CH 13.1

Cha Yiseok clicked his tongue as he watched the procession of cars occupying the alley in front of the main house. In order to unite the Taeryung group, which was made up of relatives, it was compulsory to meet like this once a month. All of these were the names his grandfather had left when he retired, and his grandfather was now retired from the front line and enjoying old age in the countryside.

Cha Yiseok broke through his breath in the air and entered the garden. A light streamed from his mansion with his octagonal roof over his head. He passed an artificial pond surrounded by pine trees. Those who arrived first were chatting all over the living room. Chairman Cha hid his internal turmoil that was caused by Cha Myunghwan and treated his guests with a smile. Reminded of a swan struggling hard under the lake, Cha Yiseok chuckled.

“How cute.”

Cha Yiseok’s mother, surrounded by her husband’s sister-in-law, was also seen. She wore a stylish but not overdone dress and drank wine non-stop. Said the woman with a diamond around her thick neck,

“Is brother doing okay? Aren’t you overdoing it…”

“It’s fine. It’s been a long time since it’s been crowded, so it’s nice.”

His mother raised her glass as she watched the people filling the living room. It was a hostess position that was only granted on official days. She once reigned as the queen of the social world, and despite being rotten to the core, she had to be a staunch queen today. Cha Yiseok contemplated the scene indifferently and went out to the veranda. The phone vibrated in his pocket. The number on the screen belonged to Cha Myunghwan. Cha Yiseok tightened his brows and accepted. A rusty voice came over.

— Where are you?

“At home.”

— Oh, yes. Today is the day of the family reunion. If only I was healthy, I would have gone with you, but everyone is going to gossip that I didn’t come.

Not at all. To them, you are already no longer in this world. Cha Yiseok replied with a light smile.

“I hope you get all better. Don’t worry, I’ll scold them if someone talks about you.”

― You sure talk well… Cough! Cough!

Cha Myunghwan responded with a husky chuckle, and then he hinted.

— By the way. Is he not coming today?

“Who is?”

— Uh… I mean Cocaine.

The other person could not feel that Cha Yiseok’s eyes became cold. Cha Myunghwan continued.

— I’ve been thinking about it. How about leaving it to me to bring Cocaine here? You must be too busy filling up my position but wouldn’t it be cumbersome to send him each time? If you are reluctant to expose him to outsiders, don’t worry about that. Whatever happens, I’ll keep it a secret.

After Yaba pretended to be Cocaine, Cha Myunghwan must have been fascinated by his tone. As he said, it wouldn’t be bad to stop wasting four hours on the round trip on the road at a time like this. But…

“That would be difficult.”

He couldn’t allow it. It was only possible for him to sing in front of Cha Myunghwan and for Cha Myunghwan to listen to it under his supervision. The fact that Cha Myunghwan imagined the face under the mask while savouring Yaba’s song was also getting on his nerves. A viscous face could be found at once even in the middle of a bustling city, even if you are mixed with people…

A splitting headache and a feeling that he couldn’t understand by himself suddenly struck him at the same time. Cha Yiseok leaned on the veranda and pressed his temples firmly.

“They say that the store has special control over Cocaine. Even now, the boss is reluctant to let him leave the store. He trusted me and gave him up, and I can’t break his promise.”

— But every time you…

“Even if you don’t, the Chairman doesn’t like Cocaine, so if brother meddles, it won’t look good. I will take care of that, so please only take care of your health.”

Cha Myunghwan, who had his mouth shut again, said in a squeaky voice.

— Fine… So will you come tomorrow?

“Sure.”

He ended the call before Cha Myunghwan whined any further. When Cha Yiseok looked away, his eyes met with Sung Haemin, who was in the living room. She pursed her lips as if she had long waited for their eyes to meet. If Chairman Cha had a list of candidates for a daughter-in-law, Sung Haemin would rise to the top. She came out to the veranda and glared at him.

“What’s this? Why is it so hard to see you? Do you know how long I’ve been trying to call you? You lock the yacht, don’t show up at the meetings, everyone is curious. Did a new face appear by any chance?”

