#153

Side Story Episode 4

Myeong ended up trapped in this annex without even having a proper wedding.

By then, his grandfather’s business had already flourished, so it must have been a life many times more luxurious than the storehouse where he had been confined in his hometown, but Jung-hyun knew very well that people do not become happy simply because the clothes they wear and the food they eat improve.

‘Jung-hyun, this folding screen is something I gave your grandmother as a gift. Even after marrying me, your grandmother cried for a long time because she missed her hometown. To soothe her heart, I called the finest artisan in Gyeongseong and had him work on it for a year.’

His grandfather had said this in a proud tone, with the young Jung-hyun sitting on his lap.

He could picture the man’s situation as if it were before his eyes. How could he have cried only because he missed his hometown? He must have wept naturally out of sorrow for his grandfather’s neglect and his own plight.

Around the time this folding screen was gifted, perhaps a feeling of affection had begun to bloom in his grandfather’s heart. The butterflies within the screen, which his grandfather must have ordered personally, looked very tender.

But what about his grandmother? Instead of the screen, perhaps she had spent her time blankly watching the four seasons change from this open veranda.

“…How did that person pass away?”

Jung-hyun asked suddenly.

“Aside from the fact that they passed away early, I don’t know anything else.”

Not only that. Had he not happened upon the photograph today, he would have never even known what their face looked like.

“You may know that the Chairman’s children consisted of two sons, including the President, and one daughter, but in truth, there was one more youngest son who died at a young age.”

The lawyer spoke after a brief silence. His expression was dark.

“The youngest master died suddenly after suffering from a high fever around the age of fourteen; coincidentally, it was right after his trait had been revealed as an Omega.”

“…….”

“Myeong-nim did not believe that this happened by chance. He believed that if the young master, suffering from fever, had been seen by a doctor, he could have been saved quickly, but that the Chairman wanted the child to die because he was an Omega.”

Even though it was merely a recounted story, the grief of the situation at the time was palpable. Jung-hyun quietly caught his breath.

“The Chairman said that wasn’t the case, but Myeong-nim did not believe those words.”

It was understandable. Even Jung-hyun felt it was a lie.

“The sounds of loud arguing and wailing continued for three days. The noise was so horrific that I and the employees lost sleep every single day. And finally, only in the dawn of the third day did the annex become quiet. I remember clearly that only then did everyone feel relieved and prepare for bed.”

“…….”

“The Chairman, upon leaving the annex, called for me. He told me to clear my schedule for a month starting today. He said he would visit Myeong-nim’s hometown with him. Inwardly, I was very happy. I thought, ‘Finally, the Chairman is taking Myeong-nim to see the outside world.’”

Lawyer Kim gave a soft smile.

“I happened to see them just once. Myeong-nim and the Chairman taking a night stroll in this garden when the morning dew was thick. Myeong-nim’s expression as he looked up at the blooming magnolia tree was so bright. It is still vivid in my memory.”

“…….”

“He was so happy just from a night stroll; how happy would he be to visit his hometown after such a long time? I was sure it would be a refreshing change of pace. The Chairman likely planned the trip with that same thought.”

The smile gradually faded from Lawyer Kim’s face.

“However, what the Chairman saw the next day… was Myeong-nim, who had turned his back on the world by hanging himself from the open veranda of this annex.”

Jung-hyun let out a short groan.

“The Chairman’s aides said the annex where a person had died was ominous and suggested burning it down. In truth, the talk of it being ominous was just an excuse; their real intention was likely to erase all traces of Myeong-nim’s existence. They probably feared that stories of a male Omega existing might leak out while the business was flourishing.”

“…….”

“I also thought the Chairman would want that. The Chairman I knew did not hesitate to do heartless things for the sake of business.”

Lawyer Kim looked up and gazed inside the cleanly maintained annex.

“But as you know, Jung-hyun-nim, the annex was preserved. To silence his noisy aides, the Chairman began residing here. I believe it was around that time. When Sa-myeong was changed to ‘Myeong-jeong.’”

“…….”

“I have no way of knowing the depths of the Chairman’s heart or what he was thinking by doing so… but I remember clearly the words he hinted to me when he first saw Jung-hyun-nim while he was still alive.”

Lawyer Kim looked at Jung-hyun and smiled broadly.

“That the child Jung-hyun looked exactly like Myeong.”

“…….”

Jung-hyun had heard that story before. He had heard it so often it was practically engraved in his ears.

