Chapter 49 – Tearless Longing

It was a rare evening where Eom So-yeon returned home early and sat with her family in the living room.

“Ah.”

“Yes!”

Jessica, the nanny, gave medicine to Hyun-woo, who had a slight cold. So-yeon was amazed as the child, who usually hated medicine and ran away, readily took the bitter medicine.

“Wow! Our Hyun-woo, you can take bitter medicine now?”

“Yeah! Chairman Grandpa says he likes me when I eat well.”

Surprised by Hyun-woo’s friendly expression for a stranger, So-yeon asked Yeon-hee.

“Chairman Grandpa? Mom, what is Hyun-woo saying?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. This morning, a call came from El Stella’s secretarial office. Chairman Tae wanted to have a meal with me in place of your dad. So, I had lunch with him.”

“With Hyun-woo too?”

Trying to hide her shocked expression, So-yeon asked again, and Yeon-hee replied with a warm smile.

“Yes. And both the Chairman and Hyun-woo were very comfortable with each other. They communicated so well that anyone would think they were real grandfather and grandson.”

Real grandfather… So-yeon’s darkening eyes wavered with anxiety.

“Did you just have a meal? Nothing else happened?”

“Other than exchanging pleasantries, nothing else. He treated us to a good meal, and we ate well.”

So-yeon managed to calm her pounding heart after her mother’s words, remaining silent for a while. Meanwhile, Yeon-hee recounted the details of the meal.

“When Hyun-woo said his mom was the best in the world, the Chairman said he found you a very desirable daughter-in-law. He said the child’s judgment was accurate. Seeing how well Hyun-woo follows him, Chairman Tae is indeed a kind person, without prejudice.”

“…”

So-yeon’s heartbeat quickened at Yeon-hee’s words. It was a different kind of fluttering from earlier.

Not just any conglomerate, but the top-ranked conglomerate in the business world.

She had given up on Tae Seo-jun due to the preconceived notion that people with such immense backgrounds wouldn’t be easy. She thought breaking up with him was the only way to protect Hyun-woo.

But if, as her mother said, his parents were kind and loving people…

At least if they had no intention of separating a mother and child, and would work harder than anyone for Hyun-woo’s happiness…

It might not be the case, but if she had judged too hastily… … .

If that were truly the case…

She knew it was too late.

She knew all too well it was impossible.

Yet, So-yeon wished she could turn back time to just before leaving Spain. Regret and a faint hope mingled deeply in her heart. However, she firmly suppressed the quiet turmoil within her.

He, who had been so kind, turned cold as soon as they left Malaga. Remembering that, So-yeon quietly bit her lower lip.

Hoping for something from a severed relationship with him was foolish.

***

He didn’t want to do anything.

Tae Seo-jun stayed home for a week, either exercising like crazy or drinking day and night when that got boring.

But no matter how much he drank, he didn’t get drunk.

No matter how much he pushed and exhausted his body, his longing only grew. Disliking his lethargic self, he looked at the script for his next project, but the text didn’t register at all.

After hastily finishing his dinner, Seo-jun carefully examined the important documents of <Ki Hazel> that CEO Chae had left earlier.

<BioHue>, which had lost hundreds of billions in new drug research costs, was a burden that couldn’t be expected to turn a profit. CEO Chae suggested selling the pharmaceutical company, as there were many prominent companies under <Ki Hazel>.

However, Seo-jun thought differently. He had confidently questioned CEO Chae two weeks ago, asking if it was right to dispose of something just because of a temporary loss.

And now, <BioHue> had suddenly turned into a golden-egg-laying company.

The documents detailing that tremendous achievement were in Seo-jun’s hands. It was a cause for celebration, but Seo-jun felt no excitement. Even when good things happened, he felt nothing but dryness.

Throwing the stack of documents aside, Seo-jun trudged into the bathroom.

His bare body seemed lean, but the angular muscles were more pronounced, and the graceful curves of his entire body were impressive. Coming out of the bathroom with wet hair, Seo-jun donned only a robe and moved to the living room to turn on the audio.

Sitting on the sofa, Seo-jun lit a cigarette and relied on the heavy cello melody for auditory comfort. But the half-smoked cigarette was soon discarded, and a crystal glass filled with red liquid was in his hand.

“Eom So-yeon…”

Seo-jun tossed the deep longing into the silent space with lips stained red by the wine.

Even while savoring the wine, even while slowly calling her name several times, time flowed relentlessly.

He wanted her, and he took her.

But the satisfaction gained in an instant brought forth even greater desire.

However, the origin of all that longing, Eom So-yeon herself, was not here now.

No matter how hard he tried to erase her from his mind and heart, Eom So-yeon wouldn’t disappear. He couldn’t return to the time before he knew her, nor did he want to.

Seo-jun now realized everything clearly.

Each day without her was meaningless. His feelings and emotions for her were far greater than he thought. Trying to fill her absence with something else was incredibly foolish.

“Eom So-yeon… Eom So-yeon…”

As he savored the regret and wrapped her name around his tongue, the taste of the mixed grape aroma and alcohol was both fragrant and bitter. The movement of long, straight fingers refilling the empty glass and setting down the decanter was delicate.

At the moment he was about to lift the wine glass with that hand.

