At the End of That Memory Chapter 27

“…”

No voice came out. Even though I knew I had to say something, all I could do was flutter my eyelids. The coziness that had enveloped me just a moment ago disappeared, and his head felt as if cold water had been poured on me.

Excuse… No, should I call it an explanation? I was dumbfounded at my stupidity, wondering why I had completely forgotten that. Was he possessed by a ghost, or was he too relaxed?

“…”

I couldn’t bear to check his expression. I couldn’t remember what kind of face he was making just a moment ago. Of course, he would be angry. Otherwise, he would scold me with his cold eyes. Whatever my reaction, it didn’t bode well for me.

“Jung Sejin.”

“….Yes.”

Just barely, I managed to get a single answer out. He put the documents he was holding down on his lap, staring at me askance. Only after a long silence, he asked in that polite voice.

“Why do you need this document?”

“…”

I thought that was Kwon Yido’s final mercy to me. It felt like he was personally giving me a chance to make any excuse. That was why he kept his mouth shut and waited for my answer.

‘Please bring just this one document.’

What if I told you my father told me to do it? That option didn’t even exist in the first place. If Kwon Yido’s anger was directed at Haesin Group, my usefulness would end there. Wouldn’t it be a better choice to just become a greedy fiancé?

“… I did it because I was greedy.”

The excuse came out casually. My voice didn’t tremble, and his expression didn’t break. Kwon Yido asked me crookedly as I slowly got up.

“Greed?”

I grabbed the blanket without being noticed. My throat tightened, but I managed to take shallow breaths. Meanwhile, the fact that I was wearing his clothes made him feel so sorry that my heart ached.

“… I was disappointed to have to resign from my position as the Director.”

‘I guess it’s disappointing. You quit your job as Director.’

This was the only thing that came to mind. The conversations I once had with Kwon Yido flooded my mind. He said that I wasn’t a good fit for being a Director, and he hoped Kwon Yido would think he was lying.

“If I take that… I thought I could secure a position in the company.”

“Ah, desire for success.”

In a dry voice, he summarized my story in one word. The moment I heard the term “desire for success,” all of this became meaningless. Success in life. It was a word that I had never hoped for and was far from me.

“… Do you remember what I said last time?”

After a short interval, he hinted. He placed the documents on the bed and slowly lowered his eyelashes. Even in this situation, he had such a perfect appearance that it was a wonder he could blink.

“Willing to give it to me…or willing to hide it?”

The words he breathed out were half incomprehensible. All I could remember was the image of him digging into his jacket pocket and pulling out something. What his neat fingers were holding was the USB that I had given him through his secretary.

“This is the original material.”

“…”

I felt like I had been hit hard in the back. Without even having time to react, my mind turned completely white. He put the USB down on top of the documents and made eye contact with me with calm eyes.

“I’ll give it to you.”

“…”

I was speechless. My voice couldn’t come out, and I couldn’t even take my eyes off him. Kwon Yido, who I thought would be angry, said this in an extremely generous tone.

“You should have told me if you needed to.”

That was the end of it. He immediately got out of bed and left the room without looking back. As I watched his back getting further and further away, I saw his eyes widen without even thinking about catching him.

As soon as the door closed, the breath that had been blocked came pouring out. The sense of reality that came to me later reminded me of a memory I had overlooked.

‘Let’s say Sejin Jung has someone she loves.’

Wasn’t the premise of that question a loved one? Didn’t he say that he wouldn’t take anything away from them to me who said I would take everything?

‘What…It might be a different story if I gave it to them with my own hands.’

“…Haa.”

After a trembling gaze, I saw the USB that Kwon Yido had taken out. I pulled it out of my laptop and handed it to his secretary. Beep, I felt like I could hear what he said before leaving for America in my ears.

‘I’ll bring you a gift when I come home.’

He said he would bring it. He did not say I’m going to buy it, I’m going to bring it. As if he already knew what I was going to ask of him.

“…”

My heart was beating like crazy. The achievement in front of me seemed to say this to me. This was your chance to achieve the result you wanted without betraying your father, Kwon Yido, or anyone else.

* * *

There were only two turning points in my life. One time, on a day when it was snowing so much that I couldn’t see, the moment I ran out into the street barefoot. Another time, I grabbed a man who was wearing expensive-looking clothes and started spitting out harsh words.

‘I’m an Omega.’

That day, the man picked up the dirty Omega and was praised by the media for being a kindhearted chaebol. The fact that the blood test under the guise of a health checkup was a trait test was a secret known only to my father, me, and my doctor. Now that I had a warm place to sleep and food, I didn’t regret that decision.

