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Chapter 12
The airport was bustling with the noise of people arriving and departing.
Inhyuk slowly passed through the gate, letting out a breath. The Korean air he was breathing for the first time in a year felt unusually chilly for the season.
“……”
He ran his fingers through his neatly cropped hair and lowered his gaze. In his right hand was the phone he had just hung up. The tight grip on it betrayed a lingering, stubborn attachment.
Dain hadn’t changed.
He had thought perhaps she might be a little different, but she was exactly the same—still calm, still composed. There was a time when he had been desperate to see the smile that appeared on her face. Now, even that smile in his memory had faded.
“You’ve arrived, Director.”
While he was staring absentmindedly at his phone, his secretary came running to take his suitcase. Moments later, a sleek black limousine pulled up in front of him.
Without a word, Inhyuk got into the car and slipped his phone into his pocket. The interior was filled with silence until the secretary had loaded the luggage and taken his seat behind the wheel.
“We’ll head straight to the main house. Madam is waiting for you.”
“……”
“The information you requested is in the envelope.”
Inhyuk slowly turned his head to the side. Only then did he notice the document envelope, as if it had been sitting there the whole time. When he opened it, several papers slid out.
“As you instructed, I carried this out discreetly so Madam wouldn’t notice.”
“Good.”
His monotone voice followed. Still wearing the same drowsy expression, he carefully examined the documents. It was the information he had ordered his secretary to collect on Dain before he returned to Korea.
Inhyuk had first met Dain in the winter when he was twenty-seven. They had observed each other for a year while working at Seosan Construction, then dated briefly for another year after his confession.
But right after their breakup, he left for Shanghai and lost all contact with her. He had tried reaching out a few times, but never once had a call gone through. That was because Dain had blocked his number.
“Did you also find out where she works now?”
“She’s currently employed in the Sales Team at Tae-ung Trading.”
“Tae-ung Trading…”
The name sounded familiar. Inhyuk frowned, thinking it over, and then let out a short “ah.” A face from his university days, not quite a close friend but not a stranger either, came to mind.
“That’s the company where Go Taekyung is the successor.”
“Do you know him personally?”
“We were classmates in college. Not close.”
With an indifferent face, Inhyuk pushed the envelope aside. Dain’s residence, her workplace, the family she lived with—some things had changed, but others were still the same.
She’s still living with that kid.
Song Yeoreum.
Min Dain’s only niece, her precious treasure—or perhaps… the weight that relentlessly clung to her ankles and dragged her down whenever happiness drew near.
Inhyuk’s thoughts about Yeoreum hadn’t changed either.
Because the executive meeting had run longer than expected, the sky outside was already growing dark.
Taekyung loosened his tie as he climbed into the car. Jung Woohyun waited until he had fastened his seatbelt before releasing the brake. The car began moving smoothly.
“Hoo…”
Taekyung let out a short sigh and ran his hand through his hair. Taejin’s return date had been postponed yet again, complicating matters further. He wasn’t even sure how he should explain it to Hanul this time.
You’ll explain it well to him, won’t you?
His mother had asked earnestly, though she surely knew that was burdening her son. This time too, she had quietly offered an alternative.
Otherwise… I can take Hanul with me. We’ll look after him well.
No.
But Taekyung had refused. If the child grew up under his grandparents’ roof, he would inevitably end up treading on eggshells. At the very least, it was better for him to grow up next to an uncle he was close to, where he could whine and fuss without restraint. Taekyung knew this from experience.
Children who grew up constantly watching others’ moods naturally became introverted. Unless they were born with arrogance and confidence like Taekyung, they would become kids who couldn’t even state their desires properly. That wasn’t the future he wanted for Hanul.
“Executive Director, there’s something urgent I need to report.”
Just as he was gathering his thoughts, Woohyun spoke up from behind the wheel. Taekyung tilted his head lazily.
“What’s so serious that you look like that?”
“Because it is serious.”
His head already ached from the long meeting, and the last thing he wanted was another serious issue. Still, he nodded for him to continue.
“I heard that Seosan Construction’s heir returned to Korea urgently. He’ll also be attending Mirae Group’s founding anniversary celebration.”
