91.
#Not Much Time Left
Bzzzz. As soon as the professor descended from the podium at the end of the lecture, Jeong Dawoon’s phone vibrated. Checking the caller, he took a short breath. It was the Chairman’s secretary. It was no coincidence that the call came just as the lecture ended, as if they had been waiting. It wouldn’t be surprising if they had already figured out his entire class schedule. The familiarity of this situation left a bitter taste.
Still, perhaps thinking the lecture might run long, they sent a message instead of calling. Upon opening it, there was a short sentence stating they were waiting in the lobby on the first floor of the lecture building.
Dawoon put his textbooks in his locker and slowly made his way down to the first floor. Since this wasn’t a pre-arranged appointment, there was no need to rush.
As he reached the point where the lobby came into view, he immediately spotted Secretary Kim. Probably worried about missing him, she was waiting right at the bottom of the stairs.
“The Chairman is waiting for you.”
Dawoon thought it seemed more dramatic than usual, and now he understood why – his grandfather had come in person. He followed her to the parking lot behind the lecture building. His grandfather’s car was parked in one corner.
It was lunchtime, so they could have met at a restaurant, but it felt like his grandfather’s stubbornness in not wanting to share even a meal with him. Well, it made sense. If Dawoon were in his position, he wouldn’t want to see his own face either. It seemed unfair that all the blame was directed at him, but from the beginning, he and Jeong Hayun were of different importance to his grandfather.
“The young master has arrived,” the secretary reported, opening the back door of the car. Dawoon caught a glimpse of his grandfather nodding through the open door.
“Please get in,” the secretary said, stepping aside and gesturing to the back seat. Dawoon silently did as he was told.
“Have you made a decision?” his grandfather asked immediately, skipping even perfunctory greetings. It was clear from his face that he disliked engaging in lengthy conversations.
“Anywhere is fine,” Dawoon replied. Since he hadn’t been looking into options himself, it didn’t matter where he went. For both his grandfather and himself, the important thing was just getting away from Hayun.
His grandfather, who had been quietly staring at Dawoon, handed him a pamphlet. Looking at it, it seemed to be for a university in the UK. It wasn’t in a major city, so the name was unfamiliar.
“I have a villa there under my name that Hayun doesn’t know about. It’s a bit far from the university, but if you drive, it shouldn’t be too inconvenient.”
Skimming through it, it appeared to be a small to medium-sized city quite far from London. Even the photos in the university pamphlet showed a quiet rural landscape, making Dawoon wonder if there was anything there at all. It really did look like it would be difficult to get around without a car.
He wanted to say he didn’t have a driver’s license yet, but swallowed the words, knowing it would be pointless. It seemed he’d need to get his license before going. Recommending such a place meant this wasn’t so much “study abroad” as it was “exile.”
Well, since he’d be going to graduate school, he wouldn’t need to worry about getting a job right away. Hiding in a place like this, even Hayun might have trouble finding him.
Even as he thought this, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. The fact that he could only escape Hayun’s grasp by being driven out like this, and his grandfather’s swift action to push him away as if he had been waiting for an excuse, left him feeling empty inside.
“I’ll make sure you’re comfortable there, so don’t feel bad,” his grandfather added, perhaps noticing Dawoon’s unhappy expression. However, even in those words, there was no hint of regret or apology. The consistently cold and gruff tone should have been familiar by now, but it still left a bitter taste. Perhaps he still hadn’t given up hope for familial affection.
“What about Haram…?”
“That’s none of your concern,” his grandfather cut him off with a frown before Dawoon could finish mentioning Haram’s name.
“Do you think you have any right to worry about that child?”
Dawoon lowered his eyes and swallowed dryly at the following rebuke.
That’s right. What right do I have…?
He dreaded how Haram would look at him if he learned the whole truth. The thought of those eyes, full of pure affection and trust, changing to contempt and disgust made his heart sink.
“If you’re thinking of Haram, sort things out and leave as soon as possible!”
It seemed his grandfather was equally concerned about Haram finding out. He added that Dawoon should absolutely not let the child know. Dawoon could only reply that he understood.
“I need to finish this semester. I need to graduate to be able to enter graduate school there.”