“This and that, I was busy.”

“By the way, why isn’t Sungjae here?”

“He said he’d stop by somewhere else.”

She leaned against the balcony railing. A cool breeze touched her wavy hair.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been home, haven’t you? Let’s take a look at the annex after a long time.”

It was a very sexual signal.

“I’m also quite reticent now.”

“Is it because of your family? When have you cared about that?”

Sung Haemin was blatantly flirting, holding a wine glass, and swallowing the red wine. A wet tongue glimmered between her teeth. She wore a boring dress, but he knew how voluptuous her body hides underneath. But Cha Yiseok stared at her dryly.

He wiped the inside of his mouth with his tongue and traced Yaba’s still surviving touch. The guy’s lips were chapped and always tasted like blood. He didn’t even know how to tease his tongue because he was busy being breathless when he sucked his lips. However, the faint moans and the flesh on the tongue were more lustful than any other peasant and made him lose his reason. Suddenly, his mouth burned to madness. Cha Yiseok smirked and muttered mischievously.

“Endure it even if it’s urgent. Han Sungjae will be here soon.”

“What?! You really… !”

Sung Haemin shouted and looked around in surprise.

“The food is ready. Everyone please come in.”

A female employee came into the living room and announced. Upon entering, there was a table in the middle of the living room and food was displayed on both sides of it. About fifteen people gathered at the table and sat down. Relatives packed enough food to not be burdened with tight dresses and ties. Han Sungjae’s family, who arrived late, also joined. Chairman Cha was sitting at the table and chatting with Director Han. Director Han was the father-in-law of Chairman Cha and the father of Han Sungjae.

“The public opinion is not good due to the mass layoffs of employees in the process of business expansion, and the atmosphere is also bad for shareholders. CEO Cha’s successor… Please make a statement soon.”

“He’s recovering now. He’s still refraining from going out in public because the doctor told me to take it easy. But these days, I heard that Hong Kong-based funds are roaming around in Korea, have you heard the rumors?”

“Ah, are you talking about H.K Global? I heard there are some movements. I’m keeping an eye on them, but they’re so aggressive…”

At that moment, Han Sungjae, who was sitting next to Cha Yiseok, glanced at him. Cha Yiseok drank the wine casually. The Hong Kong-based funds that Chairman Cha mentioned are the brains of Cha Yiseok who will be grumbling in his hotel room at this time. Chairman Cha talked about the future of the Taeryung family without figuring out the reality of it.

“How boring.”

Then a sigh broke the atmosphere. All eyes were focused on one place. Cha Yiseok’s mother turned the wine glass round and round with sullen eyes.

“Is the only thing you can do with your family is talk about work? The only ones having fun here are the men.”

Chairman Cha’s face was slightly hardened, but it was soon replaced with a gentle one.

“Is it? Time was tight, so I had no choice but to bring the work outside to the house. How is Sungjae doing these days? Is there anyone he is seeing?”

Chairman Cha tried to change the topic flexibly. Cha Yiseok’s mother tilted her head and chuckled, revealing her uvula.

“Look at this. Do you only listen to me in front of other people? The father and the son are all the same. That’s why I was looking forward to today.”

She glared at Chairman Cha and Cha Yiseok, with a twisted smile. Cha Yiseok chuckled and shoved meat into his mouth while Chairman Cha spoke without wavering in spite of his wife’s provocation.

“I think you drank too much. Why don’t you get some fresh air or go inside and rest?”

“I want to take a break now. Is there anything else I’m going to do here other than sitting around and drinking all day? Neither the butler nor the helper Auntie interacts with me. Even the gardeners ignore me.”

Chairman Cha’s lips became cold. His patience gradually reached its limit.

“You have guests, what are you doing? If you’re drunk, stop and just go in.”

“You go in. You are the one who ruins the atmosphere the most here. I drink, but I don’t drink. It’s breathing. I’m drinking to breathe. Do you know what that means? Someone please translate for this dense man.”

