CTL 13

The inside of the car that was taking him home was silent. When Yoongeon purposely did not start a conversation, Seohwi also did not open his mouth. In fact, the Seohwi he knew was not the affectionate type, so this kind of silence was to be expected.

Seohwi was deep in thought the entire ride. Yoongeon wanted to ask what he was thinking about, but he forced himself to cut off his interest. Whatever Seohwi was thinking, Yoongeon only had one thing to do. He would push Seohwi away in this life as well, so there was no need to pay attention to the other’s thoughts.

When Yoongeon asked for his exact address, Seohwi named a nearby subway station. He occasionally pressed on his head, which seemed to be due to last night’s hangover. He should have eaten something earlier. It was clear he was planning to starve himself again with the excuse that his stomach felt unwell.

A moment later, upon arriving at the station, Seohwi offered a conventional thanks for the ride and disappeared into an alley without a single glance back. Yoongeon stared blankly at his retreating back, then chewed on his lip. If he had his way, he would drag him back right now and make sure he ate a proper meal, but that was an excessive desire in a situation where he needed to push him away immediately.

So Yoongeon forced himself to cut off his interest and headed to the house where Yebin and his mother were. The route was complicated because it was located quite close to the company, but he couldn’t just leave his mother and sister there for the sake of his own convenience.

“Haaaawwwwn….”

When he arrived, rang the doorbell, and waited, the person who opened the door was Chief Ha. He was yawning widely.

“…….”

“G’mornin’….”

Chief Ha was so casual that it made one wonder if it was okay for him to be so comfortable around him. To the greeting he offered while scratching his messy hair, Yoongeon gave a short nod and said.

“Is your stomach okay?”

“Yes…. Ugh, I don’t even remember how much I drank yesterday…. I guess I went too hard….”

Then this time, he stuck his hand inside his shirt and scratched his stomach vigorously. …He acted just like Yebin. Yoongeon let out a small sigh.

“Executive Director, is this your house too?”

“Yes.”

“Woooow….”

It’s not a house to be wowed about. This was a place he had gotten for occasional use when working all night, so it was lacking in many ways compared to his other places. But Chief Ha looked at Yoongeon with great envy and said.

“Give me this house!”

Then he burst out laughing. He seemed to be having fun.

“No.”

“Ah, so mean….”

Just as Chief Ha was trudging over and flopping down on the sofa, his mother came out of the bathroom with a bright smile.

“Geon, you’re here?”

But for some reason, there was a barnacle stuck to his mother’s back.

“…Ko Yebin. What are you doing. Get off Mother’s back. You’re not a child.”

“Euuughghghgh….”

Even at his words, spoken with a frown, Yebin just made a strange noise and hung limply on their mother’s back. Seeing his mother momentarily stagger backward, Yoongeon swiftly picked Yebin up and slung her over his shoulder.

“Blegh….”

Then this time, she said she was going to throw up because her stomach was being pressed. His mother freaking out and smacking Yoongeon’s back also played a part. In the end, Yoongeon had no choice but to carry his sister on his back properly.

“You’re busy in the morning, why did you come again.”

To his mother’s words that she could have gone on her own, Yoongeon gave no reply.

“Why. Did your father call again?”

“No.”

“As if. Is that man’s fussing something that happens only once in a blue moon.”

His mother complained about her husband, saying, “Men, I tell you,” with irritation. She grumbled that they were built like mountains but couldn’t do a single thing on their own.

“Wait here for just a moment.”

“Yes.”

His mother looked at the clock and hurried into a room. Soon, his mother, who had packed Yebin’s things, came out and looked for Chief Ha.

“Mr. Ha Inyoung, Ms. Kim Jia! I bought some bean sprout soup, so make sure you eat it before you come, okay? You don’t have to do the dishes! An employee will come later to do them!”

“Yep! Thank you, Ma’am! See you later, Yebin-ssi!”

Seeing everyone crawl out to the kitchen like zombies at the mention of bean sprout soup, Yoongeon said he had to go before it got too late and put on his shoes. Seeing the heel slightly crumpled because he was carrying Yebin on his back, Yoongeon frowned and let out a small sigh. Even though he was annoyed, Yoongeon didn’t tell his sister to get down.

