“How was Hyun?” Eric from Northern Europe stroked his thick chin. His strong square jaw twitched noticeably.
“He was really good at cooking.”
Eric closed his eyes as if reminiscing about the past. Why did it seem so savory to see him sweeping his dry lips?
“Would you believe that the dish made by that kid’s small hands was the best I’ve ever had at the Chapel? Hyun would definitely win if he entered a cooking competition. Ah, just thinking about it makes my mouth water again.”
Eric gulped and continued.
“I will never forget that Hyun corrected my posture. In my hometown, they say revenge is repaid twice, and grace tenfold. Hyun was the best kid I’ve ever met. Mr. PD, may I leave a message for Hyun?”
The camera nodded up and down as if it were a person. “I lost the Jjimdak recipe. Please write it down for me again.” Next, William sat in the empty interview chair. “Hyun is my rival, to put it simply.”
Rival?
“Although I didn’t win an award at this competition, I’m not disappointed. That’s because Hyun is definitely a violinist worthy of the grand prize. Since the Royal Academy of Music, I thought I was the best. It was Hyun who completely overturned my musical values. One day, I will definitely surpass Hyun.”
William’s face was full of confidence, just as it was when he first came to Brussels.
After the interview ended, William looked at the PD before getting up. The hesitating appearance was completely different from the confident one just moments ago.
“Mr. PD, will that scene be edited out?”
What scene?
“Ahem, you know what I mean.”
The camera shook its head firmly. Finally.
“Hyun was really amazing.”
Anna’s eyes were full of admiration. Her passionate demeanor seemed to declare that she wouldn’t hide like a burning sun.
“During our time at the Chapel, each participant was both a companion exploring melodies and a competitor. That’s why I couldn’t initially approach with pure intentions. But he was different. Seeing him comfort William made me tear up without realizing it. Hyun was the youngest among us but was more mature than anyone else. He felt like an oppa, even though he was younger than me. Moreover, his performance…”
Anna’s cute hands clenched with excitement. Just thinking about Hyun’s melody seemed to send chills through her body.
“Why did I kiss him, you ask?”
Anna’s cheeks were flushed. Perhaps it was more noticeable due to her exceptionally fair skin. Let’s skip this question.
“We all received help from Hyun at the Chapel. He solved musical problems that no one else could as if he had known the answers all along.”
Anna’s platinum blonde hair fluttered as her emotions changed. “There’s a legend that a god of music resides at the Chapel, right?”
Anna stared directly at the camera.
“Maybe we’ve already met.”
After showering and wrapping a towel around my neck, the savory smell of soybean paste soup reached my nose. It seemed mother and the housekeeper had teamed up to cook from the morning. Lately, I’ve been feeling that nothing beats home-cooked meals.
As I smacked my lips and went downstairs, grandfather greeted me with a peculiar smile. “Hyun, the documentary last night was really interesting.”
“Documentary?”
What was he talking about?
Last night, I was so exhausted that I passed out as soon as I got home. The intense activity had left me completely drained. Trying to establish Guanxi twice had left me nearly depleted of energy.
But a documentary?
“There was a Queen Elizabeth documentary on terrestrial TV last night.”
“Excuse me?”
Could it be the footage from back then!
Before I could even resolve my doubts, grandfather stood up smiling.
“Hyun, you were sleeping so soundly that your mother didn’t wake you. Grandpa was just so happy to see you on TV. Haha.”
The main topic at breakfast was none other than the documentary that aired last night.
“Son, I didn’t know you were so good at cooking! Where did you learn to make Jjimdak?”
“Haha. I learned it bit by bit by watching TV.”
“Hyun, more than that, the way you hugged William was so mature. Dad was really moved.”
Suddenly, I felt my face heating up.
I didn’t even expect it to air in Korea. When did they sign the licensing contract? Just listening to my parents and grandfather describe the scenes felt like a drama.
As cold sweat trickled down my back.
“Oh, son. What’s with that girl Anna?”
Mother asked, her eyes sparkling like a young girl’s. Grandfather and father looked at me with curious expressions.
Ah, what on earth was in that documentary?
“Hyung!”
Deng Weiping clung to me. It looked like a very affectionate scene between brothers. Deng Zheng watched us with a satisfied look.
It was natural for my father and me to see them off at Gimpo Airport. Establishing Guanxi wasn’t something done in an instant. Trust had to be built to become true friends.
“I saw you on TV yesterday, Hyung!”
