Episode 169: Turning Point (2)
Splash.
Ripples spread across the once quiet surface of the water.
As I turned my gaze toward the center of the small wave that had brushed past my body, a heavy voice flew into my ear.
“Hoo, how stubborn.”
There was no need to question who those words were directed at.
Just as my face must have turned bright red, the face that let out a sigh mixed with a rebuke was also flushed red.
I couldn’t deny it.
To be honest, I wasn’t the type to stay in the bath for long.
Yet the reason I had endured so stubbornly that I even heard the word “stubborn” was one thing.
There were times when a man simply couldn’t back down.
It wasn’t for some dramatic reason like wanting to look good in front of his lover’s grandfather.
If that had been the case, I would have pretended to lose and stepped back at an appropriate point before this stubborn pride battle turned into a chicken race.
In fact, I hadn’t intended for it to be like this from the beginning.
Today’s meeting was nothing more and nothing less than a place to show my face and greet him.
I had already heard everything I needed to hear through Aunt, and since Zia had made her decision, all I could do was follow her wishes.
But the moment I faced him, one fact I had been ignoring revealed itself clearly.
‘As expected. I really don’t like this person.’
The fact that I disliked Chairman Woo Hyung-chun.
It was similar to how there had always been people who disliked me even when I smiled first and bowed my head.
I had tried to ignore it somehow, but unlike when I contacted Aunt or when I had just met Woo Ji-hwan, the moment I faced him, the strong dislike that had settled deep in my heart triggered a chemical reaction.
Normally, according to my belief that “pride doesn’t put food on the table,” I would never have done something this stubborn.
Of course, there was a clear reason why I couldn’t help but dislike him.
If there was anyone left in this world who knew about Zia’s birth, the person at the very top of that list would be none other than the old man before my eyes.
‘It was a fact that could be found out so simply.’
The reason Aunt had only now learned of Zia’s existence was simply because she had never even imagined it.
According to her, the moment she felt the trace of blood relation in Zia’s face, she was able to confirm all the facts in just a few hours.
‘Did this person really not know?’
Zia’s father had been the eldest son of this royal family.
To people who had lived even before the new millennium, the meaning of the position of eldest son must have been quite different from now.
No matter how much they had cut ties, and no matter how tough that stubbornness was, could he really not have heard even the slightest news about him? Truly?
If he had truly not known and left Zia neglected like that, I would sincerely apologize with all the emotions sunk deep in my heart, but I was certain that wasn’t the case.
‘If he really didn’t know, he would have come running barefoot long ago. Just like Aunt did.’
If he had belatedly learned that a child who should have been loved and raised with everything had been facing the storms of the world head-on because of his own stubbornness, he should have moved even faster than Aunt had when she came to me.
Yet the fact that he had only now called me after quite some time had passed was proof that the stubbornness he had directed at the deceased had spread even to Zia.
And the voice of Chairman Woo Hyung-chun that followed immediately drove a nail into my conviction.
“Yes. Does it feel refreshing now that you’ve beaten this old man who only has today and tomorrow left?”
Those words were spoken after noticing the thorns that had sprouted from me.
And it was practically a declaration of defeat, acknowledging that it wasn’t mere speculation.
It wasn’t enough to sweep away the deeply rooted dislike, but it was still a remark that made me have some expectations.
If he took just one more step forward from there, I would be able to completely clear away this negative feeling.
Of course, even if he thought this much was enough and stopped, there was nothing I could do.
It would simply mean that today’s meeting with him would be the first and last.
However, the fact that no unpleasantness could be felt in that heavy voice, along with the reason Woo Ji-hwan had told me for choosing the sauna as the meeting place, gave me sufficient reason to continue this meeting.
“I heard you have an important stage today. I wonder if I’ve ruined your condition because of me.”
As he said, today’s scheduled event for me was a very important stage.
Today was the day that would put the finishing touch on the massive project called Project Trinity, which had spanned three seasons.
Even though I wasn’t the one standing on stage myself, the meaning I held was by no means small, so my condition could not be overlooked.
But I wasn’t at a level where I needed to receive his concern.
“It’s fine. This much won’t affect my condition.”
In the first place, Chairman Woo Hyung-chun, who had entered the bath before me, only had a face that had turned bright red and showed no other problems, so it wasn’t a long enough time that I couldn’t endure it.
Splash.
Still, it was clearly longer than usual, so I also stood up and cooled my heated body a little in the cold air. He smiled gently.
The words that followed were rather trivial.
Starting with how good my body was, that his doctor recommended exercise and he himself moved his body every morning.
Or that thanks to the advertising effect of Project Trinity, the atmosphere at Our Electronics had improved, and so on.
Various topics came and went, but none of them were the content I wanted.
Nevertheless, the reason I stayed silent and followed his lead was because the expectation in my heart kept growing larger.
Today was definitely the first time I had faced Chairman Woo Hyung-chun.
But it wasn’t as if I had never heard stories about him.
