RACA 105

“Can you stay alone for a bit?”

While adjusting his tie, Jaebeom looked toward the bed with a worried expression. He had to go to the bank for a meeting that couldn’t be postponed, but he still didn’t look at ease.

“Yes, of course. Don’t worry and go.”

Unlike him, Eunsol was busy entertaining the twins, making funny, smiling, and frowning faces while drinking orange juice.

“It won’t take more than an hour. Until then, make sure to leave the babies with the nurse.”

“Got it.”

Not wanting his spouse to struggle while he was away, Jaebeom had already arranged for a nurse in advance. However, since he looked anxious, Eunsol could only answer quietly.

‘He’s getting more and more overprotective.’

Especially after he dreamed of grandma. But it wasn’t as if he disliked it either.

“I’ll be back.”

“Yes.”

Eunsol wanted to see him off to the hospital entrance, but since Jaebeom even worried about him getting out of bed, he only waved.

The twins’ eyes seemed to follow him as he left, which made Eunsol laugh again.

Jaebeom glanced at him one last time, then finally couldn’t resist and gave him a brief kiss before leaving the room.

‎

‎

“Where’s President Kim?”

Jaebeom asked as soon as he got into the car waiting in the parking lot.

“He’s waiting in his office,” Kwak Sang, who was sitting in the passenger seat, replied, turning around.

“I thought he wouldn’t want to see me again.”

“In times like these, when every penny counts, that’s impossible.”

Jaebeom murmured indifferently and closed his eyes. After days of tending to the twins who cried night and day, fatigue had seeped deep into his bones. Even with his strong stamina, the lack of sleep over several days was pushing him to his limit.

He dozed off until the car reached the underground parking lot of the bank.

“…Sir, CEO.”

He opened his eyes at Kwak Sang’s call and saw the familiar underground lot.

“Alright.”

He replied calmly and got out. When he reached the executive office, President Kim, who had been impatiently waiting for his arrival, jumped to his feet.

“CEO Pyo! Long time no see. How’ve you been?”

Despite their last meeting ending on a sour note, Kim greeted him with a smile.

“I’m fine. I heard you’ve been busy setting up an entertainment company?”

“Well, yes.”

Kim had been pouring all his energy into the entertainment business. He had connections and information built from running clubs, but the problem was money.

He’d been desperately looking for investors, so when Jaebeom contacted him, he had come running immediately.

If he had been willing to curb his greed, he could have started the company on his own, but he hadn’t been able to. Jaebeom didn’t bother to point that out.

“How much do you need?”

“…What?”

“The money to start your company. How much are you short?”

“Why are you asking?”

Kim tried to play dumb, but under Jaebeom’s gaze, he eventually lowered his head.

“Are you really planning to back me?”

“It’s impossible with bank funds. From the looks of it, a few billion won won’t even be close to enough.”

Jaebeom smirked when he saw Kim’s expression turning rigid at the answer that fell short of his hopes.

“But it’d be different if Chairman Jang got involved.”

Kim’s eyes widened.

“You mean the chairman agreed to invest?”

He had pestered Jaebeom before to connect him with Chairman Jang, so his ears perked up instantly.

“Tell me the conditions. You’re not doing this for nothing, are you?”

“I’m not asking for much.”

That line alone carried heavy weight. Kim already felt a knot forming in his stomach but stayed quiet. He had spent so much time running around looking for investors.

He had to grab this chance.

“I don’t want much. Thirty percent of the shares, one voting right, and someday you grant me a favor. That’s all. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?”

Kim’s expression hardened in an instant. Thirty percent of the shares meant he was practically asking for a controlling stake. And even a board voting right on top of that.

“What kind of favor?”

“We’ll talk about that later.”

Kim’s insides burned, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. Then Jaebeom drove in the final nail.

“It won’t be anything unreasonable, so don’t worry.”

That reassurance made him even more anxious, but in the end, he nodded.

“You’ll really let me meet the chairman, right?”

“The foundation of banking is trust. You know that.”

Jaebeom tapped his toe lazily and added,

“I’ll even remove the investment retrieval option.”

