CTL 57

“It’s good for dementia to have something to do to pass the time. Apparently, even if they lock them up at home, they just go out insistently saying they have to go to the supermarket they ran their whole lives, so they’re just leaving them be for now. If they do that, at least they stay at the supermarket and don’t wander off anywhere else.”

Saying they had no choice but to check one by one, Secretary Lim drove into the company’s underground parking garage.

“I’d like to use a few more people, but that would attract attention. Should we increase the number anyway?”

As they got out of the car and headed to the office, Secretary Lim, who was following behind, asked, and Yoongeon nodded his head.

“Just two more.”

“Yes, understood. I will pass on the instructions to be as careful as possible not to be noticed.”

There was still time until the lunch appointment, but not enough to leisurely review the press release. As Yoongeon quickened his pace, Secretary Lim, following him, also sped up slightly.

✧ ✧ ✧

Having gained certainty from Park Dongju’s call, Yoongeon did not bother to arrive at the appointed time. He leisurely took care of work at the office, arrived about 5 minutes late, and as if that wasn’t enough, he even smoked a cigarette outside.

“When are you planning to go in?”

“I’ll go in when he gets here.”

He was probably fuming inside, but it wasn’t time to go in yet. Answering Secretary Lim’s question perfunctorily, Yoongeon took a deep drag until his cheeks hollowed and then exhaled the smoke. The cigarette smoke momentarily obscured his vision, making everything look extremely hazy.

“He should be on his way now… ah, there he is now.”

The sound of a car pulling in was heard. He turned to see it was Park Taesoo’s car. Yoongeon stood there calmly, but instead of entering the parking garage, the car sped towards where he was standing.

“Goodness, what is he doing?”

Secretary Lim jumped to the side with a start and asked what the Executive Director was doing not running away. Yoongeon glared at him for his utterly despicable behavior.

“Just trying to save yourself, is that it?”

“You’re faster than me, Executive Director. You should have grabbed me and run.”

“Why should I.”

“Exactly. Why should I?”

“…Hah, I’m so dumbfounded I’m speechless.”

Just a moment ago he was chattering about wanting me to live a long life and wanting to serve me forever, and now he’s running his mouth about how I should have saved him.

“I’m the favored royal concubine, so of course you have to save me!”

“Did I tell you to stop with the disgusting talk, or did I not.”

“No, I just don’t know how someone who detests men like this can be in that kind of love!”

“Shut up, will you!”

That guy, I should just, ugh. As Yoongeon, with the hand holding the cigarette, beckoned him to come closer, Secretary Lim ostentatiously backed away. Screech—! With a loud noise, the car came to a screeching halt just in front of Yoongeon, and Park Taesoo got out with a stiff face.

“You must not value your life. You should move when a car is coming.”

“How can you be so late when your father is calling, hyung.”

“…”

At Yoongeon’s affectionate title, Park Taesoo’s face tightened.

“Let’s hurry inside. I was waiting here like this to go in with you, hyung.”

“Fuck, what are you…”

“Let’s go.”

“Ugh!”

Yoongeon, who didn’t much care for the sight of someone dawdling and saying only what he wanted to say without even pretending to listen to others, grabbed him by the neck. Unable to even resist, Park Taesoo struggled.

“You’re coming, right?”

At the sweetly asked question, Park Taesoo, while choking, barely managed to nod. Only then did Yoongeon release his neck and personally straighten Park Taesoo’s clothes.

When he went inside with him, the Chief of Staff, who had been thoroughly enraged, was momentarily speechless. It seemed he hadn’t expected the two of them to come in together. Yoongeon sat Park Taesoo down next to him, then sat opposite and looked him straight in the eye as he spoke.

“Chief of Staff Park Woochul, it’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I’ve brought a man who is very hard to meet. It is an honor.”

“…”

Though his words were impeccably polite and courteous, the Chief of Staff tensed at the sight of Yoongeon, who was making direct eye contact with the President’s Chief of Staff and not even offering the common courtesy of a handshake. Seeing him choose his words carefully, sensing something unusual, Yoongeon thought that at least he wasn’t a complete pushover.

“I’ve told them to bring the meal on their own.”

“Yes. I’m not a picky eater.”

“…Let’s talk after the meal is served.”

The Chief of Staff was extremely cautious. Yoongeon snorted and set an overturned cup upright as he spoke.

“Ah, the water is a bit far. Could you pass me the pitcher?”

“…”

At the sight of Yoongeon casually ordering the Chief of Staff around, Park Taesoo glanced at his father, and Park Woochul, who must not have done such a thing in a very long time, looked at Yoongeon as if wondering what he had just heard.

“…What did you say?”

