At the End of That Memory Chapter 6

Was there any reason to look at someone he just met with such affectionate eyes?

After meeting Kwon Yido, all I could think about was him. It was because of the dispirited look in his eyes, the faint smile playing on his lips and his pheromones which he occasionally spread, all played like a broken record in front of my eyes.

Kwon Yido’s hands were as cold as I assumed, yet he was a strange person who sometimes acted kind. He acted like a stranger to my father but came to my help when I was in hot water. Was he friendly or someone difficult? It was difficult to know because it was the first time we met.

So, I dreamt of these questions and thought about the past day all night long. Instead of the sleeping pills that had already worn out, the memories left in my heart blurred the boundary between dreams and reality. I couldn’t fall asleep in the end, but it was better to not sleep at all than to have a nightmare.

“They say they will send a car.”

The next morning, Chief Kim came as soon as the day dawned and announced the news about Kwon Yido with a somewhat haggard look on his face. Seeing that he had bags under his eyes and was dressed the same as yesterday, it was obvious that he had been reprimanded by my father last night.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“…”

Whenever something like this would occur, I would get the impression that Chief Kim was really amazing. I saw him silently pick my clothes without a word of complaint.

“Is there anything else you need to take care of?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

A small suitcase was enough to take to Kwon Yido’s home. All you need to do is hire someone for anything you need, was the last thing I heard in the first place.

‘We will take care of everything Jung Sejin would need.’

Kwon Yido added as if it was no big deal.

‘It means you can just come with yourself.’

Well, he must have thought of it in advance since he did ask me to come pretty suddenly.

“There’s nothing that I feel pity for…”

Although it was a place where I lived for 9 years, there wasn’t much to live for. Were the few books and novels all the things I had? The clothes that were neatly hung in the dressing room weren’t something I had any yearning for either.

“I will bring you some sleeping pills along with the flowers around evening.”

Chief Kim said that he processed the lily of the valley that I received from Kwon Yido so that it could be stored for a long time. He sprayed a desiccant and put a glass dome on it. I thought he would just put it in the water, but the treatment was too elaborate.

“What time will the car arrive?”

“I think it will arrive soon.”

“I can come down soon, then.”

After confirming that the engagement ring was still there, I left the house before Chief Kim. It was a place I would not come to for the time being but I didn’t feel sad about it. Chief Kim quietly followed me into the elevator after some time.

Wow, the sound of the elevator moving was always very subtle. It felt like time had stopped, and I felt completely cut off from the rest of the world. As I was absentmindedly concentrating on the sound of the elevator, I heard a cautious voice.

“Director.”

Well, I was not the Director anymore.

“Please speak.”

“Is there anyone you would like to see separately?”

“Well…”

I sighed softly and stuffed my hand in my coat pocket. He was not someone who didn’t know about my strained personal relationships. It felt like he was reconfirming it, asking if I would like to see my family once before I leave.

“All I wanted to see was Chief Kim.”

Although I said it as a joke, I actually meant it. If I didn’t get to see them off, it was better to leave without them. There was no need to make a big fuss about it because it’s not that I was not going to see it for the rest of my life.

“It’s not like I’m being sold off anywhere.”

At those words, Chief Kim closed his mouth with a speechless expression on his face. Seeing how there was not an excuse, saying it wasn’t the case, it looked like he couldn’t lie about it. It was so typical of Chief Kim, that I added something that didn’t need to be said.

“You know…”

“… … .”

“I should avoid what I can avoid.”

It was obvious what I would hear, but I didn’t want to go there on my own. On days like this, I just wanted it to pass by quietly, because no matter how much I didn’t want it to be like this, it couldn’t always be okay. At this point, Chief Kim would understand me better because I did all I could.

“Sorry.”

“I didn’t mean to hear an apology.”

Ding, the elevator reached the first floor. I walked one step ahead and rubbed my sore eyelids. Maybe I should have paid more attention to my clothes. I always wore a suit, so wearing one without a tie felt rather uncomfortable.

The air outside was still chilly. Yesterday was still warm, but the weather was so unpredictable since it was the change of seasons. It was a good thing I wore a coat. The moment I raised my head with that thought, my eyes suddenly met someone’s.

“…”

“…”

In an instant, my face crumpled. Quietly today, I could hear the small sound of the wind breaking into pieces. Chief Kim must have discovered the other person too late, as he spoke in a confused tone.

“…Young master?”

“Hey, Jung Sejin!”

Minjae took off his sunglasses and walked toward me with strides. His hair is disheveled, and his clothes are plainer than usual. No matter how you look at the sports car parked at the back, Minjae’s driving skills were clear (the fact that he couldn’t parallel park), so why did a guy who couldn’t even drive bring the car himself?

“Fuck! You…”

Minjae came right in front of me and looked me up and down. He even chewed his lips with a reddened face as if he was trying to control his anger. Whenever he made a face like this, I knew something was up with him.

