Munjeong - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

 

She knew well enough that it was far from an ordinary sight—the hollow eyes that betrayed sleepless nights, the body so emaciated that it seemed barely able to walk. She had seen it all herself, even briefly feeling a pang of pity. But the thought of whether she had any right to pity her made Chaeon cautiously lower her gaze.

 

“She’s on medication for it, but sometimes it causes side effects like hypersensitivity. Like that time.”

 

“……”

 

“She seems to have some unpleasant memories tied to the piano, which might have triggered an overreaction. I’ll apologize on her behalf. I’m sorry.”

 

He apologized in a slightly trembling voice. Though his voice was sincere, and his restless gaze spoke volumes, Chaeon felt strange receiving his apology—almost as if she were the guilty one.

 

“It’s okay. She didn’t do it on purpose.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes. It’s just because she’s unwell… Ah…”

 

Rustle—his soft hair brushed lightly past her vision as Yeonjun leaned his head gently against her shoulder, applying no weight at all. Chaeon froze, unable to move, as though she might stop breathing altogether. His warm scent washed over her in an instant.

 

“Thank goodness.”

 

“Um, Young Master…”

 

“I was worried you’d say you wouldn’t see me again because of that.”

 

His voice sounded genuinely relieved. Hearing the suppressed undertone, Chaeon fidgeted awkwardly, her eyes darting nervously. Thump. Thump. Thump. Her heartbeat pounded so loudly that he was bound to hear it, too. Trying to calm herself, she clenched her fists on her lap and barely managed to speak.

 

“A parent and their child… aren’t the same.”

 

“……”

 

Yeonjun remained silent, his head still resting on her shoulder, as if listening intently. Fiddling with the hem of her school skirt, Chaeon hesitated before continuing.

 

“It’s not like a parent’s fault always has to be the child’s fault too. So, this isn’t to say that Madam was at fault…”

 

“I understand what you mean.”

 

His soft voice whispered above her shoulder.

 

“Yes, so… It’s fine.”

 

Her clear response carried genuine conviction. If anyone ever lumped her together with the late Ui-cheol, she couldn’t imagine anything more unpleasant or revolting. That was why, regardless of whose situation it was, Chaeon never wanted to tie a child and parent’s deeds together, no matter the gravity of the matter.

 

“But why did you come here? Wasn’t there something you wanted to say?”

 

Lifting his head slowly from her shoulder, Yeonjun met her gaze. Only then did she seem to remember her purpose for coming, letting out a small sigh of realization.

 

“I wanted to thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For contacting the school…”

 

“Ah.”

 

The smile on Yeonjun’s face calmed into something more subdued. His gaze lingered on her, carrying a strange weight.

 

“……”

 

As though playing with it, he idly twirled the ends of her smooth, silky hair between his fingers before speaking.

 

“…So?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“What did your homeroom teacher say?”

 

“Oh. They told me to report things like this right away in the future and said they’d keep you informed…”

 

“……”

 

Yeonjun, who had been staring at her with an inscrutable expression, curved his lips into a smooth smile.

 

“I see… That’s good.”

 

“Yes. Thank you.”

 

His hand toying with her hair made it hard for her to focus. Feeling embarrassed, Chaeon glanced up at him and hesitantly asked a cautious question.

 

“Um, but…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Why are you so kind to me?”

 

The hand that had been playing with the ends of her hair paused.

 

“You’ve been so kind to me since the moment we first met.”

 

Hmm… Yeonjun seemed to ponder for a moment, staring at her intently. Sometimes, when he looked at her like that, she thought he seemed almost obsessive. Just as the curve of his smooth lips seemed to waver slightly—

 

“…Because I’m drawn to you.”

 

His whisper was so faint that Chaeon momentarily frowned, wondering if she had misheard.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Yeonjun let out a soft laugh.

 

“I told you, didn’t I, Chaeon? I never had friends or anyone I could open up to, and then suddenly, you appeared.”

 

“……”

 

“That’s why I want to be close to you.”

 

Yeonjun, who had gradually erased all expression from his face, seemed to think for a moment before smiling faintly again as if nothing had happened.

 

“So…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“From now on, I want you to tell me everything. So I don’t have to be in the dark. All of it.”

 

“All of it?”

 

“Yes. We agreed, didn’t we?”

 

With a languid voice, Yeonjun murmured, looking at her with an expression that almost seemed like a plea.

 

“I’d feel hurt if you didn’t.”

 

“……”

 

“Hmm?”

 

At his gentle insistence, Chaeon nodded cautiously.

 

“If you ever need help with anything, let me know.”

 

After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded as well.

 

“All right.”

 

“By the way, is there anything like that now?”

