Returning to the separate quarters, Taeon had to face Secretary Kim's frantic call. He couldn't help but laugh at the secretary's whining about thinking he had run away while panicking in front of the laptop.
There had been some delay. The 15-minute delay in the meeting was attributed to unstable network connectivity. Even the executives who had shown their displeasure in front of the monitor fell silent at the mention of unstable local internet.
What could they say when rumors had spread that Chairman Jeong had sent Taeon to Younghwa-dang to cover up the embezzlement by his first grandson Jeong Tae-jun?
If you called it pitiful, it was pitiful indeed. Taeon watched the meeting screen cynically while leaning back in his chair.
─ "The MD91 recycling material, developed in joint research with Delis, will begin to be used in earnest starting with Majesty Nine Seoul Forest. Here's the interior perspective. MD91 has good durability and easy color variation, allowing us to showcase customized designs worthy of Jeong Construction's premium apartments, while also supporting Jeong Group's leading ESG campaign..."
Taeon scanned the varied perspectives with bored eyes.
It was a meeting moved up thanks to his mother complaining of an early morning headache. His mother, who had sighed during dinner the previous evening asking how she could go there again, had eventually fallen conveniently ill.
"I wanted so much to see them, but how unfortunate that I've fallen ill."
The scene of the shaman holding his mother's hands tightly and responding that their deceased great-grandparents would surely appreciate such sincere devotion was nothing short of comedy.
Taeon clicked his tongue and stared blankly at the meeting screen. Director Bae, with his few remaining hairs neatly combed, was offering useless suggestions about making the design simpler and more elegant.
─ "Huh? Actually, I'm not too sure about using recycled materials in our premium apartments that Jeong Construction prides itself on. What's recycling? It's used stuff, used. Things others have touched. And what's Majesty Nine's direction? Premium, highest-end... and recycling? Doesn't this seem odd?"
─ "Recently, consumers are also increasingly concerned about environmental issues, and Jeong Construction's social responsibility..."
─ "I know! I'm not cold-blooded! I'm someone who cries watching polar bears and penguins losing their homes as glaciers melt! But why implement it in our Majesty Nine of all places? That's my question."
It was strange to Taeon too. The fact that the company somehow kept running even with these all-talk good-for-nothings making a fuss...
The presenter broke into a nervous smile. Taeon chuckled and tapped his finger on the desk.
"Director Bae."
─ "Oh my, Director Jeong. You must be working hard from far away."
"Shall we just do Director Bae? I think your point just now was valid. What good does it do to make noise about animals losing their homes due to climate change in documentaries? People's hearts change like flipping their palms - they might shed a few tears in sympathy, but when it becomes their own business..."
Director Bae's authoritative face twisted slightly at the comment that could have been either supporting or subtly criticizing him. Taeon smiled indifferently.
Hoping that since he had a brain, he might realize that the value of foreign investment received through ESG management was worth more than the inflated worth of his skin stretched by entertainment and hospitality.
"Let's have the PR team push this aggressively. It would look good to highlight the collaboration with architect Berkel."
─ "Understood. Then we'll continue with the meeting."
The boring discussions continued.
Taeon, who had been leaning back lazily in his chair, suddenly noticed a dark red spot on the screen. The face of the woman who had been flustered about pricking her finger and getting blood on his shirt naturally followed.
A writer, she'd said.
His long fingers with pronounced knuckles picked up the phone from the desk. Casually typing out "Yeon Sa-hee" in the search bar brought up a profile with a placeholder question mark for the photo.
Yeon Sa-hee | Children's Book Author, Illustrator
Born 19XX
Education: S University, Department of Western Painting, Bachelor's
Awards: 23rd Children's Publishing Culture Award Grand Prize
She graduated from a good university.
With impressive awards, she had reason to answer "Maybe" when asked if she was famous.
"You could read it if you wanted."
And that subtly mocking voice. Her cold response to his crude provocation.
Taeon glanced down to check her representative work.