“Seosan Construction?”
Taekyung frowned. The moment he heard “Seosan Construction heir,” a name crossed his mind: the man who had once been a promising swimming athlete but had vanished quietly after a shoulder injury.
“You mean Seo Inhyuk?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Seo Inhyuk—Taekyung’s college classmate. Perhaps due to his injury, he had lived quite a dissipated life back then, and Taekyung had witnessed it more than once.
Though he had disapproved of Inhyuk’s behavior, his father—who was close to the chairman of Seosan Construction—had urged him to interact occasionally. Every time, their meetings had ended after a brief exchange of greetings. Surely Inhyuk wouldn’t remember him clearly.
“When is Mirae Group’s anniversary celebration?”
“Saturday.”
As soon as Woohyun gave the day, Taekyung’s expression hardened. Sensing danger, Woohyun quickly added a warning.
“You absolutely must attend! The chairman personally emphasized it several times.”
“I already have plans that day…”
Just as he was about to say so, a good idea struck him. Smiling faintly, Taekyung recalled the invitation’s contents.
“Manager Jung.”
“Yes?”
“The invitation mentioned bringing a partner, didn’t it?”
“That’s right. If necessary, Madam said she’d introduce someone to you.”
Ever since his return to Korea, Taekyung’s mother, Woo Mihee, had been busy trying to set him up with women. It seemed she had developed unnecessary expectations after seeing him take care of Hanul.
“That won’t be necessary.”
Smiling as he pulled out his phone, Taekyung added,
“I already have someone in mind.”
“Executive Director… no, surely you’re not thinking…”
Woohyun glanced at him through the rearview mirror, then sighed openly. The scheme was obvious; the excitement in Taekyung’s face made it clear who he was planning to invite.
“She’s going to refuse.”
“Why?”
Though he hadn’t said the name, Taekyung instantly knew who he meant and replied without hesitation. Woohyun, however, tried to reason with him calmly.
“How do you expect an ordinary person, who knows nothing about this world, to suddenly attend such a grand party? She’ll be shocked.”
He was trying to dissuade him, though he already knew Taekyung never gave up on what he wanted. Not once had Go Taekyung ever backed down.
“She won’t be able to refuse.”
“…This is an unreasonable demand from a boss. An unfair order.”
“It’s not an order, just a suggestion.”
That’s what you think… Woohyun bit back the retort and focused on driving. Meanwhile, Taekyung leaned against his hand, lost in thought, before suddenly asking,
“Manager Jung, did Hanul also get an invitation?”
Though still young, Hanul was indeed part of Tae-ung Trading, as Taejin’s son. Surely he had received one too.
“Yes, but if you attend, there’s no need to bring him.”
As expected, Woohyun nodded. Taekyung shook his head lightly.
“No, we should take him. If he sees the invitation, he’ll throw a fit about wanting to come along.”
He could already picture the boy sprawled on the floor, whining about why only his uncle got to go. To avoid that scene, a good plan was needed.
“Then Hanul will need a partner too, won’t he?”
“…What are you thinking this time?”
Taekyung chuckled as he pictured children in suits and dresses. He recalled how Hanul had once grumbled about wanting to dress up just like his uncle.
The boy had been ecstatic just going to the aquarium with Yeoreum. If he got to wear a handsome suit and see her in a pretty dress, he’d probably be beside himself with joy.
Even young children could recognize beauty. Just as Taekyung himself had once loitered daily around Dain.
“Can I ask you to handle it? One dress for the girl, one suit for the boy.”
“…Just this once.”
Though Manager Jung grumbled under his breath, in his mind he was already picturing adorable Hanul. For a child who shared Go Taekyung’s bloodline, it was almost unbelievable how sweet and lovable he was. Taekyung sometimes warned that Hanul had a cunning streak, but Woohyun never noticed.
See? Already charmed.
Catching sight of Woohyun’s faint smile, Taekyung let out a dry chuckle. Hanul amazed him constantly, being so much like his younger self—especially that uncanny ability to charm every adult around him without even realizing it.