He asked for this minimal grace period. In truth, graduate school wasn’t strictly necessary. But if he didn’t use even that as an excuse, he would become a completely useless person doing nothing after going to England.
Escaping from Hayun was about finding his own proper life, not about becoming an unemployed person just breathing. So he needed to find at least a minimal role he could fulfill.
His grandfather frowned disapprovingly but didn’t object to Dawoon finishing the semester. Taking the silence as agreement, Dawoon bowed his head slightly and got out of the car.
The secretary waiting outside the car gave a light bow in greeting when she saw Dawoon exit, then got into the front seat. Dawoon stood watching until the car left the parking lot.
Bzzzz. His phone vibrated repeatedly in his jacket pocket. Thinking it might be Ui-hyeon, he checked, but it was Hayun. Getting a call from him right after his grandfather left made Dawoon feel uneasy.
“Hey.”
[Have you eaten lunch?]
“I was just about to.”
[What time does your lecture end today?]
As they exchanged casual conversation, Dawoon’s tension about whether Hayun might know about his grandfather’s visit began to ease.
[I think I’ll finish work early. Want to go out for some fresh air?]
Dawoon wondered why Hayun suddenly wanted to go out, but he decided to go along with whatever Hayun suggested. After all, there wouldn’t be many more chances like this.
“Sure.”
[I’ll come pick you up when you’re done.]
“No need. I’ll come to your office.”
Dawoon had experienced a few times how much attention Hayun drew when he came to the school.
[You will?]
Fortunately, Hayun responded lightly.
[But what’s gotten into you? You’re actually offering to come to the office.]
Dawoon frowned at the follow-up comment, realizing he had made a mistake. He had always avoided going to the office if possible, being careful not to get involved with the Haedo Group any more than necessary.
I let my guard down too much, thinking it’s the last time.
Worried that Hayun might find it strange, Dawoon remained silent, just breathing heavily.
[If you’re being considerate, I’m touched.]
There was a hint of laughter in Hayun’s voice. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to find it suspicious.
“You get touched by the smallest things.”
Dawoon ended the call with a casual reply. As he looked up at the sky, he suddenly felt overwhelmed with fatigue. It was natural, given that he was hit with Hayun right after the tension from facing his grandfather.
He worried whether his tone had seemed off during the call. Hayun was so perceptive that it made him anxious. At least his grandfather had come to the school instead of summoning him separately. If Dawoon had to go somewhere, he wouldn’t have been able to lie well.
***
After ending the call, Hayun stared blankly at the already darkened screen of his phone. A faint smile gradually appeared on his previously expressionless face.
“He’s so cute when he does that,” he muttered to himself, putting down the phone.
Just a moment ago, Director Park had come in to report on the Chairman’s movements. Hearing that he had gone to the university with his secretary, Hayun had called Dawoon right when he thought the Chairman would have finished his business and left.
As expected, Dawoon didn’t mention a word about his grandfather’s visit. He also didn’t give any hint about what his grandfather might be pressuring him to do.
On the day Dawoon had gone to Choi Seon-gyeom’s exhibition and then been summoned to the main house, Hayun had checked Dawoon’s movements. While not showing that he knew everything, he had separately assigned people to monitor the Chairman’s side. When he received a report that Secretary Kim had obtained study abroad materials for various places, he chuckled at how predictable it all was.
It was natural that the Chairman, who had been shocked upon guessing the relationship between Hayun and Dawoon, wouldn’t let it slide. Even with Hayun’s warnings, the Chairman’s stubbornness was not to be underestimated. Where did that blood come from? The grandfather who had consistently ignored Dawoon for nearly 20 years, the father who remarried Dawoon’s mother despite the grandfather’s opposition, and now Hayun himself, who didn’t hesitate to become the grandfather’s enemy to keep Dawoon – they all shared the same blood.
So it was the Chairman who had let his guard down. Ironically, while he had been monitoring Hayun since he joined the Haedo Group, he hadn’t considered that Hayun might be monitoring him in return. Over the years, Hayun had managed to bring Director Park and all the people the Chairman had placed to his side. Everyone had weaknesses, and Hayun was better at negotiating using those weaknesses than the Chairman was.