"Cotton Dust"
When he pressed on the book cover with its rather cute title, one phrase caught his eye first:
'Suitable for ages 4 and up!'
Taeon's brow furrowed as a deflated smile escaped through his teeth. At his contextless laughter, the new presenter on screen faltered, their lips trembling without continuing.
─ "Director? Is there a problem..."
"No. Please continue."
Taeon crossed his legs after practically throwing his phone onto the desk.
The presenter nervously continued explaining the socioeconomic benefits that this business agreement with Delis would bring to Jeong Construction.
Taeon stroked his chin while listening to the voice that occasionally crackled with mechanical noise. He quietly thought about the woman. Had Yeon Sa-hee wanted to say that he, who had never once considered others' feelings, was no different from a four-year-old child?
After acting so docile, her displeasure had been fierce. If there was a problem, it was that there were too many obvious reasons why.
Taeon recalled a photo hanging in her room. A young-faced Yeon Sa-hee was smiling brightly with her eyes curved among friends. A young woman with bubbling curly hair wearing an apron stained with paint. The face of the man smiling mischievously beside her was familiar.
"Kim Ju-hwan!"
"I'm going! Love you!"
Even at the temple, they'd said she didn't have a boyfriend. Perhaps enjoying a secret romance or some flirtatious tension.
However, when he held her pricked finger, he thought it didn't matter. In that brief moment, he decided it wouldn't be bad if she had a boyfriend, since it would be troublesome if things got too serious on this end.
"You could read it if you wanted."
It must have been quite a grave criticism amid her constant avoidance of him, but it was unfortunate. Taeon still didn't care about her feelings - he just found it quite amusing.
* * *
Knock knock.
"It's Sa-hee."
After a light knock, permission to enter was granted. When she opened the door, Mrs. Cheon, who had been lying down, groaned as she raised her upper body.
"Stay lying down. I'll be quick."
"What did you come for?"
"I'm going to the post office and wondered if you wanted anything to eat."
"I'm fine."
"Don't say that, think about it."
Sa-hee pulled a chair to the bedside and looked around the roughly 6-pyeong room. The small, neatly organized room was dark despite it being daytime with the curtains drawn.
After cleaning up the torn medicine packets on the bedside table into the nearby trash can, Sa-hee shook the stainless steel water container. Someone must have visited before her, as it was quite heavy.
"Should I buy some honey rice cakes?"
Mrs. Cheon looked gaunt, having lost a lot of weight in just a few days. At the mention of her favorite honey rice cakes, a brief spark flickered in her eyes that had been listlessly opening and closing.
"My throat is scratchy, so it's hard to swallow anything."
"See, why did you make such a fuss about Jeong Group? I'll buy some anyway. You can eat them when you feel like it."
"Madam is a good person."
Sa-hee laughed softly. Finding that laugh suspicious, Mrs. Cheon narrowed her eyes.
Younghwa-dang's first granddaughter rarely cried but was generous with self-deprecation. While some found her deflating laughter disagreeable, Mrs. Cheon had always found that laugh unsettling.
"Everything alright?"
"Yes."
"Why the post office?"
"I have some documents to send to the publishing company. I'll be back soon. Get some rest."
As Sa-hee was about to stand up after smoothing out the crumpled blanket, Mrs. Cheon turned her head completely toward her. She wondered if she had heard that news.
"I heard Hyun-ji's family is coming soon, did you know?"
"Really?"
Sa-hee responded with a face that showed she hadn't known at all. Her family visited Younghwa-dang once a year, but this year it seemed to overlap with Jeong Group's visit.
She was just thinking that while it didn't matter since they wouldn't go near the shabby small guest house anyway, it would be tiring one way or another with Jeong Group here too.
Mrs. Cheon reached out and clasped Sa-hee's hand.
"I'll get better quickly... you should go stay with your friends in Seoul. You have lots of college friends, don't you?"
"What are you saying? I'm not a child."