“What’s the matter?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Minjae still glared at me with an angry look on his face. His eyes, resembling his mother’s, rose sharply.

“…Are you going to that bastard’s house now?”

When he said that bastard, he probably meant Kwon Yido. He was rude to someone, towards whom even my father used honorifics while talking to him.

“I was on my way. Why?”

“Hey…are you asking because you don’t know?”

“I don’t know, so I’ll ask. Why are you doing this?”

I took out her cell phone and checked the screen to see if he had contacted me. However, there was not even a message left under the numbers indicating the time, let alone a missed call. Minjae looked back and forth between the phone and me and spoke in a crooked voice.

“You ungrateful bastard.”

“What?”

It was an arbitrary statement. It wasn’t even something I wanted to hear from Minjae. As I blinked in bewilderment, Minjae, with his face crumpled, snapped.

“Are you just leaving without seeing your family?”

Family? I couldn’t ask that question. He added, raising his eyebrows as he nervously racked his brains.

“Let alone Jung Seoyoung and I, but you need to at least meet our parents. How can you think of going without even seeing our father’s face? Don’t you think he will be sad?”

“Did father say that? Did he say that he would be sad not seeing me?”

“Fuck, do I really have to say it for you to understand?”

Minjae shouted and turned his head to the side. Looking at his bright red face, he seemed to be aware that he was just being ridiculous. This was something that Chief Kim also knew behind the scenes, but my father was not the type of person to feel sad about such things.

“Anyway, this bastard of a son…”

“Minjae.”

Minjae cried softly and covered his eyes with his left hand. Haa, when I let out a sigh, my upset stomach calmed down a little. No matter how I was, I couldn’t always be okay. Why do they always come at the end and make a mess of the other person?

“You should have come to see me while I was waiting yesterday.”

Yesterday, I was in the waiting room for over three hours. No one came to visit me, and Chief Kim was the only one who asked about my meals and my well-being. The only one-sided communication was the perfume that my father sent.

“Why did you stay quiet until the engagement ceremony was over and make a scene about it now?”

“…”

Minjae kept his mouth shut and quietly stared at the ring on my hand. Rather than feeling bad, he was agitated. Ha, he let out a short breath and opened his mouth with a somewhat determined expression.

“That’s it, that bastard…”

It was then that I heard the sound of the car door closing. It wasn’t that loud, but Minjae closed his mouth as if he was startled by something. In an instant, the sound of the shoes tapping on the ground and stomping echoed around the quiet surroundings.

“…”

I raised his head as if possessed and checked the person who got out of the car a moment ago. As far as I knew, there was only one person who walked so neatly. After slowly moving my gaze, I saw a man adjusting his jacket.

“You are here.”

It was just one word, but it was enough to change the mood. The dignified voice penetrated my ears, and the imposing figure gave me a feeling of intimidation.

“…Mr. Kwon Yido.”

He walked leisurely and stopped exactly in front of me. The pitch-black gaze was directed straight at me as if no one else was visible. Was this what a tree looked like after being hit by autumn rain? The heavy pheromone made my chest tingle.

“Why did you…?”

“Why did I…what?”

Kwon Yido tilted his head as if asking what that meant. The facial features created without a single error felt particularly unrealistic today. It was even surprising that he could even blink his eyes quietly.

“I think I informed them that I would come to pick you up.”

Kwon Yido responded lightly as he looked at Chief Kim indifferently. It was like asking if he didn’t convey what he said. I accidentally answered the question instead of Chief Kim.

“You said you would send a car.”

I never imagined that he would come to visit me in person. Kwon Yido was a busy person, and it would be enough to have a subordinate escort me. However, Kwon Yido did not think so.

“Well, since I came in that car, you are not entirely wrong.”

“…Aren’t you busy?”

“I’m busy.”

As if he was really busy, he rolled up his sleeves and even checked the watch on his wrist. It was the watch that became a hot topic one day because Kwon Yido wore it.

“So, I’d like to leave now…”

Kwon Yido stopped talking once he noticed Minjae. Minjae, who hesitated and took a step back, suddenly distorted his face. Kwon Yido gave a warning disguised as a proposal in a soft voice.

“You can continue your conversation later.”

Was it on purpose? He looked down at Minjae with such arrogant eyes. He snorted slightly and raised the corners of his mouth as if to hide them.

“The younger brother should be the one to give up.”

Oh, he did it on purpose.

“…Chief Kim, please take Minjae home.”

I grabbed Kwon Yido’s arm and naturally blocked Minjae’s path. Kwon Yido glanced at my left hand and closed his mouth. Minjae’s face was bright red as if he had been insulted.

“Minjae, let’s talk about the rest later.”

Judging by the way his fists were clenched, if he stayed a little longer, he would explode without any hesitation. There was a need to properly sort out the situation before it was too late.

“You don’t even have a license from our country, so if you can, don’t drive. If there’s anything urgent, do call me…”

I was worried for a moment. I wonder if it was right to say this. However, the moment Minjae’s eyes met mine, my lips moved first.