“My, for your hearing to be so bad already…. At that rate, you should get a hearing aid as soon as possible. I asked you to pass the pitcher. It’s too far for me to reach.”

As he gestured impatiently for him to hurry up, Park Woochul’s expression soured even more. At that moment, Park Taesoo, who had been watching his father, shot up from his seat, picked up the pitcher, and slammed it down in front of Yoongeon with a loud thud.

“There.”

“Placing it so loudly, hyung. Didn’t you learn table manners?”

“Who’s your hyung?”

“Then should I just drop the formalities, Taesoo?”

“…”

“What do you think, Mr. Park, Chief of Staff? Since we’re so close, should we just drop the formalities?”

“…”

He looked back and forth between the two of them in silence for a long time, then bit his lip in frustration. Yoongeon waited without pressuring him.

“…It’s good for young friends to get along, I suppose.”

“Father!”

“Stay quiet.”

He looked at Park Taesoo with a stiff face and muttered. Seeing his father’s unusual demeanor, Park Taesoo shut his mouth and watched him cautiously. The Chief of Staff remained silent until an employee came in and finished setting the table, but the answer he finally gave did not deviate one bit from Yoongeon’s expectations.

“I will do my best to see that Shinhyun Motors is included.”

Despite the neatly set table, no one was eating. It was only natural, as no one would be thinking of having a pleasant meal together.

“‘I’ will do my best. I trust you understand the weight of these words.”

Even as he emphasized himself, Yoongeon only tapped the table with his index finger.

“And I, like any father, care for my child a great deal. So I’m telling you to keep my son in that brilliant mind of yours and watch your conduct.”

“My, you must have been very surprised.”

“The very fact that I am facing the man who put my son in the hospital means I am exercising a great deal of restraint!”

He had tried to speak calmly at first, but in the end, his voice grew loud.

“Haa… Never mind. I will think of it as a fight between kids.”

“Thank you.”

As he watched Yoongeon bow his head slightly, the Chief of Staff’s face was extremely cold.

“Ah, but this matter, I don’t think it can be resolved between just the kids. What should we do about that?”

“…”

At Yoongeon’s probing words, the Chief of Staff swallowed drily with a face that said, ‘the time has finally come.’ Park Taesoo, sitting next to him, looked at Yoongeon with a slightly urgent face upon seeing his father’s unusual demeanor.

“You, what do you know?”

“I know more than you think.”

At Yoongeon’s answer, Park Taesoo’s face turned pale.

“Ah, Father.”

“You be quiet, Park Taesoo. Why did you have to cause trouble and create this mess, why!”

“Then what was I supposed to do? That bastard ruined everything!”

“You punk, still!”

“Is that so.”

As Park Taesoo ground his teeth and his father scolded him with a fierce face, Yoongeon interjected at that moment.

“If the President’s Chief of Staff says to cover up an incident, then yes, they have to cover it up on that side. What choice do they have? A person died, but in the face of power, that’s nothing.”

“…”

“But in this day and age, just because you cover something up once doesn’t mean you can cover it up forever. You know that.”

“…What is it you want to say?”

“I’m saying that if you want to cover things up, you absolutely need an accomplice. That way, the secret will last as long as possible, won’t it?”

Yoongeon leaned back deeply in his chair and crossed his arms. Then, looking at the two rather tense faces watching him, he spoke.

“15 years.”

“…15 years?”

“Yes. Until then, our side will not bring this up first. Let’s call it the price for putting us on the duty-free list. We will not be the first to expose your son’s shameful secret. On the condition that your side doesn’t do anything foolish.”

As he said the last part, Yoongeon looked at Park Taesoo. It meant that if he did something foolish again, trusting in his father, he couldn’t guarantee what would happen next.

“But…”

“Ah, don’t tell me you were planning to use this one time to boss us around for a lifetime? That’s a bit too much.”

As Yoongeon snorted, Park Woochul’s face flushed red. His hand holding the teacup trembled.

“If I put Shinhyun Motors on this list now, merchants like you will milk it for all its worth! And that’s only worth 15 years?!”

“This is how merchants are, Mr. Park, Chief of Staff.”

“…”

“Have you ever seen a merchant do business at a loss.”

Saying it was about getting the maximum efficiency with the minimum investment, Yoongeon turned the water glass he was holding upside down again.

“Still, since you hold a high position, I’ll at least treat you to a meal. This restaurant’s food is quite clean and decent. Enjoy a pleasant meal with your son and go.”

He stood up from his seat without any lingering attachment. When he came outside, Secretary Lim, who had just finished his meal, followed behind him, chattering.

“Oh man, I’m so happy every time I come here. What did you eat, Executive Director?”

“Eat what. There were two stomach-turning faces right in front of me.”

“Oh dear… I really should have eaten with you…”