In the meantime, his mother, who had repeatedly told Chief Ha and Manager Kim not to clean up, came out last. Yoongeon was holding the elevator with his sister on his back when his mother followed and this time, gently stroked Yebin’s back and said.

“Yebin, oppa is in pain. Come down from his back.”

“I’m not in pain.”

“He has a sore hand, why is he carrying a person. Put her down quickly. I’ll carry her.”

“…….”

Even at her mother’s words, Yebin gave no reply. As a silent rebellion that she didn’t want to walk, she only hugged Yoongeon’s neck tighter.

“How can you carry her, Mother. It’s fine.”

“No, I should carry her. She’s my daughter, so who else would carry her. I can even carry our Geon.”

“Please don’t say such ridiculous things.”

Even at Yoongeon’s dumbfounded-sounding reaction, his mother was completely confident.

“I’m telling you, I really can carry you. When I worked as a nurse, I used to move heavy male patients and everything.”

Well, one would naturally have to do that to work as a nurse, but how could then and now be the same. However, Yoongeon didn’t bother to retort in a way that would displease her and instead put Yebin in the car and even fastened her seatbelt for her.

A short while later, when they arrived home, Chairman Ko Sanghyun was sitting on the living room sofa with his eyes wide open. Even seeing him, his mother went to the kitchen without a greeting, and the chairman exploded in anger.

“Hey, why does a wife sleep outside?!”

“Then should I have left Yebin alone?”

Despite Chairman Ko’s roar, his mother’s reply was calm. At that, Chairman Ko turned to Yebin and yelled.

“You’re a girl, how could you sleep outside without any fear!”

“It was oppa’s house….”

When Yebin timidly rebelled, he glared at Yoongeon this time.

“If your sister was drunk, you should have sent her home!”

“Yes, I am sorry.”

“A man and his conduct! If you’re the older brother, you should have taken care of your sister properly! How dare you let her wander outside, how dare you!”

“…….”

“When a girl gets tainted by the outside world, the parents get blamed, you know?!”

He was spouting dog-like nonsense, so there was nothing to say. When Yoongeon didn’t talk back, Chairman Ko, as if seizing the opportunity, flew into a rage. Most of it was worthless talk about what he would amount to by acting like that. As Yoongeon stood there silently listening, his mother, who was drinking water in the kitchen, yelled louder than Chairman Ko.

“Why are you getting angry at the kids first thing in the morning?!”

“Ah, no…! It’s not that, but he did do something wrong.”

Chairman Ko, who had been taking his irritation out on Yoongeon, whimpered, having gotten nowhere. But his mother, angry at her husband for taking out his frustration on the family members since morning, retorted coldly.

“Then, should he have just left the female employees at Geon’s house without Yebin? Is that right? You think about it. If he brings them to a man’s house like that, people will misunderstand. You know that! Or, should he have just abandoned the female employees at the restaurant when they were drunk? Would that have made you feel better? If you know how precious your own daughter is, you should know that other people’s daughters are precious too. How can you only care about your own feelings and not show any consideration for others?!”

“Ah, no… when did I say she wasn’t precious? It’s not like that….”

“If it’s not that, then what is it. You tell me yourself. Tell me why you’re scolding the kids when they haven’t even done anything wrong. If Geon knew the employees’ addresses, he would have obviously sent them home. Isn’t it that he did his best in his own way because he didn’t know?”

“…….”

“Honey.”

His mother said.

“To be honest, it’s just because I didn’t come home, and so you slept alone, that’s why you’re in a bad mood right now.”

At her words, Chairman Ko flinched. It seemed he hadn’t expected to be caught taking out his anger.

“Anyone can be nice when they’re in a good mood. But you take your anger out on everyone around you when you’re in a bad mood. Honey, you are not just Ko Sanghyun, you are Dad Ko Sanghyun. You should know how to be patient with your children, what on earth is this? How can you be like this every time.”

“…No, Yebin’s mother.”

“Leave Geon alone. The kid is having a hard time these days as it is. Our child is struggling even without you doing this!”

