AOA 155

Hiding a massive sum of money out of Baek Jinseok’s sight was harder than growing the money. Although he was already out of favor, he didn’t know what would happen if he were caught holding an astronomical amount. He still had to be careful.

“It takes some time to buy a private jet.”

“Are you really going to buy it?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

Jeong Minchae gaped in admiration. Baek Mugyeong realized anew that he had fallen in love at the cute expression created by his delicate face.

Even the smallest movement was cute, making his fingertips tingle. Eventually, unable to resist the impulse, he swept the hair covering Jeong Minchae’s forehead to the side.

It was a light touch. No one was nervous. There was no confrontation, suffocating silence, or misunderstanding. As if it were only natural, Jeong Minchae accepted it and smiled. When thinking back to when they had just gotten married, it was almost like a miracle.

No, a miracle really did happen.

Baek Mugyeong recalled a question he had buried deep within his heart. They were living the same life again, yet he did not know the reason. He had spoken seriously about this with Jeong Minchae, but he said he knew nothing either. The days and and the ways they died were different.

There was only one thing that was the same: being murdered. It was such a terrible memory that he couldn’t bring himself to mention it for long. Since he didn’t know the exact reason, he kept it buried. It was wiser to talk about the future they would share together rather than clinging to an unresolvable past.

Baek Mugyeong withdrew his hand, and once again stifled his doubts.

“It’s convenient to have a private jet.”

“Doesn’t the maintenance cost a lot?”

“I can handle all of that. Here is a catalog. Which one do you like?”

“You should choose that.”

When he held out the catalog that was sitting on one side of the table, Jeong Minchae shook his head. He looked as if he were standing before an explosive device.

“Can I decorate the interior in gold?”

“I know that is not your taste. You like things that are empty with nothing in them.”

Jeong Minchae replied with a playful smile. As each day passed, they learned more about each other. They were also able to continue their conversation without interruption. Baek Mugyeong liked that.

As they chatted amicably, the companions scattered throughout the chartered plane glanced at the two of them one by one. Everyone was pleased to see the affectionate couple.

Baek Mugyeong noticed that he was receiving their attention but pretended not to know. Jeong Minchae’s family had easygoing personalities. They hardly interfered, saying that it was enough as long as the two of them got along well.

However, Jeong Minchae’s maternal grandmother, Lee Miseon, was a difficult opponent. She had a firm standard that a man must be capable of supporting a family.

They did not take issue with the fact that they had entered into an arranged marriage, divorced, and then met again. They also said it was acceptable that they could not get married immediately. Instead, they scrutinized where they would primarily live, how they would fend off interference from the Baek family, and whether they had sufficient financial resources.

Baek Mugyeong was fully prepared and answered fluently. It was clear that this had pleased Lee Miseon. Choosing New York as the family destination this time was tantamount to a signal that he wanted to go together. This was because New York was where Baek Mugyeong had founded his company after finishing his studies.

The romantic relationship was a matter between the two of them, but beyond that, their families were bound to get involved. Especially considering Jeong Minchae cherished his family dearly, maintaining a good relationship was important.

Baek Mugyeong planned to score a fortune on this trip.

❖ ❖ ❖

The trip to New York went smoothly.

Baek Mugyeong, who spearheaded the summer vacation planning, hired two professional tour guides and prepared as many as three vehicles with drivers.

True to its reputation as the world’s largest city, New York was overflowing with things to see and do. They visited a couple of famous landmarks each day. Central Park, the Empire State Building Observation Deck, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Modern Art, and so on. They planned the itinerary based on the attractions each family member had chosen. Since there was an elderly member in our group, the schedule was rather relaxed.

They stayed true to the adage that the only things left from a trip are photos and videos. After taking pictures against the backdrop of the hot and sunny July New York sky and landmarks, we went shopping and sought out famous restaurants. Since it was their first family trip, everyone was careful and considerate, so they managed to complete the schedule without any major arguments. However, crises are bound to strike at unexpected moments.

On the fourth day of the trip, they booked a restaurant famous for seafood for dinner. It was a place Park Soyeon chose, saying it was recommended by a friend.

They were on our way to a restaurant after finishing their visit to the Natural History Museum. Jeong Minchae, who was practically lying down in the back seat complaining that his feet hurt from walking so much, spoke up.

“I kept forgetting, Mugyeong. Why did you rent three cars? Wouldn’t one big one be enough?”

Baek Mugyeong had prepared a total of three vehicles for this trip. Two people rode in each vehicle when traveling. Mostly, it was Lee Miseon and Park Soyeon, Choi Jieun and Lee Sejun, and Baek Mugyeong and Jeong Minchae, though it occasionally changed depending on the situation. As Jeong Minchae said, one large van was enough to transport the group of six and two guides at once.

Understanding Jeong Minchae’s question, Baek Mugyeong answered simply.

“Just in case there are times when you need multiple cars.”

“I think this every time, but you seem to be incredibly thorough in your preparation.”

