Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Right after her voice in the video ensued Hojoon’s.

“Who the hell is that woman?” asked Arum.

“My girlfriend.”

‘Am I? Whose girlfriend?’

Arum couldn’t believe her ears.

At that moment his face turned pale. He picked up his phone on the ground and erased the whole video.

“I’m sorry.”

Arum accidentally came to know his private life.

“I didn’t see anything there. Seriously. Who is she? I really have no idea.”

It was a white lie that as a reporter she said she didn’t know Soran Cho in Korea.

‘Ah, What should I do? Why did married woman Soran visit his house? But it’s my moral obligation. I should keep mum about it.’

Hojoon lowered his head once again and said, “I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright.”

“Well, I couldn’t find any excuse to erase it. Thanks anyway,” said Hojoon awkwardly.

With a polite bow, he stood up, and Arum also stood up.

“Let me contact you regarding the feng shui article after meeting.”

“Sure, you can take it easy and let me know anytime you want.”

Arum quietly looked at his back, who left the coffee shop after saying goodbye politely.

Arum was struggling with herself all day long.

Though she vowed she would never tell it to anybody, she really couldn’t stand it.

Finally on her way back home she called Jina, an employee with Sola Electronics.

“Really? Are you sure? Soran Cho?”

Jina was stunned to hear that.

“Yeah, I’m 100% sure.”

“Soran was in his house at dawn?”

“Yeah. Don’t you think they’re on intimate terms?”

“I think so, but I just can’t understand how she, who had no dearth in her life, met such an ordinary man.”

“Is this adultery?”

“I don’t think so. There is nothing like adultery these days. Even the relevant law was abolished.”

“In fact, there are wild rumors about Soran these days. There was talk of their separation long time ago. Her husband is the chief business manager of Solar Electronics, but he failed to get promotion this time.”

“Really?”

Then, why did she visit his house?

“Was he her first love?”

The greatest love affairs that transcended their different positions came to her mind momentarily. When she came to think that money was the symbol of one’s position, Arum became sullen.

“Anyway, keep this to yourself,” said Arum.

“Can I post it on SNS?”

“I’m going to kill you if you do that. He will instantly find out I was the whistleblower.”

“Let him do whatever he wanted. I don’t care. Bye, sis. I’m on duty tonight,” said Jina.

With a heavy heart Arum quickened her steps back home.

***

After drinking a pinch of microbrew at a bar near his house, Hojoon stood up. The owner, who said he started business for the first time, treated Hojoon like a friend, though he was older than Hojoon.

Hojoon’s daily routine was to stop by the bar sometimes for a pinch or two of microbrew before going back home.

Whenever he visited the bar, there were only a couple of tables occupied by customers.

If he could have his way, he wanted to give him some free consultation on feng shui, but he held back the urge.

The problem was the taste of microbrew.

As microbrew at the bar was not mature enough, there was no increase in customers. Sometimes the owner offered free microbrew as a token of compliment, but Hojoon refused it.

The owner knew the problem of his bar even without Hojoon’s coaching.

What’s encouraging was the fact that the situation was getting better little by little these days.

Only regulars like Hojoon could sense it.

He was coming back home with a heavy heart.

Little did he expect Arum could detect the video. She would probably think he didn’t erase the video because of Soran Cho.

Soran Cho.

She was a dreamy girl.

Hojoon met her when he was studying architect design in France.

His association with her dating back to those days was continued until today. He tried his best to break up. It was not because he knew she was the granddaughter of the CEO of Sola Electronics that he split with her. It didn’t matter at all, though Hojoon had a childish pride that his father is the most famous feng shui expert.

The moment he realized that she had a fiance, Hojoon didn’t feel attracted to her any more.

“You are the one and only to me, Hojoon.”

It was Soran who clung to him.

The very woman sobbing in the small attic of the house overlooking the riverside of Paris.

He hugged her to soothe her troubled heart.

He did so with a sense of obligation back then.

He realized at that time that the small attic was a total mismatch with this woman.

Walking up the stairs to Green Villa, he completely forgot about Soran. It was his living principle that he would never bring into his house any concern he entertained outside.

He recalled what he had learned from his father about feng shui.

“These days people bring home their concern outside. Station district? Do you think those houses located near the station are good? Home is your resting place. It’s best to come back home after you get your concern or worry off your chest first. Without exception old houses were located far away from the places frequented by people. For utter rest, our ancestors came back home after walking on the outskirts of their villages.”

His father’s lesson rang loud in Hojoon’s ears today.

Though he wanted to forget all about Soran, he arrived home before he knew.

With a heavy heart he opened the front door.

And he bumped into her.

“You’re late, today?”

It was Soran.

“How come you…”

Hojoon was speechless.

“Are you back after seeing your girlfriend?”

As if it were her own house, she sat on the sofa comfortably. He got confused whether it was her or his house at that moment. And he got angry about her who acted as she pleased.

“How come you have come into my house!” asked Hojoon.

But she just giggled at that.

“The password on your front door is still the same as I used back in Paris. Doesn’t it mean that I may come into this house?”

Hojoon was at a loss for words. And he was embarrassed.

“Well, it’s my habit. I didn’t change the password to let you in. Let me report to the police for your unlawful intrusion. So, get out now!”

“Call the police!”

As expected, she didn’t change at all.

“Does your husband know you’re here?”

He felt it a bit ridiculous to mention her husband, but he had no other choice.

“Yes. He knows it. He is doing the same. To me you’re the only man, but he is quite good at dating other women. He’s got too many girls to date. So annoying,” Soran said with a bitter look, as if her pride was hurt.

“Please show me how to get divorced.”

That was the reason she came to see him.

“I hear you’re very popular among wives of rich guys. My mom’s friends are your regulars, I know. Is it true that you made president Yun, that notorious womanizer, come back to the nest of home?”

“That’s bullshit! Just get out!”

“How much do you want? If you make my husband put the stamp on the divorce letter first, I’ll pay you as much as you want. I don’t want to take the initiative. My father will kick me out if I mention the word ‘divorce’ first.”

“Just live with him, if you don’t want it.”

“He’s so boring.”

Soran made a drowsy smile at that.

“You and I had great fun then, right?”

“Was it fun to you?”

“Why? What’s the problem with that? I’m sick and tired of money.”

“Do you know how many employees are knocking themselves out to make money?”

“That’s why they get paid!”

Soran shouted at him, as if she couldn’t stand his reproach any more.

And she stared at him with an angry look.

“Yeah, you’re in your element when you vent out anger like that.”

He wondered how he could stay with her in that rooftop room in Paris.

***

“Oh my god, it does influence me.”

Arum was busy cleaning her house. She had to clean it while listening to Hojoon’s video lecture on feng shui. As she had to prepare the feature on feng shui, she had to.

“I wish he had told me earlier if it was his real birthday yesterday,” she said in a grumbling tone.

She completely forgot that she didn’t believe it when he said it was his birthday.

“How come you took revenge on me just because I didn’t treat you to dinner? Dang it, you’re so stubborn!”

Arum tried to speak with Hojoon in the video.

“Are you taking revenge on me like this? What? Working with you in the field? You want to give me a hard time on purpose, don’t you?”

No matter how long she cleaned her room, she couldn’t calm down her anger.

“You won’t get away with this! Let me take revenge on you by all means.”