“Dear, why are there so many pumpkin pancakes?”
Kang Hyun’s father, Kang Sunwoo, expressed his curiosity at the table filled with pumpkin pancakes. For some reason, even his father-in-law, who always occupied the head seat, was nowhere to be seen.
“Father made them early this morning.”
“Father-in-law did?”
“He went to visit mother’s grave this morning. These days, even if it’s not her death anniversary, he often visits because he thinks of her a lot.”
Though he was usually quiet and reserved, he was quite the romantic.
Whenever he went to visit his late wife, he never forgot to bring the pumpkin pancakes and white milk she loved when she was alive.
He had been loyal to her memory for decades and never looked at another woman.
Kang Sunwoo suddenly thought that his father-in-law and his wife resembled each other a lot.
“Dear, do you remember the day we first met?”
How could he ever forget? It was a time when government-organized demonstrations and rallies were in full swing. Of course, there were also constant protests and demonstrations at universities.
In the blooming spring of March, amidst the scattering tear gas powder instead of flower pollen, the two met.
“That time, I helped you up when you fell among the crowd, remember? We ended up caught in the demonstration parade.”
The two university students, who were far from being involved in protests, held hands and ran as soon as they got up. When they finally caught their breath and the tear gas smell subsided, they realized their hands were clasped together as if glued.
“Would you have followed if another guy had helped you up back then?”
“No way. I followed you because you looked kind from the moment I first saw you.”
“I looked kind?”
The young chemist’s eyes were the clearest and purest, enough to capture the heart of a girl who had grown up in a wealthy family.
Yoo Hyun-ja’s cheeks flushed as she recalled those days.
“But when will our son ever get a girlfriend, I wonder.”
Kang Sunwoo smiled at his wife’s attempt to change the subject.
Contrary to her worries, there was no need to worry about their son’s love life. Not only did matchmakers frequently contact him, but he also received fan letters just like popular singers. Most importantly…
“Mrs. Yoo, you worry needlessly.”
Wasn’t there already someone occupying the seat next to Kang Hyun?
“Does it taste good?”
Son Yooha nodded while her mouth was full of spicy pork rice. She looked so cute that I almost laughed.
It was a small eatery near Sillim-dong that I frequented, second only to a sundae stir-fry place. The place was shabby, but the aunties’ cooking skills were on par with top chefs. Even the picky Son Yooha kept exclaiming how delicious it was.
“Oppa, can you show me around the school?”
“Chew your food and speak slowly.”
Although her appearance had matured, her personality remained the same as before.
When I first saw her, I was quite surprised. She had suddenly flown to Korea from America.
Her appearance had matured so much that she drew a lot of attention, making it uncomfortable to walk around with her.
No wonder, given that even in the past, her beauty earned her the nickname “Ice Queen.”
“I thought celebrities came to eat here. You two look so good together, both handsome and pretty.”
When the auntie from the eatery made a kind remark, Yooha’s cheeks turned red. Fortunately, there was plenty of time before the next class, so we had time to look around the school.
“Let’s go to Cheongwol Pond first.”
Cheongwol Pond was the pond in the center of the school.
As I held Yooha’s hand and walked, I could feel the surrounding gazes. But I didn’t mind. The more they looked, the tighter Yooha clasped my hand.
It was a feeling I had never experienced before. The school, which usually seemed mundane, now appeared incredibly beautiful.
Then suddenly,
Pitter-patter.
Was a tiger getting married? Big raindrops started to fall from the clear sky.
Without hesitation, I took off my coat to cover Yooha’s head. She snuggled into my arms.
“Let’s run.”
We moved our feet in sync, like in a three-legged race.
With every step, the pleasant scent mixed with the rain filled my nose. Whatever shampoo she used, it smelled better than most perfumes.
The sound of raindrops hitting my coat and my heartbeat echoed in my ears.
“Kang Hyun.”
The professor called names from the attendance sheet. It was a first-year elective course in German. Many students from other departments also took it, so Yooha ended up taking it with me.
When we entered the lecture hall hand in hand, I could feel everyone’s eyes on us.
Kim Daewoo widened his eyes and glanced at me, curious about Yooha’s identity, but I didn’t answer him.
“German is widely used in Europe. According to global statistics, it is the third most learned foreign language in the U.S. and Europe. Moreover, in the scientific field, German usage is so significant. Today, we will learn about Standard German, which is Central German.”
Yooha seemed more content about sitting next to me than about the lecture. She probably never imagined we’d be taking a university class together.
Curiosity was evident on the faces of students like Kim Daewoo. It made sense since I usually avoided women as if they were in a forbidden zone. Then,
“I will ask a simple conversation question in German.”
The professor scanned the room full of students and pointed at someone.
His finger pointed directly at Son Yooha.
Oops, just as I thought I should apologize, Yooha slowly stood up.
There was no sign of tension or embarrassment on her face. Instead, she looked cold and confident.
“Professor, shall I answer in German?”