So you saw it too.
That explained why people were glancing at me since earlier.
Some travelers even questioned me in groups, and I had to repeatedly deny it before they left. I almost had a hard time.
Luckily, I didn’t have a smartphone. If I did, hundreds of photos would have been taken by now. Next time, I should come up with another natural excuse.
“Mr. Kang and Hyun, thank you so much for coming to see us off.”
“I want to stay with Hyung a bit longer…”
“Weiping.”
At Deng Zheng’s stern voice, Weiping lowered his head reluctantly. His chubby cheeks puffed out, and his lips pouted adorably, making me almost pinch his cheeks without realizing it.
I guess I had grown attached to him. What was once just annoying had now become a bit sad.
“Chairman Deng, please accept this token of our appreciation. We hope your memories in Korea are meaningful. It’s two bottles of homemade ginseng wine.”
Father handed over a carefully wrapped box.
There was no need to give an expensive gift. In fact, an overly expensive gift could be burdensome and misinterpreted. Moreover, there was a saying in China to be wary of those who give expensive gifts.
But a handmade gift was different.
A gift is about exchanging sincerity. Besides, there was a reason for preparing two bottles. In China, even numbers are considered lucky, while odd numbers are considered unlucky. Paying attention to even these minor details made them not easy guests.
“Mr. Kang, thank you so much for this precious gift.”
Deng Zheng’s bright smile upon receiving the gift made my father’s face light up as well. He had been worried the gift might not be well received.
“I will soon invite Mr. Kang and Hyun to China. Please visit, have a meal, and chat with us.”
“Of course, if Chairman Deng invites us, we must go. It would be an honor.”
While translating, I tried hard to hide my surprise. My father might think it’s just a polite gesture, but inviting someone to one’s home in China holds significant meaning.
“Hyung, you must come!”
Alright, kiddo!
I waved vigorously at the departing Weiping. Father still seemed bewildered. It was his first time hosting a buyer, so he couldn’t tell if he did well or not.
“Hyun, was Dad okay?”
I silently gave him a thumbs up.
Father, in my opinion, you were great. Don’t worry! Then.
“Excuse me.”
Two flight attendants in trench coats approached me. “Are you the kid from the documentary yesterday?”
Oh dear, it seems my face is quite well-known now.
In the morning, it was Deng Weiping.
“Oppa!”
In the evening, Son Yooha welcomed me with open arms. If you didn’t know better, you’d think we hadn’t seen each other for ten years. However, she showed a polite bow to grandfather, a sight I was now accustomed to.
Chairman Wang put down the gardening shears he was holding and walked over. That old man always seemed to have boundless energy.
“Hyun, I watched you on TV yesterday. Your handsome face looked great on screen. Unlike Chairman Yoo.”
“Chairman Son, what are you talking about? Hyun clearly takes after me.”
As expected from close friends, they started bickering as soon as they met. It seemed everyone except me had watched the broadcast.
Moreover,
“Oppa, Oppa! The part where you played the violin was so cool! And I recorded it on video. Didn’t I do well?”
Clap.
Chairman Wang put his teacup down loudly. The wrinkles around his eyes clearly showed his surprise.
“Chairman Yoo, it seems you’ve decided to expand your business entirely? Even considering investing in real estate.”
“Of course, now is the opportunity.”
There’s a saying that real estate is a battle of debt. The 1990s saw an economic boom so significant that it was almost unrealistic. Normally, high-interest rates mean low debt, but in the 90s, the market was so flush with funds that even that rule was broken.
Of course, it was all blind money. What do you think happened? Everyone jumped into the soaring real estate market.
Although a storm would soon cause nationwide suffering, it wasn’t a bad long-term investment.
Even the government was actively cracking down on real estate speculation using corporate state guarantees.
At a time when prime land was losing its owners. In the future, there would be plenty of land that couldn’t be bought even with money, so if you had enough funds, it wasn’t a bad idea to scoop it up now.
Surely, they knew what they were doing.
Chairman Wang’s information network was unmatched in the country.
“And I’m considering buying some stocks under Hyunja’s name.”
“Stocks?”
“Yes, I’m quite a novice in that area. What do you think I should do?”
Chairman Wang seemed genuinely concerned. He must have known what grandfather meant by that.
If he transferred company stocks to mother, it could cause management control issues. So he intended to gift stocks from other companies.
Then Chairman Wang and I made eye contact.
“Hyun, is there a company you want?”