“…….”

“Do you understand?”

At her utterly murderous words, Chairman Ko clamped his mouth shut. The atmosphere instantly turned frosty.

“Geon, you, did you eat?”

It was as he was watching the argument with no particular emotion. His mother snapped her head around and asked Yoongeon.

“I ate.”

“You didn’t.”

“…….”

Does she read minds or something…. He had planned to make a suitable excuse and leave, but he was caught helplessly.

“Eat before you go. Eat and then take Yebin to work. She’s not in a good state today. She needs to be able to say comfortably if she feels like throwing up on the way. Oppa’s car is more comfortable.”

“…Alright.”

Pushed by his mother’s forcefulness, Yoongeon ended up nodding his head.

✧ ✧ ✧

A little later, after the breakfast table was set, everyone was eating quietly.

“Yebin, you work until the end of this year and then quit.”

“Yes…? Why all of a sudden?”

The sudden statement in the middle of her meal must have been a shock, as Yebin stopped eating her dried pollock soup and quickly raised her head.

“I heard that this bride-to-be training takes at least a year. Thinking about it like that, it’s tight even now. No, it’s late. So it’s time to stop working at the company and slowly start taking classes. You’re at the age to get married.”

At the word marriage, the atmosphere suddenly turned chilly. In particular, his mother’s gaze as she glared at Chairman Ko, as if asking if he really had to say that right now, was sharp.

“Dad… I want to work.”

“Work? You can work.”

Chairman Ko said nonchalantly.

“Isn’t work something you can do again after getting married and having about three kids? It’s not like you have to worry about a career gap. After raising the kids, huh? You can do it then. It’s not too late to slowly pick a job from then on.”

“…….”

“You can also help with the foundation your mother runs. Why, that’s great, isn’t it? What was the name? Blue Bird? Right, how great would it be to help with that work. Your mother is already running around on her own, wouldn’t it be nice if her daughter stepped up and did it with her. And, doing that will also help your oppa. What’s good for your oppa is what’s good for you. Your oppa is the man who will be responsible for you for the rest of your life, so you should be thinking about supporting him. A husband becomes a stranger if you break up, but your oppa is your blood. A woman has to live under a man’s protection to be safe and happy.”

“Honey.”

His mother opened her mouth with a displeased expression.

“Just let the kid work. These days, women don’t just quit their jobs when they get married, and what is Yebin lacking that she has to support her oppa? She can do well on her own too.”

“Ah, that’s for people who are desperate for money, working while married! Yebin’s mother, the talk that women don’t have to quit their jobs is just something that incompetent men say to exploit their wives!”

Chairman Ko said firmly.

“Honey, I hate that my daughter has to struggle with working and raising kids. Do you even know how preciously I raised her?”

“Why do you assume she’ll naturally get married and have kids?”

“Ah, so she won’t?! Getting married and having and raising kids is a woman’s happiness!”

Chairman Ko huffed and puffed. He said it over and over again. That since she was his preciously raised daughter, he would never let her struggle by working outside. He seemed to think it was his way of showing love for his daughter, but in truth, it was a stubborn, one-sided love that completely ignored the person’s own opinion. And everyone sitting around the table knew that kind of thing was not real love.

“Geon, you just focus on succeeding quickly and taking care of your sister. Yebin can live comfortably only if you establish yourself quickly. And this father of yours, I’m not the type to hand everything over unconditionally just because you’re the eldest son.”

He said in a cold voice. He seemed to have no regard for the chilled atmosphere.

“That bastard Ko Yoonchul was carried in here yesterday high on drugs. I have no intention of passing the company down to a guy like that, so Yoongeon, you give it a good try. If you, Geon, jump in and try to take his position, this father won’t interfere.”

“I need Yebin. Just leave her be.”

Chairman Ko smiled proudly as he declared he would stop everything he was doing to pass the company to his eldest son. It was actually a huge deal, but Yoongeon was nonchalant. Because he knew it was a lie to look good for his mother. At that indifferent reaction, Chairman Ko frowned, saying that he had put a lot of thought into this grand decision, only for him to act in a way that didn’t please his father again.