At that moment, fluent German flowed from Yooha’s lips.
“She’s Hyun’s girlfriend?”
Kim Daewoo asked again with wide eyes. Before I could say anything, Yooha kept nodding.
Then, the male students let out exclamations, while the female students sighed simultaneously.
Yooha looked visibly relieved.
“Daewoo, sorry, but we have to go.”
“Oh, okay. Take care.”
We left the department quickly, leaving the surprised students behind. I didn’t want to stay there any longer, not knowing what questions might come next.
Then Yooha grasped my hand tightly, as if she wouldn’t let go.
“Oppa, I want to hear you play after a long time.”
She’s not just an Ice Queen but an Ice Blockhead. She must have come to Korea to announce to everyone that I’m her boyfriend. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be this happy.
“Oppa, you really are an adult now.”
Watching me handle the steering wheel, Yooha murmured quietly. Indeed, it felt strange hearing that from the Ice Queen who would eventually take over Jeil Corporation.
In the past life, Yooha was younger than me but held a much higher position. Back then, it was hard to even make eye contact with her, but now we could look at each other freely.
“VH Company?”
It seemed Yooha found something while looking around the studio, which she hadn’t visited in a long time.
The studio was a place no one could enter without my permission. Yooha looked puzzled as she saw the report that Manager Kim Sang-guk had brought.
“It’s nothing.”
“Hmm, suspicious. Oppa, my business management teacher always says that investments should be made cautiously. Why not consult Grandfather about VH Company if you’re thinking of investing?”
Oh, come on. I am the CEO of VH Company. What’s there to ask?
Yooha, who was learning various subjects including leadership, might worry about me. Of course, she had the knowledge of a university student at a young age.
“Anyway, sit here. I have always wanted to play this piece for you.”
Yooha sat neatly as I picked up the violin. It was the piece that decorated the end of my second album.
With the first note from the bow touching the strings, Yooha’s smile blossomed.
She must have recognized the piece immediately. She leaned forward with a happy expression, like a cat eating a treat.
Though it lacked flashy, difficult techniques, the pure melody alone filled me with emotions.
Every time our eyes met, my heartbeat added a background rhythm, like the sound of waves.
When the performance ended, Yooha had her eyes closed. She must have been exhausted from the day.
“You’ll catch a cold if you sleep like this.”
I headed to the sofa where Yooha was lying to cover her with a blanket. She was already sound asleep.
I moved carefully to cover her with the blanket when…
Huh?
Suddenly, Yooha half-opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around my neck.
It felt like I was being pulled by her gravity, not my own. As our eyes met with just a handbreadth between us, time seemed to stop.
“VH Company?”
The voice was filled with confusion and surprise.
“Yes, our CEO is considering investing in your company.”
“Wait, hold on. We are still a fledgling company that was just established.”
Of course, it was one of the many IT venture companies that sprang up like mushrooms after the rain.
The person sitting across from him still looked puzzled.
Kim Sang-guk sipped his tea and began speaking to the nervous person.
“Have you heard of VH Company?”
“Of course. Who in the IT industry hasn’t heard of VH Company? But I never imagined you would reach out to us. As you know, we are still in the startup stage without any substantial achievements.”
The person’s voice gradually became as faint as a crawling ant. It made sense because to receive investment, they needed substantial achievements, which they lacked.
Moreover, it was hard to bet on future potential with the young CEO in front of him not seeming very reliable.
“As you know, VH Company loves adventure. Our investment philosophy aligns with our CEO’s life philosophy of ‘not wasting time by carefully checking stepping stones.’ We see potential in your company and would like you to review our investment proposal.”
The sound of swallowing was audible. Surely, from their perspective, it was like winning the lottery.
Kim Sang-guk had been making such investment proposals steadily over the past few months. Once, he even proposed investing in a venture company that seemed totally unpromising.
When he was in the strategic planning office, he could never have imagined doing such things.
‘It’s like seeing a ghost.’
At first, he couldn’t trust Kang Hyun’s investment methods at all. But as time passed, the unbelievable results left him in awe. It got to the point where they started calling Kang Hyun the ‘Midas Touch.’ This fledgling venture company in front of him was also very intriguing.
“We will do our utmost not to disappoint VH Company for deciding to invest in us!”
The person across bowed excessively and clutched the investment proposal tightly.
After the foreign exchange crisis, investments in small companies had noticeably decreased. The government focused on saving large companies with corresponding policies. Hence, for small venture companies, VH Company must have seemed like a lifeline from heaven.
Then,
“Hold on a moment.”
Kim Sang-guk’s eyes caught sight of an English newspaper being carried by a hotel staff member. More precisely, his eyes were fixed on the headline.
Perhaps because of his persistent gaze, the hotel staff handed him a copy of the newspaper. Without even thanking them, Kim Sang-guk started reading the headline as if mesmerized.
“Barbara Tannenbaum, discovers largest copper and gold deposits in history.”
It was another moment of creating a miracle.
