Separation Anxiety – Chapter 122

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122.

#Tanzania

The sun beating down overhead was hot. The sunlight was more scorching than Dawoon had expected, causing him to raise a hand to shield his eyes. Even so, the sky visible through the gaps in his fingers was beautiful. Perhaps because there was no fine dust at all, it was truly deep blue.

Feeling his pants being tugged, Dawoon looked down to see a child about five or six years old holding onto his pants and speaking earnestly about something.

“He’s asking you to come over there. It seems he wants you to get something down for him,” Jeff interpreted the child’s words. When they were in South Africa, they mainly used English, so Dawoon didn’t know, but he was quite surprised to learn that Jeff could speak Swahili as well. There was a reason why Choi Seon-gyeom had assigned Jeff as a guide during their stay in the African region.

Following the child’s lead, Dawoon saw him pointing at a kite stuck in a tree. It was the kite Dawoon had made for the children a few days ago. Even though it was a crudely imitated kite that didn’t fly well, the children often ran around here and there holding the string attached to it. The expressions on their faces were consistently bright and beautiful.

“You want me to get that down?” Dawoon asked the child. Although the child couldn’t have understood, he nodded. Dawoon patted the child’s head and approached the tree, but even he couldn’t reach it. After pondering for a moment, he gestured for the child to come closer.

“Tell him I’ll lift him up so he can get it himself,” Dawoon said to Jeff. After Jeff relayed the message, the child nodded in understanding and stretched out his arms. Dawoon swiftly lifted the child and carried him towards where the kite was stuck. The child reached out to grab the kite, wobbling a few times, but even that seemed fun as he giggled.

The child cheered as he grabbed the kite. When Dawoon set him down, the child bowed his head in gratitude and ran off to where the other children were waiting. The kite in the child’s hand fluttered in the wind.

Dawoon gazed at the child’s figure endlessly. A smile crept onto his face at the sight of the children’s laughter and their bare feet running around. It felt like their unrestrained freedom was spreading to his own heart.

“How long are you planning to stay here?” Jeff asked with a frown. It had been four days since they arrived in Tanzania and joined a welfare foundation active in the area to do volunteer work.

“You’re not planning to stay for months, are you?” He grumbled about the heat and the lack of proper bathing facilities. Despite his rugged appearance, Jeff seemed to be quite particular about cleanliness, and the lifestyle here clearly didn’t suit him.

“I’d like to if I could…” Dawoon began.

“Ugh, no way. If that’s the case, I’m leaving first,” Jeff exclaimed without letting Dawoon finish. Dawoon’s eyes once again turned to the children playing here and there. Although he couldn’t understand what they were saying, it was clear that the children were enjoying themselves.

“We’ll leave tomorrow,” Dawoon said. Jeff’s face immediately brightened at this different answer. He seemed to have been worried that Dawoon might actually suggest staying here indefinitely. Dawoon shook his head with a smile at Jeff’s too-honest reaction.

Although he desperately wanted to stay longer, having just started to bond with the children, Dawoon still felt uneasy about staying in one place for too long. He knew better than anyone that Hayun wouldn’t give up so easily.

“Where are you planning to go? I need to know to book flight tickets,” Jeff asked.

“Not a plane. Please arrange a car for us,” Dawoon replied.

“A car? Are you going to drive?”

“I don’t know how to drive.”

Jeff stared blankly at Dawoon’s nonchalant answer, seemingly dumbfounded. Dawoon brushed off his gaze with a laugh.

“Are you saying I have to drive all day?” Jeff asked, pointing at himself.

“Fortunately, it seems you know how to drive,” Dawoon said with a smile, instead of directly stating that Jeff would have to drive. Jeff let out an exasperated sigh.

“Seriously, how sheltered were you growing up? How did you reach this age without getting a driver’s license?”

“I wonder that myself. What have I been doing?” Dawoon replied lightly as he stood up. He figured there was no point in explaining that he never needed to drive, and that if a car was necessary, a chauffeur or his brother would accompany him.

“I don’t know where you’re planning to go, but do you realize how difficult it is to travel by car from here? I don’t understand why you’re choosing to struggle when we could just take a plane,” Jeff complained.

“Plane tickets can be traced,” Dawoon answered without a moment’s hesitation. Jeff’s brow furrowed deeply at this response.

“At this point, I’m really starting to wonder. Are you on the run after committing a crime somewhere?”

“If we ever get caught, I’ll tell them you absolutely don’t know me,” Dawoon replied jokingly.

“Are you trying to make me nervous? Really?” Jeff asked, now looking serious.