Jeong Minchae let it slide, simply asking if that was the case. In fact, there were several reasons why Baek Mugyeong had prepared multiple vehicles. It was true that he had prepared for situations where the schedule suddenly changed or someone wanted to return to the accommodation.

In addition to that, they tried to make time to be apart from each other, at least when traveling. Even though they were family, there was a high probability of trouble arising if they were constantly together.

For the same reason, he also rented three rooms. They were all suites with one living room and two bedrooms, and the members traveling by car used the rooms together.

It was all preparation for a happy trip, but it was so trivial that he didn’t bother explaining the reason. While they were chatting about this and that, the car stopped at a signal. Jeong Minchae, who was looking out the window, let out an exclamation of admiration.

“Mugyeong, look over there.”

Where Jeong Minchae pointed, a man was pushing a stroller with four seats facing forward and backward. Judging by the similar sizes of the children’s hands and feet sticking out of the stroller one by one, they looked like quadruplets.

“I think they are quadruplets.”

“They all look like boys.”

“Four sons? That must be incredibly hard to raise. My mom told me that her two sons smashed everything in the house. She said nothing was left intact. What about you, Mugyeong? I suppose four is too many, right?”

“I’ve never seriously thought about children.”

“Really?”

“Children aren’t absolutely necessary for married life.”

“That is true.”

Just then, a call came from Lee Sejun. The car, which had started moving while he was saying that everyone had already arrived at the restaurant, stopped in front of the restaurant before even a block had passed. Jeong Minchae said, “Let’s hurry up,” and got out of the car right away.

Since the reaction was no different from usual, Baek Mugyeong felt nothing unusual. He even forgot what had been discussed while meeting his companions and ordering food.

The seafood was fresh, and every single dish was delicious. The atmosphere at dinner was warm and friendly. The conversation mainly revolved around the dinosaurs seen at the natural history museum. Lee Sejun, who possessed extensive knowledge of dinosaurs, captured the attention of the group by explaining that chickens are descendants of dinosaurs.

After happily finishing their meal, they returned to the hotel. Baek Mugyeong had no doubt that a happy tomorrow just like today would follow.

That belief wavered before even a day had passed.

❖ ❖ ❖

On the afternoon of the fifth day of the trip, the schedule for the day was to visit Chelsea Market and take a walk in the nearby park. However, Lee Miseon said she would rest at the hotel because she was tired, and Lee Sejun opted out as he had an upset stomach and hadn’t even eaten lunch. Baek Mugyeong decided to stay behind as their guardian.

“Should we stay too?”

“I think that would be a good idea.”

“I am perfectly fine on my own. Please have a good time, the three of you. It would be even better if you brought something delicious to eat on your way back.”

Baek Mugyeong dissuaded Park Soyeon and Choi Jieun from staying with him. When he explained that Lee Sejun would feel apologetic if the schedule got messed up, the two understood.

However, they exchanged glances with each other. The quick-witted Baek Mugyeong realized that they had something to tell him.

Jeong Minchae went to the room where Lee Sejun was lying, while Lee Miseon, Park Soyeon, and Baek Mugyeong were gathered in another room. It was the perfect place to have a quiet conversation.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“It is about Minchae.”

It was Park Soyeon who spoke first. Baek Mugyeong was startled by the mention of an unexpected name.

“Is something wrong with Minchae?”

“Is there something wrong between the two of you?”

“No.”

Baek Mugyeong denied it. Nothing had happened between him and Jeong Minchae.

“Really? Minchae’s mood was a bit strange. Right?”

“That’s right. The kid was listless. He was sighing, too. So we asked if he had fought with you, but he said no. We wondered if he was lying so we wouldn’t worry. What on earth is going on?”

At Park Soyeon’s gesture, Choi Jieun added a further explanation. The two were serious, but Baek Mugyeong was bewildered.

Throughout the trip, Baek Mugyeong practically stuck by Jeong Minchae’s side. They shared the same room, ate breakfast together, and traveled in the same vehicle as the two of them. It was the first time he had heard that Jeong Minchae was listless and sighing.

However, there was no way Park Soyeon and Choi Jieun would make things up. Baek Mugyeong said he would look into it and saw the three off.

“We will go have some fun.”

There was not a trace of shadow on Jeong Minchae’s face as he greeted him while getting into the car with Park Soyeon and Choi Jieun. His bright smile was still sparkling. Nevertheless, Baek Mugyeong decided that he should talk to him that evening.

After Jeong Minchae left for Chelsea Market with the others, Baek Mugyeong moved busily. First, he looked for Lee Sejun, who was resting in his room after taking digestive medicine. Lee Sejun’s indigestion was not serious. Since he had taken medicine and even pricked his finger with a folk remedy, all that remained was to watch over him.

“You skipped lunch, so at least eat a little for dinner.”

“Yes.”

“Then, get some rest.”

“Excuse me, hyungnim. Just a moment.”

Baek Mugyeong, who was sitting at the edge of the bed, paused just as he was about to get up. Lee Sejun had a look in his eyes that suggested he had something to say.