 

Gazing directly into her eyes, Yeonjun asked, as if begging her to say something—anything. Feeling obligated to answer, Chaeon frantically searched her thoughts before recalling something and spoke hesitantly while watching his reaction.

 

“Um, in that case…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“May I ask for one favor?”

 

“What is it?”

 

Yeonjun’s expression brightened as if genuinely pleased, and Chaeon mumbled bashfully.

 

“Well, I’ve only recently started focusing entirely on studying. Before that, I was always playing the piano…”

 

“Ah, you were in the arts.”

 

“Yes. But I wasn’t entirely neglecting my studies, so I do okay in most subjects.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“Except math… I’m struggling a bit to keep up. There’s so much I don’t know.”

 

She had once overheard the staff chatting in the dining room. Jang Taeha was a renowned prodigy who had graduated at the top of a prestigious American business school, and Jang Yeonjun had also graduated from Korea University with exceptional grades.

 

Though she couldn’t dream of such remarkable achievements at this point, Chaeon wanted to secure a stable college entrance exam score for a future where she could live with Hye-jeong.

 

“So…”

 

Watching Chaeon struggle to continue, Yeonjun let out a soft laugh.

 

“Your hardware is suited for the humanities, so math feels tough?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Her bashful response made him laugh again, as if amused.

 

“I’ll teach you. Bring me anything you don’t understand and ask. Anytime.”

 

“…Really?”

 

“Yes. I’m the one who told you to ask, remember?”

 

“Thank you.”

 

His gaze, captivating as ever, fell on her as he smiled warmly, and he suddenly held out his hand. As she looked at him in confusion, he chuckled softly and spoke.

 

“Your phone, please.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I’ll give you my number.”

 

“Okay.”

 

When Chaeon immediately handed over her phone, Yeonjun entered his number, called himself from it, and then saved her number on his phone.

 

“Make sure to message me before you come over. I might not be here.”

 

“Yes.”

 

No matter how many times she experienced it, she couldn’t get used to his kindness. How could someone speak and act with such effortless warmth, as if it came as naturally as breathing? Like it was straight out of a textbook… A textbook? Caught by the odd sense of unease, Chaeon tilted her head slightly.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Oh… No, it’s nothing.”

 

“Alright.”

 

He playfully tousled the hair on his forehead and smoothed it down, flashing her a soft, eye-smiling grin.

 

“I hope you come across lots of things you don’t know.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Then you’ll visit often.”

 

To say something like that so casually… For a moment, Chaeon found herself idly thinking that if Yeonjun ever decided to deliberately charm someone, he could ensnare quite a few people.

 

In any case, there was no reason for him to say something insincere, nor did she dislike his kindness toward her. Smiling faintly, she bid him farewell.

 

“Well, I’ll be going now. Thank you for everything.”

 

“Sure. See you again.”

 

Leaving behind his sweet, almost heart-melting response, Chaeon bowed politely as she had when she first entered, then exited the room.

 

—

 

Knock, knock.

 

A polite knocking sound came from beyond the study door. Reclining against the chair while reviewing documents, Taeha glanced up and answered.

 

“Come in.”

 

For hours, he had been poring over a detailed transcript of last year’s strategic planning meeting meticulously recorded by a stenographer. Though there were video recordings of the meeting, Taeha found reading text far quicker than watching moving images. As such, most meeting notes were reviewed in this somewhat analog manner.

 

Reviewing past meeting minutes, shareholder meeting records, or agendas for future shareholder meetings helped immensely in grasping the current state of affairs. Placing the thick document bundle aside, Taeha stubbed out the cigarette he had been loosely holding in an ashtray.

 

“Young Master.”

 

Pressing his tired eyes a few times, Taeha blinked through the faintly blurred vision to see Secretary Kim standing before him.

 

“Apologies for interrupting. I have a brief report to make…”

 

Taking a quick glance at the file folder tucked under Secretary Kim’s arm, Taeha gave a small nod.

 

“Go ahead.”

 

Burying himself deeply into the recliner, Taeha closed his eyes, trying to shake off the lingering fatigue. Secretary Kim, gauging his mood, cautiously placed the file on the desk and began.

 

“Well, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but we’ve received a message from Im Sun-ho.”

 

Im Sun-ho. He was one of Taeha’s trusted subordinates. Long ago, Taeha had harbored unresolved doubts about his mother’s death, believing that Jang Yeonjun, who was deeply entangled in the incident, needed to be kept under surveillance. Any lead that might unravel the mystery had to be pursued. Anticipating that his external responsibilities would keep him busy, Taeha had instructed Sun-ho to maintain contact with Secretary Kim.

 

“It seems that Young Master Yeonjun recently visited Miss Chaeon’s school.”