“Give my regards to my father.”

“…”

“Hyung, I’m off.”

This time, Minjae lowered his head, gritting his molars. The slightly trembling mouth looked a little sad.

* * *

Kwon Yido’s car was a private sedan with a separate driver and back seat. It wasn’t originally this type of car, but it seemed like the interior was personally modified.

Kwon Yido personally opened the car door and as soon as I got into the seat next to him, he started working, going back and forth between documents and laptop. He answered the phone from time to time, and he had no hesitation in speaking in English, probably because he thought I wouldn’t understand. I thought about showing off that I understood but decided not to.

“It’s a nice day.”

How long has it been? After hanging up the phone for the third time, Kwon Yido suddenly spoke to me. I happened to be thinking the same thing as him, so I just nodded, fixing my gaze outside his window.

“Yes.”

It was such a sunny day that the reason my eyes were sore wasn’t just because I couldn’t sleep. The sky was blue, the clouds were pure white, and it looked like there wouldn’t be any rain for a while.

“Couldn’t you sleep?”

“…?”

I belatedly turned my head and looked at Kwon Yido. As soon as our eyes met, he leisurely examined my face. Every time his gaze touched me, I somehow felt naked.

“You look tired, slightly more than yesterday.”

“…Ah.”

Since when did I start showing my facial expressions comfortably? I was confident in not showing signs of fatigue.

“I’m not tired…I just had a bit of trouble sleeping.”

I tried to soften my stiff face. Although I smiled as if nothing had happened, Kwon Yido did not lift his gaze away. He just put his papers down on his lap and spoke in a monotone voice.

“When we get home, let’s eat first.”

It wasn’t such a strange thing to say. If only it didn’t sound like it meant eating together.

“I thought you probably didn’t eat breakfast, so I told them to prepare Jung Sejin’s favorite dish.”

“…I’m just asking, are we eating together?”

“…”

The straight eyebrows became distorted. He seemed dissatisfied for some reason, so he hastily added an excuse.

“I thought you said you were busy.”

“I am not busy enough that I can eat with you.”

With perfect timing, Kwon Yido’s cell phone vibrated. Kwon Yido, who asked for my understanding, hung up the phone after just one word this time. It was a halfhearted phone call telling them to contact his secretary since he was busy.

“Anyway, after we finish eating, you can at least take a dip in the bathtub and then get some sleep.”

“…”

“There are different types of bath salts, so you can choose the scent you like and use it.”

What can I say? It was a strange feeling. The moment I saw he had the same phone ring installed as mine, my heart tightened.

“Thank you for your concern.”

Why are you being so kind?

Even though we were engaged, everything was a result of a contract. I was the one who had to show off, and Kwon Yido was the one who catered to me as he pleased. So why was he acting like that?

“And…”

Kwon Yido began slowly and frowned as if hesitating. He had a somewhat embarrassed expression, but the moment I heard him, his facial expression didn’t matter.

“You can speak comfortably.”

“…Yes?”

“We’re not in a business relationship, so there’s no need to be formal.”

For a moment, I almost asked. Why aren’t we in a business relationship?

“No, I will speak formally.”

Even though I knew it was a good opportunity, I responded reflexively. I wasn’t happy that he was being this nice, I wonder why. I was sure I had to put on some type of a facade in front of Kwon Yido. It wasn’t easy in front of Kwon Yido.

“…I’m more comfortable using honorifics.”

Although I made a lame excuse, Kwon Yido didn’t say anything. I looked to see if he was offended, but luckily there was no sign of displeasure on his face. Rather, it might have been a face that he wanted me to see.

“Okay, you just need to get comfortable with me. You can take it slow.”

Well, I didn’t think it would be comfortable.

I could barely swallow the words past my throat. “I’m sorry.” Kwon Yido’s face cracked slightly at those words. He raised the document again and spoke in a low voice.

“You can take your time, but don’t say you’re sorry.”

“…”

“I am not a fan of apologies.”

Did this mean that I shouldn’t do anything I would be sorry about from the beginning? Seeing his background, the only thing he heard in his life should be ‘I’m sorry.’

“Jung Sejin has nothing to be sorry about.”

A much kinder voice softly reached my ears. It was still a calm voice, and it was even clear as if it was loaded with pheromones. I felt like my heart was pounding for no reason, so I turned my gaze out the window and stopped talking.

“…The roads are very congested.”

It was an unnatural change of topic, but Kwon Yido did not point it out. He just said that we were almost there and told me to close my eyes if I felt sleepy. In the car, which quickly became quiet, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of him flipping through documents.

“…”

I clearly wasn’t sleepy, but the silence around me made me fall asleep. As I slowly closed and opened his eyes, various thoughts appeared in my mind. For example, whether his Alpha pheromones were comfortable or that I was nearing my heat cycle.

Suddenly, a question chased away the rush of sleep. It wasn’t a big deal, just a minor discomfort.

How did Kwon Yido know and prepare my favorite food?