“Mr. Pyo, you really are the best!”

Only then did President Kim’s face brighten. Jaebeom told Kwak Sang to bring the contract, and they signed it on the spot.

When the delighted President Kim insisted on treating him afterward, Jaebeom refused and immediately called Chairman Jang.

–What’s this about?

“I’ll let you visit the twins three times a month.”

–What?

Chairman Jang’s puzzled voice came back through the phone at the sudden offer, but Jaebeom continued calmly.

“In exchange, invest in one company.”

–You know I don’t do things like that.

Jaebeom laughed.

“Eunsol says he wants to act. You’re not going to help him?”

As expected, the moment Eunsol’s name came up, Chairman Jang wavered.

–Eunsol said that?

“Yes. And since we’ll need someone to watch the babies while Eunsol’s gone, you’ll have to come three times a month.”

–Once a week!

“That won’t do.”

–You’re the one asking me to babysit!

“You’re not thinking about how much Eunsol would hate that?”

Silence fell for a moment on the other end. Chairman Jang was seriously calculating.

Jaebeom looked at his watch and stood up. It was time to head back to the hospital.

–How much?

As expected, a positive question came at last. Jaebeom smirked and named the amount Kim had wanted.

–You little thief!

Chairman Jang grumbled, but to Jaebeom, who had already achieved his goal, it was nothing but noise.

•••

After a week in the hospital, Eunsol walked down the corridor beside Jaebeom, who was pushing the stroller. The moment they stepped outside, the cool wind brushed his cheek.

“Are you cold?”

Jaebeom looked at him carefully.

“No, I’m fine.”

Eunsol smiled and looked around. He hadn’t noticed while he’d been in the hospital room, but spring had arrived.

“The forsythia’s blooming over there.”

Jaebeom turned his head when Eunsol pointed somewhere.

“It’s spring.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s a good season to start something new.”

Eunsol immediately caught the meaning behind those words and smiled a little, embarrassed. How could he not notice, when Jaebeom kept bringing it up every chance he got despite telling him not to rush back?

‘It’s not even a comeback yet.’

In this field, Eunsol was still a rookie struggling to land even a minor role. What was different now was that someone beside him believed in him.

“Let’s get to the car first.”

Right then, the car driven by Bulgom stopped in front of them. The driver’s door opened, and Bulgom stepped out with a cheerful greeting. A luxury sedan followed close behind.

“Why are you outside in this cold? You should’ve called, and I’d have come in. Don’t you know how harsh the April chill can be?”

The one who stepped out of the sedan, fussing, was none other than Chairman Jang, who hadn’t even said he was coming today.

“Hello, Chairman.”

“Yes, yes. Eunsol, you’ve worked hard. Get in the car. You’ll catch a cold if you stay in the wind.”

When Eunsol greeted him politely, Chairman Jang beamed and pointed toward his car.

“Why should Eunsol ride with you? We already have our car.”

Jaebeom replied dryly.

“Oh please, do you think the three of you can all fit in that thing? You take that one. Eunsol and the twins will ride with me.”

“That’s nonsense. Move aside.”

Jaebeom waved his hand as if brushing away a fly, but Chairman Jang didn’t budge an inch. He’d made up his mind to ride with his grandchildren today no matter what.

Besides, he’d paid a hefty sum for the right to three official visits a month. Today was one of those days, and he had no reason to back down.

“The condition you set before…”

Chairman Jang began to bring up the deal when,

“Uh, uh, uuh…”

The twins started fussing in the stroller. The confrontation between the two alphas immediately dissolved.

“They must be cold. We should go. See you at home, Chairman.”

That was Eunsol declaring he’d ride in Bulgom’s car. Even so, Chairman Jang’s face brightened.

“You mean I can come to your place?”

“Of course. You came to see the twins.”

Eunsol looked up at him with such a gentle expression that it made the older man laugh even louder.

“That’s right!”

He answered quickly, then gave Jaebeom a smug look, seemingly saying “ See?” Pleased by the frown on Jaebeom’s face, Chairman Jang hummed a tune as he headed back toward his car.