His gaze shifted to the intercom.

Near midnight, the sudden doorbell broke the silence of this quiet space where even the music had stopped.

When Seo-jun opened the door with a simple touch, Go Won-hoo appeared in the living room, loosening his tie and plopping down next to Seo-jun.

“What’s going on?”

Though it wasn’t a frequent occurrence, Seo-jun wasn’t surprised by Won-hoo’s sudden visit and smirked as he poured wine into another glass.

“I had a blind date today.”

“If you were with your date until now, she must have been pretty good, right?”

“She was so good that I left early and drank alone!”

“Oh, she wasn’t great then.”

“…”

Feeling frustrated, Won-hoo took off his suit jacket and downed the glass of red liquid in one go.

Lying back on the sofa, Seo-jun looked up at the ceiling and smirked.

“So, did you come because you suddenly wanted to see me?”

“Crazy bastard! Who else do I have to vent to if not you? That’s why I came—what, got a problem?”

“Oh, was the girl you didn’t like from the blind date off-putting?”

Perhaps because of Tae Seo-jun’s playful tone, Go Won-hoo sighed after a laugh.

“Instead of being dragged around by my parents’ nagging, I might as well confess. No matter the outcome.”

Surprised by this, Seo-jun’s gaze turned from the ceiling to Won-hoo beside him.

“…You have someone you like?”

“Yeah.”

“Who?”

“I’ll tell you later. If I succeed after making a move. If I get rejected, it’ll be embarrassing.”

“Do as you like.”

Showing no further interest, Seo-jun looked back at the ceiling.

Blinking, then turning his head again to stare intently at Won-hoo, Seo-jun spoke.

“You, by any chance…”

“By any chance, what?”

Pushed by the intense gaze, Won-hoo leaned back slightly.

Seo-jun, pondering Go Won-hoo’s confession, suddenly thought of Eom So-yeon.

“No, never mind.”

But he didn’t voice that intuition. He had faith that Eom So-yeon wouldn’t waver between two men who were cousins.

“You’re boring. Anyway, do you have time tomorrow?”

Tomorrow was the first broadcast of <Master of the Sun>. Won-hoo informed Seo-jun that they planned to watch the drama together in the company’s audiovisual room.

“If you’re interested, come watch with us.”

Tae Seo-jun wasn’t the type to show up at such trivial gatherings. But Won-hoo mentioned it just in case, and as expected, Seo-jun’s response was a refusal.

“No thanks. Why would I go there?”

“I figured. But come if you change your mind.”

“I said I’m not going.”

Seo-jun’s irritated reply was firm.

Going there would mean seeing Eom So-yeon again.

If that happened, he felt he wouldn’t be able to just let her go like during the production report.

Having no intention of diving into that chaotic emotional turmoil, Seo-jun pushed the wine aside and poured cognac into another glass.

The strong alcohol burned his throat intensely.

To the point where he couldn’t bear it anymore.

***

A toddler’s steps, much larger strides now.

The baby who parted at two and reunited at four had grown considerably. No longer a baby, but a little kid. Hyun-woo, taller and with longer limbs than his peers, moved quite swiftly.

“Hyun-woo, you’ll get hurt like that! You need to walk with me!”

Hearing his mother’s voice, Hyun-woo, who had been joyfully running ahead on the mountain path, stopped in his tracks.

“Come here, I’ll hold you.”

When the child turned around, So-yeon opened her arms wide as if to say come for a hug. Without any hesitation, the child ran back down the path he had so eagerly traversed.

Finding him adorably puppy-like, So-yeon didn’t move a step from where she stood. Though she wanted to run and hold him, she patiently waited for him to come to her on his own strength and will.

Finally, the soft, fluffy child’s body embraced his mother tightly.

A proud smile spread across her fair face. So-yeon hugged her bouncing son tightly and straightened her bent legs.

“Are you having fun?”

“Heehee…”

Meeting the loving child’s eyes, So-yeon asked, and a small nod came immediately. His large, black eyes sparkled with laughter, making him even more adorable.

“Shall we walk now?”

“Yeah!”

Whoever he took after, the gentle child was quite smart. Though accustomed to English, he quickly switched to Korean as if using a translator, speaking fluently with his small lips.

“I want to walk holding mom’s hand.”

“Okay, let’s do that.”

After planting a kiss on his soft, chewy cheek, So-yeon set her son down and held his tiny hand tightly. Walking in step with the child’s pace, she appeared youthful like a girl, but she was undeniably a mother.

So-yeon was happy.

Her heart swelled with joy.

As much as she had desperately wished and waited for this moment with her son. As much as the time she endured in pain, unable to see or hold him, had become precious.

But just one thing. The empty space that would never be filled gradually darkened So-yeon’s expression and sank her mood deeply.

So-yeon often asked herself countless times. 

Was pushing Tae Seo-jun away the right thing? Didn’t I regret it? 

Each time, she answered herself, “Of course.”

But now…

So-yeon forced the corners of her lips to rise.

Tearless longing.

It was a resigned smile where tears had dried up.

She was walking with her son at the end of summer. That fact greatly alleviated her gloomy mood. Holding Hyun-woo’s hand tightly, So-yeon looked up at the blue sky with slightly teary eyes.

The weather was exceptionally nice today.