Dawoon moved towards where the children were beckoning, leaving Jeff behind. As if they had been waiting, the children ran up and grabbed both of Dawoon’s arms, pulling him along.

Playing with the children required more energy than he had expected. Still, keeping busy here by constantly moving around felt better for his mind than idly passing time in South Africa. For now, at least, he could forget about Hayun for a moment.

***

“Tanzania?” Hayun frowned at Director Park’s report. Despite mobilizing many people to search for several days after arriving in South Africa, Dawoon’s trail had abruptly vanished somewhere. They had managed to find the hotels where Dawoon had stayed, but he never remained in one place for more than a day or two.

It was clear that Dawoon was deliberately evading his pursuit. Knowing Jeong Hayun well, it seemed Dawoon also knew how to avoid getting caught by him.

Hayun had to admit that he had underestimated Dawoon all this time. Because Dawoon always eventually gave in to Hayun’s wishes, because he ultimately moved according to Hayun’s desires even when he seemed to be pushing back, Hayun had confidently believed Dawoon was in the palm of his hand.

Haa. A heavy sigh escaped, loud enough to be audible. Tanzania after South Africa? He couldn’t understand what Dawoon was thinking at all. Jeong Dawoon had never felt so unfamiliar to him.

“I’ve booked a flight ticket to Tanzania,” Director Park said, anticipating that Hayun would want to go there immediately.

“The flight is in two hours.”

Implying that they should start preparing and head to the airport, Hayun covered his face with one hand. Since starting his stay in London, then moving to South Africa until today, he hadn’t slept for more than two hours at a time. Even when he forced himself to lie down, he couldn’t fall asleep. Perhaps because of this, he occasionally experienced severe headaches.

After swallowing a painkiller, Director Park, who had handed him water, looked at him with a serious expression.

“Do you have something to say?” Hayun asked.

“Would you listen if I did?” Director Park countered.

Hayun’s lips curled into a smirk at the retort.

“Go ahead and say it. I’ll decide whether to listen after hearing it.”

“Mr. Dawoon… I will find him to the end. So, Vice President, for now, wouldn’t it be better if you returned to London or Korea…?”

“Rejected,” Hayun cut him off mid-sentence. Director Park took a deep breath.

“I’ve rescheduled all urgent and important meetings to video conferences. You’ll need to attend a meeting for 30 minutes after we arrive at the airport.”

He answered as if he had already anticipated Hayun’s response and had finished adjusting the schedule.

“It’s fortunate that you’re so capable,” Hayun remarked.

“I wish you would recognize that even my abilities have limits,” Director Park replied firmly.

“You’ve become particularly prickly lately. And more nagging too,” Hayun observed.

“It’s all thanks to you, Vice President.”

Hayun chuckled at the quick retort. He knew it too. That this couldn’t go on. But he couldn’t help it. It felt like if he didn’t find Jeong Dawoon, he wouldn’t be able to breathe, let alone handle company matters. He needed Jeong Dawoon to live. That was all there was to it.

***

After nearly two months, Hayun returned to Korea. On the surface, it made sense to prioritize his work as the London branch manager, but in reality, he had been busy simultaneously handling London affairs and searching for Dawoon.

Since he stopped by the headquarters immediately after entering the country, it was already evening when he arrived home.

“Hyung!”

Haram, who had rushed over in excitement, widened his eyes the moment he saw Hayun’s face. He didn’t look like the Hayun he knew.

“Hayun hyung…”

He called out, but didn’t know what to say. Hayun had lost so much weight that his facial features looked even sharper. Moreover, his eyes were cold. The moment Hayun turned to look at him, Haram froze, unable to approach carelessly despite not having done anything wrong.

“What is it?”

Even Hayun’s tone was different from before. Usually, he would have smiled warmly, saying “Welcome” or asking how Haram had been doing. But now, there wasn’t a trace of a smile on Hayun’s face. Beyond being expressionless, his gaze was icy.

“Well…”

Haram hesitated, intimidated by the gaze that felt not just unfamiliar but almost threatening. Hayun let out an irritated sigh.

“If it’s not urgent, tell me later. I’m tired.”

He cut off the conversation abruptly and turned away, clearly not wanting to deal with Haram any longer. Feeling a chill emanating from Hayun, Haram couldn’t say anything more and turned away.

Thud. As soon as the sound of the door closing was heard, tears welled up in Haram’s eyes. He had been holding up well all this time, but Hayun’s return ironically made him feel even more sorrowful.

“What’s going on?”

Startled by the familiar voice, Haram looked up to see Chairman Jeong standing in front of him with a deeply furrowed brow, having arrived at some point.