwarted by the doctor’s strong warning. Now it was time to make a move. As soon as he returned to his hospital room, Yoonjae changed his clothes and summoned the heads of each investment division through a video conference. After confirming the report on the investment status for the second half of the year, he called in the head of the management division and the head of the legal team, respectively. After confirming the reasons for Choi Youngjae and CEO Han’s submission of his dismissal proposal, Yoonjae countered with a dismissal proposal for CEO Han. Chief Yoon, who was standing by, became busy anticipating the magnitude of the storm that would soon come from the sharp confrontation between the two heads of the company.

 

The hospital recommended a month of hospitalization, but Yoonjae had no intention of doing so from the beginning. He felt so suffocated, as if trapped in a cage, that he planned to forcibly discharge himself within the week and handle all his work from home.

 

The driver who hit Yoonjae was still in a coma. Yoonjae tried to find a causal relationship between Choi Seryeong and the driver, but his blood alcohol level was so high that his license was revoked, so it was too reckless to have attempted it after receiving a request. Yoonjae and Chief Yoon tentatively concluded that the person who followed him was Choi Seryeong’s errand boy, and the drunk driver who hit him was a coincidental accident.

 

“Chief Yoon, please give me a cardigan.”

 

The hospital’s name was written in small letters on the clothes he was wearing, so he needed something to cover it up as much as possible. Chief Yoon, who had been organizing his work at a nearby table, took his hands off the keyboard and slowly stood up.

 

“Eunho-ssi has a good sense. Since the background is a hospital room anyway, it’s better to make another excuse…”

 

As Chief Yoon said, when he turned the camera to selfie mode, it was immediately obvious that it wasn’t his house. Even though he roughly wrapped the cardigan around his shoulders so that the cast wouldn’t be visible, it was awkward because of his sluggish body.

 

Even though Chief Yoon took a step back after putting the cardigan over his shoulders, Yoonjae hesitated. Seeing him looking around, it seemed like a signal to leave, so he turned around and went back to the table.

 

“Um… go home early.”

 

“I have no intention of monitoring your conversation either.”

 

His hand movements became hurried as he finished saving the part he was working on and pressed the exit button. After putting his laptop in his bag and even separating the empty canned drink for recycling, Chief Yoon quietly left the room.

 

Yoonjae felt stiff all over and sleepy all the time from being confined to the hospital bed. He wondered if the dryness unique to the hospital and the unchanging background were the main causes of his drowsiness.

 

Yoonjae pushed the auxiliary table aside and opened Kang Taeoh’s message. After saving Eunho’s number, which he had told him was newly opened, he pressed the video call button, and a bouncy ringtone rang. Looking at the clock, it was just past 11 p.m. in the United States. Was he waking him up from his sleep? Was he calling too late? His eyes narrowed as he worried.

 

He was about to sigh lowly and press the end button when the screen changed and Eunho appeared. It felt like he was seeing him after so long that his heart was beating wildly. Yoonjae wiped his dry lips and smiled softly. Eunho, who seemed busy for some reason, checked Yoonjae’s face and smiled brightly.

 

“Eunho-ya.”

 

Whether it was because he was overwhelmed by hearing his voice after so long, Eunho focused on Yoonjae without saying a word. Eunho carefully examined Yoonjae as if he would be sucked into the video on his cell phone, then tilted his head.

 

-Huh? Where are you?

 

He immediately noticed the change and asked, perhaps because he wasn’t wearing a shirt and the background was unfamiliar. What should he say? His lips wouldn’t part as he thought of his face becoming soft with sadness.

 

“I was tired, so I came for a while to recharge.”

 

-Are you in the hospital?

 

“Yeah, I’ll be discharged soon.”

 

He wanted to gloss over it as if it were nothing, but his crumpled expression moved as if protesting.

 

Eunho bit his lip, carefully chewing over each word Yoonjae said. He judged that his body had broken down due to a failure to manage his schedule while he was away, and tried to blame it on his absence.