“What do you mean, need her? What does a girl do that she’s needed for work? Don’t dote on your sister too much. Isn’t it because you pamper her so much that she grew up so ill-mannered.”

“I’ve never pampered her.”

It was true. Yoongeon had never interfered more than necessary with his younger sister. He always did only the bare minimum.

“As if. Who doesn’t know you dote on her like that? Anyway, stop that now. What are you going to do if she whines to you even after she gets married.”

“It’s not that I’m doting on her, it’s because she’s needed for this team. Leave her be.”

Although he hadn’t even finished half of it, Yoongeon put down his spoon.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“You’re not eating more.”

“I’m full.”

He wiped his mouth with a napkin and then looked at Chairman Ko.

“You know it’s practically impossible to create a prototype within a year, right.”

“Ahem. I know.”

“But we’re rushing to do it, and she can’t be taken out of this. You know very well that this is a job where we’re not sure if it’s enough even if we add more people right now.”

“No, that’s why I told you to just do it without rushing. Why are you so anxious to rush it?”

Why? It’s because I’m a person who doesn’t know when he’ll die. But Yoongeon didn’t show it and just said, “We have to grow the company, don’t we.”

“Ahem….”

Chairman Ko, who had been jumping up and down just a moment ago saying Yebin should quit her job, cleared his throat in embarrassment. It was probably because he, too, thought Yoongeon was right.

“Right, you said one year?”

“Yes.”

“…I understand. Then keep Yebin for one more year. But not after that.”

“…….”

Yoongeon didn’t answer. Looking at him with displeasure, Chairman Ko finished his meal. Yebin couldn’t even rebut her father’s words and just picked at her food, while her mother, seemingly worried about Yebin, put side dishes on her rice and soothed her to eat up.

A little later, after everyone had finished eating, he was about to say his goodbyes and leave when Chairman Ko called Yoongeon to his study for a moment. When he followed, he closed the door and spoke secretly.

“I heard you covered for your hyung’s mistake, Yoongeon. That you told them to drop the article.”

“…….”

Did that news only just reach him? For a chairman’s intelligence network, it was pathetic, but Yoongeon nodded his head. There was little satisfaction in having bothered to call reporter Park Jinhoon to the executive director’s office hoping he would notice.

“Yes.”

“Right, you did well with that. Very well done.”

Chairman Ko gripped his shoulder tightly with his hand.

“No matter if you have different mothers, a brother is a brother. Don’t let your relationship sour.”

“Yes.”

He answered vaguely and as he came out, he let out a dry laugh without realizing it. Shouldn’t the person who says brothers shouldn’t have a sour relationship not be the one to say it directly? Ko Sanghyun was the second son, and he was the one who had backstabbed his own older brother and snatched Shinhyeon Motors. For a person like that to be going on about eldest son, eldest son, it was simply dumbfounding.

“Well… it’s none of my business, though.”

In any case, wasn’t this a good thing for him? The truth he had realized while wandering through many lives was that having too much was better than being poor.

“Oppa, I’m all ready.”

“Then let’s go.”

When he came out, Yebin was in the living room. As they crossed the yard, Yoongeon glanced toward the room of Ko Yoonchul, who was said to be passed out drunk from drugs. The days he could enjoy himself so peacefully were numbered. Once January 1st came, Ko Yoonchul would become very busy from then on.

As he got into the car, Minjung, who had followed them out, saw them off. Yebin rolled down the window and waved, saying, “Mom, see you later,” but as soon as they left the parking lot, she closed the window and let out a deep sigh. She seemed to be in a very bad mood.

“Ko Yebin.”

Yoongeon called her.

“Yeah.”

“Manage your expression. It’s not the first or second time you’ve heard that kind of talk.”

“…You can say that because it’s not your problem, oppa.”

Yebin’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Men don’t understand. How annoying this is for women. Am I some kind of object? It’s my business, so why are you stepping up to make a deal with Dad? I’m not an object.”

“I know.”

“You know? I told you, men don’t understand. Do you really know, oppa?”

Yebin openly scoffed at him. Yoongeon glanced at her and said.