Sa-hee chuckled. As she removed Mrs. Cheon's hand and tucked it firmly under the blanket, the thinned eyes stared at her persistently.
"You find this funny?"
"Rest. Don't overdo it. Seeing how you're glaring, you must be getting better soon."
That's good.
Sa-hee turned off the lamp switch on the bedside table and turned around. Behind her, she heard a weak mutter: "Look at her acting tough again."
Thanks to that, she could smile with a slightly more nonchalant face as she closed the door.
* * *
You can take a village bus that comes every 40 minutes from Younghwa-dang to go downtown.
After visiting the post office and rice cake shop, Sa-hee carried a black plastic bag bulging with rice cakes. News of Mrs. Cheon's illness must have already reached there, as she received more service items than what she bought. They even gave her taffy, which wasn't even one of their products.
Sa-hee walked slowly toward Younghwa-dang. Though she'd only run errands, the long journey there and back meant it was already nearly evening. If spring hadn't arrived with its longer days, she would have been walking in complete darkness.
When spring fully arrives, the cherry blossoms will bloom.
Spring, when pale pink cherry blossoms bloom along both sides of the deserted road, was her only beloved season at Younghwa-dang.
It might be her last spring here. Sa-hee walked while trailing her fingers along the still-bare cherry trees.
She would have enjoyed the peace more if not for the unwelcome visitor visible at the end of the road. Sa-hee stopped in her tracks, her expression hardening at the sound of someone hurriedly standing up.
"Sa-hee!"
Lee Hyun-gu, wearing a navy suit with a red tie, stood in front of Younghwa-dang holding what looked like about 50 bright red roses.
Hyun-gu smiled emotionally as if he had waited a long time.
Sa-hee started walking again. When she reached Hyun-gu, she passed by him as if she hadn't seen or heard anything. She opened the main gate and continued on normally.
"Yeon Sa-hee!"
After a brief pause, Hyun-gu called out to her again. As she turned toward the path from the main hall to the small guest house, the heavily packed plastic bag grew heavier, briefly reminding her of Mrs. Cheon.
"Hey, Yeon Sa-hee. Why are you ignoring me?"
At that moment, Hyun-gu blocked her path with a frown.
At times like these, Sa-hee hated her broken ankle the most. No matter how hard she tried to walk, she couldn't outpace someone who ran to block her way. Even trying to sidestep him would get blocked. This helplessness, though experienced repeatedly, only fueled a fierce anger that never diminished.
Sa-hee let out a faint sigh and raised her head.
"What?"
"What do you mean 'what'..."
"If you came for something, do it and go."
"I came to see you."
Hyun-gu waved the bouquet in front of her as if asking if she couldn't see it. Sa-hee stared at the pitifully swaying bouquet with disinterested eyes. The rose fragrance that rushed into her lungs made her nauseous.
At any rate, she had all the necessary supplies. Taffy and plastic bags. If she felt like throwing up, she could do it in the plastic bag, and she could give him the remaining taffy before leaving.
Sa-hee straightened her back with disinterested eyes.
"Ah, right. Since we didn't have an appointment... Where are you coming from?"
"..."
"I have something to say, shall we go over there for a moment?"
"Say it here."
"Are you busy?"
"Yes."
"Still doing that work? The illustrations?"
"Yes."
Sa-hee didn't hide her annoyed feeling. Hyun-gu seemed momentarily upset but quickly regained his composure.
Sa-hee suddenly recalled the insults she'd heard from behind the wall.
Not even a proper job, what was it, children's writer, illustrator? Let's be honest, what is there to see besides Yeon Sa-hee's body? Have you had her? Soon enough. Playing hard to get with your heaven-sent suitor.
Contempt engraved like an intaglio doesn't fill easily. Usually thinking it was just a shadow, she would realize when taking a step that it was a deeply carved valley. Not just a dark lump behind her, but a dark valley where she might fall and get hurt if she wasn't careful.
"Since you're busy, I'll get straight to the point."