 

“It’s not that I’m not feeling well, it’s because I’m preparing for the general shareholders meeting, so don’t worry about it.”

 

To relieve Eunho of the guilt he was holding in both hands, Yoonjae rolled up his sleeves and showed him that there was no IV line.

 

“Look, I’m just here to rest for a while.”

 

Eunho’s face finally brightened as he checked Yoonjae’s hands and arms one by one.

 

-You’re not skipping meals, are you?

 

“I’m eating well.”

 

-They say that people with jobs that use their brains shouldn’t just eat three meals a day. You have to eat late-night snacks and snacks in between.

 

“Haha… I got it.”

 

It flowed into a formal greeting, but the affection in his tone couldn’t be hidden. Yoonjae’s eyes curved roundly at the sweet and sticky tone, as if honey was dripping from it.

 

“Is it because it’s late at night?”

 

-……Huh?

 

“Why do you look so haggard? Managing Director Kang should be taking good care of you.”

 

Eunho smiled silently at the word ‘haggard’. As if the smile had a meaning. Eunho hesitated, looking elsewhere as if he couldn’t open his mouth.

 

-They take too good care of me here, but I’m the problem.

 

Leaving behind meaningful words, Eunho walked around the room holding his cell phone. The screen shook, his face appeared and disappeared, and then the camera was fixed on the strange ceiling. The sound of opening and closing drawers could be heard, and then Eunho, holding a pink stick, was captured full on the screen in the focus that had been on the ceiling again.

 

-Do you know what this is?

 

Yoonjae, who knew very well what it was even though he had never seen it in person, brought the screen close to his face and checked the lines on the test kit. Two clear lines. Yoonjae’s mouth gradually turned up, and his cheekbones protruded roundly.

 

“…Really? …Is it real?”

 

His eyes, full of joy, fluttered greatly. Yoonjae was so elated that his voice grew louder in the wave of emotion that washed over him. The test kit disappeared from the screen, and this time, a black photo filled his vision.

 

-Ta-da, nice to meet you for the first time. Daddy!

 

“……Eunho-ya.”

 

-I’m a 5-week-old baby now.

 

Eunho, who had his first greeting in a playful, childlike tone, put down the ultrasound photo and looked at Yoonjae when the surroundings became quiet as if the conversation had stopped.

 

His smiling eyes were gradually becoming reddish and bloodshot. He could feel him pressing his lips tightly and holding back his tears. Yoonjae, who was staring at Eunho without blinking as if the screen had stopped, finally couldn’t control the emotions that were flooding in and closed his eyes. A long stream of water quietly flowed down his cheek through his moist eyelashes.

 

***

 

Was it because he was aware of the existence of life? As the days went by, Eunho spent more and more time lying in bed due to the worsening morning sickness.

 

“Hoo….”

 

His back view, walking out of the bathroom and grabbing the wall to walk to the bed, was drooping. From the morning, when he should have been full of energy, Eunho was already exhausted as if he had used up all his energy for the day.

 

He felt like he was going to die because of the constant nausea. As the remaining mental strength sank to the bottom along with lethargy and depression, Eunho deliberately left the room. He listened to exciting music, took a walk in the sun, or sat down in Olivia’s studio and talked with her.

 

Through the window, a little lady fluttered like a butterfly near the central fountain. The sight of her trying to make something with flowers picked from all over the garden was so adorable and cute. Eunho leaned against the window and took a slow breath, then slowly walked outside.

 

“What are you making?”

 

Eunho walked to the bench near the garden and sat down next to Olivia, who was trimming the flowers laid out on the table. Olivia, who had been making a bunch of flowers with her small hands and then repeatedly undoing them because she didn’t like them, smiled happily when she saw Eunho.

 

“I’m making a bouquet.”

 

“Who are you going to give it to?”

 

“My mom.”

 

Eunho was speechless for a moment at the word ‘mom’.