Should I call it an opportunity? There were not many experiences where a momentary choice determined the future. Even if such a situation were to arise, there was little chance of regretting that choice in the future. I was satisfied with both choices, but sometimes I looked back and wondered if there could have been a better decision.

‘This is the original material.’

In that sense, what Kwon Yido gave me was not just a USB, but a key that would control the fate of the Haesin Group. I didn’t know how he felt when he gave it to me, but for me, it was one of the important means of proving the value of my existence. Whether or not I would hold on to the rope that heaven had given me, was the only thing I had to decide.

“We have arrived, master.”

The car gently stopped in front of the building. I was looking out the car window blankly and slowly blinked at Chief Kim’s words. I thought that the clear sky without a single cloud was similar to my head, where all the distracting thoughts had been erased.

Chief Kim naturally opened the back door as he always did. When I gave him a glance to express my gratitude, he asked with a somewhat hesitant look.

“…Shall I wait below?”

As someone who had looked after me for a long time, I thought there was something that was conveyed even without words. For example, the fact that my business today wouldn’t take that long.

“Don’t leave the car, stay nearby. please.”

He bowed to the lightly spoken words and returned to the driver’s seat. I slowly walked towards the building, adjusting my tie for no reason. Haesin Financial Group headquarters. It was the company where I came to visit my father after a long time.

On my way to the elevator, I ran into a few familiar faces. I purposely avoided crowded times, but it was such a shameful coincidence. Their eyes were wide open from afar, but as the distance between me and them narrowed, each of them greeted me with a happy face.

“Director! It’s been so long since you came!”

Assistant Manager Yoon was the one who reacted most violently. She had bought coffee from the cafe in the lobby and was holding a beverage carrier in both hands. I smiled gently at Assistant Manager Yoon, as was my habit.

“It’s been a while, how have you been?”

“Oh, how can I be well without you? What brought you here today? Have you returned to work?”

“No, I have some business here.”

I shrugged my shoulders and pointed upstairs. Assistant Manager Yoon nodded as if she understood. She must have realized that he had come to see my father. To change the topic, as soon as I saw Assistant Manager Yoon, the first thing I mentioned was a change.

“You cut your hair. It suits you well.”

“Really?”

Assistant Manager Yoon opened her eyes and asked again. Her hair, which used to reach her waist, was now short enough to not even reach her chin. Assistant Manager Yoon smiled brightly and squinted her eyes.

“I was trying to raise a child and work, so I didn’t have time to straighten my hair. Everyone was making a fuss about it being a waste, but it’s nice that the general manager said it suits me well.”

“You must be busy. There will be a lot of things to take care of when they go to kindergarten.”

“Tell me about it. I wish the kid could at least listen to what I say, but these days, he’s just being so uncooperative…”

As I headed to the elevator with Assistant Manager Yoon, we exchanged updates on various things. Assistant Manager Yoon said twice that her son never listened and that he was the prettiest when he slept. She said something similar when he was just a toddler. The expression on her face when he said those words looked extremely happy.

“Let me know if you need anything to commemorate starting kindergarten. It’s okay if it’s expensive.”

“…Director, if you say that, I want something big.”

“Let’s take a look and see how big it is.”

I had originally planned to take the direct elevator, but it didn’t seem like a bad idea to chat for a bit like this. Moreover, it seemed difficult to press the elevator button because she was holding a drink. Even though it wasn’t her duty to run coffee errands, Assistant Manager Yoon never ordered new employees to do so.

“Oh, no. How can I get anything more from you, Director? You treated me like a princess last time too.”

Did I do that? Thinking back, I clicked on the floor number where the management planning team was located. Next, I pressed the button on the floor where the chairman’s office was located, and Assistant Manager Yoon spoke privately.

“You are probably the only person who gives a massage chair as a birthday present to an employee.”

“Well…”

There was a time like that. I only bought it because raising a child seemed very difficult.

“That was a gift for Assistant Manager Yoon, and this time it’s a gift from your son.”

“If you want to, please play with him next time I bring you to work. The baby likes the Director more than his father.”

It was something I couldn’t possibly answer. Even if Assistant Manager Yoon brought his son to the company, I’d be at Kwon Yido’s house. No, maybe it was not Kwon Yido’s house, but my apartment.

“That …You don’t have time to stop by the planning team, do you?”

As the elevator door was about to open, Assistant Manager Yoon asked vaguely. I glanced at her as if I was sorry. Assistant Manager Yoon, with her eyebrows, lowered, bowed to me and got out of the elevator.