She staggered and placed her arms on the shoulders of the woman sitting next to her. As the atmosphere became more stiff, the relatives were busy managing their facial expressions. Han Sungjae muttered to Cha Yiseok like doing ventriloquism.

“Shouldn’t you stop her?”

“Leave it. It was boring just now, but I can eat while watching now.”

Cha Yiseok chewed up the good quality meat. The mother tried to fix the focus on Chairman Cha.

“By the way, are you sick? Your face is haggard. Oh, every day must be hell because your son is dying. You didn’t bat an eye when your daughters were dying. Yeah, were our kids that shameful? Enough to not show up at the funeral?”

Her voice gradually grew sharper.

“Your son, the apple of your eye, was punished for their deaths on your behalf. Our children were punished in another world. Yiyeon appeared in a dream and said, ‘I’m waiting here for Myunghwan to come with my eyes wide open’!”

Chairman Cha, who was stabbed in the heart, said in a shriveled voice, his face shaking slightly.

“Bring her out.”

The waiting attendants politely raised the mother. The woman swung her nails with poison-stained eyes.

“Let me go! You killed them! You slaughtered all our kids! Do you know the anniversary of our children’s death? Have you ever visited the place where the kids were sleeping?! You are not human!”

Her hostility shook the house. The fragments rushed at Chairman Cha, stabbed him in the neck and pierced his heart. Cha Yiseok chewed the moderately bloody meat with his teeth. The mother’s scream was reminiscent of a frantic aria. Yaba’s aria that made his nerves flutter with a muddy madness. At that moment, a strange tinnitus bit his nerve cord. Cha Yiseok shoved the last piece of meat on top and stood up slowly. And swept over the table with his arm. Glasses and plates were smashed, and there was a loud crashing sound.

“Kyaa—… !!”

“Ugh… !”

Food rushed to the people and soiled the clothes they were wearing. The mother, who was covered in parsley, stopped her fury. Chairman Cha wiped the sauce from his face with a hard look. He stared at the culprit with his eyes soaring in flames. Cha Yiseok gently chewed the meat and swallowed it. He picked up a glass of water that had not fallen over, took a sip of water into his mouth, and it went down slowly. In the meantime, he ruminated on why he was on the edge these days.

“Thank you for the meal. The food is delicious.”

Cha Yiseok trampled the silence and walked out leisurely, across the garden.

———

“Hey you, even if that’s true. The madame cherishes it, so how can you do it like this?”

“I’m sorry.”

Cha Yiseok looked towards the sound. The butler with a moustache was scolding an unfamiliar man. The butler saw Cha Yiseok and approached him.

“Are you going already? It’s been a while since you’ve stopped by, you should stay for a little while more… Your mother is having a very difficult time. I hope that you will visit often even though you must be busy as the executive director.”

Cha Yiseok gave a perfunctory smile and looked at the young man.

“Who is this?”

“Oh, it must be your first time seeing him. He’s a new gardener hired just recently. He was recommended because he had good dexterity, but he is a bit of an unusual young man. Even when the madame talks to him, he hardly responds and only takes care of the trees. It’s like talking to a tree. Haha…”

Cha Yiseok looked at the gardener and narrowed his eyes. The man appeared to be about the same age as Cha Yiseok. He had a face and physique that would make middle-aged women with money drool. The gloomy atmosphere and tightly closed mouth seemed to resemble a certain someone.

“There is no law that says that only living people should be lovers.”

Cha Yiseok left them behind and left the house. He started the car, pressing his ear with his palm. It was difficult to concentrate because of the tinnitus that he had recently developed, and even the drugs he used to enjoy became bland. All day long that guy was stuck in his head and it was lukewarm to see and hear any stimulus. Cha Yiseok took his cell phone out of his pocket and called somewhere. The beep went off and he heard a voice that had just woken up.

— You aren’t dead?

“Get me some drugs. Something strong enough to lose my mind. It doesn’t matter if I pass out for a few days.”

Cha Yiseok hung up his phone and drove the car roughly.