He also remembered that his grandfather, whose eyes always held a blue glint, only had eyes full of remorse when he spoke of that.

“And not long after, Ki-hyuk-nim manifested. There, the Chairman made another wrong choice.”

“…….”

“These are not words I should say to you, Jung-hyun-nim, who suffered alone in a strange land like America, but from my position as someone who served the Chairman for a long time, may I offer a small opinion?”

It was an unexpected question. Jung-hyun gave a light nod, signaling him to speak.

“Unlike the Chairman, who started from the bottom, the Chairman’s children, who grew up as Alphas of the Myeong-jeong family from birth, were arrogant and violent. They did not hesitate to commit cruel and inhumane acts to seize management rights. Because of that, Myeong-jeong faltered several times. The Chairman grew anxious. He did not want the kingdom he had painstakingly built to collapse like this.”

“…….”

“The reason he did not step down until just before he passed, and the reason he did not hand over the chairmanship to anyone, was for the same reason. The Chairman believed that only a stronger Alpha could protect Myeong-jeong. Just as he had done.”

Jung-hyun responded by slightly raising an eyebrow. Even without a lengthy explanation, Jung-hyun knew well how deep-rooted his grandfather’s Alpha worship was.

Even if his wife had hanged herself and left the world, he probably wouldn’t have immediately thought that he himself was wrong.

“Three days before he passed—the day he called me here to write this will that was revealed today—the Chairman told me all of his past mistakes. And he wished to set everything right.”

“…….”

“Yes, it was a realization that came too late. I suspect that the Chairman, sensing his own death, wanted to be able to kneel with dignity when he met Myeong-nim again in the afterlife.”

* * *

“Phew.”

Jung-hyun let out a long sigh as he got into the taxi. Isn’t there a time when your sense of reality becomes a bit dull for a while after being completely immersed in a novel or a movie? The story of his grandfather told by the lawyer was exactly like that. It was so vivid that it felt as if he had personally witnessed them in those days.

The fact that he had stood alone staring at the annex for a while even after his conversation with Lawyer Kim was due to that feeling. Though he was quickly brought back to reality by the voice of Shin Ho-jae, who was worried about him not returning for so long.

“You talked with the lawyer for a long time; what did you talk about?”

Shin Ho-jae, sitting in the seat next to him, asked cautiously.

‘Hmm…’ After choosing his words for a long time, Jung-hyun looked at Ho-jae’s face and answered simply.

“Old stories.”

“Old stories?”

“Yes. I heard stories about my grandfather and grandmother.”

At Jung-hyun’s words, Ho-jae made a humming sound in his throat and looked up at the grey brick building overgrown with ivy outside the car window.

“Come to think of it, I heard something like that from Grandfather. He said the reason he planted trees that bloom in all four seasons, like magnolias and cornelian cherries, in the garden was because his wife loved flowers.”

“…….”

“Shall we go pay our respects once while we’re in Seoul? To report the relationship between you and me to Grandfather as well.”

He was talking about the charnel house on the outskirts of Seoul. Jung-hyun had been there exactly once. Rather than a charnel house, it was a beautiful place decorated like a garden. His grandmother and grandfather were enshrined there together.

“Sure. Let’s go once I finish up some work.”

Jung-hyun replied with a slow smile.

“Thank you for staying with me today. You went through a lot.”

“How is this ‘going through a lot’? I had fun. I got to see the room you used, and I got the notebook and photos.”

“Then I’m glad.”

As if waiting for the conversation to end, the taxi driver said he was departing and quietly started the car. As soon as they passed the high walls of Seongbuk-dong, Jung-hyun leaned deep into the backrest.

“Are you tired?”

“A little.”

He had rushed to Seongbuk-dong immediately after his flight without even unpacking his luggage at the hotel. Ho-jae had suggested they rest properly for a day first, but resting with a burden on his mind wouldn’t have been true rest.

Although a new assignment called Myeong-jeong had suddenly become his possession, he felt that coming here today was the right choice.

He turned his head to look at Shin Ho-jae’s face in the passenger seat. Feeling the gaze, Ho-jae slightly raised an eyebrow and reached out his hand. Jung-hyun placed his hand on the large palm and gripped it. The two naturally entwined their fingers and locked hands.

When they go to the charnel house, he should buy a bouquet of the flowers his grandmother liked. On the way back after paying their respects, he’ll tell Ho-jae the story of the two people he heard today. He became curious about how Shin Ho-jae would react.

– PUCK DROP