“That’s right, Assistant Manager Yoon.”

Just before the door closed, I called Assistant Manager Yoon over as if I had just remembered it. I spoke, squinting playfully.

“Next time we meet, you must not call me Director.”

At first glance, I could see Assistant Manager Yoon looking sad. I couldn’t see it clearly because the elevator doors closed quickly.

The elevator carrying me slowly went up to the floor where the president’s office was. As I watched the numbers increase one by one, I took out the USB I had kept in my jacket pocket. Ugh, the sound of the machine seemed to increase the tension.

‘…‘I’m going to go to the company.’

This morning, I reported this to Kwon Yido, who was eating breakfast. Although I didn’t say I was going to see his father, he probably knew about it too. So, instead of asking what I was doing, he said this with the corners of his mouth curled up.

‘It took you three days.’

‘…’

Yes, it was 3 days. He gave me the materials and I continued my daily life as if nothing had happened. The reason I didn’t go to the greenhouse and stayed in my room to compose myself. The time was so short that the traces left on my body after having an affair with him did not fade at all.

‘…Chief Kim will come pick me up in the afternoon, and I think he’ll come soon. I’ll probably leave sooner than you, Kwon Yido.’

When Kwon Yido heard those words, he looked a little displeased. He quietly lifted his eyes, erasing the smile from his mouth.

‘Why is Chief Kim not coming in the car I gave you?’

‘… I will leave the car keys in Kwon Yido’s room.’

Since I received a gift, I had to return the two cars I received earlier. Since I wrapped my finger with his and made a promise, Kwon Yido would have no objections. Even if there were objections, I wasn’t going to give in this time.

‘Well…I see..’

However, Kwon Yido agreed to my words more easily than expected. He even spoke nonchalantly while lifting the chopsticks he had put down.

‘I guess what Jung Sejin needed was not a car key.’

“…”

Ding, the elevator door opened. I passed through a wide hallway and stood in front of a large door. When I knocked, I heard a small answer from inside.

“I am Jung Sejin.”

The USB I was holding in my hand felt strangely heavy. My father answered quickly, and I entered the Chairman’s office, trying hard to suppress my nervousness. The Chairman’s office, which smelled a bit of leather and grass, had a lot of plants in a corner, tended by a secretary.

“So, you have something to talk about?”

My father looked as nervous as he did when he informed me of my marriage. I could tell just by looking at him that he couldn’t sit still and got up and came towards me. My father suddenly approached me as I stood in front of the door and asked with an expression of great anticipation.

“Were you successful?”

“…”

I was worried for a moment. Now I know how meaningless it was to hesitate. It was material prepared 3 days in advance to give to my father.

“Why isn’t there an answer, huh? Did you succeed?”

My father couldn’t bear that moment and grabbed both of my shoulders. As he approached me so close that it felt uncomfortable, I smelled a cigarette that I had never smelled before. It was something he occasionally smoked when things weren’t going well and when the Haeshin Group was on the verge of collapse.

“…Father.”

“Yes, Sejin.”

Was my choice right? I felt like laughing at the friendly answer. It occurred to me that the anticipation in those greedy eyes was at least not directed at me.

“…”

Without saying a word, I handed him the USB I was holding. As soon as he noticed the object in my hand, my father’s face brightened. It was just as he was about to smile, showing his teeth as if he would cheer at any moment.

“This is data on the financial status of the Seonho group.”

“…What?”

The expression that had brightened with joy appeared slightly cracked. As if he was wondering what that meant, or what the heck does that have to do with him. Perhaps because he sensed something was wrong, his wide-open eyes no longer showed any benevolence.

I quietly lowered my eyes and made my voice as calm as possible.

“They say Chairman Kwon Byeongwook will likely pass away soon.”

This was what Kwon Yido once said to me. The size of the group had grown too much, and even the Chairman was saying it would be a matter of a day or two. The stories he told me casually, thinking I might have those as a present for my father.

“We have also summarized the opinions of business owners that Seonho Group will be disbanded after Chairman Kwon Byeongwook passes away. We separated and documented affiliates that could benefit from additional investment and those that had no prospects.”

I knew it was just sophistry. Also, these weren’t the only things my father wanted. But since these were the only choices I could make, this was the only thing I could say to him.

“…I couldn’t find the information you mentioned.”

In the end, I could not betray Kwon Yido. The USB that Kwon Yido gave me. The information my father desperately wanted was left in his room along with his car keys. The gift I received from him was enough, so it was right to return something that made me feel full.

“Sorry.”