I didn’t know him well, but one of the things I had heard about Chairman Woo Hyung-chun was that he spoke very directly.
‘But he’s beating around the bush.’
Was it because he had shed the shell of being the chairman of a large corporation?
The way he appeared to me was the common type of older man in that age group who found it difficult to easily reveal his true feelings.
The fact that he couldn’t easily bring out the inner thoughts he had already concluded in his mind was probably because of the stubbornness of him — or rather, of that family — that had brought the situation to this point.
If Zia had been like this, it would have been quite cute, but I had no intention of continuing to watch this scene.
‘Come to think of it, Zia also needed to be pushed from behind.’
The scary thing about bloodline is that even unwanted common points like this catch the eye.
Since we’ve come this far, doing this kind of role one more time isn’t difficult.
“It would be so nice if our kids exercised as diligently as you…”
“Chairman.”
I cut his words short, but no unpleasant feeling could be felt from Chairman Woo Hyung-chun at all.
His appearance, quite different from the typical image of a chaebol I had seen through the media and heard in rumors, pushed me forward, and
“If there is something you want to say, please don’t put it off.”
Those words, which could sound quite rude, brought the climax between us.
Plop.
Like a water droplet formed on the ceiling falling down,
“I’m sorry. And thank you.”
Chairman Woo Hyung-chun lowered his head.
“You willingly took on the duty that I should have carried out. In that regard, I owe you a debt greater than anything else in the world.”
I hadn’t done it to receive his gratitude.
But as he said, I had temporarily taken on the duty that Chairman Woo Hyung-chun should have done, and I intended to continue doing so in the future.
Some might call it arrogant, but this was the right appearance I had expected from Chairman Woo Hyung-chun.
“Please raise your head, Chairman.”
That was why I said those words to Chairman Woo Hyung-chun.
Was it because I forgave him?
No.
No matter what, I didn’t have the right to do that.
“I have no reason to receive an apology or gratitude from you, Chairman. Just as I stayed by Zia’s side, Zia also stayed by my side. The person you should bow your head to is someone else. Zia… will not push you away.”
Zia had clearly said that if time passed and they built a new relationship, things could change.
If it was the Zia I knew, those words weren’t limited only to Aunt.
But Chairman Woo Hyung-chun did not raise his head.
“If you say that, then that child must have an extraordinarily large heart. But I am not like that. My heart is not that big. I, who knew of that child’s existence yet turned away, have no right to enter that child’s fence.”
“It is not you who decides that, Chairman. It is Zia.”
At those slightly cold words, Chairman Woo Hyung-chun’s round shoulders twitched and trembled.
“If I had been able to be honest even ten years, no, five years earlier, it might have been different. But now it is too late. Even if that child forgives me, I cannot forgive myself. Because I have already found my own happiness.”
Was this also the power of a place where everything had to be taken off? I slightly raised my head.
To me, a voice that no longer felt heavy at all flew in again.
“Of course, I am not saying I will receive forgiveness for my sins with just this. Where there is light, there is also shadow. I plan to decorate that child’s stage from behind the scenes. Believing that you and Hye-yeon will do well in the place where the light shines.”
His still-lowered head was visible.
At the same time, my now much lighter heart had no choice but to accept the fact that there was no hope of breaking this stubbornness.
***
It was quite some time later than expected when I returned to the place where I should be.
‘I didn’t think it would take this long.’
In truth, I hadn’t intended to spend my mind like this.
Chairman Woo Hyung-chun had certainly shown the appearance I had hoped for, but
“In the future, I will probably never appear in front of you and that child again. If what you say is true, that child will be indifferent to me. That is the punishment that suits me.”
Seeing the old man say those words made my heart feel a little heavy, so it took some time to organize my thoughts.
‘The idea that I might quit singing… was nonsense.’
Even from that sight, melodies were drawn out, so I realized that it was nearly impossible for me to ever let go of the score or the microphone.
‘Well, even so, I probably won’t be able to release that song.’
Even if I brought it out into the world, the person singing it would most likely not be me.
I did receive a melody from the appearance of the old man who called himself a sinner, but I had no desire to capture the heart of someone who voluntarily gave up that warm affection.
I think my role is only to draw that heart on the score.
And now it is time to take on another role again.
“Teacher!”
“Where have you been? You’re only coming now!”
“You didn’t even watch the rehearsal!”
“You’re too much!”
The role of caring for these chicks whose mentality shook just because I was gone for a while.
“Why are you making such a fuss? Can’t you perform on stage without me?”
“Hehe… It’s not that, but…”
Well, I did speak a bit sharply, but it was true that I was late.
Even though they were showing such weak sides, I knew they had done well, but here I should honestly apologize.
“Sorry for being la—”
“We’re going on standby.”
But that apology was awkwardly cut off by the unfamiliar voice that came at just the right time, and
“Shall we go?”
“Yes!”
I swallowed my laughter and spoke awkwardly to the kids who were holding back their smiles as I walked.
Toward the stage that would be both their destination and their new starting point.
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